Chapter 212 - What is love

Russ ran his hands through his hair as he approached the bed where his sister lay, in her wolf form once again. You probably don't want to talk to me... I understand and don't blame you at all..." His eyes wandered around the spacious man-cave of a room as he sat down beside her, unable to meet her gaze. "I messed up... more than once, I know that." He lowered his head into his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. "The full weight of my actions hadn't registered until hearing your testimony earlier... I know that is f.u.c.k.i.e.d up to say, but it's true. I owe you both an apology." He finally turned his full attention around to Shelly and gave a half-hearted smile. "If you'll hear me out that is?"

Shelly studied her brother for a long time before finally nodding, shifting her gaze over to Raven and Isha and tilting her head toward the door.

Raven frowned. "Alright, we'll be back in a little while." She said giving the siblings privacy.

When Raven was about to step out the door Russ called back to her. "Thanks, Ray."

She gave him a sad smile. "No problem... Just... try not to be a d.i.c.k..." She didn't wait on his response before stepping out the door and closing it behind her.

Russ frowned, his eyes still trained on the door. "I guess I've managed to piss everyone off lately..." When Shelly snorted, he turned his attention back to her. "You're right I do deserve it, and I realize that... but I swear to you when Jos is around I can't control myself. Something drives the wolf... insane..." He shrugged as he shook his head. "Maybe it's her curse, maybe it's the alpha... but either way I don't want to lose her. I can't lose her, Shell. You of all people have to understand that... right?" He searched Shelly's expression with pleading eyes.

Shelly finally pushed up onto her legs and moved over to the nightstand. Jos had found a picture in the room a few days ago that had upset her enough that she'd shoved it into the nightstand drawer. She pulled the drawer open with her mouth and nudged around inside the drawer until her nose made contact with the jagged edge of the antique frame. Gripping it gently between her teeth, she pulled it from the drawer and handed it over to her brother.

The questioning arch of Russ's brows fell into sad, irritation as several other emotions battled within. His eyes searched the picture, his irritation and hurt building with every second that pass. It was an old hand-sketched portrait, slightly smudged and yellowed with age. In the corner were a signature, a title, and a date. '1566 picture of love', it read. He couldn't make out the signature, but the likeness of the profiles was unmistakable. He ran his thumb slowly over the image of Jos. Her eyes were lit with excited, child-like wonder he'd rarely seen on her. Her hair and clothes were styled in an exotic tribal fashion. He knew well without the sketch being colored, what her lively eyes would look like. He'd seen that expression reflected in her eyes as well, but this time it wasn't him they were turned to... it was Arei. The giant of a man was holding her tightly against him as he leaned against a fence with roses framing them. His eyes held hers, mirroring the same tender love that was in hers. "They really were in love back then, weren't they..." His sad eyes glanced from the picture to his sister.

Shelly nodded leaning in closer to look over the picture as well before jumping down from the bed and wobbling over to the window seat. After struggling to get up on it using the suitcase Arei had set there for her to use as a step, she searched the yard. A smile covered her face as she turned to Russ and nodded toward the back lawn.

Russ set the picture down on the bed and walked over to where his sister was. Looking out he saw Jos on the lawn giggling, her face lively and youthful as she struggled to mount a huge black, winged-stallion. He hadn't seen her laugh like that for years. He carefully lifted the window to hear the sweet sound of her laughter.

"Well, if you would get a little closer to the ground, and if I wasn't having to hold your clothes as well!" Her words broke between bursts of laughter.

"Throw them on the ground if it's too much for ya. I don't care to go n.a.k.e.d!" The familiar voice of the horse laughed as he tried kneeling closer to the ground when her foot got stuck on the base of a wing.

Russ's eyes widened as understanding dawned. He snapped his head around to Shelly. "That's him, isn't it? Arei? he's... the horse?"

Shelly nodded, a wolfish smile curving her lips. Her eyes twinkled down at the two as they continued to fumble around in the yard playfully.

Russ frowned. "You like him?" He didn't need to look to know she was nodding again. It was hard not to enjoy watching her have so much fun, if only he could forget the person she was having that fun with was his rival. The man that had already stolen and kept a huge chunk of her heart. A heavy frown spread across his features as he continued to watch them.

***

"Andy made this look so easy the other day!" Jos huffed out in amused, frustration. "Are you sure you can't get any lower?"

Arei laughed harder. "What do you want me to do? I'm already practically laying on the ground!" He nudged her playfully with his muzzle.

"Well, if you were laying down it would be easier..." She muttered as she tried tossing her leg over him once against as she balanced on tip-toe with the other foot.

Arei's laughter echoed in a rumble against the high walls of the palace. "Geez, hold still and let me help you, or we'll be here all day!" He caught her under her bottom with his muzzle and nudged her onto his back.

Jos let out an indigent grunt as she was tossed onto the massive horse's back. She struggled to right herself before tucking his clothes under one upper thigh. "You could have done that from the beginning." She mumbled as she wrapped her arms securely around his neck.

"You need to learn how to mount me on your own." The horse winked at her. "Ready?" He asked as he arched one jet black brow.

Jos nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess..." She held him tighter and locked her thighs tightly against his sides."

Arei chuckled as he set off in a medium trot, letting her get used to the movements. "How long has it been since you rode horseback?" He asked in curiosity as he began to pick up speed.

Jos thought it over. "I rode a few times with Cam and Ales, but that's been... thirty years ago I guess... maybe longer."

"You'll have to tell me about them sometime, whenever you're comfortable discussing it." He said. "Hold on as tight as you can, we're about to lift off." He warned.

Jos was about to begin telling him about her time with Cam when her breath rushed out of her lungs. Her stomach seemed to flip as they shot into the air. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she felt their altitude rise.

"Open your eyes, Kitten." Arei chuckled, glancing back as they leveled out.

Jos forced her eyes open; and her breath caught again, this time in amazement. "Oh wow!" She called out as her eyes traveled over the puffy clouds they passed through. She reached a hand out to touch one but paused in caution, biting her lip as she struggled with indecision.

"Go ahead. I'll make sure you don't fall." Arei called back to her, watching her from the corner of one large hazel orb that stood out against the surrounding black hair.

Jos bit into her lip harder as she looked longingly from the fluffy cloud to the gleaming hazel eye. The sun's rays reflected off it causing the yellow at the center of the sea of various greens and blues to seem to dance. "Are you sure?"

Arei nodded. "Yes, you'll be perfectly safe. I promise." When she lost balance by overreaching, he leveled out his wings to offer her more support as she leaned over. "Careful, Kitten. Support yourself against my wing."

She sent him a skeptical glance. "Are you sure? It won't affect your flying?"

He chuckled as he shook his massive head causing the long, thick mane to tickle her slightly. "It's fine, Kitten. I can maintain balance and level flight with someone as massive as Ry standing on my back or wings. They may look delicate, but trust me, they are strong."

Her eyes moved over the wide expanse of jet black feathers. "I don't doubt their strength..." She finally gave in to her curiosity and leaned against one, gripping it tightly as she leaned out.

Arei watched in pleasure as her eyes lit with childish wonder as she ran her fingers through the gaseous fluff. "It feels strange, doesn't it, almost like thick fog?"

"It's amazing." She breathed, still fascinated with her new surroundings.

"One of my greatest regrets from our earlier time together was that I didn't get to share this part of myself with you. I wish I'd had the courage then."

Her brows knitted together. "Why didn't you? This form is magnificent." The large, intelligent hazel eye met hers causing her heart to skip a beat.

"Why do you try so hard to hide who you are?" Arei asked, a heavyweight lingering around the question.

Jos shrugged, not having to think about it too much. "Because it's something that has been forced on me. I wish I could forget about that damnable side of myself altogether."

The horse nodded. "Same, especially back then. I felt like this form belonged more to the gods than to me, and they seemed to feel the same. I was constantly forced to carry out horrible tasks... It was only after Peg came into my life that I began to accept this side of myself." He shrugged his massive shoulders slightly as to not disturb her balance too much. "I guess it also helps that nowadays, I'm forced to carry out the same horrible tasks in my human form..." He let out a heavy sigh. "There is little glory behind the mask of a demi-god. There are rarely happy endings to any of our stories."

"You seem to have a very grim outlook on life. I never realized before." She said softly as his words resonated with her own troubled soul.

He glanced back at her. "As I've said before, part of the pull I've always had toward you was the realization of how much alike we truly are. That night you tried to eat my this form, the things you said... I saw my own thoughts reflected back at me in your words. We are very much alike in our dislike of the devastation our powers are capable of." A familiar landmass came into view below in the break of the clouds. A smile turned up his lips. "Hold on tight, we're here." He plunged rapidly down toward the ground.

Jos let out a loud squeal as her bottom lifted from the stallions back. "NOT SO FAST!" She cried out as she clung for dear life to his neck.

Arei laughed against her tight grip as he slowed their descent sightly. The corners of his mouth turned up as his hooves landed smoothly on the ground, but she continued to cling to him with her eyes squeezed tightly closed. "Kitten... We're on the ground. Open your eyes." He couldn't keep the teasing laugh from his voice, causing irritated aqua eyes to shoot open into a glare.

She smacked his neck. "You did that on purpose!" She bit out.

He laughed more hardily. "Well yes, we had to land didn't we?"

She pushed away from his neck and lowered her trembling legs to the ground as she slid from his back. "Well jokes on you, your clothes flew off to the gods know where." She looked around hoping to see at least a piece of them.

Arei nipped at her fingers lightly. "Joke's on you again, in that case. I can't show you what I want as a horse."

Jos's cheeks heated as her head shout back to him. "You better not!"

He shrugged, "I don't have a choice, kitten."

His smile was dazzling she came face to face with his handsome face. Her eyes instinctively shot down his body, then rapidly back up to his face. Her cheeks flaring even hotter as she realized what she'd just done. She turned quickly and began walking away. "They have to be around here somewhere." She swallowed hard as she began searching for his clothes.

His smile widened. He'd covered himself with the thick black wings that still protruded from his back, but her reaction had still been amusing. He caught her hand slowing her movement, but not forcing her to turn to face him. "Jos, it's fine. I should have some shorts or something where we are going. I can stay covered like this or switch back into horse form if you're more comfortable that way... until we get there." When curious eyes turned to meet his, he nodded toward an old cottage that sat at the edge of a lake.

She hadn't even noticed it when they landed. Her attention was too focused on the intimidatingly n.a.k.e.d man beside her. She finally took the time to really take in her surroundings. Her mouth dropped in amazement. "Where are we?" She asked.

He smiled as he gave her hand a slight tug to lead her toward the cabin. "It's an old hunting lodge. Ry and I used to come here in our downtime. Peg and Andy have been here with us a few times even." His appreciative eyes moved slowly around the cabin and the majestic lake that sat between beautifully tall, snow-tipped mountains. "We are in the Swiss Alps right now." He commented.

Her wide eyes snapped back around to him. "We traveled that far in such little time?"

Arei nodded. "Yes, we did." He sent her a charming smile. "Fastest horse on land, in air, or at sea." He winked before nodding back to the cabin. "With any luck, Ry will have clothes here."

"You don't?" She asked question heavy in her voice.

Arei shook his head. "Doubtfully, I haven't been here in quite some time. I didn't get much time off working for Zeus, and usually, when I did, I'd already had bags packed so I'd just live out of luggage." He shrugged. "I guess things haven't changed much on that front." He noticed that her eyes kept moving over his wings. "You can touch them if you'd like."

Her curious eyes moved up to his. "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

He chuckled, "Of course not." He stopped beside her. "Go ahead, take as long as you want."

His eyes held a mischievous twinkle that she couldn't ignore, but the fascination of his current form was too much to resist.