63: With the company of an eccentric white wolf

With the company of an eccentric white wolf

'Your bravery is truly remarkable,' the wolf's compliment fell short of one.2

Walking alongside the enormous creature in the forest, Adela pondered where their journey through the darkest, coldest part of the night would lead them, grateful that the Crown Prince's coat on her shoulders was designed to withstand the freezing temperatures of the north.

The lady had ample time to contemplate since the wolf had set off without waiting for her to decide on her next move. Forced to follow, she chose to give him the silent treatment. He seemed aware of it and unbothered by it. He continued with intermittent monologues that probed her with salty questions every now and then. However, the Lady did not feel compelled to dignify them with an answer.

'Or perhaps you're relaxed because you're walking next to me?'

Truthfully, Adela had never felt uneasy inside Lanark's Forest. Nevertheless, the wolf's presence next to her served to reassure her further. Their journey was in no way tedious, she had the opportunity to learn about him, an Alpha of his pack and an inhabitant of the west side of Lanark's forest.

'I hate to break it to you, but I'm not always the most dangerous thing around here,' 

Adela doubted that he was referring to the rebels. No, mercenaries. She corrected in her mind with a heavy heart. It was a struggle to accept that her father was unaware of the hands behind the chaos in Lanark, but perhaps it was for the better. Perhaps ignorance maintained a certain level of dignity for him.

She shook her head. The Archduke should be made well aware of this.

Lost in a labyrinth of unanswered questions and assumptions that never reached a conclusion, it took her a while to realize that she was all alone now. And the worst part was that she had just arrived at the sign marking the end of the shallow parts of the forest, warning Lanarkians not to venture any further inside.

"...White wolf?"

Adela's urgent whispers cut through the stillness of the forest. 

The spot where her knight and she had been ambushed on her previous visit was exactly where she stood now. Her heart beat like a hummingbird's wings as she swallowed hard, wondering if this was yet another trap.

"Have you finally come to your senses and realized that your companion is missing?"

The voice that came from behind her interrupted her thoughts. The first thing her eyes caught as she slowly turned around to affirm the source was the blue crystal on the necklace around a man's neck.

"…When did you…" her question died as her eyes finally reached his face.

Ethereal tresses of ivory white flowed down his back like a glistening waterfall of snow, while his steely gray eyes held a blend of raw strength and wisdom. The handsome visage of his human form was a match for the beauty of his lupine shape.

"I see... You could use some light," he smirked.

Adela's gaze fell once again on the blue crystal pendant around his neck as it began to radiate a soft glow. Though she had heard of the ability to channel one's energy into powerful mana stones, she had never before witnessed it firsthand. The aura emanating from him was tangible, infused with the primordial energy of the forest itself.

As her fascination with the enchanting glow subsided, Adela couldn't help but notice the chiseled muscles that adorned his lean frame, it reminded her of the time she caught Andreas riding without a shirt.

It was unintentional, but her gaze wandered further down, she quickly averted her eyes and covered them with her hands, flushing red.

"How can someone have no sense of privacy like this!" she chided.

He laughed wholeheartedly at her flustered state, "A woman your age? Surely you have seen that part of a man's body before,"

Adela was outraged.

"Do you even live in the same world as I do? Why would an unwedded woman see…" Try as she may, she could not get herself to continue that thought. 

"Well, now you know, but do not compare my size with your future husband's. I am the Alpha of my pack, after all,"

Adela was dumbfounded, her mouth agape in disbelief for a second before she was able to contain herself. "Please, cover that!" She implored; her voice strained with embarrassment. "I must return home before daybreak, and I cannot afford any more delays."

The thought of Arkin discovering her absence and issuing a warrant about it made her stomach turn.

"I cannot take you to my tribe, so we must do with the tent that I prepared for you on the other side, can your human eyes see it?" 

They couldn't. 

"Lead the way," Adela muttered, her eyes fixed on the ground, vaguely noting how the cold weather did not seem to bother him.

"I truly do not mind if you see me. It is the natural state of this shape," he said as he began walking a step ahead of her.

The eccentric creature's animalistic nature seemed more prominent in this form than in his wolf one. Adela couldn't imagine any of the men she knew sharing such a sentiment.

He had been right about the tent that was situated not too far from where the dark part of the forest began. It was small and had a non-human-made structure, fashioned from an unknown leather that smelled rich and musky, and its walls reflected the blue hue of the man's glowing necklace that helped her find her way as she walked. 

She was taken aback as she entered the tent to find a very civilized scene before her. it was warm and dry despite the cold weather outside, a small table was placed between two chairs facing each other, and a scarf was left over one of the chairs. She averted her eyes hearing him coming in, there were rustling noises and the feel of the air moving around her as he dressed.

"Have a seat. This should not take too long," he suggested.

They sat facing each other, the shapeshifter's face — too blue under the current glow — turned to stone. 

"You have so many questions, I am sure, ask me the most important one of them all,"

The answer was intuitive, it was why Claude had sent the shapeshifter her way to begin with.

"Can you take me where my father is?"

He looked pleased with her response.

"No, I can't. But I can show you a way to become useful to him once you reunite,"

Her forehead creased in puzzlement.

"I can show you who you are; it is what he paid me to do,"

"...Who I am?"

He leaned in, "I told him that forcing the awakening was a bad idea. But he thinks it's necessary... I must ask... Are you truly ready for it?"

Adela had no idea what she was supposed to be ready for.

"…I would not have followed you here if I was not ready," she lied smoothly.

"In that case..." The shapeshifter reached beneath the table and produced a bottle and a glass. He poured some of the sweet-smelling liquid in front of Adela and looked at her intensely.

"Drink," he commanded.

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