My Long Lost Mate

"Is it okay for us to leave the ball for so long?" I asked Luke, walking down the stairs along with him. Luke had asked me to take a little walk to the garden, saying there was something he wanted to show to me. 

"It is fine," he answered, "Didn't you see Kiel himself running to the balcony? Kiera is the only one who is excited about the ball, so don't fret about it. We don't even need to come back there."

I nodded to his answer, feeling a little relieved that we didn't need to come back there. I was uncomfortable receiving their stares, moreover when their eyes lingered way too long for my liking. And not to mention that it was not a welcoming eye, but more like scrutinizing me from head to toe. 

Based on the stares that all the women gave to him, I realized Luke was pretty famous amongst the vampiress. All the years of him coming to this ball must have gotten him quite a fame, including the fact of him being an eligible candidate for marriage. He must have broken numerous hearts by bringing me along to the ball today—albeit unknowingly.

Luke led me through the manor without any difficulty, knowing all the path in this place perfectly well as if it was his own home. When I glanced at him, he was walking with a smile upon his face, looking like he was in a good mood. 

"What is it that you want to show me?" I asked, curious to know where we were going. We were on the ground floor, one floor under the hall where the ball was taking place. The servants must be busy with the ball, which was why there was no one around on the ground floor. It was very quiet, only the sound of the night owls could be heard. 

"You will see," he grinned, "It is a place that I used to go to when I was little." 

It must have been true when he said that this place was like a second home to him. I wonder what kind of things that he did when he was little? Was he a naughty kid? Knowing the person he was, he must be one.

We soon arrived at a garden, the very same one that I saw back on the balcony. The path was covered white by the falling snow, and in every step we took, our footprints trailed behind us. Thankfully, Luke had asked me to change into my usual boots, so walking in the snow was not a problem. 

He led me deeper into the garden, walking past the trees and bushes. I glanced at the hand that was holding mine, feeling the warmth it emitted. Luke's hand had always found its way to mine, almost like it was natural for him to hold mine whenever we walk side by side. My hands were small compared to his, but it was the perfect size to fit in his hands. 

The garden was a little dark, with only a few lamps around to help illuminate the whole place. Because it was dark, I couldn't see clearly what was in front of me and stumbled a few times, but Luke was fast enough to steady me before I fall flat on my face. 

"Be careful," he cautioned. He then walked a step forward without releasing his hold on me, saying, "Step on my footprints. I will walk slowly, so make sure to not fall."

"Okay," I nodded. 

Then for the rest of our journey, Luke made sure that he was not walking too fast, and his stride was not too long for me to follow. It was now easier for me to walk on the trails he left, so there was no more accident. 

Because my eyes were too focused on following his footprints, I didn't notice that Luke had stopped walking in front of me and bumped my head on his shoulders. When I raised my head, all I could see were bushes covered in snow, but Luke had a wide smile on his face when he stared in front. 

"We are here," he said. 

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" I tilted my head, wondering what was there to show. As if wanting to answer my question with action rather than words, he walked ahead and steered the bushes aside, making way for us to walk. 

"Come here," he beckoned. 

When I walked over and passed the bushes, what was in front of me left me awestruck. Behind the bushes, there was a lake—though frozen due to the harsh weather. Above was the night sky, the sight of the moon and the stars clear to the eyes. The combination of both the lake and the night sky was mesmerizing, and I couldn't keep my mouth from falling open. 

"This is beautiful," I continued to stare at the view before me, wanting to capture the beauty with my own two eyes. The frozen lake reflected the light of the moon and the stars, making the whole scenery to be even more splendid. "How did you find this place?" I asked, still stunned at the scenery ahead.

"Only the chosen ones will know about this place," he puffed out his ċhėst, smiling, "I wanted to show this to you."

"And I am one of the chosen ones?" I chuckled, glancing at him. It seemed that he had a knack for finding beautiful places, the first being his secret place, and now this lake. I wonder how many more beautiful places will he show me? I couldn't help but be eager to find out. 

"Of course," he answered, nodding his head. He then sat on the ground and tapped on the big rock beside him, "Sit here."

I followed his words and sat on the big rock beside him, rubbing my hands together to bring a little warmth before shoving them to my coat's pocket. We continued to stare at the scenery in silence until Luke decided to bring up the story of his childhood. 

"I used to come here a lot whenever I visited Gordom," he smiled, reminiscing his memories. "I remembered sneaking a bottle of wine here with Kiel when we were ten. The people were going crazy searching for us, thinking that we went missing when we were actually getting drunk by the lake. When we got back to the manor, Uncle Klein was furious. He was furious because we stole his most treasured wine and not because we drank without permission," he chuckled. 

"Who is Uncle Klein?" I asked. 

"Kiel's father," he answered, "He was a kind man, almost like my second father. He was the one who taught me how to use guns and how to ride horses because the pack wouldn't teach me how to." 

"Why?"

"Because werewolves never use any weapon or ride on another animal. We rely completely on our own strength and body," he explained, "But I was a curious child. I wanted to learn about everything, wanted to be the best in everything—because that was how I was raised to be. I spent most of my childhood training so that I would be fitting to be the future alpha and so that no one would ever dare to challenge my position. The time when I visited Gordom was the only time that I could act like a child."

It must have been hard for him to bear such a big burden since a young age. People must have placed a high expectation for him because he was the son of the supreme alpha, and if he showed a little weakness, it would surely be a huge threat to his position. But was it such a big deal for him to have the position as the supreme alpha? 

"Is it that important for you to be the supreme alpha? Can't any other werewolf be the one to hold that position?"

"It was not that important for me," he shook his head, "But for my father, it was. He was a strict man with a lot of pride, and he had expected his son to be like him—or even better. He didn't want anyone to be better than our family, so I have no other choice but to follow his demands. If only I was born weak, I was sure that I would be kicked out of the family and he would bring another werewolf child my age to replace me. It was fortunate that I was strong enough to please him."

It was the first time that I had ever heard him talking about his father. I thought he would have a good relationship with his father, just like how it was with his mother. He would always talk about his mother with so much adoration, but it was different with the father. There was none of such to be felt. 

Noticing the frown on my face, Luke added, "But I think I have to thank my father. It was because of his harsh training that I could be the man I am today. If it was not for him, I wouldn't have the strength to protect you," he smiled, "And to be honest, it was also pretty fun for me. As I got older, I got a lot more interested in training my body so it was not that hard for me to follow."

After a few moments of thinking, I decided to ask the question that was running for quite some time in the back of my mind, "Where is your father now?"

Hearing my question, he laughed sourly, saying, "I don't really know myself."