IRIDA

As soon as I get back to my present home after my time with Wolfy the scent of delicious food draws me to the main kitchen where I find Galen serving himself a bowl of kleftiko from a large pot.

"Bear, did you make all this yourself?" I ask teasingly.

"What? I can't make delicious meals?" Galen teases back with a small smile and a raised brow.

"I'm just saying, it's not something you do often. Damn, this is good, even for you!" I moan as I take a spoonful from the pot.

"Thank you for brunch, Galen. Your cooking is so awesome, Galen. You're the best, Galen," Galen grumbles under his breath.

"Thank you, Galen. This is really good. You're the best," I say with an exaggerated smile and Galen simply rolls his eyes at my antics.

"So where were you off to? Another hunt?" Galen asks once I settle across from him with my own steaming bowl.

"Needed to let off some steam. The hunt found me," I mumble in between mouthfuls deciding against mentioning Wolfy until I solve that mystery.

"Uh-huh," Galen simply responds with a smirk without looking up and I ignore it.

After my meal I decide to take a much needed nap. I wake up about an hour before sunset to Galen knocking on the front door of the penthouse.

"Hey- Wait did I wake you up?" He asks when he notices my groggy eyes.

"Uh, yeah. Didn't sleep that well and overworked myself earlier," I explain. "What's up?"

"Oh don't worry about it," Galen says quickly, taking a couple steps back.

"Oh no you don't. I'm awake now and won't be going back to sleep till later so you might as well tell me what brought you up here, Bear," I say firmly, crossing my arms and giving Galen my best serious face.

"I- I was just wondering if you wanted to train?" Galen responds rather sheepishly.

"Sure thing, Bear. Let me freshen up," I respond, standing aside so he can come in and dashing to the bathroom in my bedroom once he's settled.

We train until it starts to get dark and I use my magic to conjure up bright orbs of light above us.

"Whoa! That's really beautiful. I might just want to sit here and watch the lights instead," Galen says, his wide eyes fixed on the orbs.

"Come on, five more minutes then you can stare," I chuckle, bumping his shoulder.

Once we're done Galen lays down on a mat and stares at the orbs.

"What other cool tricks have you been hiding?" He asks and I laugh.

"Eh, I can do just about anything I want with my magic. I don't really have any limits so it depends on what I need in different situations," I shrug. "Never really used my magic leisurely except when I'm alone or with the animals. They love my tricks," I smile wistfully, staring out into the night.

"What aren't you good at?" Galen teases.

"Well, staying out of trouble and being on my best behavior," I laugh and Galen joins me, humming in agreement.

After our little session I join Galen for dinner in the main kitchen before retiring back to the penthouse. I make a summoning circle and call on Areti, chatting with her for a while before I prepare to settle in for the night. I find myself drawn out to the terrace and I sit on one of my mats and lean back, watching the dark sky that's alight with beautiful stars and a full moon. I love the night sky, something about it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The full moon looks breathtaking and I decide to do some fun magic before I go back in. As I get up to go back inside I feel eyes on me and pause. As I listen to the wind I hear what sounds like the flapping of wings but don't see anything or anyone in sight. It doesn't feel dangerous or creepy but I know someone's watching me. It reminds me of Wolfy but I shrug it off and decide to get in and settle for the night.

I wake up about an hour before sunrise from a dream visitation from my parents and strange dreams of beautiful familiar silver eyes with golden specks. Every now and then my parents always come to me in my dreams to check on me and spend time with me. I find myself frowning as I remember something strange my mother whispered to me as she hugged me before leaving. "He's coming for you," she'd whispered. What the hell did that mean? Who was coming for me? It couldn't have been about the monsters or whoever was sending them after me. She was way too calm, pleased even, for it to be some evil guy. Maybe some divination was in order. I pull out a deck of tarot cards Areti had given me as a gift on my eighteenth birthday and pull three cards out. Lovers, two of cups, judgment. I feel my heart thud violently in my chest as I stare at the cards, then I laugh loudly. I know it's wrong to be dismissive but given how the only living beings I spend time with besides Galen are birds and animals, the idea of romance makes me laugh hysterically.

I put my cards away and head into the bathroom to clean up and prepare for the day, stepping out onto the terrace and sitting on a rocking chair to watch the sunrise and meditate as I often like to do. My mother's message and the cards replay in my mind, making my chest tighten even as I take deep breaths and try to relax. Once I've had my fill of the view I decide to go tend to the gardens, carrying some seeds and bread for my winged feathery friends. As if on cue, the moment I get to the garden, a flock of different birds chirp and sing loudly as they fly towards me, circling me before settling around me. I laugh as I place the seeds and pieces of bread on the different plates I usually have waiting in the garden for moments like this. There's always more of them in the morning. I find myself immersed in conversation and laughter in just a few seconds, the knot tightness in my chest beginning to come undone. Suddenly there's a snap coming from just beyond the treeline and the birds scatter. When no one and nothing comes out from the trees I sigh in disappointment and get to tending to my flowers and plants.

After my time in the garden I rush to the penthouse for breakfast before going to look for Galen. I find him in his study buried in a book which is a norm for him. He hands me a piece of paper with a list of ingredients he needs from the market for his potions and tonics and I teleport out immediately, intent on coming back early and just relaxing and enjoying the day. I find the market crowded as usual but not as crowded as it gets in the afternoon. Thankfully by this time all my favorite vendors are already open so I make quick work of my appointed purchases, stopping every now and then to look at crystals, jewelry and weapons. I get my fascination with them from Areti, my mother and my time with the Alala warriors. Once I'm out of the city I summon the wind and decide to take the scenic route home on its wings.

It's just about noon when I finally get back home and I immediately go to the study but find it empty. I place the ingredients on a table in Galen's lab and set out in search for Galen. When I don't find him or hear an answer when I call for him, I decide to head to the penthouse and when I finally get to the terrace I'm greeted by the most surprising sight. Galen is standing in front of someone, his back turned to the mystery guy and his fingers rubbing between his closed eyes in frustration.

"Bear? What's going on?" I ask walking to him in slow tentative steps.

Galen's eyes snap open, the green in them much darker than usual. Oh! He seems angry, really angry. He lets out a deep sigh before moving and standing aside so I can see the person behind him. Much to my surprise I see a huge guy completely shirtless kneeling on the floor, his huge arms stretched out and chained to the poles on either side of his muscular frame, his head bowed so the only thing I see is his silver curls, his rich caramel skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat under the overhead sun, his chest wide and perfectly chiseled, his abs thick and sculpted with a light streak of golden hair running from under his navel disappearing under his pants, tattoos scattered across his form starting from his neck, on his chest, his bulging arms and down his sides, converging on his lower abs.

I feel a heat trailing up my neck and liquid fire setting the insides of my belly ablaze as I take him in. He looks like a god. He takes a deep breath and his head snaps up and suddenly those familiar silver eyes with golden rings around the pupil stop me in my tracks. Fuck! It should be illegal to be so hot and so beautiful at the same time. My eyes roam his face, taking in his piercing eyes, magnificent cheekbones, a sharp jaw with a light well trimmed silver fuzz and a silver goatee with a streak of gold going down the middle, his light mustache and full pink pouty lips that are slightly parted as he takes me in just like I'm doing with him. I subconsciously clench my thighs together to soothe the heat that builds up and pulses between them, my breathing suddenly rapid like I can't get enough air.

"I found him coming down the stairs from up here. I have no idea how he got in undetected," Galen's hardened voice penetrates the air, snapping me back to reality, back to my senses.

When I snap my attention to Galen I find him staring at me with a curious look on his face, his gaze flicking between me and the mysterious guy and I curse internally, feeling my face flush.

"Would you stop eye fucking him? He broke in, probably looking for you from the looks of it. He could be dangerous," Galen says, his brow raised teasingly and a sly grin that doesn't match the seriousness in his voice.

"Not my fault you surprised me with a hot shirtless god of a man chained on my terrace like a gift," I grumble as I walk past him and closer to the hot mysterious guy.

Said hot mysterious guy chuckles lowly and I have to bite my lip to hold in the groan that threatens to escape me. What the actual fuck! What is wrong with me today? Don't get me wrong, I've seen guys before and never really been much impressed. Until today and I find myself acting like a hormonal adolescent boy seeing a girl for the first time.

"Well maybe you'll have more luck with him. I got nothing," Galen says on an exasperated sigh, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis as he starts to walk away.

"Uh, yeah, I'll take it from here," my voice sounds distant and distracted even to my own ears as I struggle to drag my gaze away from hot mysterious guy towards Galen who turns and sends me a mischievous wink before disappearing around the corner.

"Who are you?" I ask and my voice comes out quiet and breathy and nothing like the serious firmness I was going for.

Mystery guy clenches his jaw, tilting his head slowly as his eyes rake over me and a trail of heat blooms on my skin in the wake of his gaze. Then he smiles slowly and takes another deep breath, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment before he opens them again. Did he just...? Did he just sniff me?

"Did you just sniff me?" I find myself voicing out loud before I can stop myself then shake my head as if to realign my brain cells.

"Never mind, answer my first question, who are you?" I try again, my voice coming out steadier now and I find myself breathless again when the beautiful stranger smiles widely.

"My name is Lykos. What about you? What do they call you, hm?" He responds, his deep husky voice caresses my ears, the rasps scratching all the right places.

"Irida," I answer, not trusting myself to say any more until I get a few deep breaths in. Maybe more oxygen will stop my brain from shorting out.

"Irida," he says, testing my name on his tongue. He says it a few times making my insides clench. "Irida, beautiful. Maybe I can call you Iri," he says, his eyes darkening as he takes another deep breath.

"Who are you?" I ask again.

"Your mate," he says it so casually but it hits me right in the chest, making me stumble a couple of steps back, my eyes wide and my jaw slack.

"W-what does that even mean?" I ask, my voice coming out shakier than I'd like.

"I'm a shifter, ????????? (sweetheart). It means you're mine and I'm yours," he says, a low growl rumbling from deep in his chest.

It's the growl that does it for me, I recognize that growl anywhere. Wolfy.