Chapter 4 Poppy
Poppy
Viol left.
He didn’t say goodbye, or ask why I was here, or even turn around to face me.
He was just gone.
My heart sank. As the weight of emotion crashed upon me, I barely had the strength to stand.
I collapsed on the edge of the familiar bed, my body heavy and my bones tired.
Tears welled in the corners of my eyes but couldn’t find the strength to fall.
They remained there, stagnant and salty, blurring my vision until I could barely see.
I shut my eyes and slumped against the mattress with a weak sigh.
I was pathetic. No wonder Viol wanted nothing to do with me...
When he suddenly appeared in front of me on the beach, it felt like an angel had come down from heaven.
I’d been so hopeful, so happy. But Viol seemed wary of me, and I didn’t understand why.
He obviously remembered me. He carried my luggage, and caught me when I tripped. That meant he didn’t hate me... right?
I curled my legs up, hugging them to my chest. The air conditioning was supposed to feel nice, but without a warm body to share it with, it felt cold and isolating. It reminded me of parts of my past I didn’t want to remember.
Anxiety tightened its hold like a predator crushing me in its grip. I let out a shaky breath. I didn’t want to be alone right now, but unlike previous seasons, I hadn’t arrived with a friend in tow. I was the only guest in the hotel.
My friends were already here on the island, tucked away in the castle with their alpha dragon mates. But even if I wanted to talk to them, they were probably busy. I never wanted to be an inconvenience.
I looked wearily at the suitcase, standing unopened in the middle of the room. It was full of things I wanted to show Viol, but he hadn’t stuck around long enough to see. Maybe I was stupid for bringing them. Maybe I was stupid for coming back in the first place...
But Jade had invited me, and it would have been rude to refuse his offer. I wondered if I should talk to him in the morning to find out my next course of action. Normally, I’d prepare myself mentally for the challenges, but without that structure, I felt lost. I had no clue what to do anymore.
A sharp knock rapped on my door.
I jolted, nearly rolling off the bed in shock. I leapt to my feet and quickly rubbed the tears from my eyes.
“C-coming!” I yelped.
My pulse raced with anticipation. Had Viol returned? Maybe we could finally talk after all.
I turned the door handle with trembling hands. But the person on the other side wasn’t the tall purple-haired alpha I expected.
I blinked, then tried not to sound too disappointed. “Alaric? What are you doing here?”
Alaric narrowed his already-irritated eyes, squinting into my room like an angry bouncer. “Ugh. Figures he slipped away.”
“Huh?”
Alaric waved over somebody else in the hall. For a second, my hopes lifted, wondering if the second person was Viol—but I should’ve known better. Still, I wasn’t unhappy to see Alaric, or the familiar newcomer striding towards me.
“Taylor?” I murmured.
Despite Alaric’s scowl and Taylor’s stoic smile, the two cat shifters stood in my doorway like rays of sunshine.
“What are you two doing here?” I asked.
Alaric huffed. “After that brute barged in on me and Jade and ruined the mood, I couldn’t stop thinking that he’d runoff to find you. At least, that’s what I hoped. But it looks like he turned tail and ran.”
“Who?” I asked, wanting to be certain.
Alaric crossed his arms. “Viol, who else?”
I was so confused. Did he want Viol to be here?
Taylor reached out and placed his large hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay, Poppy?” he asked kindly.
“I’m fine. I mean, I hurt my wrist a little while dragging my suitcase here, but—”
Alaric scoffed, looking deeply offended on my behalf. “What? You mean Viol didn’t carry it for you?”
“N-no, he did, but—”
“I cannot believe Jade went through all that trouble to reunite you two, and that great big purple oaf didn’t even stick around!”
Taylor raised a brow. Ignoring Alaric’s outburst, he turned to me. “Reunite you? What does that mean?”
My stomach flipped. I wasn’t sure how Alaric knew that, unless he’d taken a lucky guess. I supposed it wasn’t too difficult to figure out. I’d already hinted to Rorik that was the case. But now that it was out in the open, my insides squirmed with anxiety.
“It’s nothing,” I said quickly. “Anyway, why did you both come here? You should be with your mates and kids.”
Taylor furrowed his brow. “What, and never see my friend again? Mates aren’t chained together at the ankles, Poppy. Besides, Crimson’s a big boy. He can watch Ruby for a single night.”
“After Viol killed the mood, Jade took Mint to hang out with the twins,” Alaric added. “They’re all watching that agonizing snow musical again.”
“So basically, we’re free to hang out with you all night,” Taylor concluded.
Tears pricked my eyes again. I’d resigned myself to being alone all night, wallowing in my feelings, but now I was flooded with emotion.
I didn’t want to cry and draw any more attention to myself, so I bit my lip and pushed the tears back.
My friends already did so much for me. They didn’t deserve to have me break down in front of them.
“Thanks,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Um, you can come in, if you want.”
By the time I finished speaking, Alaric was already halfway across the room. He lounged in the loveseat like a relaxed house cat, crossing his legs over the edge. Taylor perched on the edge of the bed and nodded at me to join him, so I did.
I didn’t really know what to say. I hadn’t expected company tonight, and I was a poor host.
“By the way, I would’ve invited that smelly dog friend of yours, but I just couldn’t handle a headache at this hour,” Alaric said dryly. “I hope you understand.”
That got a small chuckle out of me. “You mean Muzo?” I asked.
Taylor nodded, also looking amused. “Alaric wanted this to be a covert operation. Cats only.”
“This was your idea, Alaric?” I asked, glancing at him in surprise.
Alaric clicked his tongue irritably. “I told you, that oaf ruined my evening. Barged in to yell at us without even speaking to you first. The least I could do was see if you were all right.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “That’s very kind, Alaric.”
He flipped his hair, resting his elbows on the edge of the loveseat. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you and Viol. Just us omegas.”
My mouth opened, then closed. What did he want me to say? A fresh wave of nerves washed down my back. I rubbed my forearm anxiously.
“This is all kind of sudden,” I mumbled.
Taylor shot Alaric a sharp look, then nodded at me. “We’re not here to interrogate you, Poppy. We’re only here to support you. Right, Alaric?”
Alaric waved his hand. “Yes, we’re very supporting, hugs and rainbows and all that.”
A tiger’s growl rumbled in Taylor’s throat. “Alaric.”
“What?” Alaric said, putting his hand to his chest. “I’m just saying. Couldn’t we support Poppy better if we knew the whole story?”
Taylor kept glaring at him, but I saw the tempered curiosity in his expression. Suddenly, I felt guilty. Taylor had known me for a long time. He was fiercely supportive, always ready to leap to my defence. And yet, I’d never told him the truth. He barely knew anything about my past.
“Poppy?” Taylor said softly. “Don’t push yourself. We can do something else. We can watch a movie, or play a game, or do anything you—”
“I’ll tell you,” I said.
The two felines fell silent. Taylor’s gaze widened in surprise, while Alaric’s odd eyes glinted with excitement.
“I’m serious, Poppy,” Taylor repeated. “It’s been a long day. You don’t have to stress over this.”
“Oh, please,” Alaric interjected. “Poppy’s a grown man, for gods’ sake. Stop babying him and let him talk.”
Alaric’s comment was strangely encouraging. He was right. I should’ve had the confidence and strength to stand on my own two feet. If I couldn’t even tell my closest comrades about my past after everything they’d done for me, what kind of friend was I?
I cleared my throat and began to speak.
15 years ago...
“Poppy, wait up!”
I laughed as my younger brother’s voice reached my ears.
Sorrel ran to catch up to me, his big paws still clumsy after his recent growth spurt.
It was already clear he’d be a much bigger wolf than me when he was mature, but for now, I enjoyed having the edge over him.
I wanted him to enjoy his puphood for as long as possible.
“Come on, you can run faster,” I called back.
Sorrel’s yellow-white coat bristled as he put forth a burst of effort.
His tongue lolled out of his mouth when he bolted forward, his paws crunching against the snow.
Although it was still winter, all the young shifters in our clan were bursting with energy.
Normally, the young omegas weren’t allowed to leave the camp, but I’d pleaded with Konrad to let us play out in the snow field.
I was ecstatic when he agreed. My duty assignment was coming up fast; once I received it, I didn’t know how much free time I’d have to spend with Sorrel, so I wanted to make the most of it.
I slowed down to encourage Sorrel to catch up—he was hot on my tail, barely a whisker away—then I swerved sideways and ran up the nearby slope. I stopped to catch my breath and enjoy the sun’s warmth on my fur.
I grinned down at Sorrel, who loped towards me with a determined look. Instead of rushing, he took one careful step after the other, finally finding the balance on his growing paws. When he made it up the hill, he headbutted my shoulder.
“There,” he said through heavy breaths. “I did it.”
“You did it,” I agreed, licking his ear affectionately. “Good job.”