Dare – Book II – Epilogue

“Dare?” His voice was distant, like a dream, but coming closer and I smiled. “Dare!”

He whistled with a long warbling that made me giggle sleepily and Chance lifted his chin from my breast, his ears twitching at the sound. It was dark there, in our den beneath the pine boughs, and warm and dry despite the cool spring rains outside. I’d found my mate shortly after my morning bath and we’d played together before retiring for our afternoon nap.

I stretched as much as I was able and sighed before pressing my face against the wolf’s neck, extending my tongue and licking at his coarse fur. I bit him gently, causing the wolf to jerk his head with annoyance and I pushed at him then. I needed to get up, it was getting on towards evening and I needed to bathe and eat. My Master was calling.

Chance resisted, finding no good reason to move, and I growled softly and then barked, pushing him again and he finally relented, crawling out of our nest on his belly so that I could follow him. I groaned slightly, pushing at the heavy branches and getting a small shower as the rain that had collected there fell onto my bare skin. I shivered and frowned, looking up as if I might blame the tree. Chance regarded me with his warm, golden eyes and if a wolf could be ever be said to smile, my mate was smiling at me. He was patient with my clumsiness however, and gentle, and as I emerged he stayed close, watching over me. My protector, my mate.

I stood up slowly, stretching once again and feeling my back slightly sore. I touched myself, my swollen belly as I felt the pup inside me restless now with all that motion. I was some seven months pregnant, maybe a little more or less, and grown large now. Chance imagined it was his offspring inside me and I wouldn’t have told him otherwise even if I could. It wouldn’t matter in any event, I was his mate and ripe with pregnancy and he understood that much at least. I hadn’t been sure if he would at first and I was pleased to notice the small changes in his demeanor.

Chance had become much more attentive over the winter, staying close to the house. Too close, I thought, and I’d watched my brothers carefully to keep Chance safe from them. He brought me food, rabbits mostly and I’d eat only as much as I needed in order to satisfy him, then I’d let him have most of it. The winter had been very long and cold and my mate needed that food more than I did. We spent much time together, but only during the short days. I wasn’t allowed to stay outside overnight anymore; my Master was equally protective of me.

“Dare? Where you at, girl?” I heard him, my Master’s strong voice calling me.

He’d returned home from his work, patrolling the forests and mountains around and including the reservation. It was how he’d found me and saved me. My Master had an affinity for the land and that had made him welcome with the Native Americans, especially those who adhered most closely with tradition. Men like White Cloud and Red Crow, who was White Cloud’s son and my Master’s friend. It gave the man a great understanding of who I was and what I needed. When I recalled my despair of the previous summer and autumn especially, I felt ashamed and it seemed to me sometimes that Fate had been far more generous than my weak faith deserved.

I crouched to give Chance a soft murmur, a deep throated sigh of reluctance as I embraced him and said goodbye. He licked my face and pressed his nose between my breasts which were just beginning to grow firm with milk, a quick sniff and brush of his tongue and my lover was off, padding away slowly. There was a bounce to his step and he was beautiful like that, enough so I forgot what I was doing and just watched him disappear like a ghost into the shadows.

“Hey!” My Master’s smiling voice found me a minute later and he was following a path most humans wouldn’t have been able to see. But he wasn’t like other people. My Master was very comfortable outside and I stood up slowly, smiling and looking down the gentle slope at his approach.

“It’s chilly. Are you cold?” he asked a moment later and Master was touching my face, the way he liked to, and I turned my head to lick at his fingers.

I shook my head and glanced up at his green eyes, flecked with gold. His baby was kicking in my belly and I took my Master’s hand in mine and put it there, lifting my eyebrows to ask if he could feel it and the man laughed and smiled. He was like Chance, the both of them so similar that I had a hard time telling them apart. That should seem impossible, I know, but it’s true nonetheless, they were of a kindred spirit my Master and my mate and I was equally happy with both of them.

“He’s pretty busy, huh?” The man stroked my stomach and looked around. “Where’s Chance?”

I shrugged, looking over my shoulder in the direction the wolf had gone.

“Okay. Let’s go home,” Master nodded. “No running, Dare. Stay with me for a change. You have to start slowing down.”

I barked sharply and laughed at that. I was slowed down and I felt like I was terribly fat, swollen all over with my pregnancy, and I still had a couple more months to go. It had been nice for a while, but now I was anxious to have my baby and be done with it.