My Destined Werewolf Mate

"Clara? Hey!? Helloooo!" 

"Huh?"

Flinched at her sudden loud call, Clara averted her eyes away from Czar and perplexedly stared back at the phone. From her facial expression, she seemed quite fidgety as she was concerned about his broken feelings deep inside.

"Hey!? Did you hear me, Clara?" Impatiently, Eva responded aloud over the call again leaning much closer towards the screen. 

"Ye-Yes!" She nodded.

"Yes? Only yes? What kind of cold reaction was that?" She frowned her brows, murmuring in a displeased tone while glancing at her. Next to her, Zeus was seated calmly crossing his arms over his chest holding a meek smile on his face while looking at Eva tenderly and savoring their chit-chat. 

"I expected you would jump with joy hearing about it! But...instead...you sounded so cold and pale... Are you really okay? You don't seem like my Clara at all!" She pouted her lips, whining at her. 

A warm smile escaped the edge of her lips hearing her whining like a small child. She nodded her head again expressing her sincere reply, "Who said I am not happy? Gosh, I am spellbound, to be honest! I am running out of words to express my feelings today...

I knew this day would come sooner or later because...from the day I met him...I knew it already, you both will always belong to each other no matter how hard you try to drift apart. Congratulations my best friend! I can imagine your happiness today...you must have waited so long for this big day to come... 

And...congratulations to you too, brother Zeus! Thank you...for vowing to take care of my troublesome bestie... I know, I can always trust you. Thank you...for making her birthday this year memorable than ever..." She retaliated her tender response holding a jovial expression on her face but somehow her heart was still getting concerned about Czar's emotions.

Softly, she raised her chin up to peek a glance at him and saw, he was trying quite hard to get a hold of himself. Putting both of his arms inside his coat, he was staring up at the night horizon listening to their conversation while retaining a sad smile on his face. 

"I knew it...You will be most content to hear about it...That's why I couldn't hold myself in from letting you know right now by face-timing at this hour... Clara...I...I am so happy today! He...He even gave me a violin today... He wants me to pursue my dreams which I had buried deep down in my heart long ago... My...My life feels so complete right now... I...I am still in disbelief that it's all actually happening to me..." Her voice crooked a little while she was reverberating aloud. It seemed she was trying hard to contain the turbulence of her emotions experiencing the long-awaited happiness she eagerly waited for. 

"I...I feel so content right now...Th-Thank you brother Zeus...I knew...you won't disappoint me..." For a moment she gazed still at Eva widening her gaze. However, she still managed to peek glances at Czar who seemed completely still, standing at a measurable distance from her. 

However, Zeus inclined his face closer towards the screen while wrapping his broad arm around Eva who seemed a bit emotionally sensitive. Reacting to her soft response with a warm smile on his grimace he replied, "don't worry. She is my eternal responsibility from now on... I will do my very best to be someone worthy of her..." 

"Clara...what you are doing outside now at this hour? It's quite odd for you to step out alone. Are you with someone right now?" All of a sudden, Eva peeped her eyes at her asking in a cordial manner. 

"Me? Why? N...No! I...I am not..." Looking quite perplexed, she tried to lie with a straight face, gulping her saliva down. Hearing her sudden interrogation, Czar too seemed a bit startled as he shifted his gaze towards her, locking their dubious eyes for a moment. 

"But...then why are you--"

"Err...Eva...I think...you must spend your quality time together with him...Don't bother about me... Make some good memories when you are on vacation... And...do come back safe... Happy birthday my bestie...once again." Before she could interpret her words, she proclaimed aloud in a loud impertinent voice intending to hang up the call first.

Both Eva and Zeus could clearly monitor her unknown anticipation but didn't inquire her furthermore. They smiled blissfully at her, waving their hands back before the call got disconnected. Turning off the screen while taking a deep sigh out, she lifted her chin up looking at Czar who was still standing absolutely tranquil. 

Taking a step closer to him she was peering at him intensely. Though she thought of communicating with him normally but...deep inside her heart, she was well aware of the incursion feelings of his broken heart he was trying to suppress within hearing about the betrothal of the one he treasured with his whole heart. 

"She sounded...really happy...isn't it?" Averting his heartfelt gaze away from her, his sonorous voice sounded quite glum as he exhaled a deep sigh.

"Are...Are you alright?" Fidgeting out of concern, she stared deep into his eyes mumbling slowly. 

"Of course! Why I shouldn't be alright? In fact...I am rather happy that those two fools are finally together. They indeed have gone through a lot but definitely...they belong to each other's happiness." He rustled with a serene grin trying hard to conceal his grievous heart behind the fake smile he had put up. 

"I don't think...you are alright... at all. Also, the smile you are putting on also seems quite fake..." She lowered her eyes down looking a bit glum from her eloquence. "I...just want to say that...you don't have to try too hard to portray yourself all fine. It's okay to be sad...It's okay to express what you are feeling inside." Squirming her fingers, she whispered haltingly. 

A small chuckle escaped his plump lips hearing out her sincere remark. Towing his face down a bit closer to her, he sneered making a witty face. "Since when did you started to worry about me way too much? Your precious best friend for whom you considered to be my slave is receiving her long-awaited happiness. You should be happy for her but instead, why are you putting up a sad face for my sake? Haha...This is quite unlike of you!" 

Immediately a tinge of agonizing realization surged inside her heart hearing his honest proclamation. Unknowingly, her words halted, she stood like a pillar, all numb and awe-struck. 

"That's strange! But...he is right! I should be forgetting about everything else and be the happiest today for my Eva! But...why can't I do that? Why does his sad smile aching my heart so bad whenever I am glancing at him? Why...Why am I caring about his grief more than my joy? That...That's unlike me! What the fuck is going on with me?" Twitching her jowls, she was lost in her worriments looking very concerned. 

Watching her troubled face for a few seconds, a wide smile spread out on his grimace. He gently raised his arm and patted her head tenderly, which even flinched her in wonder. 

"Don't over-stress your heart for my sake, Clara. I am fine... From the very beginning...I knew it well that she won't be mine... But still, I chose to defy my fate to some extent which made me realize...I am...certainly not the one for her. As long as...she is happy with that fool...I am pretty satisfied. And this time, I am honest with my words. Go...and get some rest. Okay?" He enunciated in a gentle voice, holding a small kind simper. 

Apprehending his heartfelt response, she couldn't utter a single word but a wail of tears rolled inside her throat urging her to cry out aloud. But owning a sad smile on her face, she continued staring at him for a moment trying to suppress her grief.

Slowly after consoling her, Czar turned away from her and started walking back all alone in the dark. While walking away, he could perceive a pair of sad eyes were watching him from behind but he didn't have the courage to turn behind and face her as...he was afraid of being wrecking down in tears. While strolling with a sad sneer on his grimace, slowly he took out one of his arms from his coat pocket holding something in his grip.

It was the dried tangerine peel that he still carried with him almost everywhere. Caressing it softly in his hand, all he could visualize was Eva's tender smile when she had handed him the tangerine which became a bittersweet memory in the end. Unwillingly, warm tears started streaming down his dark eyes. 

.............

THE PEARLESS HOSPITAL:

Slowly and steadily, blinking a few times, Eric tried to open his eyes trying to view his surroundings through his blurry vision. The back portion on his head was throbbing quite hard which further twitched him in pain. 

As soon as he opened his eyes, to his shock, he was lying still on a hospital bed with Ivory holding an impertinent gaze was sitting right next to him on a stool. His eyes rolled wider in awe as their eyes met for a moment. 

"Hey...you are awake?" In a cold voice, she inquired first.