Deafening sounds of roaring engines break through my pitiful thoughts and have me turn to my right to discover trucks following closely behind us, they caught up with us quite quickly. Did Phobos give out the signal long before? How did I not notice it?
"Luna, are you enjoying your ride?" Drakho hollers from the driver's seat his window open as he drives with ease through the forest showing me his mastery of it.
"Yes." I bellow back a grin on my face as Asger neighs and gallops faster endeavouring to win this race he assumes is happening.
"Not today Asger. Today you carry two wolves, not one. I told you didn't I that this would soon happen? It is my turn to win." Drakho cackles evilly stepping on the accelerator as the truck darts forward leaving us to follow as I giggle at the situation.
"It is all right, Asger. You are doing quite well." I whisper brushing down his mane with gentleness to calm its unease. This horse has carried us all the way and this itself shows me its strength.
As we race forward the trees sever granting us an unobstructed view of the crystal blue boundless sea. The freshness of the place has my heart pulsate with animation to be near it. Loose and powdery sand decorate the area contrasting with the beauty of the sea. My lungs take in their essence with a greed allowing it to saturate the entirety of my being.
I see several ships anchored down near the shore and numerous unfamiliar wolves transferring carts of supplies from the ship to the coast. It is a bustling place as though I have come to the market. Another final whistle from Phobos's lips has Asger stop trotting in circles whilst my male controls him pulling back on the reins.
Drakho and the rest of Phobos's wolves are already on their feet conversing with the sellers each holding an empty carton showing them several lists that the females provided them with whilst I feel the warmth of my male parting from my back. Scrutinizing down at him with a neutralness has him grip my hips and transfer me down to him to unseal the saddlebag and draw out a raven black scarf as I frown at him with puzzlement.
My mate loops it around my neck to cover my face with it leaving only my feeble eyes to peer through for every other feature is concealed and as I meekly peek up at him, I am aware as to why he is doing this. It is the same purpose why he lurks under the shadow of his hood when he leaves his lands. To preserve his identity. This is his way of protecting me.
When he does these minute things for me I stand on the edge of an unsteady bridge, he confuses me so much that I flounder in my feelings for him. His actions alter all the time, hot, gentle and inhumanly cold. I cannot decipher his truth when it comes to me.
As he greets my eyes there is a heartfelt fondness that shimmers underneath as though he finds me adorable then why do his actions show me otherwise? Is he fluctuating in his feelings for me as well?
With a final glance at me, Phobos leaves to inspect the stock that has arrived as I stand beside Asger assaying to break my male apart piece by piece as Lumina advised me to so I can see what he holds behind his walls that are too troublesome for me to climb over.
The horse suddenly squeals next to me swaying his head left to right as though he finds something bothersome as though he is complaining to me. "What is wrong? Are you all right?" I question grimacing, scanning for a visible injury. Is he perhaps thirsty or hungry?
Why is it doing that with its head? "Is it your headgear? Has it tightened up by mistake?" I inquire wrenching on his bridle considerately trying to loosen it up. Phobos must have pulled too hard on the reins when he worked to control it. "Is this better?"
Asger nickers nudging me with its mouth setting its head on my shoulder as I giggle at its capers. "Is this your way of thanking me? You are very welcome." I say caressing its muzzle with benignity. There is an immediate stillness that consumes the beach and an overwhelming sense of being watched consumes me. As I turn around I witness all enlarged eyes on me as they regard me with astonishment.
"You are the first," Drakho remarks as I startle and turn to him, how did he get here without me noticing? I neither heard nor saw him.
"First in what?"
"The first Asger has ever let any wolf touch him."
"Truly? It does not seem that way, it is very playful." I chuckle as the horse bumps my hand once more demanding to be pet.
"Playful? Asger? You are the only female who has said this, Královna ." Drakho smiles keeping his distance from the horse as though it alarmed him.
"And is Asger a he?"
"You did not notice, Luna? You simply had to see his-"
"I do not see such things." I am quick to stop his words my cheeks flaring.
"Of course, I apologize," Drakho replies. This male is kind to me unlike the other savages on these lands for if they had heard me say this they would have surely ridiculed me for being too naive.
"I shall go see what is brought to these lands. How do I buy them?"
"Here." He states dropping a small pouch holding cream cultured pearls into my palm, these things seem as though they do not hold any value. They are merely pearls are they not? "They take these as an exchange of value. It means wealth in their pack."
Each pack have items they use for trade, it is usually what they can afford to give away in order to receive what they do not possess.
"I see, thank you," I reply roaming towards the boisterous foreign wolves. They stand in front of their crates each dealing a different item. I see a lot of dried meat kept along with the hides and fur of diverse animals. They even have things a female would like on display. Anklets, necklaces and earrings. So the females here do have a taste of wearing ornaments though I had only seen them wear anklets.
There is a mixture of spices powdered and kept fresh in sacks. This is sufficient enough to bring flavour to the bland meals this pack cooks, perhaps I shall purchase some later on after I have examined through everything.
"Drakho, na co see moje žena dívala?" Phobos questions Drakho as I whirl around to view the two males caught off guard by my male's gravelly and resonant voice. He barely speaks and on every occasion he does he always manages to capture the totality of my undivided attention. I could go to sleep if he simply spoke to me for the depth it holds is exquisite.
(Drakho, what was my female looking at?)
"Koření, Alpha."
(The spices, Alpha)
"Kup jí trochu od každého z nich. A pokud ji uvidíš dívat se na cokoli jiného, získej to." Phobos utters lowering a large pouch of pearls in his Beta'a awaiting hands.
(Buy her a little from each one of them. And if you see her looking at anything else, obtain it)
"Ano, králi." Drakho bows in respect as I turn back to the imports placed in front of me. Does he perhaps want something for himself? What would he require?
(Yes, King)
"Books?" I question aloud as my globes find an entire chest filled with various books, a swift flare of emotion grips at me as I dive my hand into it wishing to see the titles. I frown as I notice all these works are in English and not in Czech. Do the wolves here read English novels and moreover, these texts are my preferred ones. Why does it feel as though they were brought in especially for me?
"You touch, you take. Cizinec." A male with rotten teeth and nasty soiled hair spits out arresting my wrist in his callous hand as I grimace and whimper faintly to the tightness of his hold. It is unpleasant to bear.
(Foreigner)
"I apologize, I was merely scanning them. I mean no harm. If you would just let go of my arm I shall gladly-"
"You pay first." He roars as I fight to free my bruising wrist from his evil hand. In a matter of a few seconds, my male is active to advance behind me with a sharpened axe in hand he speedily raises with no disinclination to slice down the wolf's hand which holds my wrist straight down through the bone.
An ear-piercing scream leaves my lips to what my eyes behold, the male buckles to the ground shrieking in agony whilst his torn hand remains securely locked around my wrist. Phobos seizes it and tosses it to the ground near the male and states, "Je to moje Luna."
(She is my Luna)
He takes my wrist tenderly in his examining the raw red flesh that he soothes with the tip of his thumb. I shudder violently to his touch, I am frightened. I am scared of my male. The foul metallic smell of blood makes me nauseous whilst tears gush down my face to the event that unfolded before me. How can he slay with such ease?
Phobos elevates his hand to caress my cheek as I sob louder aiming my face away from him clenching my eyes shut. Do not touch me, y-you terrify me too much with your barbarity. The wolf's screams of agony have me plant my palms over my ears blocking out the sound, it is too disturbing. As though my moon blessed has heard my inner thoughts he quickly moves away from me embedding distance between us.
"Drakho. Nejprve odjedu. Bude jezdit s tebou." He declares to Drakho marching towards Asger, promptly climbing on top of him fastening onto the reins he withdraws first leaving the petrified me behind.
(Drakho. I will leave first. She will ride with you)
"Luna are you all right? This is how Král is, he loathes being touched or having what belongs to him being handled too." Drakho remarks coming to my side as I weep silently doing my best to not peek at the wolf who has just lost his hand.
"H-How can h-he d-do-" I stutter unable to speak well to the atrocious butchery of a limb I just witnessed.
"How about you stay in the truck whilst we stack them up? We shall return to the pack right away.." He says accompanying me to one of the vehicles unlocking the back door waiting for me to settle in whilst Phobos's wolves glance at me with dismay.