The Love of a Lycan

Sometimes the smallest things take up the room in your heart.

-Winnie the Pooh-

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The sun bloomed on the horizon. The morning had come. The golden color light stretched all over to illuminate the bustling city. The light was so warm when it touched Aeon's face. He felt something that was so pure. It engulfed him wholly. Slightly thawed his cold heart. 

"Now, you couldn't even see her again." 

There was someone walking behind him. The person burned a cigarette in his fingers, inhaling the lit up intoxicating delicacy off the cigarette. And the exhaled out thin white smoke into the air. Aeon looked at the devil in disgust. "I didn't know that you do smoke. Are you trying to be more like a human being, than being the devil that you are, huh?" He tried to make it sound harsher than it was supposed to be. 

Lucifer chuckled, and threw away the cigarette in his fingers. He stepped on it. "The taste sucks. I don't even know why they're wasting their precious time for this kind of thing." He walked towards Aeon, and stopped beside him. 

"I thought the devil only appeared at midnight. I never thought I'd ever be seeing one during the day." Aeon said sarcastically. It was not the right time, he didn't want to be bothered by anyone, let alone the devil! He wanted to be left alone at the moment. But he knew better than anyone, that it wouldn't be easy to shoo Lucifer away.

"Oh, spare my wretched life!" Lucifer whined exaggeratedly. "I am the morning star. Devils only appear at midnight? You should throw that thought away! Because devils would always be behind you, at any moment of your life." He smirked devilishly.

They were in a quiet park where not many people seemed to be around. It was because the morning had just started, and not many people came to visit this place at this hour. Only occasionally they would see two or three people passed by while exercising. 

Not far from the park, there was a lake that seemed to be man-made. A dolphin-shaped fountain was in the middle of the lake. Lucifer, and Aeon were standing behind the fence around it. They were looking at the calm surface of the lake, as the morning breeze brought a smell of wet grass.

"If I knew you were with that girl, I wouldn't have to bother myself asking Andromalius about her." Lucifer sighed regretfully for the headache that he had gone through. He wouldn't have to take the useless roundabout way that he had undergone.

"Don't you dare to lay your hand on her!" Aeon glared at the devil. "Remember, we have a deal."

Lucifer raised both of his hands, surrendered for the sake of the argument. Yet, when he did that gesture, the corner of his lips curved upward, showing a mocking smile that was clear to be seen. "Don't worry, if ever the deal ended up getting violated, I will not be the one who breached it."

"Well, you better keep your word." Aeon warned him. 

"I intend to do so." Lucifer was about to pat Aeon's shoulder. But before he could land his hand on him, Aeon swatted his hand away swiftly. "What are you going to do from now on, then? The book is no longer with the girl now. Do you have any other way to come, or get closer to her?"

"I will find a way." said Aeon with a determination lit in his eyes. 

"I hope the result won't betray the effort." Lucifer said it sarcastically. "You know how those lycans are annoyingly overprotective towards their mate, right?"

"She is not his mate. I met her first." Aeon said stubbornly.

"Well, I wish you good luck then." Lucifer said gleefully. And then, he disappeared into thin air, as if he had never been there in the first place. The only thing that he left was the cigarette on the ground, as the only evidence of his appearance.

==============

The following day passed uneventfully. 

Serefina, was still missing. She was nowhere to be found. The day when she burned Raine's mother's diary was the last day they saw that witch. She hadn't appeared ever since. Meanwhile, Raphael got a new teacher for Raine three days after.

Her name was Martha. She was a forty-something, energetic woman. She was a short brown haired woman, who always used a dark brown colored lipstick. Raphael said that she would teach Raine all the materials that would be tested in the university entrance exam.

Martha was strict, that would remind Raine of Serefina. And the way she taught her, was just so well organized. Everyday Raine would study from ten to three o'clock, with one hour of break. All these study routines were run systematically from Monday to Friday. Mostly they would be inside Torak's office as their place of study.

It was true that Torak refused to leave Raine behind at home. That was why he was being adamant to keep her within his line of sight. It brought them to a situation where Torak was getting busy with his new business, and Raine would also be busy with her study. 

The fact that Torak's office has its own elevator, had its own benefit. No one else knew about Raine, and her teacher's existence there. Because it would always be either Raphael, or Calleb who would come into his office. And it was only to give, or retrieve documents.

This also helped Raine to focus on her study, as there weren't many insignificant people passing by, and entered the room. 

Sometimes, when Torak didn't have to come to the office, they would study at home. Then, Torak would be there to accompany her. He would give her some space, by sitting far from her, so he wouldn't disturb her study. He would also keep quiet the whole time until Raine finished with the program for the day.

"Alright, I think it's enough for today." Martha's slightly rough voice stopped Raine from writing the answer for the question in her textbook. "You can give me the answer tomorrow, and also do the next page." She looked at her watch. The time showed that it was now 15.02 p.m.

In her contract, it was underlined that she wasn't allowed to extend the study hours, and skip the break time. It was also a confidential contract that included she wasn't allowed to tell a single soul about this. Martha had no idea why Torak Donovan was so insisting upon keeping this a secret. But since the payment that she received was more than enough, she would stop herself from being a busy body. 

Martha tidied up her belongings, and then she said goodbye to Raine. She glanced at Torak, and only nodded her head. She was afraid that it'd bother him if she brought herself to act friendly more than it should. Even from her first day working there, until now, they had never exchanged small talk with each other. It was easy to read from Torak's demeanor only, that he had zero interest in doing so.

Before the door of the elevator closed, Martha glanced at Raine once again. Who exactly is this girl? She was too young to be Torak Donovan's lover, right?—she thought to herself, wondering the mystery behind these well kept secrets.

After the elevator brought Martha away, Raine and Torak were once again left alone inside the office. Raine trudged toward him, and crawled to his lap, burying her face on his shoulder.

"Tired?" Torak smiled to see Raine acted this way. He put down the document in his hand, adjusting her in his embrace. She was cradled in his arms like a child. "Do you want to eat something?"

"Ice cream."