THE ISLAND WOLF - EPISODE 66

Verona poked Avril in the shoulder gently, so she looked at her.
“Let’s go,” she mouthed without any sound. Avril nodded and looked at the fence again, as if she could see Dakar through it. She turned around and gently crawled out in a way it wouldn’t hurt her back. They reached the building itself and straightened up. They walked quite a distance before any of them could breathe well.

“That was fun, right?” Verona asked with beaming eyes as she chewed endlessly on her bubble gum. Avril chuckled.
“I might do that everyday,” she said and laughed. Verona was impressed and nodded while gazing at her.

“I like you. I like you a lot,” she confessed sincerely. Avril was pleased that Verona landed on her good side, but before she could say anything else, Camper was seem strolling towards them in a hurry.

“Oh, hey Camps!” Verona hailed at him. He seemed to be absent minded as he walked, and he halted immediately he heard Verona.

“Verona,” he called and smiled at her. Avril’s heart flickered at Camper’s smile. He was a very handsome man, no kidding. He was lighter than Dakar in complexion. Dakar was more of tan skin. Camper was a little darker than Avril though. His hair was jet black and had loose curls which fell as bangs over his face. The back of his head was however laying flat down. He had very long lashes that matched with his deep black eyeballs. His face had a chiseled jawline, just like Dakar. But what fascinated Avril more was his dentition. Sparkling white and perfectly arranged, beautifying his smile.

“Checking me out, Fiorella?” he asked, snapping Avril out of her mental fascination of him.
“Yeah, you’re making me confused about what you are. Don’t really know if I should classify you as cute or handsome,” Avril stated and smirked at him. His mouth fell open in a happy surprise kind of shape. He grinned and dramatically placed his hands over his heart position, then closed his eyes like he was lost in a fantasy world. Verona and Avril laughed at that.

“Thank you, Fiorella. Remind me to get you the prettiest dress from the pack dress room,” he said and flashed her another smile. He looked at Verona and began to speak a language she couldn’t understand. She wanted to ask what the pack dress room was, but decided not to interrupt them. Besides, she had only been at the back for three days so she still had time to find out about things. She suddenly felt a stinging feeling in her back and felt uncomfortable.

She turned around and noticed the sun was directly hitting her. Her back was getting too heated. She needed to go back inside and rest. She looked around for a shade and sighted a roof over a window in a nearby building. She walked to the window and sat down under the bench there, with the roof covering her. She heaved a sigh and bowed her head to look at her feet when she remembered her stupid plan to disturb Dakar. How could she disturb him when she was somehow terrified of his presence now? She felt different towards him. Like he was a familiar stranger, not knowing if where she knew him from or who he was at all; thereby making it hard to approach him. Yes, Dakar and Avril had turned to familiar strangers.

She looked up and—speak of the devil, he was staring at her. He had just walked out and saw her that very second. She instinctly jumped off the bench like she was forbidden to sit down in his presence. That caused her shoulder to brush against the resting frame of the bench and she winced terribly. Why was she just hurting her injury today?
Her eyes instantly filled with water from the pain. She didn’t open them as they flew shut earlier. She savored until she felt a little relieved.
“He must be gone by now,” she thought to herself and opened her eyes. No, he was standing at that same spot and staring at her. His eyes were cold, expressionless and undaunted. His hair was still on his shoulders but he was now wearing a black tight t-shirt.

“Dakar,” she mumbled and he raised a brow at her.
“I meant, Prince Dakar,” she corrected herself.
“Go home. Or you’ll give yourself another scar,” his deep and cold voice echoed. She nodded and turned to go immediately. She took five steps but stopped walking. She thought hard for a few seconds then turned back. He was still standing there and watching her.

“Prince Dakar, I think you look better with your hair in that ponytail. Or do you want to make another statue with your hair down?” she asked. His eyes glimmered a little, then she turned around and walked away.
Verona heard her speaking so she looked back to see her. Avril appeared with a faint smile on her face.
“Who were you talking to? I heard a man’s voice,” Verona asked.
“Dakar. You saw him?” Camper asked.
“Yeah. He’s—right over there,” she drawled and looked behind her.
“He actually mind-linked me here. Says it’s urgent. Bye, see you later, ladies,” he stated and hurried away towards the same path Avril had returned from.

Avril held her arm with her good arm firmly. She looked at the floor in thought, with her dress swaying gently on the stone floor. Verona watched her intently in silence, making sure not to break off her thinking so she could know what was going on with her.

Finally, after about two minutes, Avril sighed and raised her eyes.
“Why are you staring like that?” she asked Verona.
“Figuring something out,” Verona answered without breaking her stare. She had stopped chewing her gum already.
“Does that something have to do with me? I feel like you’re looking into my past. Haha,” Avril joked and laughed lightly. But, Verona was indeed looking into her past.
“The prince… You have known him before you stepped foot here,” she announced and Avril’s hair on her skin rised.

“Wha-what?” she stammered.
“Fiorella, the prince is not an ordinary man to you. There’s something between you and the prince!” she said with so much certainty in her voice. Avril covered her mouth and looked around.
“Ssh.. don’t talk so loud,” she whispered. Verona heaved a sigh but didn’t stop gazing into Avril’s eyes.
“Let’s leave this place,” she whispered to Avril and began to walk away. Avril just followed her peacefully.

_______
“Dakar, you’re not going to tell me the reason for this sudden trip?” Camper asked as he watched his best friend rip clothes off the hangers and dump them in his bag.
“No. I can’t. Not yet,” Dakar answered without sparing him a look.
“Secrets, that is the best thing you can keep,” Camper said and hissed. Dakar stopped pulling down a shirt and turned his head to look at Camper.
“Was that an insult?” he asked him.
“What do you think it is?” Camper asked in return. Dakar’s Adam’s apple moved up and down, signifying he just gulped down. He heaved a sigh and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He walked to the bed and sat down on it, placing his elbows on his thighs and holding up his hand in his palms like he was thinking.

“Don’t get too angry about what I said. Just a joke,” Camper quipped and moved closer to Dakar from the front of the door where he stood. He crashed on the bed and bounced up a little because of the quality of the bed, soft yet hard and bouncy. Dakar lifted up his face and stared at the door.

“Camper, do me a favor,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“Look over the new concubine.”
“Why?”
“She’s injured and—,” the words got stuck in his throat.

Camper sat up, he straightened one leg on the bed while the other was up in a triangle with his hand hanging over it. He was peering at Dakar’s back and waiting for him to complete his sentence.

“She’s injured and new. She’s human and I don’t want to regret making her my concubine. Just keep an eye on her. I don’t like the way she’s already roaming around freely. She might be up to something,” he completed and got on his feet.
“Fiorella? She seems like a nice girl to me. She’s pretty and really good at making my heart flutter,” Camper confessed and wore his dreamy smile again. Dakar shot him a deathly glare.
“Don’t-even-think-about-it,” he said between gritted teeth.
“Hey, can’t a guy give a simple compliment? Seriously man, you need to release this hot air you’re storing in your head,” Camper insinuated and climbed down from the bed.

“I will keep an eye on her,” he added and walked out of the room.
Dakar walked to his bag, zipped it close then dropped it on the floor. He grabbed a brown leather jacket and wore it. He tied his hair up in a loose bun and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. He dialed a contact and put the phone to his ear. He waited impatiently until the person picked it up.

“Is it ready?” he asked.
“Okay, I’m heading to the airport now. I’ll be there in a few hours. Don’t let anyone know I’m coming.”

He hung up, pocketed the phone and walked out of his room with his bag. He walked to his personal garage which was another building on its own, though a bungalow. He had an array of cars parked there and he chose a jeep this time. He entered and drove out without even telling his father he was leaving.