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"Basic Biology"

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I SAT DOWN cross-legged on the grass beneath my wilting tree with a calming sigh.

Lucas paused a few feet away looking over at me in confusion, gaze trailing up the tree behind me with a soft chuckle.

"This is your scene?" he asked, turning back around to look at the King's Courts, "Not that private, is it?"

I rolled my eyes with a wide grin.

'Not everyone can go into Fareborn Forest to find a private spot,' I argued.

He thought about this for a second before shrugging, "Fair enough."

I smiled beckoning him to come closer, patting the ground next to me, and after a heavy sigh he eventually did, leaning back down on his elbows, his body stretched beneath the tree, with a satisfied grunt as if he was waiting all day to get off his feet.

I grinned at this sheepishly, unable to stop myself from watching him for a moment, our eyes meeting as he propped himself sideways, on his elbow to face me

'This' I signed softly, my eyes glancing momentarily at the view ahead of me, 'is my scene."

He turned to me, and I watched a calming look pass on his features as he stared up at the sky littered with a million stars, drowning in it like a dark ocean.

His chest stopped moving for a moment as if he was holding a breath.

The Wilting tree might be one of the only trees in the King's court, but the fact that it was set up on an inclined slope gave you a wide-angle view of Kingsland with the clearest way to the sky, opening it up to be this vast ocean of twinkly stars and the mood hiding away in the distance.

He breathed out softly, eyes straining on them for a moment and I turned to look at them too.

Knowing that silence was always the best remedy for the saddest days, I kept quiet.

The gentle breeze blew between us, his hair that he had let down blowing gently across his face as I watched on.

I had the urge to reach out a pull it back but I buried it, placing my hands in my lap instead, taking my focus back into the ocean of stars.

"It's beautiful," he commented, his eyes trailing over the sky before they suddenly fell to the ground and he adjusted his position, his hand running through his silky hair as he sat up, pushing it back, "but it's sad."

My eyebrows furrowed for a moment looking back up at the sky. He was right, the sky looked peaceful and yet gave you the feeling that it was lonely.

Only a few people ever sat outside and just watched the stars anymore.

I could feel him sigh lowly, and I looked back at him.

He seemed to have felt my eyes on him because, in the next second, he looked down at me, our faces a whisper apar

'I think it's vice versa. It's sad," I began signing slowly, "but beautiful nevertheless."

I could feel his eyes watching me for a moment as if studying me, and I could tell he was thinking about what I had said. He slowly nodded, grunting for a moment, releasing a low breath.

"Ask me a question" he suddenly stated and my eyes snapped back to him, noticing his fingers kept tapping his arm excessively as he talked as if he couldn't keep still, running a hand through his locks once more.

"Anything. Just ask me," he huffed, not looking back at me for a lingering second as his gaze stretched across the scene before us before turning, hazel eyes locking me in-

I couldn't stop myself from signing what I did, it was a question that had been sitting at the back of my mind, one I desperately wanted to piece.

"Why Daya?"

He looked directly at me when I asked this, his fingers freezing, for a moment, eyes falling to the ground for a moment before he scoffed, staring out into the vast space, eyes stalling up to the sky.

"I've asked myself that question a million times," he paused seeming to completely switch up the conversation, his eyes narrowing down on something.

"Why is that part bare?" he asked, seemingly dumbfounded by it, and my eyes traveled to the direction he was talking about.

I really couldn't see anything, and I realized that he was using his Dilect to see that far.

Luckily I knew what part of the burnt ground it was.

He turned to me as I answered, "The fire oranges did it,"  I signed.

He suddenly chuckled at this.

"Yeah, typical. They just can't sit still," he grunted, "it's honestly quite baffling."

I smiled at this.

'They can't hurt nature anymore now," I signed a slow reply, "Since Harvest stopped their abilities for who knows how long."

I did not fail to spot the jaw tick at the mention of Harvest's name. His breathing became low and hollow,

"He'll probably release them by the end of next week. Saturday in particular," he grunted in reply, "they'll be needed."

My eyebrows drew together, pulling my robe around me, as I watched him.

He leaned back as if surprised I was giving him this much attention before suddenly chuckling, glancing at me, "I forget you're new sometimes," he grinned, but it dissolved as soon as it came.

"It's the Crimson Blood Moon," he added his eyes trailing off the half-moon hanging in the sky.

I stared at it for a second before he showed me his palm, circling it with his other finger.

"The Fire oranges will need to seal the forest at night," he grunted, "A high flame over the restricted area and the forest, as well as the woods."

I listen attentively not having known this at all.

'W-what happens on a Crimson Blood moon?" I signed with slight hesitation reading his face, "Why do they need to seal the forest?"

He paused for a second as if debating to answer, his fingers still rattling against his arm, whilst running the other through his hair, taking a deep breath out.

"Blood moons happen five times a year," he replied, turning to look at me for a moment, "shifters by deception, aren't able to control their forms that night, and for a wild night they stay in their shifter bodies," he grunted out, pausing for a moment, "a hunt where your other side is in control. It's dangerous for non-shifters, hence the reason to put up the firewall to protect Kingsland on that night. It's going to burn through the whole night."

He paused, lowering his head, still seeming quite agitated and just unable to sit as he continued to explain.

"Blood moons don't affect me," he growled lowly, "I have full control over my Amaroq but a Crimson blood moon is the same thing, and vice versa. The first blood moon of the year," he replied softly turning to look at me, "that one affects me, oh it affects me good."

I read through his eyes, registering all the emotions I had seen, even the one that I never thought I would see on Lucas Bowne. Fear hid beneath a mask of humor.

He looked away, "It's a- it's a fight between both my forms and..." he paused for a moment, his gaze suddenly snapping to mine, "It's excruciating," he confessed in a short whisper.

He shut his eyes for a moment, before opening them again, "It's madness," he chuckled, although his tone sounded far from amused.

My heart fell at those words, unable to take my eyes off him as he spoke.

"Even before then, as the days draw by I get really-" he paused stretching his hand out, and I could see the quiet shake in them, "unstable," he finished.

His voice became heavier and shallow, "It's just my body breaking my mind slowly so that I would be too weak to suppress them down on the Blood Moon," he grunted before chuckling darkly again, "Basic biology."

"I just can't keep still at all, everything just seems to be moving so fast around me, I just can't think straight-" he huffed, "and I'm just going to get more agitated by the day, and I can't stop it because-" he stopped short, pursing his lips as if only now realizing that he might have been saying things that he hadn't planned to say.

But I was quick on my feet and I immediately put two together, surprising him when I signed

"Because Daya does it- " I signed back.

His eyebrows arched for a moment stuck on the movements of my hand, a short whisper of silence tailing between us.

She looked away, staring ahead.

I thought I had overstepped and was about to apologize before he said one word-

"Yes," he replied though it sounded more like a question.

He nodded, "She has this thing she does. She just- she helps me slow everything down. She knows how to make me feel better. She knows how to keep me calm," he grunted, "so that I can get through this stupid week," his shoulders relaxed, scratching the back of his head, his fingers tapping the side of his arms.

I didn't know why I did it, but my hand reached out, pulling his hair back behind his ear so I could get a better look at his side profile.

He turned and I smiled softly, remembering something, a technique Dad always did with me whenever I was panicking.

It wasn't the same thing I suppose, but it should at least help, I hoped.

It was all about what thing you paid attention to most that took your mind off the other thing that was eating you up.

"Focus on me," I signed to him

He looked at me curiously for a moment but nodded as I turned to face him, crossing my legs, and leaning in.

He followed my lead, turning to face me too, with a slight huff, readjusting his position.

"Guess what I am," I signed.

I knew I was going to regret this as I wasn't as good as my Dad or my mom when it came to this game and it was the kind of game that was cringeworthy at times but the craziness of it was what usually took me off of my panicking and most times made me laugh.

I was going to try the same technique with him, though I was a hundred percent sure I was going to end up looking like a fool, anything was better than seeing him this way.

I took out the ribbon in my hair, letting it bounce to my shoulders.  I bowed my head low, pushing my hair back over my face with a giggle taking myself back into those family moments, my fingers counting down for me-

3, 2, 1

I swished my hair back, grabbing an imaginary mic. performing the hell out of single ladies, hand movements and all.

He seemed surprised at this at first as I suspected but soon started guessing, in between amused chuckles, "You're faking a seizure," he guessed.

I rolled my eyes showing him the imaginary mic, "Ooh okay, You're singing," he guessed, eyes narrowing on me.

I nodded, smiling, encouraging him to go on, then shaking my hair like it was on stage, I believe that's how she usually performed.

"Uh, a singer getting wet in the shower?" he asked, eyes dashing about.

I shook my head laughing for a moment before showing him my hand, doing the hand thingy, showing him the open spot on my ring finger,

"Uh- a singer who's about to get married!" he guessed and I shook my head for the third time in disbelief, laughter and amusement in my eyes as was with his, spotting that his shaking tick had stopped as he was desperately trying to figure it out

"Wait- uh- give me a clue, c'mon, please," he begged flashing his perfect teeth.

After getting up on my feet doing the whole iconic single ladies montage, knowing that even though  I had no voice at all, I was killing the heck out of this song but still, he couldn't seem to guess the right singer or the song.

In exhaustion, I decided to spill the beans collapsing back in front of him and his eyebrows furowed

, "Beyonce?" he echoed, "You can't be serious."

I frowned playfully.

"I swear, I was this close to saying it," he muttered and I shook my head laughing.

He had no idea. It was cute.

He grinned widely confessing this, "I lived in a village hidden in the woods, and then on an island hidden from the rest of the world. I don't know Beyonce that well," he confessed to which I laughed.

I chuckled at this, sitting cross-legged beside him again.

"Your turn," I signed.

"My turn?" he echoed.

I nodded.

"Okay, yeah I can do this," he encouraged himself, "does it have to be a song?"

"Just mime anything that makes you happy." I gestured, "Then I'll guess what it is.'

"Alright," he huffed with a low hum as if thinking about it, " what makes me happy," he paused eyes trailing to me, with a wide smile, "Okay, okay I got it. Here it goes."

I nodded, waiting for him. He began with a simple action I guessed right out of the bat-

"Running!"

He nodded before grabbing at something, causing my eyebrows to arch then reaching out over me taking something from the air, holding it in his hand-

"A book from the top shelf of a library?" I signed and he shook his head with a wide grin.

He broke it in half and my eyebrows furowed at the action. What could he possibly take from somewhere up above my head and break in half?"

"A vase? a coconut?" I signed as I watched him fake taking a bit out of it. He shook his head chuckling with each failed attempt as he repeated the action until I gave up.

"It's a banana," he grinned.

I looked at him dumbfounded. How was all of that a banana?

He shook his head explaining, as he got up, "You run up a tree, get a head start, then swing over the branches," he began showing the grabbing action he had been doing, Take the banana, and voila," he replied breaking the banana in two.

What in the psychopath? Who peels a banana by breaking it into two?

He shut his eyes shaking his head, "That's not how you do it, do you?" he muttered.

I shook my head signing, 'We usually get our bananas from the food market.' I signed with a shrug.

"Once again, raised in a forest," he grunted to which we both chuckled.

I looked at him with a puzzled look in my eyes, 'Bananas make you happy?" I signed.

He nodded, "Yeah, that's what happens when you're Gigan. It's contact craving for bananas."

I smiled at his humor and he grinned looking out again, "And Kingsland is a tough place to be to get one," he grunted, "Gosh, I want a banana," he muttered.

I raised an eyebrow at this and when he met mine we both busted out laughing.

After a moment, he grinned, handing me my ribbon as I tied my hair. I could feel his eyes on me as I did so, a smile still pasted on it.

"I have a confession to make," he suddenly stated, his tone shifting to something lower, his smile still on his face but a little bit faded.

I looked back at him, wondering what he was saying.

"I knew that Daya wasn't around when I came by," he confessed, " saw her with Harvest earlier," he added, and yet Ihave never seen that look in his eyes before.

"I uh- I came to you because you're easy to talk to, and it's nice to be around someone who just listens for once-"

He froze, shutting his eyes, cursing lowly, "I didn't mean it like that- I'm so sorry- that was so insensitive- I-"

I placed a hand on his shoulders with a chuckle. I could tell he meant no harm and I understood what he was saying. If he was truly going through the stages before the Crimson Blood Moon, how can I fault him for not wanting to be alone?

"You're good' I signed.

He seemed to relax taking in a calming breath.

"Thank you," he said softly, and somehow I knew it wasn't just about the game.

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We entered the hallway back to the girl's scepters as it was well past midnight, and we joked along.

My hands were in my robe pocket, my hand suddenly freezing when I patted my pockets and couldn't feel the key.

I froze by the corner, turning back around to where I had come from, a panic overtaking my skin- where had I dropped them?

Gosh not again! Give me frickin break.

"I'm guessing you're looking for this," Lucas grinned, taking it out of his jacket pocket.

Relief flooded me as he handed it over to me with a chuckle, "
I swear you dropped it like three times. I kept putting it back in your pocket but you kept dropping it. I had to keep it with me for safekeeping."

My cheeks heated up momentarily and he smiled, whilst I tried to deflect it, moving quicker, so he couldn't see my face.

"Slow down, crazy locks," he called out, humor in his tone.

I paused, momentarily peeking around the hallway that led to my room, almost freezing when I spotted Harvest and Daya standing right outside the door.

I turned back around quickly bumping into Lucas' broad chest, but he managed to steady us before we could fall, his strong arms wrapping around me, bringing me closer.

My heart was beating harshly at our proximity and I could hear him, a deep calm pound, and his slow breaths, looking down at me in concern, backing off slowly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded, pulling my robe around me tighter.

"Why did you just freeze like that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

My eyes trailed up to his and I shook my head, 'You can leave me here' I signed.

He scoffed at this, "I'll take you the whole way," he replied with a chuckle moving forward but I sidestepped blocking his way.

He looked at me puzzled for a second, eyebrows furrowing.

I looked down at the ground, though I knew he was reading me.

I just didn't want him to see it. He seemed to have been happy for a bit and I didn't want to take that away from him. I worked so hard to get him playful and smiley again.

"Talanda."

Shoot. He said my name. My full name.

"Look at me."

My eyes slowly trailed up to meet his. He seemed to read my eyes his gaze trailing behind me.

He moved and I moved too.

His jaw suddenly ticked, lifting me to the side gently and walking past the corner, freezing when he looked down the hallway.

He didn't say a word, turning back to me.

I felt so bad.

"Thank you, but I don't need you to protect me, Talanda," he said softly.

My gaze trailed back to him as he moved toward me. He pulled me in, kissing my cheek.

"Goodnight." he hummed softly, giving me a reassuring nod, before walking away, tucking his hands in his pocket.

I watched him a little bit shocked.

Firstly touching my cheek, secondly touching my heart then allowing a large smile to creep in my face. I couldn't help it.

He kissed my cheek.

The clicking of a door brought me back to reality and realized Daya had gone in.

Knowing Harvest was coming down these halls and would find me, I decided to suck it in and casually walk by. It beat him finding me hiding here.

It would look like I was eavesdropping again.

And he would probably pretend I didn't even exist like the last time.

Plucking my courage, I turned and walked through the hallway, my ears on high alert, feeling his presence coming toward me.

I prayed he would just walk by, as the sounds of his footsteps came closer and closer, my eyes low, focused on the floor.

Then the footsteps suddenly stopped and I looked up, my heart hollow within me.

He stood in place, paces away, looking directly at me as I approached. I stopped a few feet away from him too unsure of what to say or do.

There was no one in these halls to save me. Everybody was asleep.

"How was your night with Lucas Bowne?" he stated blankly.

My eyebrows arched at this. How had he known?

I was too unsure to reply. Merely blinking at his question.

His eyes trailed to the ceiling for a moment as if trying hard to not show his frustration.

He closed the distance between us, towering over me.

"Listen carefully," he began, eyes holding me prisoner,

"There are two things I don't do, Talanda," he began, a burried fury in his eyes that settled in mine, "I don't lose to Lucas Bowne and I don't share," he grunted, his jaw clenching.

He moved closer until our bodies were a whisper apart, he leaned forward, until I could feel his low breath over my ear.

"You are mine, it will do you well to remember that."

With that, he walked away.

His dark coat swished behind him, rounding the corner with the same urgency he had the first time I had laid eyes on him.

Leaving my heart a beating mess.

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AN/ I hope everyone enjoyed this weeks updates! Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Join my discord for any in-depth questions or discussions you may want to ask too!

If this chapter gets 10 comments (per reader) by Monday 18th September 2023, I'll drop 6 chapters for next weeks update! Including a Bonus chapter WITH HARVEST!

As always, read 10+ chapters ahead on Patreon! New chapters dropping Monday next week! Bonus scenes will also be included. There is a 7 day free trial for the month of September.

Also, I will be writing 5 new exclusive chapters in HARVESTS POV. If you had a chapter here you would have wanted to know what the heck was going on In Harvests mind, drop it in the THW channel on my discord. You might just get a chapter!

All you have to do is hashtag it : #HARVESTPOV and then the chapter number and a brief description of the scene!

The opportunity will be closed on 25th September 2023.

Good luck!

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