In truth he'd never expected her to come back. Honestly at some point he'd just assumed he'd never see her again and while he hoped and daydreamed about seeing her he treated the thoughts as silly fantasy. Such thoughts could never be reality. And yet here he'd found her. Roman. And suddenly the young ruler found himself torn. He'd established his own pack and she had made another. They were close allies, together and yet some how still apart. Drashiel would much rather be ruling at her side. He didn't want to be just her brother, just her close friend? hell he didn't even want to be her lover. He wanted to be her mate, her King.


A sudden cough wracked through the males chest but he shook it aside. The air was bitingly code this fall and the weather would only be getting worse and his thoughts drifted back to his pack. How would they feel about merging with Regium? Was he showing some sort of weakness? How would Roman feel? Would she see him as weak and cast him aside for this folly?


Drashiel halted suddenly in his tracks. He was more than smitten with Roman? that he would go to such lengths to be with her? Shit?. he really was in love.


"Speech"

Katja's limping steps took her north at the little healer's prompting - at first nearly dragged, near insensible from the loss of blood but now moving with more purpose, if not more sense. She didn't know why the healer had chosen this direction or if he'd chosen it at random since she hadn't spoken or even listened to him since she'd awoken, but she continued along it stubbornly. Her mind roiled in a turmoil of thoughts and pain and plans, but one stood out among the rest - Find Raisa, and she denied it. She would not find Raisa, not like this. Not as a supplicant and a failure. She would find her on her own terms, worthy. The bitter cold of the north was a strangely welcome change from the softer southern lands. She welcomed, needed the harsh environment. She had lost the favor of the gods, proved herself weak when she maimed Jaeger and allowed him to leave instead of killing him or dragging him home to justice. She had lost Yfir, the pack she'd been led to by the gods, for she was unworthy of it. Her family scattered once again. Weak, allowing the world around her to shape her instead of her it. She'd tumbled far enough in her weakness - it was time to wake up again. Her steps halted and for the first time since she'd been dragged from the challenge she looked up from the ground. She was startled to find herself face to face with another wolf, a young tan-masked male standing some feet away, though she smoothed the surprise beneath a cool mask and watched him distantly. She said nothing, just stood silent and observed him with a frank and forthright stare, making no effort to move aside or to hide her clear regard, the way her eyes clearly assessed him. ? Walk "Talk"