Chapter 9

As the moon smiled down on the town, Cassie mused over the riddle that was Lark.

Over the past few weeks of her stay in the palace, their verbal clashes felt like savage duels, each side emerging defensive and weary.

What experiences, Cassie speculated, had molded Lark—the hush around her was stark and cut.

She was blissfully unaware of the fact that the answers which eluded her bestowed upon her in the most twisted of manners were bound to change the way she perceived the man she once termed as her arch rival.

It was the twin Alpha Mark, he was tired of their seamless arguments on trivial issues.

One cool autumn evening, he decided that it was time to put things into perspective for Cassie and Lark.

While sitting together at a Palace balcony, Mark reminiscing about the coziness of the place with hot cocoa enveloping their mugs spoke with a sombre face which made Cassie curious.

“This isn’t a story that I am entitled to tell you, but I feel like it is necessary for you to understand things about Lark,” Mark mentioned whilst looking towards the cup of hot cocoa.

Cassie’s heart grew warm as steam danced around the cup while her body felt relieved.

“What pieces of explanation Mark would give that will make sense of Lark’s middle wall? Lark clearly put a lot of thought into crafting,” Cassie thought.

Addressing a more serious note, Mark answered,

“When we turned ten, we lost both of our parents to a terrible accident that had occurred. No one foresaw this coming, and in all honesty, there is no possible way to navigate around such vulnerabilities.”

“I had a better way of grieving my pain and that was his own method. He never really opened up to anyone, so Cassie please," he halted, gazing directly into her eyes.

“Don't force him," he added.

After a longer-than-usual pause,

Mark said “We were moved like a trivial object from one relative to another to be passed away."

Cassie's thoughts made her heart constrict. She tried to picture what it would be like to lose both parents at such a young age, but found it far too difficult to comprehend.

“Relatives didn’t wish to take on the grief-stricken child. Eventually, we began to fend for ourselves until we were chosen as Alphas by the moon goddess,”

Cassie's shoulders were able to feel the burden of this explanation. The frosty attitude of Lark and his refusal to form intimate relationships all of a sudden had a reason for existing.

It wasn't a personality trait or him trying to cringe away from people, it was far deeper than that – it was a psychological protective mechanism created due to severe trauma of loss.

Mark's explanation altered Cassie's understanding of Lark in a rather instant. The individual she branded as ‘emotionless and distant’ suddenly looked to her as someone deeply vulnerable and broken but possessing an astonishing strength. It hurt her to realize that she had no intention to try and figure Lark out, instead, he had always been a sad cover to her.

Lark was in extreme pain and melancholy that she observed Lark close up would unveil to her the new dimensions of pain he was suffering from.

The children’s song or even parents waltzing would cloud his thoughts, and tear family conversations would make his hand shake slightly.

As if Cassie was shown the mask of Lark which she used to wear for a long time and separated them was. Shivering in spring days filled her with marvel but his heart was also broken.

To help fill the void, Cassie needed to reach out with the first attempt.

During the late shifts of meetings in the pack, she went to Lark’s working area and offered him a drink so long as he listened.

“I brought you some coffee just in case you want some.” She placed one of the cups on the desk.

“Surprise,” said Lark, which Cassie could see. She could tell for one instant defensive walls that he so often put up, but then a shift took place. Either her smile or the absence of Curry Lark’s attitude outward caused his defenses to disappear.

"Thanks," he said quietly as he picked up the cup.

Cassie inhaled, preparing to say something she was certain would set off a tense conflict.

“Lark… I know that we haven't really been on good terms. Regardless, I do want to apologize.”

Lark looked puzzled, his eyes squinting slightly in confusion. “Apologize? For what exactly?”

Cassie gently shook her head. “For not trying to understand you better, for making assumptions and not knowing your story. I... I am aware of your parents, and I know how challenging that situation must have been for you.”

Lark’s face was a mixture of surprise, pain, anger and what looked like relief all at the same time. He opened his mouth to say something but all that was left was a quiet, “Mark told you.”

Cassie nodded resolutely bracing herself with trepidation for a furious explosion of anger that mercifully never quite materialized so fiercely.

Lark's shoulders sagged heavily now, a massive weight having vanished suddenly.

"I'm not begging for sympathy," he said, his gruff voice somewhat subdued.

"And I'm not offering any," Cassie replied gently. "I just wanted you to know that I understand a little better now, and if you ever want to talk... I will listen,”Cassie replied softly with no intention of offering any help.

Cassie and Lark's bond suddenly lurched into rocky waters following that rather fraught and extremely intense heart-to-heart discussion.

Cassie made a conscious effort to be more patient with Lark's moods, recognizing them as manifestations of deep-seated pain rather than personal attacks. For his part, Lark seemed to sense the shift in Cassie's attitude and responded by lowering his own defenses, if only by a fraction.

Mark and the other wolves members noticed the change, exchanging bemused glances as Cassie and Lark managed to work together without descending into arguments.

Mark, observing from the sidelines, felt a sense of relief and hope. Perhaps, he thought, there was a chance for healing after all.

But there was a tinge of jealousy innit!

As the week passed, Cassie, Lark and Mark found themselves in an unexpected alliance. What started as a temporary truce between him and Lark developed into a real friendship between the three.

They started spending time together, sharing food, and even moving round the pack like a perfect trio even engaging in conversation, which were beyond the small talk of the surface-level.

Gradually, but of course, Larak started opening, sharing the snipites of his past that he kept closed for so long.

One evening, as soon as he sat in Mark's section of the living room, the conversation turned into childhood memories. Cassie and Mark shared family holidays and school adventures stories, their laughter filling the room. Lark kept quiet, his eyes away, until Cassie inspired him.

"What about you, Lark? Any fond memories you want to share?"

For a moment, it seemed that Lark would retreat back into its shell. But then, to everyone's surprise, he started speaking.

"I remember this once," he said, his voice was soft but stable,

"when our father used to teach us how to hunt.We must have been about seven or eight. We didn't hold anything, but it did not make any difference. We were just sitting there, talking and laughing. It is one of the clear memories that I have."

The room became silent, hanging the weight of Lark's words in the air.

Cassie felt tears prick at her eyes, moved by the vulnerability in Lark's voice and the bittersweet nature of the memory.

That was the first time Lark mentioned his parents after their demise.

Mark reached out, placing a comfortable hand on Lark's shoulder. "It sounds like a beautiful memory, man. Thank you for sharing it with us."

Lark nodded his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Yes, this is. I don't think about it often, but ... sometimes it is good to remember.”

Lark glanced at Cassie, his lips spread into a quick smile, muttering a little “thank you,"

The foreign wolf was helping him.