Mating Ball

ALORA

In the late hours that ended the saddening day, Magnetino was found dead, when Aysu and Ximun finally found sleep, the much-awaited full moon appeared and its presence summoned all the wolves from the hidden realm they were in.

Now, there were two ways for a wolf to appear in the human world. The wolf either depends on their human who shifts back and forth, this usually takes a lot of work because the bond between a human and their wolf has to be continuously strengthened for the shift to successfully last for as long as possible.

The other method is to wait for the full moon which opens the doors of the realm of the wolves. They can then materialize separately from their humans.

So, without wasting time, Alora raced out of the orangey exit of the wolf realm and after a glance at her human who was hurting about the death of her help and the betrayal of her father, Alora’s distinct sight and sense of smell detected Ximun. And after a few minutes of scrutinizing the man who was holding Aysu as though his life depended on it, she chose to follow his scent which would lead her to Ximun’s wolf.

Thankfully, one of the windows in the room was open, so she leapt out through that space. And she raced, with Ximun’s scent in her nostrils, into the depths of the forest ahead. And the more she ran, the closer she was to her mate.

The feeling of finally meeting him excited her so much, that her eyes narrowed with glee while her furry tail wagged with excitement.

Then, many seconds later, he appeared, his majestic stride the first thing noticed about him. The gazes of the two wolves met and from there, silence reigned and all they did was circle each other, over and over again, each assessing the other as though there was some sort of duel.

“You must be Alora,” Ximun’s wolf spoke first in the midst of their assessment.

“You must be Evalopus.”

“You are more gorgeous than I pictured.” Evalopus stopped his steps the minute Alora stopped hers.

“You must have pictured me a lot of times,” responded Alora, her eyes now wearing seduction, her entire system expectant of what was bound to happen between them.

“I did.” Evalopus flaunted his tail. “Ever since our humans met, I have imagined this moment.”

“I am here now.”

“Good.” Evalopus strutted a few steps closer and soon, his body was against hers, the warmth of his thick furs making Alora relaxed. “I can smell you better now. You are truly alluring in every way.”

“I know. That’s part of my charm.”

“Now that the curse is almost broken,” Evalopus’s breath approached the very centre of her heat, “that charm is all I want in our lives.”

“You flatter me, Evalopus.”

Their necks made contact and the desire between them increased.

“Flattery is never too much if it’s meant for you.”

Alora blushed, her head tilted to the side immediately to hide that expression.

“I am truly glad our paths crossed, Alora.”

“I am glad we get to be with each other tonight, without our humans.”

“Yes,” Evalopus’s voice wore a certain strain. After that, the wolf tactically led her to relax on the grass beneath them. From there, he found the hole that he didn’t hesitate to fill to further solidify their relationship while giving them a chance to experience pleasure in one of its rawest forms.

AYSU

Hours later, Aysu woke up with a certain tingle in her soul.

Curious as to what caused that feeling, she looked to the side and saw that Ximun was awake as well. He was just taking joy in watching her.

“Hi,” his not-so-clear voice greeted her.

“Hi. Do you also feel somewhat different?”

“I do.”

“Do you think they met?”

“That would explain why I love you even more.”

“Oh, please,” Aysu weakly dismissed his statement. But seconds later, she buried her head into his chest. “It must have been weird for them.”

Ximun held her closer, a brief chuckle falling from his lips. “I doubt it. Evalopus likes to go straight to the point, but he also knows how to ease any situation.”

“That’s cool. I bet Alora made lots of jokes. She jokes a lot.”

“We are quite a match, aren’t we?”

Aysu grinned. “We are.”

A knock on their door interrupted what Ximun wanted to say next.

“Your Majesties, it is time.”

“Noted,” Ximun responded loudly.

“What is it?” Aysu didn’t hide her curiosity. “Is it time for the ball?”

“That’s later. That was about Magnetino.”

“Oh.” Aysu instantly felt guilt for being so happy that morning. “I… You did mention it yesterday.”

“Yes.” Ximun held her closer. “I am sorry that you have to experience this, but it is mostly customary for the Alpha King and Luna Queen to pay the first respect to a departed soul.”

Aysu narrowed her eyes. Now, she didn’t mind paying the first respect to Magnetino, but the idea of doing that for every person who dies in the pack seemed a little weird.

“You don’t always have to be there,” Ximun replied to her silent questions. “I sometimes send representatives. That way, tasks do not clash.”

“Oh.”

“We should get ready. Before we know it, it’ll be time for the ball.”

“Okay. I will get up after you do.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“You are playing a dirty game.”

“That’s how I roll, Alpha Ximun.”

Ximun laughed, it was a very beautiful laugh. And without hesitating, he got up, his action causing a loss of warmth for Aysu who made sure to smack his butt the moment his back was turned to her.

That smacking made Ximun laugh harder. And Aysu soon followed him into the bathroom, her hands itching to do more smacking of butts.

Visiting Magnetino was a solemn affair and it made Aysu appreciate the life of the man even more. She did try to hold his hand with the hope of seeing him one last time, but there were too many eyes in the room. And they were keenly observing her. And since Aysu was not yet willing to give the people the impression that she was a crazy person, she fought the itch to hold Magnetino’s hand.

And till she and Ximun left the room, she won the fight even though the deepest part of her soul regretted that she could not overlook people’s opinions to do what she truly wished. She did assure herself that the next chance she got to see Magnetino, she would hold his hand, so she used that to ease the ache in her heart.

Leaving that side led her to the room where she was meant to prepare for the mating ball. And after several hours of being bathed, powdered, dressed and all of that, she was finally ready for the event, her simple gown the highlight of that evening.

Aysu particularly loved the way the gown hugged her body and with excitement, she walked out of the preparation room and joined Ximun who was waiting to help her into the car.

The moment he saw her, his eyes softened in reaction and that was enough to brighten that evening for Aysu.

Ximun then walked closer and with his right hand stretched, he asked, “Shall we?”

“We shall.”

And without much ado, they got into the vehicle transporting them and within minutes, they arrived at a hall which was located in an extensive area of the palace’s grounds. Seeing the grand hall and the vastness of the land it occupied made Aysu more curious about The Night Crimson Pack. It seemed they had more land than she imagined, so that made her certain that there was more to see beyond the palace.

Aysu’s and Ximun’s entrance into the hall demanded order and respect. So, as they moved with an entourage that consisted of the messenger, some guards and some helpers, all activities were halted and all heads were turned to see the new Queen especially.

Aysu felt the weight of those stares But Ximun reached for her hand and held it securely.

Then he said, “I am here. I will always be beside you.”

That relaxed Aysu who leaned into their contact and became more confident with her steps.

Soon, they walked into the main hall which was teeming with a mass of people who were clustered in pairs or groups.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a rather familiar voice spoke into the microphone, “Alpha Ximun O’ Hara and Luna Aysu.”

Applause from the crowd ushered the couple in and while Aysu managed to smile, she searched for the stage where the voice from earlier was bound to have come from.

And, lo, it was her father, standing behind the microphone.

Aysu’s heart skipped in a bothersome way and it seemed Ximun caught a whiff of that.

“Are you okay, Aysu?”

“My father is here, Ximun.”

Ximun looked in the direction she was facing and a rush of breath escaped him.

“How dare he?”

“Before we go on with the ceremony, I would like to make an announcement that the Council has stamped on,” Beta Richard continued, his innate charm working on the crowd that listened raptly to him.

On the other hand, Aysu and Ximun began to fear the chances of the man taking a person’s life in that very hall. Ximun then quickly signaled to some of the guards who quickly went to find an inconspicuous position that would allow them capture Aysu’s father the moment he steps down from the stage.

“Unfortunately, for many months, The Night Crimson Pack has suffered death threats in the hands of a particular killer.” Beta Richard ducked his head and Aysu frowned while she silently questioned what he was about to do. “So many lives have been lost, sadly and the pain that brought into this pack caused a rigorous investigation launched by the Council. And after many months of investigation, the council is elated to tell the werewolves that the culprit has been caught.”

“We should stop him,” Ximun almost roared, his legs close to charging towards the stage.

But Aysu stopped him.

“Let him finish, please. I am very curious where this is going.”

Beta Richard specifically found Aysu’s gaze and without holding back he smirked and said into the mic, “The culprit is…” The hall was now pin-drop silent, everyone was eager to hear the so-called truth. “... your very own Alpha King. Alpha Ximun O’Hara is the killer.”