Chapter IX
The snow stung Tsuki's eyes as she ran. Now that she had fully recovered the blow she took in that car accident she could see through the storm more clearly. But that didn't stop the snow from being a huge inconvenience.
Shouta was an excellent flyer and navigator. She trusted him to take them straight to Darcia's Keep. It was just a matter of them keeping up. Kiba ran through the tumult like it was nothing, but Tsuki was having a hard time following him and Shouta. She didn't want to look weak, especially in front of Kiba, so she didn't stop running even though her legs felt frozen stiff.
"You okay?" She looked up to see Kiba had stopped to check up on her.
Tsuki ran past him without looking back. "Don't worry about me. Keep going."
After what seemed like hours of running, the storm had cleared and the wolves and the hawk finally made it to Darcia's Keep. Dark and dilapidated, the castle had an eerie atmosphere about it, the gray sky and gloomy clouds emphasizing the gloom. Something felt really off about the place, Tsuki observed, and there was a rotten smell in the air. It smelled like…
Is this… blood?
Kiba grimaced next to her. He could only imagine the terrible things Darcia did to Cheza.
I'll kill him if he lays a hand on her.
As they treaded forward, they noticed a car parked in front of the entrance. "Someone made it here before us," Tsuki pointed out.
Kiba could detect perfume and a trace of bourbon. He didn't who the other scents belonged to, but he knew the alcoholic stench very well. That hunter was here.
"What do we do?" Tsuki asked.
"There's nothing we can do about the humans," he replied. "And nothing can be helped if we run into them. We just keep going, and hopefully they'll mind their own business." Though he doubted avoiding the hunter would be so easy to avoid. Once that alcoholic caught scent of them, there was going to be bloodshed. Nothing would get in his way of finding Cheza.
"Shouta, where's Tora?"
"He's With Darcia. Cheza is with them as well."
"Where are they?" Kiba demanded forcefully.
Tsuki pushed Kiba back, even though he couldn't reach the hawk. "Calm down, Kiba. Tora wouldn't let Darcia harm Cheza. He obviously knew we would be coming. If you want to get to her faster, you have to make haste and be diligent; you can't do anything irrational. I have a feeling that these humans aren't the ones we should be worrying about."
Kiba nodded, taking her words into consideration. He had a feeling someone else was here, someone who shouldn't be at the Keep at all. They had to reach Cheza before they could lay their hands on her. But Tsuki was right. If they wanted to get to her faster, then he couldn't be doing anything impulsive.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go."
As they walked, Tsuki began to think about what would happen after they found Cheza and Tora. She knew the only reason Kiba came with her was to find Cheza so he and the rest of the pack could go to Paradise. But she wasn't sure if she would go back to the pack once she found Tora. The only reason why he didn't take her to Darcia's Keep with him was the risk, and now he needed her help. And here she was, uncertain if she would be able to leave this place once her job was done, nor did she think she would want to leave...
… But she didn't want to just leave the pack, either. During her journey, she only gained one memory, courtesy of Tsume, and it was terrifying. But it also meant that Tora was right, and eventually she would remember more about her past. knowing this, that Tsume was a part of her life in the past—there was no way she could leave the pack now. She was supposedly his younger sister and probably the only family he had left. Not to mention there was so much more Hige had Blue, so she doubted he would miss her much. Toboe would definitely be the most heart-broken if she chose to stay with Tora.
Toboe…
As if reading her mind, Kiba put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes full of sympathy. "Tsuki, you should know, before he left, Tora told me you had a difficult past, one you can't even recall. But it's okay. Once we find Cheza and Tora, you can do whatever you wish. I'm sure whatever you decide, Toboe will support it, and so will Tora."
"If he's still okay," Tsuki added in trepidation.
A sharp squawk from Shouta interrupted their conversation, and the hawk's flight increased in urgency. "This way!"
The wolves sped up to catch up to him. Tsuki hadn't been in Darcia's Keep before, but the interior was similar to Tora's old laboratory. Just around the next corner, there was a set of large double doors at the end of the hall. And in front of those doors was a gory catastrophe. Tsuki nearly screamed at the sight. The floor was littered with men clad in black armor and doused in blood. The metallic smell permeated the air, making the young she-wolf so nauseated she had to cover her nose and mouth with both hands.
The sight made Kiba growl. Cheza was on the other side of that door. Those soldiers could've gotten to her, but something had stopped them. Among the human of blood, he could sniff out a trace of wolf.
Tora…
"Tora must've stopped them before they could get inside," Tsuki murmured through her fingers. "His blood's all over the place." She removed her hands from her mouth and wrapped her arms around her abdomen. "I can smell her, too…" she murmured inaudibly. Kiba could hear her faintly and also detected another stranger's scent among the vast amount of bodies scattered on the floor. The smell was sour.
"Do you know who these soldiers are? What are they doing here?"
Tsuki's eyes began to tear up. "They're Jaguara's men."
"Jaguara?"
"She's… a monster."
Kiba was about to ask more when he saw the look on Tsuki's face. She looked as if she was about to be ill. Taking the petrified girl's hand, he quickly led her through the bloody pathway to the doors. Once upon the doors, he could see they were already cracked open.
Turning to the terrified pup, Kiba squeezed her hand a bit tighter. "Tsuki." She looked up at him, her eyes wide in fear and uncertainty. "Just focus on Cheza and Tora, okay? I know you're strong, but I'll still be here to protect you. You're one of my own."
For a moment, Tsuki didn't respond, but then her eyes lit up, doubt replaced with determination. "Let's do this."
Cheza stiffened. Kiba and Tsuki were just behind that door.
The black wolf lying in her lap glanced up at the door, also sensing the newcomers. "They're here," he said. He shifted uncomfortably as he tried to stand. Cheza helped him before facing the door again, and they both waited for their friends to emerge. The ancient doors creaked open further until two wolves were revealed, one pure white and the other a grayish lavender.
"Kiba!" The Flower Maiden ran to the boy.
Once she was in his arms, Kiba hugged her tightly, his nose taking in her flowery scent. "Cheza…"
The Flower Maiden released him when she noticed the wolf next to them and hugged her as well. "Tsuki! This one missed you, too!"
But Tsuki didn't return the gesture as her attention was focused on someone else. She stared past Cheza to the metallic bed on the other side of the room. The being lying inside was calling to her, and a warm and fuzzy voice murmured inside her head, entrancing her.
Kiba stopped watching the two when he noticed the injured Noble standing in front of him. Tora held his left arm securely, blood dripping onto the pristine floor. Tsuki was right; he must've been the one who fended off those soldiers. "Why is Cheza here, Tora? What does Darcia want with her?"
Tora's gaze suddenly turned somber, almost guilty. "He thought she could help her."
"Help who?"
"Hamona." Tsuki's monotone voice echoed through the chamber. The she-pup's eyes were like vapid pools. Realizing what was happening, Cheza released her.
Slowly and surely, Tsuki began walking towards the metallic bed. She even walked past Tora, which surprised Kiba very much; she had been looking forward to reuniting with her former traveling companion. Whatever was in that contraption was obviously the cause, and seeing as it was a machine created by a Noble, he didn't trust it was anything good. When he tried going forward to stop her, Cheza grabbed his arm. "Cheza?" She shook her head, discouraging him from interfering. Kiba complied and continued to watch the girl as she walked. He didn't know what was going on, but Cheza seemed to and, since he had yet to move, black wolf did as well. "Tora, what's going on? Why is Tsuki acting so strange?"
"Kiba, just take Cheza and get out of here."
"I'm not leaving until I get an explanation."
Tora's cold gaze locked onto the white wolf's equally harsh glare. "It's better if you don't know. Now just take Cheza and go before it's too late!"
As soon as she was at the metallic bed, Tsuki looked upon the beautiful woman lying inside. She was completely bare; her long, luscious, platinum blonde hair and the wires attached to her were the only things covering her body. Though her eyes were closed, Tsuki imagined they were just as gorgeous as the rest of her. Even though this woman was in statis, she could hear the majestic voice coming from her, calling out for help. One name constantly came up:
Darcia…
Tsuki ran her hand over the woman's body. Her hand trembled. She could feel her soul. She knew wolves had this sixth sense and were capable of detecting someone on the verge of death, but the overwhelming feeling of this woman's feeble soul literally dissipating from her body shook her to her core. She didn't know why, but she felt obligated to help this woman before it was too late. And she knew exactly what to do. Tsuki traced her hand over the woman's forehead, forcing her mind to meld with the Noblewoman. Within a few seconds, Tsuki's mind drifted into the ever-expanding void of the woman's psyche…
-X-
Hamona ran through the fields away from her lover, Darcia. She continued to run until she was by the glistening lake. She then collapsed on her back, basking in the glow of the sun. This was her Paradise—their Paradise. And nothing was going to get in the way of that. Not even her sister.
Jaguara…
The thought of her sister made her jump. A soft hand touched her back. "What's wrong, love?"
Hamona turned to Darcia, who had a warm smile on his face. "Nothing, my love." She put her arms around Darcia's neck and hugged him tightly. "Darcia, do you promise you won't leave me? We'll stay here forever, away from the war, from everything that can take away our happiness. Nothing can take this away from us, right?"
Darcia chuckled. "You ask me this every day, my love. I will never leave you. We'll stay here, if that is what you wish."
Hamona closed her eyes. "Yes. I would like that very much."
"And I promise that no matter what happens, I won't let any harm come to you."
"I know you won't."
The warm feeling coming from Darcia's embrace soothed her, and her sister was once again forgotten. When she opened her eyes again, Hamona was surprised to see a young girl in a white summer dress standing in the middle of the glistening lake. She stood up in alarm. No one was supposed to get into their Paradise. No one could ruin their dream.
As the girl advanced towards them, she turned to warn her lover only to be confronted by a red wolf with dichromatic eyes. The right was her Darcia's delicate blue eye. The left one was that of a wolf. She knew of Darcia's curse, but she never thought she'd see it before her very eyes. Now her Darcia was gone and replaced by this vicious beast. This had to be Jaguara's doing. It just had to be. She was after her happiness, here to take it away.
As she backed away, something pulled the back of her white gown. It was the girl, her red eyes full of concern. She recognized those eyes.
"Cheza?" Hamona questioned. The girl shook her head. "Then who are you? Why are you here?"
"I'm here to save you."
"Save me?" The red wolf next to her snapped at the young girl. "Darcia, stop it!" But the wolf wouldn't listen, his serrated canines gnashing viciously at both the young girl and the Noblewoman. Hamona backed away hastily. "What's happened to him? This isn't my Darcia!"
The girl's smile turned meek as if she felt sorry for Hamona. "Of course it's not. This world isn't real. That wolf is an illusion. The real Darcia is waiting for you outside of this realm."
"How do I know you're not an illusion?"
The girl let go of her dress and stepped out of the water. A lavender-gray wolf took her place.
Hamona gasped. "What are you, another one of my sister's wolves? Are you here to take me away? Is that why my Darcia turned into that beast? Is that why he's gone?"
"I was created to cure you. Hamona, you have Paradise sickness. You're stuck in the deepest realm of your mind, in a fantasy you created for you and Darcia—your own Paradise. This Paradise, that wolf, everything in this world isn't real. Your real body is in Darcia's Keep. You're stuck in a coma, and I am here to take you out of it and bring you back to reality."
"Who sent you here?"
"I came on my own. I told you, I was created to help you. My creator is someone you know by the name of Tora."
"Tora? Torasuto, Darcia's younger brother?" This calmed Hamona down a bit. If Tora sent her here, then this wolf was truly trustworthy. "What is your name?"
"You may call me Lupa, your humble guardian and servant." The young wolf named Lupa bowed her head to the beautiful woman.
Hamona knelt down and wrapped her arms around Lupa's neck. Her fur was extremely soft and it smelled of lunar flowers. "Take me home. Take me back to my Darcia."
"As you wish, Milady Hamona…"
-X-
Once she was out of that trance, Tsuki felt a dizzy sensation. She put a hand to her head as the other reached for the metallic bed for support. She couldn't recall what just happened. All she knew was that her head ached and a feeling of relief washed over her. What had she done?
Once she recovered from her vertigo, Tsuki glanced at the woman in the metallic bed. She felt as if she knew this woman…
"Get away from her!" Suddenly, Tsuki was thrown across the room and cried out when her head hit a wall.
"Darcia, stop it!" she heard Tora yell. An exasperated growl followed after that, which sounded like Kiba.
The same hand that sent her flying across the cold chamber lifted her up by the throat, suffocating her. Tsuki clawed at the hand but it was no use as it was protected by a tough leather fabric. And the more she struggled, the tighter the hand squeezed her delicate neck. She howled in pain, but it didn't sound like a howl this time. It was like a siren, the cry of the Flower Maiden.
"Tsuki, no!" Kiba exclaimed. "Let go of her!"
Kiba lunged at the man holding Tsuki by the throat. Darcia immediately dropped her to the ground to fend off the white wolf. They both ended up with cuts on their cheeks.
The Noble was about to lunge at him again when, suddenly, a voice, all too sweet and familiar to his ears, called out faintly, "Darcia..."
"So this is the Keep of Darcia," Tsume observed. The pack had waited for the storm the clear before following Kiba and Tsuki. There was more snow on the ground, but it wasn't as troublesome as it was when it was blowing in their faces. Now that they were here, Tsume could sense his sister inside. He couldn't believe Tora lived in a place like this and she would want to follow him here. It looked absolutely wicked.
"Place looks like it should be haunted," Hige said.
"By what?" Toboe asked curiously.
Hige smirked nefariously. "By the ghosts of all the cursed Nobles!"
Toboe grimaced. "Come on, don't say stuff like that!" He was still extremely worried about Tsuki, and Hige's joke wasn't helping. He didn't know why Tora wanted her to come to this creepy place, but he knew that Tsuki was compliant to do anything that man said regardless of where he wanted her to go. She'd risk her life just to be with him. There could be anything in the Keep; even the thought of ghosts scared him.
"But still," Blue said, breaking Hige out of his laughter, "are you sure that girl's inside of there? And what about Kiba and Tsuki?"
Hige, with his potent sense of smell, sniffed the air. "The scent is faint," he informed, "but it's definitely a lunar flower."
The wolves followed Kiba and Tsuki's scents, which were still fresh and led them in a clear, straight trail. Each had the urge to go faster—except for Hige—but they all needed to slow down after that storm. They'd catch up to Kiba and Tsuki eventually.
Tsume suddenly stopped in his tracks. "What the…" Everyone else stopped as well. There was a car up ahead. That only meant one thing. "He's got visitors."
Blue then caught a familiar scent and ran off a blink of an eye.
"Hey, hold on!" Hige shouted.
Blue stopped at the car's windows. No one was inside, but Pops's scent was still fresh. "Pops is here."
"Blue, what is it?" Hige inquired once he caught up to her. "What's gotten into you?" Instead of answering him, Blue ran inside Darcia's Keep. Hige stared after her longingly.
"Come on!" Toboe shouted. He and Tsume ran past Hige, which finally broke Hige out of his trance so he could follow.
Halfway through a corridor, Blue reduced her running to speed walking. It took a while for the others to finally catch up to her.
"Why the hell are you in such a rush?" Hige reiterated.
"It's Pops," she finally answered, but the determination in her eyes didn't fade as the others approached her. "I know he's here."
"But do you really… wanna see him? That Pops guy?" Toboe asked hesitantly. Blue suddenly stopped in place and looked at him. The pup gulped silently. He knew that that hunter was very important to Blue, even though she left him. But the only reason she left was to start over and begin a new life as a wolf. Seeing him again might make her change her mind. Even though Toboe hadn't initially been fond of her, he still didn't like the idea of Blue suddenly leaving them. Not like how Kiba and Tsuki did.
Looking away from him sadly, Blue sighed resolutely. "No… It might be better if I didn't." But her answer didn't sound sincere.
"But maybe the reason he's out here… is to find you."
Blue's eyes became even sadder. If that was the case, then running away from Pops suddenly seemed pointless. If Pops really couldn't survive without her, then she should go back to him. Perhaps she could convince him to stop this perpetual vendetta.
Hige saw the pensive expression on her downtrodden face and frowned. He didn't want her to leave, either, but if it made her happy…
"So what if he is?" Tsume deadpanned. Everyone looked at the older wolf in astonishment. He sounded so cold-hearted. "Are you going to go back to being that human's dog?"
"Hey, lay off!" snarled Hige.
"Yeah, Tsume. Be quiet!" Toboe added scornfully. "You don't know what it's like!" He wasn't surprised that Tsume was acting so insensitive, but he could be a little more understanding about the situation.
"Guess I don't," he said with a simple smirk. "Unlike the two of you, I've never had the pleasure of being kept as a pet."
"Tsuki used to live with humans, too, you know. The only reason she left was to find Tora."
Tsume glared at the pup. Although he was a bit impressed by the gutsy way Toboe talked back to him, he was still extremely pissed about Tsuki's departure with their dangerously impulsive leader, and it wasn't necessary for Toboe to remind him of that.
"Now, now," Hige suddenly interjected. Though he wasn't usually the pacifier, he knew they were wasting precious time. "Let's find the others. We can fight later."
Tsume and Toboe glared at each other once more before silently agreeing.
As the group continued onward, Cheza's scent grew stronger. "The flower scent's coming from over here."
A scream suddenly broke out. It was like a siren, sweet and shrill. "That sounds like Cheza," Tsume said.
But Toboe recognized something in the scream. There was a bit of a howl in it. And it sounded much different from Cheza's screams. "No, it's Tsuki!"
Then a bullet sounded off. "Sounds like that hunter got to them first," Tsume growled.
Toboe didn't waste another second and ran run ahead of his friends in the direction from which the gunshots came. "Toboe, wait!"
But he wouldn't listen. He only continued to go in the direction of Tsuki's distraught voice. He needed to get to her before it was too late.
I'm coming, Tsuki.
Everything was silent. The chaos that usually took over her mind with the hodgepodge of memories had been miraculously calmed by an outside force: the sweet sound of Hamona's voice. Listening the young woman speak, her voice was simply enchanting. The mix of random recollections that she was never able to understand finally came to order, what once was lost filled the little empty pockets devoid of any memories.
I remember… everything…
"Hamona." Darcia dropped his sword when he saw his true love moving. Hamona was alive, awake, and Darcia couldn't have been happier. Nothing else mattered. The wolves were completely forgotten.
The young woman looked up at the Nobleman, her eyes widening at the sight of her lover, who she apparently hadn't seen in months despite the fact that he was in her dreams every night. Tears of joy began fall. "Darcia."
"Hamona." The Nobleman embraced his lover fiercely once she was at arm's length. For the first time in his life, Tora saw his brother cry. "You're finally awake."
"Someone… helped me."
"Who?"
"A wolf… Lupa."
"Lupa?" Darcia looked away from his beloved and glanced at the lavender-gray wolf being tended by the white one. "That's…"
"Tsuki, get up." Kiba nudged her shoulder with his maw. "Tsuki, please get up!"
Cheza and Tora soon joined them, and Flower Maiden placed a palm on Tsuki's back, healing her to the best of her ability. The pup stirred as soon as she felt the soothing sensation of the Flower Maiden's touch surge through her body. It took a while, but Tsuki was finally able to stand. She placed her hand over her eyes, disoriented.
"Tsuki, are you alright?" Tora asked worriedly.
"I… I think so."
When she removed her hands, they were all surprised by what they saw, Kiba most of all. "Tsuki, your eyes..."
"What about them?"
"Lupa?"
Tsuki whipped her head around to the metallic bed. When she saw the woman next to Darcia, her eyes dilated in recognition. A smile grew on her lips. "Milady Hamona."
The gray wolf pup ran up to the bare woman obediently, allowing her to run her hand through her soft, lavender fur. She then laid her head in on Hamona's lap. "Thank you, Lupa."
Kiba stared at them in disbelief. "What the…"
Suddenly, a shot sounded and a bullet flew past Kiba. He growled at the assailant, the culprit no other than the hunter who had been chasing him and his pack since Freeze City. When Tsuki saw the threat, she stood in front of Hamona and Darcia defensively. Then the scientist woman and a man who looked similar to a cop ran up behind him.
"It's over, wolf," the alcoholic-scented man muttered.
The white wolf stood in front of Cheza and Tora protectively. "Tora, take Cheza and Tsuki and go," he growled.
"Kiba, don't be stupid," Tora scolded.
"This one is not leaving," Cheza said. "This one is staying with Kiba."
Kiba looked back up at the hunter with a menacing glare and snarled. The hunter focused his aim and cocked his gun.
"No don't!" A bluish-black blur sped in front of the gun, blocking the hunter's shot.
Quent pulled back the gun in astonishment. "Blue."
Suddenly, three more wolves entered the room. "Kiba! Tsuki!" Toboe shouted.
When she heard the familiar voice, Tsuki turned back to her human form and her eyes dilated further. "Toboe…"
Seeing as trouble was about to begin, Tora went to Neige, who was standing in the corner of the room the whole time. The globe in her hand began to glow ominously. "Neige, what's going on? What do you see?"
"I see Jaguara's ships."
Tora couldn't help the exasperated growl rumbling from his chest. "That relentless witch…"
All of a sudden, everything turned to chaos. Lasers blasted through the ceiling and began slicing up the room. Kiba ran to Cheza in an attempt to protect her, but he was quickly blocked by a blast. He ended up by the entrance where his friends were standing. The blasts increased in frequency, rupturing the foundation and breaking the floor apart into separate platforms. Darcia took off his coat and covered up Hamona in order to protect her from the blasts. Cher and Hubb retrieved the Flower Maiden and quickly fled. Quent stayed where he was, staring longingly at his former traveling companion. Tsume, Toboe, and Hige stood about helplessly.
"Cheza!"
"Blue!"
"Tsuki!"
Among all the confusion, Tsuki couldn't concentrate. She was still shaken by the feelings she had when she heard Toboe's voice and the feelings she had when she heard Hamona's. It was like she was stuck between two different lives, switching from one person to the other.
"Tsuki!"
"Tsuki, where are you!"
She didn't know what to do. There too many voices, too many thoughts going through her head, too many feelings to sort out. She couldn't take it anymore: the young wolf collapsed.
"Tsuki…!"
Tora soon found the wolf pup unconscious on the floor of the collapsing chamber. He carefully picked up the girl before running to the pack. "Take her," he said to Tsume. The gray wolf gently took her into his arms. "Get out of here while you still can. There's something I need to take care of." Tora changed back into his wolf form and disappeared without any explanation.
As soon as Toboe saw that Tsuki was safe, he stifled a sigh. Everything wasn't fine yet. They still needed to find a way out of Darcia's Keep before they were all crushed.
"You heard him!" Hige said. "We need to get out of here!"
"No," Kiba said. "I'm not leaving yet." He quickly ran off after the Nobleman.
"Kiba!" Hige cried out.
"What are you doing?" Tsume hollered. "Kiba!"
"Forget it. He's not going to listen. He came all the way here to get Cheza and he's not going to quit until he's got her."
"For the time being, let's just find somewhere safe to go," Toboe suggested.
The pack quickly fled Darcia's Keep, worrying about their terribly desperate leader and the Flower Maiden.
With his lover in his arms, Darcia stood audaciously in front of his Keep. In the air above, more of Jaguara's ships floated towards them. "Curse her… She still won't give up even though she knows…"
"Darcia, what are we going to do? Jaguara isn't going to quit until I'm dead."
The Nobleman gazed upon the woman with loving eyes. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you, my love." Hamona smiled and securely put her arms around his neck.
"Darcia! Hamona!" The couple looked down to see Tora approaching. "I'm glad to see you two are alright."
"Tora, what happened to Lupa? Is she alright?"
The younger Darcia smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Hamona. She's in good hands."
"Where are we to go?"
"Far away from here," Darcia answered. "I'm not letting that woman anywhere near you." He turned to his younger brother. "Are you certain you want to come with us, Tora? I know you have an attachment with that wolf."
"My loyalties lie with you, Darcia. She won't be safe if she comes with me. She's better off with her own kind."
The two brothers stood and watched as a light came over and enveloped everything in the land.
The wolves stood amongst the pile of rubble that was Darcia's Keep. When the light had disappeared, the wolves found themselves in this deserted land. Cheza, Blue, the humans and the ships that were in the sky were now gone, along with Kiba. And as they stood helplessly in the middle of the catastrophe, Toboe desperately called out for the white wolf in the hopes that he would show up. But his calls were merely empty howls in the wind.
"Kiba!"
Hige and Tsume stared at him pitifully. They didn't have the heart to stop the pup. They were all tired and in need for a sign of hope, but at the moment, there was none to spare.
Tsume looked away from the pup for a moment and appointed his gaze to the girl in his arms, silently relieved to have his sister with him safe and sound. He waited with bated breath as she began to stir. When she opened her eyes, he was surprised to see a spark of recognition.
"I remember…" she mumbled hoarsely. "I remember everything, big brother…"
Tsume smiled. "I'm glad. I missed you, Tsuki."
"I missed you, too…" And just as soon as she woke, she fell right back to sleep.
Tsume kissed her forehead and held her closer, the problems of the pack temporarily forgotten. At the moment, all that mattered to the gray wolf was that his sister was finally back.