Chapter 25: The Flying

Taylin led me out to the fields and up a huge hill covered in yellowing grass. The wind blew fiercely, throwing the strands of my red hair back behind me.

He grinned as he got to the top and kicked a small wooden post. I sucked in a breath at what was tied to the wooden post—a huge triangular kite with a painted wolf on it.

It had tendrils out the back with wooden structuring underneath to help it fly in the wind. I grinned. I used to fly kites as a kid on the mountain. They were nowhere near as big or decorated as these ones, though.

There was a row of them, all tied to wooden posts, hovering just above the grass by the taut string. “I love flying kites,” I smiled, bending down and brushing my fingers over the one with flames painted into the fabric.

I looked up at Taylin, who was untying the wolf one. “They’re not kites. They’re sky tamers. And we’re not flying them, Kassie. We’re riding them.”

I gulped as Taylin grinned. He picked the kite up, then took off down the hill with it, holding the wolf kite above his head. My jaw dropped as halfway down the hill, the wind swept him up. I gasped as he hollered, laughing as the wind took him flying.

He grasped the bars under the kite and swooped down and around, going higher with the gusts. I grinned at the smile on his face, the careless freedom that showed so brightly in those moments. It looked like a rush of the best kind. I couldn’t wait to try.

The winds eventually released Taylin on the ground. He dropped at the bottom of the hill and ran back up to me. I smiled at his easy grin. “Still think you can keep up?” he asked, brushing his mop of black hair back as he panted.

I nodded. “Definitely,” I said, then reached down and untied the flames kite. It matched my hair with reds and oranges on it. Taylin was challenging me, making me prove that I was worthy of being in their pack.

I understood that. I hadn’t expected it outside of Dorian’s pack, but I was ready to meet that challenge. Especially if it would win Taylin over for me. Not to mention the fact that the idea of flying was something I was dying to try.

“Lift it in the air, make sure the wind can catch it, and then it will take you,” he grinned. I gripped the bars tight, the wind whipping around us like it was preparing to carry me, like it knew we were there.

“And you’re sure it will work with me?” I asked, not sure if the gusts of wind would be able to. Taylin nodded. “The realm provides. Trust it.”

I smirked and nodded. He was a lot like Zachariah. Looked like him too. “Does Zachariah do this?”

Taylin nodded. “That’s his kite.” He pointed to the one I held. It was the biggest one there. I smiled, and my body filled with confidence. Trust the realm. It had got me here, out of the vampires, and now it was going to help me fly.

“Run fast, Luna,” Taylin teased. I grinned and took off down the hill, holding the kite above me. My stomach dropped and my heart soared as the wind whooshed up around me, picking me up into the air.

I laughed as it sent me soaring along the hillside. I directed myself toward the bottom of the hill, but the wind wasn’t done with me. It took me around, flying with the kites up and over Taylin, who was grinning and hollering from the top of the hill.

He ran and took another turn. I soared with him, laughing as he showed off, holding on with one hand. “Be careful!” I called.

He laughed and grabbed the bars with both hands again. “I’ve been doing this for years. You be careful.”

I took his warning seriously and made the mistake of looking down. I almost slipped. My heart dropped, and I let out a breath. Suddenly, the freedom, the openness seemed a bit much.

I swallowed and tried to direct the kite down, but the wind took me a different way. Taylin directed his kite with ease, going to the ground and running the last part of the hill to the bottom.

I tried to watch how he did it and copied. But I was not an expert, and in the most ungraceful way I could possibly manage, I dove straight to the ground. I landed with a big thump, rolling down the grass hill a few feet.

I ached slightly, the wind slowing around me. “Kassie!” Taylin called, running over. He dropped to the ground and checked me over with concern.

I smiled. “I’m okay. That was awesome.”

Taylin beamed. “Really? Outsiders don’t usually like the kites. Scares them away.”

“Well, you didn’t scare me away. Although I think,” I slowly got to my feet, brushing off my dress and checking the kite, “you should probably teach me how to land properly.”

He laughed. “I can teach you.”

“Good. But how about later? I skipped breakfast,” I rubbed my stomach. He nodded and started leading me over to the wooden posts at the bottom of the hill. He tied his kite around one.

I tied mine around another. “I can come get you later. Or maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure. Whenever you want,” I said, following him back across the grass fields, the paddocks, and through to the eating area.

Zachariah was still there with Dorian and Atticus, their plates empty. A cloth had been placed over mine to keep the buzzards off it.

I sat down in my chair as Zachariah smiled at me. “Have you been sat here the whole time?” I asked, feeling like I had been gone for a good time.

Zachariah nodded, eyeing Taylin standing behind me. “We were watching the kites. Have fun?” he asked.

I smiled. “Yeah, we did. Didn’t we?” I looked back at Taylin.

He grinned and nodded. “Yeah, we did. I’ll come find you later, okay, Kassie?”

“Okay.” I smiled as Taylin walked off to his hut with much more pep in his step. When I looked back at Zachariah, his eyes were hooded with heat.

I blushed and cleared my throat. “Sorry. I know I am meant to be here to spend time with you.”

Zachariah shook his head as I pulled the cloth off my plate to eat my cold food. “Don’t be sorry. I appreciate you making time for Taylin. Without our parents, I am all he has to look up to.”

“I’m sorry about your parents,” I admitted softly, pausing my meal to look at him.

Zachariah nodded to my plate. “Eat, Little Red. We’ve got more things to do than fly kites.”

I ate my cold breakfast, enjoying the alphas’ company as they spoke freely, leaning back in their chairs. It was so relaxing and fun.

Once finished with breakfast, Zachariah took my hand and we stood up. “I’m going to borrow Kassie for a moment. You two can go help the pack with the cleanup,” Zach said, nodding to the kitchen hut.

Dorian nodded and stood, accepting the task gracefully. Atticus looked horrified.

“Cleanup duty while you get the Fox? Sounds like bullshit to me.”

“I gave you both space in your territory to spend time with her. You will give me the same.” Zachariah was straight to the point, and despite Atticus walking away on a grumble, he accepted it.

Zach smirked and led me to his hut. We walked in and he caught my mouth with his. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around him. I laughed and pulled back.

“You were just trying to get rid of them, weren’t you? So you could have me to yourself?”

Zach nodded. “Yeah. They’ll learn pretty fast not to take anything here seriously. But while they figure it out, they can at least help with the cleanup.”

I laughed and met his mouth, kissing him roughly, my tongue dancing with his. I didn’t mind why he had asked for time alone because it was exactly what I was craving in that moment.

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