Little Red's Riding

Allies

Skye's eyes traveled slowly across the small chamber, surprised that she had been included in the group.

"Are you going to tell them who you are? Or should I?" Her eyes widened as she lifted her gaze to meet the amber eyes of the German wolf as he slid into the seat beside her. Somehow his choice of a seat surprised her. She had expected him to be up at the front of this meeting, leading it, not choosing a seat near the very back, where she had very intentionally picked out a seat of her own. She knew, as one of the only females at the entire gathering, and the only Faye for miles, that she was bound to stand out. But she'd hoped that if she stayed near the back she might be able to listen and make decisions in her own time.

"And who exactly do you think that I am, Sir? I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't catch your name when the introductions were made earlier in the day." She tried to shift their conversation back onto him, although the way the edges of his lips turned up told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn't about to allow that to happen.

"I met your father once. In fact I met you on that day too. You were in playing in the garden, with a ball, while he and I discussed an alliance. Obviously we weren't able to come up with anything on that day. I wish we had. Perhaps it would have saved you coming here. Alone? I'm still surprised he allowed that." There was that smile again and she had the distinct feeling that he was challenging her to agree with him. He leaned closer so that his lips were nearly brushing her ear. "You did come here with the Faye King's blessing, did you not, Princess? For if you didn't, you wouldn't really be in a position to make an alliance between our kingdom's even though you are his only heir."

"I can make the alliance." Skye said with more confidence than she felt, trying to disguise the shiver that went through her body at his proximity. These werewolf men were so bold. Leaning back she met his eyes and forced herself to hold his gaze without looking away. She was not going to be intimidated by some self important Alpha, even if he was one of the best looking men she'd ever seen in her entire life.

"I'm sure you can Princess." He raised an eyebrow, as he shifted forward in his seat and scanned the room, obviously taking note of who had arrived. "And my name is Garin."

"Garin." She repeated his name in a quiet voice, turning the plain silver ring on her finger around over and over again.

"How many warriors will your father be willing to send if we can guarantee the safety of the crossover points?"

"You think that you could absolutely guarantee the safety of those points?" Skye's brow furrowed and she pinned Garin with her intense icy gaze.

"I know that I could. It isn't as if it's easy for a human to pass through. It's damn near impossible for a large group to do it. There aren't that many places to do it and only one that I can think of that's anywhere near the Capital. We'll make sure they're all guarded on our side and on the other side as well. Even if someone gets through our guards your father's guards will be able to pick them off one at a time."

"Besides, everyone knows that the Fairyland has been peaceful for two thousands years."

"Everyone?" Her voice was hardly more than whisper, and she shook her head, not so much disagreeing with him as to clear her thoughts. This time she did tear her eyes away from his bright gaze. Those amber eyes were distracting and she couldn't think clearly while she was gazing into them.

"Everyone who knows anything about the Kingdom that you will one day be the queen of anyways. Listen to me Princess. I don't want anything to happen to you or to your Kingdom. But your people are being slaughtered on this side, along with mine. I know that's why you came over here. The more soldiers that your father is able to send to help, the greater chance we have of taking this bastard down once and for all. My fear, that I am about to share with these men in this meeting, is that if we don't take him down now, he's going to wipe all of us off the face of the Earth. And then we really will be nothing more than bedtime stories that the humans tell their children."