Eirika woke up early, excitement and nerves coursing through her veins as she realized a knock had woken her. Arric was gone as expected yet she still felt a pang of disappointment. "Luna?" Bishop called. "A minute," she called back and quickly got up, running into the bathroom to take her bath and get dressed. Five minutes later she pulled the door open fully dressed and breathing heavily. Bishop gave her a warm smile and with a slight bow said, "I have come to take you to the pack house." "Do I need to pack anything?" "No. Everything you need is already there, Luna," he replied. "Arric?" "He is um… making himself scarce, Luna," he said. She nodded. "Okay, I'm ready," she said in resignation. He smiled and gestured for her to follow him. When Eirika stepped outside she saw that Zenesha was one of her aides. "Hey, good morning," Eirika greeted with a smile. "Good morning, Luna," she replied. "Good morning, Luna," the other three standing with her greeted as well.
As the day went on, Eirika's longing for Arric grew even stronger. She couldn't wait to see him again, to feel his arms around her and have his scent enveloping her. It grew so bad that despite how tired she felt, she woke up in the middle of the night feeling restless. She got out of bed and started pacing around her room. The third day of preparations was the most hectic of all. She woke up early, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness for the day ahead. She spent the morning getting ready for the ceremony, having her hair and makeup done. Everyone was rushing around, putting the finishing touches on everything and making sure that everything was perfect. The dressmakers were putting the final touches on Eirika's dress and cape, and Bishop was making sure that everything was set up for the ceremony. Eirika spent most of the day getting ready, with the help of the dressmakers. She put on her wedding dress and the royal cape, and she looked stunning. The cape was made of a
Eirika's eyes darted in their sockets as Arric returned her scrutiny. He cupped her face, gently stroking her cheeks. "Hold me," she said in a low pleading tone. He drew her immediately into his arms and buried his nose in her hair to draw in her scent. "You are so beautiful, " he whispered. Eirika smiled, tightening her hold around him. When he drew back slightly from her to peer down into her eyes and added, "And I think that separation thing was a terrible idea." Eirika giggled, adoring him with her eyes. "You didn't send Bishop to get me though…" "I heard you were doing great. I didn't want to be the weak link." He grinned. Eirika laughed. "Trust me if I was hundred percent certain you were missing me as much, I would have come to you," she said. Arric’s smile brightened. And that made her realize what she had confessed. Her cheeks burned and she lowered her gaze. Arric placed a finger under her chin to make her look back up into his eyes. "I couldn't sleep so I joined
"I'm so sorry, I've ruined the night," Eirika whispered against his chest as he put her down when they got inside his room. "You didn't ruin anything. This is my favorite part of the night… being finally left alone with you," he rasped and smiled tenderly at her. Eirika's eyes welled with tears. Arric cupped her chin. "Can you fathom what it means to serve as Roffe Barther's commander for decades?" he asked rhetorically but Eirika shook her head in negation anyway, causing more tears to spill. "I have been involved in his invasions since I was eight. I started leading the black guards at eighteen. Do you know how long ago that was, Eirika?" She shook her head again."I have seen decades of war, little one, Mauro is a werewolf. I have outlived four of my father's beta. So trust me, when I say I can protect you. And with what we just did… making our union public. By morning, the entire world would know not to mess with you…" "I know, " she whispered, remembering how many times his
Eirika walked into the kitchen, drawn to the delicious aromas that filled the room. She'd picked one of Arric’s shirts to wear. It carried his scent and she'd wanted to be enveloped in it. Arric stood over the stove, a large wooden spoon in one hand and a pot of bubbling liquid in the other. The kitchen was filled with the savory smell of spices and the sound of sizzling oil. The countertops were littered with bowls of chopped vegetables, cans of tomatoes, and various spices. Arric's attention was on the task at hand but Eirika couldn't ignore his toned forearms and body that were on total display. "Hey, there," he said with a smile as he stirred the pot. "I'm just finishing up here. Would you like to help?" Eirika eagerly accepted the invitation, excited to see what Arric had cooked up. She peered into the pot and saw a rich, reddish-brown sauce simmering away. She couldn't quite place all of the ingredients, but the aroma suggested garlic, onion, and oregano. She also noticed a
Eirika woke up to a soft pattering of water. She opened her eyes and found she was alone in bed. She had no idea when she drifted off to sleep. The last she remembered was being plundered by Arric. A smile stretched her lips as she listened. She found the noise coming from the bathroom and went to investigate. Standing on the threshold, she watched Arric standing under the shower with his hands pressed to the sidewall as the water drizzled over his bowed head. She walked inside, wondering what time it was and if he had left the room while she was sleeping. He raised his head when he sensed her and smiled. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to wake you," he said tiredly. "Did you go out?" "Yeah, routine check," he replied. "You couldn't leave that even for one night?" she teased. "I don't do it for security, I do it to check on the guards. I always want them to know, I have their back. " "Aww…" she said making Arric chuckle as she walked inside the shower stall with him and ducked und
Eirika woke to Arric pacing at the foot of the bed. Sitting up, she asked, "What's wrong?" "I'm thinking…. This place is a fortress but I need some of my fighters… if the pack gets attacked we have a stronghold in place to keep them occupied long enough for me to get here but leaving you behind even with all the assurance that you are safe would plague me insistently. And I don't know how long I will be gone. Taking you with me would mean you would constantly be in danger… but then I would be there. And we can also use that opportunity to visit the major packs to propose allegiance. I need all this sorted before you start to show… which means we have a few weeks…." Eirika got up and rushed into the bathroom to get ready while Arric was still thinking aloud. She rushed out a few minutes later with her hair wet and a towel wrapped around her. "What do I wear?" she asked a tad breathless. Arric stopped pacing to hold her gaze. "I'm going to need knives, a bow, and arrows," she added.
"Good morning, Luna, hope you are better now?" she asked, sounding concerned and giving her a searching look. Eirika was surprised to see a show of any form of emotion from the other she-wolf. "Yes, I am. Thank you," she replied, giving her a warm smile. Eirika couldn't be certain but she could swear she could perceive Nigel’s scent on Zenesha. Her heart leaped with fear, not understanding what it meant. "Where is Nigel?" she asked. Zenesha's cheeks grew pinkish and she averted her gaze. "With Bishop. I think something has happened. Alpha hasn't briefed us yet…" "Yeah, I got that impression too…" Eirika said with a frown, looking down the hallway, and hearing Arric give orders about how the team is to move out of the region. "Luna…" Zenesha called to get her attention. "Yes?" "Nigel told me what happened to you… I want you to know that if you need a friend… I am here," she said. Eirika searched her gaze and saw how much of an effort approaching her was. "Thank you," Eirik