13 Comfort

"There. There." Nova said, patting me on the back as I sat in the lunchroom with him and Comet, my head buried onto the table. "You taught him how to say 'thank you'. Isn't that an achievement in itself?"

"No," I mumbled, not in any mood to eat. "I feel so … played."

"He danced with the goddess yesterday, poured out silver blood, healed a curse said to be unbreakable, cured almost the entire town, gained a couple of followers and the admiration of all the people in the kingdom, yet, here he is, worried about a kid he met once," Nova said to Comet, loud enough for me to hear.

"I can hear you," I mumbled, head still leaning against the tabletop.

"I know. I said it loud enough on purpose." Nova said, pointing to me with a fork. "You are too anxious about something you had absolutely no control over."

"Ugh. I feel like I should have some kind of control over that." I mumbled, burying my face in my hands.

Ok, pause.

So you must be wondering what exactly is going on here. Why am I behaving like this when I was in such a high yesterday, well, this morning?

That is because of a couple of things that happened to me not too long ago and they are all … some heavy things.

Let's go back to this morning first. After I had just woken up.

_________________________________

Nova woke up the same time that I did and, for some reason, I felt a lot fresher than he did. I do not understand why, do not ask me.

We both checked on Comet who was bright and shiny all over again, smiling like he always did. Though, he too, looked bright and sparkly, like a newborn colt.

"What is it with you two? Why are you so sparkly today?" Nova asked, glaring at the both of us. "You both annoy me so much, you know that?"

"Eh? But we didn't do anything wrong, right, Comet?" I asked the boy beside me who smiled and nodded earnestly.

"You are all up early." Sol walked into the room, brighter than all three of us, I do not know how that is possible. "I hope the rest was good. I apologise again that you had to sleep on the floor."

"It was not a problem."

"Don't worry about it at all."

"Such good-natured kids." He said, still smiling at us before he turned to me and said, "I believe it will be about to be breakfast time for you all.

"After breakfast, there is a full day of talking to people, listening to their confessions, blessing them and healing them that you will need to do, Orion." He said in the sweetest voice but I could not concentrate on his smile as I felt all the strength I had, leave me almost immediately.

"That sounds like a busy day," Nova said in an innocent voice but his pleased expression was anything but innocent.

I wanted to hit him with a pan at that moment, for some odd reason. Unfortunately, or fortunately for him, I could not see a pan laying around anywhere.

After a while, Comet and I climbed onto Nova, waved at the others and then took off. While we made our way back to the building, I told Comet what happened the night before.

"I did feel a bit of lightness." He signed at me, before throwing himself at me and smashing our lips together, on Nova's back.

Safe to say, the boy was not in the least bit happy with our little 'make out' session on his back. But I was not the one that instigated it this time so I do not have a reason to feel guilty.

"If I did that, you would have kicked me in the face." He complained, pouting slightly. "But he gets to do it?"

"Well, he was just showing his gratitude," I said, looking away from Nova the moment we arrived at the place that looked like nothing happened at all.

Which was great, given the panic that happened all around the place only the night before.

Getting off of Nova, I stretched and helped Comet down as the boy turned human once again, stretching as well.

"Ugh. I'm hungry." Nova said, touching his stomach while Comet pulled out a piece of bread from his pocket and handed it to him.

"Oh. Thanks." Nova said, biting into the bread as the creamy vanilla filling caught him by surprise.

"No problem." Comet signed, while Nova looked at the bread then at the boy. And, before I could stop him, took some of the cream from the bread, placing them on the boy's lips.

He did not wait another second before he licked the cream off his lips and then from his fingers, grinning smugly, "Tasty."

"Stop teasing the boy," I said, rolling my eyes at him as he continued walking to the lunch hall, some of the other Priests in training were walking there as well.

I took a second to look up at the skies, staring at the bright blue as I could make out the faint figures of the moons still.

Last night feels like a dream but … I know it isn't, because of the amount of work that I have waiting for me already.

Ugh. I just want to sleep right now. It's ok. Just a couple of days and I will go back to being as obscure as a second pair of socks.

"Excuse me?" The voice of someone came from behind us, completely catching us off guard as we turned to face him. "Are you Orion?"

"I am. And you are?"

He is an Alpha, given the regal look he has on his face, the rich colour of blackish-red hair and light brown skin tone and, judging by the clothes he wears, he is quite a high ranking one. Most likely one of the King's advisors.

It also appears as though he is the type to behave strictly in front of others but he is actually a softie on the inside.

I can smell the pheromones coming from him. He has a mate. An Omega. And, if I am not wrong, she is pregnant with his first child. I saw them in the hall last night.

He does not seem like a bad person but it does not hurt to be cautious.

"My name is Ravi. I serve as the king's advisor." He said, bowing to me, for some reason.

Why is he, an Alpha, bowing to a Beta? The King is weird and keeps weird people around him, doesn't he? Well, I am not different.

I looked at the two beside me from the corner of my eyes and then back at Ravi.

"Is there something you need?" I asked, trying not to sound haughty but I am already tired from the work I need to do that day and I am so hungry.

Those days of not having an appetite really made me this hungry, I see. I feel like I will devour a deer whole right here and now if it appeared in front of me.

Forget cooking or anything strenuous like that. Just eat it raw and whole.

"Ah, the king as requested an audience with you." He said, looking at the two beside me. "Your companions may come up to the door."

"Oh, they will no-"

"If we so much as hear a sound, we are entering the room," Nova said, stepping in front of me as Comet followed his actions, the two glaring at the man in front of them.

Guys, please don't do this. You do not look as cool as you think you do. Besides, that man is towering over you.

I am sure the King Alpha will be a lot bigger than he is. If anything happens, and you burst in, you will be killed on the spot by him alone.

I buried my embarrassed face in my hands. Please end me now.

So we followed the man, Ravi to the quarters where the royal court was staying. Most of them were wasted and asleep while others were still drinking.

Soon, they will all be asleep and the noise will finally die down. I thought to myself, passing one room after the other until we reached the King's chambers.

Ravi knocked on the door, announced our arrival and opened the door for me to walk in, making sure the other two do not attempt to enter the room as well.

Not that I would have allowed them to.

One cannot meet the king in this period until he personally calls for you, otherwise, you could be sentenced to death.

The room was modestly decorated with several paintings on the walls, some of which I recognised because I was the one that painted them.

Why are they here???

There are two mats on the floor where the King Alpha and his Luna will be sleeping and one large window that the King was looking out on.

He wore a simple robe though he still looks as elegant as ever. Darn it. He is really pretty.

"You called for me, your majesty?" I asked, bowing to him as his face lit up the moment he saw me. Somehow, I anticipated that.

What I did not anticipate is that he would get up from his seat and rush right in front of me, his fingers reaching out to touch my face.

But I managed to dodge his fingers, keeping my startled face as calm as I possibly could.

Before I could say anything else, I heard a growl and turned to my left seeing a very familiar, colourful wolf looking right back at me.

Eh? What?