Promised to Wolves

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"Artemis," he breathed, gripping my arm softly as he stopped me in my tracks. 

My eyes flickered upwards, meeting his warm, sunshine yellow eyes and twinkling in the soft, morning light. "Andreas," I responded, the corners of my mouth being pulled into a smile. "Is there something you want?"

"Would you like to go on a run with me? I am not needed in the meeting today."

"Oh," my eyes flickered over to Octavia who was speaking to Duke Titus in the doorway. "I am sorry, but the Princess needs me as her Agem. Maybe another -"

"She will go," Octavia cut in, looking at me with a mischievous smile having clearly been listening in on our entire conversation. "I have two lieutenants and the Duke to protect me. I think I will be quite safe."

"Excellent," he responded, looping his arm around mine as I glared at her. "My wolf is longing to meet yours, and the forest here is stunning."

I muttered soft curses under my breath in Santorinian that only Octavia would hear and understand as I followed Andreas out of the palace, irritated at how easily it was for him to make me do what he wanted. 

We walked in silence, the heat radiating from his body a source of calmness as I desperately tried to contact my wolf. She was dormant and had been for many years, but I did not want anyone to know that. And after she had whispered those few words to me when I had first met Andreas I hoped the promised bond had strengthened her enough to allow me to transform.

But it was like she did not exist at all and as I caught sight of the treeline, I realised running with his wolf would not be possible. So, I turned to Andreas with the sweetest smile I could muster and lied. 

"My wolf is shy and I do not think she is ready to meet you yet. Perhaps we could walk in this form instead. Do you have a favourite place to go?"

His face fell at the idea and I felt a pang of guilt for making him unhappy but pushed it down. It was the promised bond, not actual care because I could not care for someone I barely knew.

"You could tell me about yourself," I added, hoping this would make up for this. It seemed to as he pulled me closer to him and nodded.

We entered the forest on a well-worn trail and I breathed in the heavenly scent of pine and oak that filled the air. The forests in Lycaon were unmatched by any place I had ever been to and it was the one thing I had missed when I had moved from Lycaon to Santorini as a child. So to be back in one was almost surreal and I savoured every moment, enjoying the sounds of a rabbit scampering across the earth and a bird's wings flapping above our heads. 

Glancing at him with surprise as he suddenly pulled me off the trail, I peered down the overgrown track we had veered onto to figure out where we were heading. Unlike before, this track was almost empty of the scent of wolves, except for his heavenly scent which hung thick in the air around us. 

"Where are we going," I asked softly.

He smiled at me. "You said you wanted to get to know me. So I am taking you to my Heleus' favourite place."

"Heleus?"

"My wolf," he smiled, enjoying the way the name sounded in my voice. "What is your wolf's name?"

It shocked me how long it took me to try and recall her name. It had been so long since she was a part of my life and I had almost forgotten she was a part of me. "Philomela," I finally came out with. "Her name is Philomela."

Another smile graced his lips and it was echoed on my own face. "That is a beautiful name, just like yours. Heleus and I cannot wait to meet her."

I did not know how to reply to that so I just nodded, turning back to the scene in front of us and we entered a clearing. Gasping was the only way I could communicate my thoughts as I looked at the stunning sight in front of us.