Chapter Ten: The Aftermath

Commander of the Wolf Guard, Rennon Farvolf nudged the corpse before him with his boot, his curiosity getting the better of the rugged war veteran. The Providence sent assassin lay lifeless on the floor of the shack, unmoving for some reason. As usual, the assassin bled the black slime those humans were known for, yet… yet it wasn't crawling away from the corpse.

Curious indeed.

"What's the status, Rí?" He asked his wife, Dae-rí, or just Rí, who was also the head mage of his command. The mated Alphas were quite the pair, and had defended Pollux for near twenty years with the combined forces of magic and steel. His nose wrinkled, the long, angry scar across it rippling at the stench from the rotting corpses.

Somehow, his wife was unbothered by the aroma of decomposing flesh, but, as he very well knew, mages were an entirely different breed of Wolf. Dae-rí peered through the thick magnifying lenses perched on her nose, inspecting the creature before her. Her solve eyes glanced upward briefly as he crouched on the other side of the body, A soft, almost playful smile on her dark face. "Patience, Alpha."

"But—" he protested, gesturing to the body.

His true mate merely chuckled, raising an eyebrow challenging him. "It's clearly not going anywhere, Renny." She bottled a small sample of the sludge, studying it under several colored lenses. "I think it's … dead…"

Rennon nodded, understanding her confusion, as the thick black sludge lay motionless in the vial, and he sighed, watching the wheels and cogs of his true mate's brain spin years ahead of the present. He caressed her strong cheekbones, as she drifted further away in her whirling mind.

Dae-rí had one fatal flaw to her massive intellect: her massive intellect. She was at times, too brilliant for anyone to keep up with. Her russet skin and impeccably braided gray hair hid the most powerful mind on the planet, and Rennon knew that he was the one who would always keep her safe. Even from herself.

Dae-rí often spoke of the days she was enrolled in Scarbrough University, how the head mages of the college had studied her skills, assuming that she broke every law of magic, and had the gift of foresight. Unfortunately, once they witnessed these moments, where Dae-rí sat frozen in place, their amazement turned to pity. Pity for the nearly mad mage who could *calculate* the future.

"My love," Rennon murmured, holding her blank face in his hands, his voice ever gentle and kind. "Dae-rí, please, tell me what you have seen." His soft words coaxed her from the chaos of her mind, and she exhaled shakily, blinking in the sunlight. "My Alpha, what happened?"

"A Celestial walks the earth." Dae-rí pursed her lips, eyes clouded with unknown burdens. "The Black Wolf has risen. No mere mortal has this power." Dae-rí took deep, measured breaths, centering herself as Rennon beamed.

He stole a kiss, as she glanced upwards, his joy triumphant. As the beautiful blush nearly obscured his mates scattering of freckles, he stole another, just for the hell of it. "Honestly, Renny." Her gentle reprimand held no true heat, and he chuckled, as an uncomfortable cough sounded in the doorway.

Damn non conscripted officers. It's almost as if the Academy trained out every lick of common sense and patience. "*Yes,* Alann?" he asked, rolling his eyes. Dae-rí playfully batted his arm, a laugh falling from her lips.

"Sir, I questioned the witness, Sir." Alann shifted on his feet as Rennon turned to look at him. "They told me a golden Wolf fled the scene with an unknown being on its back. It had dark hair." As the officer shifted his stance again, Rennon made the decision to switch him to the four legged unit, considering how blatantly uncomfortable he was on two.

He turned back to his mate, a mischievous grin lighting his eyes. "Are you up for a quest, my Alpha?" He asked, as Dae-rí laughed.

"Thought you'd never ask." Instantly she was a silver blur, racing him through the streets to the barracks, and not thirty minutes later, they sped through the city gates, their packs strapped to their backs, and the ripe scent of their quarry thick in their noses.