Jae let out a wince as he set his feet on the floor of his room. The sun was high in the sky indicating it was midday as the true blood began to walk. Yejin entered through the door just as the true blood had reached the window and pulled back the curtains.
"How do you feel? You seem like you're doing better," Yejin commented as he set a tray with congee and water on the cart next to the nightstand.
Jae turned to face the alpha before nodding. "I am fine."
"That's good. Come eat some lunch," Yejin told the prince as he stirred the congee.
"Bring it to the table," Jae said as he walked passed the bed and sat at the small, round table stationed toward the right section of the room.
Yejin was quick to oblige his prince and brought the bowl and glass of water to the table.
"So, what is it?" Jae asked out of the blue as he began to eat.
"What? What is what?" Yejin inquired back as he sat in the chair opposite the prince.
"You've been wanting to tell me something. What is it?" Jae told the alpha before taking another bite.
"Ahh, well...the beta from Black Moon was nearly killed by the team's leader."
Jae set down the spoon as he heard Yejin's response. "Is she alright?"
Yejin nodded as he answered, "She is alive. Kace saved her and brought her to the infirmary."
"Ah, that's good. What about the rest of the team?"
"Kace sent them on their way. They placed the alpha in a cart and set off just minutes later."
Jae nodded as he fiddled with the spoon in the congee. "That's good. Let me know when the beta regains consciousness."
"Ae," Yejin responded with a nod of the head as the prince returned to eating his lunch.
<<<<<>>>>>
"It's so hot," Syri panted as he and Estan made their way through the market. Estan nodded in agreement as he trailed his eyes over the selection of bread. The zeta and gamma were running low on supplies, so they decided to make a run to town to stock up. "Oooh, can we get some strawberries?" Syri asked as he looked at the red summer fruit with drool practically running down his chin.
"Of course, we can get whatever you want," Estan smiled at the zeta before asking for a small basket of strawberries.
Syri hummed happily as he walked down the market with a basket of strawberries in his hand. The zeta followed the gamma as Estan went around buying a selection of bread, cheeses, and vegetables. Soon, the two had completed their shopping list and were milling through the crowd as they made their way to one of the market's entry and exit points.
A loud laugh sounded above the general murmur of the crowd causing numerous heads to turn in the direction of the laugh's source. Estan and Syri scurried to the side of the aisle as a group of foreign betas and thetas broke through the crowd. They had clearly been drinking. Their faces were red from heat and alcohol as they sauntered down the main aisle of the market. Several held jars with liquor as they grabbed whatever they wanted from omegas, gammas, and epsilons who were helpless in front of the hunters.
'They are not pann. Pann would never act with such disrespect.' Estan observed the group with a scrutinizing gaze as he hid the zeta behind him. Syri's sweet scent had grown much stronger since Jae's musky scent had fully worn off, and Estan hoped the men were too drunk to notice. The gamma let out a sigh of relief when the group walked passed the two without noticing the zeta's alluring scent.
"Let's go," Estan said in a low voice as he took Syri by the hand and began leading the zeta in the opposite direction as the one the brawlers were headed down. Syri grasped the gamma's hand as he quickly followed Estan through the market. He did not like the smell coming off the men. They were foul.
Estan let out a long breath as he and Syri broke out of the market. The two slowed their pace as they reached a safe distance from the drunk werewolves and meandered through the town at their own pace. They always enjoyed looking at the flowers blooming on the side of the buildings and on the vines that crawled up the light posts. Syri let out a satisfied hum as he smelled the sweet scent of summer honeysuckle.
Estan smiled at the zeta as Syri scurried to the side of a building and plucked a single flower. The zeta pulled out the back of the flower to extract the small drop of honey which he savored dearly.
"Inso! Have you ever tried honeysuckle?" Syri called to the gamma who was standing a short distance away admiring a flower the color of Yejin's light blue eyes.
Estan nodded his head as he walked over to the zeta and plucked a single flower. "Mmm, it's just as how I remember," the gamma said as he tasted the sweet honey on his tongue. "I used to raid an entire vine that grew on the side of my parents' house every summer," Estan told Syri as he reminisced about his childhood years.
"It must have been nice to have flowers at your home," Syri said as he smiled up at the gamma. Estan could tell the zeta did not have that privilege by his tone of voice, so he smiled softly at the zeta before affectionately ruffling Syri's pink hair.
"How about we plant one-"
"How 'bout you come with me," a rough voice cut off the gamma, startling the two.
Estan immediately stepped in front of Syri as the man approached him. He was not as drunk as the men at the market, but Estan could tell he was from the same group. "What do you want?" The gamma asked defensively as he and Syri took a step back.
"I just want to have a good time. I noticed your friend has a nice scent. How 'bout you come play wi' me?" The man's words slurred together slightly as he approached the two clumsily.
Estan's nose crinkled as the smell of alcohol grew stronger. To the gamma's horror, the smell only grew more and more concentrated until three other men came out from behind a building.
"Heyyyy, don't you be havin' any fun wi'out us!" One of the newcomers yelled at the first man.
"Don't worry, there' enough for us to share," the first man assured the three as they joined him.
The gamma used the distraction of the arrival of the three to slowly back up from the men with the zeta. "Syri, I want you to run when I say so," Estan told the zeta in a low voice, so the four could not hear.
"I'm not leaving you," Syri answered firmly.
"Run, now," Estan said through his teeth as the four turned their attention back to the two.
"Then, you're coming with me," Syri said as he grabbed the gamma's wrist and began dashing down the road. Estan did not have time to protest as the zeta dragged him down a side street and around several buildings.
Shouts and yells rang throughout the town as the four chased the gamma and zeta through the small alleys and roads of Alia. The zeta and gamma were out of breath by the time they had come upon a dead end in the road they were following.
"Shit!" Estan cursed under his breath as he turned to face the four who had caught up with them.
"Ooh hoo hoo, tha' was quite a run you made us do. You'll pay for tha', Pretty," the first man sneered as he pointed at the zeta. "Now, come here while I'm asking nicely. We're goin' to have a long nigh'."