Chapter 10

It all came in great use in this table today. I started eating and boy, the meat melted in my mouth. I had a hard time controlling myself from swooning over it. It was actually nice to eat fancy meals sometimes.

Hunter had the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin that I wonder how can he made a straight face after a mouthful of such delish. I bet his was also tasty like mine. I actually want to have one bacon-wrapped off his plate.

Oh my. Get a hold of yourself, Layla! Don't embarrass yourself here!

I hastily averted my eyes from him and gently cut a bite-size of my steak.

"Is it in your liking?" Hunter spared me his attention, sipping on his glass of red wine. I looked up to him and saw he belonged in this place while I can't even find myself fitting to dine in here.

"Yeah. They're all delectable." I told him honestly.

"Good. Get use to these, pumpkin."

"Hmm?" I lifted my eyes to him again from the dessert I just spooned. He reached to caress my cheek. Turn out I smudged a little over the corner of my mouth.

"Don't eat too quickly. We all have the day ahead of us." He said.

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"So, how's the weekend?" Maia placed her bag on the seat beside mine and sat across my table inside the school club.

"Tolerable," I said. Well, it was actually more than that but I can't make out how should I view such a date.

"Hmm? Horrible? Is he too pushy for you?"

"I said Tolerable. Not horrible. Have your ears clean first, will you?"

Maia chortled at that. "Wow. Here I thought I would be the outlet for your complaints. I presume the date ended well?"

"Like I said. It's alright. Didn't what I expect to turn out."

"Well, I worried for nothing then. You look alright without a missing arm or leg."

"You're making it look like I went out with a savage."

"Isn't he though? I mean, we all saw his nasty temper around here. He could be violent in a snap of fingers."

"He's not like that."

Maia stopped on her litany and stared at me dead in the eyes. "Honey, am I hearing alright from you? You sounded like you switch lanes now. Should I cheer team Hunter and ditch the other one?"

"You know. He's...more than we give him credits for."

"Only one day together. Look at you defending your man from your best friend."

" I'm just saying. And will you stop teasing me? I know that look. No. We didn't do it. How could you even think that about me?" I said in defense although at the back of my mind, the kisses that Hunter and I shared still burn freshly on my memories. It was embarrassing to say that those kept me up all until late at night. But I can't divulge this to Maia yet. She'll squeal nonstop if I slip words about it. I can't have that for now that I had a lot in mind.

The trial period seems like a bad idea. Hunter comes off serious about the thing between us. Which was odd since we just started going out. He can't possibly like me that much. And what was with that romantic meal together? Just reminiscing it gave me chills.

"Hey! Stop putting words in my mouth. I didn't say anything!" Maia laughed.

"You're my best friend. I know exactly what's inside that head of yours. It's pretty rotten, I tell you."

"Yeah well, You're right."

"And pretty shameless too when you admit that."

"I'm a wolf, not a saint. So, mind sharing what transpired between you two? You changed a little."

"Just this and that," I said and continued to scribble on my notes. I felt her hover over behind me. "This isn't a love letter, Maia."

"Oh, I thought you write letters for him too."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

"Says someone who still stacks unsent letters on her drawers even to this day. Should I uncover them one by one?"

"Maia!"

"Alright! I'm stopping! Your secrets are sealed with me."

"What secret?"

Both Maia and I felt our hearts jolted a bit before we looked at the door with wide eyes.

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"A-ah, secrets! Just secrets!" I exclaimed and slightly jabbed Maia's side with my elbow, telling her to go with the flow.

"We have one or two, haven't we?" Maia finally reinforced. "How's the survey in the valley, Gian?"

Good. Nice dodge Maia!

Wait. What survey?

"Not good. Looks like we have a breach in the borders of the south." Gian sat on the chair across ours.

"A breach? That area is almost impenetrable, right?" I asked.

"The chief thought so until there were traces of carcasses in the forest. A couple of our deltas got injured in the attack at night." Gian turned his attention to Harriet who got inside the office with papers in her hand.

"Today is hectic. I did file a request for an elite squad to cover the matter in the valley. But I think we need to wait until next week. The king deployed his elites to the Jikaar to resolve the tension with the vampires." Harriet put down the papers on my table and I saw she did try to hurry things up by approaching many influential wolves to connect her directly to the king.

"Any clues who attacked the deltas and left those carcasses on purpose?" I asked, having a quick scan of the reports that Harriet had gone over first.

"We have no idea. The attackers' scent was unfamiliar." Gian said. "We're going back at night for patrol. I think they haven't left the forest yet. The chief won't allow them to reach the city."

"I'll go with you," I said.

"Me too." Maia seconded.

"No. I'll bring the men only." Gian resisted.

"We're fast. We'll be useful as scouts." I said.

"What if you'll encounter the attackers?" Gian raised.

"I'm pretty sure we'll outrun them."

"We're still not certain what kind of beasts dared to enter the wolves' terrain. They might be high category beasts to break the barrier in the south." Gian raised.

"He's right, though. Leave it to the boys." Harriet said to our discouragement.

"Well, I could use a hand or two."

All of our heads turned towards the door where Hunter leaned over the frame.

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