Dinner served as usual, in buffet style. Selena is now a friendly pack member and the buffet dinner has
been the main contributor to it. She haven't been announced as Luna of Mountain Manuka yet, only the
leader's pack knows about it, yet the pack has developed a deep connection with her. Their natural
protective instinct towards their Luna have impressed Zaden many times.
Selena and Makeala had gone down to dinner first. Zaden, Orion and Sitka came a bit late due to their
nap time. Zaden entered the yard and the first thing that his eyes searched for was Selena. He spotted
her at the usual rocky corner, next to bonfire. The sparks from bonfire resembled star and her smile like
the moonshine, creating a coherent scene of full moon night sky, even though the eclipse is
approaching fast. A smile bloomed unconsciously on his lips, something that only she can do to him.
The 3 musketeers went over to the buffet table and started picking up their food, placing them on their
own plates. At the end of the buffet, where desserts had been arranged nicely, Zaden spotted cups of
chocolate ice-cream. Selena would have surely taken one but why not have 2 for dinner. He reached
for it but before that, his eye landed on the next dessert, a pineapple upside down cake. His smile
dropped and a frown replaced it. Selena loves ice-cream. Could that mean she likes cakes too? It is
placed right next to ice-cream, so she probably would have taken a slice anyway. Zaden placed his
plate on the table in a hurry and ran to Selena. Just as expected, she did take a slice of the cake but
she haven't touched it. Zaden stood opposite to her, rubbing his lips in tension. Selena frowned at him
“What is wrong with you?” Makeala asked. Sitka and Orion also had reached them now, not in panic
like Zaden thou.
“Hmm...can you...pls not eat that?” he pointed at the plate
“My dinner?” Selena puzzled
“No...the cake” he pointed again
“Why not? If you want, there is plenty over there” Selena pointed sarcastically. She purposefully cut a
piece of the cake and put it in her mouth before Zaden could react. He kneeled down in front of her in a
reflex and smashed his mouth to hers, entering her mouth and taking in all the cake, as much as
possible, not forgetting to suck her lips clean as well. The cake tastes extra sweet that he might have
sucked more than necessary. Most of the villager saw this and had started gossiping, mumbling their
prediction. He finally let go when he was sure there is nothing left. Selena glared at him in dismay.
“You shouldn't eat pineapples” Zaden said, earning a gasp from Makeala as she covered her mouth
with her palms. She seemed to understood something.
“Why not? Is she allergic or something?” Orion asked in concern and Zaden rolled his eye coldly. He
looked straight into Selena's eye
“I...have hidden something from you” he started confessing
“Oh god, no Zaden. You secrets scare the fuck out of me” she stood up
“Exactly why I didn't tell you. One, I wasn't 100% sure of it myself. Two, I don't want to scare you off.
The thing is...you and I...we...” his confession was cut off by a burst of mind-links. Even Selena heard
it, so it must have been directed to the whole pack. It was filled with terror and chaos, from at least 15
wolves. After trying hard, they finally was able to pull out one word, Ozrain Samrat. Zaden inhaled
sharp but forgot to exhale. His mind is in a rampage. Same goes to the rest of them, they stood frozen
with wide eye, calculating their next step. The villagers had started scattering away from there, heading
to shelter. Once serene surrounding has now turned into chaos. Zaden turned around, grabbed
Selena's wrist and dragged her into the house. All the other 3 followed. At communal room, they were
terrified.
“Did I hear it right?” Makeala almost teared up
“It can't be” Sitka said. Selena is standing between Orion and Zaden, both have her covered. One of
her hands were fisting Orions sleeve and another wrapped around Zaden's waist. She blinked a few
times, exhaling and inhaling to calm herself down. If this is how it should be, then be it but she wouldn't
allow innocent villagers get hurt.
“Zaden, time for you to act as alpha. Get the villager to safety, what is you protocol in this situation?”
Zaden felt like he was shook awake. He swallowed his saliva.
‘All ladies and kids are to retrieve to school cave immediately, I repeat NOW. All warriors, get yourself
ready.’
‘Dad, we are under attack by Ozrain Samrat, take stand’
Zaden exerted a series of mind-links, sending out commands. The next minute, they heard a loud bang
from downstairs. Selena breath started shaking, heavily. The last time she was this terrified was
probably during her mother, Daisy's death. She turned to Zaden and gave him a kiss
“Zaden, I don't want to go. I don't want to be a Samrat” she fisted Zaden's shirt and tears started
flowing out
“Listen, no one is taking you away, ok?” Zaden eye widened and his breath was irregular. He held her
face and placed a few kisses on her cheeks and forehead. Right at that second, the communal room
door banged open. A sweaty, panting Xavier stood in front of them
“Ozrain is here for her!!!” he shouted and ran to Zaden. Zaden pushed Selena behind his body, hiding
her completely. Orion, Makeala, Sitka and Xavier stood by his side, forming a personal fort for Selena.
Selena held Zaden's shirt at the back in a fist, trembling and sweating terribly. At that moment, her
whole life flashed in front of her eye, her friends, her father and brother, her university and the Wilf Life
Research center, her first kiss with Zaden, her first sex with the man she love and finally the day she
stepped foot on Mountain Manuka in the name of hiking expedition. She closed tight her eyelid as a
drop of tear rolled down. A cluster of footsteps approached the communal room. Zaden was infuriating,
he was ready to kill, to rip apart anyone in front of them. His anger radiated to the whole leader's pack
as they also took an attack stance. But, they were disabled when the first person coming through that
door was his own father, Draven Black. A series of familiar faces followed him, Draven's own leader's
pack, special placement for elderly village. As they stepped aside, a tall, well built figure, in a blue jeans
and a khaki long sleeve cotton thin button up shirt. His sleeves were fold up to his elbow curves and he
was wearing a bulky watch. Light grey eyes with black rim that reminds of a certain someone hiding
behind Zaden, only difference is that, his eye is deadly sharp and calm while Selena's is soft and
innocent. A moon mark under his ears. White beard, moustache and hair, gives out a hint of his age but
the body built contradicts. Strong presence he brought to the room leaves no space for doubts. He is
Ozrain Samrat. Another 2 sidekicks followed behind him as they stood a few meters away from Zaden.
Ozrain sighed out as he thrusted his hands into his pocket
“Where is she?” a low, gravelly voice came from him. Zaden stared coldly at him with no answer.
Ozrain huffed out a smirk.
“Alpha Zaden, I'm here for the, so called, my bloodline when I know she is dead a few years ago. So,
please, move. Let's not waste time” the utter dominance in his tone, almost made Zaden step aside
“She is not going anywhere” Zaden spat out those words
“Oh I'm not taking her away, not at all. I just need to see her,digest the rumours, that's all” Ozrain was
in fact speaking with full honesty
“Son, don't be silly. You are risking the whole pack for a girl. Move!!!” Draven said, clearly disappointed
with his son
“She is not just a girl, she is my mate” Zaden still with the same fury. Draven and his pack stiffened.
They have just framed their own Luna and at risk.of loosing her. Still,they are battling between whose
side to take. The whole room remained silent for a minute. A row of little soft fingers grabbed Zaden's
arm from behind. Ozrain's eye focused on it as he started softening. Those fingers recall him of a
certain someone. A pair of terrified light grey eye, slowly peeped from behind the bulging arm. Those
silver striped black hair, familiar to his daughter. Ozrain's eye widened as his whole body loosened. The
pair of grey eye is now looking up at her mate. Zaden looked over his shoulder but didn't react or give
any signals.
“It can't be...” Ozrain said, earning Selena's attention again. She slipped back into her hiding spot.
Ozrain bend down slightly, holding his knees by his hands.
“Come on...I don't eat little girls...” a flash of image came to his mind. He used to say the same words
to his daughter and she would jump like a tiger, hugging him by his neck to bite his cheeks. Selena
looked up at Zaden,her only trust at this moment. There is no need for Ozrain to ask, he just need to
exert his alpha tone and Zaden would let her go, but Ozrain didn't do that. It earned a little trust, a little
hope that maybe he is sincere about not taking her away. He stretched his arm back, wrapping around
Selena across her shoulder, revealing her full figure while she was still intact to him. Ozrain's eyes
widened even more as he straightened his back. A splitting image of the past, an image that he never
thought he would see again. Selena looked up at Zaden one more time, revealing her birth mark to
Ozrain.
“Amethyst...” a whisper came from his lips. Ozrain froze at his position, not believing his own eyes.
Grandpa Kai slowly walked in from behind, placing his hand on Ozrain's shoulder and he turned to look
at him
“Kairo,Amethyst...”Ozrain pointed at Selena and Grandpa Kai smiled as he signaled Selena to come.
Zaden hesitated but he also trusted Grandpa Kai and let go of Selena, pushing her slightly with his
palm on her back. Selena walked slowly, fiddling her finger and looking over her shoulders every now
and then. For Ozrain, it reminded how his daughter would pucker with her lips curved down as drops of
tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. It would broke his heart, and still does. Selena stood in front of
Ozrain and Grandpa Kai, her breath still trembling.
“My dear Moon Goddess, what have you done? She is a splitting image of Amethyst...” Ozrain was like
a spellbound boy, drawn back to 200 years ago as he kept looking and looking at Selena,
mesmerized.
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