Once Upon A Time (15 page)

Merida
murmured in her sleep at my touch, and feeling through the budding
Mating bond that was forming between us that my touch was welcome
made even the slight tension in my shoulders relax. I was loath to
wake her, knowing that she was still recovering both from her
injuries and from the changes that her body and mind would undergo
changing from human to Cŵn Annwn. I wondered whether her wolf would
be dark like mine, the sable richness of her hair matching the fur
of her wolf. I found myself hoping that this would be the case; my
little human matching my own black wolf.

Still, I
needed her to wake. The changes that would affect her would need to
be fuelled and that meant that she needed to eat, and that, in
turn, meant that I needed her to wake.

“
Little human.” I murmured, stroking her hair. I leaned down
to press a kiss to her head. “Little human, time for you to
wake.”

Merida
murmured sleepily. I heard her whisper my name. Gently, I moved her
so that she was more upright, but with her head still in my
shoulder. “Little human, I need you to wake up so that you may eat
something.” I murmured again.

“
Owain.” Merida voice was still sleepy.

“
Come on, sleepy head.” I pulled the quilt up to preserve her
modesty. “You need to eat.”

“
Mmm … I want to sleep more.” Merida’s voice was
soft.

“
Well, you could, but then, you need to let me up, so I may
fetch you something from the kitchens. You will need to eat, little
human. It takes energy to heal.”

“
But I want to sleep.” The protest was soft but
insistent.

“
And you may sleep, but you must eat.” Whilst it was far from
common for humans to join the Cŵn Annwn, the need to sleep was
something that was not unexpected.

Suddenly
Merida sat up. “But I don’t have any clothes.” She squeaked. “I
can’t go downstairs in just your shirt.”

My smile was
wider, but it didn’t help her predicament to her mind. “Owain, my
clothes were wrecked. All my stuff is back at my apartment. Omigod!
My job! I was supposed to be at work today. Only for half a day,
but I was supposed to be at work. I’ll lose my job.” She started to
shake, a combination of delayed reaction and the rapid stream of
thoughts and concerns running through her head.

“
Whoa! Slow down, little human.” I stroked her head, before
pulling her closer to me. “First, clothing is not a problem. We
have people your size, and I am sure we can find something that
will fit you. With regard to your job, I asked Alix, Bran’s Mate to
call them. Alix is a police officer, so it was entirely believable
when she told them that you had been injured in an attack, and were
recovering from your injuries. If you still want to work, then you
can, but given that I have been a Pack Beta for the last couple of
centuries, I have more than enough to support you, also. You can
decide on that when you have recovered.”

Stroking my
little human seemed to help her, and her breathing calmed a little.
“Now, first things first.” I asked one of the teens to bring me
some clothing which would be the right size for Merida. Whilst I
could have just flashed something in, there was a lot that she
needed to learn about our world, and sometimes, it was the little
things like flashing on a fresh set of clothes after shifting which
tipped the balance.

There was a
knock on the door, and I slipped from the bed to open the door.
Taking the pile of clothing which had arrived, I brought it back to
the bed. “There you go, everything you might need just for casual
wear, including a sports bra, knickers, and some t-shirts and track
pants. There is no need for formal clothing, and you will find that
we tend to prefer natural fibres. The bathroom is over there, and I
can help you if you wish. Alternatively, while you wash and dress,
I will fetch you something to eat?”

I sat on the
bed next to the pile of clothing. “Merida? Everything will be okay,
but it just takes a bit of time to become accustomed to
everything.” Taking her hand, I tried to explain. “You will find
that your hearing will improve, your sense of smell will improve.
You have already noticed that your body temperature now matches
mine. The blood that I gave you will be healing your injuries, but
you need to eat, to ‘fuel’ that healing process.”

“
Will I change, Owain? Or will I still be me?” Merida’s voice
was a whisper.

“
You will always be my little human, Merida.” My voice was
hoarse. “You will always have that. But, I won’t lie to you. You
will be different.” I smiled. “I won’t lie. I can’t wait until you
can come with me when I run. When the next Full Moon comes, you
will be able to change your shape to a wolf. We will be there to
help you, and you will be able to see how much more there is to
experience.”

“
I will become … a wolf? Really?” Merida’s shock showed on her
face.

“
Yes, little human. You will be able to change your shape into
a wolf.” I stroked her hair. “Chances are that you will be a dark
wolf, just like your lovely hair.” I continued to stroke her hair.
“But like I said, I will be there with you, and Gavril will be
there, as our Pack Alpha, to help you also. When we run as a Pack,
it is for sheer pleasure.”

Merida leaned
in against me. “A dark wolf? Like you?” She asked. Hesitantly, her
hand reached up to touch my hair.

“
Quite probably. Generally, our hair colour and our wolf
colour are similar. Gavril is dark also. Alix is unusual in that
she is a white wolf. Aaleahya is a lovely mix of grey and golden
tones.” I explained.

“
And this will happen at the full moon? Will I only be able to
change at a full moon, like the werewolves in horror stories?” She
half smiled.

“
No. Werewolves may only change on the moon. You are,
technically, a shifter. It means that will be able to change
whenever you need to do so, either to protect yourself or to
protect others, or just for the pleasure of a run.” I pressed a
kiss to her head, whilst I composed my thoughts. “You will also
have another form, because we are a bit more than shifters. But
that can wait. Let’s take you through your first change
first.”

Merida nodded.
“I’ll get dressed then. I think I would like to come downstairs to
eat, if that’s okay?”

I smiled. “It
is more than okay, my little human. The others are waiting to meet
you, but they don’t want you to feel rushed, or under any sort of
pressure. It is not every day that we welcome someone from outside
the Pack into our number, and you will find that they will be
curious about you.”

As was often
the case in the Hall, meals were informal. Merida knew this already
from the breakfasts she had shared with us. Eira smiled broadly
when she saw us, holding her arms wide in welcome.

“
Come, come, both of you. I have made something special for
you, Merida. It will help you recover faster and put a little more
meat on your bones. Trust me, you will find that the little plate
of fruit you have been eating so far for breakfast is nowhere near
enough food for you now.” As she chattered, Eira bustled around the
kitchen, pouring a high energy drink for Merida, and placing it at
the seat next to mine. “Now I know you don’t normally eat this, but
just try it.” Eira continued. “If you really feel that you can’t
eat it, then I will make something else for you.” A plate of food
followed her words. “Now sit, young lady, and start
eating.”

Merida looked
a bit doubtful at the small mountain of food placed in front of
her. She had admitted that she didn’t eat much for breakfast, but
this higher metabolism of a Cŵn Annwn would mean that her dietary
needs were going to change substantially.

“
Just try it, little human.” I suggested. “You might be
pleasantly surprised.”

Merida had a
dubious look on her face, but speared the pile of pancakes on the
plate in front of her. Eira had coated them generously with real
maple syrup, rich in carbohydrate. Cautiously, she inserted a
forkful into her mouth, and a look of surprise crossed her lovely
features. Another forkful followed, and before long, the plate was
empty. Eira looked on, with a smug look, as a second plate appeared
in front of Merida, almost by magic. The second plate disappeared,
just about as fast as the first. It was replaced by a plate
containing egss, bacon and another small stack of pancakes. Again
the food disappeared.

“
Now, drink the drink I have prepared for you, child. When you
need more food, I will be here to prepare it. Come and eat as often
as you feel necessary. The kitchens are always open.”

As we returned
to our rooms, I explained to Merida about the amount of food that
we did eat. “During the war, it was fortunate that Aaleahya had the
ability to ensure full harvests when we needed them, and that we
maintained herds of deer and other game animals in the forests
around our home in the Carpathians. We have a much higher
metabolism that humans, and that means we need more food. You will
find that, as Eira said, you will eat more, until such time as the
changes you are undergoing settle down.

“
But I ate so much just now.” Merida seemed
puzzled.

“
And that was just breakfast, my lovely little human.” I
smiled at her. “Now, indulge me, and let me carry you back
upstairs. You are still recovering, and I would rather all that
food went towards your recovery.”

Merida had
given me a soft smile, wrapping her arms around my neck, as I
lifted her into my arms.

As we returned
to my suite, I realised that I was enjoying myself, in just holding
Merida in my arms. Knowing that she seemed to feel as comfortable
as me with being so close, and seemed to enjoy being held? It was a
heady feeling. I had seen others in the Pack go through the mating
dance, the initial process of finding that other individual who was
our mate, the first few days of realising how good it felt to be
close, to be touching your mate. Interestingly, given that Gavril
and Aaleahya had been mated for over a century, that need to touch,
to be close had not shown any signs of decreasing. That was
something that, suddenly, I realised was mine to enjoy.

“
So, umm, what happens next, Owain?” Merida asked as I placed
her gently on the bed.

“
Now, my little human, I need to leave you to sleep. I am sure
you will need to sleep some more. I want to let Gavril and Angharad
know that you have woken and had something to eat. Gavril will need
to speak with you.” I explained.

“
You called him something, didn’t you? You said Gavril was
your … Alpha? What does that mean?” She asked.

“
Gavril is our leader, the leader of the Negrescu Cŵn Annwn,
and has been for the last few centuries. I suppose a human analogy
would be to say he is our King. I know you may be more familiar
with a president, but Gavril won the right to lead us, rather than
being elected. Our Alpha retains the role for life, and there is no
reason to want to change, when he does a bloody good job of leading
us.” I explained. “When you feel up to it, you will need to meet
with him, as there are things he needs to cover with you. Angharad
will also want to continue to monitor you, and make sure that you
are recovering.”

I sat down
next to her on the bed. “For now, though, your priority is to allow
yourself time to recover. There is Christmas Day tomorrow, and yes,
that means consuming even more food, no doubt.” I smiled. “But all
you need to worry about for the moment is sleeping, eating and
recovering your strength.” I stroked her hand, before pulling her
towards me, unable to resist holding her close. “I hope I have not
done you a disservice by bringing you into my world.”

Merida’s eyes
were closing as I spoke, so I eased myself away from her, making
her comfortable on the bed, and covering her with the quilt for
comfort. My little human had gone through a lot to reach this
stage. She was a very strong, very smart individual and I wondered
if that was part and parcel of why she had been sent to me as my
Mate.

“
Sleep well, my little human. I will be here for you when you
are ready.” As her eyes closed. “I love you, my little human.” I
whispered, kissing her hand gently.

Stretching
when I woke, I knew it was late, but then Gavril had ordered me to
take it easy. My priority was ensuring that 'my little human', my
Merida, had a better understanding of what had happened to her,
since my giving her my blood had transformed her into Cŵn Annwn,
particularly after the attack on her during the second Challenge
had caused her to transform, fully, a good half-moon before she
should have done.

As I looked at
my still sleeping Mate, I thanked the Goddess again for bringing
her into my life. For the moment, I was still sleeping in top of
the covers, a fragile barrier to taking our relationship further.
When Merida was ready, I was more than happy to take things
further, but for the moment, as Gavril said, she needed to
understand our world more, without any more unexpected
surprises.

Stroking her
face, I leaned down and kissed Merida gently. "Wake up, sleepy
head. You are going miss breakfast."

I had spent
time thinking of my new life. Of this change I have gone through.
Some could think it was bad, but me...for me it was amazing, scary
and unnerving but amazing. I had found a new family in an odd way,
but I am happy I did. Not only a family, but also a man who would
give his life for me.