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“Khuya?” a familiar voice said a moment later.
“Fenris!” I spun, a wide smile taking over my face. I’d recognized the dream state once I started walking, but I hadn’t expected to see the Lunar Lord here, even if I was thinking of him until I fell asleep. I all but flung myself at him, and it was only then I realized I couldn’t touch him. Not really. Not in a way that mattered. “Oh.”
“What are you doing here?” Fenris asked, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “It really is you, isn’t it? How clever of you, joining my dream.”
I laughed. “Don’t give me too much credit,” I said, wishing I could reach out and take him by the hand. “I was really just missing you.”
“And I, you,” he said. “I am glad to see my beautiful queen in any form.”
My cheeks warmed, and I felt frustrated that I blushed even in my dreams.Ah, well.I didn’t let myself linger. “Hey,” I said. “What does that word mean, anyway? ‘Khuya?’”
“It is an old Quechua word,” Fenris said. “It does not translate directly to English, but…it is a word for a strong, powerful affection. A great love.” His expression softened. “I could only ever imagine it applying to my fated mate.”
I paused, temporarily distracted by his tenderness. “Your brother tried speaking to us this evening,” I said. “But none of us understood what he was saying. Is that the language he used?”
Fenris’s eyes lit up. “Was he? That is excellent news,” he said, clearly pleased. “I look forward to speaking with him, though I will be away for at least another day or two. The Snowmass Pack still needs my assistance.”
I tried not to sigh. “I understand,” I said. “But I do miss you.”
A silence fell over us, and when I blinked, I realized the scenery had changed. It was a similar forest, but Fenris was looking in the distance. As I followed his gaze, I saw two massive wolves fighting each other in a clearing, their snarls and growls ringing through the trees. Further back were individuals watching, cheering and yelling as one wolf was knocked down, and the other leaped onto them and grabbed their muzzle with their teeth.
Grimacing at the violence, I glanced up at Fenris in question.
He swallowed hard. “My apologies,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Thinking of my brother makes me remember….” He stopped himself and shook his head. “You don’t need to see this.”
I jolted awake before I could protest, realizing Fenris must have severed our shared dream. I wasn’t entirely sure what his intention was, but I found myself wanting to help his brother more than ever. That was a real memory of Fenris’s I’d just seen, not just a dream. Everything Fenris had withstood in the Celestial Pack, his brother had, too—and it might have even been worse for Lyka, as the older brother. That was to say nothing of what Sela had done to him.
A few minutes later, I’d gotten out of bed and was heading down to visit Lyka. It felt odd, leaving in the middle of the night like this, but this was when my powers were strongest.
To my surprise, Lyka was awake when I reached him. I shouldn’t have been surprised, though; he was a wolf shifter, and they ran at night. I approached carefully, not wanting to startle him. Liana wasn’t here to keep him calm, so I knew I had to be more careful.
“I just want to help,” I said quietly, hoping he understood. I decided to take a different approach when I opened my mind to reach for his. Though I wasn’t tentative, I was careful not to seem forceful.
As I reached the overgrown garden of Lyka’s innermost thoughts, I realized that it didn’t seem as dark and swampy as before. The old wooden door was still in the center, but it seemed…greener here. More lively.
Instead of going inside, I paused, deciding to reach for one of the prickling vines. As I grabbed it, I felt something. Something warm. I took a deep breath and focused on the feeling.
Two wolves dashed through the snow. They were on a steep slope, but the wolves were not concerned. There was no fear. As one bumped into the other’s shoulder, I realized that they were playing with each other, not fighting. They’d gone up into the mountains for fun—or if that wasn’t the purpose, then fun was what they’d found.
I allowed joy to fill me as I thought of how I missed running as my wolf. Then I smiled when the wolf I recognized as Fenris leaned over to nip at the other’s ear before darting away, initiating a game of tag.
I suddenly fell on my butt, realizing I still had the thorny weed in my hand. Surprised, I looked down at it, realizing the roots had shriveled up and died.
Are the good memories helping Lyka fight back?
It wasn’t as if there was anyone I could ask. I glanced around, but the rest of the area still seemed calm, though overgrown. However, I didn’t feel like Lyka was ejecting me. Curious, I gotback to my feet and dusted myself off as I glanced around for another vine. I didn’t have to go that far to find one, which was crawling up the wall of the building.
I pursed my lips and grabbed it, wincing as it bit into my hands. I didn’t pull, though—just waited. Sure enough, the same warm feeling bubbled up from my center again. I steadied my breath and closed my eyes.
Fenris was wrapping something over Lyka’s arm. They were speaking in the same unknown language, but their words were quieter. I could still understand the tone even if I couldn’t decipher the words. As Fenris made slow passes over the wound, he studied Lyka with his amber eyes, but beneath that concern was a feeling of…
Of…
Pride blossomed up through Lyka, and he hummed, inclining his head. He was proud of his younger brother, and whatever he’d been feeling moments before was gone. Fenris had licked it away as he bandaged up the minor wound.
Again, I suddenly fell backward, but I expected the vine to give this time and was able to catch myself before I stumbled to my feet. I smiled by the wall of the house.
He loves you, Lyka. If you don’t know yet, I am sure you will. I am sure you will.
