Chapter 46
ELARA’S POV
We carried on with our stroll; after some time, Ronan sent Cael away, insisting that he wanted only the two of us to keep walking together without company.
We pressed forward until we discovered a concealed fountain, nestled in a remote corner of the Palace gardens, nearly overtaken by the advancing woods. I had no idea a place like this was hidden here. The elaborate carvings in the stone were stunning, moss clinging to the rims, lending an aura of timeless enigma. Water bubbled gently, a calming contrast to the worries that still gripped me tightly.
“Wow,” I exhaled, completely enchanted by the sight. “I never realized anything like this existed in this spot,”
Ronan gave a quick smile, a playful sparkle in his gaze. “I’ve never brought you on a proper outing before. I’m sorry,” his expression darkened as he went on, “I’ve been so buried in my responsibilities that I hardly carved out any moments for us,”
My chest tightened at his words; I longed to share everything with him, but it simply wasn’t feasible. I knew firsthand how far Ronan would push to shield me from Darius’s grasp, but it was far too dangerous. All I could manage was.. “I get it,” I replied, mustering a smile, “I completely get it.”
“Then,” he cleared his throat while a flush started to rise on his cheek. “There’s additional wonder in this area. Shall we keep going?”
A real smile bloomed across my face. “Absolutely.”
He extended his hand, and I grasped it. The heat from his contact was comforting, a steady lifeline in the midst of uncertainty.
We strolled in easy quiet for several minutes, the forest noises forming a gentle melody around us. The trail curved among ancient trunks, their limbs woven together, casting a mottled light that landed on us in gentle patches. The sun neared its horizon, now casting a cozier radiance over the greens and browns nearby. Abruptly, Ronan halted, a sly smirk curving his mouth.
“Oh oh,” I joked, my smile echoing his. “What’s behind that expression?”
“I have a plan,” he replied, his gaze brimming with delight.
“What’s the plan?”
“Wait right here.” He directed; without pausing for my response, he pivoted and headed toward a thick grouping of trees.
Ugh okay?
Drawing a long breath, I lowered myself onto the ground blanketed with fallen leaves, my legs throbbing badly from our previous trek. The breeze was refreshing on my skin, carrying the aromatic blend of pine and moist soil. I extended my limbs, savoring the calm.
Then, a deep rumble echoed in the air, a vibration that pulsed through the earth and triggered a jolt of astonishment in me. I turned slowly, my inhale trapped in my chest. I sensed the warm exhale of something at my back.
As I rotated, my frame went rigid as my gaze settled on the enormous black wolf before me. Its coat as shadowy as midnight, I looked into its eyes… recognizable amber orbs that carried the identical mesmerizing appeal of Ronan’s eyes.
“Ronan?” I inhaled sharply, my tone quivering with a blend of wonder and doubt.
Meanwhile, my inner wolf was essentially leaping with joy, absorbed in appreciating the attractive wolf ahead of us.
The wolf merely approached me, its huge skull gently bumping mine. I laughed softly, my fingers naturally gliding through its remarkably plush fur. It was plusher than any fur I’d ever touched, even my own. It was excessively plush for a beast of that scale.
I rose and mounted the wolf’s wide back, sensing protected and secure as it prodded me onward to prompt the ride.
“So this is your intention?” I questioned the wolf, still stroking my hand through his opulent plush fur. Now, I see why Ronan devoted more time in the washroom than many females. It definitely showed results.
Without noise, the wolf surged ahead, its mighty steps spanning distance with incredible velocity. I clutched its fur firmly, my chuckles resounding in the breeze. The journey was invigorating, frightening, and completely captivating. Ronan’s wolf was astonishingly swift. I had viewed his wolf shape previously, but never experienced its fur in this way before.
He shifted velocity and path repeatedly, maneuvering the foliage effortlessly, the woods smudged into a verdant and earthen vortex.
“Can…you…slow….down…a BIT?!” I panted with uneven breaths, my tone lost in the surging gust. He halted suddenly, advancing a few leisurely steps before dashing again, this time at a gentler, more controllable rhythm. He dashed through the woods, his lowered speed now permitting me to appreciate the woods in all its glory.
I released his fur as he ultimately stopped before a cavern. The encounter was freeing; this was precisely what I required. Ronan appeared to have detected my feelings; he was flawlessly aligned with my desires, and I couldn’t resist deepening my love for him.
“Thank you.” I murmured, planting a kiss on the wolf’s cheek..or what I figured would be his cheek area. Even in wolf shape, I sensed his warmth as its gaze met mine. It was the very Ronan I knew and cherished.
“I need to relieve myself,” I declared, “I’ll return.”
I located the ideal spot behind a dense cluster of trees. After handling my needs, I turned around and my gaze landed on a tiny, isolated pond, hardly noticeable from my position. Inquisitiveness guiding, I neared carefully, the view that greeted me stopping my motion.
The odor struck me first, intense, keen, and biting, the scent of rot or something rotting dense in the atmosphere. I crinkled my nose, shielding my mouth and nose with one hand.
Abruptly, my wolf instincts sharpened, my sight grew clearer, my audition more sharply tuned to every whisper and crack in the surrounding timber. Something seemed profoundly, profoundly amiss.
I sensed discomfort.
As I advanced closer, I peered into the pond, the view sending a frigid surge of terror over me. My inhale caught as my gaze fixed on a corpse in the pond. It was swollen and rotting, drifting in the cloudy liquid, insects swarming around it. The corpse stood vertical, its face entirely destroyed.
I bent nearer to examine closely and confirm the identity. My frame locked in place as identification struck me.
It was Silas.
And then, before I could fully process the scene before me, the noises of wolves snarling behind me dispatched a freezing surge of glacial fear along my spine.
Oh no, Ronan.