Mountains Vast and a Kingdom So Red

Chapter 5

On the seventeenth day, I let my parents and the servants know that I have a date. They wish me a triumphant time, but they do not pry because I am an adult, and romance isn't taboo in Aux Duvrex, it's the norm for eighteen year olds to go off and explore its offerings. The mirror in the living room provides me one last look at my outfit which is a tight blouse, flared jeans, and wedges that I selected from an intercontinental catalog. I hope Leviys likes how I look. Maybe because I'm in a cheery mood, I kiss Damien and Winter goodbye. Damien's disgust makes me want to deck him, but my half sister is so receptive; I tousle her hair.

After making sure my wand is secure, I hop on my hover board and coast to the hostel. In the spirit of clarity, it is called Ymi, and I'm drawn to the quirky windows and its chimney. I knock on the inn door, my stomach twisting. I can't be this nervous, my impression was so besotting he called me a minx: a wanton maiden, flirtatious, in heat.

A person with a skelton tattoo on their arm answers and asks which resident I'm inquiring after. They boot up a list with a computer.

"His name is Leviys. I don't know the room number."

They wonder if it's a different name. My brain spins in circles. I do not know the names of the shifters he's brought with him. The innkeeper says, "It is okay, Mikah. You can sit in the lounge and wait for them."

"Thank you," I say and find the couch. It's is so dusty I could sneeze. Peering toward the staircase, I see him walk down with two omegas from his pack. His furry ears perk up and he picks me up, turning his body before letting my boots touch the floor and giving me a normal hug. I breathe him in, soft scents of sliced apple and wood, not a wrinkle to be found in his baby blue shirt.

"Hi Princess," he says, whiskey brown eyes, doing absolutely nothing but looking, but making me feel like something special. L gestures to the two shifters. "This is Cyril and Rian."

"Hey," both of them speak. Rian is the one who trashed the banner, but in all fairness, a little mischief is necessary at a fairie festival. Cyril is shorter than his friends, but his demeanor is icy and I square my shoulders to show I am not intimidated.

"My pack are doing their own thing today. It will just be you and me." Leviys says. I swoon internally, a real date is in store for us. I grab his hand and we exit the hostel.

"Leviys!" Rian shouts at him. "You forgot the spare room key."

The tavern he takes me to resides in the fifth bow, I've never been. It's a bite of a dive in the sense of the game selection which consists of billiards, darts and Tower. But the musician on the octagonal stage plays lovely music with a sitar, and there are over 50 kinds of sparkling wine.

"What do you think?" Leviys asks once we each get a cork stool.

"It's perfect," I respond, studying the papyrus menu. "I want the Bordux with cherry syrup." He mimics a gagging sound.

"That is overly sweet. Since I am, in your words, a gentleman, I will get the Bordux by itself in a stemmed glass."

"Oooh. I want a stemmed glass too. Do you have any pink ones?" I ask the server.

She nods. "Y'all ready to order?"

After we have our drinks, I feel at a loss of words. What do I say to a man whom I basically saw naked in the darkness belied by moon shine? He seems nervous too.

"Your wolf transformation, what does it look like?"

Leviys smiles. "I'll have to show you my canine self, but I am adorable killing machine with an intense sense of smell, razor sharp clothes and teeth."

I'm impressed. The music changes abruptly, the man in a state of bliss, transient how his fingers grip the strings. "How come you have fur now, as a human?"

He blushes. "My genes, I guess, some of my pack do not have any fur unless they're in wolf form, and some have fur on their faces and between their toes."

Now it's my turn to make a face. "Eww, wpwt!" At his confused place I explain: "wrong place, wrong time." Laughing, we order a second round.

Billiards is fun when a rakish wolf shows you what to do with a stick. However, he is not overbearing. He simply places a hand on my waist and watches as I release the stick to hit a ball. It nearly slips into the pocket. I groan. "Question, what is your favorite thing about being a princess?"

"My duties. Well, I guess they are also my least favorite. I love having a purpose in life, it's been the same one since I was born. Become triumphant in every area I can: oration, grace, the art of combat, magic."

"Magic is your favorite part," he deduces.

"Yes. It is the area I am least skilled, but it's unpredictable, having a wand in your hand. A wand isn't a slave. It has a mind of its own, and before you cast a spell it has to agree with you–make sure you're not doing an evil takeover of the universe."

"How many spells do you know by heart?" He asks with genuine curiosity.

I glare at him. "This isn't the Mikah show, I can't be spilling all my secrets."

His hand leaves my waist as he grabs my chin. "Maybe it should be the Mikah show." He lets go, my vagina tingling. "Now, my turn." Leviys leverages his stick and hits the ball.