A Gift from the Goddess

Bonus Chapter – Quick Home Recipes !! Important !! – You need to have read up to at least Chapter 96 to avoid spoilers. Continue reading at your own discretion.

This is just a short one-shot between Aria and Aleric during their time at the cabin. Explicit warning

Meat… herbs… garlic… butter… carrots.... 

I stared at the ingredients as if they were a dangerous foreign entity.

Not to say they were, but it wasn’t exactly like I knew how to approach what I was going to attempt. Things had seemed so much easier when I was just reading about it... opposed to having to actually do it. 

With a sigh, I picked up the kitchen knife and began peeling the carrots; preheating the pan on the stove whilst I did so.

Aleric had been doing the cooking for us both, having at least some experience with it. During times when he‘d been on duty for the Winter Mist, there had been moments he‘d had to cook whilst making camp somewhere random. 

I

I, on the other hand, had experience that went only as far as boiling water for tea. After all, I‘d lived my whole life surrounded by attendants and chefs. 

But it couldn‘t be that hard, right? 

I wanted to surprise him and give him a night off. Between the time spent with me and patrolling, I was sure he was getting exhausted. I thought this might be a good way to show m y appreciation for his hard work. 

I’d only read a few cooking books before, but I hadn‘t retained much. I knew the basic principles and theories, and knew what steps to do. The issue was in actually executing it though and making it taste good in the process.

The cabin had come stocked with bare essentials to last a while, the vegetables coming from a small, adjourned greenhouse and the meat was whatever Aleric picked up from hunting on patrol. Altogether, we were pretty fortunate considering we were in the middle of nowhere.

_ *Slick* 

I winced, looking down to see I’d cut myself.

I definitely needed to focus more. It wasn’t like I could heal quickly, thanks to the silver ring.

After washing my hands and the knife, I threw out the spoiled carrot and tried again. He was going to be home any minute and I‘d wanted to be finished before that. Though that was probably just me being overly optimistic considering my skill level.

Carefully, I proceeded to finish with the carrots, though taking far longer with it than 1 perhaps should have, and threw some butter, herbs and garlic into the pan. When that was sufficiently all nice and melted, 1 placed the meat on top, satisfied it at least smelt nice. That was surely a good sign if nothing else. 

“What are you up to?” Aleric then said from the doorway.

I looked up sharply to see him there, a little surprised since I hadn’t heard him approach over the sound of the pan.

“Oh, I‘m ah... I‘m cooking,” I said, a little embarrassed. “I wanted to surprise you before you got home.”

“I‘m still surprised,” he said walking behind me to wrap his arms around my waist. “Surprised you haven’t burnt the house down.”

“Hey!” I yelled offended, squirming in his grasp. “Come on, it smells good!” 

But he held me against me, laughing as he refused to let me go. 

“Aleric!” 

“No, you‘re right, I‘m sorry,” he said, his head travelling to my neck and nibbling gently. “It does smell pretty good.” 

Though I wasn‘t sure whether he was still talking about the food. 

“Ok, well I need to finish up here and I‘ll —.” 

I didn‘t get to finish my sentence though, instead losing my chain of thought. His hand had started tugging up the hem of my dress and immediately begun trailing across the bare skin of my stomach.

“... I um,” was all I said. 

What was I doing?

I tried to remember as I felt his attention then change, reaching up to grab at my breast and sending a shiver through me from the sensitivity there. 

I could feel his warmth against my back, his breathing deepening near my ear, sending another wave of desire through me. 

“What‘s up?” he asked, his other hand now venturing past the hem of my underwear, causing me to gasp from the unexpected sensation. I leaned back against him, melting into the feeling of pleasure he gave, greedily taking every

second of it he had to offer.

“Aleric,” I moaned, turning my head to capture his lips against mine. His taste was intoxicating

My whole body then started burning up, my heart racing. But just before I was beginning to get too lost in the moment, I completely spun around and pushed him back against the kitchen bench, wasting no time in jumping onto his lap.

I could tell he was just as enthusiastic as me, his own lower-body betraying him, and I proceeded to move my hips against him, relishing in the way he reacted to me.

This was my doing. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Did my touch send him into delirium just as his did for me? Was it even better for him with the mate bond?

Before long had passed, it soon became clear that this wasn‘t nearly enough for either of us.

Working as quickly as I could, I then undid his pants and positioned myself perfectly on top of him before….

“... Fuck,” Aleric slowly groaned, feeling as he pressed his length into me, and my own moan accompanied it.

How was it that he felt so perfect against me? As if he was naturally meant to always be there. Every sensation he had to offer me was enough to make me lose control instantly. As if proceeding with only pure desire. 

I started to move again, his hands on my hips as he guided me against him, and every few seconds I would alternate between his lips, ear, and neck. 

His own movement then slowly became more forceful as he quickened my pace, sending me into my own frenzy as that familiar buzz started to build inside me. 

arms now wrapped around me to hold my body to him. All I could

position, his length was now pushing even further in as his speed increased, stealing moans from my

cry escaping my lips, I felt myself come undone against him, shaking as the waves of pleasure swept through me. The overwhelming bliss fogging up my mind

alerting me to his finish, and proceeded to rest his forehead against mine as we both fought to

could things be this good? How was one person able to make me feel so euphoric from their touch? It seemed

of course, with every dream, it

smell of burning quickly snapped me out of my trance, reminding me of exactly what I’d just

The meat

“Shit!”

off Aleric’s lap and ran to the

I whined,

was almost completely black on the opposite side, no longer looking appetising in any

With a dejected exhale, I gave Aleric an apologetic look, only he didn‘t seem phased

served us our half–burnt dinner, the review I

the meal had been delicious. It was ‘one of the

wasn‘t talking about

(Luke Hastings) 30/40 years prior to the main story. It was a very different time when things were not so accepting. This POV shows the beginning of how Elder Luke became the man he is today and why he

more than the day before, even more than the day before that. It meant I

of resignation, I grabbed my trolley and began the journey to the back of the library where I would start the process, giving small smiles

But I couldn‘t deny that it wasn‘t as interesting as say the ranked members of our pack. No,

me,” a deep voice then said behind me, making me turn

the way to the

can I do for you, sir?” I asked politely, taking several

was hoping you could help me for a moment. I‘m

of a warrior, with broad shoulders and a

raised an eyebrow questioningly as I came to stand directly in front of him. “...Looking for a particular

not quite...,” he replied, looking down at me.

today, sir? What

grabbed either side of my face, sparks immediately

right before his mouth came down to meet

him as we drew closer together, my senses overridden by his touch... his scent... his taste. It was only once I found myself pressed up against one

me as I pulled away,

being too loud so w e weren’t caught. “I didn‘t think I would

a reason to visit you now?” he questioned back, his lip pulling

once more before untangling myself from him,

not as though I don’t appreciate your presence, it‘s just that I know you are meant to be a t work right now. And it’s very unlike you to skip

then sighed, his smile turning into more of a guilty one. “I came to tell you that I‘ll be heading out over the border today. Official business in one of the neighbouring packs.

right now?” I asked, a small frown forming between my brows. “I would think that you‘d... not

just... I’m so close to this promotion, I can feel

to stop

side of my waist tenderly. “Soon, I promise. Maybe in a few years, and after I get this promotion, we can make our relationship public. We can

making me want to melt into his arms but I managed to hold myself

almost ten years now and it‘s always the same

said, finding an excuse. “Alpha Dominic is getting older and I‘ve yet to hear the Alpha heir Tytus express any sort of... ‘grievance‘ with

his arms. “That child? He barely knows what he‘s

now in his voice. “Don‘t say things like that about

blue ones filled with frustration at my remark, and I sighed in response, rubbing my face with my

said, doing my best

warrior after all, and a patriotic one at that. Loyal to almost a fault, believing so wholeheartedly

It’s what made him

too. His ability to have hope and see the good in people was one of the things that made me fall for him. Strong… attractive…

sighed, his shoulders relaxing. “It‘s fine. Just... you know how important my work i sto me,

meet his eyes, but knew well what he was talking

to be getting better in terms of change, there was still a while to go before we reached the point we needed to. Movements were already starting across the country, bringing attention to the issue, and people were beginning to realise the truth of the matter. Because if the so-called Goddess could gift us with another being then, regardless of who

us. I can feel it,” he continued, almost as if he’d read my thoughts. “Don’t lose faith

my cheek, the sparks emitting through me once more. However, this time, I allowed myself to give in to the sensation, bringing my hand up to hold his head against mine,

I didn‘t know how long it would be until I saw him again, his out of town pack business sometimes taking an uncertain amount of time. There was one thing I did know for sure though, and that was that it would certainly be a lot quieter around

about my work diligently for the remainder of the day and, soon enough, closing time was just around the corner. I was relieved; thoughts of my cosy couch patiently waiting for me at home filling my head. Well, at least there was something waiting for

seen them here regularly so I knew they enjoyed this place just as much as I did, always treating the books with the respect they deserved. It was something that made me like them more than

“We‘re closing up now but we‘ll

demeanour properly, cutting my sentence short. Because they weren‘t huddled together, so

okay?” I asked, worried if someone had accidentally gotten hurt on the

Burimit te pun 

boleh dihanan 

who had her arm around the other one looked up at

emotion. “Oh, it’s so… it’s so horrible. I don’t know how they could have let it happen.”

my mind began thinking of everything they could

friend then choked on another sob and the girl speaking patted her back, soothing her. “It was during a meeting today in a neighbouring pack,” she

froze, my blood

some of our warriors died. Cindy‘s mate being one of them. Someone from their unit came and found us not long ago to inform her. Apparently, there was a disagreement and a fight broke

it was like the wind had been knocked out

composure even though the anxiety was starting to constrict around my chest, almost as if

“...Do we...

but they‘re bringing the bodies back now. They should be at the

anything else after

that I didn‘t close up, I didn‘t care that there were still people

fine, right? He was strong. There was

already

too long, I finally arrived at the hospital, and I

stopping