The Last Spirit Wolf (Elena Norwood)

-Vera-

I blink to adjust to the darkness of the room; the other realm is quite bright and it takes me a momen

cus my eyes.

I fell asleep on my back and with a towel on my hair, so Noah fell asleep next to me with his arm draped around my belly. My heart swells with relief to see he decided not to go after all. I turn around, burying my face on his neck and hugging him. The movement wakes him and he tightens his arm around me, holding me closer.

"I'm sorry I didn't want to listen to you earlier, V," he says.

"I'm sorry we fought," I say into his neck.

"You call that a fight? I'll consider it a fight when you start throwing shit at me."

"Oh, I wanted to," I say and he laughs, his chest rumbling against mine.

"You did help us come up with a different plan, though. I don't have to leave the castle; he just has to

I turn my head to look at him, a clear question on my expression.

"Don't ask, Mason just has a hunch."

I don't even want to ask anymore.

"Here, I brought you something."

He reaches over to the nightstand and retrieves a plate, turning on the nightstand lamp.

"They might be cold but no one saw you at dinner so I assumed you missed it."

I practically jump him for them. I don't know if it's the workout, the pent up frustration or the magical

I moan after taking the first bite.

"This is amazing," I say, not even caring that my mouth is full.

I dig into the rest of them in a minute and Noah is looking thoroughly amused.

"You're a little monster," he says with a laugh once I'm done. Little does he know I'm still hungry.

did. Hopefully this encourages him to come out of his hole and when he does, we' Il be ready for him."

to my aunt and grandmother, but I'm absolutely famished.

"Well, I did train for three hours because I was angry at you, and then I had a dreamy magical teaching on with my aunt so," "Magical session? Really?"

"Oh yeah, and apparently I'm a freak of nature."

"They've seen you eat, too?"

I throw my bunched up napkin at him and he laughs.

"Apparently, that thing I do in the forest? Get visions from it and all? Isn't normal."

He frowns,

"And why isn't that normal?"

"Because the forest is a living being and it doesn't show you anything unless you coerce it to."

Noah's frown deepens.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not focusing too much on that, it gives me a headache. What time is it anyway?" I ask him.

"About 10, you fell asleep pretty early."

"And how have the Council meetings gone now that I'm not there to threaten them?"

"I'm intimidating enough on my own, thank you," he says, "you know, I think they're open to a lot of ideas, as long as I don't reduce their absurd salary that is." "Why am I not surprised?" I say sarcastically.

"Most of them were mostly afraid I would either kill them or exile them, but now that they see that I'm not a threat, they're more cooperative."

"Do you think some of them still hold any loyalties to Alistair?"

"Definitely. Which is why we need to get rid of him, soon."

"What about moles?"

"Several. We've intercepted a few; followed them hoping they'd lead us to Alistair but it always

ended up being a dead end. Apparently not even they know where he is."

We stay silent for a moment and I turn to look at my hands on my lap.

"Maybe I can help, that whole 'the forest tells me stuff" could work to our advantage."

I raise my gaze and look at him, he's smiling at me.

"We could try; honestly everything else we've tried hasn't worked."

I smile back at him,

"You know, except for that idiot plan of yours earlier today, I have been quite impressed with how you're handling everything. You really were born for this." "Well, I do have to admit it feels good to make changes that will benefit everyone in the long run. I didn't realize how abandoned the kingdom was under Alistair. People being attacked by rogues, others starving to death. Entire villages have been abandoned because the land is no good to grow anything anymore. Families displaced, drought, grain shortage... It was a matter of time before everything collapsed, anyway" he pauses, "how does that work? With wolves, how do you manage the territory?" He asks me. "Hmm... it's quite different. We don't have a King or Queen for starters. We have five main packs, each with their own land to protect and their own Alpha to rule over them. Other than the main Pack Houses which operate much like this castle, there are several villages that live off of the Pack Houses but still respond to the Alpha guarding their respective territories."

"And all of the Alphas get along? There isn't struggle over territory?"

"Of course, although it's been several decades since the last time any pack fought over territory. We have open trade and mobility amongst all of us; many come to our Pack Clinic because we have the best doctors and facilities, I studied at the Crescent Moon pack because their biology program is the best, and so on. We cooperate amongst ourselves for the most part."

"I wonder if that's because of the nature of wolves, you guys are pack animals while lycans are not."

"Sure, but I actually think it's because of the Alphas." I say, taking a moment to put my thoughts into words, "for us, our main purpose is to serve the good of the many, we are pack animals as you say; but Alphas have the power to lead their pack into war, to coerce everyone in their domain to comply with their demands, but they choose not to. We are taught our history, and wars have only ever led to unnecessary deaths. You see, holding on to so much territory has never been possible. It is much more stable this way, and therefore better for everyone."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Noah stays silent for a minute,

"William was telling me that there were noble families before Alistair came to power, they would act as guardians of certain territories; I'm just wondering if it's beneficial to bring them back now. I have a feeling rogues have been taking over these territories because they no longer have the means to defend themselves as they used to."

"Probably, but you would have to meet them first. When was the last time you traveled through the kingdom?" "Never."

I stare at him, blinking several times.

"Never?"

"Warriors are not allowed to leave the castle unless under explicit orders from the King. I'm starting to understand why that is. Many of us would have deserted if we saw the state of the kingdom."

We keep talking for about half an hour more until I yawn, a tear even slipping down my eye. Noah laughs.

"I know I'm boring you with all this kingdom talk, it's boring even to me."

"No, you're really not, I'm just ti -"

Before I can keep protesting. Noah tuns off the nightstand lamp and pulls me down with him on the bed. This time, my back is to his chest and in only a few minutes, the steady beat of his heartbeat and breathing lull me to what I thought would be peaceful sleep. Only a few hours after falling asleep. I jolt up from the bed, breathing heavily while cold sweat drips down my forehead.

Noah jolts up too.

"Vera, what wrong?"

"They... they..."

He turns on the lamp to look at me,

I have tears streaming down my eyes and I can't control them.

"They're coming."