Idonea didn’t know how she survived the fast car ride, realizing whenever she complained he only sped up with a smile as sweet as saints. He wouldn’t dare put her in danger, promising that he had every interest in keeping her safe. But the way he smiled when she yelped at the speed, said otherwise. He found some of her discomfort fun, especially when it meant to embarrass her. And yes, it might have been silly to be fearful of speeding cars. There is one reality that keeps her from ever getting a license and that there are more accidents on the roads than airplane accidents. The she-wolf will gladly accept the life of no license and driving if it means surviving.
When he parked in a garage nearest to the portside and the sun receded into the horizon, she scrambled right out the door while panting like a panicked hound. Looking rather horrified, “I think I’ll walk back home...”
“Nope...you’re stuck with me.” This male, one she felt a deep-seated desire, one she would nearly do anything for. One she wanted to test the bed sheets with just as much as she wanted to slap him for putting her in this situation in the first place. He waltzed around to her side of the car and roped her into him, planting very quick kisses from her temple to her cheek, then the exposed part of her neck. He was doing it all to weaken her rage, kissing right near her earlobe to whisper to it. “I have so much to show you...”
Hmm...curious. “If it's your muscles, I think I saw it all.” She whispered right back, not too thrilled that he was trying so hard to appease. It wasn’t a lie; he flaunted his heavily tattooed torso like it was artwork. And she enjoyed every tattoo from his wrists to the very bottom of his spine. If only these tattoos didn’t have such a suspicious background, at least she can proudly state that none of those lit up when she was around.
“There are muscles you have yet to see, elskan...Anyways! Don’t want to be late!” He released her, turning towards the trunk to grab their things. He hummed the whole time, and she watched him at work a little longer before her attention scanned around. This garage is open, showing the harbor and its buildings. She could see a cruise ship just a harbor block away, lighting up the water around it. “What...are we being late for?”
“No clue yet?” He slung her backpack and tugged the wheeled luggage next, snickering at her reaction when he said so. “You’ll figure it out soon!”
The she-wolf must allow enough trust to have him lead her the whole way. He carried the bags and after some walking, she could finally see the boarding ramp to this cruise ship just ahead. She instantly froze, realizing what this date would entail.
Is he taking me on a cruise!?
Even though the sight of the ship froze her on that spot, it brought a sense of pure wonder. The last ship she ever boarded was an immigration ship from Sweden to Ireland over two hundred years ago. The very ship that helped her escape the stressful lifestyle of being a matriarch heir, it was the fated escape that freed her from the pack’s expectations that she could never stomach to follow. The freedom that she has right now and enjoying it with a beautiful strange, freckled soothsayer.
He didn’t let her stop her track, looping his free arm with her arm and dragging her to the boarding bridge. The closer she got, the taller and imposing this ship became. She swears the tallest point reached the skies.
Distracted she was, she didn’t notice how he checked in. Leas spoke sweetly and offered two tickets. The security asked for passports, an actual form of identity that, as an immortal, she hasn’t ever gotten due to never being able to age up. It would be strange for the city hall to see the same woman ageless upgrading her passport for the twentieth time. Then again, she doubted for the longest that they were viable forms of ID until now. Now she is a fool to not have one.
Leas didn’t falter, pulling out two passports. They were each clear of any words or picture. Just a plain embossed page. The security looked at each anyway, glancing from the blank pages to their faces. Then beaming soon after, handing the blank passport books back. “Enjoy your stay in the North Whale, Mr. and Mrs Brennan.”
The actual fuck~? The alarms in her head flared up, not because this security guy assumed that they were married, but because they were clearly two very blank passport books. She gaped at Leas who ignored her reaction, grabbing the books and pocketing them.
“You seem in shock, Mrs.” The security guard pointed it out, his smile not as big as earlier on.
"I..um..”
Leas hand now freed, he linked his fingers to her gloved one and smiled at her like nothing suspicious happened. “Oh...this is our honeymoon. My dearest is just in shock that I even managed to get tickets. Now come along darling!”
Who are you?! The words were trapped in her lungs, seeing the sweet eagerness on his face even after blatantly tricking the security guard. He really did want to take her here, but how is he doing that? The magic!
“Yes...very exciting...dear.” Her eyes focused on him, trying to wring the answers out of him by her sight alone, but he gracefully ignored it. Instead, he dragged her up the bridge. Every second spent without answers was more time to burn with rage. This is now too crazy to explain away.
A ‘human’ just blatantly influenced what the security guard saw on those passport books. The question was eating at her sanity, and she opened her mouth to ask, but they were once again interrupted by the crew attendants.
Two identical attendants, they must be twins, waited for the couple at the entrance. Every attendant shared the same white tailored suit and rose gold hat, but these two shared more likeness than mere clothes. Two males with two sets of bicolor eyes, one prominently green and the other brown, and murky blond hair that looks wet due to the gel. Their skin color is oddly pale, with a greenish hue in certain sections like the shadowing of their eyebags.
They barged right in front of them, talking so fast and taking every bagged item from Leas. They pressure the couple to follow, taking their things straight to the assigned cabin suite. She thought their behavior was strange, but it must be their first-time handling clients based on how young they look.
“Givemeyourbags,lordandlady!” One twin chimed, lugging the briefcase.
“Weshalltakeyoutwowtoyourcabinsuite~!” The other twin finishes their twin’s sentence.
Leas showed polite annoyance at the twins' rapid verbal jargon, “It... would be best if you spoke a little slower for us land folk to understand.”
Land folk?
She didn’t know what he meant, looking for any clues in his presence. She even tried to figure out his current emotions by his smell alone, but it didn’t help. He was just as neutral as ever with the added sweet musk.
But the twins did apologize and as slowly as possible, taking his words literally. “Wwweeee aaarrreee vvveeerrryyy sssooorrryyy fffooorrr tttthhhee iiinnnncooooonvvveeeennnieeennncce!”
“Not..that slow...” Leas mumbled, and the twins apologized again at a faster tempo.
Okay....Weird....
Done with dealing with the odd twins, her mind wandered off as she studied the ship’s interior. The last ship she was on was not as gloriously decorated as this place. Every floor was swept from debris, and no cobwebs hung on the corners. And she has not seen a rat yet! The walls were painted rose gold, with wood trimming at the bottom. Even the white doors sported golden doorknobs. Her mind went back to the question of how he managed to get tickets to this place but...it was easily answered by one thing. MAGIC!
She inspected Leas well-groomed back, trying to get more answers just by that alone. The question was bubbling in the back of her throat, and she was afraid to spill it out before she was ready to.
“Leas I...” She was interrupted by their attendants who found their suite and exclaimed.
“Madame and Lord, here is your proper abode for the next few days! Please get comfortable. If you lovely couple ever need anything, find us and we shall accommodate your every need!”
I’d pay you to leave me alone... She shoots the twin attendants with a very annoyed glare, wanting them to be gone so that she can finally ask him the burning question.
“Thank you...you two.” Leas is less hostile, smiling so politely with the brilliance of royalty. The attendance left them alone, leaving the bags right next to their door.
Finally freed from crazy crew attendants, she touched his arm to gather his attention. It worked. “Leas...How...did you manage this?”
“Hm?” He didn't answer her, peering down on her with those lazuli eyes that she now suspected of holding a higher power. A life of a mythic reflected out of those purplish eyes and she was a fool to never see it before.
The silence between them hurt her, it showed that he didn’t want to give her a straight answer. Even worse, instead of answering her question, he took her grabbing hand and used the other hand to open the door to their room. His smile promised good tidings but there was no warmth in them, “Don’t worry about that right now. Come.”
Why does it hurt? His avoidance of answering, and even trying harder to distract her from the signs hurt her. It rubbed her the wrong way. Even as she gazed upon the extravagant room with its clean white floors, a bed big enough for them both, and a hidden bathroom behind a folded door. It didn’t place any joy on her. She might as well be seeing the world in black and white. Her eyes skimmed around before sinking to her sadness by saying. “I’ll...help bring the bags in...”
“I’ll take care of it.” Leas went out the door before she could stop him. And she was left alone briefly when he returned with the luggage and backpack. He laid those two things beside the bed, humming a tune in his head.
She watched him the whole time, thinking about asking him again before he cut her off. “I am going to find refreshments. Wait here!”
He turned to leave this time, not waiting for her to agree to the terms. Not waiting for her to ask the question that ate away at her insides. Her gloved hand unconsciously reached for him but slinked back down her side with the heavy slouch of her broad shoulders. Why was she trying to stop him?
He left her alone in this room for the first time and for a long while. With no way to tell how it had been since she last shared space with him. The bed became a very comfortable place to rest her back, stretching her arms above her head. Too wired to sleep, too angry to stay calm.
Eventually, she found no peace on those sheets. Sitting right up, amber eyes bore holes in their entrance door with contempt. “Bastard...”
She could hear the large toot of the ship and the slight sway beneath her center of gravity, indicating that the ship had begun to sail off. And he had yet to return to her with the refreshments he had promised.
“Damn him!” Idonea groaned, getting up in her red high-heeled boots and stomping towards the door. In her mind, she had no reason to wait around for shifty bastards like Leas. Just go out there and enjoy the sights, she kept convincing her. It was easy to follow her advice, and even easier to avoid Leas. His sweet aroma left a very clear trail, but she had no interest in finding him. It was time for her to enjoy herself like she promised...this third date was the last one after all and she had enough conviction in her to even leave Kilkeel if it meant to avoid him forever!