"You must understand Jedi my people have a very specific way of doing things. Tradition is not to be ignored for us under any circumstances."

Once again Anakin had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes or falling asleep all together. These wolves apparently didn't have the decency to make his last request a reality. Instead he just found himself nodding along.

"It will take some amount of time and precision. But it will be done."

Anakin shook his head impatiently and gestured up above.

"Padmé?"

Anakin nodded vigorously.

"Don't worry about the dear girl. I'm sure she of all people will be one to understand that things just happen that no one can control. Besides she will soon be too busy having the life she always wanted that such painful memories won't have an effect on her any longer."

Anakin cringed at hearing that. It wasn't anything that he didn't know. But when Alejandro said it, it was in such a sadistic cruel sickening way. And this was the man that Padmé was to be happy with for the rest of her life? No, no that didn't matter.

"The moon will be full tomorrow night," Alejandro said. "I will return for you then. Spend the last few hours of your life wisely, there won't be many of them."

Padmé sat on her balcony looking out at the village below. But she didn't see any of it. Now she closed her eyes and tried to get an understanding of what was going on. She could feel that...no she couldn't feel. That was what was scaring her. She couldn't feel anything at all. It was the first time in as long as she knew that she could no longer feel her Jedi. He had become distant from her in a way that she didn't think was possible.

"Something the matter my dear?"

Padmé was startled but smiled when she saw her new favorite wolf Rey come in and sit down beside her.

"I-I'm not sure. Don't think I'm not at all grateful its just..."

"You don't have to tell me anything my dear one," Alejandro said. "I can not even begin to understand where your pain begins and ends. But I wish that I could."

"Jandro you're too good to me. I don't know what to think sometimes," she said. "But after I saw Ani like that, especially knowing that you knew, my trust has been shattered."

"What if I could make it all up to you?"

The agonized look on Padmé's face was replaced with one of curiosity now. She passed the wolf a silent question.

"Maybe I will have to prove it to you. Would you like it much?"

"That depends on how you would want to prove it."

Alejandro grinned and drew in closer to her. "It goes against everything I believe in and know. But for you I will make the ultimate sacrifice.

"Yes Jandro?"

"If you will stay...for you and only you alone...I will free your Jedi and pardon all his crimes?"

"Y-you really mean that? You'd do that for me?"

"You and no one else."

"I don't know how Ani would feel. I mean if I am still a prisoner here - "

"No, no. You Senator? You will be a prisoner to my people no longer."

As Padmé understood the full scope of the meaning behind his words her soul leapt to a new level of ecstacy that she didn't know possible. Wether it was a feeling of joy or the deepest pain she didn't know. But whatever her emotions were they drove her beyond the shield that she had made around herself. Without meaning too she fell into the arms of the wolf and her lips into his. This was what she had missed more than anything.

Howls filled the air with such a horror that Anakin wanted to clamp his hands over his ears. Their laughter sounded more like that of cruel hyenas. Assuming it was laughter, whatever they were doing it sounded like an animal form of mockery.

The most pathetic one, the one that looked more like a coyote than a real wolf, kept pacing back and forth outside of his cell. Anakin assumed that it was that one Tito kid that he could never stand. If he had his voice back, he would have chosen to spend the last hours of his life with some irritating comments.

Anakin jumped up at the sound of a door opening. He could sense the strong eerie sense of glee that was found only in the Dark Side. The wolf that walked in was one not like the others. He was taller, more muscular, more intimidating. So this was the one who had taken a bite out of his neck that one night. This was the one who had so willingly taken a huge bite out of his neck that one night.

Alejandro stopped dead in front of him. His green eyes pierced through the metal bars and locked in with Anakin's blue ones. The two of them were frozen in each other's stare. Neither could speak. But for the kind of feelings that hung in the air words were not necessary. Anakin barely nodded his head. And with that the cell door opened. Again he felt the weight of 200lbs of wolf muscle and bone drag him to the ground.

With the days of the morning sun melting the snow so did it melt the hides of the wolves. A few guards were stationed exhausted from the excitment of the night before.

"Come on, don't you think its happened yet?"

Tito glanced into the cell. "Eh, not yet but its close."

"Close enough maybe? we don't want to stay down here all day do we?"

Tito shrugged his shoulders. "I'd hate to disappoint our Rey. If this job isn't finished -"

"And who said it isn't? No one could survive a wolf execution like that. Not even a shifter Jedi."

"You are sure that we will not be breaking our duty?"

"Tito old pal, you have my word."

The two young wolf cadets were sure that if the Jedi wasn't dead by the time they pulled him out of the cell he had to be by the time they got him to the base of the furthest North mountain. Besides, there was a chance that something would make a good enough meal out of him. He was as good as dead and buried.

"I told you shifter," Tito said before leaving, "this is all for mi padre."

Padmé came down to breakfast the next morning feeling more alive than she had in a long time. Her Ani would be free. And she would no longer have the heartache of knowing that he suffered. That was all she wanted.

"Jandro! Jandro I'm here."

Alejandro grinned and embraced Padmé warmly. "It is wonderful to see you my dear. Why such smiles?"

"You know as well as I do Alejandro."

"Padmé, you must listen to me," he said soberly.

"Yes?"
Alejandro sighed and took a step back. Breaking this to her wouldn't be easy. "I'm sorry my dear one. Your Jedi is gone."