Inayah lay on the snow laden earth. The coat she wore was large, hood draped over her head allowing only her eyes to peek through from beneath. Her breaths came in misted forms of heated clouds by her flushed lips and cheeks.

Her eyes quietly drifted across the stretch of land before her. It was silent, eerily so. The only sounds that could be heard was her hammering heartbeat and crunching of snow each time she tried to shift about in search of a comfortable position.

Inayah scowled as time passed by and Lycus had not yet shown.

She considered getting up and walking away but he made it clear that she was not to move. Inayah blew out a breath of exasperation and checked her nails for dirt. He had brought her to a field of snow and instructed that she lay on her belly, unmoving, before leaving her.

Inayah peered up at the grey sky. A flake of snow drifted onto the tip of her reddened nose. It was getting cold and her clothes were growing sodden with the snow that melted beneath her warm body.

“Lycus,” Inayah groaned, dropping her face onto the snow before inhaling sharply and lifting it off. In her moment of annoyance, she forgot just how cold the ground was. She hastily wiped it off then froze at the faint sound of steps.

Her attention snapped into focus, searching the ground before her, eyes flickering back and forth for the source.

Nothing.

And yet-

Inayah craned her neck at the sound of pounding steps, hooves beating the ground to a grimace. The earth seemed to vibrate alongside it, shaking her body as well. She looked around wildly for the source as it grew closer and closer still --

Inayah’s head snapped behind her at the treeline just as the trees seemed to shudder apart as the beast broke away from the forest, catapulting straight for her.

Inayah froze in terror.

The bear was massive and none like she had seen, its eyes had been glazed over in red, its body so large it seemed to tower at seven feet, weighing eight hundred pounds of muscle and fat. It moved lightning quick, frothing at the mouth, clawing at the ground - heading straight for her.

Reality of her inevitable death finally slammed into her and she hastily curled into a ball, awaiting the end.

It did not reach.

One moment the bear was on her and the next, she heard a soft whistling sound as the creature was slammed from the side, tossing it across the forest field. With her hands still curled over her head, Inayah heard vicious snapping sounds, grunts, struggles of a bucking animal as it was bared to the ground and finally, after what felt like eternity, silence.

She did not move.

Not at the sound of soft footsteps that crunched snow, approaching her.

Neither when she felt the large wolf finally sit on its haunches by her side.

Inayah's heart was slamming at a maddening rate, she was sure to puke then.

Something cold and wet nudged at her ear a moment later, followed by a soft huff when she did not move. The wet snout tried to burrow itself into the crevice of her arm, forcing her hands to lower.

A moment of silence followed when she did not obey. Then sudden pain shot through her bare pinky finger when the wolf nipped at it with its bloody canines.

“Ow!” Inayah snapped, finally jerking upright to inspect her small finger. A bead of blood surfaced along the tip. Her eyes narrowed indignantly at the creature before her. It had been the second time Lycus willingly shifted before her and though the first was a failure considering she nearly passed out in fear, the second was easier.

Seeing he saved her.

His wolf was large, towering at six foot four, with slick dark obsidian hair that juxtaposed brilliantly against the white snow. Its golden eyes regarded her, upper lip curling in an arrogant lazy smile. Her eyes lowered to its blood slick muzzle, dripping red onto the snow. Behind it lay the bear with its throat ripped wide open, muscle and bone placed inches from it.

Her gaze drifted back to the wolf and she snorted in turn, “Show off.” So that's why he wanted her in the forest, along the danger line of the bear. To show her his capabilities. Inayah sLycusered openly and the wolf’s upper lip rolled in cynical warning.

“What a big bad wolf.” Inayah coerced mockingly and the wolf raised a paw, pressing it on her chest and with a slight push, forced her back onto the snow. Inayah fell with a huff of surprise then heard sickening pops as bones began to realign themselves.

The paw on her hand shifted to a human hand that curled around the front of her coat, pulling her upright. Seconds later, she was nose to nose with Lycus, staring into his liquid brilliant eyes.

He quirked an inquiring eyebrow, “You dare mock me for saving you?”

Inayah smiled, batting her eyelashes innocently, “To be fair, you did lead the bear in my direction.”

He studied her a moment, then sighed wistfully, mock hurt; “Here I was hoping you would thank me.”

Inayah’s smile widened before falling, she regarded him soberly. “Thank you, Lycus, for saving me from a bear you sent my direction.”

“You are absolutely welcome, mate.” He reached her hand and raised it to his mouth, blood red tongue licking at her injury. Without warning, he slipped the finger into his warm wet mouth, and sucked.

Inayah gaped in horror, then shock as his gaze not once wavered from her own, glimmering wickedly. “Disgusting,” she whispered unconvincingly as her finger exited his mouth with a wet pop, webs of saliva stringing between his lower lip and her finger.

The air around it seemed to frost over.

Inayah flamed and he chuckled, rising to his feet with her along.

She kept her gaze trained on his bare torso, wiping off the saliva.

“The pool should be heated by now,” he led her past the dead bear. Inayah studied the creature a moment, then turned to him; “Will you not eat it?”

“Eventually.” Lycus stretched his arms overhead then cracked his neck sharply. He gazed at her from over his shoulder, mouth curling suggestively, “would you like to share it with me?”

Inayah watched him incredulously, then glared at his mock humor. She turned her face away petulantly, and muttered a soft ‘idiot’ as they made their way through the forest.

“I have a question,” she asked, drawing his attention back to her as his steps slowed to match her own. Inayah cast him a sidelong glance then struggled not to lower it below his waistline. She trained her gaze at the front. “What do you plan on doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” she began, shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat, “the cabin you live in is temporary… so I’m assuming you haven’t been staying here long, nor are you planning on it… so what now?” It had been a question that nagged in her mind whilst staying up late at night.

Lycus was a foreigner on foreign land. He was not planning on staying any longer than a certain allotted time. And with Salem knowing of her disappearance, there would be an inevitable confrontation.

Inayah would be a fool to not admit that the time spent with Lycus had been nothing of freeing. But it was temporary.

“The path East leads towards the Olympus ocean,” Lycus suddenly explained, his head angled heavenwards. “Past the ocean lies another kingdom and life.”

Inayah watched him openly, the curve of his jaw, marred by a large scar that had spread like a flower down his neck, shoulder, stopping short of his ribcage. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch it.

“Is that where you’ll be going?” She questioned as lightly as possible.

Lycus’ eyes lowered to her, “Yes,” he paused, “I would like to have you as my travel companion.”

Inayah blinked, “Your travel companion?” She echoed and he nodded. Her eyes narrowed playfully, “I thought I was your mate.”

His chuckle was rich, suggestive. “You are mine as much as I am yours.” Lycus reached for her hand, fingers slipping between her own, “but I do not want you to feel obligated to leave with me. I am well aware of your past and my brother's treatments… therefore Inayah, the choice is yours.”

“Is it?”

“It is. Should you wish to accompany me, I would hope to pursue your further.”

“Pursue me further,” she echoed, “...to bed?”

“Well, that’s a bonus.” He tugged her closer to his side, “my point is, if you agree we will leave and explore the world, you and I.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I will walk away respectfully… after I shed a few tears that is.”

Inayah snorted, “Dramatic.” She paused, then nodded. “Okay.”

Lycus stopped and turned, studying her deeply, “Okay?”

“Yes sir,” another nod, “I have nothing here.” She no longer belonged to the village and with Salem and Kade within the same premise, it only unnerved her. She wanted out, somewhere new… start afresh. The thought of it didn’t sound as daunting, not after everything they went through.

Lycus seemed relieved at her words, broad shoulders slumping. “Okay,” he repeated, eyes subtly lowering beneath her nose almost possessively. “I would have kissed you.”

“No.”

He groaned and turned, pulling her along.

‘I do have a request,” Inayah interrupted, “I wish to visit my home town one last time.”