Last time on Blind Hope

"Well, it's kind of complicated actually. The short story is that Hope is the daughter of Victoria and Bruce, but they kicked her out on account of her being blind." The King's world crashed to a stop, and even the guards, who were at the other end of the table, stopped eating and looked up slowly. Hope ran, remembering the direction she been brought into the room.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope didn't know where she was going, but she could smell the outdoors, and she needed to be away from the suffocating atmosphere. She crashed through the screen door and shifted, kicking the screen off of her as she did so.

"Hope! No, get back!" Vivian shouted, rushing after her. Hope's flaming red wolf hair whipped around in the wind as she actively ignored Vivian and ran towards the smell of the woods. She managed to avoid most trees by smelling their approach and dodging.

Vivian moaned from her position on the porch as Hope left. "Why didn't you go after her!?" Dorian shouted, shifting and rushing after her smell.

"It's no use!" She told the guards. "Running after her is like chasing a cheetah! She's fast, dangerous, and very able footed. I've never been able to catch her."

"That's very surprising." The guard who had dragged Vivian away from the King less than twenty-four hours prior said.

"She can smell the trees. SHE CAN SMELL TREES." Vivian smacked her head against Blake's chest and groaned. "Why can't you shut up? It's a basic skill."

"Sorry, angel." He kissed her forehead and looked apologetically at the guards.

Hope continued to run, her ears flicking backwards at the sound of a crash and whine. She skidded to a stop, sensing distress from her mate. She sniffed the air. It was him. She backtracked, going towards the smell. "Dorian? Dorian, are you okay?" The smell was getting stronger. She approached cautiously, dropping down to her belly and crawling towards him. "Dorian?"

"Why would you run?" His voice was filled with pain as he watched his mate resort to crawling just to find him. What was she thinking? She'd get lost easily! He shifted back into his human form, ignoring the pain throbbing in his leg. He'd tripped over a root in his haste to reach his fleeing mate.

Hope stretched her nose out as she drew closer, and it touched his leg. She crawled forward just a little bit more and managed to lay her head in his lap. "You hurt yourself?"

"No, I'm fine." Dorian stroked her fur and sighed. "Why would you run?"

"Werewolves have a tendency to eliminate the weak. My parents did the same thing to me. Their wolves denied me because I was blind." The forest was quiet as Dorian soaked in the information. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. He could feel Hope's pain and nervousness through the bond steadily growing between them. He looked down into her beautiful silver eyes that she kept trained on his face. If only she knew what that was doing to him.

"You are the future Queen of all the wolves," he said eventually. "That is far from weak, my sweet." Hope's wolf purred and inched closer. "You like that, sweet?" Red took over from Hope and lifted her head up to sniff Dorian's face. "Your eyes didn't change, but something tells me I'm looking at your wolf."

"Red. My name is Red." Red stood up and moved to where she was practically sitting in Dorian's lap, rubbing her head up and down his chest.

"Are you scenting me!?" Dorian laughed as Red acted like a large puppy dog, rubbing all over him to transfer her scent onto him. She stopped suddenly, her head jerked up sniffing the air. Her heart stopped. "What is it?"

"We're not on territory anymore." Red eased off of Dorian and lowered into a protective stance, sniffing the air. Then and only then did Dorian realize - they had crossed into rogue land. "Show yourself!" Red howled.

"Mighty brave of you," a rogue growled. His wolf was solid black with scars and bald patches. He had been through a lot, and it was obvious. His back leg was bent, causing him to limp quite noticeably. Red didn't register any of this. She just knew that the rogue would not touch Dorian. "The two of you being on my territory."

"We were just leaving."

"Now, now. Calm down. There is no reason to get upset, dearie! Let's talk this out!" The rogue took a few steps towards Red, and she growled viciously. "Protecting your ugly mate, I see. What an unusual combination! An angel and a beast! But who knew the beast would be in human form!" Dorian growled and shifted, his wolf towering over Red. She leaned against him and growled again.

"He isn't ugly."

"Are you blind!?" The rogue laughed, but then he noticed. "Oh, wait...you're actually blind." He laughed harder, collapsing to the ground. Dorian nudged Red, and they both took off running, leaving the rogues dying of laughter.

"You aren't ugly! No one ever is!" Dorian smiled as they ran, thinking about the ironies of a blind person saying all people are beautiful. They could hear the rogues laughter fading behind them, Red let herself slow down to a trot. Dorian noticed the change in pace and slowed down. Red slowly transitioned back into Hope.

"You know, it was amazing to see you defend me like that, little one." Dorian reached down and licked the top of Hope's head. She flushed, glad to be in wolf form so he didn't notice. "I was too awestruck to even say anything." Hope sped up, going back into a light run.

"Maybe we should hurry!" He grinned, his tongue falling out of his mouth before rushing to catch up with her. The moon goddess has blessed him with an angel. The rogue was actually right. An angel and a beast.

They approached the pack-house, Hope could smell it. She stopped and shifted back, waiting for Dorian to do the same. He took her arm gently and began to lead her the rest of the way, but Hope didn't want that. She pulled away.

"I need to know one thing." She hesitated, and bit her lip. "I, um... You are very kind and gentle with me, but when you speak and interact with others, you are hard, stern, mean. Who are you really?"

"I would never hurt you or speak harshly to you. But I'm the King. I have to remain above others and demand a certain respect." Hope nodded, but she didn't really understand.

"Just don't take that tone with me." Dorian let his hand caress her cheek as he stared into her eyes.

"I won't, my sweet." He took her hand and lead her back to the pack house. The guards leapt off the porch, rushing towards them as soon as Dorian and Hope came into sight.

"Majesties!" Dorian's smile dropped and he tensed up beside Hope who still held onto his arm. "Are you alright?" They checked both of them for injuries, scanning their bodies. Dorian growled lightly, and the guards' eyes instantly left Hope's body. "You seem fine, Sir!" They bowed and assumed formation behind them. Dorian bent down and whispered gently, "We have some things to discuss now, sweet."

The guards, trained to keep still and ignore what was said, stood visibly shocked.

~~~~~~~~~~