The Hidden Princess

True mates

The next afternoon Cladd waited outside with two horses. He wanted to take her somewhere and it was too far to walk.  His horse was dappled grey and his name was H, yes just H.  The other horse was his mother’s horse, she was a beautiful palomino mare named Dutchess.  He was not really sure if Angela could really ride.  She had mostly ridden with him on H and the topic had never really come up. 

“What’s this?” Angela stood with her delivery garments looking at him and nodding to the horses.

“I have plans for us after your delivery and we need horses to get there.  Do you mind riding with me? This is my Mother’s horse Dutchess.  She was more willing to borrow her to you.” Cladd said from atop his horse. 

Angela placed the garment over the horses’ neck and pulled herself up.  It had been a while since she had ridden on her own.  She rode the farm horses back home quite a bit. She smiled over at Cladd and gave Dutchess a little kick and she led the way to her delivery.  It was close so there was not a lot of time to talk.

Once the delivery was completed Angela mounted Dutchess again. “Which way fine sir?” Angela asked with a little laugh.

“We are headed out of town, down that way.” Cladd nodded down the road in front of them.  It was main road into town. 

With that Angela took off on Dutchess.  She loved feeling the wind in her hair and the movement in her body.  This horse was so smooth compared to the big work horses she was used to riding she felt like she was floating on air.

Cladd to slightly surprised that she took off so fast, but H easily caught up to them.  Cladd looked over and saw her smiling and watched her hair float on the wind.  She was in perfect rhythm with the horse, as if they were talking.  Cladd found he had butterflies all over in his stomach just watching her.  Soon enough it was time to turn off and he scooted ahead of her and indicated turning and they all turned.

The path they turned on started going up a hill and then in turned into a steep slope.  This slope went on for a bit and then the trees cleared, and one could see for miles.  It took her breath away looking around. Cladd slid off his horse and held her while she dismounted into his arms.

“So here we are, alone.” He smiled a slightly devilish smile and kissed her but did not want it to get out of hand.  He had something to show her. “Come with me.” Cladd turned and started up the mountain side even further.  They hiked for a bit and come to another clearing, but this one she recognized.  The wind was fierce up here with nothing to stop it.  Her dress flapped in the wind and she could hard keep her hair out of her eyes.

“How do I know that place?” Angela asked looking around.

“This is where your dream was.  I had the same dream, but it was from my point of view.” Cladd paused for a moment. Laddy said ‘You need to tell her about me.  I will show myself here, we are safe.’ With that from Laddy, Cladd stopped and took Angela’s hands in his and looked in her eyes.  “I have something I need to tell you.  It might seem crazy but it’s not once you think it all the way through.” Cladd waited for Angela to respond and she smiled at him and held his hands tighter. “I think we are more connected that normal people. We are starting to have the same dreams, and I think something is trying to tell us something.  Something….umm……not of this world.”  Cladd paused and let Angela hear his words and process them.  “The big white wolf you saw in your dream.  That was my wolf.  I just found out the other day that I can turn into a wolf and he has been talking to me.  His name is Laddy and he would like to meet you. I have never done this before, just so you know.”

Angela was stunned but somehow it started making sense.  So many times, in her life something happened to her that wasn’t ‘real’ like animals understanding her and stuff.  “Okay, My Love, I trust you. Let us see it.”  With that Cladd stepped back and went behind a tree. 

Laddy had told him to do that because seeing him shift is hard to swallow. He got undressed and stood there waiting. ‘Okay, here we go.  You need to think about stepping to the back of the room.  Make your thoughts small so I can do what I need to do.” Cladd pictured himself small and in a corner then he had shear pain in entire body, his mouth jetting forward and his eyes could see his fangs just for a moment. Then he looked down and he saw his arms were legs with huge paws.  His fur was pure white. Laddy took control and walked from behind the tree. 

Angela caught her breath and subconsciously stepped back from him.  He stopped moving forward as soon as he saw that she might run.  They looked at each other for a few moments.  His eyes were white with black rims and the rest of him was so white he was almost hard to look at with the sun reflecting off his fur.   She took a deep breath and took a step toward him; she was just in shock but did not feel afraid.  He took a step closer to her watching her every single body movement.  They stood face to face and she reached up and touched his fur on his neck.  He leaned into her indicating that it felt good.  They looked deep into each other’s eyes and she heard him speak.

‘I am Laddy.  I would die to protect you.  You can trust me.’ Angela heard it in her head. She liked the sound of his voice. She reached up with both hands and placed them around his neck and hugged him.  He was so tall that he towered over her and he had to bend down to allow her hug to happen.  He was very relieved that she responded positively.  Then he backed up as if to look at her one more time and retreated the tree he came from.

Cladd came out from behind the tree while he finished buttoning up his shirt. They stood looking at each other in silence.  He was just letting her take it all in, and he was taking it in as well.  He hoped that the shifting got easier because that was painful.  They sat on a rock for a while not really talking.

“So, what does this all mean?” Angela finally asked. “We had the same dream, and it was here?  I do recongzine it.  I do remember the wolf; it was the same wolf I just saw.  I thought he had eaten you and that was why you were gone.”

“I came to your window last night because I woke up from a dream, I was standing here somewhere. It was difficult to see but I did see you.  You looked like you were getting pulled into something.  I could not move but then I changed to Laddy and I was strong enough to break free and come to your rescue.  As I approached you, you disappeared right in front of my eyes.  I could not follow you.” Cladd was not sure about saying this part but since they were talking out of this world stuff. “You had wings and white hair with black streaks.  Your wings were so big that they were catching the wind like you couldn’t control them.”

Angela looked at him shocked “I want to show you something.  I do not even know what it is, but I have been having this dream with a light.  The light beckons me, and it is warm and loving.  At first I was just floating but then in one dream I had wings and ever since then I have had these marks or scars.” She turned around and let the top of her dress down to show him her back. “I can only feel them. What do they look like?”  She thought it could not be any worse that being a wolf. 

He walked up to get a closer look.  He reached out to touch them and his fingers slid along the tissue and he wondered if they hurt.  “They are glowing, sort of.  They look like they could be mistaken for scars if someone did not look close enough.  You can see the new muscles forming around them. Maybe this is why you don’t have very much control over your wings.”  Cladd said the last part to himself.  He let his fingers caress her scars and the up to her shoulders and around to her neck, just floating along taking in every little touch.  He stepped closer and kissed the base of her neck and she leaned into him opening up her neck to him.  Then she spun in his arms and there was a look in her eyes.  He was slightly taken back that her eyes looked lavender for a moment and she noted that his eyes were white. 

With a savage tear she ripped his shirt of his neck and kissed the base of his neck.  He was weak kneed but felt compelled to do the same.  Then this uncontrollable need overcame them both at the same

time and they marked each other.  Standing there biting into one another and exchanging energy and blood.  It made her feel so powerful.  He pulled her close indicating that they were not done yet.  She bit harder and so did he, their blood mingled and suddenly she could feel everything he felt.  The bond was completed.  They pulled away and looked at each other with blood running down their chins and they both had to sit down from the overwhelming emotions.

“Why did we do that?  I felt everything you were feeling, and I think I still am.  I feel like we solidified a connection.  I am so in love with you Angela.  I want you to be my wife as soon as possible.”  He did not want to spend one more night without her.  She was his and he was hers and he loved it that way. He felt her butterflies in his stomach at the mention of being his wife. “Are you a bit nervous about being my wife?”  He smiled at her and he felt the butterflies swirl again.

“I guess we don’t have any secrets, anymore do we?”  Angela started buttoning up her shirt noting that her neck was sore.  She ran her fingers over where he had bitten her, and it tingled making her groin heat up.  She stood up “We should probably head back.  It’s getting late.” She started down the path that they came up.