AN: I love all of you so much! The love and the patience you've all have shown me is just astounding! I was afraid that I'd have no readers after that huge hiatus, but I was wrong. I'm sorry to ever have doubted you! Thank you so much for reading! This is a nice long (and smutty) chapter for you!

Also, this summer Tumblr is doing something called Klaine AU Fridays in which people write and draw things based on a certain theme each week. Well, this Friday the theme is Fairytales, so in honor of that I'm going to try my darndest to put the next chapter of this fic up! Wish me luck with that and please keep blessing me with your lovely reviews, even if they're just to tell me that I suck. Thank you!

Warning: Bow chika bow wow!

The Wolf of Aldyr

~12~

The Fall

As the nights stretched on it became harder and harder for Kurt to keep his resolve. Curiosity grew inside of him, eating away at him and making him restless. He did his best to bury it. Keep it contained so that it couldn't control him. But between his burning curiosity and the memories of Blaine which still flared up in his mind each and every night, Kurt felt like he might be going mad.

"Why can't I just be happy?" Kurt whined. Takota just continued digging his sharp beak into the dead rabbit Kurt had brought him. It had been several weeks since the day he'd found the sparrowhawk out in the woods. Since then Kurt made a point of visiting him every day. They were sitting in a room that had appeared when Kurt had first brought Takota back to the palace. It was fairly large and airy despite having no windows like the rest of the palace. It had several perches for Takota and had a natural color palate so that it reminded Kurt of being outside. It seemed to suit Takota well. His wing no longer hung limply like it had before and Kurt was sure it was almost fully healed.

"It's not that I don't trust him," he continued, as if the bird could understand him. "Val saved my life. He saved my father's life. He's the first really good thing to happen to me since... well... for a long time. I really don't want to ruin... us... I mean, the way he makes me feel. When we hold each other... but, Takota, I feel so wrong. And then I feel so guilty for feeling that way. And it sits there in my stomach, and I can't find a moment's peace. And over and over again I just imagine opening that door, just a crack. Just a tiny, tiny, bit, so I can see something. Just an inch of him."

The bird looked up from his meal and squawked. Kurt sighed and reached up to rub the top of Takota's feathery head. The bird's eyes closed contentedly.

"What would you do if you were me?" he asked. But once again Takota had no answers. Kurt sighed and let his hand drop. Takota opened his eyes and tilted his head questioningly. Then he squawked again and started flapping his wings. Kurt sat up in excitement. "Your wing! Is it healed?"

As if in reply, Takota took off from his perch and swooped over Kurt's head around the room. Kurt jumped up and let out a loud whoop. He danced about as Takota finished his second lap and then descended to the floor. Once he was landed the bird flexed his wing and Kurt wondered if maybe it was still sore.

He rushed over and offered his arm to the bird. Takota hopped on and Kurt flinched as his nails dug into his skin through his sleeve. He quickly brought the bird up to one of his perches. Takota looked at Kurt and puffed up his feathers, looking very proud of himself. Kurt laughed and rubbed the bird's head.

"I think he's ready," said Kurt later that night. He was lying on top of Val, his head pillowed on the man's bare chest as Val's fingers stroked gently through his hair.

"He?" asked Val.

"Takota. He flew around his aviary today."

"Kurt, that's wonderful!" Kurt felt Val press a kiss to the top of his head and he smiled. "I'm so glad you were able to help him."

"Me too," said Kurt quietly. He turned his head and nuzzled Val's chest before kissing it. Val's fingers curled in Kurt's hair and he continued to nose across his chest until he felt the hardened bud of a nipple and took it between his lips.

Val gasped and clutched Kurt tighter as he sucked gently and then swirled his tongue around clockwise. He traced his fingers down Val's side and blew gently on his nipple before sucking once more. Val was making the most delicious sounds and Kurt felt so powerful knowing he could elicit those beautiful moans and sighs.

He released Val's nipple and rolled it between his fingers as he laid a trail of kisses up under Val's chin. He breathed in Val's intoxicating scent and suddenly his mind flew back in time to a lazy day spent in the garden with Blaine.

Kurt kissed Val's neck harder, trying to make the memories go away. Why did they keep coming back?

Then Val was rolling them over, letting out something like a growl before pinning Kurt to the mattress. And with one breath stealing kiss, Kurt was brought right back to the present.

They both panted lightly as Val pulled away and their mingling breaths sent sparks straight through Kurt. Val kissed him again, but this time his lips just barely brushed Kurt's making him arch up for more. Val teased him by keeping him pinned to the bed and pulling just out of reach. Kurt whined in protest and bucked his hips up.

Val finally crashed his lips back down to Kurt's just before pressing his hips down as well and making Kurt gasp into his mouth.

There wasn't a stitch of clothing between them, and pressed up against Val, Kurt could now feel just how very hard Val was. The sensation made him dizzy and desperate for more. He pushed his hips up just as Val began rocking downward creating perfect friction between them.

They clutched each other tight, their bodies entwined as they moved together. Kurt let his mind shut off. He didn't need it. He didn't need memories, or doubts, or fears. At this moment all he needed was Val's hips rutting exquisitely against his own and bringing him closer and closer to release with each thrust.

"Kurt," Val cried his name in his ear and Kurt felt himself fall over that invisible edge just as Val's body shuddered from his own orgasm.

Their bodies stayed wrapped together long after they'd come down. Then Val moved, nuzzling Kurt's neck and then his ear, making Kurt groan.

"You'll make me hard again," Kurt mumbled.

"Would that be so bad?"

Kurt laughed breathily but pushed Val gently away from his ear. "Not tonight."

"Okay, Kurt." Val rolled to his side next to Kurt and he turned to face him in the dark. Kurt once again wished he could see Val's face. He wondered if his face would look as blissful and warm as Kurt imagined it would be. He wondered what he would see in Val's eyes. Then Val spoke again.

"So you want to do it? Release Takota?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes. We can do it after we take care of the slave caravan from Otta. I think that'll give him enough time to really get his strength back."

"Okay." Val's hand searched through the dark until it finally found Kurt's and he laced their fingers together.

"It's going to be hard to see him go," said Kurt. "I've grown so used to having him here."

"You don't have to release him, you know. You could keep him."

"No, I don't think so," said Kurt honestly. "It doesn't seem fair to keep him locked up just because I don't want to say goodbye. He deserves to be free."

Val was silent for a long time. Then with a dull voice he said, "Yes, you're probably right." He squeezed Kurt's hand. "Everyone deserves to be free."

Another moment of silence went by then Val leaned over and gently found Kurt's lips with his own.

"Goodnight, Kurt."

"Goodnight."

Ambushing the caravan went as smoothly as they could have hoped. The Jotunn were starting to catch on to the attacks and were traveling in greater numbers now, but Kurt and Val had become such a seamless team that they were easily able to take on at least a couple dozen Jotunn with relative ease.

When the giants were taken care of Kurt and Val began the process of leading the rescued slaves back home to their town. This was also much riskier now that the Jotunn were aware of their slaves being freed. They'd begun patrolling the town and city borders hoping to catch anyone trying to sneak back in. So Kurt and Val had had to come up with clever ways of slipping past undetected.

Generally all it took was figuring out their patterns and when their shifts ended. This time, though, they found a hole in the Jotunn's security that was so vast they could probably have snuck half of Aldyr through.

Kurt had scouted ahead at dusk and had found the two Jotunn guards only just opening a bottle of spirits and obviously quite proud of themselves for getting away with shirking their duties. It was too perfect.

"It might be a trap," whispered Val, after Kurt had returned and told him what he'd seen.

"I realize that. But if it's not, it's the best luck we've ever had. So I think we should start with a small group and then if they get through alright we'll bring the rest."

Val agreed and with a bit of coaxing they found some volunteers to be in the first group. Val took them while Kurt stayed behind with the rest. He was on his toes the whole time while he waited, ready for any kind of trouble.

It wasn't long before Val returned successfully and Kurt went straight to his side.

"No problems?" he asked.

"None," said Val. "I can take the rest. You can stay here."

Kurt laughed. "Of course I'm not going to stay here. I'm coming to help like usual."

"I just think you can relax for a bit if you want."

Kurt looked at Val with confusion. It was so strange for him to suggest that Kurt stay by himself. They'd always done everything together.

"Is something wrong?" Kurt asked.

Val was silent for a moment and Kurt's suspicions doubled. "No," said Val. "No, I don't know. Nevermind. Let's go."

Kurt wanted to press for answers, but he knew well enough to realize that would be pointless. So he just gathered the remaining refugees and together they went to slip past the drunken guards.

The Jotunn were getting boisterous now, laughing and swearing. Kurt wondered if they were actually trying to get themselves locked up, or if they were really just that stupid. Val was hurrying them past much too quickly but Kurt was still able to listen in to their conversation.

"It's like they really think we care about this shithole."

"I know. Fucking queen. This place should just be burned to the ground so we can go home."

"Yeah."

Dissenters. That was something Kurt had never heard before. The idea made him giddy. He wondered how many Jotunn felt the same way. If there was truly unrest among them then it was a weakness that could be exploited.

"Where do you think it is anyway?"

"It?"

"Oh come on. We were just talking about it. The human, you idiot. The one they lost."

"Oh, the prince. Fuck if I know."

Kurt froze in place. A lost human prince? What did that mean? What were they talking it about? Did they mean a prince of Aldyr? But they'd been killed. All of them. Kurt had seen it. Had one of them been unaccounted for? Kurt tried to remember.

"Kurt, Kurt, we have to go. Come on, We can't stop," Val's voice was in his ear but Kurt wasn't listening. He was trying so hard to remember the day he'd worked so hard before now to block out.

"Kurt, come on." Kurt felt himself being tugged forward by his arm. Val's teeth were in his sleeve, pulling him and making him stumble.

"Val," Kurt hissed, "stop it."

"We have to go," he said through his clenched teeth.

"But, did you hear-?"

"Now!" He growled. Kurt felt like his heart had stopped. Stunned, he began to move, following Val out of earshot of the two giants and into the town where the refugees began to disperse and return to their homes. Kurt didn't say a word. He was confused and hurt. He couldn't understand Val's behavior. Or he didn't want to understand it, because the more he thought about it, the more it felt like Val didn't want Kurt to hear what the guards had been saying.

Once everyone was safely home and they were far beyond the bounds of the town Val knelt so Kurt could climb on his back so they could leave. But Kurt didn't move.

"Kurt?" Val turned his head to look at Kurt. It was still the middle of the night but the moon was still large, illuminating both of them.

"What was that?" Kurt asked, trying to keep his voice as quiet and calm as possible.

Val's ears flattened and he lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have growled at you."

"But I don't understand. Why?"

Val huffed. "I can't tell you. Kurt, you know I can't."

"But what they were saying. Didn't you hear? If one of the royal-"

Val stood straight, towering over Kurt. "You need to forget about that."

"What?"

"Kurt, you have to forget about that. What they said."

Kurt puffed himself up, looking back at Val defiantly. "Why? This might be it! The chance to finally free Aldyr! Isn't that what you want?"

"Kurt, listen-"

"No! You need to be clear what you want. Are you on my side, or is this just some kind of game?"

"Kurt, of course I want Aldyr to be free."

"Then tell me what you're hiding from me."

"Kurt, you don't understand."

"Try me."

"I can't. Please. Trust me."

"How can I, when you obviously don't trust me?"

"I do! I just... I don't want to lose you, Kurt!"

They stood in silence for a moment. Kurt wished he could read the wolf's expression better. "But why would you lose me? How could anything you tell me make me want to leave?" Val didn't answer.

Kurt turned and took a few steps away, kicking the ground. He let out another long sigh. "Let's just go home," he said in defeat.

Val knelt down once more and Kurt climbed on. They went silently. By the time they returned to the palace the sun was rising. Kurt was exhausted and he could tell by the way Val walked that he was too.

Kurt went inside and flopped straight into bed. It took him ages to fall asleep. He was questioning everything. Val, this palace, the hours in bed with a man he hardly knew.

When he finally did get to sleep, it was restless and Kurt woke and got up only a few hours later. He went straight to Takota's aviary. He held up his arm and the bird flew straight to him. Kurt smiled and carried him outside.

Val appeared to be sleeping outside the doors of the palace, curled up next to the stone buck. But when Kurt walked past him he lifted his head and followed.

Kurt lifted his arm higher and Takota sidled up to his shoulder as they made their way down the cliffside to the tree line. Kurt still had to push himself to move down the narrow ledge but he managed to do it without panicking or freezing up. Val followed silently behind and Kurt, for the most part, ignored him.

Finally, they made it to the woods.

"You're free," he said, turning his head to the sparrowhawk. The bird ruffled his feathers and didn't seem to understand at first. But then he flapped his wings and took off into the branches. As smile formed on Kurt's lips as he watched him fly. Takota swooped around and came to land on a branch just above Kurt's head.

He looked down as if he was still unsure what to do. Kurt laughed.

"Go, you stupid bird," he said, his smile getting broader. Takota cocked his head and then took off once more, flying high and far until finally he was gone. And all at once it became clear. Kurt knew what he'd been denying this whole time.

He felt trapped. He thought he could live with the boundaries. He thought that all the good things could outweigh the bad. But now he was sure that he could not. He could not live this life. He had to be free.

Kurt couldn't just accept things the way they were. That wasn't him. That conversation between the Jotunn hadn't been nothing. And if Val couldn't help him find out the truth of it than Kurt couldn't put his trust in him any longer. He had to open that door. He had to take that chance. He had to know.

Kurt turned his head and saw Val looking at him intently.

"Can I give you a ride back?" he asked. Kurt hesitated, but then nodded before climbing on.

Kurt spent the rest of the day getting his nerves together, but by the time night had fallen his heart still pounded out of his chest. He knelt on the bed, too anxious to lie down or sit. He focused on breathing slowly and listened for the familiar sound of Val crawling onto the bed.

He didn't have to wait long. The bed dipped beside him and Val slowed moved behind him and kissed the nape of his neck. Then he remained still. It was like a question.

Kurt reached behind him and found Val's arms. He pulled them around himself until Val took the invitation and embraced him from behind. Kurt felt a lump in his throat. This could be his last night in this man's arms. Despite everything, his doubts and his fears, Kurt couldn't deny the feelings that had grown between them. He cared for Val. He did want him. These days and nights with him had been some of the best of Kurt's life. And if this was to be the last night he knew he had to treasure this.

Val clutched onto him tightly, his fingers pressing into Kurt's bare skin. He nosed Kurt's neck and pressed kisses down across his shoulder as Kurt moaned softly in response. Kurt reached an arm up and fisted his fingers in Val's curly hair.

Val growled low into Kurt's skin and his hands began to roam, gliding across Kurt's chest, stomach, and thighs, finding every spot that would make him fall to pieces. He kept coming tortuously close to Kurt's hardening cock, dancing around it with his fingertips and making Kurt arch and buck, begging silently for more.

Kurt leaned back against him, Val's chest warm and solid, and his cock already hard and pressed against his ass. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to just let go and lose himself to this man. No, he didn't know his real name. He didn't know the shape of his face, or the color of his eyes. He didn't know where he was from or why he'd appeared in his life.

But he did know the paths across his skin, the way his smile felt against his lips, the sound of his laughter, and rhythm of his heart.

They were so close Kurt could feel it against his back, beating rapidly as Val continued to envelop him. His mouth was moving again, going upwards, kissing and sucking until he found Kurt's earlobe and took it between his teeth. Kurt whined and tightened his hold in Val's hair.

Then finally Val took hold of Kurt's cock and a loud cry ripped from his throat.

Val gasped Kurt's name into his ear and began to grind his own cock, hot and hard, against Kurt's ass.

"Val, please," Kurt whined. Val moaned and started to stroke Kurt's cock in time with his thrusts. They rocked together, slow and sensual until Kurt felt like every part of his body was alight with ecstasy.

Kurt reached around and wrapped his arm around Val's neck and tilted his own head back as they chased their pleasure together. He found Val's mouth with his own and swallowed the gorgeous noises escaping from the man's soft lips. The kiss was intense and needy as if both of them were trying to force a thousand kisses into one.

They gasped and panted for air as their lips parted and Kurt heard an unmistakable sob fly from Val's mouth. Even as he continued to thrust against Kurt and stroke his cock Kurt could now feel his chest trembling behind him. Was he crying?

"Val?" Kurt breathed.

"Don't stop kissing me. Please. Please Kurt." Val's voice sounded so pained Kurt didn't think twice about clashing their lips together once more.

They climbed higher and higher, Val still thrusting against Kurt's ass and stroking his cock, twisting around the head and making Kurt shake, and gasp into his mouth.

He was so close. He could feel his orgasm just out of reach. He wanted to stop it coming. He didn't want this to end. He wanted to continue on, forever wrapped in Val's arms in the dark with no past and no future to get in the way.

But then he Val shuddered behind him, spilling across his back and Kurt came as well pushing up into Val's hand and riding out his orgasm, until at last they collapsed onto the sheets as one.

For a moment they collected their breath. Then slowly, laboriously, Kurt turned onto his back and Val curled into his side, his arm wrapped possessively around his waist. Val's face felt damp on his chest but he couldn't tell if it was from sweat or tears. He wondered for the first time if Val suspected what Kurt was about to do. If he'd truly been crying and if it was all because Kurt was breaking his heart.

Kurt told himself he had no choice. He had to this. He couldn't change his mind now. And if Val had any inkling of Kurt's plans, he didn't make any attempt to stop him. Instead he just laid on Kurt's chest as his breathing became steadier and slower until finally he drifted to sleep.

Kurt didn't rush to get up. He stroked Val's hair and listened to the faint sound of his snores as he stared into the dark.

Then he gently eased the sleeping man over and onto his back, making sure he was still asleep before getting out of bed.

The walk to the door was probably the most difficult thing Kurt had ever done. Completely blind he had to rely on his memory of the room and pray to nonexistent gods that Val didn't wake before he made it. Blood pounded in his ears and his legs trembled with each step he took.

After what felt like ages his hand finally found the smooth knob of the door. Kurt stood there holding it and his mind screamed for him to turn around and forget this whole thing. He knew that once this door was open he could never go back. What if he didn't like what he found? What if Val's secret was something despicable? What if he was really a monster in disguise? What if he was a Jotunn?

And what if Kurt was trapped in the dark forever?

Before another second could pass Kurt swung wide the door and let the light spill into the room.