Violet
The forest blurred past in streaks of green and brown as Ila's powerful legs ate up the distance. I gripped the fur at her shoulders, trying not to think about how undignified this was.
How vulnerable.
How different I was from everyone else here.
Having someone who wasn't a child mount a wolf was disgraceful and undignifying, but to my surprise, Ila had offered.
I wasn't sure if it was because she felt pity for me or saw I might have had some worth for me to be her Supreme Alpha's mate.
I was thankful, but it made me severely uncomfortable.
Everyone had shifted that afternoon as we were leaving. One moment, they were in their human forms preparing for travel, and the next, they were all massive creatures ready to move.
Powerful, large, and coordinated.
And then there was me, the only one who couldn't shift. That had been a very uncomfortable moment. Even in their wolf forms, I could sense the shock. But there were also curious glances, pitiful looks, and some were out rightly confused.
But no one said anything.
Certainly not with their Supreme Alpha close by.
I hadn't seen him shift like the others, and by the time I had lifted myself onto Ila's back, he was already in the massive wolf form that stood above every other wolf in the clearing.
Then they moved.
Everything had happened all without him talking or even looking at me.
Even from a distance, even with dozens of wolves between us, I could feel him.
That pull. That strange undercurrent that flowed through me and reacted to him.
"Is he your mate?"
Her question haunted me.
Relentlessly.
I hadn't been able to answer her question.
'I don't know.'
And the lie I told myself never made it out of my mouth.
A sudden jolt rattled my body and I gripped harder, hoping I didn't hurt Ila. She didn't react but kept moving.
They had been going at it for hours, and without stopping. I never thought wolves could run for this long, but I had to increasingly remind myself that they were not normal.
My head had rattled with each bolt of her feet, and the ride had started out uncomfortable until I laid myself flat against her back, nearly lying down. The position offered more comfort and less turbulence.
My alarm grew when night came. They showed no signs of stopping. And I didn't sleep.
Morning came and my eyelids fought to stay open. My fear of falling off Ila's back overpowered my drowsiness.
Soon enough, the rhythm of Ila's gait changed slightly, and I realized we were slowing down. The group ended up coming to a stop, and I could hear sounds growing louder. A lot of it sounded like voices and movement.
A lot of movement.
My whole body ached. My mouth was dry, my joints throbbed, and my vision was hazy. A ringing sound in my ears intensified as I slowly sat up and a dizzying wave consumed me.
The last thing I could recall before darkness took over was my body sliding down Ila's soft fur.
[ - ]
It was soft. So soft. And completely different from the heavy fur in the tent. It was smooth and cool against my skin too.
My eyes opened slowly, and I blinked. Pale moonlight filtered through small windows. 'Windows.'
Actual glass windows with curtains.
I sat up, then immediately regretted the sudden movement as my head spun. I cradled it for a few seconds and sat there, waiting for the spinning to pass.
I was in a strangely beautiful room.
It was as small as my old hut, but decorated. The floor was covered with a beautiful woven carpet, and the cream coloured walls seemed to soak up the gentle pale light of the moon. A small fireplace sat in the corner. It's flames seemed to have been put out, but the coals glowed red.
I was in a bed. An actual bed with pillows so soft I could sink into them.
This wasn't a camp.
Were we already at the capital?
Panic started to rise in my chest until I noticed my clothes. I was still wearing the borrowed traveling tunic, but my hands and face seemed clean. I then noticed a jug of water on a small table beside the bed, along with an empty bowl and a small folded cloth. I grabbed the jug and drank deeply, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat.
"You're awake."
I jumped, nearly choking on the water. It sloshed over the rim of the cup and spilt on my lap.
A woman stood in the doorway, the moonlight illuminating half of her face. As if her voice wasn't enough, the slight wrinkles in her face, coupled with the grey streaks in her dark hair made me notice how much older she was.
Dressed in a long dark cloak, her hands were clasped in front of her stomach, and the shadows did nothing to hide the displeasure smeared across her face.