You’re Reading My Thoughts?!

Chapter 22
Karyan went down to Nalani's garden, his eyes wide with Wonder at the flowers blooming with bright colors.

He had often watched Nalani tend the garden from his bedroom window, wondering how the plants grew so quickly.

Now, standing in the middle of the flourishing garden, he felt a deep sadness as memories of the woman he loved so much flooded him.

This was the garden she used to be, the place where she moved with seemingly otherworldly grace, always turning to smile at him when he approached.


He could almost hear her voice, soft and melodious, saying, "Look at this flower, Karyan. I brought its seeds from ivandell."

Sivandell was the kingdom of the fae, a world filled with beauty and wonder. The woman had a quarter of blood in her, a bloodline that gave her delicate beauty and a special touch with plants.

Lost in thought, Karyan knelt beside a cluster of flowers, their fragrance reminded him of the past. He touched the petals gently, feeling a connection with the garden and the woman that he had not felt in a long time.

The flowers seemed to bloom brighter under his touch like a proof of the magic still in his blood.

Unnoticed, someone approached. “My lord...”

Bertold stood at the entrance of the garden. His old, hunched body slowly moved closer, his eyes filled with sympathy.

Karyan disliked being seen in his moments of vulnerability. Being an alpha meant being the most reliable wolf, possessing authority and charisma far above the others.

“What happened to this garden, Bertold?” he asked harshly. “Did you make all these plants grow? Because I’m sure Nalani couldn’t have done it. She’s a Mirean.”

Bertold nodded. “Consider it a magical fertilizer from my Laboratory, my lord.”

Karyan’s eyes narrowed. “Doesn’t that mean you didn’t really give it to her?”

“As you said, Nalani is a Mirean. However, this garden once had a fae’s touch. Its magic lingers even though she is gone.”

“Lorelei isn’t gone,” Karyan hissed, his yellow eyes glared with restrained anger.

“She went to Sivandell.”

“Have you ever heard from her in Sivandell, Alpha my lord?”

No. He had never heard anything from Sivandell despite sending hundreds of envoys there to find out.

“I will never stop sending my envoys there. One day, Lorelei will reach out to me, old man. You... you can’t so brazenly crush my hopes!”

Bertold nodded. A thin smile played at the corner of his lips, but he was very adept at handling angry wolves, especially Karyan. “Then please, enjoy this garden, my lord. I’m sure Nalani won’t mind.”

Bertold turned to leave, but Karyan called out to him angrily. “Bertold, are you still unwilling to be honest about Nalani's Resurrection? Do you think it’s appropriate to behave this way towards me, the alpha, ruler of this kingdom?”

“My lord, not every death is absolute. Perhaps Nalani was simply lucky.” Bertold bowed to take his leave. His frail body hobbled out of the garden.

The wolf within Karyan growled in frustration at the old man. Bertold had been around since Karyan was born.

Despite often being harsh with the old healer, Karyan actually liked him. Bertold had lived in Mond since the time of his grandfather, Darric, who was the alpha of Mond.

Darric had forcibly brought Bertold to their kingdom and given the war prisoner the position of royal healer.

Having known Bertold for so long, Karyan had a gut feeling that the healer was hiding something from him.
***
Sivandell was a world of rare beauty and tranquility, a kingdom where every corner whispers of Fae enchantment.

The land looked like it was made in a dream, with towering trees whose leaves shimmered in the sunlight, their trunks twisting and twisting. Flowers of various colors, petals glowing with their own light.

Streams of clear water meander through the meadows. The air was always filled with the melodious chirping of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves soothed the soul.

At night, the sky above Sivandell was a glittering tapestry of stars, so close you could reach out and touch them.

King Ivandell’s Palace was the heart of this paradise, a majestic building that blends in with nature. Built from ivory-colored stone and adorned with intricate carvings, the palace stands tall and proud amidst colorful gardens.

Vines of flowers climbed its walls, and fountains of light adorned its courtyard.

The palace windows made of the clearest crystal reflected the beauty of its surroundings, casting a rainbow over the polished floor.

Lorelei had always been enchanted by the splendor of Sivandell, though she could only visit occasionally.

Her mixed blood kept her from calling this place home, but her visits were always filled with wonder.

She walked through meadows where the grass was softer than silk, and where ancient trees whispered the secrets of the world’s beginnings.

The wonders of this world felt real, enveloping her like a warm and cozy embrace.

Although her grandmother was exiled for breaking the sacred rule of intermarriage, the fair people of Sivandell tolerated Lorelei’s presence.

Her appearance was a real proof to her Fae heritage-her unique features, eyes that sparkled with otherworldly light, and hair that flowed like spun silver.

It was as if the essence of Sivandell lived within her, masking the wolfish nature that lurked in her blood.

“However, no matter how much Sivandell welcomed me for a while, I always felt I didn’t really belong...”

Karyan remembered all the stories Lorelei had told him as he lay in the garden in his wolf form.

His fur ruffled in the gentle breeze as he recalled the soft tone of Lorelei’s voice recounting her lineage. Suddenly, Nalani appeared, carrying a sack of fertilizer.

She froze when she saw a wolf in the middle of her garden.

“Does this foolish girl know who I am?” Karyan thought.

“Of course I know you, Karyan,” Nalani snapped. “I’m not foolish.”

Karyan was startled when Nalani responded to his thoughts.

“Wait. You can hear me? You can actually hear me?”

“Of course.” Nalani walked closer. She placed the fertilizer near the stone seat and sat there, beside wolf Karyan. “As clearly as if you were speaking to me in your human form.”

Karyan growled. “Where did you learn this? Tell me.”

Nalani shrugged. “It just happened, ever since I lived in Inverno.”

“No one can do this except the wolf kind,” Karyan said. “Noone has for hundreds of years.”

Not even Lorelei, Karyan thought. Lorelei couldn’t hear his thoughts when he tried to express his feelings just before she left.

His wolf body could only freeze and tremble, repeatedly calling out to the woman and telling her that he loved her.

“Who is Lorelei?”

Karyan’s fur stood on end. His eyes flashed with anger. He growled, baring his sharp teeth at Nalani. “Insolent! You're Reading my thoughts?”
***