~Merida's POV~

I had been wearing Faolchu's family crest and something about it just seemed right. I had felt that she was nervous about something, and had even asked Maudie to watch Oisin tomorrow. I had been thinking over the past couple weeks about the emotions she caused in me. I was in the library talking to my mum. "Mum, why is Faolchu doing all these things?" I asked, because something told me she knew.

"Why do you think?" she countered, and all I wanted it to be her preforming the wolf mating ritual with me.

"Mum, if I like her as more than a friend, would you be okay with that?" I asked, needing her approval more than anything.

"Merida she has been here for about two months now how do you feel about her?" she turned around on me.

"I feel this pull, and she makes me happy, and feel safe, and all around ecstatic. How do I show her this?" I wanted to be able to show her how much she meant to me.

"You do what you need to for her to do what she needs to," mum answered, as she moved towards the door and gesture to someone.

"I need you to hide before dawn in a place I would not look for you. I will then have to find you by sunset, if I cannot then I fail," I heard Faolchu's rough and slightly growly voice say from behind me. I turned bright red as she moved into my line of sight, and felt the shiver go down my spine as usual when she spoke. I quickly looked down too embarrassed to face her. "That pull you feel, I feel as well, but about ten times stronger. I am more in tune with my instincts and animal side and that is why. Now, for me to be able to be with you I have to complete the steps to the mating ritual. Two of eight are done. This is the next one, and I cannot tell you what they are."

"So you have been courting me?" I asked needing her to confirm it before I believed.

"The necklace was step one, family crest replaced the scent that wolves do, and this one is to show that I can come to you and find you should you need me."

"I am sorry that…" I started only for her to cut me off.

"I knew that you did not feel it, at least not as I did. I am ready to take time, but this step must be preformed a week after the scent has started, or family crest."

I ducked my head, not remembering when I brought it back up, and did not look up till I saw her feet. "Anyway, I can make this easier?"

"If you do not want this, tell me at any time. Oisin is literally family to me by the actual pack law, and I can explain all this to him whenever you want him to know."

"You can tell him tonight, is he allowed to know the steps?" I asked, because from what I remembered he should not be able to.

"No, not till he shows if he would be dominant male in same sex, or interested in females. Only then may he know," she confirmed.

"So you would be dominant?" I asked, and then flushed bright red realizing what I had asked.

"Yes, and no. I would be dominant in the way that is natural. Be that in all aspects, or only in those outside of diplomats and the bedroom. I am dominant because I am more like a male in the way that I act. Thus I used to run with the male wolves and hunt with them, we often pulled off dangerous stunts and fought the battles more, because we felt that the women should not have to. Though my mother could beat my father in a fight if he did not call on the beast and nature at the same time."

"So it depends on what is natural?" I felt weird having this conversation in front of my mother, but I was too invested to lose this chance at answers.

"Yes, as a wolf-raised I do what is natural to my instincts."

"Okay, so I just need to leave at dawn?"

"And cover you tracks as best you can. This is not meant to be easy."

"Understood, I will do back to our rooms."

"I will do with you to get Oisin and explain to him what is going to be happening over the following weeks and months." I lead the way to our rooms, but part way there I noticed that she was slightly behind me as if differing to me. I stopped, turned, grumbled about silly wolf-girls, grabbed her hand and continued towards our rooms.

When we got there, she pulled Oisin out into the hall so I could get ready for bed. I stayed close to the door to hear their conversation. "Wah goin' on da?" he really loved Faolchu.

"So remember how I said that I could not tell you what the courtship entailed?" I could see her kneeling down to his level in my mind and felt a smile cross my face at the love she felt toward this child that was her adopted son. No, not hers, ours.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I still can't but I can tell you that I am courting Merida…" I felt an odd grip of fear, What if he doesn't approve? But that was assuaged when he interrupted.

"Yes! I was right!" he shouted, and I could picture in jumping up and down.

The confusion was palpable in Faolchu's voice, "What?"

"Well you see, I saw 'ow you did anyfing for 'er. So, I jus' kinda figured it out," you could hear the grin in his voice.

"It is anything," Faolchu corrected gently, "and I guess this means that you are okay with this."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he answered, and I pictured his head moving up and down quickly. When did I learn so much about this young boy, and when did he become so much like my son?

"Then I guess we should go to bed, so that we can celebrate tomorrow. Though you will spend time with Maudie while your ma and I play a game okay?"

"What game?" he asked, as Faolchu started to open the door, so I moved across the room.

"A wolf one, where you ma hides before day and I have to find her before sunset, or I fail."

"Then you need to west now!" he shouted, pulling her into the room, and I couldn't help but chuckle when he glared at her for not getting ready while he was. We climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep. I woke up to my mother gently shaking me, how that did not wake Faolchu I do not know.

I smiled and quickly left, but place a kiss on both of their foreheads. Looking down, I noticed for the first time, how much Oisin looked like Faolchu. They both had blonde hair, but he had blue eyes like mine, and deep tans. They both had more muscles than they seemed too and were tall for their age, or in general.

I quickly remembered that I had an hour to go before she would awake and so I quickly ran down to the stables. I went to Angus, "You need to help me hide from Faolchu so that she may find me for the mating ritual," I spoke to him, as I saw Faolchu do. He quickly took off in a direction I had not gone in for the past four months.

Part way through, I got down and had Angus create loops around the area as, I had breakfast/lunch, and then I headed west to a clearing that I knew was near, by horse at least. I rested and watched some of the animals that traveled through the area. About an hour later I went and dipped my feet and the water and rested them there for the next three hours, before something grabbed me around my waist.

I went to fight them, when I heard, "Found you," whispered in my ear by a voice that could only be Faolchu's.

She let me go and I spun to face her, and smiled when all I wanted to do was hug her to me. "How close was this to the fastest another has been found?"

"Actually in my pack, this was the fastest. We are taught how to cover our scents, and you were not so that made it not as hard. Though the idea with Angus was genius."

"How do you cover your scent?" I felt the need to know in case I needed to in the future.

"Take mud and cover yourself in it, or walk in water as the water always moves and takes your scent with it."

"Ah, time to go back?" I asked, though I wanted to stay here with her.

"If you want though since I am supposed to be the father to Oisin, and I have not spent much time with anyone other than Elinor, I would feel better the sooner we get back."

"Aw, you love him," I cooed only to watch as her face went red.

"Of course, he is my son," she answered not even hesitating. I partially swooned at that, as it confirmed to me that we were becoming a true family.

I climbed on but made sure that Faolchu could ride in front of me, and be the one at the reigns. I wanted to be in her arms, but this was also good. We took off to the castle and spent the rest of the day with Oisin to make up for having to leave him. Faolchu I had noticed was reigning in her wolf side, but I loved her wolf side and told her so. She immediately went back to the almost feral actions, and semi-wolf interactions. In fact, she almost appeared more feral. I loved it.