Chapter 35 Prettiest place on earth

Chapter 35 Prettiest place on earth
The run started as a light jog before growing into a full-blown sprint between a woman and a wolf. Nova’s lungs burned, sweat dripping down her face as she pushed herself harder. Five minutes in, Rune showed no signs of stopping. If anything, he was speeding up while she struggled to keep pace.

The worst part? She knew he wasn’t running at full capacity. Several times, he deliberately slowed, waiting for her to catch up before pulling ahead again. She wanted to give up, her legs screaming in protest, but the threat of punishment kept her going. Whatever Rune had planned, she was certain she wouldn’t enjoy it.

Besides, she had her pride. A grown woman who couldn’t run for five minutes? Pathetic. She refused to be that person.

They tore through the path behind his mansion, leaves and branches whipping past. Gradually, the dense overgrowth began to thin, and she spotted light filtering through the trees ahead. The end of the path. Motivation surged through her exhausted body, and she dug deep, pushing harder.

She was going to make it.

A few distances from the tree line, she tripped and went down hard.

Her palms slammed into the dirt, her knees following. “Shit!” The word exploded out of her as she groaned into the ground. Thankfully, she hadn’t landed on her sprained wrist. That would have been agonizing.

She twisted to glare at the branch that tripped her, only to find nothing but grass. She’d tripped over her own feet. Embarrassing.

Rune, who had been several paces ahead, skidded to a halt and whipped around. He bounced back to her, whining softly, and began licking her face with obvious concern.

Nova grimaced at the wet affection but couldn’t help a small chuckle. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

She pushed herself up, brushing dirt off her clothes. Rune disappeared into the bushes for a moment before emerging in human form, wearing only trousers.

Nova deliberately looked away from his bare chest, trying not to ogle.

“You were doing so well.” His brows were furrowed in genuine confusion. “How did you fall?”

“My feet got tangled.” Her voice came out breathless, face flushed from more than just the run.

“So clumsy,” he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.

She shot him a glare, which only seemed to amuse him.

He waved her toward. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll think of your punishment later.”

Nova sighed dejectedly but fell into step beside him as they finally broke through the treeline together.

She took a breath at the sight that welcomed her.

They stood at the edge of a clearing that opened onto a small cliff. Below them, water cascaded down ancient rocks into a pool that shimmered in the dappled sunlight. It was the clearest, most impossibly blue water she had ever seen. It looked almost otherworldly, as if someone had carved a piece of the sky and tucked it into the earth.

The waterfall itself was delicate, a veil of silver threading over moss-covered stones before dissolving into the tranquil basin below. Lush greenery framed the entire scene, ferns and wildflowers spilling over the edges as if reaching for the water.

Nova stood transfixed, barely breathing. For some reason, she felt a sense of familiarity with the place. She couldn’t explain it.

“It’s beautiful.” She whispered.

Rune moved to stand beside her, his shoulder almost brushing hers. “It is.” He said. “My father used to bring me here when I was young. We trained here. Meditated.” His voice softened imperceptibly. “My mother called it the most beautiful place on earth.”

Nova tore her gaze away long enough to glance at him. “She wasn’t wrong.” She looked back at the waterfall. “Did your pack build this?”

“No,” he shook his head. “The sirens did. This was one of their sanctuaries, back when supernaturals lived in harmony. Before they went extinct.”

Nova’s head whipped toward him. “Sirens?” The word fell from her lips in surprise. Then, quieter: “Oh.” The weight of it settled over her.

She’d read a lot about the supernaturals as she could, but couldn’t find a lot of information on sirens and faes. She only knew that sirens were deeply connected to the water, living in both land and sea, while faes were connected to nature. Both races were described as the most beautiful among all supernaturals.

The air grew heavy with unspoken history.

After a moment, Rune spoke again, his voice lighter. “Don’t look so sad. They died out a century ago. At least their creations remain for us to admire.” He reached out and gently pulled her back from the edge. “And don’t stare at the water too long. You might get the urge to jump in.”

She blinked. “Why would I do that?”

“People become… enthralled.” His gaze was serious. “The prettiest things are often the most deadly. The sirens were proof of that. They and everything they created were designed to lure, trap, and kill.”

Nova shivered at his tone, glancing at the waterfall. Could the water kill her?

“How does that work?”

“I don’t know. They died before anyone could find out, so it’s better to just keep your distance. That’s why this place is deserted despite its beauty.” He answered.

“So that was their gift? Luring people?”

“Among other things,” he said vaguely. Then he guided her to a safer part of the clearing, away from the edge. “Come on. I’ll teach you a few things. Then we’ll run back. Tomorrow, you can jog around the house to stay active while I’m handling pack business. Once things settle down, we’ll resume full training.”

Nova nodded, understanding. He’d already given her two full days of his attention while the pack was under threat. She knew he had a mountain of work waiting for him.

“Okay,” she said as they moved into position. “About the council, have you heard from them yet?”

Rune’s expression sobered instantly. “Apart from the carcasses on my border? No, but you don’t need to worry about that. I’ll handle it.”

“You keep saying that, but I’m getting curious. I don’t think you should keep hiding me away. I’m not that fragile.”

He glanced pointedly from her bandaged wrist to her face. “You are fragile, dear. And I’m not hiding you. I’m preparing you.”

“For what?” She frowned. “You’re making it sound like I’m going to war with them.”

Rune didn’t answer, but something darkened in his expression.

Nova’s stomach tightened. “Is that it? Are you going to war with the council?”

“Of course not.” He sighed, the weight of the conversation settling between them.

“Then what?”

“Look.” His voice carried that familiar edge of finality. “I’ll answer your questions when the time is right. For now, you’ll have to trust me and my judgement.”

Nova wanted to push, but she recognized the wall when she saw it. He wasn’t going to tell her anymore. So she let out a resigned breath and nodded. They trained for the next three hours, as much as her sprained wrist would allow, and she dropped the subject. For now.



By the end of the session, Nova was exhausted. Running back to the mansion was out of the question, and Rune didn’t bother asking. He simply scooped her into his arms and carried her.

She went rigid at the sudden contact.

This was the closest they’d ever been. Her body pressed against his rock-hard chest, her ear nearly flushed against his heart. She could hear every steady beat, feeling the warmth radiating through his skin. The temptation to let her fingers trace the lines of his chest was almost overwhelming.

Rune was hot. Undeniably, frustratingly hot. Her husband was a walking eyeful, and she wouldn’t mind staring at him all day. It was a shame that they had met under these circumstances, or she wouldn’t have hesitated to strip and have her way with him back in the human world.

But admitting that would only inflate his ego, so she kept her mouth shut. 

He must have sensed her arousal anyway, because his voice rumbled through his chest. “Like what you see?”

The vibration against her body only made things worse. 

She coughed. “It’s… alright.”

“Just alright?” One eyebrow arched in amusement.

She deflected. “Since when does my validation matter to you?”

“It always has.” His tone was lighter now, almost teasing. “I want you to be comfortable.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why are you suddenly being so nice? Is it because I got hurt? You don’t have to pretend to tolerate me. I don’t blame you for—“

“I’ve always been nice to you.” He cut her off, his voice steady. “Your attack has nothing to do with it.”

Nova opened her mouth to argue, but stopped. He wasn’t wrong. Yes, they had their differences, but he was always good to her. Well, except for the time he made her run to the pack house thirty minutes before training time, and the other times he pissed her off. But overall, he wasn’t a terrible person.

She still rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah, right.”

Rune chuckled softly, and they continued the rest of the walk in comfortable silence. 

For the first time, they both found themselves wishing things could stay that way.