We picked up camp in the lake's bay. I didn't know where we were, but surely we were far enough from Caden and Aiden. The only reason they tracked us there was the light I had given off, leaving them a homing beacon to follow.
Alijah lay down, huffing for air, as I quickly got off him. Scavenging through my bag for our water to give him, I felt him shift back into his humanoid form before turning towards him. Finally, finding the damn bottle, I handed it to him.
Once he gulped it down, I headed to pick up things to make a small fire. Once I turned back towards my wolf, I noticed he was already lights out after drinking the water.
Oi… You didn't even take off your bag.
I wanted to sleep, too, but I was reluctant to go down. Without his warm fur, I needed a heat source to not suffer too much through the night. It was easy to collect all the things for the fire. Thankfully, the matches also helped in setting it.
After an intense blaze had taken hold, I turned to help Alijah out of his bag. I set a small cloth to be his pillow while he rested. His sleeping face seemed so peaceful that I couldn't hold myself back.
Before I knew it, I kissed him on his cheek. When I noticed what I had done, I quickly withdrew from him.
Damn it! I'm acting like I'm your lover!
My cheeks burned hot, feeling conflicted by everything that had happened.
Though… none of this is your fault. I can't blame you for anything. You didn't make me fall for you. That was all me, and I hated picking a man who wouldn't choose me.
My heart stung, yet I continued to make our camp. By the time I was done, the sun had gone and given rise to the moon. We brought food from Wyatt's house in Alijah's bag, ensuring he wouldn't have to hunt tonight.
Turning towards the lake, I sat by the edge of the water. Even though everything had exhausted me, I couldn't sleep. Everything that had happened was so surreal that I couldn't believe it. In the lake's distance, I saw a few orbs flying around the water's surface, away from Alijah and me.
It brought me back to the first day I met him. What I felt for him that night was what Dad said. He knew she was his world when he pulled her out of that alley when they were kids.
Soul mates… You are my soul mate, but…
Aches rose on my chest as I winced, knowing this meant I would always love him. However, even if my wolf were mine, it didn't mean I was his. Aunty Amelia had a soulmate once, but their marriage failed when her husband cheated on her.
Being soulmates doesn't mean we will be endgame, though.
Sometimes, it meant one side got stuck while the other continued with their lives. After that, Amelia never wanted to find love again, preferring to stay alone and surrounded by her family.
Will that be how I feel after Alijah reunites with Lilith? I don't want that!
At least Aunty wasn't alone; she had us.
Will that be my fate, too? Alone in one aspect but rich in another? No... I…
She had always said. "It's better to be alone than in poor company."
Is that true? But I don't want to be without him. Is this how you first felt, Aunty? It's miserable.
My heart throbbed as I sat there for a couple of hours, tormented by everything. I couldn't sleep or think straight. Eventually, trying to forget about everything, I dipped my feet into the water, hoping to feel some relief.
My mouth dropped when I saw it light up yellowish-green.
Wait, this is…
I couldn't believe what we had randomly stumbled upon. For a moment, all my worries washed away as I rushed to Alijah, softly waking him up. He had been asleep for a few hours but would've missed the bioluminescent lake if he hadn't been up in time.
These things could only be found in Azear. They were wondrous and, of course, water-related, much like the ocean elves. The only reasons people would visit these lands were the food, the lakes, and the beaches.
Though we were far from any shoreline, it was better that way—fewer tourists to worry about. When he arose from his sleep, he grumbled, wiping his eyes. Once he was up, I dropped water on the fire to quench it.
It wasn't as cold as I thought, and any light source other than the moon would ruin the experience. Even though the wolf was dead tired, I helped him up, leading him towards the water's edge. I couldn't help but hum in excitement as these lakes were a rare find.
There were only five in the entire nation, and the most popular ones were the ones near the beaches. This one seemed isolated, so I wanted to avoid wasting this opportunity. After all, I always wanted to see one in person rather than behind the screen of my phone.
I never thought I would miss that piece of junk, yet I wished I had it with me to take a picture of this moment. Yawning, Alijah sat down where I took him, allowing me to return to grab him something to eat.
The starry night seemed so beautiful, too.
Everything's so perfect, if only we were romantically involved.
Shaking that thought aside, I handed a jerky bag and water to Alijah, who ate quietly. I also ate beside him, wishing to close the gap between us. Most of the time, he stared up toward the sky while I stole glances at him instead.
My heart would die on this journey, but at least my wolf would be happy.
After eating, he glanced at me and asked, "So, will you tell me why you woke me up?"
By now, our eyes adjusted to the night. So… This should be good.
Taking the chance, I acted, suddenly standing up before I took off my clothes. I shook my embarrassment away, too. After all, he had seen everything I had to offer already.
"What are you doing?" Alijah questioned, trailing his eyes down my body as I peeled off every cloth I had on before throwing it to the side.
It wasn't like my body ever made him react to me willingly.
"You wanted me to shower, right, Alijah-tan?" I smirked, trying to tease him a bit.
He tilted his head, "What? That's not a reason to wake me up."
Failure…
Even though my playful moment crashed, I wondered if he had ever seen one of these types of lakes before. I started this journey with him to help him see how beautiful the world was.
There has to be something other than jerks and asses in it.
I would have to put aside all my emotions, doubts, and pains. My goal was to make Alijah happy.
At least while you're with me, I want to own your smile.
Once all my clothes were off, I slowly made my way into the water, lighting up all the way. The water was warm, too. What was more fun was that I appeared to be a fairy, and it lit up from any slight movement I made.
Once he saw it, his eyes opened wide as he stood up from where he was.
"How are you doing that?" Alijah asked curiously.
"It's magic." I teased, unable to help myself.
Though, I felt horrible when I saw him genuinely amazed by it. It was almost as if he had seen nothing so beautiful before in his crimson gaze. He had said most of his freed life was dictated by the elders, while in the other two, he was free. He spent them with Lilith in moon elf territory.
So perhaps I hit the jackpot with this one!
It surely seemed like it because his expression was one I would die for.
Ah, I wish I could take a picture of it and frame it in my room when you're gone. Bare it, Rem. Memorize everything so you can relive it in your dreams.
"Really?" Alijah appeared like a small child.
His tail slowly wagged side by side. I couldn't help but feel utterly guilty for deceiving him, though I was enjoying it. His adorable side was one I wanted to flourish.
"No," I giggled, triggering him to narrow his eyes and frown.
I couldn't help but laugh, enjoying that expression, too. Unable to help myself, I got closer to the shore, grabbing his hand and smiling.
"Come join me. It's little organisms that live here. They're magical little things to create this. Although it's science rather than magic, I wasn't lying too much about it." I clarified.
He tilted his head, unsure if he should believe me this time.
"I've seen nothing like this," Alijah mumbled.
I gently pulled on his hand, encouraging him to join me in the water. It was far from cold. However, I was embarrassed that he was seeing all of me again—something I would try to drown.
All that matters is you; I'm secondary in all of this.
After all, he had given me more than I ever thought I would have.
The kisses, the fucking... All of it is enough to last me a lifetime.
Every part of me that he touched still felt warm.
"Then come see how it feels on your skin!" I invited the little hesitant wolf again.
My words caused him to smirk. He took it differently from what I meant. Instantly, he tugged away from me to take off his clothes. I couldn't help but turn away before I saw too much.
Come to think of it, I haven't looked down on my body since Alijah took off my stitches.
I welcomed any distraction. After all, I was also curious to see if any scars were left. Under the moonlight, I inspected myself to see if I could notice if they had left anything, but instead of finding that, I saw tiny marks on my body, especially around my breast.
My cheeks flushed red, remembering Alijah biting me.
Did you do that so my body would slow down in healing again? Why would you want these little contusions to stay on me? What a jerk... doing these things even though I... can never do the same to you.
He wasn't mine to mark, even if my bite would cause the same effects. A sting pulsed through me while I tried not to let the pain make the wrong choices for me.
"What's the matter, Rem? Did you just notice them?" Alijah purred into my ear, unaware of my train of thought.
A yelp left my lips when he grabbed me from behind, holding one of my hands up. The other traveled down my curve, landing on my abdomen. He was teasing me again, that much I knew, but the warmth his hands left on me was too genuine to ignore.
My heart couldn't handle him, making my body shiver at his touch.
Ah… You hold more than just my heart.
He owned everything I had to give; it was his, even if he didn't want it.
"You jerk," I grumbled, not wanting to pull away from his touch.
Though I feared being consumed by it—no, I wanted to be consumed by him.
If only she would remain dead.Wouldn't that be just lovely? You would be mine to claim.
That thought left me feeling hollow.
Ah… Caden, you were right about me.
There was a darkness in me, growing with nothing to stop it.
To what extent am I willing to go for you?
"Am I?" Alijah chuckled, holding me close to his chest.
He threw himself into the water, causing ripples everywhere. The way his body and mine shone in the water was beautiful. My back was on his chest while he held me close. This wasn't fair at all.
I feel like I want to kill Lilith to keep you.
This was something I had to bury down at all costs. I had to drown it before it found and destroyed her.
"Yes," I mumbled, trying to hold myself.
I had created this situation. If I had just left Alijah to sleep, perhaps I would've been able to prepare myself. Yet I wanted to show him this beauty. I desired him to smile, and he did, although he was also teasing me.
"Why? I think I'm being really gentle with you." He licked where he had bitten me the day before.
The warmth of his tongue left me was dazzling.
Why can't I enjoy the moment? Just don't think of the future until it comes! Is it because I know I'll have to give it up?
I turned to face him only to freeze once I saw his beautiful crimson eyes shimmering in the night. However, the starry sky above him outshone them any day. He had set his hair loose before getting into the lake, too.
While I was in awe of the wolf before me, he held me by my waist with one hand. The other found its way to my cheek. I almost choked on what I was about to answer him with.
Why are you looking at me like I'm precious to you? Why were those eyes so full of rage and pain before and now full of bliss?
My mind was blank, and I…