by Amber Burns
“Dresdyn, what’s the matter?” Klaryssa asked worriedly before spying Kelder and Olaf in the distance, racing towards them at a quick clip.
“No time to explain!” Dresdyn snapped, as his blue eyes shifted to amber. “Go. Now!”
“Dresdyn...your eyes,” Klaryssa whispered.
“Klaryssa!” Dresdyn growled with a snap of his teeth.
“I don’t know if I can find my way back to the Keep,” Klaryssa replied desperately.
“I will find you when this is over, I swear it, my love,” Dresdyn uttered fervently. “Just flee from here now, while there’s still time. You must stay safe! Go!”
Despite the tension of the situation, Klaryssa felt her heart flutter when Dresdyn called her by the new endearment. She nevertheless nodded and clutched the reins of her horse before turning it back in the general direction of the castle. “Be safe!” she pleaded desperately.
Just moments before a pack of gnolls appeared out of invisibility.
8
“RIDE!” Dresdyn bellowed. “Klaryssa! Ride! NOW!” he swatted the horse’s flank just as a portion of the gnolls broke off from the group and descended upon a screaming Bailey and tore him limb from limb, while the other half of the group attacked the other two horses.
Screaming at the gruesome sight as Cerridwyn clung to her in terror, Klaryssa kicked the sides of her horse. “Dresdyn, come with us!” she cried as her horse raced off at a breakneck pace. “Dresdyn, come--”
More gnolls appeared out of nowhere directly in front of Klaryssa’s horse, the steed reared up and sent the two sisters toppling to the ground before racing off in a panic. Scrambling to her feet, Klaryssa grabbed Cerridwyn and tried to shield her from the snapping, snarling beasts.
“At least we’re together,” Cerridwyn sobbed while clinging to her sister. “We won’t die alone.”
“No! No, this can’t be how it ends,” Klaryssa sobbed as the gnolls began closing ranks around her and Cerridwyn with malice in their eyes. Her eyes widened, and she shrank away in terror as she took in the sight of the drool dripping from their open maws.
“I love you, ‘Ryssa,” Cerridwyn sobbed.
“I love you, ‘Wynnie,” Klaryssa wept.
“KLARYSSA!”
Klaryssa ripped her gaze from the advancing gnolls and looked towards the voice just in time to see Dresdyn leap the distance between them in a single bound, and her eyes widened in shock as she witnessed her future husband’s body ripple and change in mid-air. When Dresdyn landed on two feet between her and the gnolls, he was much larger and covered from head to toe in fur the color of the blackest night. The onyx-hued claws on Dresdyn’s fingertips glistened in the light of day as he pulled himself up to his full height and allowed the tattered remains of his tunic to fall to the ground before roaring before launching into his attack.
“Dresdyn?” Klaryssa whispered in disbelief. She was unable to tear her gaze from the enormous, bipedal wolf as he engaged in mortal combat with the smaller canine beasts, not even when Cerridwyn forcibly dragged her away to avoid getting caught in the midst of the snapping jaws and slashing claws. “Dresdyn?” Her attention was ripped away from her future husband when two howls rang through the land. Looking to her left, she saw two more wolf-men racing towards them before leaping into the fray. One was a massive, hulking behemoth with brown fur, and the other was the smallest of the three and covered in tawny fur. “Kelder? Olaf?” Klaryssa whispered in disbelief with wide eyes.
With the three wolfmen now working together and attacking as a pack, the hunting party of gnolls no longer stood a chance. Yips and yelps of pain punctuated the ferocious snarls and growls as blood and fur flew through the air before littering the ground. Klaryssa gasped when one of the gnolls jumped onto Dresdyn’s back and sank its smaller, but no less sharp and pointy, teeth into his shoulder. The black wolf snarled in anger and pain before ripping the gnoll from his person and hurling it at Kelder who caught it by the neck between his deadly jaws and shook hard until the audible sound of a neck-snapping added to the cacophony of death and destruction.
When the last gnoll fell to the ground in lifeless pieces, Dresdyn, Kelder, and Olaf huffed and panted while surveying their handiwork. Still in their lupine forms, the trio was quite the sight. Their fur was matted in blood from the bites and scratches they had acquired during the fight, and their trousers were tattered and barely hung on by threads. They were somewhere between animal and man, and when they howled together, it made the blood of both Klaryssa and Cerridwyn run cold.
Cerridwyn whimpered and shrank into Klaryssa who still could not seem to tear her eyes away from the black wolfman that had formerly been Dresdyn. “What should we do?” she whispered to her sister. “Should we try and run?” She gasped when three pairs of amber eyes turned towards them. “Dynol preserve us!”
Klaryssa gently freed herself from Cerridwyn’s grasp, which was no easy feat considering just how tightly her sister clung to her, and then slowly began closing the distance between Dresdyn and herself. Cerridwyn’s frightened protestations fell on deaf ears as Klaryssa’s eyes remained fixed on Dresdyn who watched her approach with guarded apprehension.
Dresdyn’s heart thundered in his chest as he watched Klaryssa draw near. He watched her face carefully for any hint of fear or revulsion and tried not to allow his own terror to consume him. What if Klaryssa could not stomach the truth about him? This had not been the way Dresdyn had wanted to reveal this part of himself to his mate. He had hoped to do it a little at a time. Not all at once, or with blood and viscera soaking into the ground.
“Dresdyn?” Klaryssa asked in a whisper upon stopping right in front of her betrothed.
Dresdyn slowly nodded and watched with bated breath as Klaryssa tentatively raised a hand up towards his face. He slowly leaned down and met her halfway, and then remained perfectly still as Klaryssa’s slender hand slowly stroked his muzzle. He sighed and leaned into his mate’s hand while regarding her through half-lidded eyes.
“So, this is why women taken by your clan never have contact with their families ever again,” Klaryssa mused. “I understand now,” she whispered before clearing her throat. “Do you plan on hurting either my sister or myself?” Klaryssa asked softly.
Dresdyn shook his head, and his gaze never wavered from Klaryssa’s.
“Do you promise to explain everything to me?” Klaryssa asked in a voice that was calmer than how she truly felt at that moment.
Dresdyn nodded, and then, his heart fluttered with hope when Klaryssa smiled at him. Even amidst the bloody aftermath, his mate was a picture of untarnished beauty!
Klaryssa tenderly brushed her thumb over Dresdyn’s blood-soaked muzzle. While she had to fight down her revulsion, she nevertheless could not help but feel moved. After all, Dresdyn was covered in blood because he had been protecting her. He had truly exposed himself to her for the sake of her safety, and Klaryssa simply could not bring herself to be afraid.
“Then, take us away from here,” Klaryssa whispered. “Take us home.”
Nodding, Dresdyn nuzzled Klaryssa’s palm before licking it tenderly. He then crouched down so Klaryssa could climb onto his back. With the horses either gone or slaughtered, there truly was no other way to transport the sisters to the Keep.
“Klaryssa, you can’t be serious!” Cerridwyn protested as she watched her sister climb onto the black wolf’s back.
“Everything will be alright,” Klaryssa soothed before watching as Olaf took a few steps towards Cerridwyn and then dropped into a crouch so that the young girl could climb onto his back. “Thank you, Olaf,” she said with a smile before looking to her sister once more as Dresdyn rose to his feet. “Cerridwyn, please climb onto Olaf’s back so we can leave this place. Everything will be alright, I promise.”
“How can you say that?” Cerridwyn asked shrilly with unabashed panic. “After everything we just saw? How can you say that everything is going to be alright?”
“Have I ever given you
reason to doubt me?” Klaryssa asked. “Have I ever lied to you in your entire life?”
“Well...no,” Cerridwyn answered with a shake of her head after a few moments of thought.
“And I don’t plan on starting now,” Klaryssa remarked fervently. “Please, Wynnie, please just trust me, and climb onto Olaf’s back. I promise that he won’t hurt you.”
Cerridwyn tentatively stepped towards Olaf before carefully climbing onto his back and hanging on. “If I pull any of your fur, I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Olaf responded by lightly patting Cerridwyn’s hand as he rose to his feet.
With her sister now secured, Klaryssa visibly relaxed and nestled into Dresdyn’s fur while hanging onto him tightly. “Take me home, my wolf,” she whispered moments before Dresdyn nodded and howled before then setting off at a full sprint away from the gruesome scene.
9
“Are the girls alright, My Thane?” Kelder asked as he sat on a bench in the Keep’s courtyard and dutifully allowed his mate, Meera, to tend to his wounds. His beloved was no stranger to patching him up, and Kelder could not help but smile with affection and amusement as Meera tutted and reprimanded him under her breath for getting hurt. For the benefit of his love, Kelder made the effort to look at least somewhat chastised.
Dresdyn, already poulticed and bandaged, nodded while slowly pacing back and forth. “Yes, yes, they’re being seen to,” he replied with a wave of his hand before running it through his disheveled hair.
“Fine way to speak of your traumatized guests,” Meera admonished. “Especially when one of them is your mate.”
“They’re safe, Meera,” Dresdyn bit out while continuing to pace. “Leave it at that for now. Forgive me, but I have slightly more pressing matters on my mind at present,” he growled while placing his hands on his hips after smoothing his beard.
Completely uncowed, Meera turned to face Dresdyn, and placed her hands on her hips in an attempt to look formidable despite the fact that her large and heavy pregnant belly made her look anything but. “And what can possibly be more important than the welfare of your mate?” Meera demanded while sending her long, brown curls flying over her shoulder with a toss of her head.
Dresdyn stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face the pregnant woman. “Off the top of my head?” he snarled. “How about the fact that the gnolls were entirely focused upon Klaryssa once they had dealt with the horses and mortal man that stood between her and them? Is that not pressing enough for you? No? Well, then, how about the fact that gnolls are now apparently capable of turning invisible?” He advanced upon Meera and stopped once he was looming over her. “Do either of those matters qualify as pressing enough for you, Meera?”
Though he knew Dresdyn would not harm Meera, Kelder nevertheless growled low in his throat in defense of his beloved mate. The growl had the desired effect, and Dresdyn slowly breathed out through his nose before stepping away and patting Kelder’s shoulder in the process.
“There’s spells for invisibility, aren’t there?” Olaf asked after clearing his throat as one of his fellow soldiers poulticed the few wounds he had acquired during the battle. They were superficial and would heal quickly enough on their own. “I mean, I’m no mage, but invisibility spells exist, don’t they?”
“Yes,” Dresdyn replied with a small nod. “But, I have never heard of that sort of spell working on so large a scale. There must be something else at work here, but I have no way of knowing what it could possibly be until the Shaman arrives for the clan gathering.”
“Which means that there is no point in worrying about it until then,” Meera remarked in a gentler tone than the one she had used before. “Go to your mate, My Thane,” she said. “After what happened today, she needs you as well as your assurance that she and her sister are safe here in their new home.”
Dresdyn fell silent, and when he turned his gaze to Meera at last, it was with a sadness and underlying fear in his eyes. “How can I make that promise to them when I, myself, can no longer be certain of its truth?”
Kelder regarded Dresdyn silently for a few moments before clearing his throat and rising to his feet. The last time he had seen Dresdyn in such a state of distress was when he had been forced to kill his own brother. “Meera, love, why don’t you see to Lady Klaryssa and her sister?” he suggested. “That way, our Thane’s focus won’t be divided while we work through the events of today. Besides, I’m sure our new guests would appreciate and welcome the sort of gentle touch that only you can provide,” he added with a smile and a loving caress of his mate’s belly.
“You have a point, love,” Meera replied with a sigh that was followed with a smile of her own as she rested her hand upon Kelder’s. “Alright, I’m off,” she said before drawing away from her mate and then waddling off into the castle.
Once his mate had departed, Kelder looked to the scouts and soldiers that were gathered within the courtyard. Their eyes were fixed upon Dresdyn who had resumed his pacing while running his hands through his hair in an agitated manner.
“Forgive me,” Dresdyn muttered under his breath. “Compromised. I am compromised.” it was not until Kelder physically stepped into his path and gripped his shoulders that Dresdyn finally stopped moving.
“Compromised?” Kelder questioned with a small head tilt. “My Thane, what are you talking about?”
“Before Klaryssa entered my life, I would have faced this problem with the gnolls head on without a second thought,” Dresdyn growled. “I would have come up with a plan with a clear head on my shoulders without feeling overcome by panic, but now…” Dresdyn threw his hands up into the air. “Now, my head is swimming with images of Klaryssa dying in horrible ways, and all I feel is fear for what might happen to my mate should I fail to protect her. So, yes, Kelder. I am compromised.”
Kelder sighed, and his eyes were full of understanding as he gave a small shake of his head. “You’re not compromised, My Thane.”
“Then what would you call it?” Dresdyn snapped with stark desperation in his eyes that flickered between blue and amber in the midst of his obvious distress. “What would you call feeling true fear for the first time in my life during the mere heartbeat in which I thought Klaryssa would be lost to me?”
“Being mated,” Kelder answered simply. “You’ve gone from being the proverbial lone wolf to being part of a mated pair, and the transition is...overwhelming to say the least.” He looked up upon hearing grunts of agreement, and he smiled while turning Dresdyn so that he could see the number of men nodding. “We’ve all gone through it, My Thane.”
Dresdyn looked out at the sea of faces and felt himself relaxing just a little at the sheer number of nods before he frowned in thought. “I don’t remember my brother being beside himself like this.”
“No, but to be fair, an attempt wasn’t made on his mate’s life so soon after he found her,” Kelder replied. “Your brother had time to adjust, whereas you were faced with the real possibility of losing your mate almost immediately.” He cleared his throat and shifted on the balls of his feet a little. “And, you know only too well the outcome of losing a mate, My Thane.”
Dresdyn hung his head and slowly exhaled. It was with a clench of both fists that he set his jaw and raised his gaze once more. “If my mate truly was the target of the gnoll attack today, then protective measures must be put into place,” he said, now in possession of a clearer mind. He was of no use to Klaryssa if he crumbled under the weight of his fear.
“You think the gnolls might try attacking the Keep?” Olaf asked while scratching his jaw.
“In light of what you, Kelder and I witnessed today, I would not put it past them,” Dresdyn replied. “With this new spell in their arsenal, they will no doubt seek to press their advantage, and that means that we must all be prepared. Since the other packs will no doubt already be on their way here for the gathering, we will not waste time and resources sending word to them, but we will arm the pack leaders with word of this news once they a
rrive so they can begin formulating plans of their own.” Dresdyn slowly exhaled and placed his hands on his hips. “For the time being, we will focus on defending what we can defend here and now.”
“Gather in the barracks,” Kelder ordered simply. As Dresdyn’s beta, he was well within his rights to do so. “There is much that must be discussed and planned, and as the protectors of this Keep as well as the fief, it will fall to all of you to be ready to fulfill your duties.”
“Kelder?” Dresdyn asked before the behemoth could depart with the rest of the men.
