Read Online Wizard's Heir (A Bard Without a Star, Book 1) by Michael A. Hooten - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael A. Hooten
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fairly close by.
He rushed towards the sound,
and found her waiting for him in a grassy hollow between several large
boulders. “You found me,” she said.
He stopped, suddenly unsure of
himself. “Are you going to attack me?” he asked.
“Why would I?”
“Long Claw said you have done
that to potential mates in the past.”
She came closer to him, and her
scent made him quiver. “It’s true, I have fought in the past,” she said. “But
I have little doubt that you would beat me. So I devised a different test for
you.”
“Did I pass?”
“You found me, didn’t you?”
She rubbed against him until her tail was in his face. Unable to control
himself any longer, he mounted her.
It felt almost as intense as
the mating with the doe, but Gwydion was able to think a little more clearly.
He was especially aware of the change that was happening, a growing connection
with Smooth Nose that went beyond the physical. But the physical could not be
denied, either, and soon enough even the ability to think had passed.
And then it was over. Gwydion
backed away, expecting the same distance to come emotionally as well, but as he
looked at Smooth Nose, he felt more drawn to her than ever. He rubbed up
against her, thinking that he had never seen anyone as beautiful. When she
nuzzled him, he said, “You are my sun and my moon.”
“You are my heart and my soul,”
she replied.
“We shall forever be one.”
“Until the heavens and the
earth pass away.”
“Even beyond that.” She smiled
at that, and he thought his heart would burst with love for her.
They spent three days together,
hunting mice and squirrels when they got hungry. When she told him it was time
to return to the pack, he knew she was right, despite his utter lack of
interest in doing so.
Long Claw greeted them with a
sense of relief. “I was afraid that something had happened that you could not
make it back to Moss Stone Pack,” he said.
Amid all the sniffing and other
greetings, Gwydion said, “There is no other pack and no other leader for us.”
And he was surprised to find that he meant it.
Gwydion joined the males for a
hunt the next day, and as spring turned to summer, he found his life as wolf
dominating. He could think and reason more than when he was a deer, but he did
not bother thinking much about his life at Caer Dathyl. It seemed remote,
unnecessary; he lived in the moment, thinking about the next hunt, or about
finding a suitable den for Smooth Nose to give birth in.
Long Claw watched them both,
and finally approached him. “Smooth Nose grows heavy with pups,” he said. “Soon,
you will need to take her away from here, to a place where she can raise them
in peace.”
“Is there danger in staying?”
“Not directly, but there can be
jealousy and bitterness. It could be worse since Brown Pads is still without a
litter.” He cocked his head. “And I think that now would be a good time to
form a new pack, from a new family.”
Moon Howl stood a moment in
surprise. “Are you sure? I feel unready to be a pack leader.”
“And by yourself, that would be
true,” Long Claw. “But with a mate like Smooth Nose, you will do well.”
“I bow to your wisdom,” Moon
Howl said. “But where do you suggest we go?”
“Go towards the rising sun,”
Long Claw answered. “You will come to a great forest that will feed you and
your mate, and there are hills there like mounds of large rocks. The ground in
between can be dug out, if you are patient.”
“Thank you, Long Claw,” Moon
Howl said. “You lead the pack well.”
“Thank you, Moon Howl. You
will be a great pack leader yourself.”
Moon Howl and Smooth Nose left
that afternoon, and spent three days finding the place Long Claw had spoken
of. The hills were more like cairns for giants, but as Long Claw said, they
were able to dig a den out between two massive boulders, ending up with a dry
cave, well sheltered from both the elements as well as other animals.
Smooth
He rushed towards the sound,
and found her waiting for him in a grassy hollow between several large
boulders. “You found me,” she said.
He stopped, suddenly unsure of
himself. “Are you going to attack me?” he asked.
“Why would I?”
“Long Claw said you have done
that to potential mates in the past.”
She came closer to him, and her
scent made him quiver. “It’s true, I have fought in the past,” she said. “But
I have little doubt that you would beat me. So I devised a different test for
you.”
“Did I pass?”
“You found me, didn’t you?”
She rubbed against him until her tail was in his face. Unable to control
himself any longer, he mounted her.
It felt almost as intense as
the mating with the doe, but Gwydion was able to think a little more clearly.
He was especially aware of the change that was happening, a growing connection
with Smooth Nose that went beyond the physical. But the physical could not be
denied, either, and soon enough even the ability to think had passed.
And then it was over. Gwydion
backed away, expecting the same distance to come emotionally as well, but as he
looked at Smooth Nose, he felt more drawn to her than ever. He rubbed up
against her, thinking that he had never seen anyone as beautiful. When she
nuzzled him, he said, “You are my sun and my moon.”
“You are my heart and my soul,”
she replied.
“We shall forever be one.”
“Until the heavens and the
earth pass away.”
“Even beyond that.” She smiled
at that, and he thought his heart would burst with love for her.
They spent three days together,
hunting mice and squirrels when they got hungry. When she told him it was time
to return to the pack, he knew she was right, despite his utter lack of
interest in doing so.
Long Claw greeted them with a
sense of relief. “I was afraid that something had happened that you could not
make it back to Moss Stone Pack,” he said.
Amid all the sniffing and other
greetings, Gwydion said, “There is no other pack and no other leader for us.”
And he was surprised to find that he meant it.
Gwydion joined the males for a
hunt the next day, and as spring turned to summer, he found his life as wolf
dominating. He could think and reason more than when he was a deer, but he did
not bother thinking much about his life at Caer Dathyl. It seemed remote,
unnecessary; he lived in the moment, thinking about the next hunt, or about
finding a suitable den for Smooth Nose to give birth in.
Long Claw watched them both,
and finally approached him. “Smooth Nose grows heavy with pups,” he said. “Soon,
you will need to take her away from here, to a place where she can raise them
in peace.”
“Is there danger in staying?”
“Not directly, but there can be
jealousy and bitterness. It could be worse since Brown Pads is still without a
litter.” He cocked his head. “And I think that now would be a good time to
form a new pack, from a new family.”
Moon Howl stood a moment in
surprise. “Are you sure? I feel unready to be a pack leader.”
“And by yourself, that would be
true,” Long Claw. “But with a mate like Smooth Nose, you will do well.”
“I bow to your wisdom,” Moon
Howl said. “But where do you suggest we go?”
“Go towards the rising sun,”
Long Claw answered. “You will come to a great forest that will feed you and
your mate, and there are hills there like mounds of large rocks. The ground in
between can be dug out, if you are patient.”
“Thank you, Long Claw,” Moon
Howl said. “You lead the pack well.”
“Thank you, Moon Howl. You
will be a great pack leader yourself.”
Moon Howl and Smooth Nose left
that afternoon, and spent three days finding the place Long Claw had spoken
of. The hills were more like cairns for giants, but as Long Claw said, they
were able to dig a den out between two massive boulders, ending up with a dry
cave, well sheltered from both the elements as well as other animals.
Smooth
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