Questions and Answers

Vane led Bride around the shore of the dark blue lake to a spot that was about a hundred yards from everyone else. He sat down then and pulled her onto his lap. Bride smiled happily as Vane sighed with relief. "I'm so glad he was soft on me. I was honestly expecting him to chase me off the land with my tail between my legs the moment he saw my face."

Bride frowned. "Why would he do that?"

"He swore that if I ever showed my face here again he would do just that."

"What did you do?"

"We had strong disagreements about how I should live my life. It took me 25 years to discover that he was right all along and by then I didn't think he would let me back into the pack without a mate."

"Why would you having a mate make a difference?" she asked curiously.

"Because I wouldn't have had a pack to help me protect her. I knew my father wouldn't be so cruel to leave me and my mate and puppies without a pack."

"So werewolves stick together just like regular wolves." It wasn't a question but Vane felt like confirming. "Yes. Family and Pack are the most important things to us."

They stayed silent for a moment before Bride couldn't hold her question in any longer. It was bugging her to death. "Why did your mom not speak to you? She acted like she wanted to but she didn't."

Vane frowned. "It's a little difficult to explain. It's kind of like what you'd probably call 'old school'. When two werewolves are mated it's the male's first and foremost instinct to protect his mate and his pups. And it's the female's natural instinct to nurture the pups and obey her mate."

"So you're saying that your mom hasn't seen you in almost a century and just because of instinct she didn't talk to you because your dad told her not to?" Her tone said she didn't agree with it at all.

"Like I said it's difficult to explain. If you were mated to a werewolf you'd understand." I wouldn't mind making that come true if you'd let me.

I wonder what it would be like to live here. As a human. With Vane. Or maybe there's a way to become a werewolf. Like being bitten or something. "Is there a way to become a werewolf?"

Why would she want to know that? "Yes. A pack-leader who is old enough and strong enough can give a human his or her blood and transform them. My father is one of the few who is old enough."

"What does your age have to do with it?" She hoped it didn't have anything to do with blood lust like the werewolves and vampires in movies.

"Well age matters because the werewolf gene in our blood is only able to take over and transform all of the blood cells in a persons body if its ancient and strong enough. And they have to be a pack-leader so that the new wolf is accepted into the pack assuming they want to stay."

"Oh." It was so much to take in all at once. She had so much to learn. For a moment she wondered why she wanted to know everything about them and their culture but then she realized it was because of Vane. Not to mention pure curiosity.

"I'm just glad he's helping. I think your scent charmed him."

"My scent charmed him? Do I smell?"

Vane smiled. "You smell very good for a human. Usually human scents aren't that great."

She blinked. Was that supposed to be a compliment? "Oh.. Well, um.. Thank you?"

Vane chuckled. As if reading her mind, "It is a very good comment especially coming from my father. Having a good scent means you have a good personality."

Bride smiled. "Well I guess if you put it that way I'm flattered."

Vane grinned and sighed contentedly. A few more silent minutes passed by before a thought occurred to Bride. "They're coming for us?"

Vane's mouth thinned into a grim line. "They're coming for me." He corrected. Although he didn't like the idea that even though they were coming to kill him, they probably planned to kill Bride too just to hurt him.

"But..we'll beat them right?" She wanted his reassurance. She needed him to tell her he'd be safe.

"Of course. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

Bride smiled. He was always worried about her. "You're not lying to me are you?"

"Why would I lie to you Bride?"

"Because you don't want me to worry." It would be just like him to do something like that.

"No I'm not lying. It'll be fine. We'll win."

Bride smiled a little and started to play with his hand. She traced the muscles and tendons and bones and the patterns in his skin. "When will they get here?"

"Sometime tomorrow morning I think."

"A small part of me still thinks I might not live to see tomorrow night."

Vane frowned. "I swear to you, you will. If it costs me my life you will see tomorrow night and every night afterward."

She frowned at him. "Don't say that." She didn't want anyone dying for her. Especially him.

He tilted her chin up so that he could look her in the eyes. "I got you into this mess and I'm going to get you out."

"But, you'll live through it too..Won't you?"

Her big green eyes were filled with concern for him. He felt like his heart was melting when she looked at him like that. He didn't want to deny her anything. "For you I will." And he kissed her softly. Tenderly.

Her heart skipped a beat when he kissed her. It was so weird, when they were friends she wasn't sure about her feelings towards him, but now.. when their lives were in the balance she just didn't want to leave his side. He was willing to die for her. She wondered if she would be willing to belong in a place like this for him.

Vane was having troubles of his own, trying to figure out what he wanted. He wanted her near him always but he wanted her as safe as she could possibly be. But it didn't matter. She didn't want to leave his side and that was that. And he wasn't going to deny the fact that he liked it.

After another minute or so they slowly pulled away to breathe. She smiled up at him softly. But when they heard a light bark coming from their right Bride started to blush. It was his mom in her wolf form. Bride climbed off of his lap to sit beside him.

"Bride...would you mind if I uhm...changed?"

Vane's mother had come over and starting sniffing Bride. She shook her head at him. "I don't mind."

Vane touched her cheek softly as if saying thank you before he materialized into a large white wolf with a small brown spot on one of his back feet. His mother wagged her tail vigorously and licked him all over his face. His ears were pulled back but not out of fear or intimidation.

Bride laughed a little. It was so adorable. Vane's tail started to wag furiously as he started to lick his mother and rub his face against her neck. She whined in a happy sort of way as if she was crying with joy as she nuzzled his shoulder.

When the two were finally done saying hello, Christina looked at Bride. It almost looked like Vane looked at her too and smiled. Bride sat with her legs crossed and smiled a little when they looked at her. "What?"

Christina approached her and put her front paws in Bride's lap and licked her cheek. Bride giggled. Christina wagged her tail then looked back at Vane and barked. Vane shook his massive head and gripped a piece of his mom's fur gently in his mouth and tugged a little. Christina got off of Bride and pawed at Vane, trying to get him to lay down. When he finally did, she started licking the insides of his ears. Vane had a look on his face that, even as a wolf, clearly said 'This is embarrassing'. Bride couldn't help but laugh at him.

But it wasn't long before a sharp yet deep sounding bark was heard from a few yards away. The three of them looked to find the source. Vane's father was glaring slightly at him. Vane pulled his ears back and looked away.

Christina whined but when her mate barked sharply again she stood. She licked Vane on the head once more before trotting over to her mate. They returned to their side of the lake and Vane returned to his human form beside Bride. He wrapped an arm around her waist casually as she looked out at the calm lake. It almost looked like glass.

Bride figured it was probably a wolf thing to be affectionate and not even realize it. She smiled a little at the thought and at the feel of his warm arm wrapped around her possessively.

It wasn't long before the two laid down beside each other and slept.