Page 115 of Court of Aether and Shadows

What I liked about him and the few who knew me beyond name exchanges was that he minded his own business. Never asked stupid questions but would deliver whatever updates and intel I needed about what was happening in the realms that needed our attention.

We weren’t considered shifters, despite the obvious “wolf” reference. We were beings born with manifested spirits. Some say the “wolves” that embodied us were great beings who could have been gods that were prayed to in the past and given theopportunity to experience the realms but not in a mundane sense as reincarnation.

They were blessed upon us fae beings, alternating our elemental cores and embodying themselves in the form of an animal entity. It was why when we shifted, it wasn’t as though our bodies and bones dealt with any physical trauma like bone-cracking of sorts like in the movies.

Our “shift” was an unraveling of elements — from physical to a spiritual essence that switches places with the entity, allowing the host to pull back into a space of matter while the godly power in the form of our dominating element took shape.

Which was normally a massive wolf.

Some of us were much bigger and stronger than others, but generally, most Alpha wolves carried massive entities and power which in return, allowed their wolves to be giant and a menace to deal with when angry.

In a way, I appreciated being a wolf within the realms of the Twilight Court, but I wouldn’t publicly admit that I felt like the weakest in the bunch because I wasn’t as merciless as the other courts’ wolves.

Maybe I should. Would get me what I want rather than dealing with this competitive bullshit.

It could be why people like Lord Aetheron or whom I dare include Lord Helios of Aether Court get what they want while everyone else is forced to comply.

No one else can combat them.

Solaris's perfect lips curved into a knowing smile, enjoying my obvious jealous bickering.

“Indeed. Here I am. And heresheis." His gaze flickered to Sparrow again, lingering in a way that made my wolf howl for blood. "Fascinating, isn't it? How fate works?"

"You two know each other?" Sparrow asked, her curiosity evident in her voice. She was always so observant when itcame to these things. Easily putting one and two together while reading the room as if the very walls fought to tell her all the secrets and intel on her designated targets.

I swear it was a gift she’d yet to acknowledge, but I wished it wasn’t helping insinuate discussion at this dining table. I would have rather made my exit and do something more productive than watching her fall in love with various men.

While I’ve been here all this while…thinking maybe…I’d have a chance to take things to the next level. Especially after our kiss.

The innocent question made my wolf bristle. I didn't want any connection between her and Solaris, even one as simple as shared knowledge.

"Oh, we more than know each other," Solaris responded, claiming the seat directly across from Sparrow without waiting for an invitation. The move was deliberately provocative — both to me and Aetheron. "We're ‘pack’, aren't we, Twilight Wolf?"

Don't acknowledge him.

My wolf snarled.

He abandoned the pack years ago.

"Were pack," I corrected through gritted teeth. "Past tense."

Sparrow's brow furrowed in confusion, her gaze moving between us.

"Pack? Like... a wolf pack?"

Solaris leaned forward, his sun-bright eyes gleaming with an intensity that made my hackles rise.

"Allow me to explain, lovely one.” Just hearing him be so casual with Sparrow was further grinding my gears. He didn’t know her. What right did he suddenly have to speak to her like they’d been acquaintances for years?

“I’m not sure how much you know about wolves in general, but we’re not like the ones portrayed by mundane outrageous descriptions of us.”

“Outrageous?” Sparrow questions with a glint of intrigue. I can tell right away she likes Solaris’ vibe. She wouldn’t open up so easily otherwise.

I’ve watched and learned her behavior long enough to be confident in my observation.

“The bone cracking. Body shifting. The basic chaos put through our bodies to become these feral beasts that only a few are able to control to not lose their sanity and run rampant among the vast wilderness and the hidden unknowns,” he summarizes like some grand tale worth listening to. “See, wolf shifters in the Fae realms are beings who were born with powerful spirits embedded with immense magic. Think of it as the regular-born population of fae individuals being born with 50% of magical force that can be expanded or lowered until it goes ploop. For us wolves, we don’t get just 50%”

“What do you get?” Sparrow wonders. She’s completely into this story, and it pisses me off because I’m the one who should be sharing these aspects of my kind. “100%”

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