𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ༊࿐ ᴀᴏɴᴜɴɢ x ᴏᴄ

30.

⋆｡˚⋆ฅ^𓆝୨♡୧𓆝ฅ^⋆˚｡⋆ Aonung POV ⋆｡˚⋆ฅ^𓆝୨♡୧𓆝ฅ^⋆˚｡⋆

It's an eerie feeling of deja vu when a very not Kai'wä and very Ta'ru-shaped shadow falls over me.

"What," I grunt, not even bothering to look at him now. "You said you wouldn't bother us anymore."

Ta'ru scowls at me, all the bruises from our fight gone by now, but I'm more than happy to give him a few more though.

"She's not yours," he says sullenly.

There's a nasty smirk in his eyes as he tries to stare me down that makes me feel uneasy.

"I never said she was," I snap. "But she sure as fuck isn't yours."

At this, Ta'ru smirks at me.

"Either explain what you're so gleeful about or fuck off," I grunt.

"Well," he grins, "she sort of is mine now."

"What?" I hiss. "You're making no sense."

"Every warrior is entitled to choose a mate."

Oh.

Fuck.

My hear freezes in my chest.

I understand what this stupid skxawng is on about now.

"And it just so happens that there's someone I really like," he continues.

I shoot up, rage boiling in my chest.

"Why her," I snap. "Why Kai. There's literally dozens of girls who, for some ridiculous reason I'll never understand, would love to have you as their mate."

Ta'ru grins in a smug, greedy, sickening way.

"You think Kai wouldn't want me as a mate?"

I pause.

These last few weeks have been so perfect that I've entirely forgotten about Ta'ru, and stupidly I assumed Kai'wä had too.

You're what I want, is what she had said.

Yet the whole reason we 'got together' before actually getting together was so she could get Ta'ru.

Now she has him- what now?

What happens to me - to us?

Ta'ru laughs shamelessly at my thoughtful silence.

"You know it yourself Aonung," he grins. "She'd take me in a heartbeat, she's not that good at hiding her little crush on me, is she?"

"Why her," I hiss through gritted teeth.

The only thing refraining me from punching him is the thought of Kai'wä hating me.

"I'm sure you know," he shrugs. "You're the one that's been totally whipped by everything she does."

"There's other girls for you," I say again, my argument getting feebler and feebler as I grow more and more prone to murdering Ta'ru right here on the sand.

He just shrugs, eyes dull and careless.

"They aren't mates," he says simply. "I've already had most of them anyway and I know Kai's the best choice for life and home and breeding-"

I hiss in a way I never have before.

This isn't some playful warning or friendly joke.

My fangs snarl and my tail thrashes furiously behind me, eyes narrowed to slits and drowning in rage.