The Adventures of Iron Wolves: Book 1 - Alpha
Aftermath

Stykes sat in the smallest meeting hall within the Lunarian Palace with Hawkeye, Dusk and Rue. “Anima plans to join the Lunarian lands with the Iron Wolves. She wants to keep the titles separate but both within the protective boundaries. Her idea, I believe, is that both armies protect both lands. A twist in the term allied lands.” He leaned back and watched them carefully. “I agree that if we combine the lands that it will benefit both. But I am worried about the reaction that the Elves in the Iron Wolves will have.”

He listened to them carefully. Taking in their observations and advice before dismissing everyone for the night. He sighed and walked slowly to Anima’s bedroom, turning his thoughts over in his mind trying to make sense of them.

Opening the door, stepped in to see only blue strands of hair sticking out from under the blanket. Asleep? He peeled back the blanket to reveal her open blue eyes, staring and out of focus. “What are you doing?” he asked her quietly. “I know you don’t sleep with your eyes open so either you’re waiting up for me or something is on your mind.”

She sat up and looked at him, her blue eyes clear and bright. “You still don’t have my memories?” She blinked and kneeled on the bed until she was eye-level with him. “You wouldn’t be asking that if you had them.” Stykes wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him tightly. She looked with her head tilted curiously to one side. “Did you want them?”

“What kind of question is that?” Stykes asked, his ears pricking up at the sound of boots outside the door. He smiled, knowing who it was, and moved his hands down and then upwards again under her the light satin nightgown she wore.

“Of course I want them… Anyway, you already know that we haven’t traded equally.” He bent his head to touch her nose with his. “You believe in equal trade as an Alchemist.”

He moved his hands up until he reached her chest. Anima lifted her arms, allowing him to pull the nightgown off her. His pulled her close again, his hands now working to undo the knot in her breast band. Anima moved her hands under his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders, revealing a few scars. She traced them curiously.

Stykes pulled off her breast band and said quietly. “I received those from Shiro when I exiled him from the Royal Family. He wanted to disable my arms so I couldn’t attack him.”

He pushed her backwards onto the bed and kissed her deeply. His mind flicked through her memories like a movie in fast forward, pausing briefly at important moments for him to watch in full. When he finally pulled back from the kiss, Anima knew he now had seen everything about her. The feeling felt alien yet comforting at the same time.

Rue paced outside Anima’s bedroom, frustrated with the jealousy he had rising viciously within him. He knew he was the one who placed the ring on Anima’s finger, binding her to Stykes. He knew that she loved Stykes over anything else that was alive in the world. He knew she would never betray Stykes and be with him. Rue banged his head against the wall until he drew blood.

“You can’t fight what is to be,” Aruna said softly. Rue jumped in fright and turned to lean against the wall. “If you do, there will be many people against you. The old king, King Neflyte, and Rosiel would stop you.” She placed her hand on the wounds that covered his forehead.

“I know!” he cried more frustrated with Aruna now for voicing his grievances. “But…” He shivered while Aruna healed him. “But what I want…” He sighed, his breath releasing the rest of the unspoken sentence.

Aruna nodded understandingly. “I too have things that I want but I can’t let what I want interfere with what is destiny.” Rue slammed his fist against the wall at this statement, causing more blood to flow. “You need to realize that nothing is by chance anymore. The world is spinning towards the end and we are merely pawns to be used until the end game.”

Rue stared at her. “What do you mean?” His hands shook now, scared at what he might hear. “The world is going to end soon?”

“Not soon,” Aruna said quietly. “Nemia had a very grim vision. The creature in the Elven Realm will break free into this world. Soon it will begin to devour everything. She saw three figures standing against the creature, destroying it with their combined power. She couldn’t see their faces but she knew they were either children or descendants of Stykes and Anima.” Rue sat down onto the floor hard, his legs no longer able to hold him upright. “If they are pulled apart now, this world will be destroyed.”

Rue sat, his head in his hands, shaking violently at the thought of this possible future. “I’m… afraid… Aruna…” He said, his voice barely making it past his lips. Aruna knelt and hugged him comfortingly.

Hawkeye and Dusk scouted the grounds of Lunarian Palace. Their full elf blood sensed Stykes and Anima’s emotions within the palace causing them to feel very uneasy.

“How is it going to be if we’re all at Headquarters?” Hawkeye cried still sensing Stykes’ looping emotions. “It’s going to make everyone uncomfortable.”

“Anima’s bedroom is open air,” Dusk replied calmly. “Their emotions are drifting on that air so we sense them strongly. Within the tower at Headquarters, there are fewer windows. So unless they have sex with the bedroom door open, we aren’t going to know.” He sensed a strange spike in Anima’s emotions, one that clearly said pain. “Let’s take a walk in Virago City… To the markets and we can get them a present, like as a congratulations.”

Hawkeye nodded and shuddered at the same time. “Good idea. I don’t think I can handle going into the palace at this time.”

Anima laid content in Stykes’ arms, her ear against his chest listening to his breathing.

“What was the terms Rosiel asked of you,” Stykes asked her, unable to keep his curiosity bottled up anymore. He knew he could search her memories for the answer, but he wanted to hear her voice.

“If our first born is female,” Anima replied quietly, tracing her fingers over his chest. “That we name her Rosiel.”

Anima’s emotions had a slightly hurt tone to them. Stykes smiled and rolled onto her again. “It’s the 27th solar day of September,” he said, his right hand moving to hold her left hand. “Your birthday.”

Anima smiled up at him, all hurt tones disappearing. He leaned over and kissed her gently. Only after he raised his head again did Anima speak.

“My sixteenth,” she said, her voice soft and a little husky. “And will probably be the happiest year in my life.”