She could feel Ulrik's embrace against her naked skin and the feel of the animal fur that covered them both. The day began to shine its rays inside the cave and there was nothing left of the fire. She looked up at his face, the unhappiness that she had seen in him the night before gone, replaced now by a peaceful sleep. She brushed away a small lock of hair from his brow and kissed his jaw lightly. She cradled her head against his neck, not wanting to let go and knowing that at one point, the time would come when she would be ready to go back. Her family, everyone in fact, was probably worried and fearing the worst. Her duty was still there and she could not throw away what had been worked on so hard. The lives of those warriors for peace could no go unnoticed, despite her feelings.
"You're cold." Ulrik's voice startled her from her thoughts. She pulled herself closer to him, the happiness that she felt now replaced by melancholy. He kissed the top of her head and caressed her cheek softly.
"I'm fine…really." She looked up at him and tried to smile, but her smile could not hide her sadness.
He raised himself up one his elbow so that he could look down on her face, his expression worried as he curled his finger against a lock of her black and red hair. "You're sad…are you regretting…"
Oliza placed a finger to his lips and shook her head. She pulled him close to her and placed her arms around him. "I just wish that I could be able to fly again and roam the skies freely." She smiled softly to herself, hoping that he would believe her reason.
"Soon enough you will." He kissed her lips softly and then looked down at her once again. He appeared to be nervous, as if he was about to ask something that he was unsure of. "I was hoping…that you might be able to stay with me. If the Avians can accept their enemies why not someone like me…and if not, would they terribly mind if I took you from them?" Oliza only smiled at that last remark and wondered how her people would react if she were to take a werewolf as her mate and more so, how they would react if she were to leave them for a werewolf. She could not tell Ulrik the truth now. It was far too late and once she was gone, he would remember her as Namidia, not Oliza. Soon, with time, he would find himself a mate, another injured creature who would not lie to him. Ulrik only kissed her and held her close to him.
The rest of the day went by smoothly for both of them. She had achieved the happiness that she had sought with Avaram in vain. For the remaining moons, she accompanied him in his second form as well, throwing away the old myth that wolves were beasts without knowledge of anything. It was essential for him to shift into a wolf every full moon, it was his second nature but he could shift whenever he wished as well. Just as the earth and skies called to her, the pull of the moon called to him. He was not a beast as others had said werewolves to be. Day by day, her arm appeared to be healing perfectly and her fear of leaving him grew stronger.