“I’m heading off! See you later everyone!” Silvi yelled from the door of the diner.

It was still very early in the morning and she’s going for her first fishing for the spring. The others were getting ready for the opening of the diner. She’s going come back later to help in the kitchen around lunch.

Antares told her that there are going to be a lot of fishes in the river today. So she is going to spend some extra time for it. She’s going to catch a lot of fish.

“Be careful Silvi okay?” Sir Calber told her from inside the diner. Antares was wiping off the tables while Lucy and Sir Calber are preparing the ingredients in the kitchen.

“I will.” She waved goodbye.

She walked to the path Antares thought her. She had it memorized so Antares would no longer need to show her the way every time. Along the way, she grazed the rough barks of the giant trees with her fingers.

She arrived at the riverside and prepared everything that she always does. She sprawled the blanket and placed the picnic basket and her bag with the fishing rod attached to it on the side, on top of the blanket, and the wooden container to put the fishes in.  

She inhaled the morning breeze and took her fishing rod, hooked the bait and threw the string to the river.

-o-o-o-

Kallean stretched himself on his chair after reading all the necessary documents for his territory’s financial status. He glanced to the window and was surprised to see that it was already dawn. He didn’t realize that he had spent all night doing work.

He stretched again and arranged everything on his table before leaving everything and going down to the kitchen. There were no servants inside because it was still too early.

He was getting a little hungry. He went to the pantry to take anything edible. He found a fresh loaf of bread and took two loaves. Then he smeared one of the breads with strawberry jam. He took the sandwich and went to back to his office to take a book from his library. He placed the sandwiched between his lips as he searched for something good to read.

He found one at the top shelf and pulled it. He took a bite out of his bread and started his strides out of the mansion.

“Alpha Kallean. Where are you headed off? Isn’t it a little too early?”

He was near the main door when Siege spotted him. He must be readying himself to start his work around the mansion.

“I wanted to get some fresh air.” He stated sternly. He showed him his book. “I want to relax for a few hours.”

His butler nodded at him. “I’ll be preparing the mansion. Be careful on your way.”

“Thanks Siege. See you.”

The morning breeze of a nice spring morning hits different. No pheromones from other wolves are present in the air. Vast rows of peonies and daffodils are blooming across the fields, dancing with the early morning breeze.

He started his morning walk and decided to go to the river for privacy and peaceful reading. He was real stressed out during the winter and this is the first time he could properly relax after all that work.

He was almost at the river when a strange scent entered his nose. A scent that feels like it was created just for him. A combination of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

His wolf, Dark, stirred inside his head and became anxious about something.

‘MATE!’ Dark howled.

‘What?!’

He was stunned. His heart, pounding. An invisible force is dragging him magnetically towards the direction of the scent.

Dark was jumping up and down inside his mind restlessly. ‘Mate! Hurry up and go to her!’

‘I will, I will! Will you calm down?’’ This damn wolf is annoying. Unlike other wolves, he rarely gets along with his own wolf. But they do cooperate with each other on rare occasions.

His nose tracked down the smell.

Fortunately, the scent is towards the direction that he wanted to go.

After all these years, the moon goddess finally paired him with someone. His Luna. His counterpart. And he had been waiting for all of these years for her to finally arrive. Finally, it’s happening at last.

His mate’s scent is the best fragrance he had ever had in his entire life. She’s like a sweet frosting on a cake that he cannot wait to taste.

 -o-o-o-

He heard the flow of stream from the river and he is nearing closer to where the scent is coming from as the scent is getting stronger.

And there, he finally saw it. The source of that wonderful fragrance.

She was standing on the riverbank, apparently struggling with something. He walked closer and the scent of chocolate, strawberries and vanilla lingered more around him.

Dark was repeatedly shouting ‘MATE’ inside his head. And he tried to calm him down so many times that he lost count.

‘Help our mate you idiot!’ Dark barked.

He ran to his mate and helped her from behind by pulling up the fishing rod together with her.

“Let me help you.” He whispered to her.

She didn’t glance at him and focused on taking the fish out of the water. “Uh…Thanks. Whoever you are?”

Her familiar beautiful voice felt like melody in her ears. Her smell is invading all of him. The closeness of her skin to his is sending electricity he had never felt before. His heart is pounding deliciously more than what he gets when beating up his enemies.

‘Mate.’ He whispered.

“Huh? Ate? Yeah, sure. I’ll give you a portion of my breakfast for helping me.”

‘She didn’t hear you idiot.’ Dark butted in.

‘Call me an idiot again and I’ll cut you off.’ He said to his wolf.

‘Don’t. I want to be with our mate.’

‘Good.’

“Arghh! This fish won’t just budge.” His mate grunted. Her voice sounded very familiar.

He tightened his grip on the rod and helped her with his strength. He wanted to let the fish in the water for a few minutes to have an excuse to hold her like this. But his mate seems to be running out of patience.

At last, the fish went flying out of the water at the end of the string and his mate caught it in her hand.

“Yes! Hey mister, thanks for helping me---… Alpha Kallean?!”

Kallean could not believe his eyes as soon as the woman who was his fated mate finally turned to face him. All his excitement came crashing down like a huge Arran tree being cut down. A great feeling of disappointment accumulated inside of him.

The woman in front of him is the very least person he ever thought of becoming his mate. His Luna. Heck, he never even thought of becoming mates with a human! This is just impossible! How could the moon goddess do this to him?!

It’s the same woman who confronted him about putting Calber in the dungeon. The same woman who gave him headache for an entire week with her mind-pounding terrible odor.

He was incredibly dumbfounded.

And that same woman smells like the most delicious dessert he had ever smelt.

‘It’s her.’ His wolf said. Probably remembering the same day he is also remembering.

‘This can’t be happening. I can’t be mated with a human! I don’t want a human as my Luna!’ He said to his wolf.

‘BUT I WANT HER!’ Dark announced which utterly astounded him to the core.

‘But I don’t.’ He strongly argued.

“Uhm. Excuse me? But are you okay? You’ve been spacing out.” That woman, as he remembers correctly, was named Silvi. It’s uncanny that he could still remember her name. “And you’re gritting your teeth for no reason. It’s creeping me out.”

‘See? He’s insulting me. She is not fit to be my Luna.’ Kallean firmly stated.

‘Because you’re being an idiot, that’s why.’

“Okay, if you don’t have any business with me, I’ll be going now since I promised myself never to cross paths with you.” She said and kneeled down to a put the wiggling fish unto a bucket. Then she went to pick up a basket from a blanket and wore her backpack.

‘Now look what you’ve done! She’s leaving!’ Dark growled.

‘It’s greater that way.’ He argued back.

‘You’re really an idiot! I’m taking over!’ dark said desperately.

‘What?! No!’

He was shocked about Dark’s sudden actions. It’s the first time that Dark insisted on something. His wolf rarely cares about what’s going on around them, unless it’s really important.

He felt Dark taking over his body and grabbed Silvi’s arms who was taking her retreat. She turned to him with a frown.