Her golden eyes slowly fluttered open as an enticing aroma filled the air, it smelled like freshly baked muffins and coffee.

It made her mouth instantly water and seemed to allure her awake from her slumber.

If he was trying to get her out of bed, it was so far working.

Once both eye lids lifted, she was greeted by the sight of a small paper bag.

Gauri  was unsure if she was still dreaming or not, until noticing that the owner of the hand, which was purposefully dangling the bag back and forth right above her face, was none other than the love of her life.

"Om..."
Her soft mumble and correct guess was soon rewarded with a sweet morning kiss.

As he pressed his warm and inviting lips against hers, she closed her eyes again without a care and pulled him close.

Omkara , on the other hand, let his lovely female wrap both her arms and legs around him. The urge to stay in bed and relieve her of her heat made him tense, especially when her pheromones wafted up his nose, and man it was a tempting idea, one he wouldn't mind giving into, but then he remembered their date.

Their first official date.

The reminder was enough to make him even more determined to get her out of bed and get on with the day he had planned for her. But he stayed where he was for a moment, happiness erupting in his chest as she was falling back asleep, clutching now tightly onto him as if he were her new 'teddy bear.ʼ

A chuckle vibrated against her neck when her mate buried his face into her hair, enjoying her scent and sudden cuteness. "Jaan, itʼs time to get up."

He pressed gentle kisses down her neck as she finally unraveled herself from him and arched her back, her heat still getting to the both of them.

Her toes curled and his chuckle turned into a mix of a groan and growl, the pair struggling to refrain from setting another wild fire in the bedroom.

"Mmmm Om but itʼs still night time." Gauri  protested, her voice still groggy and full of sleep.

He watched with a shake of his head as she rolled onto her side, curling up into a fetus-like position.

She felt him soon move off the bed, his weight dipping the matress on one end, then it lifted, relieved to have his heavy ass off of it as he stood up.

Not only was his body there anymore, but his warmth was taken away too, causing her to whimper.

"Come back to bed.."
Suddenly, the drapes were drawn back, blasting sunlight into the dark bedroom, making Gauri wince and bury herself back under the covers.

"Nooooo!" She sounded like a really high-pitched vampire, acting as if the sunlight would burn her, this made Omkara chuckle again.

"We had a deal, my little chirraya. Itʼs seven and I got you coffee, just the way you like it." He tried to persuade her out of bed, gaining success as his woman slowly peeked her head out from under the blanket to blink at him.

As he held up her coffee so she could see he wasnʼt lying, she slowly sat up and reached for it after giving him a warm smile.

"Good morning and I come through with my deals..."
But before she could grasp the cup from him, Omkara drew his hand back and clicked his tongue, "Come and get it." He teased, a devilish smirk appearing on his handsome face.

She eyed the coffee cup, then narrowed her eyes on him, a small snarl sneaking past her lips. "Omkara , I'm not in the mood for games."

"Just take the coffee,Jaan." He replied all too casually, but there was still that mischievous gleam in those ocean eyes of his.

Gauri sucked in a breath and bit back another snarl as she moved closer to him and reached for the cup again.

She should've known better as he moved his hand away again right when she almost took hold of the cup. If looks could kill, he'd be already dead.

"Alright, alright. Here." He put his free hand up in surrender, laughing as she gripped the collar of his tee shirt and he took that as his chance to steal another breath taking kiss from her.

When she grasped the coffee cup, her eyes widened and a blush swept across her soft cheeks as his lips brushed over hers.

Gauri  let out a happy sigh and melted in his embrace at the end of the bed, his strong arms sliding around her waist possessively. But before she knew it, he released her and walked across their bedroom, stopping in the doorway to say something to her over his shoulder.

Stuck in sunshine and rainbows ville, she barely made out his words and raised the cup to her lips, taking a sip.

She then sighed happily once more as the warm coffee rejuvenated her.

The sweet liquid glided over her tongue to her throat.

It was just the way she liked it; sweet and creamy.

Just like Omkara had promised.

Though the image of him dressed in dark denim jeans, a fitted white tee, and leather jacket with shades hanging from the front of his shirt was more than refreshing and enough to make her mouth water as well.

Omkara shook his head, aware of her ogling him and repeated what he had said.

"Morning. Get dressed in casual attire, but pack extra clothes, preferably a dress, then meet me outside. Iʼll be waiting." This time she heard him loud and clear, snapping out of the trance.

A whistle escaping her, "Damn." He was looking mighty fine as always.

She sat there for another minute before sliding off the bed and going into the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair.

Once she was finished with her morning routine, she kicked off her bed attire and pulled on jeans, a white tank top, and a leather jacket so she could match him.

Not like it mattered, but she thought itʼd be kind of cute. She could be romantic, couldnʼt she?

Well, more like corny as hell.

Gauri sighed and made her way downstairs, coffee in hand after she finished fixing her hair into a low ponytail.

Making her way outside, she was greeted by her gorgeous mate, who was leaned up against what looked to be a black motorcycle.

Thankfully, she wore black leather boots to pair with her jacket.

She raised a brow at him as she approached the bike and he passed her the bag of food.

"Eat up, weʼve got a long day ahead of us."
Inside the bag laid a blueberry muffin, which was her favorite and she gave him another kiss before digging into her breakfast. Eat first, talk later. A motto she had no problem living by.

"Gross." A few voices said in sync, making the couple turn their heads to glance at their children.

Though they were hardly children anymore.

"Hey, kiddos. Whyʼre you all up so early?" Omkara asked, his arms folding across his chest as he eyed the four.

They looked like deers caught in headlights.

"Weʼre going-..."

Aadhya was cut off by Ahan , who ran a hand through his hair and smiled charmingly at his father.

A gesture his parents knew all too well. "We were just about to ask you the same, dad. Mom."

Aadhira nodded in agreement beside him, while Arth sighed and refused to meet his parentʼs gaze. "Mmm. Weʼre going on a date.

What about you four?" Omkara fixed his jacket as his broad shoulders filled it a bit too much, Gauri , however, just sat there finishing her muffin before approaching her children.

She tiptoed and gave each of them kisses on their foreheads, "Have fun, watch each otherʼs backs alright? And donʼt get yourselves into any trouble, or else all four of you are grounded for a month. Got it?" When it came to their mom, she made all the rules around the house.

Though their father was the one that truly held each rule down and threatened them to listen to their mother.

He, after all, was the man and alpha of the house. Or more like ruler over practically everyone.

Meaning he knew everything that went on.

Many trusted members of his kingdom keep him in the loop and always makes sure to keep an eye on his offspring.

Which annoyed Ahan the most, but they all knew it was inevitable and danger was always out there, waiting to attack them.

"Yes, maʼam." They nodded and the four seemed to disappear in a flash, making Gauri  tilt her head to the side reflexively. "Letʼs hope theyʼll be okay."

"Theyʼll be fine, Jaan." Omkara assured her and handed her a helmet after putting his on. She took it and grinned at him while she got onto the motorcycle.

"Om...Youʼre looking very sexy today. Just wanted to say that." She laughed and kissed his cheek, then put on the overly large helmet.

He turned to look at her, a mischevious smirk on his face. "Well Jaan , if You keep saying that and we wonʼt ever leave the house."

With another laugh, she gave in and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as he started up the engine. "Iʼve never been-.." Her voice was cut off as the motorcycle within a split second took off at high speed out of the driveway and onto the road.

"Damn it Omkara ! A heads up would've b-been n-n-nice..!" She cursed loudly and clung to him for dear life, feeling his laughter as the sound vibrated from his chest to the rest of his upper body.

"You okay?"

"I canʼt feel my body."

"What?"
"Never mind, I just moved my leg. Iʼm all good. But I was saying that Iʼve never been on a motorcycle before!!!!" She shouted, her voice fighting against the wind, so she decided to just use their mind link.

"I know. Thatʼs why I decided to take you riding on it today." He continued to speed along the road, racing to get to their actual destination, while Gauri  clung to him desperately the entire way.

'Cute.ʼ Was what he thought.

ʼCrazy.ʼ Was what she thought.

*********

As he clenched the brakes on the motorcycle and cut the engine, Gauri  glanced around with wide eyes.

Softly, she began to tap his shoulder, then when he finally turned to look at her after pulling off his helmet.

She asked him a question that made him smile.

To him, anything and everything she did or said made him smile, cheesy, but true.

He sometimes wished he could put the feelings she gives him into words, but could find none that described it well enough.

If only he could show her exactly how he feels about her, so, thus he created a day just for them where they could get away from life and their many responsibilities for just a moment and nurture the bond they have.

He wanted to spend time with her, not make love like they normally do, well not that those things aren't amazing but He just wanted to do something that'd be equally as fun, deep, and would help them connect in another way other than mating and talking. He wanted to do more humanly way for her .

"Omkara ..Whyʼre we in the middle of nowhere?"
Her question brought him back to reality and he cleared his throat, the look on his face making her raise her brow in curiosity.

What did he have planned?

"Itʼs a surprise." His smirk was ever so present on his face as he replied and patted the top of her helmet.

Then gently, he unfastened the helmet straps that bound the helmet to her head, and took it off when it loosened up enough.

The petite woman peered up at him as he did so, her eyes wide, and her heart racing.

The question seemed to float right across her face when he took the helmet and gaze back down at her.

His eyes connecting with hers as if to answer her question. 'Yes, I still feel the same as I did the first time we met.ʼ

Just that made her face glow and he swore to her heʼd take her out more often once they had their life back in order.

For now this will be their only day off and first and only date for awhile.

Not wasting any time, he tore his gaze away, placed the helmets on the bike, and shoved the keys into his pocket before motioning for her to follow him.

His woman's sudden hesitation and wariness was obvious as she looked around, seeing nothing but grassy plains and tons of hills in front of them. But, nonetheless, she followed and marched up several hills, following his lead until she grew flustered and the heat was bothering her, along with the fact that her short legs began to ache.

It was obvious that she was uncomfortable and already tired as she started to sigh along the way.

"Om-.."
He stopped as they reached the top of another one of the hills,

"Trust me, Gauri ."
This was one of his famous few-worded responses, but she knew she could trust him and stood there, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Man was she out of shape. "Alright. I trust you. Now lower to the ground and donʼt look behind you." Her order was random, but he curiously did as he was told and lowered a bit to the ground.

He heard her footsteps then come closer, soon followed by her body practically latching itself onto him, like how she did on the ride over.

Her action made him chuckle again and he began to shake his head.

"Jaan,If you wanted a piggy back ride, you couldʼve just said so." He mumbled, straightening back up and clutched her thighs, which straddled his hips.

She enjoyed the feel of his muscles bunching as he began walking again, this time up another hill.

"Well ,Hold on tight love." She did as she was told and gripped onto him, her nails digging into the leather of his jacket.

"Itʼs alright. Weʼll be there soon. And believe me itʼll be worth the journey."

*******

No way!'

A thought entered her mind and the words full of surprise and frustration threatened to claw its way out of her, but she took in a deep breath and narrowed her glowing orbs.

Her sights set out on two figures walking off in the distant.

While mumbling underneath her breath several curses in fae tongue, the young woman stealthily moved from her hiding spot, which was the small end hovering just over the rear tire, and dusted dirt particles off of the small pink dress she was wearing once she relocated to another small spot that kept her hidden from view. "How dare my King not inform me of this-.." She paused, flabbergasted as her cheeks grew red with anger and jealousy, but was able to suck in another breath and finish her sentence with a small stomp of her foot. "Of this-..T-This meeting with the Queen."

Kia stomped her tiny foot a second time, her arms folded now across her chest as she peeked her head out from behind the rock and stared straight at Omkara .

Her wings fluttered with joy at how handsome he looked and a smile made it's way onto her lips, but as soon as Gauri  blocked her view by climbing onto his back, that smile almost instantly faltered.

Her expression turned grim as she watched the pair continue on into the sun, leaving her behind.

Maybe she should do something? The thought of stirring up some trouble made her wince, but she clenched her fists and decided it was all or nothing.

She wouldn't settle for anyone, but Omkara , even though he had told her and Gauri  that his wish were for them to get along. How could they ever?

"He will be mine!" The tiny fae declared, though not loud enough for anyone to hear except for herself of course.

With that set in stone within her mind, Kia marched forward only taking flight when sure the pair wouldn't look her way.

The last thing she needed was a crazy she-wolf catching her and threatening to gobble her up again.

She shuddered at the sudden gruesome image that seemed to be accurate to her future death if she wasn't careful. But she knew one thing for sure, and that was that Omkara Singh Oberoi would be hers, not that psycho she-wolf of his.

"We're destined to be together, my King. Just you wait."

Without no further a do, she flew on, keeping out of sight as she followed the couple up the many hills and by the time noon had arrived, the King and his Queen finally came to a stop.

Landing nearby, she listened in on their conversation and watched them with hooded eyes, confusion swirling in them as Omkara had suddenly released Gauri  and covered her eyes.

"We made it to our second, but not final destination."

"Fantastic, it only took 100 years. Omkara ." Gauri  replied sarcastically, though her words couldn't hide the excitement in her voice as he only rolled his eyes and counted down from three.

Once he said one, he removed his hands and she was able to take in the sight displayed out before her.

With wide eyes, the woman took in the classic checkered blanket, basket, and flowers covering the entire top of the hill.

Standing there with shock written all over her face, she noticed they had reached the tallest hill and that gave the most beautiful view of the mountains and valleys surrounding the area.

"Omkara , this is amazing.."
She was at a complete loss for words, especially as he grasped her hand and led her to the blanket that was spread out in the center of the hill.

His eyes shone with concern as she failed to say anything more for a whole moment, instead of speaking, she sat there in silent awe.

He noticed her expression and relaxed slightly, a warm smile forming on his lips as he watched her take in the view.

"Yes, the view is quite stunning. But it's nothing compared to you, my jaan." Upon hearing his response, Kia let out a small gasp, but quickly clamped her hands over her mouth and shrunk back behind the picnic basket.

Her heart pumped loudly in her ears and no matter how many breaths she took, she couldn't calm herself down.

Why was she feeling like she might explode?

With few slaps to her face by her own hand, she came back to her mission and scrambled up and into the basket when the pair was not looking, then she searched the assortment of items in it, only to smirk as she found a small bowl of chocolate fondue and strawberries.

"Now I can work with this."
After working her 'magic', Kia quickly made her way out of the basket, but found it was too late as Omkara started reaching for it.

Squeaking in surprise, the tiny fae slipped back into it and scrambled around, trying to find a place to hide.

A string of curse words following her.

"Pft, corny as always." Gauri  seemed to be slightly unamused, but her blush was something she couldn't so easily hide and his response didn't help, if anything it made her cheeks grow hotter.

"You love it when I am, there's no denying that sweetheart." With a small cough, she cleared her throat and quickly gestured towards the basket, trying to distract them both from the sudden intensity growing between them again.

"Sadly, I'm more interested in what you packed up in there."

"Ouch, my heart. You might want to watch that mouth of yours, or else I might have to teach it a thing or two."

"Teach me a thing or two my majesty."

"I'm getting the feeling that you want me to, but sorry to disappoint. I can't."

"What?" The sudden curve caught her by surprise and she held back her disappointment and confusion.

Did she just get rejected? Since when did he speak smooth words to catch her off guard paired with playful flirting, then not come through in the end and lead up to what he's started.

It was highly unlike him, or was she just getting to crazed because of the heat?

Gulping back the load of questions threatening to gush out, she scoffed slightly and stared him back in the eyes.

Alright, rejection shall be met by more rejection and deviance. Two can play this game.

"It's alright, your majesty. I didn't think you could teach me much anyways. You're all bark and no bite." She finished her comment off with a casual shrug, and already a wave of power and testosterone overwhelmed her senses.

He wasted no time playing and let his fingers reach out and run through her long hair, before he suddenly stopped, gripped a fistful and gently yanked her head back to expose her neck.

This was met with a tense silence as her mate then ran the tip of his nose up along the length of her neck and when he reached her face.

His dark eyes stared down into hers before he took her mouth with his own, his kiss rough, yet passionate.

His lips cocky and skilled, knowing how to make her lips part and mouth sing the sweetest of melodies.

The man had a way of playing her body like a prodigy playing his favorite instrument.

For a few minutes, they hadn't parted, his mouth enjoying the way she stilled and melted, oh how sweet she was.

It was as if chocolate had met fire, melting with a single caress of his lips and tongue.

'No, she would never taste like blood.' He thought as he kissed her deeply, 'till she swooned and sighed. She wasn't bitter and did not taste of copper.

She tasted much better, like the sweetest, purest honey, something him and his wolf craved more than blood itself.

Keeping their date in mind, he released a low growl and forced himself to pull away.

"Am I all bark and no bite now, Jaan ?" He asked, his voice hoarse as he tried to calm his wolf down, but kept his gaze on his woman, who was still trying to regather her bearings and figure out what had just happened.

Dazedly, she sucked in a breath and bit down on her bottom lip, laughing softly and nervously a little. "I suppose not."

Kia stomped around in the basket, still listening in on them and then she dove behind one of the plates as a hand opened up the basket. "Here, eat. Then we're gonna go to our final destination. I promise." Omkara's voice returned to normal as he informed Gauri  of the plan without giving away anything, and with that he took out the bowl of strawberries
and chocolate fondue, then offered it to her.

Licking her lips, Gauri  didn't hesitate to reach for a strawberry an went to dip it into the chocolate, until Omkara stopped her by standing and offering her his hand.

With a smile, she placed her hand in his and he helped her to her feet before leading her near to the edge of the hill.

"The best part is to scream anything at the top of your lungs. Ready..?" He asked, looking at her as he grinned a bit, earning him a nervous grin back, and then at the same time they shouted, "I love you!"

It was weird hearing their voices echo and respond back, but it also was a tad bit fun and entertaining.

"Really?!" Kia, however, screamed from inside of the basket before flying out in anger and zooming in the direction of Gauri and in hope to push her off the hill, she rammed her body at full force into the center of the woman's back, causing her to stumble slightly and lose her balance.

This only succeeded in the pair stumbling down together and ending in fits of laughter.

"Guess this is a sign that we should probably get going. The last site is ten times better and not far from here." Omkara finally said and chuckled as he plucked grass out of her hair. Gauri sat up beside him and nodded with a smile, "Lead the way my man."

She couldn't wait to see the big surprise he had saved for last and even though she was a bit hungry and exhausted, she knew it'd be worth it.

Kia on the other hand flew after them, her fists clenched once more, "Errr! My magic should've worked already. Why isn't anything working?!"

He's going to be mine. He has to be!

***********************************

The man rolled his shoulders and glimpsed through the spaces between several leaves, his body crouching behind a large patch of ferns, his hazel cat-like eyes staring in the direction of several figures.

It looked as if there were two groups, one of which, however, was currently surrounded by the other.

Familiar scents continued to fill his nostrils, along with the scents emitted from the strangers, strangers who had his members surrounded.

"Shit..Omkara might as well have my head on a platter and throw a feast. There's only one thing left to do.." He let his body start to take on its morphing process, bones cracked and formed, fur sprouted from his skin, and large canines and claws took over both arms, feet, and mouth. Soon the man had changed from man to beast.

Unsheathing his claws, he stretched out his body before lowering into a crouching position, a deep snarl rumbling in his throat as he prepared to pounce and rescue the offspring of his new King.

That is until, a young woman stepped out from the crowd of attackers and approached the eldest son, Arth, who stood his ground, eyes dark and body ready. "Rouges..I should've known. This was a bad idea.." He growled out, his anger pointed towards his brother, Ahan, but his attention stayed glued on the female .
.
"Bingo. Now, who wants to die first?"
The young woman spoke, her dark hair framing her pale face and her ice blue eyes also stayed trained on Arth. "You must be the leader. If that's the case, I challenge you to a dual. A fight to the death to be exact."

"I know what a dual is. And alright. I accept." Arth spoke boldly, but his eyes held no fire, no sincerity, no kindness.

There was no emotion hidden there even with his siblings begging him not to fight, this made the she- wolf a bit hesitant, but nonetheless, she would fight after all she proposed the challenge.

A smile curled on her lips as she eyed him and in her hand she held a small dagger.
"Then let's begin."

Kabir  listened closely and shrunk back, his eyes intense and a knowing look mixed with amusement flashed across his features as he watched the scene unfold.

"Interesting. Let's see how this goes."

The young manʼs gaze stayed trained on the woman in front of him, his eyes narrowing slightly when he noticed her eyes shut and her leg lifted to land a kick to his stomach. But he was quick to catch her leg, his hand gripping part of her calf, before shoving it away as he released her, causing her to go off balance for a second.

Surprisingly, she was quick to recover and ran at him, eyes glimmering with streaks of
determination and hands ready to spill blood.

He had never fought a female before, but thereʼs a first for everything.

He prepared himself to take her attacks, letting her knuckles hit straight muscle, then when she reached up to slice him with her dagger, he raised his hand and gripped her wrist tightly, then grasped her other wrist with his other hand when she tried to punch him with it.

"Itʼs over.." He was cut off suddenly as she took him off guard and wrapped her leg around his and pulled to knock him down.

Sure enough the sudden gesture caused him to stumble back, but his grip only tightened on her wrists.

His body hit the ground with a thud, the female landing on top of him, but when his gaze reached hers.

All fight left her eyes for a moment and instead she peered down at him with wide orbs. "..Youʼre my...mate."

Kabir  clapped beside his siblings, he knew exactly what was going on and wore a warm smile. "Fate has a great sense of humor, doesnʼt it? Congratulations, Arth Youʼve found your mate."

Ahan  blinked up at the girl on top of him, his blue eyes searching hers, his wolf giddy, but his human was confused and shocked.

He cleared his throat and kept his gaze on the girl as he spoke to Kabir, "W-What?"

No sooner did Ahan respond before Kabir did, "Hold up! Sheʼs your mate? What? I was so looking forward to seeing the two of you trying to kill each other, then this? Really...How boring." He groaned, protesting which made his other siblings sigh and shake their heads.

"Good luck to whoeverʼs your buddy , Ahan." Aadhya bluntly replied and patted his shoulder.

Everyone then turned to look back at Arth  as he stared up at his mate.

"Whatʼs your name?" "Ankita .."

******

"3...2...1. Open." He whispered near her ear after moving his hands off her eyes, though they still laid closed until he said she could open them, he couldnʼt wait to see her gorgeous golden orbs and the emotion left vulnerable in them.

Her lashes slowly lifted as she opened her eyes, but soon widened as she stared in awe at the sight.

Tears starting to swim in them, as flickers from the lit candles danced about, the reflection of the flames gleaming in those golden hues of hers. "...Om.."

He offered her his hand and peered down lovingly down at her, "Come on, the dinner is probably getting cold."

She laughed a bit and nodded as he brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping her tears away.

Nuzzling her cheek further into his palm affectionately, she smiled. "Itʼs beautiful."
Gauri  then placed her hand in his and they walked together down the candle lit dock to the end of it where a table with their dinner and roses sat.

A single rose stood within a glass casing in the center of the cloth covered table, serving as a beautiful center piece.

She couldnʼt help but admire the perfectly placed candles outlining the edges of the docks, leading to the table and the petals coating the ground.

It was like a scene straight out of a movie and she was surprised that he did this all for her. He wasnʼt exactly the most romantic sometimes, but she loved him all the same.

He may not be absolutely perfect, but still he was made perfectly for her. And only her.

Kia begged to disagree as she watched with envy from the sidelines, her eyes narrowing as she flew alongside the edge of the dock, trying to keep out of sight. But at this rate, she didnʼt care.

She fluttered above the dinner waiting in gold platters and worked her magic once more.

"This better work.." She mumbled and ducked under the table to wait.

Omkara led Gauri  to the table and pulled her chair out for her, then pushed it in when she sat down and did the same as well across from her. "..Gauri Look, I know Iʼve been busy lately. With all thatʼs been going on..I wanted to make tonight special as best I could-.."

Gauri  smiled and shook her head, cutting him off. "You did an amazing job om .Itʼs more than I could ever ask for." She then ran her fingertip down the glass case, staring at the blood-red rose siting inside of it.

"I got it for you. Itʼs not a real rose, sadly. I just..wanted to get one that would never die to symbolize my endless love for you." He mumbled, his cheeks warming slightly as he knew he sounded really cheesy.

She laughed softly and glanced at him, "I love it Om And I also, love you. Very much. To an eternity together." Gauri  smiled and lifted her glass full of wine.

Together they toasted to loving each 'till the end of time and then got right to eating dinner.

A well cooked chicken chop, mashed potatoes, and bit of nicely cooked asparagus. She wondered if he cooked the meal or not, but by the looks of it.

She was sure He had.

No offense to him, of course.

After the first bite, she swallowed and instantly felt a wave of fatigue sweep over her.

Her vision grew clouded and her head started to pound, it was a very similar feeling when Veer had used a witches spell to control her. She no longer could move her body, let alone speak.

Panicking, she tried to gain back control of her body, but it felt as if something had possessed her.

Then suddenly her body jolted upright and walked almost robotically to the edge of the dock.

Her eyes stared down at the murky, dark water as Omkara stood from his seat and rushed over to her.

"Gauri , whatʼre you doing?..Stop it." He growled out, reaching for her waist, but something shoved her body right into the lake.

Screaming through their mindlink, she tried to contact him, 'Omkara !!! I canʼt control myself..Someoneʼs controlling my body!ʼ Her voice became strained as something began taking over her thoughts, her mind soon going blank.

She couldnʼt move or think, completely paralyzed as her body sunk further into the dark depths.

Everything becoming pitch black as her body fell to the bottom.

This was it.

She was drowning.

Her lungs began to fill up with water and she struggled to breathe, but couldnʼt open her mouth.

Water rushed into her nose and down her throat, burning it as her skin paled from the lack of oxygen and the coldness of the lake.

Omkara heard her cry for help through their link, but somehow their connection was lost.

He wasted no time, plunging head first into the dark water.

He dived in deep, swimming as fast as he could go to the bottom in search of his beloved woman.

Fear building up in him the closer he got to the lakeʼs floor.

With his night vision, he was able to see just enough to make out her figure hovering above the bottom of the floor.

Her dark black hair spread angelically like waves around her face, her skin almost ivory like the moon as he swam closer and pulled her close into his arm.

Quickly, he pushed off the bottom with his feet and shot upwards to the surface.

God, she felt so light and frail. And cold. So cold.

He tried to warm her as he pushed her onto the dock and preformed chest compressions along with mouth to mouth CPR in hope to get the water out of her so that she could breathe.

He lifted her head gently, water droplets dripping off the wet strands of his dark hair onto his skin, rolling down his face as he tried to get her heart to pump again, his mouth then lowering onto hers and breathing air into her.

Growling, he cursed out and continued to tilt her head back to open up her airways, "Come on Gauri  . Come on...Breathe for me."

Kia watched from above, her eyes widening as she saw the tears and shouts leaving Omkara . What had she done? She flew down and appeared on the docks in her human sized form, quietly coming close to Gauri's  body.

Slowly, she kneeled down and placed her palm over Gauri's  parted lips.

Her hand began to glow a bright illuminating white, the light then moved into the she- wolfʼs mouth and dragged the water up and out of her body.

Omkara closed his eyes, squeezing them shut, and rested his head on his mateʼs stomach, tears mingling with water as he screamed in agony into her damp clothes, though his voice was muffled, it didnʼt stop him from begging her to wake up.

Soon water lifted out of her body and returned to the lake, but Gauri  still remained the same.

Her body lay there, pale as snow, with a touch of blue and purple on her lips and patches on her skin from the lack of heat, and her golden  eyes stayed peering up at the night sky.

Had she left him?

Omkara slowly stood and staggered towards Kia, causing her to back up. His fists were clenched and his eyes pitch black, while his fangs were bared. "Did you do this..to her?" He said in a rather calm tone, making her fear him more as she scrambled back down the dock, trying to get away from him as he stormed towards her.

"Answer me!!!" He roared out, the earth shaking sound of his beast made the trees tremble and the water stir.

Every animal of the night escaped back to their homes, keeping out of sight.

The fairy jumped, startled, her entire body shaking as she lowered her gaze.

Her eyes swam with tears as she nodded, but tried to explain.

Though nothing could ever justify her actions. She was the one who placed the manipulation magic on his mate.

"I-..I—! Swear I didnʼt mean for her to..die. I just.." Before she could find her sentence, he had his hand wrapped so tightly around her throat, she couldnʼt scream or breathe at all.

He held her a few feet off of the ground and strangled her, his jaw clenching. "A life for a life."

His grip tightened to the point her windpipe threatened to break, she clawed at his arm and squirmed, writhing around like a fish trying to breathe on land. But he never loosened his grip, never once blinked as he started to see the life begin to fade out of the fairyʼs face.

Another growl left him before he went to snap her neck in two, suddenly halting when a weak voice called out to him.

"Om?" The voice croaked, it was small and faint, but it was loud enough to reach his ears and make him turn around.

There his woman sat, her eyes focused on him, wide and confused.

His heart leapt up and down out of joy and relief.

Forgetting about Kia, he released her and rushed over to his mate, his eyes returning to their usual blue.

"Jaan. Are you okay? Oh God, I thought I lost you.." He breathed out shakily and held her close to his chest, almost crushing her. But she winced and gave him a small smile,

"Never. Iʼm okay, just sore and tired." She said and leaned into his embrace, her fingertips running through his hair to reassure him.

He breathed in her scent and held her in his arms most of the night, afraid to let go and see that she vanished. But when he opened his eyes, her golden ones met his.

"I think we should go home now, Om." She whispered softly and he nodded, lifting her up in his strong arms, but she suddenly blurred out something.

He strained to hear her and realized she was pointing at the rose in the glass casing. His heart went out to her as he handed it to her, watching as she clutched it closely to her chest, then carried her all the way back to where his motorcycle was parked.

As they left, Kia was completely forgotten and left to pick herself up in the bitter cold of the night.

*****

The ride home was silent and quick, since Omkara wanted to get her checked out immediately by the pack doctor.

He had to make sure she was okay.

Despite her protests, she ended up being examined only to then be sent to bed when they got home.

Crawling into bed, Gauri  laid down on her side, curling up and closing her eyes almost instantly out of exhaustion.

Her breaths softened when Omkara sat down on her side of the bed and began to gently tuck her hair behind her ear.

Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head and hesitantly left her side to check up on their children.

As Omkara got down to the bottom of the staircase, he paused when he made eye contact with Arth, then looked over to see a female beside him.

They reeked of anxiety and seemed awfully flustered as he raised a brow and walked over.

Folding his arms across his chest, he prepared to ask him what was going on. But realized it when his gaze lowered and saw the two holding hands. His son had found his mate.
"Dad, this is Ankita ."