Wolf Who Rules

Chapter 23: Peace

Tinker woke slowly. She had been dreaming, but for once, it was a pleasant dream of the new viceroy palace being complete. She had walked from room to room to room, marveling that all this was hers. Theirs.

When she opened her eyes, she knew instantly she was in her own bed at Poppymeadow’s because Windwolf lay beside her, his black hair poured like silk across the cream satin sheets. Contentment poured through her like warm honey. She snuggled closer to him. For once the taffy thickness of the saijin-induced sleep didn’t seem threatening. If she was with Windwolf, then everything was right with the world.

And then with sudden dark coldness, she remembered the tengu. She had promised to protect them but then let the elves drug her. What had she been thinking of? The elves would have only seen the tengu as enemies.

She sat up, hands to her mouth to hold in the cries of dismay. What had happened after she was carried away? Was Jin, Grace and Xiao Chen and all the others already dead?

“Beloved?” Windwolf sat up beside her.

“Oh gods, I failed them! I promised Jin I would protect the tengu! I failed them.”

“You did not. You are my domi. Your promises are mine. I protected them. It was, after all, the right thing to do.”

She knew, in a way she wouldn’t have know a week ago, what she had asked of him, and how different he had to be from other elves to understand. There been a secret fear hiding inside of her that he wouldn’t understand, and instead of being a powerful protector, he was in truth a ruthless killer. That cold knot of fear dissolved.

“Oh, thank you!” She hugged him tight. She didn’t need anything else but to be in his arms and hear his heart beating. She snuggled closer, wanting to drown in the saijin-laced honey contentment. She never wanted to let him go; never wanted to risk losing him forever again.

“It was the least I could do after you solved that small dragon problem I had,” he said it with complete seriousness, but there was laughter in his eyes.

She laughed, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling him down to kiss her. She delighted in his taste, the feel of his hands on her, finding the hem of her nightgown to slide up her bare skin.

“I love you,” she murmured. “I’m never letting you go.”

His gaze went serious and deep. “I am going no where, my love.”

Only a time later, after a proper renewal of their relationship, did she think about another small dragon problem.

“What happened with Impatience when we did the flux spell? Is Oilcan okay?”

“He is fine.” Windwolf smoothed away her greatest fear. “Your spell did not affect the little dragon. And the tengu have been quite useful already. With their help, we had a long discussion with Impatience about creating a pathway to Earth. The question is where to put it.”

“What about the Squirrel Hill tunnels? They go nowhere now.”

Windwolf considered for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, that would be expedient.”

Using the tunnels would open four lanes of traffic between Elfhome and Earth and yet be easily controlled. “Wow.”

“I told you, beloved, you and I would shake the universe until we find a way.”