was one of the last things my mother wove before she died. Her fabric was sought after even in trade.”
Illiana stared at him and realized how important the object was to him. She ran her fingers over the smooth fabric and saw the tight weave. It was a scarf dyed light blue. Upon the material was a scene of the moon and stars with a wolf underneath it. “It’s beautiful. You didn’t have to give me anything.”
“I wanted you to know how much I cared about you.”
Illiana slipped the scarf around her neck. “We should talk, but not here. It’s bad enough being around my mother and having to listen to her. I’m sorry if you overheard us upstairs.” She felt her cheeks flush as she replayed their conversation. It must have carried down to the lower floor.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s a place I wanted to show you. It’s where I go to relax. Will you come with me?” Belik asked.
Illiana saw his hopefulness and the gleam in his eyes. “All right. I should change so that we can fly.”
“No. I’d like to walk there, if that’s okay.”
She nodded, appreciating that Belik wanted to actually walk through the forest and not use their other forms. Illiana slung her cloak around her shoulders. They left the aerie and were silent while they walked. Every time they stopped, Illiana noticed Belik glancing at her, but never saying anything. They came to the last ladder that led to the forest floor.
“After you,” he said.
She smiled and wrapped her cloak around her. The breeze stirred her hair. She jumped down, letting her cloak billow around her to slow her descent as the wind helped her to glide down. Belik clambered down the ladder and jumped down the last few rungs. He caught his breath and came up to her.
“That was amazing. Why don’t you do that more often? I’ve seen you fly without your feathers before. Why don’t you use that gift?”
She shrugged. “It makes others uncomfortable so I try not to when there are others around. When I’m alone, then I can. I love it. I enjoy our raven form, too; flying is the other part of me, but this is also who I am.”
Belik slipped his fingers through hers and squeezed them. “Well, I don’t want you to change who you are because of what other people say. You need to discover all of who you are, even if it leads you down a different path than what others think you should walk.”
Illiana thought about his words. She had to go forward with her plans to become part of the pack. The gift of being a wolf was hers for a reason. Her mother’s words suddenly trolled through her mind about telling Belik the truth. She owed him that. She squeezed his fingers in return and pulled her hand away before pacing.
“What is it?” he asked.
“My mother said I should be honest with you. You seem determined to accept everything about me and court me. I know you mean well, so I don’t want to lie to you. I’ve had to lie about who I am for so long, I’m exhausted doing it. Everyone in the flock knows of my friendship with the alpha’s son, Christopher. I’ve had a crush on him since I was a teenager, and over the years it’s blossomed into something else. He told me he didn’t want me, but I could tell he was lying. I found a way that I might be able to change his mind about me, maybe even consider me for a mate.”
Belik drew in a breath through his nose and took a long time before he answered her. A variety of emotions played out on his face. “Even though mating outside of your species is against all of our laws?”
“It’s not outside of my species,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?”
She glanced around and wondered who was listening or looking in on them from the shadows of the forest or the treetops. “Not here. Let’s go where there are no prying eyes, and I’ll show you. I promise.”
“Follow me.”
Illiana walked behind him, trying to keep up, and wondered if she had hurt his feelings. She wanted to be honest with him and also
Illiana stared at him and realized how important the object was to him. She ran her fingers over the smooth fabric and saw the tight weave. It was a scarf dyed light blue. Upon the material was a scene of the moon and stars with a wolf underneath it. “It’s beautiful. You didn’t have to give me anything.”
“I wanted you to know how much I cared about you.”
Illiana slipped the scarf around her neck. “We should talk, but not here. It’s bad enough being around my mother and having to listen to her. I’m sorry if you overheard us upstairs.” She felt her cheeks flush as she replayed their conversation. It must have carried down to the lower floor.
“Don’t worry about it. There’s a place I wanted to show you. It’s where I go to relax. Will you come with me?” Belik asked.
Illiana saw his hopefulness and the gleam in his eyes. “All right. I should change so that we can fly.”
“No. I’d like to walk there, if that’s okay.”
She nodded, appreciating that Belik wanted to actually walk through the forest and not use their other forms. Illiana slung her cloak around her shoulders. They left the aerie and were silent while they walked. Every time they stopped, Illiana noticed Belik glancing at her, but never saying anything. They came to the last ladder that led to the forest floor.
“After you,” he said.
She smiled and wrapped her cloak around her. The breeze stirred her hair. She jumped down, letting her cloak billow around her to slow her descent as the wind helped her to glide down. Belik clambered down the ladder and jumped down the last few rungs. He caught his breath and came up to her.
“That was amazing. Why don’t you do that more often? I’ve seen you fly without your feathers before. Why don’t you use that gift?”
She shrugged. “It makes others uncomfortable so I try not to when there are others around. When I’m alone, then I can. I love it. I enjoy our raven form, too; flying is the other part of me, but this is also who I am.”
Belik slipped his fingers through hers and squeezed them. “Well, I don’t want you to change who you are because of what other people say. You need to discover all of who you are, even if it leads you down a different path than what others think you should walk.”
Illiana thought about his words. She had to go forward with her plans to become part of the pack. The gift of being a wolf was hers for a reason. Her mother’s words suddenly trolled through her mind about telling Belik the truth. She owed him that. She squeezed his fingers in return and pulled her hand away before pacing.
“What is it?” he asked.
“My mother said I should be honest with you. You seem determined to accept everything about me and court me. I know you mean well, so I don’t want to lie to you. I’ve had to lie about who I am for so long, I’m exhausted doing it. Everyone in the flock knows of my friendship with the alpha’s son, Christopher. I’ve had a crush on him since I was a teenager, and over the years it’s blossomed into something else. He told me he didn’t want me, but I could tell he was lying. I found a way that I might be able to change his mind about me, maybe even consider me for a mate.”
Belik drew in a breath through his nose and took a long time before he answered her. A variety of emotions played out on his face. “Even though mating outside of your species is against all of our laws?”
“It’s not outside of my species,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?”
She glanced around and wondered who was listening or looking in on them from the shadows of the forest or the treetops. “Not here. Let’s go where there are no prying eyes, and I’ll show you. I promise.”
“Follow me.”
Illiana walked behind him, trying to keep up, and wondered if she had hurt his feelings. She wanted to be honest with him and also
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