A Dash of Demise

Ch 40: The me Before Zander

Zander POV:

I paced the length of my office.

Compromise.

As an alpha, its not exactly my strong suit but...Red seems willing to progress more if we compromise.

She's living with me when we mate there is no way in hell I'm allowing her to be away from me like that.

Perhaps she could still work for the guard...and not slaughter my pack.

She can tell everyone she has married, surly some in the guard marry and remain.

I will have to ask her to preform duties as alpha female though.

As for... children also necessary but once Red is connected to me she will live much longer than other humans. Perhaps in a 10 years or so she will change her mind.

This can work, she continues to come see me for a reason. She doesn't want this to stop either.

She's just been tossed a lot of insanity lately.

We can make this work.

I will suggest this to Red and perhaps we can begin planning our lives.

I paused in my pacing. She said she was considering marriage...I could marry her as humans do if it is meaningful to her. It will hurt nothing to do so.

Perhaps it will even make her happy.

Okay then. I will marry her first and then perhaps our union on wolf terms will be easier for her.

It is an unconventional way of doing things. But we are unconventional.

Okay. Humans use rings.

Nilana is going to throw an fit...

...I cannot just buy red any little ring.

She's going to want one just as beautiful as she is.

And a hate to think what she would do if it didn't meet her standards.

Reject me likely, right then and there.

Okay. So let's start with that. A ring. Then I will attempt to work out a compromise.

We likely wont even need a large human wedding.

Im a wolf, i don't care about a silly party but my pack would attend if asked.

And Red....

...well I'm not sure she has anyone who would trust her enough not to kill them to come.

Why does she want this?

She has no family.

Little to no friends.

All she has is...her work.

And me.

I sank into my office chair, suddenly feeling like an utter fool.

Of course she's unwilling to part from her work.

My inner wolf ached to see her although it has only been a matter of hours since her departure.

I hate to think she feels as though she must leave all she has known to be with me.

I mean it would be nice to have her all to myself.

But not at the expense of her happiness.

I want Red. I intend to have her, even if I need to share her time with her sense of duty.

...now I just need her to see that, and agree to it.

And marry me I suppose.

~~

Red POV:

The prince wanted to go into town today.

Not hidden as he often does when he wishes to shop.

Publicly.

Which meant myself donning my Scarlett Guards cloak, picking a dress that best compliments the occasion and going with him.

Prince Julius grinned at me as I walked up, "you look lovely Red."

I smiled a bit at him, "I was told you wished to visit with some of the peasants."

He hesitated a bit, brushing his hand through his blonde strands of hair. "I do..but Red there is also some business to attend to."

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, pouting, "boo. I need to get some other guards then."

"No. Just you and I Red. This is to be a secret and I can trust your loyalty to me above all else. Others may tell the king or queen, perhaps one of their guardsmen and in turn they would tell my mother or father. You would do no such thing. You would not even betray me in such a way if you were intimately involved with a husband. You have always been my biggest ally."

I turned to him as he patted my head gently, "your greatest ally?"

He chuckled, "it is endearing that you had not already assumed so. Of course Red, you are intensely loyal and have not lied to me, not once. My secrets have never passed your lips and you always have my best interest at heart." Smiling he mounted his horse, "honestly I wonder how I would function without your cute self shadowing my every move."

I blushed lightly, feeling both honored and... ashamed.

He is describing a me from before I entered wolves territory for the first time.

The me before that stupid dog.

The me before I had someone outside the prince who cared about my day and what occurs in my life

The me before Zander.

The sense of uncertainty and shame sank in further, I have been betraying the one person who truly cares for me since the day I met the amber eyed, brutish, wolf man. Stupid stupid dog that he is. Making my cute self feel things I should not. He truly should go die.

I looked nearly anywhere but the blonde as I mounted my own horse and, following his lead, started toward town, "I am sure you would fare just fine my prince."