Naria's Wolves

Chapter Four-Episode Four

“Good morning,” Fiona murmured softly. The massive canine slowly crawled up from the foot of the bed, resting her dark, heavy head directly over Inara’s chest.

“Good morning,” Inara whispered back, closing her eyes and softly stroking Fiona’s lush fur. “I’d love to ask you if yesterday was just a bad dream... but I know that’s a stupid question.”

“I wish I could tell you that it was,” Fiona replied gently, her deep voice vibrating against Inara's ribs. “I am so sorry that you were forced to be the one to face it.”

“It’s not like my father or my brothers were ever going to step up,” Inara scoffed, a bitter snarl vibrating in the back of her throat.

“What about your mother?” Fiona asked quietly.

It was a loaded question—one Inara hadn’t truly stopped to analyze yet, and likely wouldn't have if Fiona hadn't brought it to the surface.

“I’m sure she would have, if that had been her assigned role in the family,” Inara sighed softly, understanding the subtle point Fiona was making. “Though someone in this house should have stepped up long before now.”

On the nightstand, Inara’s watch pinged with an incoming notification—a dainty, delicate little piece of tech that felt entirely absurd given the weight of the world outside. Inara ignored the glowing display for the time being, flicking her wrist to shut off the holographic news broadcast.

“While I am certainly not opposed to staying in bed all day,” Fiona huffed, shifting comfortably on Inara’s chest, “there are many pressing matters that require your attention today.”

“I know,” Inara sighed heavily, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes. “You’re right. I just feel so... heavy.”

Inara stroked Fiona’s head a few more times before sitting up, wrapping her arms around the massive canine to pull her into a tight, much-needed hug.

“I never did properly thank you for standing by my side yesterday,” Inara whispered, blinking back the stubborn tears trying to squeeze past her lashes. She took a deep, steadying breath. “Thank you for being there. Yesterday was difficult.”

“Yes, it was exceptionally hard,” Fiona agreed, resting her heavy chin over Inara’s shoulder, offering a warm, solid anchor in the quiet bedroom. “But you handled it with incredible grace. You are strong, Inara. And you are fit to lead—despite what you might think of yourself.”

She didn’t have an answer for Fiona—no quick comeback or modest protest—but hearing those words of genuine belief felt overwhelmingly good.

Inara crawled weary-legged out of bed and retreated to the bathroom, taking her time under the steaming spray of the shower. She felt as though the suffocating granite dust from last night was still settled deep in her pores. Though the heavy moisture helped her fur feel less dry, Inara ultimately concluded the sensation was far more psychological than physical. She had felt so utterly helpless standing outside that collapsed tunnel last night, and a profound guilt burned in her chest. She wished with everything in her that she had known just how dire things truly were in Naria before now.

“Why does no one else seem to understand?” she whispered to herself over the hiss of the water. She scrubbed the soap from her skin, leaning her head back to give her hair one final rinse before stepping out onto the bathmat and wrapping herself in a plush towel.

Inara wasn’t sure if her siblings fully grasped the extent of the structural failures, but she knew damn well her parents did. They had to, given their high-ranking positions. Inara couldn't help but wonder where her mother's head was in all of this. She had zero doubts about Lucien—he was easily top of her list when it came to placing blame—but what about his wife, Seraphine? And Uncle Xander?

She had so many burning questions it made her head spin.

After drying off and smoothing down her damp hair so it wouldn’t frizz into a wild halo, Inara stepped into her walk-in closet. She bypassed the high-fashion dresses and picked out a simple, practical outfit: snug grey leggings and a dark, comfortable tee. She slipped into a pair of sturdy black walking shoes—Inara had a distinct feeling she was going to be doing a lot of footwork today.

“Okay, girl. I’m ready,” Inara called out, stepping back into the bedroom feeling significantly more refreshed and prepared to face whatever the city threw at her next.

Her four-legged companion leapt gracefully down from the high mattress, arching her back to stretch her muscles to their absolute limit before giving her thick fur a thorough shake.

Inara finally plucked her watch from the nightstand, giving in to the soft, periodic pinging requesting her to view her unread notifications. Her family was surprisingly giving her space for once. Kade had sent a quick message checking in on her emotional state, while Celeste had sent an update explaining that she was on her way to meet with Alex.

“Celeste is meeting up with Alex today,” Inara murmured, half to Fiona and half to herself.

“Ah,” Fiona said, tilting her head thoughtfully. “I remember hearing that conversation with Selene. A bit unfortunate,” she added, a subtle thread of sadness woven beneath her calm tone.

“Unfortunate is putting it lightly,” Inara sighed, a faint grimace touching her lips. “The way their parents are pushing them together is... bizarre. You could feel the sheer awkwardness radiating off both of them at the Gala. Neither one of them wants to, but they’re both playing along to keep the peace for now.”

“High-society expectations rarely account for personal comfort,” Fiona noted softly, her dark eyes filled with quiet sympathy.

“It’s just wrong,” Inara muttered, shaking her head as she buckled her watch onto her wrist. “There’s something about that whole arrangement that makes my skin crawl, but I guess they have to do what they have to do for now.”

Before Fiona could comment further, Inara’s watch vibrated with an incoming audio link. She tapped the screen, a genuine, relieved smile breaking across her face.

“You have impeccable timing,” Inara chuckled into the receiver. “I was literally just about to respond back to you.”

“Perfect,” Kade’s smooth voice echoed through the speaker. “Are you still at home?”

“I am. Why?”

“Even better,” he mused, an unmistakable note of playful intrigue in his tone. “Meet me at the front door.”

Inara and Fiona bounded down the stairs to meet Kade, who was waiting near the entry holding two brown paper bags and a cardboard carrier with two steaming coffees from the Honeybee Café.

“My God,” Inara groaned with pure delight. “You are seriously the absolute best.”

The intoxicating aroma of freshly made breakfast sandwiches from their favorite corner spot, combined with Darleen’s famous roasted coffee, had Inara’s mouth practically watering.

“I know, I know,” Kade laughed, handing the bags over to her. “One is for you, and the other is for Fiona,” he said, flashing the massive canine a warm wink. “Though the coffee is strictly for us. You know... lack of thumbs and all.”

“It is quite alright,” Fiona chuffed, her deep voice laced with humor. “I appreciate the breakfast gesture very much.”

“While I am beyond grateful,” Inara said, peering into the bag, “what’s the actual plan?”

Kade never just randomly showed up at the Ashwood estate unless he was coming to spill high-society gossip, or because he had a full day mapped out. Kade was ever the busybody; his brilliant mind was constantly in motion.

Inara quickly peeled open the wrapper for Fiona’s sandwich, setting it down on the kitchen floor so she could enjoy her meal. Then, Inara posted up on a high barstool by the marble kitchen island to scarf her own breakfast down. Kade set her coffee right beside her plate so she could wash down the food.

“Last night was a massive eye-opener,” Kade started, settling onto the adjacent stool and crossing his long legs. “While I already had certain suspicions about where Naria was heading structurally, seeing that collapse in person was far worse than I expected.” He took a long, slow sip of his coffee, letting the warmth settle him. “So, I think you need to take a little surprise visit to Lucien’s neck of the woods.”

“While I love where your head is at,” Inara said around a bite of her sandwich, “I need to handle something urgent first. I gave my word to Orion that I would take care of those men and their families, and I fully intend to hold up my end of the bargain. I plan to authorize funds for their medical bills, and I want to ask what their households need to keep going while they recover.”

“That is an extraordinary idea,” Kade exclaimed, his amber eyes lighting up with genuine pride.

“I just need to call my mother first to coordinate access,” Inara admitted, feeling a little sheepish. “I wasn’t exactly the most social person when I stumbled home last night.”

“Inara, we witnessed a complete tragedy last night,” he reminded her gently, resting a comforting hand near her coffee cup. “It was jarring, to say the least. No one in their right mind would blame you for wanting to retreat to your room. Honestly, I’m incredibly proud of you for even getting out of bed today.”

“Thanks, Kade,” she said warmly, feeling a swell of affection for him. “Let me call her, and then we can be on our way.”