Chapter 8

Aurelia's POV

I stomped my feet on the ground over and over again to get rid of the mud under my worn out shoes. I looked up into the sky with a hand blocking the harsh rays of the sun that had made my clothes sticky with sweat.

The sun should be coming down soon and once again, it will be nightfall.

I dreaded the hours of the night.

Our wolf senses were much sharper and stronger. Norton's guards could be close again to finding me. Our game of hide and seek was a dangerous one that I didn't enjoy but I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.

Once Norton found out I was missing, he rolled out guard after guard and in all the three days of my journey, it has been nothing but fear and looking over my shoulders while keeping a watchful eye on coming across any familiar face.

My clothes were torn from passing through the most unlikely places in hopes that they wouldn't follow me but their determination went beyond my expectations. I found myself running even in the middle of the night.

I haven't slept, I was out of food already and my stomach was growling hard. The food that Maggie packed for me finished a few minutes ago and I was already hungry again.

At the thought of Margaret, my heart started to ache. I couldn't help but wonder if she was alright. I hope I hadn't implicated her for my selfish gain.

She had been such a loyal and understanding friend right from day one and I couldn't even be grateful enough.

I wondered what Norton's face must've been like when he found out I was missing. Did he throw a fit and yell till he coughed blood or did he play it cool?

Whichever one he acted out, he still sent his guards to fetch me. He didn't want me out of his presence yet he wanted me to suffer to accept him.

I had come to the realisation that Norton needed help and I wouldn't be by his side or suffer under his feet to wait for help to come to him.

I reached out to touch my necklace and I almost freaked out when I couldn't feel it.

It took a harsh moment to remember that I had hidden it by tying a scarf around my neck. I couldn't risk being robbed and a necklace as beautiful as that being stolen. In a way, that necklace was my life.

I lowered my head and wiped the bead of sweat that was on my face. "I better keep going," I told myself with a sigh and dragged my feet past a weird looking cliff.

With my hand still on the strap of my bag that was over my shoulder, I walked on for hours till it was sundown.

I caught sight of a few people ahead and I froze for a while, observing the situation.

They were all beautifully dressed and they all seemed to be overjoyed for some reason. Both men and women matched into an open gate and I looked around for the guards. They didn't seem to stop anyone.

Maybe I could squeeze myself in and pass through to see where it would take me.

But first, I looked down at my torn dress and figured I was already looking out of place.

It would be easy to single me out.

Luckily for me, I picked out a few clothes before leaving Norton's castle. If I could dress up nicely, I could fool the guards and even the people around that I was one of them.

I scurried around in search of a discreet place to change into my outfit. I wore a blue dress and luckily, my black scarf was still good enough to wrap around my neck to hide my necklace.

After offering a silent prayer to the moon goddess to direct my path, I jumped out of the corner and carefully squeezed myself into the next set of people.

Everyone walked and chatted away clueless that I didn't belong there.

Their smiles were wide enough to reach the back of their heads and they laughed a little too extra to be normal.

I didn't have the time to figure out what was going on. I just needed to pass through and see where it would take me.

It was obvious that I had wandered into another pack but I didn't know which. Also, why did they let just anyone come in?

Was this a free gathering? Even though I had never heard of anything like that before in history.

From the little I could gather from their conversation. They were here to observe a ritual.

"I hope it's nothing worse from where I'm coming from," I sighed as I clutched my bag tighter.

I sniffed the air and caught the smell of food and the next thing I was standing in the middle of laid out delicacies at every corner.

Whatever they were celebrating was a big festival and they seemed to have a lot of food to spare.

From cakes to fries and chicken, I ate till I couldn't breathe. I carefully began stuffing the food into my bag, saving some for my journey.

"Why don't we move to the main Hall? I heard things are getting interesting over there,"

My ears perked up at the sound of that. I noticed the ladies heading towards a castle and I dragged my feet behind them.

I was reminded of my Pack's annual festival and how beautiful it always was. I guess I felt a little at home in this strange land.

I was still reminiscing on my past life when I caught a whiff of a sweet smell in the air.

My senses perked up and goosebumps formed on my delicate skin.

Was this food? I wondered and in no time, my legs were moving on their own.

Something was in the air and I didn't just mean the dark sky with the stars decorating it. I meant something more that awoke a deep thirst and set my body in a frenzy.

I grew restless with each passing second and I felt hot from inside out.

Something was drawing at my soul. It was almost like an invisible pull that I couldn't resist no matter how hard I tried and somehow, it felt right.

I didn't even want to try.

For the first time since I lost my pack, I felt my body relaxing at home.

Again, was this food for my soul itself? It set my wolf pacing at the back of my head. I could feel her heartbeat mixing with mine becoming one.

My feet carried me to the Hall and I climbed up the lengthy stairs with my eyes frantically searching.

I didn't know what I was searching for.

No, I did. I knew.

It finally hit me.

All the books I read back on my mother's shelf and all the stories she told.

She mentioned this feeling but it was hard to imagine. Right here, right now, I knew what she meant.

"You feel the completeness, the satisfaction and the cool feeling of finally getting everything you could ever want," my mother's words rang in my head.

The sound of my heart slowed in my ears, it became more intense and sensual.

I finally stepped into the hall with my chest heaving as I drew in rapid breaths.

"Look, it's his Highness!" I heard some girls gasp around me with glee in their voices.

"My goodness! He is a god!" They praised endlessly.

I felt a strong gaze land on my skin and a warmth like never before took over me. I lifted my head to search but our gazes locked instead.

"Mother, that sounds too dramatic. How will I know when I see him?" I had whined to my mother in her bedroom that day.

I could still remember the sound of her chuckle filling the air and her little pat on my head, "You'll know."

Right here, right now, I realised she was right.

The pair of dark eyes staring at me from the high and mighty throne didn't break contact even when I mouthed the words, "Mate."