The Last Spirit Wolf (Elena Norwood)

-Noah-

After toweling Vera dry and making sure she was asleep, I exit the room slowly, making sure not to wake her.

I knew Vera was an excellent fighter already, but could she had gotten better these past months? Even Caleb commented on how impressed he was with her fighting; not that I'm surprised. Anyone who hasn't already seen her fight will naturally doubt her abilities, and Caleb was nowhere close when she was fighting Alistair's army.

Still, I wasn't expecting for any of this to happen. Violet using magic to enhance her abilities? Cecil going against a centuries old tradition and interrupting an official fight? What the actual f**k.

I had to fight every muscle in my body to not kill Cecil the minute she stepped into the ring. If not because Vera indicated that she could handle her, I wouldn't have hesitated; and well, as Eli later pointed out, it would be a political nightmare. Politics.

I'm really sick and tired of that shit.

I walk through the manor in the direction of my objective.

When I'm there, I knock decisively on the door.

"Come in," Cecil says.

I open the door and step into the room, the maids tending to her quickly bowing to me; they didn't do that before. "Queen Cecil," I say.

I've been saying her name like this sarcastically this entire time, but I don't believe she ever caught on to that.

"Your Highness," she says, standing up from her chair and bowing to me as well, "please, just Cecil."

That's a first.

"Cecil, there are matters we have to discuss."

"Of course, Your Highness."Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

As she says this, the maids scatter, one of them closing the door behind them to make sure we have complete privacy.

Cecil remains standing, a feat that is noticeably hard for her at the moment. Through her flowy dress, I can see her stomach has been heavily bandaged where Vera injured her with the sword; her left arm is resting on a sling, her back heavily bandaged as well. There is a faint smell of herbs.

"Please, sit," I motion for her to take a seat again, but she doesn't budge.

"Fine," I say, sitting first across from her.

This is her cue to sit down. It's a very stupid custom if you ask me.

"Well, I think it's very evident that Lucas, my warrior, is Violet's Goddess chosen mate. I'm here to ensure they can be together."

Her lips press into a thin line.

"Your Highness, with all due respect, I can't allow that to happen", she says.

Despite how much contempt I've felt for this woman during our stay here, I know that she's only following the rules and traditions she's been taught her entire life. Really, I'm angry at the entire system, not just her.

"Okay." I say, leaning forward in my seat, "thing is, they *will* end up together, Cecil, I'm only here as a courtesy to you and your family since you were so gracious to host us these past few days."

"Since when can a King decide on how we choose to live our lives, huh? After everything we have done for the Crown and the Royal Family, *this* is how you repay us? My husband would be ashamed to have served such a Family! Violet is of pure blood, she will not* marry a lowly warrior." She narrows her eyes at me.

"Well, first of all, it's an honorable trait. You wouldn't know because all you have here are servants and stable boys that you have chosen to call warriors. Second of all, Lucas is not just a warrior, he's like a little brother to me, meaning he will forever have my favor, the King's favor," I say, but she stays quiet, staring at me defiantly.

I lean back on my seat, crossing my arms.

"Lucky for you, this also means I have secured him a Council seat when he's of age."

Her eyes widen.

"What?" she whispers.

"You heard me correctly. He will have a Council seat when he is of age, and since Lucas, like myself, is an orphan, he will have no trouble taking up your family name, making sure it does not die with you and Violet." Her hand flies to her mouth.

"But - but how? There is a fixed number of seats," she pauses, "oh no, don't tell me you will take it away from another House, we would not survive the political retaliation, if that's the case, I rather you don't, I would..." I cut her off,

"He's taking William's seat."

She gapes at me.

"William's seat? Did he already agree to this?"

"Yes, he did."

"I don't understand, what did you offer him instead?"

"A comfortable retirement." I explain. "William isn't wed, and he's taken a vow of celibacy after his chosen mate passed away, meaning he will die childless. He was more than thrilled to offer up his seat to someone from his House." She stays silent for a while, processing this news.

A Council seat is the best anyone can hope for apart from being King; hence being the wife to a Council member is as good as it gets without being Queen.

"Your Highness... I - I don't know what to say, how to thank you..." she trails off.

"Don't thank me. Thank the Goddess for mating your daughter to Lucas."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a shadow emerging from one of the entrances to the manor. It's a figure with a cloak... and a bag.

I raise my head to sniff the air coming in from the open window and chuckle.

"Quite frankly, I think your daughter had already made up her mind, anyway," I nod at the figure and Cecil peeks through the window.

It is indeed Violet under that cloak, and she's carrying a big enough bag to make her intentions clear; also, she's heading for the stables.

When Cecil turns back to look at me, she doesn't look angered by this, instead, her expression has softened.

"She's a good girl, you know. All of her life, all she ever wanted to do was please her father and I," her expression turns sad, "to find ones mate is such a blessing from the Goddess, I have no doubt that Lucas is a very special man, one deserving of my daughter," she wipes at a tear that fell on her cheek, "everything we did. Your Highness, was out of desperation. Our house was about to die. With the death of my husband, all of our political credibility died with him. Violet was willing to marry anyone who would help revive this House's name, and when William wrote to us, saying you were interested and that we were *the first House* you would visit, we couldn't, under any circumstance, let that opportunity pass. It was our last chance."

I turn to look at the window.

Suddenly, Cecil doesn't seem like the bitch I saw her as before; even if I don't agree with her methods, she's just a mother trying her best to secure a good future for her daughter.

We stay quiet after this and I let my mind wander in the silence.

Inevitably, it always, always, wanders back to Vera.

Finding one's mate really is the ultimate blessing by the Goddess.

"How is your mate, Your Highness?" Cecil asks, now composed.

"Noah, please. My friends just call me Noah."

My request takes her aback, but she nods as I turn my attention to her.

"She's sleeping." I say.

"We could perhaps offer her some medicine; it really does work wonders and maybe Lilith can tend to her wounds?"

"She's healed," I say, keeping my answers short.

I don't really want to discuss Vera with someone who showed such hostility towards her, even if I now understand why. "Oh, she heals fast," Cecil frowns.

"For a wolf?" I voice her confusion.

She smiles sheepishly.

"They're a lot more resilient than you'd think," I say, mostly speaking to myself and staring back out the window.

A moment passes before Cecil speaks again.

"She really is something special, isn't she?"

I smile at this; a polite smile at that.

"You have no idea."

"Your Highness, if I may," she begins, but waits for me to nod before she continues, "the other Houses will stop at nothing to get you to marry their daughters. I can tell you from experience, they are brutal. If you think our antics were bad, wait until you experience theirs; wolf's bane will be the least of your concerns. Your mate is clearly smart and perceptive, not to mention a brilliant fighter, but how much more will you put her through until you finally have to take in a wife, anyway? She can't keep fighting these women forever."

I grind my teeth, staring directly at Cecil.

No.

Absolutely not.

*F**k* no.

There will be *no more fighting* for Vera.

This ends now.

And I will not take in a fucking wife.

*Fuck* the Council.

I feel my lycan rising to the surface slowly, but I control it before he comes too close.

When I come out of my thoughts and focus back on Cecil, I notice she's staring at me with wide eyes, and her heart is racing abnormally fast.

I frown and think back to what Vera said earlier, about my aura or whatever; she looked worried back in the bath. Maybe I have to start paying closer attention to this..... thing.

"Thank you for your advice, Cecil," I say, standing up.

"No, please," she stands up, wincing in pain, "I thank you for what you have given this House, Your Highness. You will forever have this House's loyalty and gratitude. If ever you need of me. please feel free to write to me."

I smile at her, coming close to her to shake her hand.

"I might have to take you up on that." I say, squeezing her hand slightly.

"Anytime," she says, a genuine smile on her face.

"Have a good night," I say, making my way to the door.

"You too," she says.

And with that, I return to the only place I ever want to be.

At Vera's side.