Chapter 116 Feels like luxury
Ira's POV
I gently dust my rag once I'm done with the last shelf in the clinic. My lips stretch in a timid smile when recall yesterday.
It was the first time I ever spent a whole day with Ruel. And after spending about an hour in the field, I couldn't help but ask when we'd be heading back.
Considering I failed the bet, that's what I expected, that he'd return to duty. But to my delight, he simply shook his head, and whispered.
“I won't be out here with you if I didn't plan to spend all day with you in my arms.”
I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Sia and Cath rush inside, each carrying a basket of herbs.
Sia peeps into the corridor as though ensuring someone isn't there right before she drops he herbs on the counter.
Cath does same, then stands beside Sia, her arms folded tight across her chest.
“Ira,” Sia starts. “Rumors are spreading so fast about the commander taking you outside the base.” Her voice trembles, her troubled gaze frantically searching mine. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Cath moves closer , taking my hand in hers before turning it gently so she can inspect every inch of visible skin.
Without a word, she checks my forearms, then my neck, then the sides of my face, searching for marks, for fingerprints, for any sign that something bad had happened.
When she finds nothing, her shoulders drop a little.
“What did he do to you?” she eventually asks, keeping a gentle touch on my hand.
I cannot help the smile that curves my mouth. But their brows furrow as they watch me.
“Nothing bad,” I say quietly. “Honestly, it… it felt more like a date than anything else.”
Sia gasps voiceless, her eyes wide. “A date?” she asks, pressing both hands to her chest as though her heart might actually leap out. “You’re telling me Commander Ruel took you on a date?”
Cath finally releases my hand, though her gaze stays locked on my face. For a moment she simply stares. Then she exhales slowly through her nose and smacks me right across my shoulder.
“What was that for?” I respond, massaging my aching flesh.
“That was for you not returning until timeout and leaving us worried sick. Now, tell us everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”
I feel heat climb into my cheeks as my lips part before I can stop them. I try to look calm, but I can feel the smile pushing through anyway.
“He showed me,” I say, amused by their eager expressions.
Cath leans forward, nearly in my face. “Showed you what?” she asks impatiently.
“His wolf.” I say quietly.
They both freeze for half a second. Then they explode.
Sia shrieks while Cath grabs her, the two of them hopping in a tight circle, laughing and clutching each other like I just announced a mating ceremony.
“He shifted for you?” Sia squeals.
I nod, heat rushing to my face. “Actually he made us play a game where I had to run and not let his wolf catch me or….”
“Wait, the commander played a game with you?” Cath gasps.
“Yeah,” I answer, smiling even more when I remember the smiles and laughter we shared.
“That’s such a mate thing to do.” Sia mutters happily.
“And he told me he likes me.” I add. I'm not sure why I say it but when they scream again, I realize I just needed to prove that my heart isn't overreacting by pounding every time I recall how he'd whispered his feelings.
Rita strides in with her clipboard tucked against her chest. She looks exhausted.
“Enough noise girls,” she says tiredly. “Ira, if you’re done with your job for the day, you can leave. Cath, Sia, come with me. And bring those herbs along.” She mutters before striding back to her office.
I nod at Sia and Cath before they hurry after her.
By the time I step outside, it's pouring snow again.
Although I'd spent the whole of yesterday with Ruel, I've been unable to stop thinking about my dream. And if everything I saw, my mind keeps circling around one truth…
My father was set up.
The knowledge burns in my chest. Alpha King Andre orchestrated the war. Not the sempyrs.
The fall of Vahl wasn't some inevitable clash of clans. No, it was a deliberate, calculated betrayal. If not for that devil, my parents would still be alive. I wouldn't have suffered just to survive.
And yet father and mother spoke of Bukasvad with such unshakable faith. They believed he would give his life for me. For me? Now I barely even know him.
But since they trusted him, does that mean I can trust him too?
“Valira,”
The whisper brushes my ear like a breath of wind.
I stop walking, my ears listening. I tilt my head to the exact spot I heard it coming from, that's when I see it.
The same black raven.
“Bukasvad,” his name rolls off my tongue softly.
The bird flies then stops, looking back as though waiting for me to follow.
I glance around, no one is monitoring me. There's barely any guard hanging around as everyone is busy preparing for war.
Without thinking too much about it, I follow.
The bird dips into the shadows, disappearing behind a crumbling brick wall. I hesitate for half a second, wondering if he really expects me to fly through that wall too.
“Psst!” I turn at the sound, surprised to see Bukasvad waving for the old storage room.
But hadn't he just flown into the brick wall?
His fierce blue eyes stay fixed on me as I quickly approach him.
This time when he pulls me into the dark room, I don't struggle. Not because I trust him, but because now I know he isn't lying.
And deep within me it feels like a luxury, finding someone from my past, someone I just might be able to call family.