Hungry Heart - Book #4 - Ch. 9 (Patreon)

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Chapter Nine – The Red Thread of Destiny

Toru couldn’t tell, if asked, how they had been lifted through that prison of dirt and brought to the surface. As the sounds of awe coming from his companions proved, he wasn’t the only one to be amazed. They rolled over the marshes that solidified under them, like marbles over a smooth surface, until they finally stopped, all heaped together in an unshapely mass of limbs.

“The moon,” Duril said and pointed above them.

Toru was as happy to hear the voice of his friend and lover as he was to see that the moon goddess was back in the sky, where she belonged. “What a mighty nameless witch,” he said as he staggered to his feet. “How could she have stolen the moon?”

Any answers he was interested in hearing had to wait, because the pack youngsters were running toward them, shouting and crying. Some of them shifted, and Toru couldn’t keep from laughing, as he saw them for what they were, a bunch of furry puppies most of them. To think that they had succeeded in grabbing him and Varg like that when, together, they could barely match the strength of two grownups. Their hearts had to make up for it.

And not only that. Atlaz and Hesaia came last. The young alpha walked in as dignified a way as he could muster, his arm offered to the human girl. His face, however, expressed only happiness. He hadn’t shifted, which meant that he had been reluctant to leave the girl behind.

Toru had to say that the pack had to feel indebted to Hesaia, but he didn’t intend to be the one to tell them that. It had to be something they realized by themselves, or else they weren’t worthy of the human, who so selflessly had done everything in her power to help them.

The joy was no less noisy on the part of the grownups. They gathered their offspring into their arms, crying and praising the moon goddess. Now, that was where Toru took a little offense. The way he saw it, their mighty moon goddess had been trapped by a nameless witch and had just been waiting to be saved.

Nonetheless, he was happy he was reunited with all his friends again. Varg came to hug him from behind. “Kitty, you saved my sorry hide,” he joked.

Toru turned to face him. “No way was I letting you fall prey to some nameless witch. Your moon is back up in the sky.” He pointed above them, and Varg nodded with a smile. He was about to ask the question bothering him when two wolves, male and female, approached them.

“Please accept our gratitude,” the male began. “Our pack would have been lost forever if it weren’t for you.”

“I came for Varg,” Toru explained, “but I’m glad I could help you, too. Although your young ones should be taught a little better about kidnapping people.”

“These are Osion, the pack’s alpha, and his wife, Nesta,” Varg said. “And this is my friend, Toru.”

“A tiger,” Osion said. “We don’t see your lot much in these parts, but we do know of your kind.”

Toru puffed out his chest. “I’m from a place called Nelsikkar. And we defeated the greatest evil in the world.” These people had to know who they were dealing with, not because Toru wanted their gratitude, but because he wanted them to know that it was an honor for them to meet Varg, Claw, and Duril.

“This nameless witch?” Nesta asked. “Indeed, she seemed to be a lot more powerful than we ever thought. But was she the greatest evil in the world?”

“I’m not talking about her,” Toru said, waving impatiently. Only then, it crossed his mind that not everyone in the world had been touched by the evil of Hekastfet, or, if they had been, they might not know it. That reasoning made him fall silent.

Varg squeezed his shoulder. “We came a long way. I must say that I’m surprised that you know of tigers.” That was also a clue for Toru to understand that these people couldn’t know about their bravery, as isolated as they were in those parts.

“Some of us have traveled a bit. And we’ve seen tigers in our lifetimes,” Osion said.

At that, Toru’s ears perked up. “Do you mean that tigers walked through here? What kind of tigers? Like me?”

Osion nodded. “Yes, by what I’ve seen of your tiger, very much like you.”

Toru didn’t know what to say. His heart filled with something difficult to define. Was it hope? Most probably. “Could it be they were from Nelsikkar?” he asked, mostly a question directed at himself.

“We didn’t get in contact with them much. They were bigger than us,” Osion explained. “But we talked with a few elders. They didn’t mention the place you said. But they told us about tigers.”

Varg intervened. “We’d like to hear more about what those tigers said to you, but first, we don’t want to stop you from being reunited with your children. They are waiting for you.”

Indeed, Atlaz and Hesaia were the only ones who weren’t embracing their parents and crying tears of joy just now. They were waiting, their eyes big and wet, but with their backs straight and holding hands.

***

They all felt relieved and happy, but Varg could understand why Toru was in urgent need of answers. Besides the astonishing discovery that these wolves had met tigers, the simple fact that a nameless witch could steal the moon from the sky and hide it underground didn’t sit well with him. They had all been so close to losing the very spirit of wolfshifters, even if the vast majority couldn’t have known about the danger across the world. Wolves were resilient creatures and lived in many places, yet at least some of them must have noticed the absence of the moon from the sky. Hunters, without a doubt. What would they have thought of it? If the moon goddess herself hadn’t spoken to him once released from her prison, he would have thought that the nameless witch had used some kind of trick to make them believe the moon was there and not up in the sky where she belonged.

That voice in his head couldn’t have been a foolery of some kind, a trick played by a twisted mind. Therefore, Varg feared the worst. Feared was not the sort of word he was keen to use, but lately, seeing what evil at work could do, he had to admit that most of the bravery others saw in him also came from a place such as that.

“Do you believe in destiny?”

Claw’s question took him by surprise, but only by half. “Everything happens because there are forces and reasons at work, but I also think one makes his own path,” he replied. “Not everyone is as free, however.”

They were walking behind the pack. Osion and Nesta had invited them to their cave, to celebrate their heroes. Duril had been quickly grabbed by Toru, never to be let go again, and all the youngsters couldn’t get enough of them and their recounting of the events. As he and Claw were probably bigger than any shifter they had seen in their lives, the puppies left them alone. They obviously felt more at ease around playful Toru and kind Duril.

“I saw you here, walking with your head down, pondering over something. Knowing what a wise wolf you are, I kept wondering what you might be pouring all your mind and heart over.”

“Wise wolf?” Varg recognized teasing for what it was worth.

“So Toru keeps telling everyone. He is of a mind to make everyone here love you, although that might have caused so much awe in these young hearts that, out of respect, they don’t even dare come close to you.”

“I met them first,” Varg pointed out but laughed. “They’re happy because they’re together. They must have seen me all lost in thought and didn’t care to bother a wise man from his musings. Who knows what pearls of wisdom I might be slowly polishing to a dazzling luster?”

Claw caught him by the shoulders and pulled him close as they fell in line. “What’s on your mind, puppy?”

Varg looked up.

It seemed that Claw didn’t need any other explanation. “How could she steal the moon? You must be wondering.”

“And you, too, the way I see it. Isn’t it so?” Varg asked.

Claw nodded. “Indeed. A nameless witch, they call her. But one with an incredible power. She leashed the moon and dragged her underground, to that dirt prison. What should we make of it?”

“She was either more powerful than a mere nameless witch, or she borrowed her powers from somewhere else.”

Varg stopped and looked over his shoulder. The marshes were slowly retreating and new green blades of grass grew in their stead. “Did you see what happened to her?”

“The witch?” Claw asked.

Varg nodded. “Yes. I heard her howling, but after that, we were pulled to the surface. Do you believe she’s been kept down there, in her own prison?”

Claw shook his head. “I only know as much as you do, my friend. But you’re asking all the questions swimming in my mind.”

“Toru must have been wondering, too, but the rescued pack is too much in love with him right now for him to care. Later, we will have to talk about all these things. It can’t be just a happenstance that we found ourselves here, in these marshes, just as the moon was about to get stolen from the skies.”

“Yes, I don’t believe in those, either. So, destiny it is?” the bearshifter asked with a crooked smile. “Its red thread is pulling us once more, it seems.”

“That might be true,” Varg admitted. “We’ll talk about it. For now, I’m happy to see you, too.”

“Same here. Although, tell me again,” Claw began in a stern voice, “how did you manage to let yourself be kidnapped by these puppies?”

Of course, there was reason to joke. “They’re stronger than they look,” Varg said fondly. “They did what they thought needed to be done. And did so to the best of their powers.”

“They’re small, but they’re determined,” Claw agreed. “I hope their food portions are not as small as they are, though.”

“Toru might have a beef with that, too. But I suppose we’re the kind of heroes that wouldn’t deplete their hosts’ supplies due to the emptiness in their bellies.”

“Speak for yourself,” Claw said with a grin. “It looks like our friends have already started feasting.”

Indeed, Toru was already in front of the cave, and someone had handed him a hefty piece of cured meat which he was just making disappear into his mouth, while everyone cheered. Maybe they had a reason to worry about the pack’s supplies.

***

Toru snuck outside to watch the sunrise. After drinking and eating so much the night before, he felt rejuvenated, but another need had risen in him. The disappearance of the moon had been an ill omen, and now he wanted to assure himself that the sun was where it should be. He walked on his toes, to make sure that the others weren’t disturbed by his morning exploration.

The first thing that made him stop just outside the cave was the sight that stretched as far as eyes could see. The marshes were gone, and, in their place, a sea of green lay. Autumn was there, but summer flowers peppered the vast stretch of emerald with their cheerful colors. At first, he wondered if he wasn’t still dreaming, his mind addled by the strong wine the elders of the pack had kept stashed away until the night before.

He heard voices, more like whispers and soft laughs, so he followed to see who was also awake so early. Behind a large rock, the crowns of two heads could be seen. Toru stopped, realizing that they might prefer to be alone.

“Eavesdropping on two lovebirds?” someone whispered in his ear, making him jump.

He sighed in relief when he saw it was Varg. “Let’s go someplace else,” he suggested. “I think Atlaz and Hesaia don’t want company.”

Varg nodded and they walked in the opposite direction. The beauty that surrounded them couldn’t counter the storm of thoughts inside his mind.

Once they were at a fair distance from the cave, they stopped and sat on the grass. “How did she steal the moon, Varg?” he asked. “What kind of power did she use?”

Varg nodded, showing that he had been expecting the questions. “She alone couldn’t have done it. She must have had help somehow.”

“Not even Hekastfet stole the moon, and I think he could have,” Toru said.

“I don’t think Hekastfet wanted to bother with stealing the moon, since he was bent on destroying the whole world.”

Varg’s words made sense. What didn’t make sense was how a puny witch could hold a pack of strong wolves in her clutches for so long, and even go as far as to steal the moon from the skies above.

“Nothing ever stays hidden forever,” Varg offered as comfort. “If some evil is still at play in the world, we will find it and destroy it.”

Toru pursed his lips. “I thought it was over with Hekastfet.”

Varg sighed. “It’s a way of the world. We might want only good to remain and the bad to go away, but maybe there’s not only one powerful being like Hekastfet capable of evil deeds.”

Toru nodded. Varg was, indeed, a wise wolf. He hadn’t lied to the youngsters of the pack while talking to them about his friend. “Where do you think she is right now? That wraith made of fog?”

“I have reason to believe that she must have been trapped underground as we were released.”

“The whole land changed.” Toru gestured at the vast field of green stretching from their feet for as far as their eyes could see.

“Yes. The moon goddess must have punished the nameless witch by taking the marshes from her, as well.”

Toru shook his head slowly. “But this isn’t the work of the moon goddess. Her touch is cool, and she’s awake at night. This looks like the work of the sun,” he said.

Varg hooked one arm over his shoulders and nuzzled his cheek slowly. “You’re turning into a wise tiger.”

Toru grinned at the praise. “Not as wise as you. Because you’re older, and you always will be.”

Varg made a sour face. “Are you going to start calling me an old man, like the young ones of this pack?”

“I might,” Toru decided to tease.

He wasn’t prepared for Varg to tackle him and make them tumble in the grass. When they stopped, the wolfshifter was on top, looking at him with burning eyes. Toru knew that look and what it meant, so he wrapped his arms tightly around his companion and held him close.

“Do you want me to prove to you that I’m not that old a man?” Varg asked.

Toru nodded and couldn’t stop grinning. Varg angled his head and traced a wet line over Toru’s cheek, playfully at first. By the time his tongue reached Toru’s mouth, the playfulness was gone.

He liked it when Duril wrapped himself around him, all warmth, like a generous offering. But he liked Varg’s coming in strong, the desire for battle the wolf could awaken in him with a mere touch.

So, when Varg moved his mouth again and went for one of his ears, teasing it at first, and then biting it hard enough to make him feel the sting of those sharp fangs, Toru reacted with a hiss and by digging his nails into the wolf’s back.

He used the power of his hips to turn the tables on Varg. Now, he was towering over the other, showing his desire not through words, but with a searching look that conveyed everything he was feeling.

Varg caught him by the hips and dragged him down so that they could both feel each other. “It is often said that kitties look for the highest vantage point so they can keep everyone under them.”

“I like it when you’re under me,” Toru teased back.

He could feel Varg’s member swelling and rubbing against his own. Varg didn’t hesitate and pushed Toru’s pants down, searching for the skin underneath. Toru liked how strong Varg’s hands on his behind were. And he also liked that Varg wasn’t kind or soft, because those were things Duril was best at, and he didn’t want any competition to exist between his lovers.

Right now, Varg was making his intentions known by grabbing the two mounds of flesh and pulling them apart. “Do you have something for me, kitty? I think it’s right here.”

Toru grunted when Varg’s rough fingers reached the sensitive area and pushed inside. So powerful was the sensation that he immediately lost control, allowing Varg to take advantage of him.

He was, once more, on his back, and Varg got him out of his garments with hurried moves that let him know he wasn’t the only one ready to abandon himself to the throes of desire. He let out a breathless moan as Varg captured his manhood between his lips and began to give the head long swipes of his tongue.

Toru never felt quite ready to welcome the force of that kind of lovemaking, but that only made anticipating it part of the pleasure. Varg held Toru’s manhood by its root and lavished it with his tongue across its length, pausing at the head to torture it with many naughty licks, and then delving deep and making Toru see stars exploding behind his eyelids.

He couldn’t keep from releasing his seed, right into his lover’s mouth. Varg leaned over him and then kissed him on the lips. “Is that your way of telling me that you missed me?”

“I did miss you,” Toru said with a small scowl. “I don’t like it when you disappear. Or Duril. Or Claw. We’re supposed to be together.”

“It’s not always up to us.”

Toru let his hand wander along Varg’s body, reaching his hip. “I want you, too.”

“You want what?” Varg teased him some more.

Toru was more direct with his gestures than with his words. He let out a satisfied breath once his hand was full of Varg’s manhood, as rough and unyielding as the man. “I want your taste on my tongue,” he said, while he tortured Varg with slow, long strokes.

“You should have said that sooner.” Varg tried to be playful, but his voice came out as a soft moan, the words tripping over each other.

Toru felt impatient while Varg adjusted his position to end up towering over him with his crotch right above his head. He eagerly took Varg in his mouth, moaning his delight as he tasted the manly scent with all his senses. He held Varg by the large sac underneath, enjoying the fullness he found there, and did as good as he could to stuff his mouth.

Maybe he wasn’t as skilled a lover as Varg was, but he was quite certain that what he lacked in skill, he made up for it in enthusiasm. Varg moved his hips only a smidge, to make sure not to choke him by accident, but Toru enjoyed that position a lot. He used one arm to wrap around Varg’s waist so that he could guide him. This way, he took all he could and moved Varg to the rhythm he imposed.

Still, when the moment came, Varg pulled out and stroked his member, making all the seed he had in him land in droplets like soft rain on Toru’s face.

“You know, kitty, you truly look good like that,” Varg commended him.

Toru laughed. He liked it so much that he didn’t want to waste his time talking. And the alertness that had awakened him as the sun rose was gone from his bones, and he could wait until they could talk at length about the strange things that had happened in their path.

Varg lay by his side in the grass and, for a while, neither of them said a word. Toru closed his eyes, pleased with the warmth of the sun caressing his face.

“Do you believe in destiny?” Varg asked. “Claw asked me that, and I can tell we were drawn here by its red thread.”

“Do you want to know what I believe?” Toru questioned.

“Yes. As the one who was destined to be great from his cradle, I’d say that you’re the one to ask, most of all.”

“I thought we were on our way to find Nelsikkar. Maybe we’re just destined to meet adventures along the way.”

“I like that. I like it very much. But only if it ends up with us being the heroes.”

Toru opened one eye and turned his head to look at Varg. “That’s something I’d say!” he exclaimed.

Varg laughed. “I like the wise part of you, kitty, but I love you for the playful part of you more. I wanted to remind you of it, before you grow too fast.”

“I won’t ever grow out of wanting to be the hero,” Toru said. “Because the hero always gets to eat the most delicious meats.”

“Now, that’s more like it.” Varg turned toward him and kissed his cheek gently. “Just so you know, we’re all in this together, and we will be forever.”

“I’ll keep you to that promise,” Toru replied. “Do you think they’re making breakfast? I think I smell something.”

“Yes.” Varg appeared to sniff the air, too. “That’s one good reason to get up. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind lazing about, with you by my side, all day long.”

Toru laughed and got to his feet. He was about to start walking, when Varg called after him. “Put some clothes on, first, kitty. Or, otherwise, I might have to fight off some rivals in love among the older wolves of the pack.”

Toru felt his chest swelling with pride. However, Varg was right, so he picked up the clothes strewn all over the field to put them on.

***

Varg enjoyed the hospitability of the pack as much as his companions, but they had a long journey ahead of them and he didn’t want to overstay their welcome. The last few days had been nothing but a long celebration, and the time for them to be back on the road was drawing near.

There was one thing he needed to do before they could go on their way. He was glad to find Osion and Nesta together, as they were the people he wanted to have a word with. Even better, they were alone, talking with their heads together, sharing secrets like any lifelong and enduring couple would.

“Varg,” Nesta said, being the first to notice him, standing at the entrance to their room.

“I’ve come to say goodbye,” Varg said. “By myself, as the others will surely follow my example.”

“So soon?” Osion asked. “We’ve only gone out hunting together once.”

Varg smiled. “That is true. But the road calls us. We thank you for your hospitality.”

“Please, don’t stand there. Come in,” Nesta said and gestured for Varg to sit across from them.

The ceilings of the cave were still too low for him, but Varg had gotten used to them. “However, before I go, I wanted the chance to talk to you about your children.”

Osion and Nesta traded a short, significant look.

“Atlaz,” Varg began, “has proven himself. Given the circumstances, he acted as the stand-in alpha, and all the young ones look up to him now. But not only to him. To Hesaia, as well.”

He set his eyes on Nesta. The woman dabbed at her eyes with her fingertips. “I was wrong to judge the girl harshly,” she said.

“Mothers often tend to do that when it comes to the girls meant to be together with their boys,” Varg offered.

Nesta looked away. “I’ve raised Hesaia as my own. When she fell in love with my boy, I took it as a sign of betrayal from her since she’s not a wolf, like us. I made the mistake of seeing her as someone inferior, although never in my life had I done that before.”

“Indeed,” Osion intervened. “If anyone dared to say something bad about her precious Hesaia, that one was just short of getting banned from the pack.”

“I said many ugly things to her,” Nesta said. “I told her she would never have Atlaz, as he was not meant for her, a human girl.”

“Part of us is human, too,” Varg said gently.

Nesta laughed softly. “Yes, and it wasn’t that part that made me act so unfairly toward the girl. My girl,” she said fondly.

“I’m happy to hear that you no longer think about her like that. And you might need to get ready for a wedding.”

Osion seemed fairly alarmed. “A wedding? They’re still young.”

Varg shook his head in mirth. “Atlaz no longer sees a sister in Hesaia, and he hasn’t done so in a while. As for Hesaia, I believe that she has always loved Atlaz, and that feeling has grown into the most beautiful of loves over time.”

“Hesaia is still a girl,” Osion protested.

Varg laughed. So it was the protective father who didn’t want his little girl to grow up after all.

“In human reckoning, she’s already twenty years of age,” Nesta said and touched Osion’s arm. “And Atlaz is barely one year older than she is.”

Osion seemed to consider. “I don’t remember so much time passing. It is as if, only yesterday, they were playing, digging up roots and making mud pies.”

“They’re past that age,” Nesta assured him.

“Have you talked to Hesaia?” Varg asked the woman directly.

Nesta cast her eyes down. “I should. But I haven’t found the right words just yet.”

Varg gave her a reassuring smile when their eyes met. “They might never come to you if you just wait for them. Just go talk to the girl. She will understand everything. She is wise beyond her years.”

“Indeed. I don’t know who she takes after,” Nesta said and laughed. “I’ll follow your advice, Varg. Hesaia needs to hear from me how much I love her.”

Varg stood and bid his hosts farewell for the moment. He wished them all happiness, and now, he needed to assemble his companions so they could follow the road wherever it took them.

***

Duril searched his pockets. “I thought I still had one or two candies saved somewhere, from our stay in Scercendusa.”

“They would have turned bad anyway by now, for sure” Toru said hurriedly and in quite a suspicious manner.

Duril observed his beloved tiger carefully. “Since when do you have a sweet tooth, Toru? I thought that was just me and Claw.”

They were barely back on the road after a long and tearful farewell with the pack of wolves that could no longer call themselves of the marshes. No, instead of that pestilence, a beautiful field of green grass and flowers had sprung up. The wolves who had gone hunting were saying that the forest was full of life like never before.

Toru looked as guilty as someone who had stolen candies could look.

“It wasn’t for him,” Varg explained. “He just wanted to spoil the youngest, so he took those from your pocket when you weren’t looking.”

“Varg, Duril is going to think I’m a thief!” Toru protested.

“You could have just asked me,” Duril said, but without reproach.

“But I knew you were saving them for later,” Toru began. “For you and Claw.”

The bear started laughing, holding his belly. “I don’t mind candy, but I can smell sweet, sweet honey from many leagues away.”

“I don’t mind you taking them, Toru,” Duril hurried to assure the young tiger. “I just wanted to know what happened to them.”

Someone called them from behind, interrupting their conversation. They all stopped and turned. Duril smiled when he saw the young wolf, Atlaz. He stopped in front of Varg, lost for words for a bit, and then he just offered his arm. Varg didn’t leave him waiting and caught it at the elbow, while Atlaz did the same.

“I heard what you said. When you talked to my parents. I want you to know that I appreciate it. Now, Hesaia and I--” Atlaz stopped and blushed, looking away.

“Congratulations are in order, I believe,” Duril hurried to the rescue.

“Too bad you couldn’t stay for our wedding,” Atlaz said and his face lit up. “Our first,” he added and turned toward Varg again, “with your blessing, we want him to have your name.”

Varg opened his arms wide and embraced Atlaz, patting him on the back. “You have it tenfold. One day, I’ll surely return to meet the young wolf carrying my name.”

“Don’t forget your promise,” Atlaz replied. “Thank you for everything you did for us. All of you. We will remember you forever.”

“You should have told me you were going to see them off,” someone said loudly from afar.

Hesaia was there, holding her furs and jumping over the roots in the ground with the grace of a gazelle.

Atlaz took her under his arm and kissed her forehead. “I didn’t want you to see your man cry, is all.”

Hesaia laughed. “You’re not crying, what are you even saying?”

Duril had to say that he was, instead, the one wiping away a tear.

“Oh, it’s actually Varg crying,” she said and then covered her mouth. “I apologize,” she said quickly, but Varg pulled her in his strong arms and kissed her head.

“You children, just make sure to be happy,” he said.

Hesaia smiled like the sun as she kissed Varg on both cheeks. “You made it possible for us. We will never forget.”

Duril hugged Atlaz and Hesaia, as they took turns saying goodbye. They were at a fair distance from them, when Toru asked, “Were you really crying, Varg?”

“Shut up, kitty,” Varg retorted.

They all had to laugh at that.

TBC

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