Barely Breathing

It was late afternoon and the sky was dark, creating a halo of dim light enough to make you want to stay in bed, wrapped up like a cocoon while enjoying a hot chocolate moment.

The beauty of dark, strong withering trunk and brown almost dull branches devoid of leaves outweighs its lifeless appeal. Any moment now, snow would come and paint everything in white.

It is amazing how nature had to be disrobed of colorful flowers, leaves, wildflowers, the beauty it has, leaving everything bare and lifeless in able for spring to come and replace what was lost into something more beautiful and more colorful.

Just as how life works.

This moment should have been perfect. Alone in the woods, enjoying its lifeless beauty if not me waiting for the alpha to come.

Hurt, anger, confusion, fear are messing with my emotions, turning them into a hurricane of swirling regrets and what-ifs.

Some might think I was overreacting. But no one would really understand the extent of pain one is going through even if you look them in the eye. The eyes don't give it all away.

I knew he was near even before he made his presence known because for unknown reasons, I always knew when he's around. It's an instinct which never led me wrong.

"Beautiful. Like the first snow of the year." Xyrus' deep voice held sincerity in it.

as the snow slowly dropped on his black hair. I always wanted that shade instead of

at the sky and noticed little snow crystals starting

his chiseled chest and a genuine smile appeared on his lips. He was perfect, far from how

throat. "You call

remembered Elony's words of me being claimed,

I put it in my back fast like fire on the skin which made that thin line on his forehead

gaze lingered on my now hidden hand on

bit tired now that I noticed it, there was a dark semi-circle under his eyes. It

that?" I asked in a low voice, wanting all of these unwanted questions and confusion to end. I felt betrayed. I thought at least he would respect my decision not to

to reach for my other hand but I moved away. My indifference getting a toll on him. Irritation slowly showing on his face but he masked

I don't understand. Princess, what's

calling me nicknames.

head to the side, cupping his chin with his forefinger and thumb, and then smirked. He seemed to be thinking hard then blurted out. "Little cloud, can I call you

not a cloud!" Is

 He said smiling then pinched my cheeks softly. "You are like a little cloud, sometimes

still throw jokes when I am right beside him fuming with