Lover Of The Last

18. Lover Of The Last

You called me out and taught me tough

With love, with love

You fought my flaws, my teeth, my claws

Arabelle

I was surprised when I realized I hadn't screamed. My body was tightly latched to Riley's as he regained his balanced from the three-story leap he just took. A sound in between a huff and a bark, his way of laughing at me, came from deep in his chest and I rolled my eyes.

"Let's go." I spoke quickly, nerves making my voice rushed and anxious. "You know I hate the dark."

I felt him nod at my words and instantly re-tightened my grip. My body felt every strong muscle beneath it as he pushed off his hind legs and into a full run. The sound of claws on stone was the only noise around us as he raced to the front of the Palace. I trusted that his eyes could see through the ink-black night and prayed he knew what he was doing.

We made it to the entryway and slowed, with me completely flat on his back and his stance low and cautious. Near the huge wooden doors, guards held torches in one hand, crossbows loaded with stakes in the other. Riley maneuvered through the shadows and with his raven fur and my black gown, we were invisible.

"How do we get past the gate?" I whispered into his ear as quietly as I could, knowing he was planning to go somewhere beyond the Palace's limits. The huge iron gates were locked for the night and slippery from holy water; their bars glistening in the orange torch light.

Riley huffed lowly, as if in thought. I looked towards the guards quickly, my view hidden slightly by Riley's fur. I recognized Derek standing with his weapon and torch, his spiked hair and beard giving him away. He looked exhausted and if I looked close enough, his hands were shaking; causing the light of his flame to as well.

Concern for him had distracted me from what was going on. I hadn't even noticed Riley had moved backwards, as if sizing up the distance between us and the gate. I ripped my eyes away from Derek and was about to whisper into Riley's ear to ask what was going through his insane mind, but was cut off.

He broke out into a full run once more, faster than any known animal or man. Our bodies were headed right for the iron gates. As he took one last bound, pushing off his hind legs, I buried my face into his neck and clung on for dear life; and to prevent myself from screaming.

We landed gracefully, just like from the balcony and I let out a heavy breath. "No more jumping." I whispered harshly in his ear, knowing he had no clue how terrifying it was to be a fragile human on the back of a fearless wolf.

He bumped my arm with his cold nose, indicating to tighten my hold once more. I laid my head back down on his neck and felt him take off once more.

Wind ripped my hair straight back, drying it completely of bath water as we raced into the night. I sensed his body turning and ducking for my sake. I kept my eyes shut but knew when we were in the villages, his claws clicking on the cobblestone. And I knew when he had past into the Dark Forest.

The air got rotten and cold; all sense of safety and security, gone. I cracked my eyes open in the slightest, not being able to resist my curiosity. Dead tress and terrifying shadows were all I could make out from the limited light and because of how fast we were going.

I instantly shut them and clung to my wolf. His omniscient sense of safety radiated off him like always and I used it as my sanity while we raced through the forest I grew up to fear.

After what seemed like hours, his pace began to slow considerably. My body was weak and fatigue from holding on so long and I wondered if I could fall asleep on his back, buried in soft fur.