I Will Save You, My Princess

The Spring

Luca

Rhiannon hadn't spoken to me in hours. She didn't talk the entire walk to the spring, just quietly picked through the woods behind me. She did allow me to hold back branches for her, though, so I guess that was a point in my favor.

I knew I put my foot in my mouth, asking if she could handle walking on her own, but I couldn't help but worry that there was some other sadness underneath her anger.

She had every right to be sad, to be disappointed, especially to be disappointed in me. I'd failed her in the worst way possible. Even Alaric wasn't talking to me. He was still there, but he was distancing himself from my consciousness. All I could figure was that he was feeling just as sorry as I was.

I wanted to get everything out with Rhiannon. To just air everything out so we knew where we stood. I didn't know how to broach the subject, though, so I kept my mouth shut.

Finally, we made it to the spring. It looked exactly like I remembered. The spring was shallow on one end with a sandy bottom. On the other side, the water came splashing from a small cave on the side of an embankment of rocks. A stream trickled off around the opposite side of the sandy pool. The water was crystal, the sand white, the rocks smooth and mossy. It was a beautiful spot.

Rhiannon's eyes widened when she saw it, and she seemed to forget her anger for a moment, "What is this place?"

I smiled, glad she appreciated it. "We just called it the spring. It feeds eventually into the Bloodwater River."

"Bloodwater?" Rhiannon asked. "Like your pack name? Which was named first?"

I cleared my throat. "That's not a great story."

She just looked at me, giving me the chance to decide if I wanted to explain. "The name Bloodwater is relatively new for the pack, the forest, and the river. Bane, he--" I cut off, not sure if she wanted to hear anything about him after what he did, but she nodded encouragingly. "He led a pack of rogues--Greeley was one of them--in a hostile takeover of the pack. Gamma Charles, the one that let us go, his dad was the former Alpha. The fight was bloody, so bloody that--" I shrugged,

"The water ran red," she finished for me, nodding slowly. "I'm surprised I've never heard that story. I'm supposed to know every pack and every Alpha as the princess, but I'd never heard of Bloodwater."

I nodded. "Bane did his best to smooth the whole thing over and erase the takeover from the records--I don't even know what the pack was called before it was Bloodwater. He kept the name Bloodwater as a way to hold it over the survivor's heads. There aren't any survivors left, actually."

I shook off the melancholy mood that followed that story of my pack. IT wasn't my pack anymore, I reminded myself. My pack was Rhia, if she'd have me.

"Tell me about the spring." Rhiannon smiled at me, "You said 'we call it the spring' earlier. Who is we?"

"Me," I swallowed, "And my mom."

I heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Anyone else know about it?" she asked carefully, and I could tell she was wondering if it was safe.

"I don't think so," I said honestly. "But someone could have come across it like my mom did years ago. I just know that my mom would take me here when my dad got bad before he--" I cut off, deciding that what happened to my mom was not a story I wanted to share. I went on, "Bane doesn't know about this place. I'm sure of it."

She nodded, looking relieved.

"The other thing is," I waded into the cold water, "I came for this." I stuck my hand behind a rock in a small outcropping of rocks that you could only get to by swimming. I pulled out a dirty backpack. I got out of the water, walking back over to her, holding the bag over my head so it didn't get wet.

"What's in it?" Rhiannon asked curiously.

"Supplies," I said, "I think some clothes, but I know some rations and a water jug. My mom left it here in case we needed to run from Bane." I would never again call that man my father.

"What happened?" Rhiannon asked gently, "To your mom?"

I shook my head, "Let's just say she didn't get a chance to use this pack and leave it at that."

Rhiannon nodded, looking a little embarrassed. I didn't want her to think she overstepped by asking, but I also didn't want to talk about my mom--not yet. I'm sure I'd tell her eventually if our relationship survived, but not now. We had to focus on the future now.

~o0o~

Rhiannon

I felt stupid for asking about Luca's mom. He clearly didn't want to talk about her, and I shouldn't have tried to pry. He may be my mate, but that didn't entitle me to information about him.

Luca opened the backpack. Inside were clothes, MREs, a water bottle, and a fire starter.

He handed me a pair of women's leggings and a T-shirt. I swallowed, knowing that they had been intended for his mom.

I was so curious about him, not just about his mom, but just him in general. We barely knew anything about each other. I wanted to know him, to really know him.

"What's your favorite color?" I blurted.

He looked at me quizzically. "Blue. Why?"

"What shade of blue?" I asked, still not satisfied.

"Crystal blue, like the spring water or like--" he started to blush, "like your eyes."

It was my turn to blush. "The Goddess must have done that on purpose." I couldn't meet his eyes.

"What's yours?" he asked.

"I think--" I cleared my throat, my heart pounding, "I think it might just be gold." I had never really thought much of gold until I saw his eyes, but they had fast become my favorite thing.

Something warm flickered in his face. "Really?" his voice got rumbly. "Or are you just copying me?"

His smile was infectious. "Both."

He reached out like he wanted to pull me close but stopped himself, his face going sharp for a second and then coming back hesitant.

I felt my heart hit the ground. He'd remembered again, remembered what had happened. He'd realized he shouldn't get close to me.

I cleared my throat, blinking back tears.

"I'm going to start a fire and warm up these meals," Luca said brusquely.

I nodded. "I think I'm going to bathe in the spring before I get dressed. I need to feel clean."

He grunted in acknowledgment, seeming to be focused on gathering kindling.

I folded up the clothes and set them gently on a small rock. Knowing they belonged to his mother made me want to treat them with reverence.

Without looking back at him, I stepped into the cold water.