Grimmer (Sequel to Kailin)

Grimmer: Relations

"Psst! Psst, Zanek," I whispered.

He didn't so much as twitch in his sleeping state. A smile tugged at my lips just seeing him sprawled across the couch.

"Zanek," I cooed. "Wakey wakey."

I laughed when he groaned and turned away from me, hiding his face under his arms. I would say that I hated waking him up, especially after he hadn't slept in a couple weeks, but I had to go -- and he'd been asleep for nearly a day and a half. "Five more minutes," he muttered sleepily.

"No, no, no. You told me to wake you up when I had to leave, remember?"

Again he groaned. "Not really...."

"Don't make me come over there," I threatened.

His arms dropped back onto the couch, pressing against his ribs so I couldn't get to them. "Okay! I'm up, I'm up."

"Your eyes aren't open."

I giggled at his response of throwing a pillow in my direction. I guess he's awake enough now. I stood from my crouching position after dodging the pillow and moved to strap on my belt. After changing my blouse and placing Sireth in its place at my hip, I moved my hands up to comb through my hair and the softest of snores came from behind me....

I whipped my head around. "Zanek!"

A smile stretched across his face and he laughed with his hands over his belly before moving his legs over the side of the couch to sit up. He sat for a moment with his elbows over his knees, rubbing his eyes like an old man doing. It made me smile.

Eventually he got moving and was changed, freshened up, and ready to go. That was the day I would meet the packs. Officially, anyway. Many of the shifters had been hanging around the halls of the Vari where I stayed most of the day. If I was with one of my shifters -- Tami, one of the twins, or Erin -- they would introduce me and in that way I got to know many of them. Apparently though there was one group that hadn't quite made it in the territory of the "Traditional" pack, so I had yet to meet them.

I hadn't yet gotten used to the way they acted around me. Not just the wolves -- the elves, too. As if I were someone they needed to watch. Keep their attentions on. The only exceptions were Jay and the dearest queen herself.

And gods, the Queen! She made Tyrit look like an angel! It seemed she was the winter on this land rather than the cold days; the snow that killed the colored trees and the frost that made people stay indoors. I had seen her once since that ridiculous fight in the Kiask. She'd come to 'apologize' as she put it, though her apology seemed more like a "come live in my halls [without Zanek] and you will never have to fight again".

A threat? No, just a poorly convincing statement. And I would never have to fight what? Her? Jay? Grimmer? There was still a war going on, after all.

Ultimately, I'd easily refused. She was angered and practically stormed out of the dining hall where I had been eating with Zanek and Erin.

"Ana!" someone called.

I turned to see Tami running toward us.

"Hey," I greeted.

She skipped to a stop in front of Zanek and I, a smile stretched across her face as usual. "You're awake!"

Zanek nodded. "From much needed rest."

Her silly red curls bounced with her nod. "Good, good. Ian's been up a couple hours if you want to see him." When she turned back to me, an excited squeal came out of her and she grasped my arms, jumping with excitement. "Ana you're going to meet your wolves!"

"That's what they keep telling me." I laughed when again she squealed, tugging me into a tight hug.

"I'm so excited!"

***

And so we walked on, out the doors and to a soft trail hidden behind the thickets. I stayed in Zanek's side as we walked to stay warm, following Tami as she had shifted into her slim wolf. It was like that I trekked to the place I had been only once before:

The meeting place of the wolves.