The shift was slowly reaching its end for today, and Aaron made Ivana take the lead. He and Zera took a detour to a quieter part of the woods, where they would get the privacy they needed.
At first, Zera didn’t know what Aaron was doing but followed, regardless. Soon she did, and her heart beat peaked. It wasn’t her first time with him-far from it-but there was something about the full moon mating that she could never wrap her head around. It always heightened the feeling and made it all appear to be like the first time, even when it wasn’t. The rush, the thrill, the emotions, the need, and the desire.
It was something else, and she didn’t tire of experiencing it.
“Aren’t we going too far away?” She asked, her tone a little curious.
“I know, but I do not want to be interrupted, do you?”
She shook her head. “No, I do not,” she replied, and she followed behind without another word.
Aaron soon came to a stop in a clear path and turned to her with a smile on his face.
“Here’s okay,” he said, reaching for her and pulling her to himself. His eyes glowed a dark shade of red, and it was obvious this was a sign of his lust for her.
She didn’t complain; she wanted this.
He took her lips between his for a sweet kiss, but it deepened almost immediately, and hunger could be felt the next second.
Zera was in a red dress that had a loose grip, and that made it easy for Aaron to slip his hands through and touch whatever he wanted, and he did that even as they kissed.
It felt as if they were running out of time. The kiss that started off sweet had turned aggressive, and she didn’t complain about it. He slid down the hand of her dress, and his lips strayed from hers down her neck and over to her shoulder. She moaned, her head fell back, and her legs grew weak, but being held by Aaron gave her strength.
Her hands came to touch his face and down his broad shoulders, then his chest and abs hidden in his clothes, and then his trousers. She quickly undid the buttons and unzipped it, letting it fall a little. Her hand blindly found him growing and throbbing, and she heard him draw a sharp breath before claiming her lips.
He pulled the hand of her dress over her chest to reveal her full breast when Zera heard a loud scream. Her breath cut into her throat, and she pulled away from the kiss, wondering if she was the only one who heard it.
She glanced up at Aaron and found him adjusting his trousers. She wasn’t sure what to make of his facial expression, but he didn’t look very thrilled.
She didn’t ruin the moment, did she? She could have sworn the scream she heard was real and not very far away. But now she didn’t know.
“Did you hear the scream?” she asked with her brow raised, even as she adjusted her dress.
He glanced up at her and said, “I don’t know what to make of it.”
“But it was a scream, right?” she asked, wanting him to agree with her.
“It could have been anything; I can’t be certain.” He answered.
“Do you want us to go back?” she asked.
That wasn’t even a question, because there was no way they would continue after that.
“Yes.” He nodded, and without uttering another word, he turned around and led them back. Halfway back, Zera grew guilty despite not doing anything wrong. She wanted to know what the scream was about, but she saw the look on Aaron’s face; he wanted her and didn’t like the interruption. She didn’t want the interruption either, but it came, and they had to figure out what it was. They will have many more full moons to be intimate with each other.
As they came out, they met with the pack members, who gathered together in one place and approached. “What’s going on?” Aaron asked as they got to where the rest were.
“This fell,” Ivana answered, stepping back to allow Aaron and Zera to see what she spoke about.
It was a lifeless owl lying on the ground. Though it was dead, its eyes were wide open and glowing in shades of blue.
Blue was the last colour an owl’s eyes should have. This was strange, and she could swear she had seen that shade of blue before. It was very familiar.
Zera gasped and stepped back in fear, realising who had those shades of blue eyes. Lionel.
Aaron turned to her with eyes filled with concern, but before he could say something else, they heard a panic scream. This time, unlike the last, the voice sounded familiar. It was Ivan’s.
“Lionel!” she said, taking to her heels immediately.
She ran as fast as she could, with her heart beating rapidly with every step. She reached the spot around the estate where they had left Lionel and Ivan a few hours ago. There she found Ivan on his knees before Lionel, who was lying lifeless on the ground.
Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, and she slowed down in her tracks.
“Ivan?” she called with a small voice that was almost inaudible, but Ivan heard her. His head lifted and his eyes came to rest on her, and they were red and filled with remorse. “What happened?”
He shook his head in confusion before moving his gaze back to the lifeless Lionel on the ground. “The unmarking was a success. For a second, he was fine, and then he wasn’t,” was all he could say before placing his hand on Lionel’s chest. “I don’t know what is happening, Zera.”
Zera’s hand came up to cover her mouth, and her eyes grew glassy. She dropped to her hands and knees before Lionel. “Lionel! Wake up. Come on, wake up, Lionel!”
The lack of response from her brother weakened her from the inside out. She could not hear his heartbeat, and he wasn’t breathing; his body also had no warmth. This sight terrified her in ways she couldn’t explain.
“We need to take him inside and see what we can do from then on.” Zera was too weak to even get up, but Ivan already had Lionel over his shoulder before she knew it.
She pulled herself up and, turning around, saw Aaron standing behind her. “What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes narrowly fixed on them.
She looked up at him with her eyes filled with tears. “Lionel!” was all she could say before painful tears streamed down her face.