chapter seven

The Moon Festival was already in full swing when Lily arrived at the palace.

Music and laughter filled the air already and Lily admired the beautiful moon-shaped crystal lights that adorned the streets leading up to the palace.

She searched for Alexander with her eyes and saw him seated at a table, flanked by the pack elders and some of the esteemed men and women in the park. They seemed to be having deep discussions amidst the celebration and merriment going on around them.

As if sensing her gaze, he raised his head, and his eyes met hers. They stared at each other for a while and Alexander's full lips turned upwards at the corner in a small smile. He was happy to see her.

Lily walked to the drink stand so that people would not notice them staring at each other. She poured herself a drink and was simply savoring the taste when she heard someone sigh with contentment behind her. She turned to see her foster sister, Hera and groaned mentally.

Hera sighed again and said, "Isn't life beautiful, Lily? I have the best life right now, the best man, I live in the palace and will be your Luna soon. Most importantly, you have nothing—absolutely nothing. Life is so beautiful."

"If life is as beautiful as you claim it is, Hera, then you would stop trying to remind me and mostly yourself about what you now have. You chant it to anyone who would dare listen, not just to sell them a fickle idea but more to soothe your doubting fears that all these have come to stay." 

Lily shook her head and said, "You should get over yourself, Hera. You're scared because you know you don't belong in the palace or with Ethan. Excuse me," she said and brushed past Hera, hitting her shoulder.

Lily stood on the patio inside the palace garden, admiring the flowers. She loved flowers. It was already evening, and the festival was nowhere over but she was bored already and didn't want to go home. Alexander was busy with pack business.

She sensed someone behind her and thought Hera had followed her to continue verbal wars so she turned sharply but stopped when she saw it was Alexander. She licked her lips and whispered, "Hi."

Alexander searched her face and saw that the anger was gone. 

He had been in a meeting discussing territorial tensions when she caught her scent; it was Lily, just like her name and his wolf was not the only one excited to see her.

When he saw her, he almost leaped out of his seat to go be with her but he had to control himself.

He forced himself to focus on pack business when she turned to get drinks and he sensed her anger mixed more with irritation when her foster sister approached her. He had to wrap up the meeting because it was already dragging out and it was a festival, for crying out loud.

He wanted to hold her, console her, and make her feel happy instead of angry and irritated. He followed her scent to the patio in the garden.

When he saw her, he had to stop himself from taking her into his arms. 

"I am bored, Lily. What about you?" He said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Lily was about to reply when she caught on to what he meant. She laughed and said, "Hell, yeah. I am in for that."

She laughed and took his outstretched hand, and they headed for the creek to have their festival at the haven.

When they got to the creek, she looked at him and asked, "What now?"

Alexander scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, honestly, Lily, I have no idea; I just wanted to spend some time with you and that was the only thought in my head."

She smiled mischievously and said, "Well, I have an idea in my head but it doesn't involve our clothes."

"What?!" Alexander replied, confused, curious, and aroused at the same time. Only Lily would keep him on his toes like that.

Lily took off her boot, and her jacket, and Alexander said with a soft whisper, "Lily!"

She took off her gown and he froze. Immediately,  his body caught fire but her next action surprised him, She pushed him and raced to the lake, screaming,g "Catch me if you can, Xander."

Alexander finally understood what she wanted and laughed at himself. He quickly took off his clothes remaining his shorts, raced hotly after her, and caught her just before she entered the lake. 

He carried her and jumped with her into the lake, where they played a game of splash.

He had never been this alive and loved every moment with the red-haired beauty.

After a while, they stood close in the water. Alexander tried not to focus on her body and he said to her "You make me feel alive again, Lily. You make me feel young. I love spending time with you, wench"

Lily smiled and said, "Well, we're glad royalty finds fun in the presence of the commoner" Alexander laughed heartily heartily throwing his head back and Lily thought that he had to be one of the most beautiful men she had seen.

"You should laugh often, Alexander; you're beautiful when you do so."  Alexander's face turned red and Lily teased," Oh! Is that a blush I see? A royal blush, it is." 

Alexander laughed some more and said, "Go away!" and then splashed some water on her, which made both of them laugh.

He drew her back to himself and his voice grew serious but warm. "No matter how crazy things get, Lily, we'll always do this; live, love, and laugh, right here, in the haven."

Lily smiled warmly and agreed, "Yes, always, right here in the haven." She felt happy that she had Alexander and she also felt something warm that she did not understand.

They waded out of the lake and Alexander brought out two towels from the cabin for them.

Alexander realized that the warm feeling she felt in the lake had grown into something tingling and hot.

She felt like a wave of emotions hit her, and her senses became heightened. Her wolf woke up as if she had been jolted awake. She also became very aware of Alexander.

Alexander had taken the towels back to the house and came back to Lily when the scent hit his nostrils. It almost left him breathless.

It was intoxicating, primal, and very sexual.

He realized what was going on immediately. After the moon festival came the heat period, and Lily was very much experiencing that in his cabin, alone with him.