EPISODE 14%
He hadn’t said it aloud, but I could see it in the way he moved, the distant look in his eyes, how he kept glancing down at his pinky finger as though it betrayed him. He told me once, at a moment when his guard was down, that he had started seeing a red string, faint and delicate, stretching from his finger into the distance./
At first, he thought it was a hallucination. But the longer he stared, the clearer it became.
The string led to me.
It was also tied to my pinky finger.
“Is this what my father meant…?” He muttered one evening, eyes vacant. “The red string of fate?”
He hadn’t said more after that, but I knew the thought never left him. It followed him around like a ghost he couldn’t outrun./
This morning, he looked more lost than usual as he led the patrol, Dan and Leo flanked him, their casual chatter carrying lightly through the trees. Morning patrols were rarely dangerous, mostly routine walks along the borders, but even then, every step Valor took seemed like it was happening somewhere far away from here./
“You’re spacing out again,” Dan called to him, smirking. “What’s with you these days, huh?”
Valor blinked, then turned slightly, frowning. “What is it?”
Dan pointed toward the eastern edge of the woods. “That Moondew Tree… Is it just me or the tree is bearing fruit?“#
Leo squinted through the morning mist.
“No way,” he said, voice rising with surprise. “They’re early. Moondew doesn’t bear fruit until the late season.“/
Dan crossed his arms. “Unless… Someone important is about to be born.”
Valor’s gaze shifted to the tree. Hanging from the branches were soft silver fruits, glowing faintly in the sunlight. For a moment, he just stared.M
“They say Moondew trees only bear fruit early when a strong cub is coming,” Leo added, almost in awe.”
See
Valor didn’t reply right away. His thoughts were impossible to read, hidden behind those sharp eyes. Then he said, “Check the others. See if they’re like this too.“W
Leo nodded and darted off, quick on his feet. Dan lingered behind, studying Valor with that infuriating smirk of his.
“You think it’s because of her, don’t you?” Dan asked.
Valor didn’t answer. Dan chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll take that silence as a yes. You really think it’s her baby that’s stirring the old trees? That’s… wild.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Valor muttered, but his gaze never left the fruit.
“Come on, man,” Dan pressed. “How are things going between you two, really?”
“There’s nothing between us,” Valor replied too quickly, his jaw tightening.
Dan raised a brow. “Liar. Everyone can see it. It’s in the way you look at her, like you’ve already made up your mind.”
Valor looked away, but didn’t deny it.
“I knew it,” Dan grinned. “So? What’s your plan?”
“There is no plan,” Valor said, tone hard. “She’s staying here to recover. That’s it. She doesn’t even remember who she is. It wouldn’t be right 10-“2
“Since when did you become such a gentleman?” Dan interrupted, exasperated. “She has no bond, no memory. If you care about her, why not act? The baby, if it’s born in our pack, no one’s going to care about bloodlines. We take care of our own.”
Valor exhaled sharply. “You don’t get it.”
“No, I get it just fine,” Dan said. “You’re scared. Afraid that if you make a move and she regain her memory, she’ll hate you for it.“#
Valor’s silence was answer enough.
“You like her, Valor,” Dan said, more gently this time. “It’s obvious. So, what if she forgets? Maybe this time around, she’ll choose you willingly
Valor clicked his tongue, scoffing. “You’re single. What do you know about any of this?”
Dan laughed, leaning against a tree. “True, But at least I’m not hopeless like you.”
Before Valor could snap back, Leo returned, panting lightly. “The others are fruiting too. All of them.”
Dan whistled low. “Damn. We need to tell the shaman.“%
They turned back toward the village, the mood shifting from teasing to something heavier. The Moondew Tree only bore fruit early in rare moments, like the birth of a ruler, or the start of an age.
And now, they are all blooming.
When they returned to the village, I was sitting on the grass with the other mothers, their children playing nearby. The sunlight poured gently over us, laughter filling the air as tiny feet darted through the gross.
1 looked up when I sensed them approaching.
My eyes met Valor’s, and for a heartbeat, the world seemed to pause. Something in his expression softened, then quickly hardened again as if he were trying to bury it. The mothers also noticed it
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as if he were trying to bury it. The mothers also noticed it.”
ལ དབ་བབ་་ ལ་་་་་་་ས་ ་
O
“Oh, look at that,” one of them teased, nudging me with her elbow. “Here comes your admirer.“/
I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks warmed nonetheless.”
“Let’s give them some space,” another mother giggled. The others followed her lead, gathering their children and walking away with knowing smiles. Valor frowned, muttering something under his breath as he watched them leave. Then he looked at me, and the scowl melted away.
“How’s your day?”
I smiled. “Peaceful. The little ones are full of energy.“}
He nodded, but didn’t say more. An awkward silence settled between us. He seemed like he wanted to speak, his mouth parting once, then closing again. He lowered his gaze then suddenly froze. I followed his eyes and noticed him staring at his pinky finger. Or more precisely… the red string.
It was glowing. Faint, but undeniable. In the space between us, the thread shimmered, tightening ever so slightly. He swallowed hard, his breath shallow. His heartbeat pulsed in the quiet air between us.
I chuckled, not seeing the red string he was seeing “Mona sent over some supplies earlier. Think you could help me carry them?“? “Sure,” he said, a bit too fast. His voice cracked slightly at the end.”
We walked toward the storage hut, side by side. For a while, the silence held, but then he spoke.}
“The Moondew Trees are bearing fruit early.“}}
The
I glanced at him. “Is that unusual?”
He nodded. “It only happens when… when a king is about to be born.“}]
I raised an eyebrow. “A king? I thought the Council ruled over everything.”
“There used to be one,” he said, eyes faraway. “A long time ago. Before the Council. The King was… like the Alpha of Alphas. A legend, almost. No one’s seen one in generations.“}
“That sounds… important,” I said. “Do you think it means anything now?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s just old magic stirring.”}]
I wanted to ask more, but then I tripped on a root.”
Before I could hit the ground, he caught me. One arm around my waist, the other steadying my back.
Time froze.}
His face was close, too close. I could see the flecks of gold in his eyes, the rise and fall of his chest. The red string pulsed between us like a heartbeat, bright and undeniable.
And in that moment… I didn’t think.
! leaned in and kissed him.”
