Two sets of red eyes, through a black silky coat, watched her steadily, never leaving my soulmate as she approached. Her painted red ear twitched, but I sensed no threat from the death hound, only patience and acceptance. Standing before the beast, Remnant's head extended far back, to stare up into the great menacing face. The moons above highlighted the beautiful planes of Remnant’s profile, absent of fear with just as much awe as our daughter.
A swell of pride swirled inside my chest. Remnant had done this, she had instilled eternal peace for a creature that one would not have given a moment’s thought for, too selfish to see them as anything more than a dark omen of death.
The pup shifted excitedly, no longer able to hold back her own excitement, much like our own faeling. Identical to her mother but half the size, the pup barked happily before pouncing with its head low, its long black shaggy tail sweeping back and forth into the night sky.
Shea moved to stand next to Remnant's side to speak. "Greetings Sadhbh,” brushing his hand against the bowed pup head, he smiled, “and Blaithin. Thank you for coming. I have asked you here to assist my daughter across the plains of Eithne. I do believe you know each other well."
Shea stepped aside then, next to Eve and Kade who had moved silently closer to see the great beasts themselves.
Remnant inhaled, "Sadhbh." Her head bowed, the name a mere whisper from her lips.
Suddenly, I was taken back to the day I had delivered Xi and Riley to her, how her heart broke with grief because she had blamed herself for their deaths…just as I knew she did now with the cù sith.
I swallowed down my need to tilt her chin up, to reassure her that their deaths were not her fault, and to rekindle the fire in her eyes rather than the immense sadness. The memory of Tyr’s restraining hand like a ghostly shadow on my shoulder, his voice calm and so fucking distant.“She needs this, brother.”
"I am sorry I was not there to save you and your little one," Remnant choked, reaching out to the panting pup that was more than eager to greet her. The not so little beast circled her energetically before licking my soulmate from head to toe. Riella giggled beside me, I could practically feel her body vibrating with equal amounts of enthusiasm…she was after all her mother’s daughter.
I growled through our soulmate bond."Take note, little umbra, this is the only other soul I'll ever allow to lick you from head to toe in such a way. That right is mine and mine alone."
"And now Blaithin’s,"she cooed back to me before shoving the large pup from her, smiling and swallowing down her guilt. "You have grown much since last we met Blaithin…I do hope you have been staying away from large bodies of water this time."
The pup barked energetically, a sound that was fierce and loud, sending us stepping backwards while her mother looked on, ever watchful.
Riella giggled, tugging on my pant leg. "Oh father, please! Can I meet her?"
I chuckled, tapping her nose. "Just like your mother." Engulfing her tiny hand with my own I led her to stand directly in front of the two great beasts, nodding my head in greeting. "Sadhbh, would you do us the honor of allowing our cub to meet yours?"
The cù-sìth mother bowed her great dark head, then lowered to the ground, her red eyes fixated on Riella.
"She is ours," Remnant said calmly, reaching for me to stand on her other side. I did so, wrapping my arm around her and swirling my thumb in soothing circles along her hip. "We are here to try to stop the darkness from spreading in Faerie. So that she may have a world to live in."
Red eyes flickered with understanding and then she growled low, her breath cool against our skin like fresh rain.
I grunted, understanding her growling acceptance of our little family and then inclined my head towards our daughter. "Give them your name if you wish to, my cub."
Wide eyes glanced up at us before she turned back to the great beasts. Biting at her bottom lip, she took a hesitating step forward.
The pup however had no hesitations in her greeting, immediately dropping to the ground and rolling onto her back, her great tongue flopping out and drooling on the silver path.
Riella laughed then and dropped to her knees, having to stretch her whole body across the great beast to sink her hands into its black fur. "I am called Riella," she said grinning as the pup barked happily.
Remnant's eyes met mine and I simply adored the soft tenderness in her emerald depths as we witnessed our daughter take on this strange world with a purity unmatched by any other. Her laughter, like tinkling bells floating in the twilight skies, was a sweet melody of promises, a hopeful future we could have never predicted.
I swept Remnant's hair back from her face, letting the back of my hand gently graze over her soft pale skin. Inhaling her scent, I allowed it to penetrate my soul, to strengthen my resolve in cherishing her forever. Unable to deny myself any longer, I leaned in to chastely kiss her sweet lips, pulling away slowly, our breaths mingling. It was a kiss full of meaning—a thankfulness for the best two gifts that only she could have ever given me.
Eternal undying love and a cub to share it with.
Chapter 18
PullingawayfromEmonwhen I could see everything promised in his eyes was as if someone was stealing my air…only being close to him could I ever breathe.
How did I ever live without him before?
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I knelt on the other side of the not so small cù-sìth and smiled at the sheer excitement in Riella's eyes. "Give her a good scratch, pups love belly scratches." Dragging my nails over Blaithin's underbelly she stilled, her tongue hanging out even more and her red eyes rolled with pleasure.
Riella's tiny hands disappeared in dense thick black fur as she stretched her whole body across the giant pup to give her a good scratch. She giggled as Blaithin squirmed, rolling Riella further onto her body where they were now pressed belly to belly. Both of them sighed, and Riella's tiny arms did their best to wrap around the gigantic beast.
Sadhbh snorted, rolling her eyes at her own daughter's antics. When she turned her dominating gaze on me, I sighed, seeing only love and acceptance there. Patting her great muzzle, I kissed her large wet nose that was half the size of my head then searched for the death god.
