KNIGHT
One week later…
My living room was more modest compared to some of the other jaguars who lived in Azure. Most of them lived a life of extravagance that made little sense. Expensive pieces of art on every wall. Elaborate chandeliers on the ceilings. Bookshelves littered with old texts I was sure that hadn’t been read. Gold and silver sculptures on display, though the only people who would gawk at them were never in Azure.
No, my home was nothing like that. It wasn’t something I was conscious of. But after spending more than a month out in the Timberlands, I realized that even my modest home was something I should be grateful for. The living room was so spacious I almost felt alone.
I sat at my dining room table and sipped on a glass of red wine. The alcohol was sweet. I could taste every drop of it as it went down my throat. I sighed contently in the quiet solitude of my living room. It was only the middle of the day yet I still felt like retiring for the rest of it.
I was just about to take another sip when I heard a knock at my front door. I paused for a moment, thinking about who it was at the door, then got up to answer it with a smile on my face.
I opened the door and smiled at the man standing before me. His dark suit looked just as perfectly tailored as it always did.
“Knight.”
He greeted me with a bow of his head.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said. “For a moment there I didn’t think I would.”
“There was a time when I would agree with you. But things have worked out for the best.”
“It appears they have.”
I shook his hand then stepped off to the side.
“Please,” I said. “Come in.”
I welcomed him into my home and offered him a seat at the dining table in my living room. I poured him a glass of wine before taking a seat across from him.
He swirled the glass of wine and observed it before taking a sip.
“Do they have wine in the fox camps?” he asked.
“They do. They ferment juices from the berries they collect. It’s a bit of a luxury, since most of them simply eat the fruits they pick.”
“Fascinating.”
“Is it? It’s not much different from the wine we drink here. We simply have the means to make more of it.”
“No, I can’t imagine we’re much different from them. Our surroundings are the only thing that make us any different.”
“I would agree.”
He looked into my eyes and smirked.
“How have you been, Donovan?” I asked.
Donovan was the richest man in all of Dirge. It was easy to tell just from the way he carried himself. Broad shoulders. A puffed-out chest. Blond hair combed so perfectly on his head. Blue eyes as striking as I remembered them. You could search the entire world and fail to find a man who projected the epitome of wealth as well as he did.
He chuckled softly at me and took another sip of wine.
“I suppose I should ask you the same thing,” he said. “Life in Dirge is the same as it always is.”
“Things could be better.”
“Things could be better. And they have been improving. The month you were gone, I’ve made some donations to Pandora. The slums are still the slums, unfortunately. But there is light at the end of the tunnel for those in need.”
I sighed a deep breath as I remembered everything I’d been through.
“It feels like so long ago when I began my journey,” I said.
“I can imagine. An avalanche. A snowstorm. Fierce wolves. I’ve been to the Timberlands myself. It’s not an experience for the weak-hearted.”
“It wasn’t easy but I don’t regret it. I’m glad to have gone through it.”
I took a sip of wine and shook my head. It never failed to amaze me that I’d managed to make it through all of the things I did.
“But I suppose you’re not here to listen to my stories of me walking through the forest,” I said. “We have business to discuss.”
“Good business, I hope.”
“I found mines we can gather ore from. They’re near a fox skulk I made peace with. The lead Alpha agreed to let me use the resources we’re able to gather. I checked the mines myself before I returned. There’s more than enough to last us a long time.”
“That’s good news. We can put all of the resources we bring back to good use immediately. Since you’re the one who secured the mines, is there anywhere in particular you’d like to donate them to?”
I shook my head softly.
“There are many in the slums who need our help,” I said. “I only ask that you give it to those most in need. I imagine it would be one of the Omega shelters.”
“I know just the place,” Donovan said with a smirk. “Speaking of Omegas… How is…”
“Resting. He’s with our son right now. Bearing a child drained a lot out of him. I don’t imagine fatherhood will do him any better.”
“If he made it through the same experiences, I’m sure he’s strong enough.”
“He is. But… I worry about him.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” I sighed. “He’s from the Timberlands. That’s been his whole life. To come to the city… It’s a new experience for him.”
“I see…”
Donovan took another sip of his wine then stood up from his seat. He straightened his tie and coughed to clear his throat.
“There’s a place for him in Dirge,” he said. “If he’s the kind of Omega I think he is, I know of no better place for him than right here.”
Donovan held his hand out and shook mine.
“Thank you for all you’ve done,” he said. “You know, you didn’t have to go out to the Timberlands yourself. We could have hired a larger bear expedition to find the mines for us.”
“It was best that I found it myself.”
“Of course. Have a good day, Knight. I’ll keep in touch.”
I escorted Donovan out of my house then headed into my bedroom. Oliver laid peacefully on the bed with our son resting comfortably on his chest. I stood at the doorway and watched them sleeping together before making my way toward the balcony.
One of the best things about living in Azure was that it was so high above everything else. The ocean to the west stretched for miles beyond the horizon. There were times when I wondered what was out there, far beyond the ocean I could see.
Those days were gone though. As I looked back and saw Oliver sleeping there with the son we both brought into this world, there was nothing left out there for me to find. My entire world was already right there in front of me.