*“Love may be harder to find in some people, but when they do love you know it must be something marvelous.” ― Criss Jami*
***Kiya***
The party lasted until the early morning hours. Guests trickled out into the darkness with fuller stomachs and bigger smiles, while parents carried the sleepy children off to bed. Mom and Dad, of course, drank too much, so they’ve occupied the guest room to sleep and sober up. The clean-up was quick and efficient, with the Omegas working like a well-oiled machine. Lead Omega Luli was an absolute angel, ten times better than the wretched Cassandra. I played with Lupin for a bit before it was time for him to head to his dog bed in the common room to sleep.
Ezekiel and Aunt Essie spoke in muffled tones at the front door. I watched in glee from the top of the stairs, hidden behind a wall. They shared a tender kiss goodnight, a fitting end to a magnificent birthday. A thick air of infatuation hovered around my aunt like dense smoke. Her pupils dilated and her pink lips stretching to a smile. Goddess, I hope those two end up mating because Aunt Essie deserved love so pure. I made haste back to my room after she shut the front door, not wanting to be discovered.
In my room, a sudden realization hit me as I removed my makeup and hopped into my pajamas. Neron and I agreed to talk after the party. *Shit*. I exhaled a shaky breath while weaving my hair into two thick braids.
*We have to do this*. *Can’t avoid this forever*.
Snatching my phone from my table lamp, I made my way to the kitchen. The hem of my pajama pants tickled the apex of my feet as I ambled through the hushed corridors. Silence stilled the air, spliced by the sound of my bare feet slapping against the titled floors.
I let my mind wander when I pushed a door open with my palm; the kitchen opening up before my eyes. What will Neron and I talk about? Both of us left our pasts behind when we walked our separate paths, not knowing whether or not we’re going to see each other again. Lives needed to be lived. Wounds needed to heal. Hope needed to be found again.
We needed to be apart. But we’ve found each other again. Now, what?
I pulled out a bag of pretzels from one of the lower cupboards, split the top open, and filled a bowl with the salty snack. Walking backward to the fridge, I pulled a bowl of sealed hummus from the back. The gentle scent of chickpeas ticked my nose.
A light snack for my hungry ass. What else was new?
I planted my butt on top of the granite kitchen island, sitting under the fluorescent lighting shining above. I tore open the sealed top of the hummus bowl, dipped a pretzel, and popped it into my mouth. The creamy texture hit my tongue first, followed by the sharp entrance of salt and a satisfying crunch. I breathed in the kitchen air, staled with the aroma of food from the party. The cream-colored walls tinted yellow under the lighting with white enameled cupboards lining below and above the sink and oven. The kitchen used to be a place of horrors for me, but now it is a welcoming space.
I popped another hummus-covered pretzel into my mouth. So much has changed. I’ve lost and gained so much. My life was good. Now, Neron and I needed to figure out where we stand in our relationship. We’ve developed a close friendship as we lived apart, confiding in one another when the obstacles of life became too hard. We talked about our struggles, families, philosophical shit, and so much more. The times we could video chat were the best, but it couldn’t substitute for the real thing. When we had our periods where we didn’t talk, our connection bloomed with a text or a phone call. It refused to fade.
Would we remain friends for the rest of our lives?
My heart pounded against my ribcage at the thought. Does he want us to stay friends?
*Do I*?
After a few minutes of waiting, his heady scent floated in from the kitchen doors. Neron was here. My body grew hot. His natural perfume was the match, and my body was the wick, lighting upon contact. I gripped the pretzel bowl until my knuckles turned white. The Alpha was approaching and not a moment too soon.
*Breathe, Kiya*. *Just breathe*.
A smirk rose on my face when the doors creaked open. Neron emerged from the dark foyer in his pajamas. “It’s about time you showed up. I thought you bailed.”
“Bailing on you? Never.” He chuckled, scooting an island seat closer to the table. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“Of course, not.” I watched him settle himself in his seat, his veins pulsating in his muscled arms. I offered him my hummus. “Care for some?”
Neron held his hand up. “I’m good. I don’t like hummus and I’m not a big fan of pretzels.”
“Suit yourself. You’re missing out.” I shrugged my shoulders, popping another treat in my mouth. A pregnant pause fell between us. It couldn’t be more obvious that neither of us knew how to start the conversation. We waited for the other to talk. Seconds turned into minutes.
*Awkward*.
Goosebumps dotted on the exposed skin of my tank top, but I wasn’t cold. In fact, I was undeniably warm. And it was then when I noticed Neron’s eyes on my form. Pensive. Heavy. His eye was like lasers on my skin, tracing and marking every curve, scar, and blemish.
My disorderly mind picked and cradled the memories of the past I couldn’t forget. This was the man who proclaimed his love for me more times than I can count. He risked his health and safety for me. He *died* for me. The emotions I felt back then came back at full force.
Appreciation. Care. Comfort. A small smidgen of guilt. And another emotion I wasn’t sure I wanted to voice out loud.
Three years. *Three fucking years*.
“Kwame told me you’re an art teacher here.” I pulled my legs up to the island and crossed them in front of me. “Sounds exciting! How is that going for you?”
“Their attention spans don’t last very long.” Neron’s grin stretched from ear to ear, his eyes staring into space in a melancholy trance. “But there is a great joy in teaching them the stroke of a brush. Some I see genuine talent in. The teenagers and young adults? That is a separate challenge altogether.”
“So, you teach everyone?”
“Whoever wants to be taught, yes.”
There was a light that shined as bright as a diamond when Neron spoke about his teaching. I thought back to the paintings in his office and the portrait he made of me three years ago hanging to this day in my room. Such talent he has and now he’s giving it to his community. The light brought out the rich blue in his eyes, the shade of happiness and passion. I smiled inwardly as I continued to watch it gleam like the million of stars in our night sky. I didn’t realize how long I’d been staring at him until he asked me a question.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“What do you plan on doing now that you’ve finished teaching?”
“Oh! Well, I wasn’t actually teaching but more like assisting,” I put my chin on my fist as Neron leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. His hair fell off his shoulders, brushing against his biceps. “Graduate school is definitely on my to-do list. I won’t be happy until I become a child psychologist, but applications haven’t opened yet.”
“Have you thought about where you want to go?”
“In-state, out of state, I’m not sure. I have my options open. Maybe Colorado?”
“O-oh. Colorado...” Neron’s eyes rapidly fluttered, his thick eyelashes moving like butterfly wings. Blue darted back and forth as his teeth pulled on his upper lip. Pushing himself off the island, my heart squeezed when the stars in his eyes faded away. “I didn’t know you were thinking about moving states.”
“It is an option, but it isn’t anything solid...” I shouldn’t have talked about it. I wanted to see his eyes shine again. Pushing my snack aside, I turned my body to face his, now rigid. “Does that bother you?”
Neron’s entire body inflated with his inhale. He and I were a couple of feet apart, but it felt as though we were inches apart. His heat stretched toward me, grasping at my arms and legs, beckoning to move closer. It’s the fucking bond, I know it. “No, I’m not bothered. Wherever you decide to go, that school will be lucky to have an intelligent woman at their institution.”
His tone of voice betrayed his words. Neron spoke with words of pride and encouragement, but his tone sounded defeat. Shame itched its way up my throat, my desire to soothe him jumping out as an outstretched arm. “I know that, but I haven’t decided yet. It’s too early, Neron. Who knows? I might stay in California.” I shined a reassuring smile, hoping to ease the blow I unintentionally dished out. “The future hasn’t been written yet. It’s not like I can see into it.”
“But I can.”
I raised an eyebrow, taken aback. “What?”
“I...” Neron scratched the back of his head, the corner of his lips quirking up into a tense smile. “I can see into the future, Kiya. Apparently, I always had this ability and didn’t know about it until recently.”
“You can... see into the future...?” I hesitated, still baffled by his admission. “I’m no stranger to magical shit, but I’m going to need you to explain how, why, when, where, and what.”
For the next couple of minutes, I sat in silence as Neron told me the story of his ancestors. An ancient werewolf and a witch-turned-werewolf. Alva Johansen’s blessings carried through the bloodline, granting generations the gift of sight. Foresight. And Nuria had that power, too.
I did *not* see this coming.
“So, you and Nuria are basically psychics?”
Neron smiled, running a hand through his hair. “Yup. I’m still grasping it, believe me.”
“Wow... I’m not sure what to say.” Other than I’m incredibly curious. Neron and Nuria aren’t normal werewolves. Not to the same extent as I was, but it separated them from others. While I’m not psychic myself, an overwhelming urge to help Neron imprisoned me in an iron grip. “Have you had any visions?”
“Unfortunately.” His voice dropped an octave, along with his eyes on his lap. “I’ve had minor ones that have come true, nothing too big. They usually happen when I’m asleep, but I’ve had bigger and more vivid ones. As if I was feeling it in real-time. Those are the scariest.”
“Can you tell me about them? Only if you’re comfortable talking about it, of course.” I asked. He raised his head, his eyes searching into the depths of mine. Back in the day, I hated direct eye contact. Now, I’m comfortable with it. Blue shaded into the color of apprehension and fear, two emotions I haven’t seen on Neron in a long time.
I wasn’t prepared for the bombshell he dropped on my head.
“The scariest visions I’ve had are of you, Kiya. Every single time, you’ve gotten hurt. I had one last week and...” He sucked in a deep breath. “A giant snake murdered you.”
I pressed my lips together in a thin line. A giant snake. Just like in the spectacle, the goddesses showed Phoebe, Violetta, and I. Just like the snake spirit that attacked me in the museum. And now, Neron was having visions of it.
I didn’t know what to feel. Pissed? Saddened? Conflicted? Confused? Mystical gifts are both a blessing and a curse, and being plagued by powerful death visions wasn’t something I wished on anyone. Least of all, Neron.
“Kiya, say something.”
“I’m just... thinking. Sorry.” I murmured, biting my lip. My eyes darted away for a few seconds before finding his again. “Thank you for telling me. Unfortunately, I’m aware of what’s going on.”
“You are?”
I told Neron everything I’ve experienced before I came here, right down to what the three goddesses showed me. Surprise and fear crossed his face, but not before flashes of anger. His hands clenched in his lap and his breathing became stronger. This wasn’t how I wanted our talk to go; with the revelation of danger coming to us again.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you again.” He spoke. “And you said this beast is a god?”
“Yeah, it is.” I dropped my gaze to my lap, picking at my nails.
“Life is merciless. When you think you finally grasped at peace, it throws a slice of hell at you once again. Testing your resolve and seeing whether or not you’re worthy of peace.”
“Amen to that.”
“We’re going to find a way out of this, Kiya.” I lift my head, in awe at the determination crossing his face. “We did it once with Osiris. We can do it again with this snake beast.”
“*We*?”
“We. I’m not leaving you alone with this. Since I’ve seen and spoken to it in a dream, I might as well have a hit on me too.”
“Don’t say that,” I whispered. “It’s because of me you’re tangled in this bullshit again.”
“And I’d gladly be tangled up if it meant I can keep you safe.”
“I want you safe, too. I don’t want you to get hurt again like before.” Emotion burned in my throat and tears stung my eyes. Flashes of Neron’s dead body three years ago still haunted my dreams. A heavy reminder of his sacrifice. And I know him well enough that he’ll do it again to protect me.
*Not this time*. I’ll protect him, Nuria, and everyone else close to my heart. No one is getting hurt again.
*No one is fucking dying on me again*.
“How can I get hurt if I have a goddess at my side?” The corner of Neron’s eyes crinkled with his smile. “Speaking of that, there is something else I wanted to ask you.”
Grateful for the subject change, I shined a smile and nodded. “What is it?”
“You know of the Alpha Gathering?” I nodded. Anthony talked about it all the time on his semiannual trips, lining up with both the winter and summer solstice. The summer solstice is next week. “Would you like to come with me?”
“You want me to accompany you?”
“That or I go alone or take Nuria and develop insomnia for three days.”
Nuria had a ‘**gift**’ for waking people up in her own special way. There was a menace hidden underneath her beautiful exterior. I hope Phoebe can tame it.
It didn’t seem like a bad idea. I always wanted to know what goes on in these things, and I’d get to be with Anthony and Lyria. “Sure. I’d love to go.”
Neron’s jaw dropped. “Really?”
“Why not? It seems like fun.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic!” He grinned. “Thank you, Kiya!” His hand reached toward mine, grasping it in a tight enough grip to tell me his undying excitement.
But, I wished he *hadn’t* touched me.
The moment Neron and I touched hands, something exploded between us. Two halves of a single bond shot forward like snakes striking their prey and melded together. Every cell in my body combusted into tiny flames, molding into an untamed wildfire. I was burning up but soothing at the same time in a whirlwind I couldn’t find purchase in.
The mate bond healed. It was alive. And it wanted its other half.
And goddess, it felt so fucking *good*.
Neron and I yanked our hands away like we’d just touch an open flame, our eyes holding fear and curiosity. My throat dried up like a prune, viscerally aware of **everything** about the Alpha.
It was no longer one-sided. Our bond wanted retribution for the years it was damaged, neglected, and healed. No longer did it want to wait.
*And I wasn’t sure if I could resist it this time*.