Kasun's Kisses [ShadowPack #1]
Chapter 7: The Folk Festival

It has been a few days after the gruesome accident—or was it murder, Marina did not know—that she was all alone in this world. She was looking outside the cottage and only see the forest that was dark and dangerous and was holding every secret to her grandfather's death.

She did not know why but she can felt it in her gut.

Marina sighed before she was cooking some eggs and bacon in the kitchen. Her grandfather has returned the hunts that he got before he died. Good thing for she could use it and think of another plan after this incident.

She has not been able to think, let alone planning for something. She was more concerned about how to survive without her grandfather and what other things that she needed to think about after his death.

The police said that they will look into the murder, though Marina knows they don't have any clue on where to begin. Maybe this was her chance to avenge her grandfather. But where to start? In the beginning? But the most frustrating question of all: where is the beginning exactly?!

Marina turned off the stove before she picked up the bacon and eggs and went to sit by herself on the table, eating the breakfast that was prepared by her. Undercook, she mused before the ringing of the phone cracked the silence that was filling in the cottage these days.

Marina set the plate aside before she went to pick up the receiver. She did not know who would be calling but she just prayed it was not the police for she did not want to answer more questions from them. She sighed before she talked.

"I told you a thousand times, I don't know the answers and I am not the one that killed my grandfather," she said before someone sucked on their breaths.

"Your grandfather died?" Caleb's deep voice was filling her eardrum before Marina felt the heat was warming her cheeks.

"No—yes—I don't know," she replied before she felt the tears were coming down from her eyes. She never properly cried before and she vowed that she would not. But hearing the warmth of Caleb's voice and the sound that made her think that she was not alone in this world, undone her.

And so, Marina Kasun, the once greatest assassin, cried until she sobbed and sucked on her breaths.

"Hey, hey, shh. Calm down. Everything will be okay, you hear me? You are not alone, Marina. I have you and I will always be with you," Caleb said before Marina sniffed.

"But you are not here right, do you? How can I trust your words when you don't even act upon it?" she asked before Caleb was silent. Marina waited for him to answer but instead, she put the receiver in its place and went to clean up the plate that she has for her breakfast.

Then, Marina went to her room to cry again and again until she was falling asleep with her tears on the pillows.

*****

She heard the laughter and she was looking at the sky. Marina was looking at someone with a distinct blonde mane and blue eyes. Her parents as she was smiling at them. They were kissing her chubby cheeks before she was giggling. If she had to guess, she had been 5 years old at the time.

"We won't be late and if we were, you will be receiving a present for our tardiness," her mother said before Marina held her cheek.

"Don't go," she pleaded before her father kissed her cheek.

"Sorry, bubble, but we have to. If not, we're going a little bit mad here," her father said as they were residing in Dubrovnik, Croatia. She was upset but that was the last time she saw them and then, the plane crash happened.

Marina jerked awake when she was sitting up from the bed. She was sweaty and her clothes were clammy to her skin. She brushed her face with her hands before she heard some knocks on the door. She gets out of bed before she went downstairs as the knocking was persistent.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," she said in Greek before she was opening the door. Then, she was facing the hard chest that was moments ago when she heard his voice.

"I am so sorry, Marina. I really am," Caleb said before he was hugging her. She was stunned but she did not want him to let him go. She took in the lemon soap scent that he wore as well as the pine and mint that seems to be stuck to Caleb's skin.

"I should have come sooner if you would tell me. How are you feeling?" Caleb asked her when she felt that he was kissing her hair. Marina hugged him before she was burrowing her face into his chest.

"Everything's hurt. I don't know what I supposed to feel. I know he was my grandpa but...we haven't been on a good term for ages. He just took care of me because he had to," Marina told him before Caleb was shushing her.

"It's okay now. You're not alone. I'm here. I will always be here," he said before Marina was snuggling into his warmth. Despite the chill evening breeze, Caleb was heat and warm. And Marina loved to get lost in it.

"Come, you need to rest. I don't think we can go to the Festival now," he said before Marina was jerking her head to look at his handsome face. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Festival? What festival?" she asked before Caleb chuckled lowly. He kissed her forehead and Marina stiffed for a moment before Caleb's yellow eyes were looking at her face.

"It would seem that you have forgotten our date, considering that your grandpa was still fresh in the grave. It's fine. We can go next time," he said before Marina was shaking her head. She made a promise and she always delivered it.

No matter what stood in her way.

"No, I promise you that I will go with you. So, I will go with you and fulfill that promise,"

"But your grandpa—"

Marina put her finger on his lips. It was soft and inviting that she wanted to have a taste. But she can't for she was not his girlfriend and she did not have a claim on him. But he just hugged me and kissed me on my hair, that should account for something, Marina thought before she was smiling at Caleb.

"My grandpa would want me to be happy in my life and he would not want me to be grieving to him. It has been 5 days and I know that it is time for me to move on. I will mourn for him but I don't have to lock myself up," Marina said before she was smiling at Caleb. He was looking at her before he nodded.

"As you wish then,"

"Just give me 20 minutes and I will be ready," Marina said before she went to her bedroom, feeling excited for the first time after her grandfather's death. I am alive and I should be living my life. I will not let the past dictate me again, she said as she was scouting her wardrobe, wondering which dress she'll wear.

*****

"This is so vibrant and lively," Marina said as Caleb was watching from the sideline. She was excited and Caleb felt proud that he was the reason that she was feeling excited right now. She was supposed to be morning for that old man but right now, he did not care about that.

All he can feel was that his mate, Marina—though she did not know that—was enjoying her time with her.

"This is so fun!" she said as her white cotton sundress was swirling around her body. Caleb smiled before he saw some of the unmated males of his pack was looking at his mate. He growled before they turned to look elsewhere.

The folk festival was supposed to be the only place where the humans, local and tourist, to be mingling with the werewolves of the Shadow Pack. It was a treaty that has been going on for generations and it will be kept for generations more.

"Come, let's dance," Marina said as she was pulling him to the center of the dance floor, covered with fairy lights, and the music was high strung. Marina was laughing out loud before Caleb was laughing as well.

What can he do? Her laugh was contagious.

They were twirling in the folk dance that was taught by his mother before they were swirling in circles as Marina was keeping her eyes on him. Caleb was happy before he can think of anything else.

No arranged marriage with Diana.

No burden of being the future Alpha.

No responsibility that he had to keep for his pack.

Tonight, he was just Caleb with his future mate. Marina was happy and he knows that she wanted to be more than being friends with him. She might not feel it before something broke out. It was coming from the south.

"What is that?" Marina asked before she was making her way to his side. Caleb was securing her before he was dreaded to see what was causing it.

Of course, he thought, that it was unusual for some explosion to be going off. This was Shadow Pack's lands and no human would dare to do some stuff here. Then, he saw who was responsible for the attack.

"We meet again, future Alpha," the Beta, Xavier's father, was holding Diana by her hair as there were warriors by his side.

"Beta, what is the meaning of this?" he asked, trying to keep Marina out of Beta's sight. But of course, he saw her.

"So, this is the reason for you not to marry my daughter?" he said before he was gripping Diana even tighter and she screamed.

"Let her go. She did not know," Caleb said before the Beta smirked at him. He saw something in his eyes that could be considered deadly.

"Well, this bitch was the one that told me she doesn't want to marry you. She said she wanted to be happy. But of course, I don't want that. Not after for all the work that I have been doing these years," the Beta said before he was looking at Caleb.

"If I cannot be the Alpha, then perhaps I should take it myself," the Beta said before he leaped and somehow, Caleb was being attacked by a giant wolf on him.

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