Red String {EDITING}

The New Normal

"I haven't asked you this yet..." Rylan glanced sideways at her as they lay on the poolside loungers. "I thought you'd asked, but seeing as you haven't..." He trailed off, staring at her with guarded curiosity. "Your family... Where are they?"

"I'm an orphan." Lyra shrugged. "My parents left me on the doorstep of an orphanage when I was a baby, with nothing but a name and a little gold necklace..."

"A gold necklace...?" He looked at her bare neck.

"Omega Taurus took it." She smiled sadly. "They've probably destroyed it by now..."

"What did it look like?"

She turned back to the sky. "It was just a small heart with three letters on it. L, L and D."

"My parents got a bracelet for me when I turned eighteen a while back with all the initials of our first names..." Rylan said, watching the clouds drift by above them. "I lost it when I was drunk one night, but Blaze and Blaine had a replica made..." He grinned. "Those idiots can actually be surprisingly thoughtful from time to time..."

"My, my..." Blaze appeared between them alongside Blaine. "Do my ears deceive me...? Is Alpha King Rylan actually complementing us...?"

Rylan scowled. "You need your ears checked."

"Sure."

"What do you two imbeciles want?"

"Lunch is ready and waiting in the conservatory..." Blaze bowed, a sly smile on his face. "So I'd hurry up and get over there. I wouldn't want all of our preparations to go to waste..."

Preparation was an understatement.

Blaze had gone all out.

Soft white curtains lined the windows, huge white billowy sheets weaving in and out of the wooden ceiling beams blocking some of the light coming in from the steeped glass roof. Two white candles burnt in the centre of the small pale round table, cutlery neatly positioned amidst the scattered red rose petals.

"Wow..." Rylan mumbled, taking a seat on the red cushioned chair. "I actually feel underdressed in my own house..."

"Your own castle." Lyra corrected, sitting down opposite him on another white wooden chair.

"Our castle." He grinned at her. "This is your home now, too."

She smiled in response, shovelling a mouthful of food into her mouth as her stomach growled quietly, reminding her about the bottomless pit waiting to be filled.

"You enjoying yourself so far?"

"It's different." Lyra said between bites.

"I suppose this is our third date..." Rylan spoke.

"And?"

"Third time's the charm." He said. "So hopefully nothing will go wrong today..."

"Me too." Lyra mumbled quietly before they lapsed into a comfortable silence, finishing off their lunch quickly.

"I'll be popping out in a bit, so you might want to hide back in the room until I get back." Rylan said, setting his knife and fork down on his plate, watching as Lyra mirrored his actions. "Unless you want to get peppered with questions, by my least favourite blonde."

"Where are you going?"

He pressed a finger to his lips. "It's a secret."

"Right. Sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry, Ly." Rylan smiled. "It's a surprise for later."

"I don't like surprises."