"Every time I see you, you are always distressed," Jasmine mumbled as she stood beside Kenderick with a large book under her arms while they both watched the warriors training. "I'm not distressed," Kenderick replied, his voice a little sharper than usual. As if sensing his defensive tone, he cleared his throat and added. "I'm a little distracted but not distressed." "You are distressed," Jasmine replied. "I don't know how, but I can feel it when I'm close to you. I can feel your shift in moods. The last time you were at the bakery, you were annoyed. Wait a minute, I've never actually felt a positive emotion from you. Why?" "Are you here to see your sister?" He asked, subtly changing the topic. "Do you often come here to watch her train?" "You are changing the topic," Jasmine pointed out. "But I understand you. I wouldn't feel comfortable if a stranger walked up to me to talk about my moods." "You are not a stranger, though," he corrected while Jasmine shrugged."You mean not ent
"And why are we discussing choosing a new Alpha?" Kendrick questioned, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room."Our Alpha is recovering well. He was awake for a brief moment yesterday, and Nancy said he'll be fine in a month's time," he paused, noting the carefully blank expressions on the faces of the elders and others seated around the conference table."Is there something I am missing here?""There's nothing you are missing," Elder Ambrose replied with a tight smile. "Although it breaks my heart to do this, it is what we have to do.""Why?" Kendrick repeated. "I still don't understand the reason behind the sudden need for a new Alpha.""None of this is sudden," Elder Lydia answered with a sigh. "The proposal for appointing a new Alpha had already been made before Alpha Elton got poisoned. In fact, the poisoning case delayed it.""You wanted to impeach the previous Alpha? That's surprising," he scoffed. "If that's the case, we should probably start searching for those who will fi
"Thank you, Beta Kendrick!" The grey-haired woman dropped to her knees, bowing so low her forehead touched the dirt.Her shoulders trembled as she sobbed, her face streaked with tears and snot while she clung to his ankles, stopping him from escaping as he had been doing the past few days."If not for you… My son would’ve been executed for something he didn’t do." She cried, her voice hoarse from how much she had cried and shouted after him. "After losing my husband just months ago, I... I couldn’t have survived losing him too.""I'm forever grateful to you!" Kendrick stiffened as he felt her hands around his ankle. He groaned, unsure what to do as the woman wept at his feet. Before he could utter a word, another figure rushed forward."You saved my daughter too!" Another woman joined, kneeling beside the first, with a basket of freshly picked fruits clutched to her chest. Her face glowed red from excitement or embarrassment, and her hands trembled slightly as she held the basket out
"No wonder everyone is talking about the soufflés!" Xander exclaimed between bites, his cheeks bulging as he chewed the dessert. "Although it doesn't taste like that of your mother, the taste and texture are quite close." "It tastes good," Kendrick agreed as he took another small bite from his serving. "Do you think they changed the baker? The last baker's soufflés were the least liked dessert in the bakery," Xander mused."Yeah, they have a new assistant baker; she was employed based on her soufflé skills, and she just happened to be the one who served us," Ava replied as she cut into her chocolate mousse. "And you know that because?""It was just by the way; I was doing some checks on Kayla, who happened to be her sister," Ava replied with a shrug. Before Xander could ask the obvious question, she continued."Kayla applied to join my team. She's got the skill of a trained warrior; she's got the instinct and awareness. And that's unsettling somehow." "How is that unsettling?" Da
"Can I get a pack of macarons and two packs of croissants?" Asked a silver‑haired man, his brows and eyelashes the same silvery shade, while Jasmine stood behind the counter, gently sipping natural mango juice after her morning shift."Coming right up," she murmured, trying not to spill as she reached around the service area."Take your time; I’m not in a rush," he added with a gentle chuckle. His eyes crinkled at her worried smile."Sorry… So that’s one pack of macarons and two packs of croissants. Right?" she confirmed, beginning to box the order. She stole glances at him as she worked.Noticing, he laughed softly. "Planning to ask if it’s natural or dyed?""I don’t mean to be rude," she flushed, embarrassed at being caught. “It’s just… you look different.”He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. “Different how?”“Oh! Not in a weird way,” she hurriedly corrected. “You’re different—beautifully different. The blue in your eyes shines against your silver hair. It’s relaxing. It makes p
"Ahhhh!" Jasmine screamed as she jolted awake, eyes red and sweat covering her forehead. She shivered in fear, her chest heaving like she’d just escaped drowning. Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket, clutching it as if it could somehow anchor her to the present.Looking around the room, she curled up, her eyes shaking, unable to recognise where she was. Instead of the ocean blue coloured walls in her room or the beautiful crystal and flower decorations around the place, all she sees areendless trees and blood.So much blood. And instead of her frantic heartbeat, all she heard were screams. Her mother’s scream. And then the merciless growl of the man who—Jasmine choked on a sob, curling in on herself as the nightmare replayed over and over in her mind.Except it was not just a nightmare. It was a memory, one that she could never forget no matter how hard she tried. She squeezed her eyes shut, but that only made it worse. The image came back clearer. How her mother fell to he