Page 76 of The Chosen Fae

Silas embraced them. "The two of you are what we need for the packs’ unity." Then he fae-traveled out of there.

Xena had already left without saying a word. Stone figured they would have trouble with her and that she would cause issues with the pack.

"All right," Moon Gazer said. "We will always be there for you. All you have to do is call for us. And we'll meet you at the celebration."

"Exactly what my sister said. Think of us as your Fairy Godmothers," Star Gazer said.

They smiled. No one ever called them that. But then they had saved Rune and Stone’s lives so maybe that was why.

Then the goddesses hugged them and disappeared.

The Game Master said, "We're so proud of you. A lot of us didn't believe two lone wolves would be able to win so many of the challenges, but it turned out you were the right ones to bring the packs together. Good luck, and like the goddesses said, if you need any advice or help at all, call on me or your advisors, and we'll come to your aid."

Then Kenten and Ondine met with them and shared the same offer.

"It's time for you to leave here now. Your home is with the combined pack," the Game Master said.

"But we can return to our glens, right?" Stone asked.

"For sure. They're your glens still. The goddesses gifted them to you from the time you were first left in them."

Then they were released after hugging the Game Master and their advisors, and they vanished while holding hands and reappeared in Rune's glen.

They stood looking out at the pond where they had fished from the time they were old enough to catch anything.

"Are you ready to go?" Stone wanted to get this over with.

Their lives had changed from the day when they were netted, put in cages, and taken to the gaming facility. The challenges had made them do things they had never done before. They had to work with other competitors and give up their lone-wolf status. It allowed them to get to know each other better while meeting other wolves who were their age, and he had no doubt that Rune was the only one for him.

"We have everyone to help us out if we need it," Stone reminded Rune, his arm wrapped around her, listening to her heart race.

"Yeah. We participated to win, but it wasn't real. I mean, they were just games. But this is real life. What if we screw it up and the packs hate each other more than they already do?" Rune asked, her tone serious.

"Anything can happen. But from what the goddesses told us, we have help if we need it."

"I'm glad you're so calm about it."

He smiled at her. "I'm better at hiding how I'm feeling."

She laughed. "Sometimes. Okay, let's get this done."

Then they vanished and appeared in the territory that her pack owned, and he hoped he wouldn’t have issues with Rune’s pack because he was from the other.

22

First, Rune and Stone decided to visit Rune’s family. She took a deep breath and let it out.

“We’ll do fine,” Stone reassured her.

She sure hoped so.

Rune and Stone crested the last rise of earth, the crunch of gravel beneath their boots giving cadence to their arrival. The wolf fae pack territory sprawled before them—a patchwork of cottages scattered through the woods and nestled beside the gurgling creek.

The homes were as varied as the fae themselves: there were robust log cabins strung with wind chimes, and modest dwellings hunched under mossy eaves. In the spaces between, laundry lines fluttered with the day’s washing, and vegetable gardens tangled with riotous colorful flowerbeds.

Cows and sheep grazed in nearby pastures, and goats cleared the underbrush in the woods. Birds filled the forest, and butterflies flitted over wildflowers among the cabins. Flowers perfumed the air, making it smell like a bit of heaven.

Rune took a deep breath and let it out.