Red String {EDITING}

Little Sister

"You ready for your first train journey?" Rylan smiled, holding her hand as they waited on the platform – suitcases at the ready.

"We're travelling First Class, and the meals are all paid for." Blaze said, sitting back on the bench. "Ah, sometimes I love being an Alpha – despite the workload."

"We'll be eating on a train?" Lyra asked. "I didn't think you did that."

"This is a sleeper train." Blu explained, prodding Blaze from time to time to ensure he didn't drift off to sleep. "The journey to the Elder Region takes roughly five days."

"Five days?!"

"It's a fair distance away, Ly." Rylan said, watching as the train pulled into the station. "Which is why we'll be staying there for three weeks at the very least..."

"Think of it as a honeymoon... Where you and Rylan can have a lot of fun..." Blaze mumbled in her ear, promptly receiving an elbow to the stomach from an irritated Rylan followed by a chop on the head from Blu.

"Come on Blaze." Blaine smiled at him, helping Thorn carry their luggage onto the train. "Before Rylan ties you to that little ladder on the outside of the train..."

"You know... That's a very good idea..." Rylan mumbled, leading Lyra inside the large cabin that was all theirs for five days. "Come on, Ly. Let's grab the best seats." He said, leading her to a set of leather seats facing the way they were travelling.

"Can I sit by the window?" Lyra asked, staring outside at the practically empty station.

"Of course." He smiled. "You don't have to ask." He said, slinging an arm around her shoulders as he sat next to her.

"The others will be fine on their own, won't they?" Blaze asked, sitting down opposite them. "They'll be able to hold their own against Omega Taurus if they try another full-scale attack, right?"

"They'll be fine." Rylan sighed. "We're the ones in the most danger, idiot."

"We've just got to keep our guard up at all times." Thorn said, sitting opposite Lyra alongside Blaine, while Blu sat next to the two of them. "All it means is that at least one of us needs to be on watch at night while the others sleep."

"I don't mind taking the first half of tonight." Blu said.

"I'll take the second." Blaine volunteered.

"I suppose that means me and the idiot are taking the second night." Thorn said, glancing over at Blaze.

"Does that mean we're taking the third?" Lyra turned to her mate, who chopped her on the head with his hand gently.

"No, silly." He sighed, pulling her into his lap. "The whole purpose of this watch is to protect you, and that doesn't really work if you're the one on watch."

"Oh."

His hands tickled her sides. "Stop looking so hurt." Rylan said, grinning as she squirmed. "It's not because I don't think you're capable, I know you are, since you gave Blaze a very nice black eye – it's because I want to protect you... and the best way to do that is to stay with you every minute of the day... and night..."

"They've got a double bed down there." Blaze pointed down the small flight of steps. "But I bagsied it, so you'll have to have fun on one of the single beds."

"We'll see." Rylan said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes as the train began to move.

Lyra was instantly fixated on the window, watching as the scenery went by, a smile on her wide-eyed face.

"Still a little kid..." Thorn shook his head.

"Are you still taking care of Lorna?" Lyra asked, facing him for the first time since she'd woken up that morning – after the dream that had triggered her memories

"Lorna...?" Thorn trailed off, his eyes wide. "You remember."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "I wanted you to remember in your own time... and I didn't want you to feel guilty about forgetting..."

"I knew you were taking it easy on me that fight." Lyra scowled. "And now I know why."

"You were like a little sister to me, Ly." He said. "We were inseparable for five whole years..."

"I am."

"Huh?"

"I'm still like a little sister to you, aren't I?" Her eyes pleaded with his red ones. "I'm not a stranger to you, am I?"

"Aww." Blaine glared at the blonde. "You're gonna make her cry at this rate, meanie."

Thorn gave him a withering glance. "Don't be stupid." He had her wrapped in his arms in an instant, ruffling her hair in the next as he pushed her back towards her disgruntled mate. "You'll always be my little sis, Ly. Don't you forget that."

Ly smiled. "Then when we get to the Elder Region, to that Stonebrick Castle-"

"Stonewall." Rylan corrected.

"You'll fight me for real, won't you?"

"If that's what you want... but we'll probably both have to go to Finar after we're done." Thorn grinned, glancing at the Alpha King. "Because I'll beat you, and then Rylan will get revenge for you... I don't know whether you've seen how vengeful your lovely mate can get yet, but if we fight and I send you to the hospital, then I'll end up in the bed next to yours."

"And Rylan will end up in bed with you." Blaze muttered quietly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Rylan tilted his head. "She's my mate, I thought you'd understand... Oh wait. How could you? You haven't found yours yet..."

"I'll find mine soon."

"Hmmm." A toothy grin appeared on Rylan's face. "Well, I hope for your sakes you do... You wouldn't want to turn out like Elder Blythe – who still hasn't found his mate after over five hundred years..."

Blaze winced.

"And on that note, does anyone want to go and get dinner in the buffet car?" Blu asked.

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ILLENIS HERE

We're over halfway through the book - not too many chapters left until the end... Maybe around ten or less... In fact, I don't really know, since if another idea or two pops into my head then it might end up being a tad longer. All I know is that this is (should be roughly) past the halfway point, but don't worry, you'll be seeing Lyra and Rylan around in the next book - I just won't be focusing on them.

I know this will probably be quite a few chapters shorter than those other werewolf books that seem to go on into the 50 - 90 chapter ranges, but that's just how the story goes. Quality over quantity is my excuse... because after you pass a certain mark, a story can just seem to drag on... and I don't want that to happen here.

You'll also probably have noticed: there have been no p's that have been popped, and there shall be none...

So sorry if you were hoping for that, but you can pop all the p's you want in real life and in your own works, so don't lose heart.

TTFN.

Illenis out.

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