THE ISLAND WOLF - EPISODE 72

Verona gaped and found herself bowing. Avril was still on the couch looking surprised, but as she saw her friend bowing, she thought to do the same. He was the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Remus, and she was now a subject under him. She gently got on her feet and bowed. Dakar’s brows raised in surprise. Avril just bowed to him… respectfully? That was new. He didn’t expect her to act that way.

“Should I repeat my question?” he asked as he feigned strictness while he was bubbling on the inside.

“It’s just girl talk, Prince. I heard she spent the night with you, I was going to talk about it with her,” Verona replied with her cool voice. She didn’t appear scared or surprised as earlier. Avril’s heart on the other hand was thumping hard. Why? She had no idea. Just seeing him sent too much blood to her heart. She was mesmerized by his presence. She loved his hair which appeared damp. Had he just got out of the shower and hurried directly to her house? His grey shirt was clinging to his body because of his partially wet skin. Avril agreed with her inner mind that Dakar looked more muscular and good looking than when he was at the island. Suddenly, the thought of other women touching those abs and biceps made her heart turn black. She thought of Verona who was one of his favorites…she felt like ripping her arms off.

“Checking me out? Fiorella?” Dakar’s voice rang through her head.

“Huh?” she snapped back to reality. He had a smug smile on his face as he looked at her.

“Checking you out? No…no way,” she denied but she had turned into a shade of red. It was obvious she was lying. Dakar nodded and glanced at Verona, the beautiful rogue he convinced to come with him to his pack. He liked her spirit, not filled with vague desires like his other women. She met his gaze with her normal eyes but was trying to read his mind. He walked to her and smoothed hair from her forehead.

“Nice try,” he whispered to her face. From Avril’s angle, he was flirting with her and was giving her a kiss. Yes, that was exactly what it looked like. Avril bit her lower lip so hard that it hurt her. She huffed and suddenly walked out on them both.

How dare he kiss someone else right in her presence? Didn’t he say he was her island wolf? HER island wolf!

She found herself in her room and she banged the door behind her.

“Women will be the death of you,” she said with a scoff and fell backwards on the bed, with her feet still dangling over the floor and her arms crossed in anger.

Prince Dakar’s smile couldn’t be erased. His Avril was a different person now, but she was still a jealous girl. He remembered how she walked out on him and sat at a corner in the kitchen with jealousy when they were both back at the island. He was telling her the story of Ñiraka and him and she had gotten extremely jealous. Heck! They hadn’t even confessed their feelings to each other at that time.

“Are you going to go after her, Prince?” Verona asked Dakar after she was tired of watching him just crossing his arms, smiling sheepishly and gazing at the top of the stairs where she just disappeared from.

“I won’t, Verona. Tell her I’ll see her by 7PM in my castle. She is not permitted to be late,” he said with an amused face as he reluctantly turned around. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave, he wanted to go after her. Verona was suspicious of what actually transpired between Prince Dakar and Fiorella. Was it love? The way he looked at her. The way he has never shown her his dark side. The way he smiles when it’s her. Did Prince Dakar love her? How? She needed answers to quench this curiosity of hers. If only he had not blocked her mind reading, she would have seen a bit from him. But the wolf was not who he was for nothing. He had detected it immediately and whispered ‘Nice try’ to her.

She watched as he took his leave. Verona looked up at the stairs and decided to get words out of Avril.

“Fiorella!” she called loudly and ran up the stairs. She entered Avril’s room and met her on the bed, gazing at the ceiling.

“What is it?” she asked her.

“Your Prince asked me to tell you to not be late tonight. 7pm, be at his castle. Or rather, in his castle,” Verona stated and walked to the bed.

“I am not going!” Avril blurted out and huffed.

“You are not going? Why?” Verona asked, but before Avril could answer, she added—

“Would you give me your slot instead? I’m sure Prince Dakar wouldn’t mind. He really likes me you see. And did you notice his hair is getting longer? I’d love to thread my fingers in them,” Verona bit her lips seductively and smiled like she just rubbed arms with her crush. That smile turned into a frown a few seconds later after a hard pillow struck her face hard.

“Ouch!” she screamed and held her face.

“I’m going!” Avril retorted. She was now sitting down on the bed and had her fingers clutched onto another pillow to throw at Verona if she said anything more.

“Eish! I wonder what’s with you and him. Won’t you tell me?”

“No. I won’t. Now get lost, Verona.”

Verona chuckled and walked to the door.

“Ñiraka’s his royal concubine. The one that could be the wife if need arises. She’s our future Luna and I feel bad about going to harass her. So, I’m just going to drink something chilly. Hopefully, I’d see Prince Dakar at the club,” Verona’s mouth spat out cautiously and she left. Avril jumped up and ran after her.

“Dakar comes there?” she asked as she tried to catch up with Verona on the stairs.

“Yes. It’s a special club though. You need permission to enter. I enter because the DJ is a…friend.”

“A friend? Why do I have this feeling he’s more than a friend? Your voice softened while talking about the DJ,” Avril teased.

“You coming to the club or not?” Verona stopped walking and asked.

“I’m coming as long as I can see Dakar.”

They entered the kitchen and told the girls they were going on a few minutes stroll. They took Verona’s two bicycles and cycled all the way there because it was just the royal family that had the permission to ride an engine vehicle. Or dignitaries.

They reached there in no time since it was in the palace, just by a corner between the main palace and the king’s harem. They entered easily. It was empty because it was the middle of the day. But Avril preferred it that way since there was no onlooker.

“I scent him. Come,” Verona held her hand and walked along with her. They passed through the tables and chairs, past the dancefloor and walked beside the stage to a door. They entered and walked through the empty backstage until they entered another hallway. Now, Avril could hear Camper’s voice and movements from a room. Her heart thumped like she was meeting him for the first time and not few minutes back. Verona knocked on a door and when an answer came in from inside, she darted off leaving Avril standing there. She wanted to run after Verona but the door opened.

Her breath got hooked in her throat as it opened. Camper was actually the one that opened it and he looked surprised.

“Fiorella?” he called with that dimple infested smile of his. It melted her heart and she calmed down a bit.

“Hi, Camper. Uhm, is Prince Dakar in here?” she asked. He looked back into the room and nodded with his smile still lingering.

“Enter. I’m going to get something so I’m leaving. But Prince Dakar wouldn’t mind your company instead of mine,” he made way for her to walk through. She entered and he stepped out. After giving her a wink, a juicy one at that, he left after teasing Dakar about the beautiful concubine in his room.

Avril wanted to turn when she felt very strong arms hugging her and encircling her from behind. She stiffled a gasp and turned to look into his eyes.

“Dakar,” she called. His eyes went down to her lips and lingered there for long seconds. His wolf purred, eager to lengthen his fangs and mark the lady whose neck was close to his face.

“Why are you here, Fiorella?” he drawled. She suddenly became dumb. Dakar grinned as she didn’t answer. He turned her around and gazed into her eyes. He wanted to call her Avril Henderson. He wanted to know what happened to her after they took her away from him. He wanted to know what changed her.

Avril suddenly felt that very familiar vibe she got off Dakar. That one that makes her so comfortable with him. She lifted her arms and they wrapped around his broad shoulders. She leaned in on him and placed her head on his chest in a comforting way. She heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, forgetting all her insecurities and hugged him tight.

Dakar’s heart stopped beating for a few seconds. Avril was in his arms…again. He pinned her head against his chest like he wanted to merge with her and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

They both needed that hug. It was like a transfer of unspoken emotions. Finally, they were getting somewhere.