Climbing up onto her horse, Athena, Katerina smiled at her daughter beside her. “I love you. Don’t be gone too long.” Katerina leaned over to her daughter who was on a horse beside her. “Alright, Mom. Miss you.” Kiyomi said while she smiled at her mother. The wolf demon looked at her daughter with a soft smile before she kissed her cheek. “Stay safe. I’ll miss you.” The alpha didn’t like when her daughter went on her adventure’s, but she always came back. With a wave, to her sisters, uncle, and Amare, the dragon road off down the road.

“She’ll be okay sister.” Looking over her shoulder, she looked at her brother who spoke with a frown. “She will be fine.” He repeated with a smile. “Now go and you stay safe.” Will waved his hand at her along with the girls. With a smile, the wolf demon blew a kiss at her waving daughters and clicked her tongue. The horse beneath her started to run.

With one last glance over her shoulder, the wolf smiled. She loved having a home and a family to go home to anytime she left. Whether it was just to get supplies or to kill something to save a town, Katerina always looked forward to going home.

Running through the the grasslands she let her red hair fly wildly behind her. A smile covering her lips as the wind pushed against her face and through her hair. It would be a long ride towards Adeluna, but it would be one to enjoy. Especially, when she saw who was about to come up beside her. A smile appeared on her lips. “I didn’t think you would come!”

The wolf demon hadn't seen the man for weeks. Ever since the dance, something had sparked within her, or had it always been there? Memories flashed within her mind. His soft touched as they dance, the occasional brush of his hand against her skin. He had made her blood boil with want. The smile he shared with her; she had never seen him smile like that before. He still seemed like the same man she met over a thousand years ago. Still lost, unhappy, and wanting more from life. "You just never got what you needed…" The wolf demon thought to herself as she smiled at him.

Waking up, the vampire yawned. The image of the wolf demon instantly came to his mind as he stared at the ceiling above him. Seeing her at the ball weeks before, he couldn’t get her off his mind. As they danced, her smell had engulfed him; he couldn’t get enough. Her soft warm skin against his. A sigh left his lips as he sat up and sung his legs off the bed. The cold skin that touched his skin didn’t bother him; being a vampire had its perks. “Damnit Katering..” He whispered to himself as he began to dress himself. His usual outfit was black pants, white button down and a black coat. His hat was the last thing before he headed out the door.

Hazel eyes instantly went up to look at the stars above. He could tell by the smell in the air that the sun would be up in a few hours. “I have to see-” Before he could finish his thought, a note appeared in flames before him. “Bloody hell.” He cursed as he jumped back and let the note fall to the ground. If it wasn’t for his growing curiosity he would of left the note there and not bothered with it. Instead, the vampire leaned down and pick up the notes. The sides of the parchment were charred and warm as he opened it. A smiled liked his lips as he read the letter to himself.

Nik,
I will be going to town in a few hours, would you like to join me? Meet me on the Plains of Bohar, near Virens forest. I’m sure you will find me. I’ll be the one on the black horse.

It has been far too long.

~K

Without a word, he smirked and raced over to his horse; He was tied to the side of the shack the stayed in. In his thousands of years, the vampire still hasn’t settled in one place. In his heart, he would love to, but he just didn’t find that place yet. “Hey boy. Time to race to the plains. It will be a few hour ride, so let’s get to it.” With a pat to the horse’s neck, the vampire jumped onto his steed. In an instant, he was running through the edge of the highlands towards Leato.

“Lucky we were not too far in the highlands. Huh, boy?” The vampire laughed a bit as his horse neighed at him. As the hours passed, he let his horse rest once then moved on. Katerina never left his mind the whole time. The vampire felt joy for the first time in a long time; it made him anxious to see her. “This time you will kiss her, damnit.” He cursed at himself.

The dance floated into his mind as he road. They were saying their goodbyes and the vampire wanted to kiss her. Her blue eyes staring into his appeared in his thoughts. She had lingered there for a moment by the open portal; ready to go home. “A kiss on the cheek, man…. What is wrong with you.” Nikolaus grumbled at himself. “You will do it!!” He called into the rising sun.

Ever since the passing of his wife long ago, Nikolaus wasn’t one to fall for anyone. Occasionally, he had a woman but he had never fallen for anyone since. Was he now?

Resting his horse one last time near the small creek on the edge of Leato and the plains. The vampire started to pace back and forth. “What if she doesn’t return my affections?” He was mostly talking to himself, but the horse, Haymish, neighed at him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

After a few moments, he knew it was finally time. He would find her on the plains in only minutes. Replacing his hat on his head, Nikolaus mounted his horse. “It's now or never.” With a click of his tongue, the vampire road across the plains.

It wasn’t long till her scent hit his senses; lavender and Lilac. A smile came to his lips, and then it was wiped off his mouth when he saw her race onto the plains. Her red hair flowed behind her like a sea of fire. He was in awe of the beauty before him. The vampire didn’t even notice that he slowed his horse to a stop, so he could stare for a moment.

The neigh from Haymish made the vampire come back to reality. “Shit.” The vampire cursed at himself and clicked his tone. Running across the grass, he finally made it to her. The smile that lit her face warmed his heart. “Of course I would!” He said as he returned her smile.

“Adeluna, huh? What’s there?” He asked her as they ran together side by side. He had only heard some rumors of a few murders there. Is that what she was after? To catch the man or creature that was doing it? He didn’t mind, as long as they were together. “How much time do I have with you this time?” He asked with a smirk. “Ms.Cinderella.” He joked as he remembered the ball once more. The wolf demon had left as soon as the party was over.

As soon as the wolf demon saw Nikolaus, a smile had spread across her face. She wasn’t sure hours ago that he would even come. She didn’t even know if he was even on the island. As she filled out the note, she hoped she would see him again. Since the ball, he hadn’t left her mind. She didn’t want to move forward with him weeks ago. She was scared and afraid. Everytime she let herself feel, something would happen. It was as if fate didn’t want her to be with anyone.

“Fate didn’t want you to have children either…” The thought passed in her mind for a moment as she looked before her to see where the horse was headed. It had been a long time since she had thought about the curse that kept her from having children. Now she had birthed two and taken four in. Her life was fulfilled, but she knew deep down that something was missing. Katerina once thought that she was in love once, but that was nothing but a spell. “That monster…” The thought was quickly forced away when he started to talk to her. His voice thick with his accent that still hadn’t changed.

Katerina laughed a bit as she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Cinderella! Ha!” This Cinderella has a few days!” She joked then looked ahead of her. “Race you to the Ancient ruins!” She said with a smirk. “Go!” THe wolf demon called out before Athena launched into a faster fun. Laughing, the wolf demon glanced over her shoulder to the shocked vampire, it took him a moment before he started to race. Looking before her a smiled was still on her lips. “Come on Athena! We got this!” She called to her horse.

Finally, reaching the edge of the Ancient Ruins, the wolf slowed her horse. Nik was right at her heels. Breathless, she jumped off her horse and stared at Nikolaus with a laugh. “Well now. You could never beat me could you?” Katerina joked; old memories flashing in her mind. They had many races like this one in the weeks she spent with him.

Seeing a small stream, she lead Athena to it to let her drink. “There you go, girl.” Katerina patted the side of her next then walked over towards the edge of the grasslands. Falling, she laid down to look at the clouds above. “Remember when we would guess at the shapes of the clouds…” She reminisced. “You said one looked a bear laughing…” A smile came to her face as she laid her head in the grass. “That was the first time I laughed…since my parents.” The wolf demon thought as she watched the clouds move above.

Nikolaus wasn’t one to be around a woman for long. Since the death of his wife, he stayed mostly alone. That was until he found Katerina. Asked by a friend to find her. Instead, he stumbled upon a girl who wanted to die. He didn’t know exactly what Clyde’s niece was supposed to look like; he never met her. She was supposed to be at the house waiting for her family, but the child had ran. He should of expected her to run; he did.

After the death of his family, he had no one to put to rest. His father had burned them all to ash. Pushing the thoughts away, the vampire clicked his tongue. She wanted a race, and Nikolaus was obliged to give her one. “No fair with the head start!” He called to her with a laugh as his horse bolted into a run.

The vampire wasn’t too into the race, he watched her. Katerina’s read hair flew violently behind her, the smile on her lips, the laugh. He was mesmerized for most of the run. When she slowed to a halt, Nikolaus finally noticed where they were. “Next time.” He laughed as he dismounted his horse. There were times he did beat her, some he let her win, and others were he flat out won. This time he was too distracted by her beauty to do anything.

While leading his horse to the small steam, he heard the wolf demon speak. The memories brought a soft smile to his lips as he moved to join her. “And you always found the beautiful ones; the unicorn, the flower, the star…. And always hearts.” With his last words, he laid down next to her. Removing his hat before he laid his head down. “That was so long ago..” He whispered. “You have come very far since then, Katerina. Do you still see those shapes? Or is that small girl still in there?” He asked while he glanced over to her.

Before she answered, his fingertips graced hers. His skin was soft against his rough hands. Expecting her to withdraw her hand, he was surprised when he didn’t. A smile came to his lips as they stared at the sky above them.

As the man moved towards her, her eyes glanced over him then back at the sky. She smiled as she remembered the shapes she would find. She had a heart of such a innocent girl back then. A smile came to her lips as she spotted a bunny in the sky. “I see a bunny.” She said with a laugh, which made him laugh as well.

Katerina grew quiet as she remembered the times they had together. Most of the time was spent training. Then there were times like these. He always knew how to make her laugh. It seemed like the hardest thing back then; to feel happy. It was a few weeks after her parents had died. She didn’t know how she could go on living, then he came into her life. Saving her from herself and the men that attacked her. She didn’t remember the reason why they attacked her; could’ve been her or she was in the wrong place.

Pushing the thoughts away, Katerina glanced over towards the vampire beside her. He seemed deep in thought like she was. A soft smile graced her lips as she watched him stare off into the sky.

The sound of thundering hooves was heard in the distance. The sound made her sit up and watch and 4 knights rush by. “What the?” Katerina stood from her spot to watch them rush off towards Adeluna. “Wanna see what's going on?” She didn’t wait for him to answer and jumped on her horse. “You good?” She asked Athena who said yes.

With that, Katerina took off after the knights.