As we travel, Lyana’s steps begin to falter. “Do you want to stop and rest for a bit?”
She straightens, and tips up her chin in determination. “No. We should keep going as long as we can.”
“Would you like me to carry you?” I offer. Before she can answer, I add, “Your weight is very slight; it would not be a burden to me.”
She gives me a faint smile. “Thank you, Caelen, but I can walk.”
I study her out of the corner of my eye as we continue. It is easy to see that she is exhausted, but she refuses to stop. Her strength of will is as strong as that of a High Elf.
The sun dips toward the earth, and shadows lengthen through the trees. I am not sure how much further we must trek, but her fatigue is weighing her down. Nevertheless, her face is a mask of resolve.
I turn my attention back to the surrounding forest. The last of the sun’s golden rays spread out across the land, reminding me that night will soon be upon us.
We need to find somewhere to rest, preferably not out in the open. I mutter a curse under my breath. If not for the treaty with Eryadon, I’d be able to use my magic to conceal us from enemy eyes while we slept.
Because I cannot, I must choose where we will rest very carefully. Malak said it is not just any Wolf that hunts us; it is one of their best trackers.
Anger roils deep inside me. I will end anyone who dares try to harm my mate.
And yet… she is not mine. Not truly.
We kissed, but she has made it clear she does not desire me as her husband. She spoke sacred vows but claims they were mere words. I do not understand. My people never make promises lightly, but it seems hers do.
“Malak mentioned someone named Luna.” Lyana’s voice rips me from my thoughts. “Who is she?”
“I have heard she is his beloved, although I was surprised he actually admitted it.”
“Why?”
“She is human.”
“And… that’s a bad thing?”
“Not necessarily bad,” I answer. “Just… difficult.”
Lyana turns to me. “I do not understand.”
“It is a risk for any of my kind to fall in love with yours.”
“Your kind? You’re a High Elf, not a Wolf shifter.”
“Otherworldly beings: Elves, Wolves, Fae, Dragons, Mer, and such,” I explain. “When we love, it is complete and all-consuming. An irrevocable truth that resonates deep in our soul, changing the very core of our being. Once our heart is given to another, there is no returning to what we once were. And never will we be whole without the one to whom we have pledged our devotion.”
“Are you saying that once your kind loves someone, it’s forever?” she asks.
When she promised me her love with her human vows, I believed that she meant it. My heart swelled with hope at the prospect of not just a partnership, but a marriage of love.
I turn and meet her lovely, golden-brown eyes steadily. “Yes.”
