5. THE FLOWER THIEF

~Full of loneliness

This garden bloomed

Full of thorns

I bind myself in this sand castle~

-(BTS) The Truth Untold

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Staying locked up in a faraway tower wasn’t the best of times for Stefanos, but he was already getting used to it, as the silence and his garden calmed him. It was at least better than the chaos and harsh insults which used to be thrown at him during his stay at his old residence.

Today felt no different than the others. As Stefanos walked with lazy steps toward the garden with his long dark rob trailing behind him. He wasn’t surprised to find that Wraya was already watering some of the plants and flowers with the watering can hanging through his mouth.

‘’Wraya, it’s been seven years and how many times do I have to repeat myself about not touching my garden without my approval?’’ Stefanos said, as he rested his hand on his forehead, massaging it in slow strokes.

Wraya seemed to realise his mistake but before he could reply Stefanos gaze moved to somewhere else among the garden, precisely where the once pink Orchids were growing. Wraya made a face of shock as he noticed the place empty and flowers plucked out of there.

‘’WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY ORCHIDS!’’ Stefanos growled, his eyes shining in brilliant red. It might be funny to say, but Stefanos protected his flowers like alphas did for their mates, and right now Stefanos wolf was just as angry as him.

‘’I-I s-swear s-sire, I have no clue about what happened to those flowers, i-in fact I’m just as shocked as you.’’ Wraya stuttered, as he felt all the bones in his body shrinking in fear.

Stefanos glare did not budge but he soon lowered his eyes because if there was one thing he was most sure about Wraya, it was that his dragon never lied.

He briskly walked over to the flowers as he kneeled low to the floor, inspecting the now torn and ripped roots and flowers.

Who dared steal from my garden!

Stefanos thought as he crumpled the fallen roots in his fist in anger, his amber eyes shooting daggers at nowhere.

‘’I swear I’ll end this person!’’ The rage and fury that Wraya saw at his sire’s eyes resembled that of a wolf that went rogue and Wraya desperately wished whoever was stealing from here, never comes back. Although being a dragon Wraya wasn’t a fan of watching his master tear another wolf in shreds

With an angry huff, Stefanos retreated to his room, leaving the mess to be cleared by Wraya who had no intention in irritating his master any further so he got back to work.

By evening Stefanos came back to his garden, Wraya supposed that his master felt restless when his garden was left in an utter mess, specially that one of his most priced flower, Orchid was missing from its roots.

So, with a handful of seeds and a shovel with Wraya carrying the watering can, Stefanos got back to work in planting a new set of orchids. By the time the sun was setting Stefanos was back to being his old self, as his wolf felt pride in completing their work without any disturbance.

Little did he know that the same thing would be repeating tomorrow but this time it being a set of blue Carnations being plucked and cut off with their roots left behind.

Stefanos was beyond furious right now. Just what was happening in his garden that he couldn’t put his finger on? Who has these guts to steal from the Stefanos De Vesilios?

For a moment he thought it might have been some kind of animal, for instance a bird, but he dropped the thought as soon as it came, thinking there was no way a crow or any other bird would steal flowers so gracefully with the stems cut off with something which wasn’t teeth or a beak. It certainly couldn’t be.

With the frustration swimming through his thoughts another day passed with Stefanos planting and replacing the old dead Carnations. Thinking the mystery thief won’t show up again.

However, the situation in Stefanos garden wasn’t getting any better. Every day he woke up to find different flowers missing from his garden, whether it be Sunflowers, Lilies, Chrysanthemums, Roses and what not. Day after day the rage in Stefanos was growing like a wild fire, he only had one thought in his head and that was to kill this mystery thief if he ever finds him.

By the nth time that it was happening, now the thief wasn’t just stealing one set of flowers but together with a variety of it. The collection of flowers that once bloomed his garden was failing in terrible ways, as there was now nothing left but only soil and small shrubs with scattered roots around.

‘’I have an idea.’’ Stefanos proposed one evening as he was busy planting and redecorating his garden like always. Wraya by his side as it flew around in circles near the garden, as it finally landed on one of the garden’s armillary.

‘’Yes, sire?’’

‘’I’m going to wake up in the earliest of the morning, come tomorrow and finally get a hold of this mystery flower thief who has been lurking around my garden.’’ He said, with his eyes carrying a determination which held the meaning that he wasn’t going to give up.

‘’Are you sure that we will get him sire?’’

‘’What better way is there unless we don’t try?’’ Stefanos smirked. ‘’I swear that if I really catch this person, trust me Wraya he is going to face my wrath.’’ The alpha grinned.

As the day passed by and night took over, Stefanos had a hard time sleeping as he kept figuring out ways of catching the thief. By the constant fidgeting around Stefanos had no idea how his time passed as he saw the first ray of light appearing through his large window.

In a hurry Stefanos found the nearest robe and put it over himself, with fast movement he walked towards his garden as he took cover in one of the flower sheds, hiding from the eyes of others. Wraya was still fast asleep and did not hear or see his master going to the garden.

And then it happened.

Stefanos watched with his lips parted as a tiny figure jumped over the fence. Darting their head from side to side, Stefanos stared as the fury slowly started begin growing in him while the intruder begin their work of plucking the nearest Peonies. Stefanos fisted his hands, ready to storm his way to the intruder and catch them red handed. When suddenly, a harsh wind blew, and the hood of the intruders cloak blew off of their head, revealing a clear view of their face to Stefanos.

Mid struck, Stefanos stood rooted to his spot as if his breath had been knocked out of him. This was not what he expected. He did not think this would be the intruder.

He did not think the intruder was a girl.

An omega beauty at that.

-Aysha