Chapter 24
CARINA
I woke up in my empty room, smiling as I saw the sun peeking through the windows. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I pushed myself up and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
After that, I headed downstairs. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee along with sweet pastries instantly woke me up. As I stepped into the dining area, my eyes immediately landed on Falco.
He shot me a smile as he turned, holding a steaming mug of coffee.
“Good morning, my love,” he said, his voice warm like honey. Then, he leaned in to place a soft kiss on my cheek.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Well, this was new.
Heat rose to my face as I looked into his eyes. My heart raced, and I smiled at him softly.
“Good morning.” I replied cautiously, observing his face for some explanation.
He smiled back, holding the mug out. “Here. Coffee, just the way you like it. Let me take care of you this morning”
Before 1 could respond, some movement at the table caught my eye.
Ah
So, that was what it was.
Renesme sat in front of Luna Selene and Alpha Raven. The two other council members were right next to her, and their eyes followed our interaction.
Of course, Falco wasn’t being sweet for the sake of it. He was putting on a show.
My stomach twisted at the realization, but I forced a small smile and took the coffee from him.
“Thank you, Falco,” I softly said.
His fingers brushed mine deliberately, and for a moment, his normal expression broke through, revealing the Falco I knew.
With that, the two of us sat next to each other near the head of the table. My plate was already filled, so I smiled at Luna Selene, who also smiled back.
Just then, Renesme cleared her throat, capturing everyone’s attention.
“We’ll be leaving this afternoon,” she announced.
Luna Selene nodded. “I’ll be showing them the ranch before they go,” she said.
“Yes, we thank you for that,” Renesme smiled. “We came here for the home visits, but we can see that what you have is real. Thank you so much for offering a quick break. We definitely need it. These days, things have been…hectic.”
The weariness in her eyes was seen, making me tilt my head to the side.
“Hectic?” Falco asked, placing his utensils down.
Renesme nodded. “With separations happening left and right, and illnesses with no cure surfacing, it’s hard not to feel
overwhelmed.”
Luna Selene frowned, setting down her cup. “Is it Bloodrot?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Bloodrot.
The word alone sent a chill down my spine.
It was a name I’d only heard in whispers, a disease that crept through packs, leaving devastation in its wake.
Renesme nodded. “We have three isolated cases for now,” she said. “We don’t know where it came from. Whether it’s bioterrorism or just… the times changing.”
Alpha Raven clicked his tongue. “I hope we fix this soon,” he said quietly.
One of the male council members nodded. “We’re doing everything we can to contain it while searching for a cure. However, it’s much more difficult than we had anticipated. The council scientists are saying that it might be something out of their reach.”
“Well, that’s not good news,” I chimed.
“It certainly isn’t,” Renesme agreed. “However, rest assured. Like I said, there are three isolated cases for now.”
I nodded, resting my elbows on the table. I had heard my parents mention the disease in passing, but I never thought it was this severe.
Hearing it discussed so openly made it feel too real.
“We’ll figure it out,” the other man said firmly, though the exhaustion in his tone was hard to miss.
The conversation went to lighter topics as they prepared to head to the ranch. Falco hovered near me, his hand brushing my arm more times than I could count.
I knew his gestures were deliberate, though–meant to paint a picture for the council’s benefit.
“I’ll clean up first,” Luna Selene said to the council members. “Then, we’ll head to the ranch.”
I stood and shook my head. “I’ll clean up, Luna,” I offered.
Luna Selene frowned. “You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s okay, Luna,” I chuckled. “I’m good at cleaning. Please go and enjoy the ranch.”
“Well, if it’s really okay,” she muttered.
I nodded without any hesitation. “Yes, I want to,” I insisted, grabbing a plate before she could argue further.
“Alright,” Luna Selene smiled. “Thank you for doing this, Rina. We’ll be back in an hour tops.”
“Have fun, Luna,” I said, turning to the council members, too.
With that, the five of them left to relax. Meanwhile, I gathered all of the plates and went to the sink.
The task was calming. Washing dishes felt like an escape of some sort.
But my focus slipped for a moment, and the next thing I knew, the plate slipped from my soapy hands and crashed to the
floor.
“Damn it,” I muttered, bending down to pick up the shards.
“Rina, don’t,” Falco called from afar. However, I had already picked up a shard, and cliche as it may sound, I did hurt myself.
However, it was just a small cut, so I brushed it off and continued picking them up
Falco sighed and walked to where I was, kneeling beside me. “You’ll hurt yourself,” he scolded
“I can do it,” I protested, but he ignored me, his brows furrowed as he carefully gathered the broken pieces.
“You’re bleeding,” he said, his voice softening as he took my hand in his.
I glanced down. A thin line of red bloomed on my finger. Falco clicked his tongue, reaching for a clean towel to press against
the cut.
“You don’t have to-
“Be still,” he interrupted.
His touch was surprisingly gentle as he cleaned the wound. My heart thudded in my chest, and I suddenly became hyper- aware of how close we were.
I can handle a small cut,” I muttered, trying to break the tension.
Falco’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “You need to be more careful,” he said softly, his gaze locking onto mine.
For a moment, the world seemed to fade.
My breath got caught in my throat, and I looked away quickly, my cheeks burning.
Were the council members here?
But when I glanced around, the kitchen was empty. It was just the two of us.
