sacrificial wolf

"Who do you think would be fooled by that?" The hallway was empty, devoid of people except for the two of them.

Sam let out a laugh that lifted her mood tenfold.

"I wanted to test the capability of your nose." He stepped out from behind the potted plant. "I knew you would come to find me eventually." His lopsided grin was infectious, but even more so the way he looked at her.

"I missed you," he said, his voice taking on a more solemn tone.

"It hasn't been that long since we last saw each other." She said as a small smile threatened to spill onto her face.

"It feels like an eternity to me." He took her hands in his, clasping their hands together and bringing them up to plant a kiss on each of her hands. Kiera dared not look away as his green eyes stayed on her face, carefully watching for her reaction.

She tried to calm her rapidly beating heart as his kisses left her breathless.

"Someone could see us."

He laughed, bringing one of their intertwined hands up so the back of her hand touched his lips.

"No one will come this way. This area of the main palace has gone abandoned for many years after the last queen's untimely death." His green eyes closed as the sweet kiss on the back of her hand lasted for some time. His lips were undeniably soft on her skin and she could feel her composure slowly slipping away.

As soon as his eyes opened and his lips left her hand, Kiera stepped closer to him. Their hands stayed clasped in between them as she hungrily crashed her mouth into his, forcefully taking the lips that had sweetly kissed her mere seconds ago.

When they finally parted to breathe, he looked all too pleased. She found herself wanting to kiss him again but stopped herself. It seemed as if he had something to say.

"Let's go out into the capital today. I want to show you around. And I know what you're thinking, but I am not planning on taking you into the market today. That is, unless you want to go there. I can still quickly make other arrangements."

She shook her head and untangled their hands from each other, "You seem to be getting ahead of yourself. Before I accept I need to know about the animal your father's men killed."

She chose to overlook the sad look in his eyes when she untangled their hands. She waited patiently for him to explain.

"As you may have guessed already, the animal the knights killed was not one of your people. It was an animal that had gone mad from being under the influence of a certain plant."

"Was it your doing?"

He regarded her expression closely, perhaps accessing if she would be angered by his actions. He delicately picked his words before opening his mouth.

"It was necessary. My father would have never allowed your people at the Royal Hunting Grounds otherwise. How could he let his guests roam the same forest rumored to be a dangerous wolf's new home?"

"Is that why he changed his mind and allowed us the grounds for our ceremony?" It made sense to her now. The strange coincidence of the Solomon King changing his mind. She had gone on and assumed they were initially denied because they did not want them to practice their faith on royal land.

"My father used the fact that your people were safe at the Hunting Grounds to make it look as if he had already concluded the investigation of the wild animal that attacked the palace. He was feeling the heat from the people as the investigation drew on, and so as soon as he heard of a mad wolf that appeared in a nearby village, he sent his knights."

He waited for her to speak, but when she didn't he went ahead tentatively.

"Are you angry with me?" He looked at her so cutely with his green eyes that she had to reach out her hand to tap his nose with her finger.

"Why would I be angry with you? As you said, it was necessary." She smiled a bit to show she understood the actions that he took. "Although I am a little saddened to hear an innocent wolf was sacrificed, it was either that or potentially having one of my people killed." They also needed the Royal Hunting Grounds for the night of the full moon. In her mind, Sam might have solved all their problems in one fell swoop.

"If this helps to lessen your sadness, I had my people search for an older wolf, one that was already injured and couldn't hunt for its pack anymore."

"Then you have my gratitude," Kiera moved her hand so that it cupped his cheek. He took delight in her touch and leaned into her hand.

"You are full of surprises. Sometimes I wonder if there will be a time when I get to see the true you in totality."

"This is the true me, Kiera." He said softly, rubbing his cheek against the palm of her hand. "I'm only a tad bit smarter than what I make myself out to be, but that is all that I've been hiding. Everything that I've shown to you about me so far has been completely and utterly my true personality."

"Then your smiles. Are all those smiles that you've shown me your true self as well?" She asked the question as a tiny jest but he answered her all the same.

"Only when I am with you."

She smiled, a genuine smile extending out on her face. She turned his face slightly and kissed him gently on the lips. Her heart felt light as her eyes lids fluttered to a close.

She pulled back a little to make room for a small space between their lips. Opening her eyes a sliver, she whispered to him.

"I too am only like this when I'm with you."

He quickly sucked in a breath, in his eyes she saw only her image reflected back.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear that from you." He kissed the corner of her lips. "I thought it had all been a dream when you confessed you had feelings for me too. But with every kiss, it becomes less and less of a dream and more of a reality."

She began to feel lightheaded as his kisses went down from her lips to trail down her face and neck.

"Sam." She sighed and pushed him away as gently as she could. "Remember where we are." Those words were a reminder for mostly herself. She couldn't get too carried away right after she told him she would wait on making him her Mate.

Her words seemed to throw him out of his trance. Obediently, he nodded his head at her.

"Yes, of course. We will have more time for that later."

She released a short laugh, stopping when she noticed he had not laughed along with her.

"You are too much." She said as a flush began to spread on her cheeks and the back of her neck. He broke into a playful smile, taking pleasure in her sudden embarrassment.

"I need to keep working hard. You keep reminding me that you're not quite mine yet. With each passing day, I feel like I'm gaining more rivals."

"Rivals?"

"Some of the human noblemen, your whole battalion, men and women alike, even the tenth Beast General." He listed the people and Kiera scoffed. "Now I'm also beginning to suspect the ninth Beast General."

"Helios?" She said, surprised to hear the ninth Beast General was also on his list. "It can't be. She shook her head, trying to get it across to him how wrong he was.

"He already has a Mate."

"He does?" Sam didn't hide the enormous shock from his face.

"Yes, he is back at Wolfcrye. I met him before, he's quite adorable."

"He?" His shock only grew. Kiera watched him as he tilted his head.

"Yes." She did not know why he was so shocked. She settled with speaking a little more slowly. "He. A man. Well, a Rabbit Beast but you know what I mean."

"No, I heard what you said. I am just a bit…" his eyes shifted to the side as if searching for the word. "I'm surprised that's all. I didn't think he would have a preference for men."

Kiera quickly went in to correct him.

"I don't know about his preference, but he found love in his Mate. That's all that matters. Why is the idea so hard for you to wrap your head around?"

His head shook from side to side.

"No, it's just not common here. Also, I thought by the way he carried himself he would have a plethora of women lining up for him."

She laughed, "If what Jade tells me is true, he certainly has no shortage of women coming after him still."

"Even if he already has a Mate?"

She nodded, the smile dying on her lips.

"Some Beasts have chosen to make light of the bond between Mates. But from what little I was taught by my parents, I grew up with the belief the bond between Mates is special. Only to be done with the person I choose to spend the rest of my life with."

"That's good to hear." He took her in his arms. "I believe the same thing, only about marriage."

"Marriage is the human way to form a bond with your Mate isn't it?" She thought about the word he had taught her before. "Wife?"

"Yes. Husband refers to the man, and wife is the woman."

"Hmm," she thought the terms were too confusing. Why was there a distinction between Mates? Weren't they the same?

"Kiera," he spoke up suddenly, pulling himself away slightly so that he could look at her. "You haven't told me if you accepted my earlier proposal."

"Oh." She remembered him asking her to leave with him to explore the capital some more. She thought she had already accepted but she realized she put her answer on hold to hear about the wolf.

She nodded her head.

"I accept."