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. 

I could do in turn was coil my own arms around his neck and hold on as I

increased, stealing moans

last cry escaping my lips, I felt myself come undone against him, shaking as the waves

own end, a groan alerting me to his finish, and proceeded to rest his forehead against mine as we both fought to catch

How was one person able to make me feel so euphoric from their touch?

it

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

The meat

“Shit!”

off Aleric’s lap and ran to the stove… only

whined, turning it

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

I gave Aleric an apologetic look, only he didn‘t

half–burnt dinner, the review I received from

delicious. It was ‘one

I knew he wasn‘t talking about the food.

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 holds the strong values he

day before that. It meant I would need to work late today in order t o finish this in time. At least I had the entire day to get

and began the journey to the back of the library where I would start the process, giving

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 members such as myself could dream

a deep voice then said behind me, making

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

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

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

warrior, with broad shoulders and a small air of

as I came to stand directly in front of him. “...Looking for

he replied,

be of service today,

sparks immediately erupting throughout my body from where our skin made

he whispered, right before his mouth came down to

touch... his scent... his taste. It was only once I found myself pressed up against one

I pulled away, smiling up at the

conscious of not being too loud so

he questioned back, his lip pulling into

laughed once more before untangling myself from him, walking back towards my

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 out on such

you that I‘ll be heading out over the border today. Official business in one of the neighbouring packs. My unit

a small frown forming between

“Luke... You know it‘s not like that. I just... I’m so close to this promotion, I can feel it.

I remained silent, my jaw clenching to stop myself

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

want to melt into his arms but I managed to hold myself back.

time, Xavier. We‘ve been together for almost ten years now and it‘s always

soon,” he said, finding an excuse. “Alpha Dominic is getting older and I‘ve yet to hear the Alpha heir Tytus express

way out of his arms. “That child? He barely knows what he‘s doing.

a tone of irritation now in his

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

said, doing my best to sound as

to have that reaction. He was a good warrior after all, and a patriotic one at

pack great. It’s what made him the perfect

it was also what I loved about him too. His ability to have hope and see the good in people was one

his shoulders relaxing. “It‘s fine. Just... you know how important my work i sto me, Luke. I’m sorry that I can’t… That

his eyes,

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

continued, almost as if he’d read my thoughts. “Don’t lose faith in our future just yet.”

emitting through me once more. However, this time, I allowed myself to give in to

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

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

girls in 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 books with the respect they deserved. It was something that

said, politely approaching them. “We‘re closing up now but we‘ll

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

if someone had accidentally gotten hurt

Burimit te pun 

boleh dihanan 

around the other one looked up at me, her

heard?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion. “Oh, it’s so… it’s so horrible. I don’t

now and my mind began thinking of everything they could possibly be

and the girl speaking patted her back, soothing her.

my body froze, my blood turning cold.

found us not long ago to inform her. Apparently, there was a disagreement and a fight broke out. Several of the

knocked out

to keep composure even though the anxiety was

again. “...Do

“Not really but they‘re bringing the bodies back

hear anything else after that.

didn‘t close up, I didn‘t care that there were still people inside, all that mattered was getting

fine, right? He was strong. There

about that. My wolf was already frantic enough, making it impossibly difficult to think clearly.

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

even stopping