Chapter 5

~ RORY ~

•Two weeks later•

We are in another area of the forest of the death zone now. It has become a normality.

The bite wound on Kaelin's neck never healed but it didn't widen either. And till now, I still don't know how to repay Kaelin for keeping me alive and the guilt is gnawing at my insides.

Is Layla dead?

We've been moving deeper into the forest towards north just like Kaelin wanted anytime he's around everyday but we haven't encountered a soul.

I didn't even know how to tell him about the rumours surrounding the realm in the north.

Today, Kaelin was back with me after venturing into the forest alone for two days.

He looks even more haggard… and beaten.

“Is it ready yet?” He asks in annoyance, raking his fingers through his hair.

I shake my head, using a wide leaf to fan the fire so the soup would warm up faster. “I'm trying my best.”

“Your best is not enough.” He says, walking towards me before snatching the leaf and start fanning it by himself.

He's right since when he starts fanning it, the fire's intensity increases.

My best is not enough.

Over our late supper, I ask,

“Are you leaving again next tomorrow?”

He places the wooden spoon back into the plate. “Why did you ask?”

I shrug casually after gulping down water. “Just wanted to. You've been disappearing a lot lately.”

“It's nothing to be worried about Aurora.” He says and goes back to his food.

My gaze lingers on his face, my eyes darting between the covered wound on his neck back to his face.

“Did it heal?” I ask.

He instinctively presses the surface of the plaster placed on the bite wound before flinching.

“No.”

“Did you feel strange?”

He glances at the moon which looks like a curved finger nail hanging in the sky. “Sometimes, but I'm good.”

Sometimes.

I'm filled with a sense of melancholy again.

What if he dies? Just… what if?

“Kaelin.” I call, putting my plate away.

He tilts head to me, a questioning look on his face.

“What do you think about us… like… starting a family here and just… you know… living here forever?”

He chuckles, his eyes filled with amusement. “Are you serious, Aurora?”

I nod. Does it look like I'm joking?

I want a reason to live. The previous one I had was slowly waning.

His amusement turns to curiosity. “Was it because of what you saw at the stream that day? If it's because of that, you don't need to worry. It's just because it'd been long since I last had sex. Over two years or so.”

I can feel blood rushing to my head as my throat turns dry in embarrassment.

“Of course no.” I choke out. “I was just asking because… I fear you might go and not come back one day and… I still didn't get the chance to repay you yet.” I add softly.

And ehm, about five days ago, I saw Kaelin… jerking off at the stream.

“Ohh…” He says, staring at nothing.

I stand up and approach him. “We should do it.” I say, my voice coming off as a whisper.

His hands snakes around my waist. “Why? Did I make you feel like we should?”

I shake my head. He didn't. But he was just… too nice and now… I don't know how to repay him back.

I lean forward, pressing my lips to his. He hesitates before giving in and he kisses me back, stealing the breath from my lungs.

Then, he picks me up and I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to the back of the car.

We did it.

I enjoyed it and I feel like I repayed him while at it.

The following morning, I wake up before him.

I can feel my insides throbbing deliciously, an evidence of what we did yesterday as I slip away from his arms which was still on my waist.

Most times, he wants his food already prepared before he wakes. I can't deny him of that today after everything he'd done for me.

I gather the veggies and the small pot before setting the woods. Then, I get ready to chop the veggies but I couldn't find the dagger father had given me.

I hate searching for things.

But I searched for it tirelessly but to no avail. That's the only dagger available to me for cooking and it holds a dear place in my heart. I remember using it yesterday's night.

After some minutes of searching, I lean against the jeep in defeat. Maybe I will be able to find it when I'm not searching.

But before that, I need to cook before Kaelin wakes so I pull open the car's door and grab Kaelin's black tool box.

This is the first time I would ever made an attempt to go through the box. It holds a dear place in Kaelin's heart too and I've seen him carrying it countless times on his outings.

I zip it open and start rummaging through it before deciding to just pour all its content on the floor since it looks smaller from the outside but bigger in the inside.

When its content meets the floor, I pick a sheathed dagger and unsheath it, wanting to test its sharpness but I squint my eyes, my heart beating loudly in my chest.

This… is silver.

One of the banes of wolves’ existence.

My breath hitch in my throat as I set it aside, deciding that I will be careful with it and make sure it doesn't meet my skin.

I'm going hungry this morning until I will be able to find my dagger.

Silver is poisonous to anyone with wolf blood.

I start picking the contents one after the other and placing it back into the box. Most of them are strange vials, silver chains, random medicinal leaves and stuff.

But one stands out.

A gleaming powder in a transparent nylon.

I grab it before flinching, almost screaming in pain.

This… is wolfsbane.