His Liege

A Mound in the Snow

Blue doe eyes watched the sky above. They belonged to a shy, yet beautiful young boy by the name of Stelian. Small flakes of snow landed on his long black eyelashes. He had been walking, carrying his dagger in his hand. As the snow began to fall, his sight became more and more limited. He wondered if a snowstorm would be coming soon, and quickened his pace to hurry back. He suddenly felt a presence near him, and whirled around in panic. His eyes scanned the trees fearfully for a few minutes, the snow still obscuring his vision. Nothing. With a shaking breath, he continued on, hoping he would reach his village soon.

Lucian watched the boy under the cover of the snow. The intoxicating scent of him drove his wolf wild. Normally, a frail boy such as this one would not be the target of his wolf's hunger. Lucian and his clan often hunted the game and the occasional nosy human, but tended to leave the villagers alone as long as they did they same. This boy, however had thrown him from his trail, venturing out closer to the castle path and farther from his village. Lucian was never the type to turn down an easy meal. Prey was prey, after all, and that was what the boy had become. The trap would need to be set. With that thought, he took off running, intending to circle back. As he ran, his ears perked up, following the boy's soft voice as he sung himself hymns to pass the time. His voice drove Lucian's paws to pound the ground faster, the sound as beautiful as an Angel's. Once he was far enough away, the wolf lay in wait, as the sound of the boy's song grew closer.

Stelian continued walking, only slightly on edge as he sang. He knew he should not be bringing attention to himself, but singing calmed his nerves so well. The tune kept his feet moving, and the snow continued to fall. Soon, he reached a clearing in the forest, and straight ahead was a small pile of snow. He felt the presence again, and became wary.

"Hello?" The boy asked, his voice soft. Lucian studied him, but made no movements. Then, the realization hit. The boy was his. Large blue eyes found his darkened ones, and widened. Terror gripped Stelian as he remembered the descriptions his fellow villagers had given, seeing eyes as black as night before they lost a limb or a newborn child. Images of crimson blood on pale snow crossed his mind. A wolf had come for him. The wolf was stunning. While he feared for his life, the beautiful creature of darkness has entranced him. The night sky swirled in its eyes as it rose from its crouch to its full height. Black fur glistened in the pale forest light, covering his back and head, but his muzzle and undercarriage were pure white, with grey streaked throughout his fur, like a silver lining on a cloud. Stelian was too enthralled to notice he had began to walk toward the animal. When he finally stopped, he was less than a meter's length away, so close he could almost stroke the wolf's head.

"May I touch you?" The boy asked reverently, suddenly forgetting every warning that had ever entered his mind. For some reason, he felt the wolf was not intending to hurt him, but simply demanded the only the highest regard. Lucian's wolf rumbled happily at his mate's respect, and leaned his head forward. A rush of sparks flew between the boy and the wolf. Stelian's breathless gasp sent a thrum of pleasure through the wolf's body. Lucian wanted so desperately to reveal himself and ravish the beautiful boy, as was his right, but the moment was interrupted by the calling of a name.

"Stelian! Stelian, where are you?" A voice cried out from afar. The boy stiffened, looking toward the sound, then back to the wolf. The moment had passed and the boy backed away slowly, in fear. Lucian watched his doe-like mate as he suddenly took off ahead, looking back only once before speeding away. Lucian knew with complete certainty that he would have the boy soon enough. The hunt had begun.