As our adventure continued, the one in Nature Elves' lands culminated with me asking Alijah to dance with me for one of their festivities. If everyone cooperated, it would help grow more fruits and grain, or at least that was what they said.
Clearing my throat, I stood up from the chair by the bonfire and reached out to the grump, who was rolling his eyes at the idea.
"Dance with me!" I beamed as my wolf's eyes widened before narrowing them.
"What? Are you crazy? I don't know how to dance!" He growled, darting his eyes around as everyone was coupling up.
"Aw, c'mon! Dance with me!" I grabbed onto his hand, triggering his gaze to land on me.
"Rem…" He trailed off, shaking his head, yet his grip on my hand was firm.
"Please, dance with me?" I simpered, prompting his cheeks to get rosy.
"Fine." He sighed, allowing me to lead him towards the fun.
However, before joining, he tugged me towards him as I landed against his chest. Leaning down to my ear, he pressed his lips against them.
"Just know, I won't let you sleep tonight for this." He warned as my eyes darted to meet with his gaze.
Even though my cheeks felt like they wanted to fall off, spending the nights under him had become my new norm by then.
"Is that a promise?" I breathed as he cupped my right cheek in his palm.
"Mhm," He closed the gap between us as a short kiss ensued, only to be interrupted by the celebrations of everyone around us.
"Woah! You two should get married! Oh, I remember meeting my husband and being young like you two!" A kind older woman who had let us stay in her inn announced.
My heart fluttered upon the idea finding its way into my mind.
M-Marriage?! That's—
That thought quickly died when I saw how Alijah avoided my gaze, focusing on the ones chattering.
Ah… Right… That isn't for us.
"That's a bit too soon. It's only been a couple of months since we met." He shut down the idea as an elf shrugged.
"Well, let me tell you that chemistry between two people doesn't come often!" Another elf chuckled as I buried my face in my wolf's chest.
It hurts. Ah… how long has it been since you started pretending to be my lover? I almost forgot that you…
"I—" My wolf started, only for me to tug on his hand.
"Enough of that! Let's boogie!" I declared, ending the conversation there.
Unlike before, Alijah let me guide him towards the crowd, where we were lost within the bodies moving to a rhythm. No one cared that he didn't know how to dance, something he realized as many of them weren't professionals either.
Even so, I led him through most of it, as this was a hobby of mine. This happened in the couple of months we spent in Niamoor, yet this wolf started to change from before then. A month into our journey, he stopped braiding his hair like he used to, instead tying it back like he loved to do mine.
He still used the same cloth, though.
Thankfully, after Wyatt, I was more careful about whom to trust. After all, I had to keep us safe without having to do crazy things. Luckily, we met many pleasant people who fed us and gave us places to visit, like the old lady who wanted to lock us together in life.
Once we had had enough of Niamoor, we went to Zent, Blaze Elf Nation, where we traveled through mountainous volcanos and saw drakes in our path through the continent. However, our latest venture to the lava rivers almost ended with my face planting it into the molten ground below.
I would've been explosive if it hadn't been for Alijah being close to me to catch me by my shirt.
Literally…
Though it was my fault for not listening to the boat's safety protocols, my wolf and the crew gave me an earful that night.
Though, as Alijah put it to others, "She's too stupid to understand the danger of falling into fucking lava."
I honestly couldn't argue with him about that. After all, I was in a place I shouldn't have been, and worse, I didn't care for the heat I felt, which should've alerted me to stay within the barrier set by the elves, but I was too focused to see the rare sight of blue lava. Thankfully, my partner was always vigilant of me since it was typical of me to do brainless things.
It was almost like I had tunnel vision, focusing on one thing yet forgetting the impending doom that could be the consequence of my actions. However, when we returned to our room in an inn, Alijah dropped on the bed with his hands covering his face.
I froze for a moment, thinking he'd yell at me, but when his body started to tremble, I couldn't help but approach him.
"I know that was bad of me, but I'm okay." I simpered, triggering him to shake his head.
"You're so stupid, Rem." He growled, scowling at me.
"Ah… I…" I shifted my gaze away as a sharp sigh left his lips.
"Just come here, please." He reached for me as I dove him, snuggling myself onto his chest.
"Alijah…" I mumbled, prompting him to caress my hair.
"For tonight, just stay here with me." He breathed, holding me close.
"Mhm," I cuddled myself into his embrace, where he held me until we both drifted into a slumber.
A soft hum left my lips as I rolled on the bed, waiting for my wolf, who had stepped out to shower. We were in a hot spring inn in Zent, near a volcano, and I had planned to have a romantic moment with him in our room's spring.
Maybe that'll cheer you up after yesterday's spectacle.
I had already washed my body while he was doing the same a few meters away. However, the distance was enough for me to hear a few ghosts floating by the spring nearby.
Hey, have you heard? Witches are trying to summon someone back from the dead. A ghost gossiped, catching my full attention.
What…? Can it be… No… just…
All I had to do was disregard to continue in my blissful façade, but I had promised my beloved I would bring her to him. I also needed to be freed from the curse the witch had done, which was a ticking time bomb. Wincing, I clasp onto my chest, shifting my gaze towards the door where Alijah was.
It can be anyone trying to perform a resurrection incantation. Yeah, that's right. It doesn't mean anything.
My glance quickly darted back towards the ghosts.
They've been trying for months now, no? Another one commented.
Ah… for you to feel it here, it must be someone powerful.
Even though my chest felt heavy, I stood up from where I was, heading closer to them.
I… made a promise I don't want to keep anymore.
Yes, they have been. Honestly, it's disturbing all of us. The dead should always stay dead. The first orb continued to chatter.
Hah… I can't agree more, but she must return to you. She is your happiness. After all, six months can't compare to the six thousand years you've spent in love with her. I'm not marriage material, either.
Stings rose in my chest as I bit my lip.
You said that two months ago… Hah, it hurts Alijah. It hurts so much!
It's kind of like what happened all those years ago. Fifteen years ago, now isn't it? The orb mumbled.
Yes, I fear evil is brewing again. They continued to converse, unaware I stood behind them.
"I need you to tell me where you sense that." I kicked myself into their conversation, triggering the other orbs to appear around me.
I was away from Alijah's field of energy. It was almost as if I had opened a lid of jars full of emotions, trying to hold mine in check. After all, I promised him I would take him to Lilith, and even if it killed me inside, I wouldn't break it.
You deserve a choice, even if it isn't me.
The spectral spheres that gathered them complained about everything I had missed to me. Although most of the information was irrelevant, each pointed toward a place I wanted to avoid.
Allora, the continent of moon elves... Damn it, it isn't just there, but in the village of Locrium, which used to be Lilith's home before it was burned down centuries ago.
It wasn't long before I stepped back into Alijah's reach, overwhelmed by all the information. My eyes stung as it was hard to hold back the tears that wanted to spill out of me, but somehow, I managed to keep them at bay.
It's time to let you go, my love.
My body trembled as I put on a front. I had to ensure I was fine when he came out of the bathroom.
Soon, you'll unite with who you love, just one more night… That's all I ask. Please, just a moment more.
Throwing myself onto the bed, I grabbed my bag, from which I pulled a journal I had bought in Niamoor. It was similar to the one I had kept when I was younger. I had planned to attack Alijah when he came out of the bathroom.
From there, we would've taken our dip in the hot spring, but it seemed like it would be more than that.
These will be the last few moments we have together.
Closing my eyes, I held the book close to my chest.
I'll pour all my love into you so I have nothing else left to give when you vanish.
My hand trembled with each word I wrote on the pages, trying to calm myself.
A front... Please… let me hide it all for now.I... want these last few hours to be a paradise within the bliss we're already in. Well, that I'm in. Your genuine happiness will start soon.
After one more night of pleasure, we would head to Allora in an airship to save the love of Alijah's life. Hopefully, I could reunite the two star-struck lovers who had been so abruptly separated. At the end of this final chapter, I wrote about us and drew a gardenia with one of my many notes.
Like... you'll ever see this...
Dear Alijah,
Did you also know that a gardenia has another meaning? You probably didn't think about it so deeply when you gave me this gift. Right? It means joy but also represents a secret love between two people.
You've brought me so much joy these months, but I don't think you'll know how much it truly was. I always kept so much from you, mostly about my life before I met you, but even so, I love you.
I'll always love you. This will always be a secret love, too, huh? Your gift was more meaningful than what you expected. Even so, I'll let you go to your true love, but before that happens, I'll love you as you've never been loved one last time.
So, maybe you'll remember me and perhaps dream of me, as I dream of you from time to time. I'll love you always and forever, my grumpy old wolf.
I closed the book and threw it back into the bag, glancing outside to see the moon gracing us with its presence. I was never the main character of this story.
No, I'm a placeholder for Lilith. Perhaps something more than a fuck to Alijah, but that's all I'll ever be.
It had been six months of bliss. It was almost time for the story to shift to the real protagonist of this tale, a tale in which Alijah would be the happiest he would ever be and where I would fall into the shadows, forgotten by him in every sense of the word.
Soon, the mad Lycan's actual intentions would surface, and they would leave me behind. I was nothing to him but the owner of the leash that held him away from the world—something I should have never forgotten.