บท 70: Chapter Seventy
Katie took the werewolves through the student's projects first marvelling at the flashy ones. The projects that were presented by the students from higher classes were always better than the ones that were from the lower classes. Ranging from robotics in computer studies to biological innovations that yielded incredible production, the projects that were on display were a sight to see. Katie and Sandra took turns in taking control of their group.
While Katie didn't show that she wanted to move through the festival with Cole alone or at least that's what she thought she did, Sandra made it quite obvious by leaning more to Jason when she wasn't the one explaining what they were looking at. And this message was inevitably reaching Caden's ears.
"Hey Sandra, what's that supposed to be?" Jason asked, pointing to a photo booth.
"Oh, I see what you're doing. Come on, let's take some," she rushed the guy into the booth that had been set up by students from the middle school section. The kids got to work taking the pictures of the two who were now getting carried away. Katie couldn't help but notice Caden's silence. There was tension between him and Jason. She didn't want to pry, but Sandra and Jason's current situation provided her with the perfect opportunity.
"Hey, Caden, are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Loving how chummy those two are getting," he said.
"Oh yeah, I'm not talking about them…" she smiled, deterring the distraction Caden had tried using. Caden's eyebrows scrunched close in frustration raising alarms in Katie's mind. She backed off immediately retreating to Cole who'd let her approach him. Well, he hadn't had any progress since they'd woken up that morning.
"Thought you could get through to him, he's been getting more distant even with us," Cole said.
"I'll just leave you guys to your double date. Don't worry about me. I'm going for a run," he said. Cole stopped her from calling him back, a somewhat knowing expression on his face.
"Let him be, Katie. Something is bothering him, but it's something we don't know about. If it was somewhat related to what was going on right now, he would have said so already. He's quite straightforward," he said.
"So what are you trying to say? That he is worried about something that is completely unrelated to people coupling right in front of him," she asked bluntly, taking a gamble in the name of answers.
Cole bit back his reply trying to disregard what she'd just said, "Who, might I ask, is 'coupling up' at the moment?" he asked, his voice steady.
"The two in the booth…"
"Don't say that. Not one word," Cole had his hand on her mouth to stop her from saying more. He took her around a corner and into a classroom, "We don't know if those two are meant to be mates. Jason doesn't have it in him to fall for anyone else, or at least that's what I know, but he says he doesn't know what it is he feels towards your friend. How old is Sandra?"
"She will turn eighteen in a month and a half. Are you under the impression that the two could be mates, but not know just because Sandra is not yet of age," she asked him, thoughts taking over her mind.
"Yes, that is what I am saying. It's not unheard of for a pair to have a sense of the bond before their time arrives. This usually happens if they won't be able to meet when the time actually arrives so that they aren't apart by then," he said.
"Are you trying to tell me that you guys won't be here in a month from now?" Katie did not like what she was hearing. She blocked the thoughts of the future from her mind, "No, never mind that. Let's enjoy the day, you still have a tour to finish."
Cole noticed the disturbance in what he'd said, but obeyed the lady in front of him. Now that he thought of it, that unexplained feeling that Jason talked of was similar to the first time he met this hunter. He'd felt drawn to her and she'd flipped him off immediately like he didn't matter one bit despite his blue eyes, looking back on it now, he chuckled at the awkward situation, "Very well, my lady. After you," he said.
"Perfect, now come on. I have to show you what happens outside of the science projects. No offence, they are fun, but there is a reason it's called a festival and not a Science fair," she reasoned, holding his hand and running back to the photo booth.
They searched the booth and found that the two were nowhere to be seen. Cole got his phone from his pocket and dialled Jason's number. Katie didn't know why it irked her that she might have to continue this tour with Sandra and Jason, that is if they found them. "Well, he said Sandra decided to give him a private tour or something regarding a giant fish tank that was supposed to be on the other side of the festival very… very far from where we currently are and that even if we tried to chase them down, we still wouldn't get to them because they are just so… so far … I'll stop lying now." It was quite obvious with the way he was mincing words.
Katie couldn't help the smile that came to her face, "That was a good try though."
"You think… I've been practising. Taking lessons from Jason… To tell the lie and make it believable, you must be the lie," he said, imitating his friend's voice in the silliest way possible.
"Yes, I'm sure you're making good progress," Katie laughed at her partner. They walked on, Katie leading Cole further from the school. The festival started to change from school projects to stalls from different vendors and different setups all engineered towards providing an interesting service.
"This is impressive, though it isn't as impressive as the Royal games. Now those are something else," he said.
"What are the Royal games?"
Cole stopped in his tracks to rub his temples. Never in his life had he ever thought he'd be explaining this to someone else. "It's only one of the most anticipated events in the world. The Sirius family competes with the Lycaon family in a series of games that determine who's stronger and more superior," he said puffing out his chest.
"I take it from the way you are acting that you won the last games," she observed the alpha.
"Yes, I did. Drake barely stood a chance against me…"
"Is that so?"
"No, he gave me such a hard time," he pouted, his mind floating back to the finals of the competition when he'd faced off with the oldest of King Davin's children. Back then, they used to compete in many things, but time weathers down a long-distance relationship.
"I haven't played many games in this life of mine unless you call the sparring with fellow juniors training," she said.
"What do you mean by sparring?" he asked.
This question sparked a whole explanation of the life of a hunter. She explained the different training regimens that the junior hunters were put through before they were allowed to pick mentors. Mentors were supposed then to train the juniors until Prometheus deemed them worthy of possessing a Prometheus gift. This was the hardest part though since Prometheus gifts were rarely offered and only given to those that deserved them in all ways.
For this reason, hunters possessed similar characteristics and the one sole attribute of being incorruptible. Cole stopped by an ice cream stand, forcing the storyteller to stop as well, "What is it?"
"What does it look like?" he asked as he checked the prices on the menu. A lady sat on a chair inside the stall reading a book, taking almost no notice of the people that had just come to tend to her stall. "I wouldn't ask you to do that. Ice cream is expensive in these parts."
"Have you ever had some in that case?"
"Yes, Samantha bought me some, one day when she was taking me through the festival. It cost her a sum but she did her best to hide the payment," she said. Ice cream was a rare commodity that was barely produced and even less transported because of the transport costs. As a result, it was very expensive.
"It's expensive here because of how remote it is, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying it," he said. The girl inside the stall finally took notice of them and smiled.
"What flavour would you like me to give you?" she asked him, winking at him as she finished the question. Katie narrowed her eyes at the girl but said nothing.
"I'll have strawberry for the lady and vanilla for me," he said to her.
She started getting their orders ready eyeing the Royal, "You guys look quite chummy. You chose the right event for a date."
"Don't get the wrong idea… this isn't…"
"You might not want to play that card," the girl stopped Katie. She handed Cole his cone and turned her eyes to Katie, "This one's a keeper. Don't let him slip away, Rogue killer." With one last wink at the girl, she turned retrieved her book and started reading again. Katie's cheeks were hot at the moment, her emotions pouring out of her in waves. She wasn't so used to this, but she didn't mind it either.
"So a date it is then…" Cole confirmed with a smug smile on his face. 'Was he doing something wrong? Yes, yes, he was. Regardless, he couldn't deny the pull he had towards the hunter. Her birthday was the next day anyway as he could recall. He pushed the dark thoughts that threatened to plague him and allowed himself to get distracted by her flushed face. Katie was definitely looking more expressive than she usually was.
"I guess so…" she replied, with a sigh.
"Eat up before it melts…"
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