The Distance Between Us

You have a Friend in Me

Minori was packing her bag when the knock came. She quickly zipped it shut before calling out for the guest to enter. She wasn't expecting Ryuu to walk through the door.

As a child, Minori had been temperamental and resisted her father's training. People always had their eyes on her, waiting, hoping to be the first one to catch sight of her power. Ryuu was the Beta's son and had always been dragged along to join her in training. Their families had always hoped they would grow close and potentially one day be more than friends. But more than anything, they had hoped that Ryuu's focus and dedication to the way of life they had preserved for centuries would quell Minori's resistance to training. However, underneath the facade of the strong, good-mannered Beta's son was a gentle, if not a little stern, person who shared a secret with Minori that they both kept close to their hearts.

Smiling at her friend, Minori asked "what are you doing here, dragon?"

He stepped forward and embraced her, his warm arms were comforting in the mix of excitement and adrenalin she was feeling about leaving for Aotearoa.

"I will give you one guess" he smirked.

"Otosan? Really?" Minori groaned and turned back to her suitcase, "He said he wasn't going to tell anyone. Though I'm not surprised he called the dragon of Kira to come protect his useless daughter."

Ryuu placed a hand gently on Minori's shoulder, "you are not and have never been useless Minori. He is your father. Of course, he is worried. You are going off to another country, to a new clan, alone and without protection."

Minori turned to Ryuu and threw up her hands exasperated, "so what is it that he sent you here for?"

Ryuu broke out into a grin and scooped Minori up into his arms, spinning her around, "I'm coming with you!" he laughed.

"Wait-" Minori gasped "-they're letting you come with me?"

"Well, I am the strongest in the clan-" he wiggled his eyebrows mockingly "-quite literally."

Minori untangled herself from his grasp and swatted at his large arm playfully, "you're a brute", she laughed, smiling.

"So, care to explain why the sudden need to flee the country?"

Minori sat on the edge of the bed and blew out a breath, "I got a letter."

Ryuu moved to sit next to her and c****d his head inquisitively, "a letter doesn't usually inspire you to pack up and fly across the world. Your father said it was from a wolf clan in Aotearoa. Do you know someone there?"

Reaching into her pocket, Minori took out the letter and holding it up to Ryuu she commanded him to smell it.

"You want me to sniff your letter?" he asked agasped and slightly disgusted.

"Please?" she insisted with pleading eyes and unable to resist, Ryuu took the letter and held it to his nose, breathing in its scent.

Minori felt like time was standing still as she waited for him to tell her that he could smell the intoxicating scent of flowers and earth. Holding the letter back out to her, Ryuu shrugged, "smells like paper?" he said almost as if he was asking her to explain why the hell she had asked him to smell a piece of paper. Snatching the paper from his hand, Minori brought it back to her own nose and inhaled its scent. Immediately her body was electrified and she instinctively gripped the paper tighter. Looking up at her friend she pleaded "You can't smell it? The flowers? The earth?"

"You can?" he laughed.

Minori nodded and folded the letter back into her pocket, "Do you know that wolves mate?" she asked him.

"I've heard that they believe the moon goddess connects them to someone who they remain faithful to forever. A waste of opportunity if you ask me. Who would want to miss out on the... fun"

Minori rolled her eyes, Ryuu was known for his promiscuity in their clan and he liked to live up to expectations.

"It's more than that-" Minori shifted further onto her bed and hugged her knees to her chest "-apparently they can mind link, speak to each other without words, know each others thoughts without asking. They heal together, and hurt when they're apart. They amplify each other's abilities and are drawn together by a scent that is specific to their mate."

Ryuu flopped back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, "sounds intense".

"Sounds useful", Minori countered as she propped her chin on her knees.

"In what way?"

"If someone from one of our clan was mated to a wolf who could heal them faster and amplify their abilities we would have a strategic advantage over every other clan in Japan".

Ryuu scoffed, "and who the hell would be dumb enough to want to go looking for a wolf to mate?"

Silence filled the air and Minori stared at Ryuu unblinking.

"Ah, of course, these idiots..." Ryuu mumbled and rolled onto his stomach to look at Minori, "You know why I never wanted to marry Minori, what makes you think that finding a mate will change that?"

Minori shrugged "I don't. This was never about you. My unveiling is in six months. I will display my power and so will my potential suiters and the clan will decide who will make the best pairing. I want to feel like there is at least a chance that I will have some choice over who I marry and a mate would mean an advantage that can't be ignored. They will have no room to refuse me."

"Romantic" Ryuu said jokingly.

Huffing Minori slid off the bed, "not everyone is in the position to refuse their parents and live as a Yariman".

"Hey! Minori don't be like that, I was just messing around. I know you're desperate, I just don't want you rushing into something that might be dangerous."

Minori sighed and then flashed a small smile at her friend "well at least I won't be alone".

Ryuu took her slender hand in his large one and smiled down at her "never".