Page 9

Chapter Nine

RENALL

A calm, even heartbeat reverberates through the bond. Fire crackles in the distance, but I can’t stop staring at her.

Content. Content is how I feel right now with my Guardian, in my arms. Her golden hair glistens in the firelight as her pale lashes fan her cheeks. I’d been told it would look like autumn leaves, I assumed they meant gold. I see now it’s a mix of yellow and reds, but not quite either.

She came. She answered my heartcall. I still can’t believe this is real. Even without understanding or training, she found me in the woods and rescued me from the Demon’s snare. A true Guardian. My Rawe-tum.

I’ve waited centuries for this moment. To be honest, at times I thought it might never come. The fates have a sick sense of humor though; the language barrier, I was not expecting. I knew she couldn’t have been part of our clan … but I didn’t think she would be so … ill-equipped, untrained, and quite frankly, a liability. She’s basically a cub. I was seconds, mere seconds away from losing her today. I growl, slipping her out of my embrace, propping her up against her clothes by the fire. I have many preparations to do if we want to reach the clan by the end of the week, more like a month at the pace my Guardian sets for us. Her foot garments will not do, that’s the first thing on the agenda to fix. I can’t believe she didn’t tell me she was in pain. Stubborn as a mule, my Guardian is. I glance over at her sleeping form just to make sure it’s not a dream.

Totally exhausted. I should have noticed how bad she was doing, how ill-prepared she was for this journey. I should have sensed. But alas, we haven’t mated, so how could I have known?

From what I have gathered from my short time with her and searching for her, my Rawe-tum is in pain inside as well as out. Our bond grows stronger the more we are together. Sometimes my insides hurt with the pain and sorrow she feels. Her pain, it’s what drew me to her. Guiding me to her like a beacon in the night. Her wolf brother has returned to the Earth that made him, his scent in the house was as stale as those rice cakes Onai makes on Solstice.

His death troubles her greatly, so deeply I wonder how she finds the strength to move at all. The way that it affects her makes me wonder if she was his Guardian before mine.

That is why I can’t push the Joining on her, not like this. Not when her heart is in pain; I want to deserve her. I’ve waited centuries, so what is another few days? Until then, I will just have to anticipate what my Guardian needs. Hopefully the Joining will happen before we arrive back at the cave. Otherwise, the fates are truly cruel, indeed, as I bring an unmated female into the wolf’s den.