I woke up with a terrible headache and the omega was nowhere to be seen. It made me think I slept in but that wasn't the case. She must've got up early today. Taking a shower helped me a bit with the headache and I went straight downstairs, looking for the girl. But I couldn't find her there either so it left me with no other option but to ask my mother.
"Where is she?"
"Who?" She replied like she couldn't figure out who I was asking about.
"The kid. Where is she?"
My mother grinned like I just said something she was waiting to hear. "She just went out. Do you already miss her?"
I rolled my eyes at her attempt to tease me. "I'm not asking you anything ever again." I shook my head, walking to the kitchen to pour myself some coffee. My mother is a bit delusional.
"Cass, what did you do? She was cooped up in the room till yesterday. This morning she came down and talked to all of us. What happened?" My mother followed me like a puppy, acting as if I cast some kind of spell on the omega.
"What do you mean? I did nothing. I just took her out and bought her some things." I shrugged.
"That's it?" She asked, looking at me skeptically.
"Yep. Apparently, it's easy to cheer up girls by buying them things and taking them out I guess."
"I don't think that's the case, Cass. It must be the first time someone did something nice for her. She must've felt cared for." My mother sighed. "I'm glad she's almost back to her old self again."
I hummed in reply, stuffing my mouth with a sandwich that I managed to make in two minutes. "Did she have breakfast?"
"Nope. She only took an apple before running out."
I frowned. "I'll be right back."
—
Following her scent wasn't big of a task for me. It led me straight to where she was. My steps slowed down as I realized where it was leading to. For a moment, I stopped in my tracks and stared at her standing a few feet away from me.
She looked still like she was lost in her thoughts or memories as she stared down at her mother's tombstone.
This was the first time she came here after the funeral. I shouldn't disturb her. She's safe so it's fine for me to go back I guess. I don't understand why I was even worried in the first place. It's not like she went out of the pack grounds.
Maybe it's because she always managed to attract trouble.
"I'm sorry for coming here without telling you." She spoke, causing me to freeze again.
"It's fine,"
She turned towards me and gave me a tight-lipped smile. "Don't you have training today?"
"I do." But I couldn't go because you just disappeared without a word.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time…."
"Stop apologizing." I clicked my tongue and pushed my hands into the pockets of my hoodie.
She smiled and then turned back to look at the tombstone again. "It feels so real now…" The words rolled off her tongue, a little shaky as she tried to blink away her tears. "I was blocking it out,"
"I know."
"It was suffocating me." She turned to me. "I tried to forget about it. I thought if I didn't go out and forget that it ever happened….maybe it would–it would–"
"You'll only be hurting yourself like that." I sighed. "The more you ignore it, the more it will haunt you. Trust me. I know." I breathed out, suppressing the memories I no longer wanted to recall.
Her eyes softened. "I wish I just had some time with her before she passed. I had a lot to say to her. I hope she knows how much I love her…"
"She does. She knows all the things you did for her. Didn't you come to my pack so you could save her? I'm sure your mother is aware of that."
Ivy lifted her head to look me in the eyes and then walked forward. She nervously tugged on the hem of her T-shirt. "I need to go for a run. Can you run with me?"
"Well, I can't let you go alone.," I said, causing a smile to form on her face.
___
"Do you plan on shifting?"
"No, I'm not in the mood to take off my clothes. "
I nodded. "Let's go then," I smirked.
I saw her coming close to me. "I need to tell you something." She said seriously.
I raised a brow. "What?"
"Listen to me carefully," She stepped closer, leaning towards me like she was about to whisper something. "I'm a better runner than you." She said before stepping back, a wide grin on her face. "Catch me if you can!" She shouted before breaking into a sprint.
I was taken aback at first. My brows furrowed together as a smirk formed on my lips. "That's so childish." I scoffed before racing after the little omega who dared to challenge me.
I saw her skillfully avoid the trees and jump over the logs on the ground as she kept her pace. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I was mesmerized by how she glided through the forest as if the wind was carrying her.
I'm ashamed to say it took me some time to catch up to her. She was fast and on top of it, her slim frame helped her take turns whenever she wanted which wasn't the case for me. She is cunning. She chose to run on the path crowded with trees which put me at a disadvantage.
I smirked. "Little brat."
I was able to catch her when we reached a little clearing. She had no trees to help her this time. I caught her by the waist but she wiggled around in my hands to escape but it only caused us to fall to the ground. "You really have some guts to challenge an alpha," I breathed out, a smug smile on my lips.
Ivy laughed as she tried to get free. "Then why did Mr. Alpha take so long to catch a little omega? Huh?"
"You little fox, you know why," I scoffed and loosened my grip on her. I leaned back, my hands supporting my upper body.
Ivy sat up in my lap, breathing deeply as she came down from her adrenaline rush. "Well, it's not my fault you're so big!" She laughed and then paused.
I raised a brow, trying so hard not to smile at the double meaning of what she just said. I watched her cheeks turn red as she immediately looked away.
"Goddess, why do I always say stuff like that?" I heard her mutter under her breath.
I was about to tease her a bit when I felt a water droplet hitting my cheek. Rain?
"Oh, it's raining!" Ivy grinned.
"Yes? Is it your first time seeing rain?" I groaned. I wasn't in the mood to get my clothes wet.
"No, but it's beautiful. I always went for runs when I was in the woods."
She said as the rain turned heavy.
"Let's go back," I got up from the ground.
"No, wait!" She grabbed my wrist before I could turn around. "We're already wet. Why don't we just stay a few more minutes? Let's look around the woods before going back." The omega said, almost begging.
I sighed. "Goodness, I shouldn't have come with you at all."
"Thank you!"
—
I watched as the kid jumped from one rock to another like a monkey. We found this stream a few minutes ago and she wanted to see if she could find white sparking rocks. Whatever the hell that is.
"Wear a jacket next time you go out," I frowned. She was only wearing a white T-shirt which has now turned sheer from being wet. I can see her undergarments. Dear goddess.
"Hey, wear my hoodie!" I said as I began to take it off.
"Ehh? Why?"
"Because yours is wet."
"That's wet too. I don't want to wear it. It'll feel stuffy."
"Girl—"
"Look! I found it!" She said, jumping down to take something from the water. She held up a white rock. "Isn't it so pretty?!"
"Yeah, yeah. Can we go back now?"
I saw her roll her eyes. "You're just like Ruth." She grumbled.
"What?"
"Why are you so eager to go back? Don't you see how beautiful it is here?"
I raised a brow. This girl is a little crazy in the head for sure.
"You see, I watched a movie with Ruth. It had these blue people in it. They're very tall with tails and all." She paused for a moment. "I forgot the movie's name."
Is she talking about Avatar?
"Anyway, Ruth kept saying that she wished she was born in their world and that their world is more beautiful than ours." She turned to face me. "But that's not true. Our world is just as beautiful. We're just not looking at it like that. If you look closely, then you'll see it. Mother nature is so divine and magnificent." She smiled.
"You really are a weird kid." I shook my head.
"I'm not!" She looked at me with a somewhat offended facial expression. "The next time you go for a run in your wolf form, be sure to pay attention. Look at everything, from the tallest of trees to the smallest of mushrooms. You'll find little things that are tremendously beautiful. It'll make you wonder how thoughtfully the world was made." She grinned.
"Hmhmm…" I only hummed in reply.
"Oh, look! There are mangoes!" She ran past me while shouting. I looked up to see the dangling yellow mangoes in the tree. "Let's get those!"
"Kid, if you're thinking I'm going to climb a tree to get you mangoes, you are absolutely wrong." I scoffed.
"No, you don't have to climb. Just pick me up. I'll get those!" She said excitedly.
"You've got to be kidding me."
____
"A little higher, please! I almost got them!"
"Are you sure you can reach them?"
"I'm sure! Only a little bit higher!" She breathed out. I gripped her thighs tightly before standing on my tippy toes. "I got them!" I heard the sound of it being broken off from the tree.
She waved the mangoes in front of me as I put her down. "Let's wash them before eating!"
There was only one fully ripe mango. The other three were only half-ripe. "The ripe one is mine,"
"Huh? No way. I'm the one who saw it."
"Doesn't matter. I'm the one who had to do the most work. I deserve it." I crossed my arms. Honestly, I didn't give a shit about the mangoes but I just wanted to annoy her.
"It does matter. Don't underestimate the work I did. And you didn't even want it at first!"
"I don't care. I need the reward for my hard work." I shrugged.
"Well, you're not getting it!"
I raised a brow. "Don't make me take it from you."
"I'm going to eat before you do—ahh! Are you freaking serious?!"
"What does it look like?" I smirked as I chased after her.
"Goddess, you are insufferable!"
"You're one to talk!"
I caught her arm but she pulled me down, causing me to fall down. "Look at the big bad alpha on the ground!" She laughed before trying to run away. I caught her leg before she could escape and yanked her back down.
Even after falling down, she did her best to keep the mangoes away from me. Little brat.
I had to push her onto her back and pin her down by hovering over her. She tried to throw the mangoes away but I pinned her hands above before she could.
"You really are a brat." I breathed out, smirking down at her triumphantly.
"And you're such a brute! Are you not ashamed of overpowering a poor omega like me?!"
"Huh? You? Poor omega? You must be kidding me." I laughed. She always hated it if anyone looked down on her for being an omega but look at her using that to get what she wants. Cunning little fox.
"Don't laugh, you beast! You're heartless!" She laughed with me.
I took some time to catch my breath and tried not to press down on her so I wouldn't crush her. And then I noticed her giggles had stopped. I looked down at her to find her staring back at me. Her eyes gleamed as if she were a kid, watching the sunset for the first time.
I didn't even know when she had managed to free her hands from mine. It didn't even click in my mind that she was touching my cheek because I was too caught up in the way she was looking at me. The way she took me in as if I was the only thing she could see in this world.
It felt like magic. I forgot to breathe. This feeling that took over me made my body weak. It felt familiar. A nostalgic sensation that I once experienced but forgotten over time. It commanded my body and I slowly began to lose my grip.
"C-Cassian…"