Fire and Ice

Delia slept for over twelve hours. No one was surprised. She had been under the influence of her wolf for a long time. A very angry wolf, too. As she curled up next to me, I thought about what she said about being with Fate. Could it be true? Or was she just dreaming?

Either way, it would seem the threat had passed.

When she finally woke up, she kissed me and I sighed, kissing her back. I meant what I said to Tiberius: Delia was my home and I was never leaving.

“Hey there,” I whispered when she broke from the kiss.

She nuzzled my neck. “Hi,” she said. “How long have I been asleep?”

“About twelve hours,” I answered. She looked at me in shock and I brushed hair out of her face. “You just went through a lot, Delia. I’m not surprised.”

“Have you heard from my parents yet?”

“No. Do you want to go out there?”

She gave me a sly smirk and pushed me on my back.

“Not yet,” she breathed in my ear, kissing my neck.

I laughed breathlessly, pulling her shirt off and kissing her chest.

-

“It’s about time you woke up,” Logan said when we walked out an hour later.

“Oh, shut up,” Delia grumbled.

We all sat down in the cafeteria and she leaned against me. I wrapped my arm around her and looked up. Tiberius was watching me with a small smile. I cleared my throat and looked at the others gathered around the table.

One of them I knew was a werewolf. He had shaggy brown hair and brown eyes. They were looking at Delia curiously. A young woman sat beside him. She was a fairy and looked very uncomfortable being around Logan and Annalise. The final was a human. He seemed old but his eyes were chipper.

“Now that everyone is here,” Tiberius said, “we can begin.” He stood and we all gave him our attention. “First, Delia and André, this is Walter. He was the werewolf camp counselor until it closed.” He pointed to the wolf and we both bowed our heads. “Beside him is our fairy ambassador, Opal Evergreen, another old friend.” Opal avoided our eyes. “Then, at the end, we have Shawn, our human ambassador.” He beamed at us. “They have been informed of all of the events.”

“So why are we still here?” I asked.

Tiberius held his hand out for Delia and helped her stand. She cleared her throat and looked around at everyone nervously.

“Because this is when and where we sign the treaty,” she told me and I nodded.

She looked ready to faint as Logan passed her a piece of paper and a pen. Again, she wrote everyone’s names down and the time and date.

“Er… thanks for being here,” she said breathlessly. “I’m glad to know we can meet on friendly terms.” She looked at Logan who nodded, encouraging her. “As they told you, Pierre’s actions were not his own. He was cursed by a wolf we thought was dead.” She sighed. “Magic is a dangerous thing. It should be used with caution.”

She cleared her throat.

“Therefore, I have one condition I-I won’t budge on,” she said. Everyone stared. “Whoever wants to use magic must have one person from each race in attendance.”

“Why?” the fairy, Opal, demanded. “It’s none of your business what people do with their powers!”

“Because magic almost killed me,” she said quietly. Opal narrowed her eyes. “Magic killed Pierre. Magic tried to kill those I love the most. It is dangerous,” she repeated. “I won’t have that happen again.”

Opal crossed her arms. “This is a ridiculous stipulation. Besides, only White Wolves have the power to enforce such a condition.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m a White Wolf, then,” Delia said simply and Opal stared. “If you would like proof….”

Delia transformed and everyone leaned back. I smiled, though. Her wolf was just as beautiful as she was. I reached over and ran a hand down her neck. She transformed again and straightened her shirt.

“Does everyone agree?” she asked.

“Yes,” they said in unison, Opal grudgingly.

Delia wrote that down.

“And now to Tiberius, the vampire ambassador,” she said and he stood up. “We witnessed that these last 10 years of arguments were pointless. We witnessed that the one responsible is dead. The werewolves extend the hand of peace in the hopes that the vampires will do the same.”

Tiberius stared into her eyes for a while. She didn’t look away. In fact, she straightened her back and held her head high.

“We shall remain at peace,” he agreed. “I have one condition, though.”

“And that is?” she asked.

He smiled. “That you lead your pack with the same wisdom and strength as you led us,” he said and she flushed in pride. “We want nothing more than to be at peace with the wolves again, despite our previous ambassador’s actions.”

“And we desire the same,” Delia said.

She moved over so that Tiberius could stand beside her. She wrote everything down then placed her right hand on the paper. Tiberius put his beside hers and everyone waited. Golden light surrounded their hands and illuminated the paper. Both of them winced as they pulled their hands away. Their hand prints lingered, made of blood.

“What will happen with the camp?” Walter asked once the paper was rolled up and passed to Logan for safe keeping.

“I would like to reopen it,” Delia answered. “I have a feeling that, now he is dead, Peter’s spells will be able to be broken.” She looked at Walter. “My parents told me a lot about you. If we can agree to reopen it, I would like you to be in charge.”

He smiled. “I would be honored.”

While they discussed the camp, Tiberius asked me to follow him outside. I hesitated but followed him. When we were far enough to not be overheard, he stood in front of me.

“You are certain about your choice?” he asked and I smiled.

“Yes,” I said, looking at the cafeteria doors. “I am in love with her. I don’t want to leave her behind. I know she can’t go back to London with me.”

“Very well,” he said quietly. “There is one more thing you should know. It is… unwelcome news.”

I frowned. “How unwelcome?”

He put a hand on my shoulder. “She cannot bear you a child.”

I felt like someone knocked the air out of me. I looked at the doors.

“Is it me?” I whispered.

“No,” he said. “It is the curse of the White Wolf.”

I groaned and put my head in my hands.

“Oh, how am I going to tell her?” I asked. “This is going to break her.”

“Just wait for the right time,” he said. “You will know.”

I sighed heavily. “Well, thank you, I suppose.” I looked up at him. “Will we still be in contact?”

“If you want to be,” he nodded. “I know you are upset about learning of your true parentage.” I just shrugged. “And worry not about an heir. A solution will reveal itself in due course.”

I frowned. “How?”

He smiled. “Unfortunately, that is for Fate to know, not me.”

“Fate,” I scoffed. “Of course.”

He chuckled.

-

“That was the most nerve wracking thing I have ever had to do,” Delia groaned as we all got in the limo.

I laughed. “You did wonderful, my love.”

“You really did,” Logan nodded. “I’m very proud of you.”

She beamed and put her head on my shoulder. When we returned to the manor, she took me upstairs. She looked excited and I waited.

“I have a question,” she breathed. “And I need you to be honest.”

“Okay.”

She bit her lower lip. “I know we haven’t been together long,” she said, “but my mom was telling me about having children. We don’t have to right now but have you ever thought about- What’s that look?”

“Sit down, Delia,” I whispered and she frowned, sitting on the edge of the bed. I held her hands. “We….” I caressed her cheek. “We can’t have children.”

She frowned. “Why not? Is it because you don’t like them? Because maybe-”

“No, sweetheart,” I said. “Being a White Wolf, you can’t bear children.”

She leaned away from me. “How do you know?”

“Tiberius told me.”

Her lower lip trembled. “M-Maybe he just heard a rumor or-or was lying.”

I sighed. “You know he wasn’t.”

A tear traveled down her cheek. “I can’t- We won’t be able to have any babies?”

I sighed again and pulled her to me. She cried into my chest and I shut my eyes tightly. I could almost hear her wolf howling in despair. I stroked her hair and put my head on hers.

“I’m sorry, my love,” I whispered. “I wish I could change it.”

“I don’t want to be a White Wolf,” she cried.

“You don’t mean that,” I said and made her look at me. I wiped her tears away. “It’s who you are, Delia. You wouldn’t be you without being a White Wolf. It makes you unique and beautiful.”

“But I can’t have kids,” she sobbed.

I brushed my nose against hers. “I know and I’m here for you.”

“You don’t want to leave me?” she breathed and I smiled.

“Never, Delia. Never.”

She buried her face in my chest and cried more. I closed my eyes and put my head on hers again. I hummed quietly and she sniffled, humming along with me.

-

Tiberius left us with a parting gift: matching jewelry with the Wolfe clan on it. He was going to take Louis and Marie back with him. Louis would be punished and Marie taken somewhere to live in a more comfortable home.

I held my hand out to shake his but he embraced me instead. I hesitated but hugged him back.

“I am very happy for you, my son,” he said quietly. “I will be in touch soon.”

I could only nod, a lump in my throat, as he then hugged Delia and whispered something into her ear. She laughed, wiping away a few tears, and held my hand as he bid farewell to Logan and Annalise. The three of them disappeared in the black mist tornado and I sighed.

“So,” Delia said to her parents.

“So,” they said in unison and we all laughed.

“What now?” Annalise asked.

“Well, my wolf would like to go on a run,” Logan said and she looked at me.

I smiled and kissed her. “Go. I’ll wait here. I need to get used to the manor anyway.”

She giggled and kissed me again before chasing her parents out the back door. I smiled and put my hand on the back of my neck where I could feel the bite marks. As I walked up the stairs, I felt truly happy since my mother passed away and I couldn’t wait to feel like this forever.