Chapter 111: Dinner Date?
Koda;
Mother lets go of me a few steps from her hut, and I follow after her in silence.
She walks into her hut and sits on her pillow seat behind the low table. I’m about to apologise again for spying on Elián when I see that her expression has changed.
She looks up at me, and being her son, it takes just a second for me to recognise that look.
Business.
I immediately walk to the pillow seat in front of her and sit at the table.
She pulls out a paper from beneath the table and pushes it over to me.
She then folds her fingers in front of her and rests her chin on them.
I stare down at the paper skeptically before picking it up to read what is on it.
It has Gravemaw’s stamp and is a letter that was addressed to her. From the lookout squad.
My eyes scan the contents of the power, and I freeze.
"Elkhornen men have been sighted roaming our borders." Mother says what the paper reads, and I look up at her.
"They haven’t been foolish enough to come to my territory before." She adds, and I look back down at the paper.
"Why would they come now? Is Balinar looking for war?" I question, and she shakes her head in disagreement.
"No. Balinar is not stupid enough to start a war with me." She replies, and I tilt my head in confusion.
"So what does he want? Why would his men be here? There’s also news that they were at Howleroot. I don’t understand." I reply, and Mother sighs.
"I think he wants something." She replies, and my brows knot.
"Of course he wants something, but what?" I reply, and she takes a deep breath.
"Something that was never here, but now is." She replies, and my brows crease.
"Something that left Howleroot to this place just a few days ago." She adds, and my heart skips a beat.
"He wants Elián!?" I reply in shock, and I immediately remember the meeting he had with Father just before Father sent Elián and Rhydian away.
"Since your son cost me twenty men, and an Omega... I can demand a life for a life. I saw a pretty Omega in your yard a few minutes ago... I want him. That’s all I ask."
I feel chills run up my fingers, and they curl involuntarily as I recall Balinar’s words that day.
"What business does Balinar have with Elián!? What could he possibly want with him!?" I reply, and Mother shrugs.
"I don’t know. But no matter what, he must not get his hands on Elián. You know what happens to omegas outside BeastHeaven. Especially at Balinar’s hands. I shiver just thinking about it. We can not let such harm or any type of harm come to Elián." She replies, and I fall silent.
She reaches out on the table and takes my hand.
"Koda, when your Father asked me to look after Elián, I agreed because your Father means too much to me to disobey. I thought this was going to be one stressful, boring endeavour with another overly ambitious Omega. But it turned out to be nothing like that. I like the boy. Honestly, I don’t think you could have chosen a better partner." She begins, and I blink in silence as I stare at her.
The sunlight seems to seep into her cocoa skin, giving her a goodness-like glow.
"That child has a pure heart. And in all that purity, I see loneliness and fear. It wasn’t an accident that you bought him; it was fate. If someone else had gotten him... we can only imagine the horror his life would be. That child may not realise it, but he needs us way more than he’ll ever know. We must protect his innocence. Preserve the goodness in his heart. Balinar getting his filthy hands on him would be horrible. We must protect the boy. I see him as a son, and I’d be damned before I let any harm come to my child." She concludes, and I take a long, shaky breath.
"What do we do?" I reply, and she sighs.
"Take him out of the village tonight. Just for a little while. We’ll lure one of Balinar’s men in. I need just a few hours to get the answer I need. Can you handle that?" She questions, and just then, Hilda, Mother’s aide, rushes into the hut.
"Master Elián is on his way here, your highness." She informs Mother, and Mother nods at her.
"Thank you, Hilda." She replies, and Hilda bows to us before walking out.
Mother raises a brow at me, and I nod.
"I can do it. I’ll take him out of the village tonight." I reply, and she smiles.
"Good. I’ve kept your spot in the woods maintained. Have the maids prepare something for both of you. And remember, he mustn’t have the slightest clue that he might be in danger. I don’t want anything to hamper the joy I can see growing in his heart." She replies, and I nod.
The scent of Moon flowers causes my head to turn, and in the distance, I see Elián nervously walking over to the hut in nothing but a Krompa.
A smile splits my face at how red his face is, and I can tell that this is taking everything in him to do.
I need to get myself together. He mustn’t be able to see that something is wrong or that I’m worried.
*********
Elián;
You don’t look bad.
You look absolutely okay.
It’s not a crime to be shirtless in public here...
I keep muttering the words to myself as I walk down the path and everyone seems to stop and stare at me.
Why are they staring?? Am I wearing the Krompa wrong?
Wait!!
Is my belly too big?
Do I look too skinny??
Why are they all just gawking!?
Gosh, I feel like running the rest of the way to Queen Cassia’s hut.
Koda hasn’t even seen me in this. Will he like it??
What if... What if he doesn’t? I think Queen Cassia would give me a heads up if she thinks he won’t like it.
I’ll get her approval first before showing myself to Koda.
The guards step aside for me as soon as I get to her hut.
I gently pull the curtain aside and step in.
"Queen Cassia. I... I don’t know if I wore the Krompa correctly. Everyone’s looking at me." I speak in embarrassment without looking up at her.
I rub my big toes together in my sandals and keep my gaze on the ground as I play with one of the trinkets on the Krompa.
"That’s because you look wonderful." A voice replies, and I turn to stone.
I look up and my gaze lands on Koda.
He’s here!? Why’s he here!?
His golden eyes shimmer as they take me in, and I feel my throat knot immediately. I take a step back in shock and my eyes widen as I stare at him.
His eyes dart down to my bare chest and I have to fight the urge to cover myself up with my hands.
What is he looking at?
His gaze drops lower to the pants, and I follow his gaze.
My eyes land on the piece of clothing, and I don’t know if it’s my anxiety... but I can suddenly notice every single detail about it.
The brown pair of pants made from thick but still breathable fabric is decorated with fluffy fur trimmings around the waist, sides and ankles. It’s wrapped firmly at my hip and is held in place by a beautifully braided leather belt. A belt decorated with little bones I can not quite identify. It’s a bit baggy, which makes movement easy.
I think it’s very pretty, and some people might even style this beautifully in the real world.
But... maybe Koda is staring so hard at it because he doesn’t like how it looks on me?
"You don’t... like it?" I manage to ask as I look back up at Koda’s face and he tilts his head before sighing.
He stands up and walks over to me, and I hold my breath.
"It looks beautiful on you. I never thought I’d get to see you in my people’s traditional attire." He replies, and I feel some of my anxiety melt away.
Does he mean that? He thinks I look good in this?
He stops right in front of me, and to my horror, he slides two of his fingers into the band of the Krompa and tanks me towards himself.
"It even looks better on you than it does on me." He whispers, and I feel heat rush up my neck and into my cheeks as I blink at him.
"Looking this good could cause chaos, you know?" He adds, and I feel a tingle between my legs.
Why is he saying these things!?
He takes his lips to my ear, and my gaze lands on his mother who’s behind him and watching us with a knowing smile.
"I never thought any sight of you could compete with seeing you naked." He whispers into my ear, and my eyes nearly pop.
I quickly push him away, and I find a smirk on his face.
What is he doing!?
"Your mother is right there!" I yell in a whisper at him, and he shrugs.
"So? If we need privacy..." He says as he starts to walk towards me again, and my throat runs dry.
"She could always excuse us." He adds, and he gets to me and wraps an arm around my waist.
I look over his shoulder and see that Queen Cassia is now looking at a paper she’s picked up. I know she isn’t reading anything on that paper. She’s just trying to act normal.
She must find this weird.
Won’t she caution her son!?
"Koda, don’t be stupid. This is embarrassing!!" I beg, and he smiles down at me.
"Want me to stop?" He questions, and I nod desperately.
"Fine. I will. But on one condition." He replies, and I blink at him.
What condition!? I only wore this to impress him.
Not... not to turn him on!!
"What condition?" I whisper as shame begins to gobble me up, and he smiles knowingly at me.
"You’ll have dinner with me tonight. There’s somewhere I want to show you." He replies, and I blink at him in confusion.
Dinner? Like... like a date??
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Please read the author’s note👇