There isn't much emotion on the top of a mountain. One would think it would be a place to be overcome with emotions. Yet, everything is so far away from a mountain's peak that, standing there, all other life was small by comparison and covered in mist. Not even trees dared grow this high. The life I left behind was a mere spot in the distance.

Metal poles rose above the trees, supporting thick wires dotted with metal chairs. They were rather common in the mountains, though I hadn’t seen them anywhere else. The remnants of small old world buildings were always at the top and bottom.

Wind whipped over ragged rocks around me. I shivered. These past few weeks hadn't been kind to the leather clothing that once kept me warm. I turned, stepping behind a boulder. Back there was an entirely different world, one I could never return to. That knowledge should have elated me. It had been a grim, tough existence. But, every time I thought of it, I could only feel a weight in my heart. I left behind misery, yet also sacrificed much more than was mine to give.

The soft sound of padded footsteps brought my attention to the present. My senses had gotten sharper, honed to the forest's smells and sounds. The scent of fresh blood settled in the moist air. Steam rose from the wounds of the boar. Red dripped from the jaws of the giant white canine who held it. The color matched the crimson of his irises.

"Cerberus," I greeted.

The lycan dropped the boar from his maw. "You're cold."

I smiled. Of course he would notice that. "Yeah."

He snorted, shaking himself. Drops of rain from the morning shower flew from his coat. Somehow, no matter the storm, water never seemed to fully penetrate his thick pelt. I envied that. "You should’ve built a fire."

I looked around. All the wood nearby was wet, not that the wind would allow a flame to survive long. There would be more sheltered branches in the thickets, but fuel wasn't the reason I chose to brave the cold. "It could attract unwanted attention."

"Human attention."

"Yeah..."

We hadn't seen another lycan since we left my castle. Nor a human for that matter, but they rarely ventured into the Lycan Mountains, which isolated Askance from its larger neighbor, Preene. I didn't mind the loss of human contact, yet, the mountains were lonely without the predators they were named after.

It was very likely I would never see a lycan besides Cerberus again. My promise to their kind would go unfulfilled. The weight of that settled on me like stones in my stomach.

Our eyes met. Cerberus's irises were vibrant, with a primal intensity lingering in his gaze. It was as if there was a message there, something he was trying to tell me, but couldn't quite put into words. Perhaps there were no words to describe it. At least, I hadn’t found them yet.

It was a moment before he spoke. "Let's find shelter for the night."

I nodded and stood. He knelt down, once again grabbing the boar in his jaws. He stayed in the position as I approached, though I strode past him.

"I can walk, you've carried me far enough."

The lycan huffed. He straightened and trotted after me.

***

Two months ago I wouldn't have dared imagine this. The proud alpha wouldn't have laid in such a submissive position. I wouldn't have allowed such extended contact. Yet, for all my past regrets, I was at least grateful for this. Although no gain could possibly compare with what was lost, the simple peace I had while my bare fingers buried themselves in the thick fur of Cerberus's neck was more than I ever hoped for.

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My greatest regret was not realizing what I had before I lost it. I wouldn't make the same mistake again.

The lycan's shoulders were thrice the width of my lap. His head was the length of my torso. Despite his rugged, fierce appearance, Cerberus's fur was as soft as the rabbits he brought me. His claws alone were the length of my fingers, yet his paw-like hands rested on his chest in the most unthreatening of ways. Sometimes his mannerisms reminded me so much of a human, I could almost forget he was completely canine.

My fingers combed through the fur of his face before burrowing behind his ears. My nails lightly scraped over his skin. A small smirk tugged at my mouth as I watched his leg begin to twitch.

I scratched harder, whispering in his ear. "Don't fight it."

His foot kicked out, knocking over my pile of tinder into the fire and sending sparks flying into the air. I burst into laughter. Cerberus flipped over, sitting bolt upright.

"Quiet!" he barked.

I fell silent, watching as crimson eyes scanned the surrounding forest. His body, just relaxed, now had every muscle tensed. He focused on the path we took to our rocky shelter. His hackles raised as he slowly moved to crouch over me, eyes not leaving whatever they saw. My gaze followed him to a squarish shape in the distance.

The dark blotch moved in a slow, lumbering gait. A deep snarl rose from Cerberus's throat. The creature stopped, pausing before standing on its hind legs. Its answering call was unmistakable.

"A bear..." I whispered.

Cerberus didn't grace me with an answer, only a growl. His long tongue licked over exposed teeth.

The bear dropped back down. It chuffed. The lycan answered in kind.

The bear charged.

I cried out as I was pulled back, shoved farther under the lycan as he leaned over me. His snarling bark echoed in my ears. My finger twisted in the fur of his waist, ready for the grizzly to attack.

Cerberus lowered his voice to a low growl. I chanced looking back. The bear had stopped. It was sniffing something on the ground, seemingly uninterested in us. Red stained its chestnut snout as it grabbed the remains of the boar in its mouth. It turned, loping off with our discarded meal without so much as a backward glance.

Even after it left, Cerberus held me still, watching where it disappeared. My heart pounded as I tried to regain my breath. Only once several minutes passed did he let me out from between his knees. I stood, walking over to our fire, which had nearly been smothered by the damp tinder.

"That was... unexpected..."

"Yes," Cerberus huffed, "I'm glad it didn’t attack..."

I used a stick to rearrange the fire's branches while the lycan settled in a pile of soft brush I gathered. The leaves crackled under his weight. I waited until my heartbeat slowed before I joined him.

"It must have been attracted by the scent of meat," I said, snuggling into his chest as he draped a heavy arm over my side. Although the heat of the fire had faded from his belly, his fur was still pleasantly warm from his own body heat.

"Or your clothes," he replied. I glanced up. "The leather holds the stench of blood. We will replace them."

I grumbled. "I don't really need them. It's just you and me."

"You'll freeze to death," he growled. "I won’t allow that." His claws dug into my back when I didn't answer.

"Fine, Alpha," I mumbled. I knew what replacing the clothes would mean.

Cerberus eased his grip. "We will find a settlement in Preene to wait out the winter tomorrow."

"Right." I shifted, rolling over so my back was to him. The knot in my stomach tightened. It had been over a month since I saw another human, but still, it was too soon. I knew he would drag me into town by my collar if he put his mind to it. Yet, I would rather face the bear again than see another of my own kind.

"Cerberus?" The shift of his fur told me he was listening. "What if something else comes while you are away?"

He snorted. "Nothing will come. My scent will protect you."

"And, what if... someone comes?"

He paused before answering. "My scent will protect you."

I nodded. I wanted to believe it, but I knew humans much better than he did. If only his scent would keep them away.