Closer Than We Should Be

Before breakfast, Darina met with Kelly and taught her a few techniques for dealing with bullies.

"Did you figure all that out by yourself?" Kelly asked, amazed.

"Some of it comes from personal experience, and some from my studies. I'm enrolled in an online psychology course at university. A few more years and I'll have my degree."

"That's awesome!" Kelly squealed.

"Perks of not having a mate—lots of free time for myself," Darina joked. "Come, join me for breakfast in the cafeteria."

"Aren’t you supposed to eat with the Royals?" "Nope. It’s not that fun, and meals in the pack house give me a chance to get to know the pack better."

"Sounds good."

Indeed, Darina, Will, and Kelly had a great time at breakfast, surrounded by friendly and chatty pack members.

The queen, however, was irritated by Darina’s absence at the Royal breakfast. She was annoyed that the pack seemed to like and accept her, and even more so, by the way Kai kept glancing at Darina’s empty seat like he missed her company. Still, the queen smirked—she was eager to see Darina fail her Luna training. There was no way she could keep up with the gruelling pace the queen had prepared.

After breakfast, Darina reported for her training, and the queen greeted her with a bitter smile, ready to humiliate her.

"My dear, I see Royal etiquette has already overwhelmed you since you’ve started dining only at the pack house."

"Not at all, Your Majesty. I simply want to understand the pack better."

"Very well," the queen said through gritted teeth.

"Surely you didn’t manage to read all the books I sent you."

"I read them all."

"Great," the queen said, clearly surprised but unconvinced.

"Then I hope you don’t mind a little quiz. What was the name of the first werewolf queen?" "Gaia."

"How did the Moon Goddess help King Charles in the Great War?"

"She blessed him with divine speed and strength."

"And when was slavery abolished in the werewolf kingdom?"

"In 1834."

The queen grew angrier with each correct answer and began bombarding Darina with more questions—all of which she answered with ease.

Eventually, the queen brought her to the banquet hall, where Jackie and Larissa were busy with the event organizers. The two women thrived in that environment, enjoying the preparations like fish in water. Darina, however, found it all ridiculous. She was made to choose a napkin shade from a dozen nearly identical shades of gold—and none of it truly mattered to her.

But then, the person who saved her from the boredom appeared.

Kai entered the hall, and Jackie’s face lit up. She thought he came to see her and eagerly stepped toward him. But his words stopped her mid-step. "Mom, I came to pick up Darina for lunch.

"There are still two hours until lunch, and we are busy with training. She has a lot to learn," the queen said with a sour expression.

"We're going outside. She needs to get familiar with her future husband even more than with pack protocols. We'll see you later."

He offered Darina his arm, and they left together, leaving a fuming Jackie and an even more furious queen behind.

Darina wore a black jumpsuit with long sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and black ballerina shoes. Her hair was tied into a messy bun, her face bare of makeup, and she wore no jewellery.

"Where are we going? Should I change?"

"No, you look perfect. I figured fancy restaurants wouldn’t impress you, so I have something else in mind," he said with a wink.

He opened the door of his black sports car and slid into the driver's seat.

"Do you have any music preferences?"

"I'm easygoing with music," she replied.

Kai turned on soft melodies in the background so they could talk.

"So, how are you finding the Royal Pack so far?" "It’s wonderful. But I’ve made a few notes for minor improvements—maybe we can discuss them now?"

"Darina," he said, smiling, "I’d love to hear your thoughts, but let’s schedule a meeting for that. Right now, we’re on a date, and I want to know more about you—your preferences, dislikes, not pack business."

Darina’s mouth parted in surprise. Date? Is this a date?

Sensing her hesitation, Kai continued, "Tell me, what do you like to do?"

Darina smiled. "Train. Heal. Play with pups. Read."

"See? We’re not so different. I also like pups and training. I'm not a fan of reading, and I can’t heal. Do you have medical knowledge or a healing gift?"

"Healing gift."

"Now I’m waiting for a question from you." "Hmm… what’s your wolf’s name?"

"Blake. Yours?"

"Coral," Darina answered, and Blake purred at hearing his mate’s name.

"Blake is excited to spend time with Coral." "She’s looking forward to it too."

They stopped near a clearing with a breathtaking view of the ocean in the distance.

Kai grabbed a large basket from the back seat, laid out a blanket, and began unpacking treats.

"I wasn’t sure what kind of date you’d enjoy, but you seem like the nature-loving type."

Darina blushed. "I’m not sure either—I’ve never really been on a date. But this place is cosy and beautiful."

"My dad used to bring me here when I was a pup," Kai said.

He arranged an assortment of mini sandwiches, fruits, cheeses, crudités, and chocolates, then poured sparkling wine into two glasses. "Cheers to new beginnings."

Darina sipped her wine and nibbled on the food. "The food is lovely, thank you," she said.

"It’s not like I cooked it," Kai laughed. "But next time, I will. Promise."

"You know how to cook?" Darina asked, surprised.

"Oh, I’ve got lots of hidden talents."

Darina smiled, unaware that she had a small trace of strawberry juice on her lip. Kai stared, wanting nothing more than to taste it off her mouth. She blushed, catching his gaze—though not because of the juice. She had been admiring him too, feeling an invisible thread beginning to tie them together.

"What’s your favourite colour?" Kai asked, trying to distract himself.

"I like a few: green, white, red. Yours?" He looked into her eyes and leaned slightly closer.

"Blue. Like a clear sky… like your eyes."

Darina held her breath. He was moving closer, like he was about to kiss her. One part of her wanted to slap him, the other to kiss him hard.

But then his eyes clouded over—he was receiving a mindlink.

"I’m sorry. We have to go back. There’s been another rogue attack."

They packed up quickly and drove back to the palace.

Yet both of them knew—this was the beginning of something new. The spark between them was too strong to ignore, even though neither of them said it aloud. The bond started to form.