Fie Wright's P. O. V

"I am so pumped!" An overly excited Ezra exclaims from besides me, his feet shuffling against the marble flooring while his brown eyes whip from me to his father who stares on at his son in intrigue, not bothering to say anything.

I repress a sigh as I glance outside, the looming wrought iron gate standing steadfast amongst the harsh winds that have battered down on it. Thankfully, the rain is at a soft drizzle with green and orange leaves falling down and covering the ground below. The outside gate nestled in one of the many garden's littering the estate of the castle, barely ever used except when Malleus wants to skull around for one of his many hidden adventures.

"It's been a whole hour. Where the hell is your beloved King." Ezra bites at me, sassiness coating his voice as he turns to me with an annoyed expression. Marcus sighing in exasperation as he shakes his head at me to not pay the over exaggerating man any heed. At his look, I bite back my reply of how it's only been barely two minutes since we ourselves reached the alcove that leads out into the huge garden.

Hoisting the straps of my backpack further up my shoulders, I lean against the stone wall and close my eyes. Only a few seconds pass by as my body thrums in a now familiar way, as if each and every fibre in my being is coming alive when my mate steps into the same vicinity as me.

"Fie's beloved King was making important arrangements which if not done would have rendered you dead." Malleus speaks as his footsteps echo down the tunnel, his body still concealed from view but his voice echoing all around us.

"By you, you mean all of us and not just me right?" Ezra questions, a hint of nervousness in his voice, that too gets swept away within the next moment, "Hey! How could you even hear what I said?" The man protests as Malleus finally comes into view.

"I can hear everything going on in this castle." The logical part of my brain queries how he manages to do so, wondering if his heightened abilities as King ranges much higher above all of ours. The other part of my brain, however, melts into a mushy pile of matter as my eyes eagerly rake in the sight of our mate concealed from head to toe in that enticing cloak that he was wearing the first time I met him.

Funnily enough, you could see nothing of the man except for his hands but his appeal to me grew tenfold at the sight of his hooded figure all wrapped snuggly in the pitch black material of the long cloak.

"What's up with the cloak Grim Reaper?"

Ezra seems to be growing more and more at ease with every day, I muse as I stand up straight, enjoying how Malleus clasps my hand in his the moment we're in each other's reach. I even notice the tautness in my mate's jaw peeking out from under the heavy hood, trying his best not to snap at my cousin as his nose flares and he lets out a deep breath.

"I cannot be traipsing around the Kingdom and acting as if I am going on some picnic. I need to be as discreet as possible with only a few close people knowing about my absence." He says stoically, just as Asha appears from within the darkness with our two guards following behind her.

"Sorry for the wait my King but everything is in place. No one will notice your leave." Asha confirms with a dip of her head to which Malleus nods curtly.

"Good. I'll be contacting you throughout my absence. The link will be open just in case of an emergency." They continue to exchange a few words here and there before Asha nods finally once more, wishing us all a good luck and sending me a bright smile as she motions for us to head towards the gate. Hiking my bag against my back with one hand, I anxiously squeeze Malleus' hand with my own, a churning pit of excitement building up within me.

"How did you manage to sort all that out. I mean surely people will notice their King missing from the castle." Ezra voices out, not waiting even a single second till we're out of the gate and making our way down the hill upon which the castle is perched. I remain silent, wanting to know the answer myself to his question.

"Magic."

Magic?

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

A nudge from me has my mate letting out another sigh, which coincidentally, earns him another nudge from me.

"Whenever I leave the castle, I put up a mirror image of myself so that no queries can arise as to the question of my whereabouts." Malleus answers promptly, getting an understating 'hmm' out of me.

"Why have we never seen you wear a crown? You're a King aren't you? A bit shoddy if you ask me." Everyone, besides Ezra and Malleus, winces at the question my cousin asks, just waiting for Malleus to rip his throat sort and discard his carcass in the bushes trailing besides us. Instead, my mate answers with a calm and collected tone which only signifies his impatience.

"It messes up my hairstyle. Doesn't sit well on my head." Unluckily, I snort out loud at the thought, grinning up at my mate with batted eyes which earns me a short playful growl in return.

The rest of our trip down the castle side is short of words, even with Ezra trying to fill the silence every few minutes but after a few non committal grunts from everyone, he decides to occupy himself by kicking a stray rock down the entire path. Malleus seems to know his Kingdom like the back of his hand as we bypass the bustling town, everyone getting up to start their busy day ahead for whatever awaits them. A wry smile makes its way onto my face as the town fades behind us the longer we trek on, another familiar sight making itself known to us as the The Old Mare lies in wait, marking our final breadcrumb on the path that leads into the forest.

"You know what would've been funny? If Roger ended up slipping and things turned ugly just a few kilometres away from finally meeting your mate." Ezra muses aloud, the mate in question's hand tightening around my own as we come to a halt in the middle of the dusty road, everyone else stopping short besides us. I close my eyes as I wish for internal peace only the being above can provide for me.

"Roger did what?" Malleus seethes, his grip turning nearly painful on my hand causing me to carefully slip it away out of his hold.

"He was just being cautious because we were new comers." I soothe as I reach up to place a hand on his shoulder, Malleus slowly calming down till Ezra opens his mouth once more.

"Yeah man, he was only looking out for you. He didn't even hold the dagger that close to Fie's throat."

His nonchalant comment gets interrupted by a loud growl, the sound coming deep from within my mate's chest. Stepping closer to him, my hand leads down to press against his chest as I peer under his hood and into his eyes.

"He was trying to do his job Malleus. Just take deep breaths." The growls turn into low grumbles before they stop completely after a few short seconds, a thankful sigh leaving my lips at the averted scenario that couldn't have led to anything great.

"Come on. We have to make haste just in case the rain picks up." I say to Malleus who nods curtly, pulling me into his side as we all walk further and finally into the green cocoon of the great forest that lays before us.

It's like all of us wait with bated breath as we step into the forest, some part within me expecting the entire place to blow up under my feet or for me to be thrown far away just like the rest of the Pack when they reached the gate to the two realms. When nothing happens, a silent tension visibly eases off of our bodies, forms turning slack with relief. For some to such an extent that Ezra has his backpack flung onto the floor and his hands reaching for the hem of his shirt which he tugs off in one swift movement.

"What do you think you are doing?" Malleus grits out, hand in the air and motioning for us to stop as he assesses the sight of Ezra in front of him as his hands drop to his belted jeans, "Take off another article of clothing and I will have you hanging from the nearest tree. Being Fie's cousin or not." I nearly laugh out loud at how Malleus stands in front of me, as if he's trying to shield my eyes from my cousin who's giving us all a strip teasing show.

"I don't want to tear off my clothes when I have to shift," Ezra frowns in confusion before continuing, "I thought we were going to shift considering we're finally in the forest."

The annoyance from Malleus exudes off of him in waves as my mate reaches up to discard the flap of the hood from his face. "There's something unsettling about this forest. If you tune your senses you'll feel the dark aura that surrounds us. Changing into your wolf form might agitate the magic. I wouldn't chance it." A certain edge enters my mate's voice, his deep blue eyes turning to land on me as he pushes me closer into him. Just as he does so, my eyes widen as an uneasy feeling injects itself within me. A weird sense of paranoia wrapping its clammy hands around my mid waist as a bead of sweat starts trickling down my forehead, my breath hitching in my throat as I take an uneasy step back.

"This must be some powerful magic." I barely realise my voice coming out just above a whisper, hands shaking as the air around me thickens. Before I can say anything else or let the dire situation settle in my mind properly, I feel two comforting hands on each side of my head, tilting my gaze upwards till I'm staring directly into the eyes of my mate.

"Most of it is in your head Fie. Clear your thoughts," Malleus whispers, he breaks eye contact for a moment as he glances at the rest of the group, each and every person as fidgety as the next, "The rest of you do the same. Block out the magic. Clear your head."

"How exactly do I do that. I don't see you holding my head." Ezra mumbles to no one in particular, nobody bothering to pay him any attention either as my eyes close, feeling Malleus' mind nudging against mine while our wolves do the same to each other's aura. A delightfully warm sensation travels from my fingertips down to my toes and whirling all around my body, the oddly pleasant feeling flowing away from me and towards the rest as that sense of paranoia ebbs away with the resulting onslaught of the soothing feeling.

"Better?" Malleus questions after a few seconds pass, pulling back but leaving one hand to caress the side of my face tenderly. Both my wolf and I feel perfectly fine, just like we did before we entered the forest which earns him a nod from me, followed by the rest of the group.

"Thanks for that King but how exactly are we going to make it fast enough back to the Pack if we're walking through these woods barefooted. It's ridiculous walking so far without the help of our wolves. We're no different than those good for nothing shoddy humans." Ezra spits out uncharacteristically, the annoyance lacing his tone causing my eyebrows to raise as he stares up at my mate.

Grasping onto my hand, Malleus tugs is to the forefront of the group, raising his shoulders in a circling motion before dropping them back down into their previous position once more.

"I know of a short cut through these woods that will cut off our travelling through more than half but like I mentioned previously; be very cautious of your surroundings." I nearly let out a shriek of happiness, wanting to dance right there on the spot but, of course, saving face as I clear my throat and only allow a smile to grace my face.

"Thank goodness. Let's get this show on the road people. I want to be back at the Pack by nightfall." Ezra says with a whoop, clapping his sounds energetically as he sets out in front of us, only to be stopped by Malleus' large hand landing on his shoulder and pulling him backwards to where we stood behind us previously.

"Your math is incorrect pup. It takes three, nearly four days through the normal route. Half of three days would mean a day and a half." I ignore Ezra's dumbfounded expression as we traverse through the forest, everyone on edge and looking out as we venture deeper. The oddness of everything striking me as I take note of how quite the wildlife around us has gotten.

The last time I traversed through this forest, the trees were bustling with all sorts of wildlife along with the bustling creepy crawlies that scuttled across the damp moist mud ground.

I'll have to be sleeping on this bug infested ground again, I think with dismay. Remembering how a centipede had made its way across my thigh when we took a short break and rested against the trees. The poor thing didn't see its demise coming as it was flung off of my leg and stoped upon by Marcus who didn't notice the bug under his shoe.

As much as I hate insects and creepy crawlies of all kinds, it doesn't mean I necessarily want them to die. Just to be far far away from me.

'You'll be resting on top of me tonight. I'm not letting you sleep on the ground.' My mate's voice filters through my air as I try to suppress a love filled sigh, already looking forward to nightfall just so that I can snuggle up against his comfortable body, which is quite surprising considering the sheer muscle that clings on to him for dear life.

'I'll be taking you up on that offer.' I mind link him back happily, a new spring showing up in my step as we continue to walk without stop, all the way until lunchtime.

Sadly enough for, well, all of us, our much looking forward to lunch consisted of two bits of bread slapped together with some cheese and deli slices. The meagre meal not doing anything to satiate the hunger of ravenous wolves. Unfortunately, nothing much could be done about it unless we wanted to hunker down and eat a ripped apart rabbit but I'd rather save all that for when I'm in the form of my wolf and tuned into her taste buds instead of my own human like ones.

Malleus doesn't let us take a break longer than an hour and once again, we're back on our feet as we hike through the vast forest, the ominous flow of energy just about being kept at bay but still pinching at our own self contained aura. I keep silent in regards to the protesting of my sore and aching feet, not only wanting to appear strong in front of my mate who hasn't even broken a sweat especially under that dark cloak but also for fear of adding to Ezra's annoyingness as he speaks up with a quick, 'are we there yet' every kilometre or so.

By the time I'm about to drop onto my knees, my feet crying for mercy at the long trek we've just covered, Ezra asks again if we're there yet. This time I send a quick prayer heavenward in the hopes Malleus answers with a yes, since I'm not able to walk another yard further. Instead, my mate glances up at the sky, the rain having stopped some while ago only to be replaced with the glinting of a thousand stars that shine across the sky like glitter on a dark blue painted canvas. The heightened and sharp eyes of our wolves aiding us in the journey otherwise all of us would have been fumbling around like fools more so than we already have. All except Malleus of course, I wouldn't be surprised if he told me this is his daily workout.

The man doesn't even look out of breath for heavens sake.

"We can set up camp. Rest as much as you can because we'll be setting forward once more at first light." Malleus announces as he walks just a bit farther to a nestling of clumped together trees, forming a hollowed out rootless area for a small group to rest easily.

"I do not want to question you or make it come off as if you have a lapse in judgement but we can still walk another few miles." Brutus suggests, my teeth gritting together at his ludicrous thoughts, more so to the fact that Malleus might just agree.

Contrary to my thoughts, however, Malleus glances at me besides him, a wry smile making its way onto his face before he sends the young warrior a slow shake of his head.

"I'm sure you are all tired from your rest. We started out bright and early anyways. Enjoy the break." With that, Malleus drops down onto the ground a little away from the group, pulling me into his lap as a groan escapes me.

"I'm sure you had another mile or so in you. Why not walk more?" My words are laced with sarcasm although I am glad he didn't take up Brutus' suggestion.

"It is true. I do have it in me but I fear you would have wrung me by my neck if I had agreed to the suggestion." He gets a soft smile in return along with a swift kiss to the cheek, me not wanting to linger too much up against him due to the sweat that has accumulated from all the walking.

If only it would rain again. Not a lot but a slow drizzle would be nice to lower the temperature.

"Oh." I mumble almost silently, marvelling up at the deep blue sky as the lingering clouds start to gather and cluster together, slowly turning a tumultuous grey and signalling rain that wasn't there a moment prior. Rain clouds gather with a ferocity I haven't seen before, the heavens parting as droplets of water besiege us. With the angry clouds above us, I was expecting more of a downpour but instead a nice calming drizzle pours down on us, barely getting through the cluster of trees that we lay under as it penetrates through the rest of the leafy green canopy of the forest.

"Eat, Fie. Then you must sleep." Malleus soothes as he takes the straps of my back pack off of my shoulders, opening up the bag and taking out the food I had stored in it. Too late to argue, I nod my head, tiredly leaning against Malleus' shoulder as I chomp at the sandwich and granola bar I had left previously. The comfort of a somewhat sated belly and the aching in my feet pushed me deeper into fatigue. I don't even realise that I've sagged against Malleus completely as he shifts his position to lay down, pulling me fully on top of him till I rested between his legs with my upper half nestled against his chest. A dreamy sigh escaping me, my brief moment of bliss shattering by Brutus speaking up.

"I shall keep guard, my King. Just in case anything or anyone tries to sneak up on us."

Malleus just about barely lifts his head up from where it was nestled against mine as he glances at Brutus while simultaneously lifting his cloak's freely hanging material to wrap around me like a blanket.

"No need. This is the third time in the span of a few days that you've crossed this forest and I'm sure you two warriors were standing guard for both those previous trips. You should be catching up on sleep as well." Malleus informs them, my eyebrow raising inconspicuously as I ponder over his words.

"B-but-," Brutus gets cut off by a stern look from Malleus, the two warriors immediately dropping to the ground in a show of respect.

"I'll keep watch. It's only one night." My mate announces, I try my best to stay up for him so that I can give him company but against my will my eyes start to droop as sleep consumes me. The last thing I hear before I go under being Ezra's voice.

"Got any room for one more under that big cloak?"

———————-

AN: Hi everyone! I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. One reader asked me if I'll be sticking to the book and I definitely will be! I have a lot of things planned out for this one so just watch out hehe.

Question: Would you rather have the legs of a frog or the head of a fly?

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