Chapter 174: We Love Thornridge
Tessa’s POV
"You said we were going to talk," I said to Kael, who had already passed out deep into the night.
He passed out before I did. I had more endurance than him.
"What are you... talking..." He was mumbling words in his sleep.
It took him a full three minutes before he woke up and regained his balance.
He had told me we needed to talk, and I had indulged him ... dragged him through a few more bottles of tequila and whiskey, some brands I couldn’t even remember the names of. All that stayed in my memory was the intoxicating effect.
By morning I was more at ease. I had forgotten everything I had held against Kael. I figured it wasn’t worth it ... me carrying something against him. It was my fault as much as it was his. I shouldn’t have blamed him the way I did.
I woke him up because there was no longer any need for us to even talk. I had moved on and recovered. I had to embrace whatever my new life had waiting for me next.
"Good morning, folks." The old wolf ... our journey companion ... greeted us with tea, warm and ready.
It smelled like cinnamon. The kind that calmed the nerves after a hectic and heavy night.
"Good morning, sir," Kael said, reaching for the cup first. I took mine next.
I wondered how this old wolf managed to stay so agile and active at his age.
"Thank you," I said to him. "If I may ask ... why did you choose to make this journey with us just to show us around? It cost you, and yet you bore it for our sakes."
The old wolf laughed.
"I’m a person who believes in having fun while you still have the time," he said. "I’ve had my own share of it in the past, and I’m more than delighted to carry you two around."
I couldn’t have been more grateful.
"Now go freshen up ... we have to leave this hotel, head south, and then get back," he said, leaving the room to go get ready himself.
I was alone with Kael, and we had no excuse left not to talk.
"Hey, Kael," I started.
"Tessa, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for everything. I didn’t mean it..."
"It’s fine, Kael. It’s fine." I cut him off gently. "I acted out of proportion. I took what happened to both of us and put it all on you, and I shouldn’t have done that. We’re in this together."
He smiled. The kind of brightness on his face that told me his heart had been lifted clean off the floor.
"Now I can be myself again and be at peace," Kael said.
I laughed. My attitude towards him had made him irregular, unstable ... and that proved he really did care about me.
"Forgive me, Kael. Tell me you forgive me." I needed to hear it from him directly.
"I don’t need to forgive you," he said. "I care about you as much as I care about myself. So when you’re happy, I’m happy too."
I drew closer to him on the bed. We were sitting opposite each other now, close enough that I could see every detail of his face.
"You heard what the old wolf said ... one last ride south and we’re back in Thornridge," I said.
"Yes." He looked at me. "The best part is that you’re with me."
We stared at each other. I got lost in it ... his beauty, his simplicity, the way he just sat there looking back at me without trying to be anything he wasn’t. I didn’t even realise how deep into thought I had drifted until I noticed he was looking too.
I leaned in first.
It felt almost subconscious, but I didn’t hesitate. He leaned in too, and our lips met in a kiss that felt like it was putting two people back exactly where they belonged. We shifted on the bed. He held my chin as we deepened it, tongues folding into each other, and just as I reached up to pull him closer...
"You should be ready by now!"
The old wolf’s voice hit both our ears like a bucket of cold water and we jerked apart.
"Shit! Shit!" Kael scrambled off the bed.
"We’re ready in two minutes, please!" I called back loudly.
We rushed ... washed our mouths, threw our clothes on, and were out.
When our eyes met at the door we both burst into laughter, then stepped out to meet the old wolf.
We couldn’t keep him waiting. He was a luxury we hadn’t earned but somehow had, so the least we could do was show him that we appreciated it.
The south was a food district. Through the car window we took in the ambience and sophistication of the place ... the colour of it, the life in the streets. My conclusion was final: Thornridge was one of the most beautiful and welcoming places I had ever seen.
All I could do was thank Lucian and, at the same time, privately tell him to go fuck himself ... because he was the one who had lost out on all of this.
"Let’s go to the cinema. It’ll be our final stop ... I hope you love Thornridge," the old wolf said.
"We love Thornridge. Best city in the world," Kael said without missing a beat.
We chuckled the whole way there.
The cinema was already packed when we arrived. Wolves with their partners and children filled the seats, coming to unwind on what looked like a slow, peaceful afternoon.
The old wolf took water. Just water. No popcorn, nothing else. That man was going to live forever ... he took his health seriously in a way most wolves his age simply didn’t bother with.
Kael and I were not the old wolf.
We loaded up on popcorn and soda and settled in.
When the movie ended I was emotional. I knew Kael would be too, but he was a man, so he would bury it somewhere deep and pretend it hadn’t touched him. I used my handkerchief to dab my eyes quietly.
The movie had followed a she-wolf who was never understood by her pack. Everyone around her thought she was wicked, a threat to everything they had built ... and in their fear they ended up killing the one person who had been saving them, before she could fully unite with her lover.
It hit different.
After the credits, the news came on. Strange timing.
"Morvaine was attacked by rogue humans who killed the Alpha and Luna of Bloodmoon on the third day of the mating festival."
"Oh my god!" Kael and I said it at the exact same time.
The report mentioned a high mortality rate but gave no update on Lucian or the rest of the royalty.
I hoped they were fine.
Fuck ... I really hoped they were fine.