Little Red's Riding

Happily After

"He was going to fight to the death until he saw you and what they'd done to you, I think. And then the fight went out of him. But he still couldn't stay here with us. He couldn't reconcile what he thought we are, even what you are, with what he'd seen. It was tearing him apart. And I think a large part of him felt guilty for bringing you here. He thought he was the hero, saving you and then at the end, all of that fell apart. He couldn't take it. Honestly, even after he put down his sword, I was afraid he was going to end himself."

"But he didn't?" Dahlia tried to get out of bed, but Silas quickly moved to her side, smoothing her dark hair back from her face.

"No. No we didn't let him. Soren was actually the one to stop him."

"Soren?" Dahlia looked confused for a moment, as if she couldn't quite place the name. "Oh you mean-" her eyebrows shot up. "You know I've never met him! Which is awful, I know. I should have. Especially once I found out about werewolves and who he really is to me."

"They rode together to the border once things had settled down. They talked a lot on the way I guess. It helped both of them I think. I think your brother ended up feeling better that Soren would look out for you. And I know you two have a lot of catching up to do once you're on your feet again."

"We do." Dahlia smiled, the smallest smile, but it warmed, Silas' heart to see it.

"And he said when he was settled he would write."

"Do you think he really will?" Dahlia stared at him, her dark eyes hopeful. He wasn't really sure if they would ever hear from the man again.

"I don't know, Dahlia. But if he wants to reach out to us, he knows where we are." She nodded slightly and then touched her temple lightly, wincing.

"It will get better every day, that's what the doctors have said. Now let's get you something to eat. You must be starving. And your mother and Lottie will kill me if they know you've been awake this long and I haven't called them yet."

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It had been a week since she'd woken and Dahlia stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection.

In a few hours she and Silas would be crowned in the great hall of the largest church of the Capital City and all the bells would ring out to celebrate their coronation. She stared at her reflection in the heavy gown and sighed. It was gorgeous. She just wished that her friends could be there so that they could celebrate together after everything that they had gone through.

Tansy had had to go home, as the new crown Princess of the Faye, her father was impatient to have her back on Fairy soil, so despite the importance of the occasion, which other heads of state were traveling to attend, they had had to say their goodbyes two days earlier with promises of a visit sometime in the future.

Silas had named Soren the Alpha of their pack and while he had been able to stay to represent their wolves, Lottie and Oliver had gone back home, because both Silas and Soren felt like too many of the pack leaders had been absent during a far too turbulent time and someone needed to return to offer reassurance to those who remained behind. Once things had settled Silas and Dahlia would visit their old pack and stay in the home that would always belong to Silas' family. But that was still months away. For now he needed to focus on his new job, being King of a large, prosperous, but at the moment, very chaotic kingdom going through an important transition.

Mrs. Lemp had also stayed behind, but at the moment she was spending quite a bit of time with her son. Soren had finally begun to open up to his mother about their years apart. They'd begun going to lunch each day after taking a turn sitting with Dahlia together while she had still been unconscious, so that Silas could get some work done, and even after she had woken up, the habit had stuck.