Arthur's POV
I sat on a couch in my mate's home, with my arm around her delicate shoulders. Any amount of contact between us pleased me. I could not quite keep the smile off my face.
Her house was, of course, rather small and I imagined ordinary, but I had never spent time in such a place before. The entire house could fit in any number of rooms in the palace where I had grown up.
Still, I liked it. It had a homey feel and best of all it smelled like her. I liked it and my wolf had never been so contented in my life. He would be happy to live here.
Of course, my apartments at the palace would smell like her soon enough. I really did smile.
"That woman is a plague, I swear," her friend Kayla said agitatedly. She was rather a bit too energetic, but she clearly cared for my mate so I liked her instantly. And she could only be favourably compared to the lunas of the court.
Rory seemed to temper Kayla a bit. I was glad he was already mated. Unmated childhood friends of the opposite sex almost always came back to bite mates in the tail later. It was obvious upon meeting the male that he was completely devoted to Kayla, as mates should be, so I was able to relax.
I had always had a rather traditional view of mates. My parents were deeply in love and it was good to see that Anne came from a similar background. She seemed willing to be my partner and I could not be more grateful. Especially when I remembered most of the women rushing around the court.
Every day, all day was exhausting drama.
I was pleased that my beautiful mate would not willingly be sucked into that nonsense. I already imagined that she might temper the storm, just a bit. I could not wait to see her grow into her potential.
She was speaking with her friend and while she tolerated Kayla's silliness, she simply rode the wave without getting too wet.
She was ideal.
<Yes, our mate is exceptional,> my wolf agreed.
<You're back,> I commented.
<Yes, I still can't find her yet.> He sounded disgruntled. I knew his patience was getting close to the end. He would be much happier when he found Maria and they could run together beyond our dreams.
<I'm sure you'll find her soon,> I said soothingly. He was a powerful wolf.
<You make it sound so easy, because your simple four-dimensional human mind cannot comprehend the vastness of the Wolfscape. If you would just mark her it would be infinitely easier for us both.>
<She won't be happy if we push her. You know that as well as I do.>
<You think she won't be happy and you're correct, because happiness is too mild a word. She'll be ecstatic.>
I frowned. <You'll scare her away from us.>
<You know nothing of female wolves. How do you think she's feeling? She can't find me either. It's only you humans who are over-complicating matters.>
<It's not for long.>
<I want to see her as a wolf at least. Then I at least recognize more than just her scent. We should go for a run together.>
<Maybe. And only if she wants.>
<She will.>
My wolf's confidence rubbed off on me. Everything would work out fine.
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We hung out for a couple of hours with her friends and it was quite pleasant. Perhaps she had a point about how there were reasonable people in the world, but they simply did not congregate at the top of the packs where I might readily see them.
Perhaps there was some facet of werewolf nature that craved power and those most severely afflicted fought the hardest to get it.
Or perhaps it was our human nature at work within us. We were part primate after all. Monkeys react to improving social status like drug addicts searching for their next hit. I doubted we were much better.
I don't know what that said about me since I was one step away from the top of the entire teetering structure.
"We should get going, Kayla," Rory commented. I liked how blasé he was, it was like a breath of fresh air after all the aggressive alphas I dealt with day after day. There were exceptions like Brandon, but they were few and far between.
It would be convenient if I could promote Rory to the status of alpha. Unfortunately it did not work like that.
Perhaps maintaining a system in which leaders largely were decided upon by their ability to effectively inflict violence on the other candidates was not the best way to maintain a peaceful kingdom.
Shame it was not easier to amend the system. If I tried the alphas would almost certainly lead a civil war that would likely devolve further into violent anarchy and such chaos was certain to harm the weakest members of our society.
It felt like an irresolvable problem.
I was brought out of my musings by Anne's friend's upbeat voice.
"Yeah, we should get going. You two just found each other and I'll bet you want some time alone," Kayla said suggestively.
Anne looked a bit embarrassed and it was endearingly cute. You know you are going to adore your mate before you meet her, but you do not really understand what it is going to be until you finally experience it. I could not have chosen better if I had tried to pick for myself.
It proved the old wisdom true: Respect the mate bonds.
My parents had always maintained a stay away from unattached females as much as possible rule with regards to me and I had never cared enough about any girl I met to defy them. It was not as if I could not see that many of the ladies around were stunningly gorgeous; I am male and my eyes are in perfect working order.
Still, it had always felt as if there was something missing somewhere essential deep below the surface of even the most beautiful werewolf.
Now their inadequacy was blazingly obvious. They had all failed to be Anne.
I could tell that she was a bit unsure of everything, but every hour we were together she seemed to relax a bit more. Initially I had feared it was me she objected to, but then I understood she was just afraid of being hurt in the insanity of our world. It made even more sense after meeting her sister.
I comforted myself that in spite of her misgivings she had approached me. I had not even noticed she was there, my helmet and the direction of the wind had worked against me to make me completely oblivious to her proximity.
I had dreamed last night that she had simply walked right by me and disappeared. I had rode off with a feeling that I had missed the most important thing in my life and woke in a cold sweat.
I had been so relieved to see the walls of her parents' guest room in that moment.
Anne wiggled out of my grasp and stood up, along with her friends. I did not attempt to stop her.
"I'm really going to miss you," Kayla said, hugging my mate.
"I'm going to miss you, too," Anne responded sadly.
I did not like the wistful note in her voice.
"They are welcome to come visit, Anne. And I imagine you'll want them there for our we—" I caught myself before the ding since I recalled from the conversation with her father that she clearly wanted a proper proposal. Once we got back to the palace I would get her a ring and take care of all that, but for now, "Welcoming celebration."
If she noticed my near slip up she did not make an issue of it. I would have to get my mother to set such a party up. It was a good idea either way.
She gave me an impromptu hug and I felt like all was right in the world, except of course I wanted more. It was at least satisfactory progress. I remembered how I had kissed her the previous night as I looked at her smiling lips. She was sweet in every way I could imagine.
<Well, you're doing well, I see,> my wolf observed with satisfaction.
<Did you expect anything less?>
"That would be amazing," Kayla gushed in response to my suggestion.
Rory smiled at his mate.
"Once I get settled in and I know when everything is I'll let you know," Anne promised.
Kayla made a high pitched sort of squeal and I tried not to flinch at the grating sound. How did she not hurt her own ears?
Rory still was looking at her with a affectionate expression.
<Perhaps she has already ruined his hearing,> my wolf suggested.
I kept my smile inside and I watched as she embraced her friends. I did not love when she hugged him, but I ignored the twinge because I knew there was clearly nothing to it.
<I don't like it,> my wolf commented. <I haven't even found her in the Wolfscape yet and he gets to touch her?>
<They're nothing more than friends,> I ignored my own displeasure in an attempt to reassure my wolf.
<You better rub up against her until she only smells like us.>
<I don't think I should do that.>
"See you soon," my mate said. I put my hand on her back and she seemed to like it.
Her friends left. Through the closing door I could see that there were still a bunch of reporters and gawkers standing around, but now well off of private property. I felt a twinge of annoyance. I had wanted to ease her in gently, but it seemed nothing could ever be so easy.
Good thing I already knew she was tough enough to endure the problems that would surely come our way.
I said goodbye to her friends and she glanced at me with those beautiful green gems of hers, set in her delicate face and framed by her sweeping long brown hair.
<At least let me talk to her,> my wolf begged.
<Do you promise to behave?>
I had noticed how relieved and grateful she was when I let her have time and make her own decisions and I wanted more of that. I definitely did not want my wolf getting all overbearing and scaring her off.
<Fine, if that's what it will take to get you to agree. I don't know why you don't trust me.>
<Maybe, because I hear what you say to me.>
<I'm only saying what you're surely thinking,> he shot back.
Well, he was not entirely wrong, but he was the instinctive part of our personality and I did not entirely trust him not to do any number of things. Surely she would understand, but...
"My wolf wants to meet you properly. He wants me to hand over control."
She considered my words and then nodded. "My wolf wants to meet yours, too. She's been bugging me whenever she's not searching for your wolf."
<She's looking for me too?> my wolf said, somewhere between an excited yelp and a whine. <Don't make us wait any longer! I need to find her.>
I considered. If her wolf was as enthusiastic as mine, it could be a bad combination. But still, if he managed to locate her he would relax considerably. They would go off and do whatever it was they wanted to do in the Wolfscape and I would have a break to get to know Anne properly without him trying to convince me to mark her every five minutes.
<Very well, but if you step out of line, I won't let you out for a month.>
<You worry too much, human.>
I sighed and let him have control of my body. He did not usually like to take over in human form, but he would on occasion.
"Anne," he said. "It's good to finally talk to you myself; it has been painful watching from the shadows. I've been trying to find Maria, to no avail."
"She's been looking for you, too," Anne said with a smile. She did not seem afraid of him, which was good.
"I have wanted to mark you from the moment we met and I have been waiting because Arthur believes you need time, but it has been truly excruciating."
<Don't pressure her,> I said, considering whether or not I should wrest control away from him right away.
<I'm not pressuring her, I am speaking of my feelings. Do you not wish to communicate with our mate? I thought that was your intention, but perhaps I was wrong?>
He did have something of a point.
He continued speaking to her, "Once we mark each other I'll be able to communicate with Maria on that side and we'll be sure to be able to find each other more quickly."
"She wants to meet you, too. I'll let her have control."
There was a long pause, then her green eyes lightened to golden.
I heard my voice say, "Maria."
She smiled and kept her gaze on mine. "I don't know your second name," she said.
I could not believe I had forgotten to give her such a detail.
"Ah, yes. Please forgive us, mate. Like all humans, mine tends to over-complicate things and forget the things that truly matter."
I let his words pass without comment.
"I'm Pierce."
"Pierce? I like it." She smiled. "I agree that we should be marked at once."
<Don't even think about it.>
"My human is opposed," he said with my mouth. I felt my eyes roll, as if I were the unreasonable party in the situation.
She laughed. It was somehow deeper than when Anne was in control, but it sounded sweet all the same. "Yes, my human is quite annoyed at me for even bringing it up. It's going to happen eventually, but they're so troublesome. If it were up to me alone, there would be none of this silly waiting."
My mouth smiled and said, "Would you like to go for a run in our proper forms?"
<I never actually agreed to that,> I pointed out. I would take control back if he got out of line and he knew it.
<What's the harm? At least let me have this,> he said.
<There are hoards of reporters outside.>
My wolf grinned with my mouth and responded, <You know that we could deal with them.>
<We're trying not to scare her off.>
<As I said, you know nothing of female wolves. She would love it.>
<And what about Anne? You won't be happy if she runs away with Maria.>
<She'll like it too, I'd wager.>
"My human thinks we should stay inside," Maria commented. "She's concerned about that pack of media on the street."
"My human agrees, but we could easily see them disperse."
<Watch it,> I warned him.
"Ooh, really?" She sounded quite pleased with his declaration. Her golden eyes sparkled appreciatively.
<See, I told you she would like it.>
"Should we go?" he asked.
She smiled. "My human has reservations, but she's decided not to fight me on it. However, she wants to sneak out the back door and hope they won't notice."
"I'll let security know and have them distract the crowd while we leave," my wolf told her.
She smiled. "My human also insists we change in our rooms for some reason, as if that should be a concern in the presence our mate."
She rolled her eyes and added, "I'll be back out in a minute."
He followed her up the stairs and went into the guest room we had stayed in.
He pulled out my phone and growled, <I don't see why you insist on communicating by human means when we could simply use the pack link.>
<Having voices suddenly in your head is very jarring, but I suppose you would not understand that.>
<I understand more than you know, since you're always in the back of my mind,> my wolf said. He fumbled with the phone for a minute and tapped out a message.
He was barely literate since he had seldom been present or attentive while I was in school. Perhaps it was cruel of me to insist, but my point remained. The pack link was for emergencies and if he wanted this he had to do it my way.
He undressed and immediately shifted our body into that of a wolf. He had left the door ajar so he was easily able to push it open with the side of his head and he met our mate out in the hall.
Her golden eyes were inspecting us. She seemed relaxed and was a very healthy looking wolf.
<Look at her. I knew she would be beautiful, but she is truly exquisite. Her proportions are perfect and that muzzle is simply adorable, but at the same time serene. Her eyes are like a piece of the sun fell out of the sky. Look at her fur, shiny and brown with a sprinkling of silvery grey in the mix, like a beautiful rock in the light. And those legs... And that tail...>
<Maybe you should tell her that,> I muttered. I was glad he was happy, but I did not particularly want to be trapped in my own mind while he composed sonnets to the beauty of her muzzle.
<I would, but someone is reluctant to mark her.>
<I'm not reluctant to mark her, I'm reluctant to pressure her. There's a significant difference between the two.>
My wolf did not bother to answer me.
With one last look at us my mate began leading us down the staircase and to the door at the back of the house. She pushed out through the wolf door. He followed her, barely able to get my larger frame through the space and into freedom.
We snuck away from the yard, but no one seemed to notice us. Once we were safely away, we began to run. I let myself relax and watch passively. Unlike my wolf, I could not retreat into the Wolfscape while he was in control. I would not want to, anyway. This was my body in my world as the Wolfscape was his, although my wolf and I were connected in a symbiotic relationship as close together as two beings could be.
What I could do was lean back and let myself relax while my shifted body ran through the barren wilds with my mate.
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Author's Note:
So, whats up with this Wolfscape thing?
It sort of just accidentally happened, mostly because I apparently cannot stop myself. I was pondering how those poor wolves are trapped in their humans' heads while the human mcs do exactly the opposite of what the wolf wants (and what would probably be best for the mcs, too).
Thus, it became a whole thing in Anne's universe... These wolves get a bit more personal autonomy than they usually do, I guess. More explanation will come in later chapters, at least insofar as our poor little four-dimensional human minds can handle.
(Pierce is counting time as a dimension, on top of the three spacial dimensions we, like Anne, occupy.)
If anyone has a better name for the Wolfscape I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks for reading! :)