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. 

to hold my body to him. All I could do in turn was coil my own arms

moans from my lips with every thrust. I could feel myself tightening too, getting closer and closer

him, shaking as the waves of pleasure swept through me. The overwhelming bliss fogging up my mind as the

own end, a groan alerting me to his finish, and proceeded to rest

this good? How was one person able to make me feel

dream, it had to come to an

out of my trance, reminding

The meat

“Shit!”

I jumped off Aleric’s lap and ran to the

no..,” I whined, turning

black on the opposite side, no

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

served us our half–burnt dinner,

It was ‘one of the most

he wasn‘t

chapter follows a young Elder Luke (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

were fifty-two books I needed to reshelve today. Several more than the day before, even more than the day before that. It meant I would need to work late today in order

resignation, I grabbed my trolley and began the journey to the back of the library where I would start the process, giving small smiles to those I made eye contact with along the way. This

loved what I did for a living. But I couldn‘t deny that it wasn‘t as interesting as say the ranked members of our pack. No, they led an eventful life of luxury and power. The kind of lives only unranked

said behind me, making me turn around.

was surprised to hear someone had followed me all the way to the very back, however,

do for you, sir?” I asked politely, taking several steps towards the

help me for a moment. I‘m trying to find

shoulders and a small air of authority about him to

as I came to stand directly in front of him. “...Looking for a particular book,

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

can I be of service today, sir? What exactly

hands then came up and grabbed either side of my face, sparks immediately erupting throughout my body from where our skin made

he whispered, 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 of the shelves that I realised we were at my place

away, smiling up at the

I was conscious of not being too loud

now?” he questioned back, his

more before untangling myself from him, walking back

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 out

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.

now?” I asked, a small frown forming between my

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

my jaw clenching to stop myself from speaking my

either 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 even finally buy a house in town... a nicer one

into his arms but I managed to hold myself

Xavier. We‘ve been together for almost ten

getting older and I‘ve yet to hear the Alpha heir Tytus express any

tsked and pushed my way out of his arms. “That child? He barely knows what he‘s doing. The only thing he

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

blue ones filled with frustration at my

my best to sound as genuine as

that reaction. He was a good warrior after all, and a

pack great. It’s what made him the perfect

what I loved about 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…

sto me,

nodded my head, unable to meet his eyes, but knew

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

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

give in to the sensation, bringing my hand up to hold his head against

him again, his out of town pack business sometimes taking an uncertain amount of

time was just around the corner. I was relieved; thoughts of my cosy couch

the corner huddled closely together. I‘d seen them here regularly so I knew they enjoyed this place just as much as I did, always treating the

up

was then that I noticed their demeanour properly, cutting my sentence short. Because they weren‘t huddled together, so much as one was comforting the other.

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

Burimit te pun 

boleh dihanan 

girl who had her arm around the other one looked up at me, her

voice thick with emotion. “Oh, it’s so… it’s so horrible. I don’t know how

now and my mind began

mean? Did something happen with the pack?” I pressed. Her 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 started, her eyes beginning to brim with tears

body froze, my blood turning cold.

being one of them. Someone from their unit came and found us not long ago to inform her. Apparently,

was like the wind had been knocked

um... ah, sorry...,” I said, flustered. I was struggling to keep composure even though the anxiety was starting to constrict around my chest,

“...Do we...

a tear escaped her. “Not really but they‘re bringing the bodies back now. They should be at

anything else

sprinted out of the library. I didn‘t care that I didn‘t close up, I didn‘t care that there were still people inside, all that mattered was getting to the hospital. Seeing him.

he would be fine, right? He

couldn‘t even think about that. My wolf was already frantic enough, making it impossibly

I finally arrived at the hospital,

stopping to breathe.