[ Bloodfang territories]
Alpha Velor stood in front of the tall mirror.
Every line of his posture was taut, as though his spine had been forged from steel. He was a man who did give his time polishing his appearance but today was not about vanity...it was about presentation.
The room was bathed in a faint golden hue as sunlight filtered through the thick velvet curtains, soft enough not to burn the eye, but bright enough to let everyone know that it was crawling towards midday.
The mirror caught his reflection...the angular jaw, the thin scar slicing across his collarbone as he adjusted his shirt. But the furrow remained between his brows that hadn’t eased in days.
His fingers moved mechanically down the row of buttons on his ivory shirt, fastening one... then the next... then pausing.
His thumb lingered too long on a loop.
Then, without realising, he skipped one.
And fastened it anyway.Twice.
That uneven line broke the gorgeous symmetry of the outfit, but Velor didn’t notice.
He was looking but he wasn’t really there.His mind was somewhere else. His gaze had grown distant...anchored to a completely different land.
Behind him, the faintest sound of heels clicked against the silent floor. But he didn’t notice that either.
Niva entered silently.She watched him for a moment.
Her sharp eyes traced the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched and unclenched as if chewing on unspoken words.
With a quiet sigh, she stepped forward.
"You are doing it wrong," she murmured, reaching up to undo the misaligned buttons
Velor hadn’t turned when she entered, but his eyes flicked up towards the mirror,catching her reflection.
Her hair was braided down one side, loose strands curling softly at her cheeks. Her arms crossed lazily beneath her chest.
She approached slowly, stopping just behind him.
Her fingers reached out,lightly brushing his chest, undoing the mismatched buttons without waiting for his permission. She didn’t speak for a moment. Just fixed his outfit quietly.
Only once his shirt had returned to symmetry did she tilt her head slightly, studying him as if there was a book, written across his cheekbones.
"You seem lost in thought," she said, her voice almost a purr at first... then firm. "Going somewhere??? "
Velor blinked once, snapped out of whatever spiral had captured him. He offered a vague, distracted hum."Hmm? Just... thinking."
"This All Alpha meet."
That made her pause.Subtle, but her eyes sharpened.
Niva’s hands stopped over his chest and then hovered a little before resting lightly against his collarbone. Her gaze lifted fully to his face now, the curl in her lips fading into a serious line.
"An All Alpha meet?" she repeated slowly.
He nodded, eyes still fixed on the mirror...on their reflection...though now he was seeing it , not just looking.
Niva stepped back a fraction, arms uncrossing.
"What’s going on, Velor?" Her voice was low now, worried.
Velor sighed, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. He avoided her gaze.
"Kieran broke into the Old World. The Council had to step in. Now they have called for this meeting.That’s what’s been going on up until now..."
Niva’s brows flew up, wrinkling her forehead.
"Alpha Kieran did what?"
He turned slightly, finally facing her. "Yup."
"He broke into the Forgotten Lands?The Forgotten Lands???" she echoed, blinking hard. "Why the hell would he do that?"
"Hmm," Velor exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Apparently there’s a trafficking ring... illegal auctions. He got caught storming one to save a rogue who used to be his pack once. A girl named Vera."
Niva’s jaw dropped a fraction.
Then her nose wrinkled in immediate distaste.
"Vera?" she spat the name. "That same girl who was also a Gamma right??Didn’t she try to have Autumn raped? Wasn’t she banished for that?!"
Velor nodded, sighing again."Technically she fled. Or so I heard."
There was a long silence between them. Niva’s expression twisted...revulsion, confusion, then something bordering on pity."Now this is a new low even for Alpha Kieran. My poor girl has gone missing,struggling where the Moon knows under that terrible curse...with his pups... and he...he is out there chasing whores?"
Her mouth curled." And stirring trouble for the rest of us?!"
" I agree with you but the fact remains that he doesn’t know what exactly happened to Autumn."
Velor’s words came too quickly.Too sharp.
Niva froze, her eyes narrowing."...What was that?"
Velor didn’t respond at first. Just adjusted his cloak with a quick movement of his hand. His jaw clenched.
Niva took a step closer, her head tilted slightly. Her tone softened but only just. "Velor," she said quietly, "are you now defending Alpha Kieran?"
His fingers paused at the buckle on his shoulder.
Then, slowly, he shook his head.
"I am not defending him." His voice dropped, a little rougher now."I just... I know him. Better than most. Better than anybody, probably."
He turned, briskly reaching for the weapons laid out on the armoire. His blade, belt, and small vials. He slung them into place with practiced ease, avoiding her eyes the entire time.
Niva watched him carefully, her own expression unreadable now. She crossed her arms again, but not lazily this time. Her stance stiffened.
"The way you talk about him sometimes..." she said softly, eyes narrowing. "One would think he was your ex."
Velor stopped at the threshold of the door.
And for a heartbeat, his lips tugged...just slightly. "Well," he murmured, eyes still forward. "He is."
Niva’s brows shot up. "What again now?"
Velor turned his head just enough to meet her eyes. A faint, almost nostalgic smile ghosted across his face. "Ex best friend I mean. Surely you didn’t think I was gay? Did you, my queen?!" His wink was back, along with that smug face but his smirk didn’t quite reach his eyes.
And without another word, he stepped into the hallway...
He crossed the gates of the castle and one would expect him to head straight towards the garage ,then head out of the pack borders...but instead he sneaked out through the back doors.