Chapter 03

"We really need a break."

Mikkel looked over his shoulder at the lazy being sat on his black leather couch bundled up in equally dark fluffy blankets. Her dark pair of specks stood firmly on her nose framing her dark brick-red, almost black eyes that were concentrated on the screen before them. Her dark ebony hair had a polish of blond at the bottom sprouting through the gap below her cuddled-up form. Meghaal indeed was the definition of a koala. Both were lazy and on a mission to seek comfort.

"Betch, you say that, yet you're the one whose eyes are still glued to Damon's ass"

Mikkel complained while heading over to the kitchen counter to pour himself a glass of warm water. The weather was getting chilly again, indicating Boreas' presence and the upcoming winter.

"Blame me. As if you aren't after his ass. At least, I only prefer one Salvatore"

Meghaal muttered into her blankets.

"What are we having for dinner?"

Mikkel questioned as he felt his stomach rumble with oncoming hunger.

Meghaal disliked Stephan with passion on the grounds of him trying to act too perfect. The girl really did have something against fake perfection.

"I was thinking of..... Caesar Salad?"

She smirked, looking at Mikkel who was already headed to the fridge to grab the ingredients for the next dish.

"With dumplings?"

"You know us so well, I'm proud of you mi chico"

                      ****************** Over a year ago**********************

*Flash back*

The pale white moon hangs over the young man's head as he strolls after his parents to the large community hall. They exit the densely crowded forest that had no available path to their cottage. Werewolves instinctually did not require a path after all. Their sense of smell and the agility to rush and dodge through the trees made a path unnecessary.

Walking out of the clearing he was met with the sight of his fellow pack members buzzing with activity in human form. None of them have shifted yet, the moon was not yet centered above, indicating to them to hold their paws until their Alpha deemed it time to shift. It was pack tradition to not shift till their Alpha did so.

Young children run around playing soccer, almost smashing old elder Yehenara's pot of Ficus Benjamin. Mikkel cringed at the thought of encountering an angry Elder Yehenara. She worshipped those plants as if they were her own lifeline.

Warrior wolves run up and down trying to gather all members in time for the run. His parents made their way to the front of the crowd leaving him in the usual spot. Away from everyone on the sight. The few members that he passed by as usual never failed to secretly glance his way and whisper about him to their immediate companion. They very well knew that Mikkel still had a good hearing to a certain extent even though he was not with wolf, yet they did not stop it.

Mikkel's presence was not required. However, Alpha Hesiod and Luna Kirana did insist on his participation. They went to great lengths to uphold his welfare and he was grateful, which was the entire reason he made his appearance at these monthly runs.

But there was another reason that motivated him.

Food.

The monthly runs often encouraged the wolves to hunt on the hunting grounds belonging to the blue crescent pack that was to the south of Mikkel's homely cottage he called home. While the werewolves who had come of age ran with their Alpha to hunt for sport, the younger members stayed back under the watchful eyes of the caretakers who were brought down from the coven of witches that neighbored their pack. The witches tried staying on neutral terms with all packs around them. Rakshata Sorin, the head of the coven of Witches was never one for war or conflict, she turned tables in history by approaching relations through diplomacy instead of displaying power. The important part played by the representatives from the Border Twilight Coven was appreciated through the hospitality of offering them a buffet of 'human food' that the Witches very much appreciated. Even though he wasn't exactly a witch, Mikkel did appreciate the food very much. He loved his mother's food dearly. However, the abundance of delicacies offered on the night of the runs often made him overlook the suffocation he was often forced to feel around his pack members. There was always food for him on this day. The other werewolves preferred feasting on the catch they hunted, giving him the opportunity to enjoy it without much interaction at the buffet.

Mikkel stood at the far corner of the hall awaiting Alpha Hesiod's howl that commenced the werewolves' hunt for prey and his hunt for the buffet.

Today's dishes east Asian themed stood colorfully with different varieties of sushi, sashimi and dumplings on the table closest to him. The young witches were too busy entertaining the hyperactive pups, and the rest of the pack that was of age had set off for the hunt.

Starting from the sushi he made his way down the aisle serving a platter of all the available varieties. However, when he finally reached the last of it, the young man's hand crashes with someone else's sleeve-clad arm.

"Shit"

the two of them swore looking up at each other.

Stood before him with a bowl of Caesar salad and spilled dumplings was a brown girl with straight black hair that had a shading of blonde and copper highlights at the end.

"SORRY!"

She yells with wide eyes behind her square glasses.

"emm... I should be saying sorry.... I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going."

Mikkel mumbled quietly.

He didn't know how to act around her.

After all, people rarely spoke to him.

"No not at all. It goes both ways ha ha."

He didn't reply, he didn't know what to say.

While she was busy cleaning herself up off the Caesar sauce on her midnight blue Japanese top that had Sakura imprints on it. Was she japanese...? she does have nice chinky eyes. But she has a significantly light tan as well.

"Do you like the top? It's actually one of my favorites. You could say I'm sort of a lover-of different-cultures type of person"

Mikkel looked at her face to find her smiling kindly at him. Having a stranger be this casual and friendly with him left him feeling unsure and he took a step back subtly not alerting the new girl of it.

Finishing off the last bit of Caesar sauce off her top, she grabbed her plate to continue with her task.

The young man expected her to go back to ignoring him now that she was done, however, to his surprise she spoke.

"I'm Meghaal by the way."

****************************************************************************************

"Aaand Done!"

Mikkel Solar placed a plate of steaming dumplings in front of his best friend's face who was hovering over a book that she was too engrossed in that he had to slam it right in front of her. Having had the easier dish made she got her task done quite early.

"Okay stop reading! I'm bored"

Mikkel grabbed the book that was plopped before her nose and threw it at the coffee table that was on the far end of the room.

"Fine...."

The two of them plopped down on the worn-out sofa with their bowls of Caesar salad and dumplings. Ever since Meghaal entered his life the young man felt less lonely. His days no longer were spent with reheated food consumed alone in the deafening silence of the room that was only disturbed by the chirping crickets that inhabited the surrounding trees of the forest he called home. His parents, as loving as they were, were too busy with pack affairs to be on time to catch a warm meal with their son. Aphrodite had made his lonely life much more bearable ever since he managed to stop his parents from slaughtering her for their next meal.

One cold afternoon on a certain day that had his parents come back home earlier with a chick they had bought from the Agora, Mikkel had been ecstatic at the newfound element of the outside world. Marileona and Aries had made it clear that they had bought it back on a whim hoping to have it as a meal in the coming winter if things get tough living off in the forest. However, Mikkel's unusual attachment to the chick prevented them from consuming the grown hen the coming winter. That day the family had to depend on 'normal cooked food' as they had not really expected to lose their fresh meal. His parents preferred meat in order to placate their strong werewolf appetites, and having a hen at hand was a meal for a lazy day.

A year ago when Meghaal made it known to him that she was to only stay a month more on pack territory Mikkel had panicked and gone to his parents. The severe housing shortage in Holland had rendered the girl homeless for the duration of her studies and she was forced to move forty minutes away from both him and her university. Alpha Hesiod who happened to be her God father, had been kind enough to offer her a temporary stay till she settled in.

In the end, the young man had managed to convince his parents to let the human room in their spare bed room. Marileona and Aries were not too thrilled at the prospect of having a human under their very own roof, however, they quickly warmed up to Meghaal's kind and easy-going personality. And soon they realized the big difference her presence made on their son. He looked much happier and more lively whenever she was at home free from lectures or work.

The duo continued watching a few more episodes of vampire diaries, all the while commenting on Damon Salvatore's undeniable charm.

"Bonny is really too good of a friend. I swear."

Meghaal frowned.

"Honestly. It's really unfair how she's treated"

"You know, I actually prefer Katherine over Elena. Elena is just too superficial. Too perfect"

Meghaal had a habit of sympathizing with the supposed antagonists.

"I agree. She's still a bitch though."

Mikkel added.

"Mikkel?"

"Hmm?"

Mikkel unconsciously answered, still focused on his food.

"You'd never get bored of me, right? You'll.... never ditch me right?"

The boy snapped his head on a whim to frown at her words.

"What? What makes you say that. Who do you think would annoy me if it weren't for you? It's not like I have any other friends."

"Exactly. You don't. But you will soon. I just sometimes can't help but feel you'll realize how boring I am when you meet more people."

Mikkel reached over to the wooden coffee table, placing his unfinished bowl of salad, he stopped the show and turned to face his only friend.

"You know I'm not them right? I would never ditch you. Yes, you're my only friend. But you're a hundred friends in one for me. Really. Ditching you equals to ditching a hundred friends"

It was odd being the comforter for once. It was usually the other way around. Meghaal being the level-headed one with the words of wisdom that got him to see the logic. She was always there for him, and he would always be there for her.