reading material and remembered that Illiana had loved to read. He often lent her scrolls with stories from the pack’s history, and she would tell him stories of the flock heritage. He wished he could share all of what he was learning.
I can’t keep thinking about her. My father was the happiest I had seen him when I told him what happened with Illiana. Now he’s all about setting up the mating with Jalisa and the unification of the two wolf packs to cement the trade routes. But he never thought about how I would truly feel. What would he say to this new wolf that had entered into the village? Did the wolf even want to join the pack?
Christopher smiled. Maybe that was pushing it a little too far. The last time any lone wolf had been initiated into the pack was more than fifty years ago. Even then he was still considered an outsider to some. Although seeing her, he wondered what she would be like in human skin. If she was bigger than him and with black fur and silver eyes, she had to be a rare specimen. None of the wolves in his pack were completely black. It gave him shivers to think about what she would look like. He gathered the scattered things on this desk, and underneath all the papers he came upon a dusty black feather. He shook off the grime and was amazed it still had not lost its blue-black sheen. He ran it under his nose and could still smell Illiana. It was the scent of clean air and pine, mixed with her womanly scent. Christopher remembered when she gave it to him. It was right after his mother had died. She had flown down from the aerie and plucked it from her tail. When she became human again, she had given it to him. It was something he had always treasured. Now it seemed he had forgotten all about it. He held it up to the candle so he could see the subtle sheen. For some reason it reminded him of the wolf’s fur he had seen tonight.
He stared at the shape of the feather and thought about Illiana. Longing coursed through him. If you only could be a wolf instead of a raven, then I would never have to mate Jalisa. You could be in my life, and we would never have to be apart. Christopher kissed the feather and set it up on his shelf, where it would not blow away and where he could see it. Maybe one day soon he could find her and apologize for everything he had said to her.
Chapter Six
Illiana stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw what she wanted to be: a woman who was comfortable with herself. She no longer saw the girl who was shunned by the rest of the flock. Instead, she saw a woman who had a few secrets. No one could tell her what to do anymore and she had finally dragged some of the truth from her mother. It might not have been all of it, but it was enough so that the other woman knew Illiana was aware of her dual nature and she was not going to stop delving into the past until she got what she truly desired. Even though she felt stronger than ever and for the first time at peace with her life, she did not know where Belik fit in. Illiana never assumed someone from the flock would be interested in her, let alone want to pursue her for mating. All she had ever set her sights on was Christopher. From his own lips, he was going to be mated. Now that she had planted the seed of doubt or intrigue within Christopher’s mind, Illiana had to be sure that she made another appearance. She hoped he would not have the whole pack present waiting to pounce on her. She was not worried about Jalisa. Illiana could take her with no problem. With every fiber of her being, she knew it.
The floor squeaked outside of her room and the door swung open. She looked over and saw her mother standing there, studying her. For the first time she saw Lelana as more than her mother or the leader of the flock. Instead she was another woman who tried to keep her family together. Her mother still had another century or more before she had to step down. Once she could not shift anymore, then her role as leader would be
I can’t keep thinking about her. My father was the happiest I had seen him when I told him what happened with Illiana. Now he’s all about setting up the mating with Jalisa and the unification of the two wolf packs to cement the trade routes. But he never thought about how I would truly feel. What would he say to this new wolf that had entered into the village? Did the wolf even want to join the pack?
Christopher smiled. Maybe that was pushing it a little too far. The last time any lone wolf had been initiated into the pack was more than fifty years ago. Even then he was still considered an outsider to some. Although seeing her, he wondered what she would be like in human skin. If she was bigger than him and with black fur and silver eyes, she had to be a rare specimen. None of the wolves in his pack were completely black. It gave him shivers to think about what she would look like. He gathered the scattered things on this desk, and underneath all the papers he came upon a dusty black feather. He shook off the grime and was amazed it still had not lost its blue-black sheen. He ran it under his nose and could still smell Illiana. It was the scent of clean air and pine, mixed with her womanly scent. Christopher remembered when she gave it to him. It was right after his mother had died. She had flown down from the aerie and plucked it from her tail. When she became human again, she had given it to him. It was something he had always treasured. Now it seemed he had forgotten all about it. He held it up to the candle so he could see the subtle sheen. For some reason it reminded him of the wolf’s fur he had seen tonight.
He stared at the shape of the feather and thought about Illiana. Longing coursed through him. If you only could be a wolf instead of a raven, then I would never have to mate Jalisa. You could be in my life, and we would never have to be apart. Christopher kissed the feather and set it up on his shelf, where it would not blow away and where he could see it. Maybe one day soon he could find her and apologize for everything he had said to her.
Chapter Six
Illiana stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw what she wanted to be: a woman who was comfortable with herself. She no longer saw the girl who was shunned by the rest of the flock. Instead, she saw a woman who had a few secrets. No one could tell her what to do anymore and she had finally dragged some of the truth from her mother. It might not have been all of it, but it was enough so that the other woman knew Illiana was aware of her dual nature and she was not going to stop delving into the past until she got what she truly desired. Even though she felt stronger than ever and for the first time at peace with her life, she did not know where Belik fit in. Illiana never assumed someone from the flock would be interested in her, let alone want to pursue her for mating. All she had ever set her sights on was Christopher. From his own lips, he was going to be mated. Now that she had planted the seed of doubt or intrigue within Christopher’s mind, Illiana had to be sure that she made another appearance. She hoped he would not have the whole pack present waiting to pounce on her. She was not worried about Jalisa. Illiana could take her with no problem. With every fiber of her being, she knew it.
The floor squeaked outside of her room and the door swung open. She looked over and saw her mother standing there, studying her. For the first time she saw Lelana as more than her mother or the leader of the flock. Instead she was another woman who tried to keep her family together. Her mother still had another century or more before she had to step down. Once she could not shift anymore, then her role as leader would be
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