The brightness in his eyes faded a little. My words had brought him back to reality, reminded him of the impossibility of the task ahead. I could practically read his thoughts from his expression—a trip to The Shade for him was not likely to happen for a long, long time.
I cleared my throat, wanting to lift the mood again. “So, uh, is there anything else you wanted to know about me or my home?”
He paused, his expression slowly turning thoughtful. Then he asked, “Do you have a husband?”
I scoffed. “No,” I said. “I don’t even have a boyfriend.” I have never had an actual boyfriend, was what I should’ve said.
“Why?” he asked, appearing genuinely puzzled.
“Well, first of all, I’m only nineteen. And second, betrothal from birth is not a practice where I come from.”
His frown deepened. “So?”
“So what?” I asked.
“So how do marriages take place?”
This young man really was from another world. I wondered if all werewolves were so traditional. The werewolves in The Shade certainly didn’t find choosing a life partner for oneself such a foreign concept—but perhaps that was because they were rebels. Outcasts. They had already shunned their life and people in The Woodlands and abandoned their native customs.
“A man and woman choose one another,” I said simply.
“I see.” He paused again. “Some wolf packs in The Woodlands do this too. Not many, though.”
“Aha… I suppose your parents were betrothed to one another from childhood also.”
He nodded.
We lapsed into silence. When Bastien had first pulled me into this position, so… surrounded by him… I had felt awkward and uncomfortable. But now I felt relaxed. As the first signs of morning began to show on the horizon I even dared to reach out and take his hand. Pulling it to me, I was curious to see just how much larger it was compared to mine. I placed my palm against his and practically laughed at the size difference. Then I glanced down at his feet…
I felt Bastien’s breath against my neck as he looked over our shoulder at our hands pressed together. His fingers curved upward and closed around the tips of mine. His palms were so rough, toughened from God knew how many human years of swinging through the trees.
I twined my fingers with his and lifted his hand, resting it back on his knee from where I had taken it.
Bastien cleared his throat. “The packs were not planning to stay here for long,” he said. “They may already be up and getting ready to leave now. I think we should head back down.”
I shuffled forward a little on the branch as he raised himself. He reached down a hand and helped me up before guiding me onto his back. After making sure I was holding on tight enough, he began to carry me down the tree in long, graceful leaps. He dropped about six feet at a time, making my stomach lurch and clench. On reaching the ground, we returned to the lake where we had left the other wolves. All the wolves within my view still appeared to be asleep.
“They will rise soon,” Bastien informed me. “But since we are awake, we might as well make good use of this time.”
He carried me away from the crowds of sleeping wolves, in a diagonal line toward the lake. We entered a thick cluster of trees that lined its border. Snaking his way through them, he brought us to a small, enclosed piece of grassland. The trees formed a natural shield from the rest of the woods. I couldn’t see a single wolf from where we stood.
He walked to the bank and put me down. Kneeling, he drank palmful after palmful of water. Realizing that I was thirsty myself, I scooped up some water too and drank. It wasn’t quite as crystal clear as the river water had been, but it still tasted pure and clean.
Once I had fully rehydrated myself, I glanced at Bastien. He was standing now, unbuttoning his shirt. He discarded it, revealing the marvel that his physique was, before diving into the lake.
Water splashed around me, a few droplets falling on my face and hands. The water was cold, and I shivered just at the thought of going in there. But as I watched him dip beneath the surface and begin swimming, I felt the urge to join him. I wasn’t sure when I’d next get the chance for a wash. Something told me that on this crazy journey, I needed to take opportunities as they came.