Last Resort

Chapter 6

Somehow, we had ended up in a village.

All the different shops of the village were multiple colours; cerulean, chiffon, cyan and chartreuse dotted the area brightly. The aroma of freshly baked pastries stimulated my senses. I tilted my head up to smell the area, and my nose was assaulted with a variety of scents, ranging from sickly sweet to utterly putrid.

Keegan had thought it would have been better for me to get to know my pack members in a natural scenario, so, here we were.

During my recollection, I hadn't noticed the very muscular and tall man's back suddenly rear up in front of me.

"Oof," I held my nose, as I could feel tears coming to my eyes. No, I wasn't going to cry here, not in front of all these strong werewolves. I managed to stop the tears from coming as I looked up to meet the eyes of the very tall man, my voice, nasal, from holding my nose. "Sorry, for bumping into you, Mr-?"

"Friduwulf. Channing Friduwulf." For some reason, as he said his name, shivers ran down my back. I couldn't explain the feeling that was coursing through me. I tried so hard to look into his eyes. I felt the greatest need to see the colour of his eyes, but the sun was obscuring my vision.

"Ah, there you are, Accalia! I was looking all over for you! Where did you go? You shouldn't run off by yourself! You couldv'e..." Keegan ran on, but I didn't pay attention to what he was saying. I was too busy mulling over why this man intrigued me so much.

"Channing," I stated. The name just rolled off my tongue with such ease, it felt natural to say it. "Nice to meet you."

"And just whom do I have the pleasure of 'bumping' into?"

"Accalia. Accalia Nokomis."

"Accalia." He seemed to say my name slowly, digesting and testing it. When he said my name... there was no way to describe this feeling. When I tore my gaze from Channing, I saw that my mate, Keegan was still going on about the dangers of being in the village alone, being the Heir of Sköll, no less!

"Keegan!" I yelled, to get his attention.

"What?" He seemed oblivious to the mountainous man standing directly beside me.

I pointed out Channing. "This is Channing, Channing Friduwulf."

"Oh. Hey, Channing. Haven't seen you around the village in a while. You all right?"

"Yeah, I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days, but I felt much better, miraculously, today. I don't know what came over me! It was like Hati's second coming! No offence or anything."

"Of course, none taken. Well, my mate and I best be off. We have to meet the rest of Sköll's and then off to Hati's. Say hello to the rest of your pack for me, will yah? The... Lykaios Pack, I believe?"

"Yeah, the Lykaios'," Channing looked kind of sad at the mention of my being Keegan's mate and had replied half-heartedly to Keegan's question. "Bye Keegan," I waited eagerly for him to say it. "Bye Accalia." The way my name came off his tongue gave me shivers. Keegan put his arm around my shoulders and started to walk away. Something within me fought against the thought of leaving Channing and when I began to turn away from Channing's gaze, a voice that sounded like my own, only gruffer, barked out a word.

"Mate!" I immediately turned my head back to face Channing and his whole face lit up... until we locked eyes. His eyes, a deep, deep blue with flashes off sea-green, drew me in. I didn't notice before but his hair was a light brown and he had tan skin. His mouth said one word that had my toes curling with excitement.

"Mine." Luckily, Keegan hadn't heard him, so when Channing went to take a step forward toward me, I put a finger up to my lips and shook my head. He looked at me, rejected, rage filling his expression, and one word races through my head, not my own thoughts, but another's.

"Why?!" I almost flinched, but I couldn't let Keegan see it, so I suppressed it.

What I did next surprised even myself.

"Channing? I don't know what's happening, but since I'm the Heir of Sköll, I'm mated to the Heir of Hati, which is Keegan, but I can't just ignore the plainly obvious signs that we are mates. I guess... I don't know what to do!"

"Come and be with me, your rightful mate!"

"But what about Keegan? What will happen if he finds out that I'm your mate?! He is still the Prince of Hati, so who knows what he can do? He could kill you, even if you are friends."

"Meet with me at midnight, at Sköll's Gardens. The Heir of Hati can't trespass onto the land of Sköll's Pack unless invited onto the land. This village is neutral ground. I have already been personally invited into the gardens by the King, King Nokomis, so I won't have a problem getting in.

"My father, is King Nokomis?"

"Yes. Now, will you be there tonight?"

"Of course, I promise."

"Then I will see you in the gardens at midnight, my love."