A week crept by before I regained my full strength.

And that meant Alrik would finally take me out and stop teasing me with the plans he had for us.

All he had told me was that we would be moving a lot so I had to wear comfortable clothing, which was why I was waiting outside with a pair of sweats on as Alrik disappeared into his garden shed momentarily.

"Are we gardening?" I asked excitedly, bouncing on the balls of my feet, "Although I have to warn you, the only thing I'm good at is pulling weeds. It's a great way to release frustration."

He chuckled and popped his head around the door, "I love your enthusiasm, but we're not gardening. I don't trust anyone with my garden, not even my parents or Reece."

"What sparked your interest in it?"

He kicked the door to the shed shut, revealing two axes in his hands, "I honestly don't remember. I mean, I started off with a fascination with trees before I worked my way up, but I don't quite remember why I got into trees. Botany just feels like a hobby that I've loved since birth."

"I can tell," I nodded, staring at the intricate formations of flowers and herbs, "There's no way this was a hobby that started a few years ago, and it's amazing how you keep everything so alive. Look at these stunning flowers."

I crouched in front of a flower bed, and Alrik kneeled beside me, "Any one in particular that catches your eye?"

"The pink tulips, for sure," I said, gently brushing my fingers along the vibrant pink petals as I inhaled the sweet scent. Alrik pulled a pair of clippers out of his pocket and pried a tulip out of the ground before clipping the bulb and a portion of the stem off.

"For you, kroshka," he bowed dramatically, offering me the tulip.

My heart warmed, and a broad smile formed on my face as I curtsied in return and plucked the flower from his fingers, "Merci, mon cherí. What does kroshka mean?"

He blinked, "Maybe I shouldn't tell you. You'll probably chew my ear off for it."

"Why? Did you call me slut or something?" I joked, knowing very well that he hadn't.

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "In my experience, women don't like being called little."

"It means little one?"

"Basically."

I opened my mouth to defend my size but froze when I stared up at him, realizing that I really was small from his point of view.

"I'm not even going to bother," I said, shaking my head.

He smiled and handed me a pair of gloves that he pulled from his pocket, "Good idea. Now, put these on so you don't get blisters when you handle the ax."

I abandoned the tulip on the bench and yanked the leather material over my fingers, "What are we chopping up?"

"You'll see."

***

My eyes trailed over the familiar wooden and metal structures as I gawked in disbelief.

"I thought your pack warriors already cleared the area," I exclaimed, feeling a rush of excitement as the realization of what we were about to do hit me.

His lips curved into a grin as he tugged me toward the pillories, "I told them not to do anything until I brought you here. Think of it as a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new orphanage. I thought that it was only fair for you to destroy some of the structures."

"Aw, but I was starting to grow fond of them."

He gave me a deadpan look, and I muttered sheepishly, "Sorry, too soon."

Alrik ignored me and nodded to the pillories, "Well, have a go at it. See how much of a dent you can make."

"How about you go first?" I said, placing the ax between my legs to tie my hair up, "You have to teach me how to use the ax correctly, and I think it will be more meaningful if you have the first swing."

"Alright then, first make sure nothing is in your chopping area," he glanced at me pointedly, and I immediately took a few steps back.

He lifted his ax up just a bit to show me the position of his hands, "Your dominant hand should be a few inches away from the head with your palm facing away from you, and your non-dominant will rest on the handle. When you swing, your dominant hand will slide down so your hands are together at the end."

"Stand so that your target is in front of your lead foot. Concentrate on the spot you want to hit and–"

He raised the ax over his head and swung swiftly, cutting through a leg of the pillories and sending pieces of wood flying everywhere.

I gaped at the mess, and he smiled at me unapologetically, "Fuck, that felt good."

"That was–that was so cool," I squealed, tightening my grip on my ax, "Let me have a go."

He nodded me over and moved a few steps back as I adjusted my hands on the handle. With my full attention on a section of the leg, I swung and made a nick in the wood.

"Good form, just add more power and speed to your swing," Alrik stated from behind me.

I hoisted the ax over my shoulder again and continued hacking at the leg until it collapsed to the ground unceremoniously.

While I stared at the fallen pillory, a pair of arms circled me from behind, and Alrik pressed a kiss to my shoulder before leaning his chin on it, "How did that feel?"

My eyes almost fluttered closed from the heat radiating from his chest, and the tingles of the bond that threatened to weaken my knees from his close proximity.

I dropped the ax and spun in his arms, grabbing the drawstrings of his sweatshirt and yanking him down so my lips could claim his. He growled against my mouth and cupped my cheeks, the rough texture of his gloves making me shiver.

My hands found their way to his hair, and he released the softest moan when I pulled at the roots and traced my fingers over the nape of his neck.

I was about to sink my teeth in his lip when he pushed himself off of me abruptly, breathing as though he was about to lose it.

"We have to stop," he muttered, his voice gruff with desire, "It's been so long since I've touched you that if you–" he trailed off, letting me know just how little control he had left.

I licked my lips and cleared my throat awkwardly, grabbing my ax off the ground, "You're right. We shouldn't do this now."

The corner of his mouth twitched before he leaned over and lifted my chin with a finger, giving me a long peck.

"Let's destroy these fuckers. Shall we, kroshka?"

***

"I didn't know you could speak dragon, Minister."

The Minister glanced at Leon, the leader of his dragon companions, and snorted, "When you're my age, son, you'll know all the tongues of the supernatural world."

"Don't scare me like that, Minister," Leon shuddered, "I can't stand to think what it would be like to be your age and roam the world. You were probably born during the Big Bang."

There was a murmur of laughter from the other dragons, and the Minister thumped his staff against Leon's back, "Just read the map, boy."

"If we go around this bend, we should find the entrance to the cave underneath a large boulder. Shouldn't be hard at all," he muttered, rolling the map back up.

The Minister pursed his lips, "The faster we reach, the more time we have to search. Let's move."

He barely took half a step before a loud roar filled the air.

"Minister, we've got company."