We entered the small-town restaurant and I tried not to stare too much at the all-American scenery. The red booths and old music machine, a few hunters having their cups filled with coffee by a blonde, middle-aged woman and the grey-haired man from behind the bar that was drying the mugs; I couldn't help but compare it to the pubs back home. I wasn't a frequent visitor of those, but I do miss them now that I can't go anymore. I've been in Colorado for well past a year now, but I never wandered outside Boulder, to the parts of the state I've seen only in the films growing up. In the city I was feeling almost like home, the buzzing crowds, the never-ending traffic and always-in-a-hurry people didn't make me feel out of place. But here it was like someone throws a bucket of ice on me and woke me up from a year-long slumber. I almost whispered to myself 'We're not in London anymore, Aline', but stopped before it got too embarrassing.
This kind of attitude I have, letting the things flow their course and turning a blind eye every now and then, got me into that shitty trial 18 months ago. If I would've been awoken and alert when Thomas was showing obvious signs of joining the Darachs, I would've spared everyone of so much trouble. Moreover, I wouldn't have felt too guilty about what happened that day that I almost let them imprison me in the Sewers. If my mother's lawyer didn't force me into pleading innocent, bringing all the years of emotional abuse I've suffered to support the claim, I'd have admitted my fault and accepted the dreadful consequences. But, instead, I posed into the bewitched maiden, fooled by her criminal lover to reveal details that helped our enemies orchestrate a surprise attack on us. And somehow, from the culprit, I became the victim who was sent to rehabilitation. Everyone forgot about my treason, about how I talked Will into abandoning our mission to repair the chaos I created; and also, they forgot about the life I've taken on the battlefield.
During my career as a hunter, I've killed many creatures: blood-thirsty vampires, dark witches, rogue werewolves, Darachs and even human monsters. And even if I regretted none, it didn't stop their ghosts from hunting my dreams every night. But there were two killings that weight differently on my souls, as they are the only ones I regret: the daughter of that witch I've left my mother to burn her alive, and the Crown Prince of Elves, Gwyllim. Even if the latter is the one who talked Thomas into joining the Darachs, his death at my hands still felt wrong. Like my deed activated some sort of universal chain of events that are meant to damn me forever. Call me paranoid, but ever since I've taken Gwyllim's life, mine went from shitty to bloody miserable in the span of a year.
The only highlight I've been given was meeting Asher, but even meeting my soul mate isn't as ideal as it's supposed to be. In the months we've known each other I've only been avoiding, arguing and ignoring him, or crying my soul out because I was pushing him apart. I had to nearly lose him to realise what he means to me and I still screw things up constantly in our relationship. If I were him, I'd given up on me a long time ago; and maybe it'd have been for the best. It'd have spared me the pain to leave him, especially now when we're beginning to know each other, to let ourselves discover and explore what this bond means. But as I implied, I've been feeling cursed ever since I killed Gwyllim and leaving Asher is probably the peak of the misery I'm forced to suffer to pay the debt for taking a life.
"Have you decided yet?" Asks Asher and I blink back to reality. I've probably been staring to the menu for far long enough now, but I haven't read a single item on it. Though, I still nod and close the menu, deciding that I'll order whatever he is. I'm not feeling very hungry anymore.
"May I take your order?" Asks the middle-aged waitress and I nod, raising my eyes from the menu and realising both the woman and Asher are waiting for me to order. My eyes grow in surprise and I dug my head back into the menu, saying the first item on there to save myself from the embarrassment. Asher orders too and I take a big gulp of my glass of water, as the waitress smiles at us and heads back to the bar.
"Chicken nuggets?" Laughs Asher and I frown before I gaze back in the menu and see that I've ordered damned chicken nuggets and chips from the children's menu.
"I do love chicken nuggets," I defend myself and Asher doesn't seem convinced at all, but drops the topic anyway. "So this is your favourite restaurant?"
We started the day with a hike, which filled me with good energy and merriness until we got the nearest town and I got some signal again. My mother found out about my rendezvous with Thomas and that Asher and two other Lycans were spotted this morning in front of Château d'Automne. Of course, she was even angrier that I left town without noticing the council, even if my mission didn't start yet and I still have a couple of days left of freedom. So, by the time we got to the restaurant, I was back to my usual moodiness.
"Not quite, but it's a nice place to come when the city's finest gets boring."
"Well, they do have interesting-" I glance around the place to find something worth being praised but purse my lips into a straight line when nothing catches my attention.
"Not quite fitting your Londoner tastes?" Asks Asher in a giggle and I nod, laughing as well. "Next time, you can choose where we go."
"Oh, no. I loved today, Asher," I tell him so he won't get the wrong impression. "I love hiking, it was my favourite thing to do on my holidays to Ben Navis."
"That's child's play. I hiked on some crazy trails back home in Brazil. We can go there if you wish after you wrap your business in London and the competition is over." I see the light in his eyes as he speaks, so much hope to blind me because of how untenable his dreams are for me. I wouldn't go hiking with him again, nor visit his home country ever. I won't see the end of the competition, be there with him when they'll crown him King, neither he'll know how proud I am to be his soul mate.
But I nodded and smiled heartfully as I said, "I'd love to."
"Then it's settled."
"I thought I was supposed to plan the next date," I coyly point out.
"I didn't envision it as a date, but perhaps a vacation?"
"A honeymoon?" I laugh and give him another flirty smile, my eyes staring into his green one, enjoying how tense he suddenly got.
He means to tell me something, before a plate of roasted beef and grilled vegetables flew on the table, as well as my chicken nuggets. "Enjoy your meal, let me know if you need anything else." Says the waitress and speeds away from our table, to a newly-arrived group of teenagers.
I cuss under my breath and toss a chip into my mouth, trying not to look at the delicious food on Asher's plate. After a day of walking on mountain trails, I could eat basically anything, even those defrosted nuggets, but I still wished I would've ordered whatever he got.
"Do you want some?" He asks and I realise I must've been staring intensely at his plate. I shake my head roughly and dump the nugget into so much sweet-and-sour sauce it didn't taste like chicken anymore. Not that it did before, anyway.
I drew a glance at an old couple standing two booths across from us, standing on the same bench and sharing an apple tart like some teenagers on their first date. I looked away, my eyes somehow falling on Asher and a claw of sorrow clenched around my heart, gripping it so hard that it brought tears to my eyes. He somehow saw it and looked back to whatever made me almost cry. But his eyes didn't register anything of the ordinary and turned back to face me, worry covering his figure as the nagging questions were almost radiating off of him.
"I was thinking how great this day was and that now he had to return," I manage an explanation and he nods in a sigh. "Am I not nearly ready to facing the mess we drove away from."
"It isn't that bad, Aline. If you're okay with it, after the trial will be over on Friday, I wish to meet with your parents the proper way and clear the mess once and for all. I know that they most likely won't accept our relationship and that you don't wish to see them, especially your mother..."
"It'll be great," I stop his blattering and smile genuinely. I'd be a dream, and it is all his proposal will ever be. Because, by the time the trial is over, my parents will fly to London, to prepare the mission and wait for my arrival.
We finished the meal on silence, or at least Asher did because I couldn't eat another wannabe-nugget without risking vomiting my insides on the black-and-white tiled floors. I ordered a milkshake and the chocolate did manage to suppress the hunger in my stomach for a while. By the time the waitress came to collect the check and we walked back to the car, my stomach started grumbling like that old computer in the halls outdated common room.
I tried to make as much noise as possible, talking nonsense on our walk through the parking lot, shutting the car door a little too hard and pouring over some unnecessary apologies, until Asher started laughing. "How about we stop at that drive-thru we drove by on our way here?"
I nod, then avoid his gaze when blush creeps into my face. I watch the sun setting as he drives us there and I carefully analyse the menu, before ordering a vegan burger with chips and yet another chocolate shake. Asher orders one for himself and I dig happily into the mouth-watering food as soon as it is handed to me. I ask Asher if he wants any chips and I secretly pray he wouldn't, as I hate sharing my chips with anyone. Soulmate or nor. But he shakes his head and takes a sip of his milkshake, taking a turn into the road that leads us back to the city. As the little town starts fading in the rear mirror, my appetite slowly disappearing with it and my damned insecurities crawling again back to the surface.
"I can't return to the pack," I say in a whisper and I see Asher frowning deeply.
"Hayder is an idiot, Aline. And I'm going to have a serious talk with him once we're home."
"You can't say that he lied in the slightest. I did bring all sorts of troubles to the pack and maybe it'd be best if I kept my distance these days before the trial and the Semifinals.
"Okay," he agreed as soon as I stopped talking and I was surprised for a second, then went utterly shocked as he did a 180-degree turn and headed back to the little town.
"What are you doing?"
"If you're not going to stay in the pack, then I'm not either." He sped and in a heartbeat, we were back at the drive-thru, where the car slowed down to a normal speed. And I was able to catch my breath.
"You know you should be practising, right? The Semifinals are in two days time." I remind him of the competition, but he nearly shrugs.
"Aren't you a trained hunter? I believe you can oversee my practice until the competition."
"You're serious?" I ask, but before I'm answered I grab onto my seat, as he speeds up a dirt road. "Asher, I doubt there's a hotel up here."
"Even better," he grins and he turns to face my alarmed face. He grabs one of my hands that were tightly gripping into the leather seat and brings it to his lips. "Do you trust me?"
I don't even have to say a word, as my a faint smile paints my lips. Worries long gone from my bones and my body eased up at the caressing of his lips on my skin. He told me we were going home before and I now realise that there is where we were headed, even now...