Chapter 45: Chapter 45

~Aurelia Williams~

After I put on a strapless short dress and a simple cardigan, Arsen pulled me out of the room. He led me to the ordinary dining room where we always eat. But before we did it, he stopped and looked at me invitingly.

"Wait here a moment. I have to get something.", he said and shortly afterwards he disappeared into the dining room.

What was that now please? I thought we'd go have breakfast together.

I didn't know what to think about this situation. But then Arsen came with a packed basket.

Basket in his right hand and my hand in his left, he led me out of the pack house. He kept pulling me through the mossy forest floor until he stopped in front of the big pond.

"What's that?" I asked, still confused about what he intends to do with the basket and why we don't eat with the others in the dining room. Didn't he say earlier that we're going to have breakfast?

"You'll see in a moment."

Arsen continued toward the bank. My mind wandered to the day I was jogging with Steven and he asked me to go to the prom with him... Now my heart hurts again to think I probably broke his heart. He looked so sad in the motel when I confessed to him. I can only hope that he will soon find his mate and then get over me.

"Why so sad?" Arsen's dark voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I quickly put on a cheerful smile again so as not to spoil the mood.

"Nothing. I just had to think of something."

"I want to know about what?" he growled, raising his eyebrows at me.

"I do not think so. Besides, you probably don't care anyway." I was definitely not wrong about that, because one thing was certain: Arsen wanted to see Steven suffer, and Steven couldn't even do anything about it.

Only now did I look at the bank of the pond and had to realize that a simple rowing boat was floating in the water.

And Arsen went straight for it. Oh God! What's that supposed to be?

"Arsenic, I can't swim," I said, realizing what his plan was. And it's true, my mum and dad never had time to teach me and since there weren't many lakes around anyway, there was neither is it necessary.

"Don't worry, I'll save you if you sink." Arsen started to laugh, but I didn't find it funny at all.

Finally he put the basket down in the boat and then turned to me. He offered me his hand, which I defiantly accepted and then I carefully climbed into the shaky boat.

I started shaking slightly as I sat down on one end and it shook even more. Then the whole boat started shaking under my movement. Is it kidding me?

But suddenly Arsen sat in front of me in the middle and took my hands in his. Immediately, my trembling body began to calm down. Arsenic's hands were pleasantly warm and the tingling feeling calmed me down immediately. I always find it amazing what an effect he has on me.

"Everything's ok. Nothing can happen to you."

He stroked the back of my hand with his thumbs again and then pulled his hands away from me to take hold of the oars. Then he started rowing and we were already in the middle of the big pond.

It was really quiet here and with the swans frolicking in the water it made for a very romantic setting.

When Arsen stopped rowing, he grabbed the basket and pulled out two chocolate squirrels. I loved chocolate croissants, so I was all the more pleased that he packed exactly these.

"I didn't know what your favorite thing was, so I've got some rolls if you don't like them. Or maybe you like butter croissants, too," he said, almost nervously. I liked the effect I had on him. Never in my life would I have thought that I could make a man like Arsen nervous.

"I like to eat chocolate croissants for breakfast." I replied and Arsen immediately relaxed again.

"Me too. Ever since I was a little puppy, my mom used to bring these to my room before breakfast was served." As he shared this memory with me, his expression turned sad.

But abruptly he put on an artificial smile and he tried to distract from the topic. To show him my support, I took his hand in mine and squeezed it a little, which also seemed to calm him down.

"What happened to your parents?"

"It doesn't matter now," Arsen tried, looking everywhere but my eyes. But I persevered.

"Arsenic, please. I really want to know."

Arsen gave me another sad smile before he started to say: “Okay... 13 years ago it happened that people found out about our existence. But these people did not have good intentions. They couldn't understand us. Didn't understand why we can be stronger, heal faster, or turn into wolves. And anything you don't understand is seen as a threat. They started chasing us and eventually killing us. Then 10 years ago, there was an attack on our pack. It was the first full moon of spring. I wasn't there because it was my first mateball and I spent it in another pack. But my parents were here. When I came back the next day, everything was devastated. There were almost 40 dead wolves and among them my parents. That was the day I became Alpha. Since then, we have been more careful than ever to ensure that people do not learn our secret. Since then we've been killing them before it can go too far."

Arsenic sighed and looked into the distance. "I will never forgive myself for not being there to help them. I miss them both so much. Especially my mom who gave me all her love. I was always her little wolf."

"You can not help it. After all, no one knew this was going to happen.” I cupped his face in my hands so he could look me in the eyes. “Besides, you might be dead too, and then we would never have met.” And then I could never have kissed this beautiful man...

Arsenic grinned and closed the last distance between us to kiss me passionately. I kissed back at first, but then gently pushed him away.

"We wanted to have breakfast." I said quietly and tried to slide away from Arsen a little.

Arsen laughed and then made some space. We grabbed our chocolate squirrel and started eating while we couldn't take our eyes off each other.