As I dressed the following morning, my fingers glided over the spot on my neck where Raydir had kissed me. Still tender to the touch with a definite mark. I swept my hair over the tops of my shoulders to hide it and went to wake Raydir.

Coming back into my bedroom, Raydir was already sitting up, his bare torso visible over the top of the covers.

“Morning.” I leaned over the bed to kiss him and he pulled me on top of him. I sighed when his fingers ran along my back. “How’d you sleep?”

“Better than I expected,” he replied, grinning. “Last night was certainly…exciting.”

I blushed, remembering the way his fingers tenderly touched my bare skin. “Yes, I definitely enjoyed it. Shall we head over to the Grand Cabin for breakfast? I have a surprise for you.” Rosie, as promised, had brought me a set of charcoal, paints, and several canvases. They were currently in my closet which luckily housed none of Raydir’s things so I knew he wouldn’t go snooping. I was just waiting for the right time to give them to him.

He nodded. “Yeah. But first—”

A knock sounded at the front door of the cabin, breaking Raydir off mid-sentence. He went to answer it with me following closely behind.

“Caesaria. Hey.” Raydir cleared his throat, averting his gaze from the red-haired girl in front of us. “What are you doing here?”

“Rosie asked me to stop by.” Caesaria glanced between the two of us. “She wanted me to see how you were holding up after the shift last night. The first one is always the worst, and I just remember waking up with this horrible migraine—”

“We’re, uh, actually quite fine,” I interjected, slipping my hand into Raydir’s. I don’t know why, but something about Caesaria made me anxious.

She nodded. “I see.”

“Caesaria, why don’t you and Arwyn go up to the Grand Cabin?” Raydir suggested. “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

“Are you sure?”

He smiled, kissing my cheek. “Positive.”

I followed Caesaria out of the cabin, carefully gathering my skirts as we walked.

“Raydir certainly is something, isn’t he?” Caesaria commented. Her boots squished against the damp grass.

“Certainly,” I agreed. “He’s been my best friend for so many years.”

“Pardon my asking, but is this the first time you’ve been…intimate…with him?”

My foot slipped on the grass and I cursed. “I don’t believe that is any of your concern. What happens between Raydir and me is strictly our business.”

“You know with the first Alignment, there are certain tasks the wolf—typically the male in the relationship—has to…perform.”

“And?”

“And, well, one of those tasks involves marking their mate.”

I stopped. “What are you talking about?”

“A marking on your neck.” She nodded to me. “It makes you quite attached to him, which clearly you already were, but it acts as a gateway connection into the mind of the other.”

“So telepathy is natural?”

“Normal, rather than natural. But yes.” She resumed walking. “You’ll get used to it. Being a wolf is so…exhilarating.”

“Except I guess I’ll never know,” I muttered to myself as we continued walking. It still wasn’t clear why I hadn’t shifted last night. Maybe I didn’t have a wolf spirit? Is that what my parents were afraid of?

No, they were probably more afraid of me becoming my wolf.

Upon our arrival at the Grand Cabin, all heads turned to look in my direction. Without Raydir, I felt completely out of place, even though this was our home now.

“Arwyn, good to see you this morning,” Rosie greeted me. “How was your night? Did Raydir make it back to you?” She didn’t say anything about my non-existent shift.

I nodded. “Yes, he did. I think it was the first good night’s sleep either of us has had in quite some time.”

“I am pleased. Won’t you join us? One of our harvesters has made omelets for everyone.”

“Sounds delicious.” We sat down together on one of the wood benches.

“Any plans for today?” she asked.

I cut into my omelet. Mm, ham and mushroom. “There really is so much to see around the valley. I think Ray and I are going to spend the day exploring. Do you have any recommendations for where we should go?”

“The lake I took you to the other day—the falls are magnificent. If you’re careful enough, you can walk behind them. Just watch for the rocks. They tend to be a bit slippery.”

“We’ll be careful. Speaking of Ray…” I looked around. He still hadn’t shown up for breakfast which worried me. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and see what’s keeping him. I thought for sure he’d be here by now.”

Excusing myself from the table, I hurried back in the direction of our cabin, hoping to find Raydir there.

“Arwyn! Arwyn, wait up!” Caesaria called behind me. She caught up, out of breath. “Arwyn, I wanted to extend my sincerest apologies for this morning. I honestly did not mean to intrude on your privacy. Sometimes I struggle with control.”

I whirled to face her. “Then I surely hope you will learn to control yourself, especially around my fiance.”

“Arwyn—”

“I saw the way you looked at him this morning, like something passed between you. I don’t know what it was, but I know I didn’t like it. So just remember that he’s my fiance, okay?”

“I do apologize, Arwyn. I didn’t mean for it to seem like I was trying to take him away from you.” She hesitated before continuing. “Each of us when our wolf spirit is released also shows a power. Mine allows me to see people—like really see people. I can sort of…sense their feelings. Their true desires. Everything. That’s why I come across so…intense at first.”

That got my attention. “Caesaria, how many people have this particular power?”

“I-I’m not sure. Everyone has a different power, so it’s really hard to say how many of each there are. I don’t even know how many types of powers exist.

I thought about Darius. “When you were living in—” I paused. “Where were you living before this?”

“Gwyniar.”

“Right. When you were living in Gwyniar, did you know someone named Darius Harford?”

Caesaria tensed, but shook her head. “I don’t believe so, why?”

“Because—” I turned at the sound of thunk thunk thunk coming from the direction of my cabin. “Hold that thought.” When the cabin came into view, Raydir stood outside—shirtless—swinging an ax at a pile of firewood that was not there this morning.

“Oh my,” I heard Caesaria mutter next to me.

My thoughts exactly.

“Ray!” I called out to him.

He looked up, wiping sweat from his brow. “Arwyn. How was breakfast?”

I scrunched my nose at him. “It would’ve been better if you’d shown up. I thought you were just putting on a shirt.” My eyes zeroed in on his bare torso, glistening with sweat in the morning sunshine. “Clearly, I was mistaken.”

Raydir ran a hand through his blonde hair. “Sorry. Bennett stopped by and told me that chopping the woodpile was a coping mechanism for a lot of folks in the valley. It’s supposed to help clear the mind after…the Alignment.”

Caesaria and I exchanged glances.

“Ray, is everything okay?” I asked. You were fine when we woke up this morning.”

“Just a little tired after all of the excitement from last night.” He smirked lightly as Caesaria stifled a laugh with a cough.

“Too tired to go riding?” I asked, trying to hide my desperation to get him alone. Flashes of last night stuck in my mind like glue, and I longed to feel him next to me again sooner rather than later.

“Maybe later,” he replied, scratching the back of his head. “I promised Bennett I’d help him with the firewood.” He kissed my cheek, turning back to the pile.

I started to walk in the opposite direction, toward the barn, with Caesaria following behind.

“Arwyn, wait up. You wanted to explore the valley, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Why don’t I show you around? I’ve been here longer than most folks, including Rosie and Bennett.”

I raised my eyebrows, hesitant to trust her entirely. “And that makes you an expert?”

“Well, yeah. What did Rosie tell you about where to explore?”

“She mentioned the falls by the lake.”

Caesaria waved her hands in a crossing motion. “No, no, no. The falls are too often frequented. You want something…secluded. Something serene. And I know just the place. But we have to change first.” She took off down the hill.

“Wait up!” I called, running after her. She stopped in front of another cabin, this one about half the size of the one I had with Raydir. “Woah. Is this your place?”

“Small and cozy, just the way I like it.” She unlocked the door, leading me inside. The decor was pretty much the same, a wooden table and a sofa in the center of the room, the entrance to a bedroom just down the hall.

“It certainly feels homey,” I commented as she disappeared into the bedroom, returning a minute later with some clothes.

“Here.” She tossed me the outfit. “If we’re gonna go exploring, you’ll need something that doesn’t have a skirt. We’re about the same size, so those should fit. And you can borrow another pair of boots. Anything with heels out here…it’s just not worth it.”

I looked down at my feet. “I like the heels.”

Caesaria smirked. “You won’t when you slip on the gravel and twist an ankle. Believe me—I’ve been there.”

Reluctantly, I took the boots and the clothes and went to change in the bathroom. She had chosen a pair of brown leather pants that were incredibly breathable and a long-sleeved green cotton shirt fit with a separate dark corset piece. My fingers struggled to clasp the buckles across my chest.

I emerged a minute later.

“You look fantastic,” Caesaria commented, beaming at me. She was wearing a very similar ensemble, the green of her top contrasted well with the fiery red of her hair.

“Thanks. This should definitely make riding a whole lot easier.”

“Oh, pants make everything easier.” She tossed me a bow and quiver. I glanced back at her, shocked.

“You really underestimate me, Arwyn. I know you have an eye for archery, as do I. It was one of my favorite pastimes before coming here, and I’ve kept up my skills ever since.” She held her hands out toward the door. “Shall we go?” I followed her outside, and we made our way to the stables to prepare our horses.

“So tell me, what else do you know about me?” I asked as our horses trotted side-by-side along one of the grass trails. Besides my favorite pastimes, that is.”

Caesaria laughed. “You’re asking because of the gift, hmm?” When I didn’t answer, she continued. “I know what troubles your heart, if that’s what you mean. You wish to know more about Darius Harford. That’s why you asked if I knew him.”

“I was just…curious. My chance encounter with Darius meant nothing more than…meeting a friend.”

“Yet he turned out to be your Chosen,” she said. “You can’t say you had no feelings for him whatsoever?”

Heat crept to my cheeks over the accusation. “He is—was—one of those brooding bad boys who might invade your mind briefly but there’s never any action.”

Caesaria and I burst into a fit of giggles.

“Geez, you know what I mean!” I said once we finally stopped laughing.

Majesty came to a stop to graze on the side of the path. I slipped out of his saddle, tying his reins to a nearby tree.

The view was beautiful; tall oak trees overpowered the scene in front of us, bending slightly as if bowing. As we approached the lake, the sweet scent of honeysuckle hit my nose. I breathed in, familiarity taking hold. The honeysuckle vines by the school in Gwyniar had always been a favorite spot. It was where Raydir and I used to meet up for midday rendezvouses. I could almost hear the faint laughter of our innocent 18-year-old selves as he spun me in the sunshine, hidden by the tall brick buildings.

Lost in thought, the sound of rushing water became a roar in my ears as we approached the lake with the waterfall.

“Care for a swim?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I thought you said you had better spots for us to go since this one is too well frequented by the rest of Darqua?”

“That’s for you and Raydir. And yes, I do have my ideas. But there’s nothing stopping us from checking this out.”

I glanced nervously at the water, thinking about the previous day’s adventures. “Ray and I did come here yesterday but we never got the chance to actually go behind the falls.”

“Well then. All the more reason.” She reached down to unlace her boots. “We’ll go for a swim then dry off as we head to the next spot. I brought us some snacks, too, in case we get hungry.” She nodded at me. “The corset is waterproof, so are the pants. The shirt on the other hand…is not.”

I looked down at my clothes. “So, are we supposed to—” my words were cut off by the sight of Caesaria lifting her shirt off over her head, exposing her breasts momentarily, before she re-fastened the corset over her chest.

“Just like that,” she said. Upon seeing the look of shock on my face, she turned away from me. “I’ll give you some privacy. Sorry—I’m more used to doing this by myself.”

“Th-that’s ok. I’m sort of new to the whole valley experience. Even yesterday when Raydir and I went swimming, it was still a little awkward. No one has seen me in anything less than what I used to wear at the palace. Until last night.” My fingers flew hurriedly over the corset, dropping it momentarily to the ground while I pulled the shirt off before tugging the corset back on. The material was snug against my body but loose enough that the breeze still wafted underneath, sending a shiver down my back. “That’s understandable.” Caesaria gathered her hair over one shoulder. “Alright, we have to be careful where we wade in and then we can swim toward the falls. How are you with opening your eyes under water?”

“I…don’t know. I haven’t really tried much before.”

“That’s ok. We’ll swim out to the middle, take a rest, then swim behind the falls. Just follow my lead.”

We waded toward the lake. The coolness of the water felt refreshing on my skin. Caesaria dipped her head below the surface of the water, and I followed, slowly moving my body toward the middle of the lake. My eyes tentatively opened; expecting them to burn, I was met with a refreshing calm as if the water were bending around me. Several schools of minnows darted below the surface, zigzagging around me seemingly in a hurry to swim downstream. Bubbles floated up in front of me as I stopped to admire the determination these little fish had to get where they wanted to go.

A tug at my arm, knocked me back to the present. Caesaria motioned above her head. We broke to the surface to catch our breath.

“How are you doing so far?” she asked. Her red curls hung limply over her shoulders, darkened by the water. She blinked water out of her eyes.

“Better than I expected. The water doesn’t sting as I expected it to.”

Caesaria tilted her head in thought. I fought the urge to ask what was going through her head because as much as she was a very outspoken person on the outside, there was still something she kept reserved.

“We should keep going.” She dipped below the surface again. The breeze shifted, making me shiver. The water seemed to calm me, lapping over my shoulders, but there was something else here that I was missing. I just knew it.

Minutes later, I caught up with Caesaria. There was a small cavern behind the falls with water lapping in tiny waves over our feet.

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions earlier,” I blurted. We sat on one of the rocks behind the falls. “I shouldn’t have accused you of trying to steal Raydir away from me.”

She smiled. “Apology accepted. And honestly? I would’ve felt the same way if it looked like someone was trying to go after my partner.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes.

“What do you want to know about the valley?” Caesaria asked.

I leaned back on my hands. “I don’t know, everything.”

She laughed. “Okay, pick something to start with.”

“I’m confused about something,” I said. “If everyone is born with a dormant wolf spirit, how come mine didn’t…you know, appear last night?”

Caesaria dangled her feet in the water. “I’m not sure. But it doesn’t mean your wolf will never appear. Maybe it just needs some more time for whatever reason.”

I kicked a foot up, letting the water drip off. “So you decided at ten years old you had enough and wanted to leave?”

Wow, what a personal invasion.

“I’m sorry for bringing that up—I know it’s personal and we don’t really know each other, so I don’t want to overstep.”

“No no, I’m happy to answer your questions,” Caesaria reassured me.“I was sort of a special case. Even though my wolf stayed dormant, I grew up with my power. So it was harder for me as a kid because no one knew what to expect. I also didn’t tell you this before, but there was an incident that led to me leaving. It wasn’t just because I didn’t want the Fate Ceremony.”

This piqued my interest. Caesaria would be my sister’s age—but even so, I hadn’t heard about any scandals from when Arabella was in school. Although, that may’ve been because I was so little at the time. “What happened?”

Caesaria twisted her hair into a bun on top of her head, then let it go, letting her hair fall back down. “I made the mistake of telling someone what I sensed, and it got out of hand. Darius—the guy who you asked me about—he and I were friends at the time, and he was the only one who knew about the gift. But that day at the school—this was just before I left—he didn’t defend me and I never knew why. There was no good end to that situation.”

I rubbed my hands over my arms to chase away the sudden case of goosebumps. Being out of the water had made me cold. “So your gift was outed and the only choice you had was to come out here and abandon everything you knew.”

She nodded. “It was a lose-lose situation. Darius was just a kid—we both were—so what was he honestly supposed to do?” She shrugged. “No matter. We should be getting back soon. There is so much more to explore.”

Without another word, she disappeared through the wall of water back into the lake.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was exhausted by the time we got back that evening but my muscles were more relaxed than they had been in days.

“Raydir!” I called out as I approached our cabin. “Ray? Are you here?” Upon entering the cabin, I gasped. Raydir was laying on the couch, a bag of ice on his forehead. “What happened?!”

Raydir sat up suddenly, wincing in visible pain. “Arwyn. You’re back.”

“And you’re hurt.” I sat down beside him. “What happened?” My fingers delicately brushed over his forehead.

“Nothing.” He winced again. “I’m fine.”

“No, clearly you’re not.” I pressed my hand lightly against his chest and he cried out in pain. “Can you lift your arms?”

Raydir hesitated then weakly shook his head no. I tore at the fabric, ripping the shirt away from his chest to reveal a bruise, purple and blue, covering his ribs.

“Who did this to you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“No one. It was just…training.”

“I leave you alone for one day.” I got up and went into the kitchen, rummaging in the cupboard for herbs that could be used to make a healing paste for Raydir. I returned a minute later, instructing him to lay down while I spread the salve on his chest. He squirmed under my touch.

“Hold still, Ray.”

“It stings,” he protested.

“Well it would sting less if you stopped fidgeting so much! God, Raydir what happened?”

“I told you. I was training.”

“Training with who?” I dipped the cloth back into the mixture before pressing it lightly against the bruises. My fingers traced abs, his skim warm under my touch.

“With Bennett. He said all new…wolves…have to go through a training regimen to prepare for the future.

I scoffed. “What sort of future does he expect for you to endure? We were supposed to be safe here. Darqua was supposed to be a haven.”

“It is. We are safe here, Arwyn.” He reached up, brushing his fingers over my cheek. I turned away at his touch. “This is just something we—I—have to do. I’ll get stronger with time, but for now I have to push through the pain.”

I shook my head. “That’s not fair.”

He gave me a small smile. “I never said it was fair. But that’s life.”