Old Friends

The Countess D

The first full moon in Atra's memory cast a surge of energy that spread across their pack like wildfire. She and Kuri wrestled that day, two pups trying to bat each other between the ears and pin the other down.

They tired after midnight, the members of their family dropping off to sleep one by one. Hours had passed when a shock of light cut through Atra's slumber. Petals that shimmered white gold. Soft spikes curled beneath, purple as dusk. Soft beads of pollen at the center.

She padded towards the otherworldly blossom. She needed to see it. Needed to touch. She dipped her head, barely feeling the satin tips of petals brushing against her nose as she attempted to breathe its scent in. But it was already gone.

It was all gone. Her siblings. Her parents. The pack. The night was gone too, the sky warmed to orange above her. But she wasn't alone.

Atra lifted her head. She was in a small clearing. She didn't know how she'd traveled, whether she was still dreaming or if she'd walked while in a trance. Then she spotted two eyes peering out at her from between the trees.

They spoke. "You found one! But where did it go?"

"Where did what go?" She found herself saying, still hoarse from sleep.

"The lunar flower."

"The what?"

A frustrated huff preceded the pup emerging from the leaves. "Don't you know anything?" Atra stared dumbly at him before turning to the earth at her feet, flat and conspicuously empty. Suddenly, she found herself overcome by the urge to cry.

As if sensing this, he shook its head. "Don't be upset. I'll help you next time, okay? Next time, we'll find the lunar flowers and Paradise too."

Atra didn't understand. How could she? But still, she met his gaze and nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Paradise, too."

Cheza was already sunning at the lakeshore when Atra emerged from Nerine's home to wash herself, her calm at odds with the alien landscape they found themselves in. The trees were an even brighter white in daylight, the lake a luscious green. The algae that had been their beacon the night before sat dully on its surface, blue transformed to rust. Even the soil defied expectation, so dark it appeared purple. It all filled Atra with the eerie sense that they weren't quite on earth anymore. But earth or not, she was desperately in need of a wash.

Cheza greeted her as Atra stepped into the shallows. "Did you dream well?"

Atra picked at a particularly stubborn spot of grime. "I think so. It was more like a memory."

Cheza nodded, the gentle splashing pleasant to her ears. "A good one?"

"I think so," she repeated. "It was… nice."

Satisfied with this, Cheza fell silent, allowing Atra to focus on cleaning herself. Once her skin was free of mud, she peered into the water. Above her beastly reflection, her guise had shifted, donning a modest set of undergarments that laid much of her skin bare. It was enough to reveal the bruise along her waist, not so dark as the soil but a cloud on her skin nonetheless. The last night had helped some in the healing, but the ache would be a hassle on today's trek.

As that thought crossed her mind, Atra heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Nerine approaching with a small jar in her hand. She uncapped it, the odor of its contents bitterly medicinal. "A numbing salve," she explained, "If you'll have it."

Though her nose stung at the smell, Atra smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Nerine beckoned her closer. Undignified as it was, Atra obeyed, fixing her eyes on the lake as Nerine squatted to eye-level with her bruise. She scooped a bit of the salve with two fingers and placed them on Atra's skin. She froze, no doubt feeling what could not see—the brush of fur, the contours of a body that defied the eye. But her hesitation was brief. She resumed as if she hadn't noticed at all.

"The stories about the forest and its magic," Atra began, hoping to distract both of them from the discomfort of the situation, "Are they true?"

Nerine hemmed as she considered the breadth of Atra's bruise. "Not as far as I can tell. But it's true that the forest toys with technology. I think this hollow is the answer."

"How do you figure?" She asked, her skin buzzing as Nerine painted the medicine in small strokes across her side.

"Before he went to Orkham, my great-grandfather developed a theory that all this was created by a rock that fell from the heavens." Nerine pointed the fingers coated in the paste to the center of the lake. "That this valley was its place of impact. He said its remains are contained in the forest soil, with qualities we don't fully understand. Magnetism and all that. It makes no difference for all of you, but it presents a problem for us humans and our compasses." Nerine shook her head. "If he hadn't done it, I believe my grandfather would have, if only to have an excuse to live in this forest. He wouldn't stop going on and on about the wonders this soil might lead to."

"Small reason to cause a war."

The strokes stopped. Nerine sat back on her haunches and peered into Atra's hard stare. "Maybe so."

"If that's all true," Cheza said mildly, "That means this lake is a gift from the stars."

Atra smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is."

The wolves were waking. Atra could hear Toboe and Kuri stirring inside. More footsteps sounded from different points of the lake as the watchmen converged. Hige was the first to saunter up, giving Atra a sly glance. "You clean up pretty nicely."

"Good morning to you, too."

Hige grinned, only for his cheer to dim as Kiba and Tsume approached from the other side of the lake. Noting Kiba's cold glare, he stepped back to give Atra more space.

Nerine straightened, looking to them with a smile as she moved forward to wash her hands in the water. "There's breakfast waiting for you all inside." She gestured at the salve across Atra's waist. "Leave that on for now and wash it off before we leave. It shouldn't bother you today."

Atra nodded. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." The woman shook her hands above the water once, twice, wicking droplets onto the surface of the lake. Almost too lightly, she added, "I forgot to ask. Aster. Is she all right up there?"

All was quiet. Cheza's head drooped. In moments it looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Nerine wrung her damp hands. "I see."

For a time, it seemed the entire forest fell silent. No hum of machinery. No ships overhead. The next sound they heard was Nerine disturbing the shallows at her feet. "Come. We shouldn't take long before our leave."

Braving the Forest of Death was easier with a guide. Nerine led them up a trail that had been recently cleared, save for the occasional branch she cut back with a long, thin blade she kept holstered to her waist. She'd prepared well. Along with the weapon, she'd packed a waterskin for Cheza, snacks for their group, and inexplicably, a small drum.

She shot a playful smile at Toboe when he noticed that one. "You'll see," she said serenely, before hiking up the last of the slope with an ease that defied her age.

Cheza was light on her feet today, as further proof of her recent refreshment. She followed after Nerine with quick, graceful steps across the soil. Kiba let her enjoy the burst of energy, granting her space to enjoy the open path.

"Hey Granny," Hige called from the back, the term not quite as endearing on his lips. "If you know the way out, why don't you leave? I'm sure you could find a city where no one remembers your family."

Nerine chuckled. "Would you live in a city, if you had the choice?"

Kiba answered for all of them. "Absolutely not."

"I feel similarly." Nerine looked to tops of trees, a twig cracking beneath her foot. "My family is long gone. Aster, too. I've no other home other than among these trees." She shot a smile to Cheza. "I'm just glad I lived to meet you. Now that I've played even the smallest role in ending what my grandfather started, I can rest easy."

Cheza lifted a hand to her heart. "This one is grateful."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Tsume muttered. "Who says we're ending anything?"

Kiba shot Tsume a warning look. But Nerine kept moving, teetering up the slope, availing of one of the many perks of the elderly and choosing not to hear him.

As Nerine walked on ahead, Kiba turned his attention to Atra. He didn't particularly like the salve Nerine had given her. The herbs and chemicals cut at his nose and overwhelmed her natural scent, which only meant that he spent more time searching for it between breaths. He moved closer even as he kept his eyes on Cheza up ahead.

"Did that medicine work?"

Atra smiled as if she'd been expecting the question. "I feel fine, Kiba."

The lines of his mouth shifted and she stifled a laugh. It was the closest he'd ever gotten to a pout, as far as she'd seen.

As they reached the top of the ridge, she paused, letting him go first. She lifted a hand. "If I let you help me up here, will you relax the rest of the way? Or is relaxing a Paradise-only thing?"

With a half-hearted glare, Kiba took her hand and guided her over the ridge. As she found her footing on the new angle of the earth, she couldn't help but suspect that he'd pulled her closer than was necessary, if only to deliver a quiet reply. "A Paradise-only thing. But I'll try."

Noting the glimmer of amusement in his eye, Atra gave him a playful smirk. They walked, her hand in his, until she remembered to let go.

Toboe's face brightened at the sight of light peeking through the trees. "Guys!" He reached over to Tsume, patting his arm. He pointed to rays cutting through the long shadows, painting shapes of orange on the forest floor. The color of sunsets. They'd be at the exit by evening, just as Nerine had promised. "Look! We're almost there!"

"We all see it, runt," Tsume said. When Toboe looked to him with a small pout, he allowed his lips to curl into a relieved smile. "I'm pretty glad we made it out of here too."

"You're telling me." Hige lowered his head, scratching at the back of it. "We've been cutting it close lately. It'd be nice if they'd give us a break."

"Who?" Kuri asked.

"Who do ya' think?" He jerked his head towards Kiba, Cheza, and Atra walking at the front of the pack, following Nerine closely. "Honestly, I kind of get why most wolves would give up on Paradise if it's this stressful."

"Yeah, but you get stressed out by anything that doesn't involve a meal," Toboe snipped. When they turned to him in surprise, he faltered, filled with sudden regret. It abated at the sight of Tsume's proud grin.

"Well said," Tsume said as Kuri giggled beside him.

"Hey, where did you get the nerve to talk to me like that, huh?" Hige said, threatening Toboe with a fist, his own lips quirked at the corners.

"I'm just saying what everyone already knows!"

"Hey," Kiba cut in. Hige and Toboe turned to him, their bickering fizzling in a second. Along with the rest of their group, he'd come to a stop in a small clearing, waiting for the rest of them to approach. "You all got so loud suddenly."

Tsume hadn't even noticed, but now that they were still, he recognized the heat in his blood—an impatience that exceeded even the usual burst of energy he felt during the full moon. He glanced at Cheza and wondered if this was her doing. Sensing his curiosity, she smiled back.

"Toboe was just putting Hige in his place," Kuri joked.

Nerine chuckled. "And you're all excited to leave, I'm sure." She gestured to the path ahead. "This path will take you out of the forest. But, this clearing is as far as I will go."

Toboe began to protest, but quieted as Tsume placed a hand on his shoulder with a shake of his head. Kiba spoke instead. "Thank you for leading us."

Nerine nodded. Reluctantly, she added, "There is one little favor I'd ask of you."

They tensed. Kiba's grip on Cheza tightened. He subtly moved in front of her, suddenly protective. "And what's that?"

Nerine looked to Cheza and gave her a sad smile, her eyes shining. "It's just that… this old woman hasn't seen a lunar flower bloom in so long."

Cheza lifted her head, lips parting softly in surprise. After a moment, her face relaxed into a dazzling smile. "This one will show you."

Dusk fell as Nerine brushed away leaves and debris with the soles of her feet, clearing a space to sit at the edges of the clearing. She settled there, cross-legged, before shrugging off the drum strapped to her back. With her hands placed gently over the skin of the drum, she said, "It will be moonrise soon. Shall we?"

Cheza stood at the center of the clearing, bearing the eyes of the curious wolves with calm ease. "Yes."

Nerine closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. As she exhaled, her hand fell upon the skin of the drum, the sound traveling through the air and rooting in their chests. She did it again, beginning to sing in a low, weathered voice, the words ancient and understandable only in feeling.

Cheza turned skyward, basking in the dying light. As she stood there, inexplicably still, Tsume shifted on his own feet, itching to move.

"Kiba," he said lowly. "What is this?"

"It looks like…" Kiba struggled to tear his eyes from Cheza as she placed her hands across her chest. "A dance."

On the beat of the drum, Cheza lifted herself to the tips of her toes and began to turn, her arms drifting outward, then overhead. She spun, swayed, dipped towards the ground one moment and arched towards the sky the next, her movements fluid against the thundering beats of Nerine's drum.

Suddenly, Toboe joined in, racing around Cheza, kicking and turning as he ran counter to her turns. After a moment, Hige did the same. Then Kuri. Then Tsume, the boy dragged reluctantly into the center by Toboe and Kuri on either side, leaving Atra and Kiba on the sidelines, watching with fond smiles.

"Come on!" Toboe called to them, a laugh brightening his cry. "What are you waiting for?"

Atra chuckled as she took a step forward, only to be stopped by a hand catching hers.

Kiba stared at their joined hands as if his had moved of its own accord, hesitating before returning her look of surprise with a tentative smile. "You owe me a lesson."

Atra gaped before ducking her head in a desperate attempt to hide a smile of her own. "Yeah," she said, hoping her reply was simple enough to disguise the fluttering in her chest. "I guess I do."

Atra was a patient teacher. She guided Kiba to a small slice of the clearing where they would be out of the way of the others, leading him until in slow, sweeping whorls. He tried to mirror her, his steps awkward as he felt their companions glancing at them from across the way. As he tried to turn his head to see, she stopped him with a gentle scold. "Look at me. Relax."

Kiba nodded, and though his heart was racing far too quickly to obey, he tried.

He lifted his eyes to hers. Even in the moonlight, Atra's eyes shone the color of honey, the tones warm against his ice. Something clicked. He took a step on beat, then another, and another, and suddenly the drums were carrying him, the sound becoming a physical thing beneath their feet. Their circle tightened as the music drew them closer. They held each other's gaze, rising and falling in tandem.

Atra reached across the space between them, giving him a smile that left him winded, so pleased and bright. "Now faster."

Entranced as he was, Kiba obeyed. He raised a hand to meet hers, his pace quickening until the two of them were spinning, grass brushing at their heels, until they were heady and drunk with the scent of the forest, of the freshly risen night, until Kiba wasn't sure where he ended and where Atra began, caught in each other's gravity as they were, the two of them circling until they were a maelstrom, two wayward winds tumbling in the same storm.

Then, as suddenly as they'd found their rhythm, Atra lost it, a yelp clashing against the drumbeat as her toes caught on the edges of a stone.

Kiba broke their orbit to catch her at the center, chuckling as she settled against him, bowing her head against his chest. For a dreadful moment, he wondered if Atra could hear his heartbeat, loud and rapid against her ears. Then she looked up at him and he found that he didn't care one bit.

"Looks like you chose the wrong teacher," she joked.

Kiba could only chuckle in reply. He liked the look of her here—smiling, laughing, flushed against him. His brow pinched as he suddenly recognized the want in him, a familiar impulse urging him not to Paradise, but to the girl in his arms.

Doubt flickered across her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Dizzy," he lied.

The drums had ceased. The beating in his chest was all heart and no music, yet Atra hadn't stepped away. Tentatively, Kiba lifted his hand and brushed his knuckles across the curve of her cheek, pausing only at the catch of her breath.

She froze against him, her hands placed so gently against his chest, eyes hazed as she looked up at him, waiting. Chasing the courage that had sparked in him, Kiba leaned towards her, his eyes drifting shut as she pressed closer, her breath just barely ghosting across his lips when suddenly, the quiet was broken by a chorus of howls.

Atra pulled back with a start, turning towards the sound. Kiba struggled to hide his disappointment as he did the same, the two of them watching their pack lift their heads to the ripened moon.

The ground beneath their feet stirred. They looked towards the earth as green shoots pushed up from the soil. In a matter of seconds, a meadow bloomed before their eyes, white blossoms hatching across the clearing and down the path ahead.

Kiba's eyes swept across the clearing, taking in their awe with undisguised pride, before returning to Atra.

She'd seen them before.

He'd guessed but now he knew. She was too at peace among the lunar flowers, greeting them with a smile as if they were old friends.

Atra stepped away. Her guise fell as she knelt on the soil, revealing a wolf the color of night burying its nose within a blossom. Kiba watched as she let the scent of it wash over her, her eyes—her true eyes—hazy as they opened and met his above the petals.

White and pale gold.

They cleared in an instant. Hastily, Atra righted herself, a girl again, looking up at Kiba with a bashful smile. "I've waited a long time to do that," she said, as if she had anything to explain. "Like jasmine and salt."

Kiba helped her up to her feet, her hands warm in his. "Yeah. Jasmine and salt."

There was a soft sniffling from the edges of the meadow. They turned to Nerine as she sat among the flowers, tears sliding along the contours of her cheeks. Cheza frowned, stepping towards her. "Has this one upset you?"

"Quite the opposite, love." Nerine gave her a weepy chuckle. She'd spent many moons dancing with Aster, the two of them kicking their heels among the forest of the dead. Even in their prime, their steps bloomed only a few flowers at best. She tried to say as much, but the words stuck in her throat, too precious to be shared. Finally, she managed to say, "Thank you."

Kiba shook his head. "Thank you. We wouldn't have made it without you."

She dismissed this with a shake of the head. Brushing at the corner of her eyes, she walked to Cheza and lifted the strap of her waterskin off her shoulders. "For you."

"This one is grateful." Cheza slipped it on. "This one knows Grandmother Hanabito must have been grateful to you too."

Nerine placed a hand against her cheek in reply, her weathered skin stark against Cheza's youthful porcelain. After a moment, she stepped away. They watched as she gathered her drum into her hands. "Take care in your journey." She faced them with a hopeful smile before gesturing towards the path. "The flowers will lead the way."

"The way to where?" Tsume asked, only to be answered by a smile.

They reached the exit to the forest in a matter of minutes, the arc of the trees framing the sight of the flowered path sweeping across the open plains. Hige took it in with an awed breath. "So this is it. We made it. We really made it!"

"The path to Paradise," Kuri said, reaching for Atra's hand and squeezing. "I've never seen anything like it."

Atra beamed at her before turning to the path, admiring how the petals shimmered in the night. "Me neither. It's beautiful."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Toboe asked, a laugh lacing his words. "Let's run!"

Tsume smirked, only for it to fade as he caught the look on Kiba's face. Focused. Wary. So different from the rest of them, his eyes fixed on the point where the flowers dipped over the horizon. "Hey," he prompted him. "What are we waiting for, exactly?"

Kiba's reaction was barely noticeable—a slight sinking of the corners of his mouth. It was nothing compared to what he'd experienced in the forest, but as they'd approached the exit, a pressure began to build behind his eyes. Before long, images rose to the surface of his addled mind.

He saw the ghost of an airship, the color of the night sky. The flowers disappearing as it landed— Toboe, Hige, Tsume, and at other times, other lives, other wolves in their place. The Noble from Freeze City, dark hair falling against his shoulders, a patch hiding his left eye.

Then the sounds came. The Noble's voice (Was your little dream pleasant?). A crash. Hige crying Toboe's name. The time has not yet come for that, the Noble had said once, or twice, or countless times before. And now—

"Kiba." Cheza squeezed his hand. "What do you see?"

He blinked. The pack was watching at him with open concern, their excitement dimmed. It was enough to make Kiba feel guilty for what he was about to say. He lowered his gaze, frowning at the flowers at their feet. "It's not time."

"What?" Hige asked, hurt flashing across his face. "Why the hell not?"

"Last time we were here," he paused at the absurdity of it all before pushing forward, "An airship followed the flowers to us. Even if this is the path to Paradise, I don't think its safe. Not yet."

Cheza's shoulders fell. She replied with a nod, her voice small as she said, "This one understands."

They fell quiet as they processed this. Finally, Kuri ventured, "But… you're sure?"

Kiba nodded without hesitation. A moment later, there was a quiet scoff. He fixed Tsume with a glare. "My instinct led us to Cheza, didn't it? This is something different. Something stronger. We've been here before. I know that now. And I'm not going to make the same mistakes if I can help it."

Tsume lifted a brow at the fervent display. "Stronger than instinct, huh?"

Hige crossed his arms, his foot tapping as if he were itching to break into a sprint. "Okay. So. What, then? We just… stay here?"

Kiba shook his head. "I think we need to veer off."

"We could head west," Toboe suggested, "Like where Nerine mentioned."

"Yeah." Kiba turned the idea over in his head. The pack in the wetlands might hold the answers about Paradise. About past lives.

"To the keepers," Atra said suddenly, reading his thoughts. Kiba looked to her, noting the downturn of her lips. How her eyes flickered to the flowers and back, tempted by their beacon. "Well, if it's an airship we're trying to outrun, we better move fast."

Their excitement had dimmed. They stared at the flowers, longing. Sensing their reluctance, Cheza murmured, "There will be other chances."

At that, the spell was broken. One by one, they left the forest and took their reluctant steps away from their precious path. As they threw one last longing glance to the flowers, they could only hope that Cheza was right.

They still benefited from a full moon, in the end. They found themselves traveling at a speed they'd never achieved before, running as if the limitations of their bodies were suggestions rather than conditions of their flesh and bone. The moon carried them across the plains, around hills and over creeks, until finally, they came to a place where the earth pushed up around them in jagged cliffs.

As the sky began to lighten, they slowed at the entrance of a small canyon. When a touch of pink appeared in the skies, Toboe's jaws parted in an impressive yawn and an undeniable cue to rest.

They found a spot to camp beneath a nearby ridge. As Kiba searched for a place to keep watch as the others slept, there was a gentle touch at his arm. The culprit, Atra, greeted him with a sheepish smile.

"You're not sleeping?"

"Can't." She had no hope of finding sleep now, not with her mind abuzz with thoughts of Paradise and flowers and the moments after their dance. Atra brushed off the very thought of it, managing to avoid color on her cheeks as she asked, "Need some company?"

A nervous anticipation bloomed in Kiba at the offer. At his nod, Atra brightened. She pointed to the rocks above. "Up for a climb?"

They scaled the cliffs to a ledge overlooking their sleeping pack and the entrance to the canyon. Atra claimed a seat on the edge, her eyes drawn to the horizon. Kiba settled beside her, shirking his watch to admire the light on her cheek as the sun began to peek over the plains, his fingers itching to replace it.

A few moments. That's all they'd needed. It's all Kiba had wanted in the moments after their dance—a chance to meet in the middle. A kiss.

Kiba was nothing if not for his want, his desires driving him forward and exhausting him in turn. But he'd never known what it felt like to want something within reach—not until tonight, with a path to Paradise unfolding at his feet and Atra falling into his arms. And though Paradise had eluded him again, she was still here, sending his mind whirling with possibility even in her silence.

It occurred to him that Paradise, at least, couldn't push him away.

"Kiba," Atra said suddenly, "In the forest…"

His heart leapt into his throat. Kiba resisted the urge to clear it, forcing out instead, "What about it?"

Atra struggled to reply as her thoughts tread the same path as his, reviewing the moments before their path sprouted at their feet. Kiba's hand against her cheek. His heart beating beneath her hand. In another world, she'd have the courage to ask about it. To turn to Kiba and claim what she'd hoped for in the flowers' bloom.

But then, Atra had never claimed to be brave.

"You never said whether this ends well. At the crossroads."

Ah.

Shaking off his dismay, he murmured, "Tsume asked about that too."

"It's just that, if you've done this all before that probably means—"

"That we didn't make it, in the end," Kiba finished for her, his mouth pressing into a grim line. "I've thought about it and I think… I think that might be right."

He fidgeted in Atra's silence. In an attempt to soothe them both, he added, "We're changing things, this time around. It'll be enough."

Atra peered down at their pack with frown. She knew Kiba well enough to understand the ruin necessary to end his searching. "You said you saw us in that memory earlier. Did you… do you know what happens to Kuri?"

It was barely noticeable, but she caught Kiba's flinch. As her expression turned fearful, he rushed to say, "No. It's not that. I haven't actually seen how it ends. Not yet. But in what I have seen, the two of you weren't with us. At least, I don't think."

"Oh."

As the syllable hung heavy between them, Kiba shook his head, rushing to quell her self-doubt. "You're meant to be here," he insisted, fierce enough to surprise them both. He held Atra's gaze, softening at the sight of her uncertainty. "You are. What you did in the forest… It felt different. For better or worse, it feels like we've changed course, somehow."

Though there was still a whiff of skepticism about her, Atra gave him a grateful smile. "Something different. At least I can give you that."

Kiba scoffed, his conversation with Kuri on the mountain briefly coming to mind. "You don't have to give me anything."

Atra studied him before gently bumping her shoulder against his. "Not for you, then. For Paradise. Between your instinct and my recklessness, I think we can change course for the better, don't you?"

Kiba turned to her and, for the second time that night, Atra could have sworn that there was an odd heat in his gaze. After too long a pause, she squirmed. "What?"

"You've changed," he said, thinking back to the first time they'd talked like this on the hilltop. How reluctant she was that night, still trying to fool herself into thinking she could give up on Paradise if given the chance. "I'm glad you stayed."

Though Kiba was hopeful by nature, there was no disputing the flush on Atra's cheeks. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, the gesture as bashful as it was endearing. "I am too," she admitted before shooting him a teasing grin. "Even if it means I get yelled at now and then."

He had the decency to look embarrassed at that.

Morning arrived as they talked, gold spilling over the horizon and lining Atra's silhouette. Kiba stared, taking in the sight of her as she turned towards the sunrise. It would take so little to lift his hand. Guide her gaze back to his.

A few moments. That's all they'd need.

But as he moved towards her, Atra leaned forward to peer at something below. "That's—"

Kiba followed her gaze to a spot of color approaching their camp. Fur the color of cherrywood, stalking across the dirt. Not just any intruder, but another wolf.

Drawn by Cheza's scent, he assumed, which meant danger at worst and a hassle at best. But he and Atra had been distracted, the two of them dancing around each other as a stranger crept closer and closer to their camp.

Without another word, he rushed down the cliffside, barely hearing Atra's hiss behind him. "Kiba, wait!"

The wolf's ears turned towards them at the sound of her voice, his eyes glancing off of Kiba as he approached.

Kiba came to a stop some distance away with Atra close on his heels. "Who are you?"

The wolf remained silent, opting instead to stare over Kiba's shoulders. At Atra, he realized, sending a chill down his spine. He stepped aside to obscure the view, a growl escaping him before he could help it. "Answer me."

"It's okay," Atra said, breathless as she rushed to Kiba's side. "He's with me."

As Kiba's gaze cut towards her, the strange wolf stepped forward.

"Atra," he said.

Kiba stilled, looking between the two of them as Atra stepped forward, greeting the wolf with a wary stare. When it seemed none of them knew what to say, she deflated with a sigh of her own. "Meet Rafe."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Listen: I don't write romance often, but when I do, I'm a sucker for a consummation metaphor. And as cute as this dance was, you know I had to make things ever more tangled in the aftermath.

I was so excited for this character to be introduced when I first attempted to write this story. It took me a minute, but glad to say he's finally here.