Chapter 11

Months later

Azure watched as Francine rushed past him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. His heart clenched at the sight of her obvious distress, and without thinking, he began to move towards her.

But before he could take more than a step, Fiona's hand was on his arm, holding him back. "Let her go," she said firmly, her tone brooking no argument. "She's just a kid, she'll get over it."

Azure's jaw tightened at the dismissive words, and he shook off Fiona's grip. "She's not a kid," he said tersely. "And something's clearly wrong. I want to make sure she's okay."

Fiona rolled her eyes, but Azure ignored her and took off in the direction Francine had gone. She watched as Azure hurried off to check on Francine, her hands clenched into fists. She couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy towards the Lycan King's daughter, who seemed to have captured Azure's attention completely. Fiona had been trying to get closer to Azure for months now, but he never seemed to notice her, always too focused on Francine and his training.

She sighed, feeling frustrated and fed up with the situation. Why couldn't Azure see that she was right in front of him, eager for his attention and affection? It was like he didn't even care about her.

Floch, who had been sitting nearby, noticed her reaction and reached out to console her. "Hey, it's okay," he said, patting her on the back. "Azure can be oblivious sometimes, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about you. You're a great catch, Fiona."

Fiona snorted, shaking her head. "I don't think he even knows I exist. I badly want him to be my mate. I can feel it. He’s my mate," she muttered, feeling even more dejected.

Floch grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, maybe you need to make him notice you. Show him what he's been missing out on."

Fiona raised an eyebrow, curious. "And how do I do that?"

Floch shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure you'll figure something out. Maybe make him jealous by flirting with me?" He winked at her, clearly teasing.

Fiona rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "As if that would work. Francine has him wrapped around her finger, and you know it."

Floch's smile faltered a bit at the mention of Francine, but he quickly recovered. "Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I can't try my luck with her. And who knows, maybe we can make a deal. You help me get close to Francine, and I'll help you get close to Azure."

Fiona's interest was piqued, and she leaned in. "What kind of deal?"

Floch leaned in conspiratorially. "Well, I know Francine. She doesn’t know how to say no. What if we held up a party? Maybe we could throw one, and invite both of them. That way, you can show Azure what he's missing out on, and I can show Francine that I'm not just a boring wolf."

Fiona grinned, liking the sound of that. "I don’t think it will work, Floch. You know the Lycan King and Luna are very strict to Francine. Not to mention Royce,”

“Are you giving up on Azure? That's easy?” He tested her.

She sighed. “Okay. I'm in. Let's do it."

And so, the two of them began to make plans, determined to catch the attention of their prospective mates. Whether or not it would work remained to be seen, but they were willing to give it their all. After all, they believe that love was worth fighting for.

Fiona couldn't help but feel curious about Floch's plan, wondering if it would actually work. She had always been skeptical about using jealousy as a tactic to win someone's affections, but if it worked for them, then she was willing to try. As she and Floch continued to plan, she couldn't help but wonder what Azure was doing with Francine.

Meanwhile, in the woods, Azure followed Francine as she sobbed, her heart breaking at the thought of losing him. She knew she shouldn't be jealous of Fiona, but she couldn't help it. Fiona seemed to have an air of confidence and charisma that Francine lacked, and she couldn't help but feel inadequate compared to her.

Azure searched the woods for Francine, calling out her name in hopes of finding her. After a few minutes of searching, he heard a rustling in the bushes and saw Francine attempting to run away. Concerned, Azure quickly followed her, calling out to her to stop.

But Francine was determined not to face him, and she continued to run. In her haste, she didn't notice a rock in her path and stumbled, falling onto the grass. Her knees were wounded and bloodied, and Azure rushed over to her side, worry etched on his face.

"Francine, are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Francine winced as she tried to get up, but her feet had also been sprained in the fall. She let out a small cry of pain, and Azure quickly volunteered to carry her like a bride, wanting to get her home as quickly as possible.

“Just put me down, Azure!” She scoffed.

“Don’t be stubborn. You’re very lightweight. We’ll go back home now," he insisted.

As Azure carried Francine, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. She was grateful for his help, but also nervous as their skin touched each other. She tried to focus on the scenery around them, but her mind kept wandering back to Azure.

Finally, unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she turned to Azure and spoke softly. "I'm sorry for running away," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

Azure stopped in his tracks, his eyes locking onto hers. "Why did you run away?" he asked, his voice gentle and concerned.

Francine hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to express her feelings. But then she took a deep breath and spoke from her heart. "I was jealous," she admitted. "I saw you spending time with Fiona, and I couldn't help but feel like I was losing you. I mean… as my brother. You are part of my family now… right?” She hopes that Azure will buy her excuse.

Azure's expression softened, and he reached out to gently wipe away a tear from her cheek. "Francine, you know that I care about you." he said, his voice reassuring. "You're a family to me, and nothing will ever change that."

Francine nodded, feeling comforted by his words. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. She wanted to be more than just family to Azure, but she knew that it could never be. Her father already adopted him even though it's not legally.

As they continued on their way, Azure's strong arms held her tightly, and Francine couldn't help but feel a sense of security in his embrace.

When they finally arrived back at the block, Azure gently set Francine down on a nearby bench, and she winced as her wounded knees made contact with the hard surface.

But then Azure knelt down in front of her, taking her hand in his. "Let me take care of you," he said softly, his eyes locked onto hers.

Francine felt her heart skip a beat at his words, and she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe there was a chance for them after all.

Minutes after, they both arrived at their home. Francine's parents were alarmed when they saw her being carried by Azure. "What happened to her?" her mother exclaimed.

Azure explained to them how he found Francine in the woods with an injured knee and sprained foot. Francine's parents breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't anything serious, but they were still concerned about their daughter's injuries.

“It’s my fault, mom, dad. I was running away. I didn’t notice there is a big rock in my way,” She bit her bottom lips.

Francine tried to reassure them that she was okay, but her parents insisted on checking her wounds and making sure she was properly taken care of. Azure stayed with them to help out, feeling responsible for Francine's well-being.

As they tended to her wounds, Francine's parents couldn't help but notice how gentle and caring Azure was towards their daughter. They had always thought highly of him, but seeing how he looked after Francine made them appreciate him even more.

Francine couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed about the whole situation. She didn't want her parents to worry, and she certainly didn't want Azure to see her in such a vulnerable state. But at the same time, she couldn't deny the comforting feeling of being taken care of by him.

After her wounds were properly cleaned and bandaged, Francine's parents insisted on giving Azure a proper thank you for taking care of their daughter. Beatriz cook a wonderful dinner. 

Meanwhile, Francine couldn't help but steal glances at Azure throughout the meal. She admired how effortlessly he interacted with her parents, and how his eyes seemed to light up whenever he talked about things. 

At 11 p.m, Azure found himself standing outside Francine's room, his knuckles lightly rapping against the wooden door. It had been a few hours since he had seen her last, and the memory of her wounded body had been plaguing his thoughts since. He needed to check on her, to make sure she was okay.

When Francine opened the door, Azure's eyes immediately fell on her bandaged feet, and he felt a pang of concern. "Hey," he said softly, his voice carrying a hint of worry.

Francine looked up at him, her eyes softening. "Hey," she said, stepping back to let him in.

Azure walked in, closing the door behind him. They sat on the edge of her bed, their conversation slowly shifting from her injury to other things. They talked about normal stuff. 

As their conversation continued, their eyes met, and a tension began to build between them. Azure felt his heart rate quicken, his mind racing as he stared into her deep brown eyes.

But then Francine's phone rang, breaking the moment. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Floch. Azure's mood shifted, and he felt his heart drop to his stomach.

He knew Floch had feelings for Francine, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy every time she spoke to him.

"Answer it," Azure said, forcing a smile.

Francine hesitated for a moment before answering. Floch's voice came through the phone, inviting her to a party for his mother's birthday.

"I'm not sure," Francine said, her voice uncertain.

Azure watched as she ended the call, his heart aching with a mix of jealousy and longing.

"Are you going?" he asked, his voice low.

Francine shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't really planning on it."

Azure didn't know what to say. He couldn't bear the thought of her going with Floch, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her to stay either. He knows he couldn’t control Francine. 

Suddenly, Francine spoke up, her voice brave and firm. "Would you like to come with me?"

Azure's heart skipped a beat, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Francine nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Of course, you. I’m talking to you right now,”

Azure felt a warmth spread through his chest. Damn, he wanted to be with her. That’s for sure, but she’s so beautiful that it made him speechless!

Is he going to agree to be her date at the party?