Chapter 37 A Date?
After a few months, Klishei’s college life began.
While most of her highschool friends opted for courses with licenscure examinations, she took up a journalism course, something that was frowned in Efarlise. So when she told her grandparents, she did not expect them to be happy. But their cheers and affirmations made her realize that this was now truly her life. It did not really matter whether or not her course would add a title to her name. As long as she was happy, her granparents would support her no matter what.
.
She plunged into classes, textbooks, and campus activities. Yeseus, true to his word, was a constant, almost invisible presence. He walked her to classes, waited outside lecture halls, and picked her up for late-night study sessions. He blended into the background, a silent guardian in a world too busy to notice his ancient power.
With all her identity as the Phoenix, she never expected to be confronted with a humanly question that triggered her heart.
“Still no boyfriend, Klishei?” a classmate, Maya, teased during a lunch break. “You’re the prettiest girl in our group, but you’re always with… your brother?”
Klishei’s fork clattered against her plate. “He’s not my brother.”
“Oh? So, a secret boyfriend then?” another friend, Chloe, chimed in, winking. “He’s always around, but never with you. What’s the deal?”
Klishei felt a familiar unease coil in her stomach. What was the deal? They had shared so much, physically and emotionally. He had seen her at her most vulnerable, protected her, fought for her. He was her confidante, her anchor. But what did that make them?
After a few days, the question burned in her throat. Days after, as Yeseus walked her back to her room, the city lights blurred around them.
“Yeseus,” Klishei began, her voice quiet. “What are we?”
The question was not just a simple passing of the mind. Ever since Maya asked her that question, Klishei had been bothered by it non-stop. Sure, they called each other when needed, shared the bed when their pheromones were at peak, and gave each other the attention that was beyond a human's schedule. But in reality, they never really cleared out their status.
He stopped, turning to face her. His eyes, usually so expressive, seemed to guard their secrets. “What do you mean, Klishei?”
“My friends,” she explained, gesturing vaguely. “They asked about us. They see you always around, but we never… we never act like a couple.”
He looked away, his jaw tightening. “Our connection is complex. It’s not something easily explained to humans, especially to your friends.”
“But what is it to us?” she pressed, stepping closer. “We’ve been through so much. We’ve been intimate so many times. You said you would protect me. You said you would stay by my side. But what does that mean for us? Are we together? Or are we just mere partners?”
He met her gaze then, his eyes a swirling vortex of conflicting emotions. “Klishei, you are the Phoenix Bride. My purpose is to ensure your safety, to see you thrive.”
Her heart dropped. It was not the answer that she was expecting from him. Although she did assume that he would woe her with flattering words, she only expected that he be clear with his words. And as his reply sank in her mind, she felt like crying. “Is that all I am to you?” she whispered, a pang of hurt piercing her. “A mission? A duty?”
He reached out, his hand hovering near her cheek, then dropped. “No. Never. That's not what I meant. You are everything to me.” The words were raw, laced with an unspoken pain. “But my world is not yours. My curse- it complicates everything.”
“Then uncomplicate it!” She cried, a sudden surge of frustration bubbling over. “Tell me what you want. Tell me what we are. I need to know, Yeseus. I can’t live like this, always wondering, always guessing.”
A heavy silence descended, broken only by the distant traffic. He looked at her, truly looked at her, and she saw a flicker of the old Yeseus, the Alpha who had faced down an army of wolves for her.
“A date,” he finally said, his voice soft, almost hesitant. “A human date. Dinner. A movie. Something… normal.”
Klishei blinked, surprise washing over her. “A date?”
He nodded, a faint smile touching his lips. “A normal human date. I've seen it in those romance dramas that you always watch and in those books that filled your room. In every couple, a date always a problem solver. Would that be a great opprotunity to clarify things? You know, to give us time to talk about...us.”
A smile blossomed on her face, chasing away the shadows of doubt. It was unexpected but it will do. “Yeseus, you brilliant wolf. Yes. Yes, it would. Do you have a date and a place in mind?”
“Tomorrow night,” he replied, his eyes regaining a hint of their former sparkle. “Seven o’clock. I’ll pick you up here.”
Relief washed over her, light and sweet. “Perfect. But where are you taking me?"
Yeseus blinked away then smirked at her. "It will be no fun if I spoil it to you. I read that dates are meant to be full of surprises. It excited the heart and makes the experience more meaningful. Wouldn't you want that?"
Klishei's smiled became wider. "Fine. Don't be late, then."
As they went on their separate rooms, a fragile hope blooming between them. Klishei, walking back to her room, felt a lightness in her step. A date. A normal date. Maybe, just maybe, they could have a normal life, after all.
Suneia, hidden in the shadows of a nearby tree, watched them. Her heart ached for Yeseus, for the doomed path he had chosen. This cannot continue, she thought, He will not survive this love.
She stared at the purple vial in her hand. The instruction was clear. It would only be a fleeting moment but a critical one. She had to do everything smoothly if she wanted Yeseus to come back to his senses.
She was the only one who could save Yeseus.