The entire day had been exhilarating. Olivia became more relaxed by the hour. Ileus and Anastasia made sure that they all stayed together most of the time, except when the wolves needed their wives for their voracious appetites of sex. By the end of the day, Olivia and Kaizan were too drunk and Ileus had to support a giggling Olivia and a muttering Kaizan while Anastasia created a portal for them to transport them back to the mansion. The couple was so wasted that when they slumped on their bed, they took Ileus down with them in the middle. Both of them had their hands over him as their heads lolled over his arms, and Anastasia had a hard time disentangling her husband from them.
"Gods, they are bloody wasted!" Anastasia said when Ileus finally managed to get out of the bed.
Anastasia giggled. "Olivia was new to the Candlemas festivities by the queen. She will get used to them in the coming years. And—" she placed her hands on her waist. "Kaizan needs a proper honeymoon. You must give him an off."
Ileus shook his head as he looked at his promised wolf and his mate. He picked up the fur from the footboard and covered them both. "Let us go, wife!" he said. "I am missing my kids!" He was thinking about giving Kaizan a week's off. The man deserved it.
—
After three days of traveling through the blizzard and gusty winds, Bernice and Fuchsia reached their home in the Whiteclaw pack in the evening of the fourth day. They were travel tired and extremely weary when they reached home. The mother and daughter instructed their servants not to speak anything about how they were deported from Silver Vales. They could never say that it was Ileus who deported them here, else their reputation would be shredded.
For the next one day, Bernice took a bath once and then slept. She got up to eat and went back to sleep. When she woke up in the afternoon of the fifth day, her mother was already in her room drawing the curtains out. "Kaia and Vaarin have called us. Vaarin is asking us to report to him about our days in Silver Vales."
Bernice rubbed her eyes as she rose from her bed and sat down at the edge. "I won't go," she said gruffly. "You can say whatever you like."
"Kaia has especially asked for you to come," Fuchsia said sternly. She turned to look at her daughter and her fury bubbled in her chest. "Because of you both of us can't go out of the Whiteclaw pack. We cannot keep this thing a secret for a long time. I have asked your father to find a groom for you and marry you as soon as possible. At least that is going to shift the attention of Kaia and Vaarin from the vow we made to the Lore."
"What?" Bernice shouted. "I don't want to marry just anyone!"
Fuchsia felt like slapping her daughter. She seethed, "Now you are no longer in a position to bargain for a groom of your choice. You have insulted me and your father to the point that this is the only solution."
"But mother—" Bernice whined.
Fuchsia put her hand up in the air and stopped her. "Get ready fast. We have to be there in an hour."
Kaia was waiting in the main hall of their house. She paced the entire room till Vaarin felt his head would spin. "Why don't you sit down Kaia? You pacing the room won't make them come any faster."
Kaia exhaled heavily. "I know, but I want to know how Olivia is doing. I really want to hear about her." Her eyes became moist for the hundredth time. She missed her daughter and wondered if Olivia missed her too. And deep down she was worried if Kaizan accepted her or not.
"I understand Kaia, but their marriage is very new. It's been no more than ten days. You have to give time to Olivia and Kaizan," Vaarin tried to reassure his wife.
She came to sit next to him and snapped, "I knew that this was a wrong decision. Kaizan is going to give a very hard time to my daughter. That man is a ruthless General. My son was killed by him. Do you think he would leave our daughter? What if he kills her?" Suddenly her chest tightened at the thought and she paled.
"Stop overthinking, Kaia!" Vaarin retorted. "I have—" he snapped his mouth shut when he saw Bernice and Fuchsia entering the main hall.
Kaia jumped from her place and rushed to go to her sister. "Fuchsia!" she held her hand. "God knows how much I was waiting for you!" She glanced at Bernice who bowed to both of them. She was looking as if she was beaten badly. Her face was gaunt. She ignored her and pulled Fuchsia to the sofa. "Tell me about Olivia? How is Kaizan? Is my daughter, okay? I hope Kaizan doesn't torture her." The tears that she had been stopping since morning, came out unbridled. "I didn't even give her a proper wedding." She shot a dark glance at her husband who shifted uncomfortably in his place. "Please tell me everything about her."
Fuchsia laughed softly as she relaxed on the sofa. "Kaia, you worrywart!"
Kaia sighed as creases formed on her pale forehead. "How is Olivia?" she asked again, searching Fuchsia's face.
"She is fine," Fuchsia replied. "She is very fine."
"Really?" Kaia's hands flew to her mouth in disbelief. She stared at her sister for a long time as several emotions swirled in her body. Goosebumps pimpled her skin and eyes became wide. She gulped. When she removed her hands from her mouth, she glanced at her husband, who visibly relaxed and had a semblance of a smile on his face as if his decision was right.
"Yes, really," Fuchsia placed a hand on her sister's hand. "She is enjoying herself and surprisingly—" she turned to gaze at Vaarin who had narrowed his eyes at her pause, and then looked at Kaia. "Surprisingly, they both are mates."
A bolt of shock crossed Kaia's body.
Vaarin was shocked too. He jumped from his chair and stood up. Placing his hands on his waist, he said, "Mates? As in the ones who are so rare to find? Those mates? Ones who you can't find? Those kinds of mates?"
Fuchsia laughed at Vaarin. "Yes, those. Olivia and Kaizan are mates and Kaizan has marked her."
Kaia felt as if tons of weight lifted from her shoulders, from her soul. Her lips quivered as she gazed at her husband with all the appreciation in her eyes. And Vaarin—though disbelief skittered through his body, he couldn't help feeling proud of… himself. He had taken the best decision of his life. A genuine grin split his face into half. He sat down on his chair. "My daughter has found her mate…" he murmured, thanking every wolf god out there.
Fuchsia was all praises for Olivia. "She is adjusting well and Kaizan is helping her a lot." Not once did she speak ill about her. But in the end she said—
—
Song suggestion by Hollygolightly: "All of Me" by John Legend
