Meredith.
Draven stopped briefly to buy me cotton candy from one of the vendors in the park.
I took it, but the sugary fluff melted heavily on my tongue. It was the distraction I craved, not the sweetness.
When we returned to the car, one of Draven’s men drove us toward the mall while two others followed closely behind.
Then I forced myself to finish the cotton candy because I hated the idea of Draven catching on to my unease.
But he didn’t say anything, though. He just sat there beside me steadily as always.
At the mall, we took the elevator to the seventh floor. Inside the toy store, I quickly picked out three teddy bears for Xamira because I couldn’t bring myself to choose.
Draven paid for them without a word, and one of his men grabbed the bag.
As we stepped back into the main walkway, I felt human eyes on us, some curious, others wary, while some lingered too long.
Just then, Draven’s voice cut through, calm and steady: "Pick whatever catches your fancy."
I managed a small smile, though my stomach was twisting. "You think I will have the chance to enjoy any of it when war comes?"
His golden eyes flicked toward me. "Then it’s all the more reason to take it now."
We walked together, scanning the storefronts. My eyes swept the crowds. There were too many Humans and an overwhelming amount of noise, leading my mind to betray me and paint the scene with fangs and blood.
"It would be bloody if vampires attacked this mall," I muttered.
Draven’s lips curved faintly. "Good thing you and I can jump off the building if all the exits are blocked."
I exhaled a shaky breath. "What a good day to be a werewolf," I murmured, though the words felt more like armour rather than humour.
On the first floor, we entered the supermarket. I pushed a basket along and filled it with chocolates, candies, and sweets. They were Xamira’s requests, but also my own strange impulse.
A part of me thought. ’If the war starts tomorrow, at least I’ll have these little pieces of normalcy to hold onto.’
After picking up everything I wanted, Draven paid for them with his card, and his men carried the bags as we left the mall.
Back in the car, I leaned my head slightly against the window, still restless.
"Where are we going next?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"The ice cream store," Draven said simply.
Minutes later, the car slowed, pulling up in front of a glass-fronted shop with bright pastel signage.
Draven gave the driver instructions, "Take the cars to the underground parking lot nearby and wait for my call."
Then, he opened the door, and I stepped out with him, the crisp city air brushing against my skin. Together, we walked into the store, our presence drawing quiet stares.
We walked straight to the counter. The young attendant’s eyes darted nervously between us, her fingers fidgeting over the register.
"What flavour do you want?" Draven asked me, his voice steady and grounding.
"Vanilla," I replied, "with caramel drippings."
"No toppings?" he asked, his eyebrow slightly raised.
I shook my head. "No."
He turned back to the attendant. "I will have the same thing as my wife."
My grip on the cone tightened. "Is it me they are looking at? Or... something else?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Valmora stirred inside me, her voice low and sharp. "Do you feel it? The shift? The air doesn’t belong to them anymore."
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