Versipellis

“W-What?" She stammered.

Thane wanted to laugh. He was amused because it was too obvious that she was nervous in front of him, in a good way, though. He could hear every beat of her heart every time he was close to her.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering if your heart beats like that when you're with that man." He casually answered before putting on his seat belt.

Elisia wasn't surprised, so she didn't talk back to him and just glared at him. She knew that Thane could hear the pounding of her heart, and the worst part was she couldn't deny it.

When the plane started to descend, Elisia became uneasy. She was nervous by Thane's closeness to her earlier, but now she was more scared of the plane's movement.

She closed her eyes and held on to Thane's wrist when she felt a continuous turbulence. Her nails were scraping into his skin, but Thane didn't argue with it.

Elisia felt it took forever before she heard the pilot's voice, telling them they had just landed and it was safe to unbuckle their seat belts. She was breathing heavily when she opened her eyes and saw the beauty of the place from the small window.

"Welcome to Versipellis. Can you let go of me now?"

After hearing his sarcasm, she blushed and then removed her hand on Thane's wrist. When they got off the plane, she couldn't believe the scenery in front of her.

The country of Versipellis was a small country with a population of around five hundred thousand werewolves, Terrans and other creatures.

Bordered between the calm waters of the Ethereal Ocean, a vast lake of the South, the Forest of Flowers of the East, and mineral-rich peaks of the West, the country of Versipellis mainly lived off hunting, mining and wood crafting.

Versipellis was mainly surrounded by flatlands and had a continental climate. The country had warm to cool summers and very cold winters. When Elisia arrived, it was winter.

The country's landscape was enchanting. Open fields, frozen lakes, and white blossomed forests because of the snow covering the trees were just a few breathtaking sceneries it had to offer, which was why Versipellis was one of the most desired destinations among all creatures.

The citizens of Versipellis were welcoming towards outsiders and were ready to welcome them with hospitality. They knew having visitors could help the country's economy.

Versipellis had harsh laws and law enforcement, which was necessary since there were a lot of traitors, rogues, and spies lurking inside and outside the country.

Elisia sighed, thinking that this would be her home for a year. She glanced at Thane, who was sitting across from her. He was looking outside, admiring the beauty of his country. She felt the calmness surrounding him, and it was infectious.

She turned to see the magnificent structures and buildings of the country. She wasn't sure if there were different cities here, but she was interested to know about them.

"Do you also have different cities or towns?" She asked.

"Yeah, but unlike Oprea, which has thirty states and more than a thousand cities, our country only has five major cities." He answered.

She hesitated at first, but she wanted to ask him about something. "A-Am I allowed to visit them?"

Thane turned his face to look at her. She bit her lips because her heart started pounding again. She knew he could feel it, but she couldn't do anything about her heart.

"Yes. You are not a prisoner here, and you are not my hostage. You can do whatever you want, but remember the consequences if you leave the country without completing what I asked you to do."

She wanted to argue with him, but she couldn't understand why her heart was beating so fast. And just by hearing his voice, something inside her was growing.

"By the way, I have to introduce you as my mate to everyone. If I bring a woman with me, they will still assume I have found my mate. I don't want long conversations." Thane casually said.

She frowned. "What? But what about mating and stuff? They will still suspect that I am not your true mate if we-"

Her eyes widened, and she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand after realizing what she had in mind. She wanted to scold herself. What was she thinking? Why did she have to make the situation complicated? She thought to herself.

Thane smirked. "We could have sex if you want. If that's what you're worried about."

"I-I'm not worried! I was just stating the fact. It's easy to act in front of everyone if you will just introduce me as a visitor or a friend." She reasoned.

Thane sighed while touching his temple. "You are a complicated woman. Didn't you look on the internet to find everything about me? You should have finished reading those news and articles."

"How did you-"

"Stop! Let me talk first. I've been the werewolf king for three years, but I haven't found my mate here in Versipellis. When I left the country, the council assumed I had found my Luna in Oprea. Mia and the witch who discovered what you did were the only ones who knew about you. If they found out that I brought a demon into the castle, it would only make things more difficult."

"Why? They don't like our kind?" She asked.

"No. But there are citizens in the country who hated Sura, your brother. If they found out you're here, you might get in danger. I need them to know that you are my chosen mate, so no one would dare to harm you once the truth comes out. I have to at least keep you alive until you return me to my grave. " Thane explained.

She didn't complain anymore, but she felt something pinched her on the chest because of those last words. She decided to ignore it and just agree with what he said.

Thane told her they would sleep in different rooms so she didn't have to worry about anything. But when they arrived at the castle, they were both surprised when the members of Thane's council ordered the servants to prepare only one room for them.

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Readers' Guide:

Oprea - another country in Terra where Elisia lives.

Aramoor City -the capital of Oprea.

Ethereal Ocean - where the kingdom of Ocearia is located.

Ocearia - a kingdom where the Atlanteans live.

Atlanteans - called to the citizens of Ocearia or the creatures of the sea.

Sura - a flesh-eating demon; one of the Elysian Elders, leader of the Demon Clan living in Terra, and one of Elisia's brothers.