[60] A Sniff Of Hope

She died four months later.

Karam had fulfilled his promise and took her to the mystic border during the winters. She wasn't allowed to be there and had to leave early.

But she didn't have to wait long to sniff his scent. As if Willis was everready for that one chance, and appeared at the borders within minutes. Except they couldn't really see or find each other. But they had surely gotten a sniff of each others' scents.

Both the brother and sister shared the same pain from that day onwards.

While Karam had hope in his heart, Tara was dying slowly at the thought of never being able to cross the border.

The Luna in her could be seen the day she chose to take care of Keev. He distracted her from her sorrows for the time being. Until she couldn't handle it anymore.

Her death had affected Karam the hardest even though he had seen it coming. Her wish to see him with his mate was left unfulfilled.

I reached the door and closed my eyes for a moment.

I never meant to add more sorrows in his life.

I had been doing risky things that the little old me in human world would have never dared to. But as the days were passing with him, there was no denying that he had started to grow on me. He was trying mend the mistakes he was doing unintentionally in this relationship along with convincing me to reciprocate his love continuously.

Through his memories, I got to know that the words that people here used to tell me about him weren't lies. He was performing his roles of being a son, a brother, uncle and even father, so heartily.

He probably understood that I was taking him for granted all this time. Maybe, that was why he was ignoring me tonight and intended to continue that way.

I chewed on my lip while grabbing the handle of the door of his room.

Strong gust of wind came from the right side, blowing my hair. I rubbed my forearms and glanced towards the ground to expect rising mist, only to feel my heart jolt suddenly.

He was standing there, in front of Amelia's house only. Tall and handsome in brown shirt and black breeches, he looked like someone I surely wouldn't have been able to afford in the human world.

His hands were in the front of his stomach, holding the little clothed tiffin that Emily had handed him.

Our eyes met and my heart started squeezing.

He didn't move and kept staring.

The wind turned noisy around my ears. But I could hear the voices through it.

Whispers, to be exact.

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"From this row, if you talk, you'll be heard. Not even a whisper. Just use your Lycan gaze. The border's aura begins from here. It will pull you strongly. You'll feel the heat but it is bearable and worth it."

Lysar raises his eyebrows at my words in denial. For him, burning for a mate who he might not be able to find for ten years like me, was not worth it.

Adam nods along with the other three males.

"If you pass the last third row," whispers Anton while pointing towards the dense trees. "You'll be turning into the ash."

The five males look at each other and nods. Lysar smirks as if it is the funniest joke around.

Behind the third row, the wide valley of Southerners is filled with lights at the windows of different houses. I keep sniffing, my beast is awakened.

After Keev entered my life, I had stooped coming here. He fills me with the happiness that overwhelms me enough to make my heart cry. Leaving him there at the temple, and coming all the way here to sniff with no hope, doesn't sit right with my mind. It takes all of the time and I end up reaching the temple late when Severans are done with closing the gates.

Lucine had once realised that I was turning bitter and ignoring my mate. King was equally disappointed because I was rather patrolling around the Eastern and mystic border to help but not this one.

But last night Amelia growled at my face, sneering and turning mad that the ceremony was two months away and I wasn't looking for her. She scolded me like a mother and said, "Severa has done her magic. You looked for that ill-wisher of the pack all these years and look what she has done. This is what she wants. To punish her brothers! Your brothers don't have a heir! And you are walking on a path to be turn into a male Lucine! How will this pack survive then?"

Punching and hitting my chest, she pushed me out of her house. To calm her down, King assigned me the responsibility to accompany Anton in helping young pups patrol on the Rucussan border.

I had been trying to take out a day of every week to run towards that border from last three years. Because not going there, made me feel like a coward. Oskar has still didn't give up. But for the Luna, I wasn't doing enough.

Tonight felt different.

Lucine assures me to not worry about Keev. Three years had passed without a worry. They can take care of him for as long as I wanted. I won't be able to meet him since I will have to come here every night until the ceremony night.

The males keep walking behind and beside us.

"We search in the night because no one really stays on that vast ground at this time. The females are asleep in their houses. Some even roam around for sometimes if you get fortunate enough. The patrollers come here only after every two hours. That is enough time for us to sniff their scents without being mixed with of any other being. In days, it is opposite. The scents are mixed and if your beast turns out of the control, they will know. And for that, King will kill you." I warn them.

Lysar blinks and shake his head slightly in disinterest.

The youngest one never understands things with a clear mind. Always goofs around and then, gets scolded by the elder brothers. Then, he comes running towards me, asking for me to convince them to forgive him.

My heart shivers everytime I hear any sound coming from the pack. The mere glance at the statue of Rucus makes me feel as if I am hurting or betraying Severa.

Time and none of the males find anyone. Anton keeps an eye on them while I keep walking ahead with a clench if jaws.

The valley was left behind, and we were slowly getting closer towards the southern side of their land. The trees were opening up on our sides as we were approaching the graves.

"Careful here." Anton mumbles.

Lysar hoots slightly earning a hit from me on his back. He groans and still goofs around with the curly head. Adams and the other two stay quiet and attentive.

The mist is thick here on our side of the pack. On their side, a long pathway is going towards the south. Between both the lands, the border is strong among the rows of trees.

My heart drowns as the memory from ten years ago appears in my mind.

I still remember how euphoric I felt.

The scent still lingers around my nostrils like it was yesterday. Light and flowery. The smell of petroleum still accompanying it.

My legs weaken and heart flies around inside my chest. I run my fingers through my hair, rubbing the back of my neck as I feel the same enthusiasm.

The beast gets wild inside.

A chuckle escapes me as I even hear the roar from that night. Even louder.

"What is that?" The curly head's voice reaches my ears.

I stop and feel the goosebumps. An itch starts at my feet as I look at the right side to observe Rucussan land.

It wasn't my memory.

The two torches were there again on the same pathway. Coming closer and growing bigger.

Heartbeats.

Her scent lingers around along with two male scents. One of them, an Alpha.

My heart jumps in my chest and itch grows intense.

Before I can even realise, my feet moves ahead at a faster pace.

"Karam?" Anton's confused whisper doesn't stop me.

All I hear is the sound of my mate's heartbeats. Her scent is getting richer by every blink.

The wind slaps my face hard with force. I must be flying with this speed.

I don't see the branches hanging, I hold and pass through them faster than the wind itself.

A growl rumbles through my chest and the tear of clothes reaches my ears.

The beast has taken its form.

Anton gasps behind me, way too far for me to regret my choices.

She is going away.

My wild heart thumps like quakes.

I turn rightward and face the heat.

Her soft snores reaches my ears.

She is sleeping.

Why do my beast do not hear hers? I growl lowly and steps into the territory I wasn't supposed to.

But this is the end of my wait. She has returned. For me.

The more I get closer to the border, the more I get familiar with her scent.

Like roses.

How does she look? Does she feel my presence? But she is sleeping. Her wolf will know if I get closer.

I grit my teeth and get through the burning heat.

A wince escapes me when I feel harsh flame burning my shoulders.

I don't stop and think of my mate.

I would have screamed if I knew her name.

So I growl loudly.

Another splash of fire hits the left of my face, my back and leg.

A painful growl escapes me.

But my eyes catch the torches right in front of me just a ground way. All I have to do is run.

My right hand goes forward in extreme longing mirroring Rucus.

Someone grabs my left hand from behind and pulls with me a force that only one male of our pack capable of.

I growl and tries to resist the pulls to reach the mate.

But the furry arm comes from nowhere and hits me on the right jaw.

My trance breaks while the giant Lycan Alpha gets a hold of my forearm, and throws me inside the territory he owns.

I land on the cold muddy ground and lets out angry growls. Instead, they are howls of pain and longing.

My whole body is burning.

Lysar's howl reaches my ears while my eyes look up at starry sky.

King's beast appears in my sight. He has always been as big as father was.

"Alpha, Alpha. Do something!" Anton cries out while falling on my left side. He grits his teeth and glares at me. "He is all burned. This looks like he won't heal."

My eyes get heavy as the pain all over my body has become unbearable. I writhe and feels trickles of blood sliding down at different parts of body.

Keev's face appears in my mind and I almost smile through the pain.

My mate's scent is rich along with the disgusting smell of burning of my own flesh.

Kingston's low growl shakes the ground beneath me.

My eyes closes.

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My eyes burned with fresh tears.

The wind was trying to soothe me. But he was standing there looking at me with nothing but the same longing in his eyes.

I just wanted to hit my head on a wall. Because I felt the same.

My nostrils flared and a sob threatened to come out.

I kept my trembling lips pressed tight.

I just couldn't believe that he would put his life in danger just to get a sniff of his mate's scent after ten years. Me? Mine? Someone who couldn't even understand the meaning this relationship held for him.

I couldn't know what King did to revive him. But I was grateful to him for saving my mate.

What would have happened to Keev? To his family? He was the one who was secretly observing everyone's sorrows, trying his best to understand each and every person. He was the only one who dared to think out of the box and wished to remove this border.

He almost killed himself. It was already death. The burning. The pain.

No one told me about this incident. Not Amelia. Not himself.

Those rays of collected flesh peeking out of from his collars, must be the scars from that night.

More than three months since that incident. It was definitely the night Pete had kidnapped me.

The scars were still there. For Lycans who healed at the fastest pace, this was frightening to even imagine how heavily he had gone inside the border to almost get killed.

Ash

I shuddered visibly and he noticed.

He took a step ahead and I did too.

He was blank, looking all over at my face, down on my neck and back in my eyes.

While I was still seeing Anton and Lysar's horrified faces.

We stopped when only four steps remained between us, a little away from Robin's house. It was too noisy inside every house in this street except for ours.

I breathed heavily while sniffling softly.

He blinked and came forward, making me a little flustered. His hand went for my tears slowly to wipe my left cheek.

"I miss you," he said quietly.

I looked in his eyes, unable to see much in the dark. The light of the torches were spreading shadows on half of his face.

If I'd speak anything, I would burst out in a wave of unending sobs. So, I stayed quiet, being unable to say anything partly I was too overwhelmed. I felt as if it was only tonight I got to know about his age. I felt way too immature and like a disrespectful brat in front of him.

"Is it healed?" He asked while slowly bringing his hand down and pushing the hair away gently from my neck. He observed it himself and clenched his jaws a little. "Goddess knows what came over me that night," he mumbled, more to himself, looking disturbed.

I almost lost my breath when the back of his hand rubbed against the mark. The skin underneath tickled wildly.

"Have you healed?" I asked, hoarsely. He turned confused while I glanced at his chest covered with the shirt. Only after two seconds, the recognition hit his face and he remembered Pete's brutal claw attack. He sucked in a breath while giving me a blank look.

"I deserved that," he said slowly and bringing his hand up to palm my head. He caressed my hair and sighed. "Go inside, my mate. It is cold out here."

I nodded absentmindedly.

"We will talk when you'll get in your best health," he said lowly, making me lower my gaze. "We will fight, scream and curse at each other, rip each other's hair, blame each other's families and then, continue where we left off before the bonfire that night."

I bit my lip and glanced up at him.

He tried to control a small smile. "Go," he whispered while pulling back his hand. "Sleep well, my mate."

I let out a breath while turning around and walked back towards the room slowly. Wiping the corner of my eyes, I looked back at him.

He waved a little and nodded towards the room.

I opened the door and finally entered. Shaking my head, I closed it after me and looked around the empty room bathed in the light of three candles.

"Sleep well," I repeated his words, chanting in my mind like it was a hymn.

I was scared of seeing any other memory.

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