CHAPTER 8: CLOSER WITH A TOUCH OF DREADFUL NEWS

The seasons faded and soon the cherry blossoms were in season, Eloisee yawned as she stared at the illuminating moon outside. Her stay at the pack was eventful she had what she needed and had someone to talk to on daily basis. 

Elizabeth had grown on her, she had become something of a mother to her. 

Mia an obnoxious elder sister. 

She loved their company, for once in her life she felt happy. Her life was full and she was content, she did not know what the people will be like when she first got there, but their welcoming nature had washed away her worries entirely. 

She looked at the seat beside her and a small smile framed her face. 

The person she was most grateful to was sitting there with a book over the bridge of his nose hiding his handsome face from the world. Riviera was a light in her dark world, the hand he extended to her changed her life entirely but they did not get time to spend it together as they were always busy. 

Riviera's hand held the book and moved it away from his face, his eyes shifted along the axis of his eyes and observed Eloisee. " you've been staring at me for a long time, is there something on my face?" 

Eloisee blushed, she had been caught red handed staring. She wished the earth could open and swallow her, but it did not. She opted to bury her nose in the documents she had in her hand. 

"Nothing…" 

Riviera sat up straight and held Eloisee hand, his face had a big, bright smirk. "Come on, i want to show you something.". 

With enthusiasm in his voice, Riviera waited not for Eloisee response as he already his superior supernatural strength working on pulling her to her feet. 

Eloisee let out an eep as Riviera pulled her along, she hurried onto her feet and stabilized her foot to match the pace Riviera had. She was confused and happy, happy because they were finally doing something together, confused as to what Riviera wanted to show her. 

Reaching a clearing, Riviera released her hand and turned to look at her. "Let's go, I heard from him that you loved running, let's go for a run." 

Riviera knelt on all fours, his anatomy shape-shifting into that of a four legged animal. Black fur grew from his pores until it covered his entire body, and he howled. His howl carrying power or an alpha spanning the entire forest. 

After his boasting, Riviera relaxed his head and nodded at Eloisee.

Eloisee stared at the wolf before her, she sniffed the air and her eyes widened, the wolf standing before her was the same as the wolf that had tackled her back then when she was out on a run. 

Eloisee morphed into her wolf form. Her white fur blending with his midnight raven color. . 

With a yelp, they darted into the forest. 

Eloisee observed the world in her night vision, 

The wind running through her fur, the twigs and the damp soil underneath her paws she felt at home. Being one with nature, was a sentiment she had furloughed for, she was enjoying every moment of the run. 

Her eyes darted to her side and she saw that Riviera had trailed behind her a bit, she knew that he was faster and stronger but he had intentionally trailed behind her. Smirking to herself, she kicked the dust behind her and sneered it onto the face of Riviera. 

Riviera growled as he sneezed from the dust. His silver eyes looked at the smirking Eloisee and in a burst of speed, he pushed on his hind legs crashing into Eloisee sending the both of them tumbling into the brush on their left. 

They rolled down the small hill and ended at the base of the hill in an open Meadow. 

Along the way they had morphed back into their human form and by the time they had made it to the bottom of the hill, they were fully human. 

Eloisee laid on Riviera's chest her hands on either sides of his body and her face inches away from Riviera, their lips almost brushing against one another. 

Seeing their circumstance, Eloisee blushed and made an attempt to pull herself back but her actions were spontaneously thwarted as Riviera's hands wrapped around her waist pressing their bodies together. 

They sat there in silence, the coldness of the midnight breeze washing over them. 

"You look beautiful from below here." Riviera said with a smile on his face. 

A Crimson hue crossed her face from corner to corner, her ears turned beet red. The lines caught her completely off guard. Her heart started to thump, the scenery had faded and in her eyes there was nothing but him, he had occupied the picture she had seen all her life and he expanded its horizons. 

"Thank you." 

Silence reigned again. 

The two were staring at each other, waiting for the other to take the initiative. Both feeling brave yet hesitant. 

Eloisee was hesitant because she had experienced things that had caused her to feel repulsed by another's touch, and had never known what it meant to be in love or have a connection they had, she did not know how to respond to the moment, her natural instincts were drawing her to him. 

Riviera was hesitant because he knew what Eloisee was dealing with, he did not want to make her uncomfortable. 

Seconds ticked like eternity and Riviera yielded into his desires. 

He leaned up and his lips met Eloisee's, capturing them in a kiss. 

Eloisee's eyes went wide briefly and she settled down once she got her racing her under control, the kiss was everything she had imagined it would be when she was just a child, her body was filled with a sudden rush of heat nullifying the cold from the wind, her heart soured and she closed her eyes. 

Her first kiss. 

The notion she had in her mind felt… right. 

She had no words to describe it, it felt perfect. From the build up to the culmination of the intensity of the moment, everything was in tune with the other not missing any beat. 

Riviera's mind temporarily went blank, he knew that Eloisee was rather soft from when their bodies touch when they go to bed but feeling her lips with his, made his comparison pale. She was not just soft, she was extremely soft. Her full pink lips were absolutely tasty, she had a cinnamon and honey taste, one which he found to enjoy oddly. 

Oxygen became a factor as even with their superior lungs they had run out of it and had to pull away. 

They both breathed in deeply, blushes painting their faces crimson and their eyes a bit dazed from the makeout session. 

Riviera was the first to snap out of it, he stared at Eloisee and saw the rivulet of blood from her lower lip to her chin. His hand loosened around her waist and traveled to her face. His thumb wiped the blood from her lip and he pressed it a bit to ease the bleeding. 

Eloisee snapped back to reality when he did that, she looked at him. His eyes and face showing signs of concern, the mere look had an effect she had no words for. Touched her, to her heart. 

Riviera had made her stay there as much warm as possible, was attentive and caring to her. She decided in her heart, she was going to make it work, although inexperienced in love and riddled with demons haunting her from her past. She was determined to make it work. 

Her determination busted like fire in her golden eyes, making the golden hue around her pupil glow even more. 

"My first kiss…" 

"How was it?" Riviera asked as he leaned back down, his hands propped on either sides of his body balancing his torso at an angle. 

"It was amazing." Eloisee said as she chuckled to herself. 

"I'm glad." 

 ~~~

Elizabeth, Mia and Ruid were sitting in the living room, worry written on their faces. It was noon and Eloisee was nowhere to be found, Riviera too.

It was usual for Riviera to go out early and head to the pack main hall but he was not there something that was out of character for him, he was a known workaholic, who would come to work whether sick or not yet on this day he was nowhere to be found.. 

"This is unlike Eloisee." Elizabeth commented, her statement was followed by two pairs of head nodding together in unison. 

Over the past three months, Eloisee earlybird attitude had rubbed off them. At 5 am, she was already up and about doing her chores, which was not necessary but she did. By the time Elizabeth woke up, Eloisee had her coffee ready and was doing the dishes and planning their meals, she had embraced her role as Luna. 

But like Riviera, she was nowhere to be found.

"We should go look for…" 

Mia's words were cut off when the door opened and the people they were talking about waltzed into the house laughing. Riviera had one hand over Eloisee waist, allowing the woman to lean again him. 

Elizabeth observed the two, they had tuffs of mud on their clothes, twigs in their hairs and they were touching. Her life as a Luna and a woman had taught her something, her woman intuition was not wrong and these two were becoming more like a couple. 

Before she could talk, the door which had swung shut swung open and in cane a frantic guard covered in blood. 

"Zoe has been shot!"