Chapter Twelve

“Come.” Kiran reached down and extended his hand toward Gwyneth while sitting on his horse. He smiled down at her, and she hesitated, her arms still crossed as she contemplated whether or not to accept his offer.

“Are you afraid?” he challenged her.

“Never.” Gwyneth finally grabbed his hand, and he effortlessly pulled her up behind him. Then, he grabbed her other one and helped her wrap her arms around him. It made her feel warm and a little nervous, but she held on tight.

“Let’s go.” Kiran urged his horse forward, and they rode through the expansive courtyard before heading into the town. Many people they passed bowed their heads in respect, but it was indeed a leisurely ride, just as Kiran had promised.

“We are leaving the city?” Gwyneth asked as they passed through the city gate and crossed a stone bridge into more open landscapes.

“Yes,” Kiran confirmed.

As they rode, conversation between them was minimal. Gwyneth took in her surroundings and began to get familiar with the landscape. There was an abundance of trees, and the air felt refreshingly clean. In the city, even in this time and world, it often felt suffocating, but out here, where small villages were scattered at considerable distances and forest flanked the road, the air was pure, and everything seemed to move at a more relaxed pace. Gwyneth found solace in the tranquility. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin.

“How are you feeling?” Kiran asked, turning his body slightly to look at her. “Tired?”

“Not tired at all, but I’m not the one doing the walking,” she replied with a chuckle.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he inquired.

“Just a little,” she admitted, a smile playing on her lips, which made him smile too.

“I told you that going riding was a good idea.”

“Yes, you did. But I think it’s time to return so we can plan our next move,” Gwyneth suggested.

“I know what you want to do next, which is to catch a Dark Wolf,” Kiran said.

“I do.”

“You’re not fully healed. We agreed you would when you have recovered.”

“I feel stronger,” she assured him.

“But not strong enough,” he countered.

Gwyneth felt a little tired of the coddling “Kiran, isn’t that up for me to decide?”

“Not when you’re my mate,” he stated, his voice direct and firm, which grated on her nerves.

“It feels controlling.”

“I’m just looking out for you.” His expression softened, but Gwyneth was trained for harsh times. She didn’t need his constant reassurance.

“I think we should go back.”

“Gwyn!” He sighed, obviously frustrated with her, but Gwyneth was determined.

“Kiran, let’s go back!”

“Why can’t we just enjoy the day?” he protested.

“Because the longer we wait to track down these people, the more damage they can cause, and the longer I have to wait to go home,” she explained.

“You really want to go back?” he asked, stopping the horse before twisting his body to look at her.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Gwyneth challenged.

“Because your world is dying,” he said, and Gwyneth drew back, feeling somewhat shocked. “I’m not saying that to be mean, Gwyn, but if your world is dying, why not stay?” he asked.

“Because I can fix it!”

“How can you be sure?”

“What?”

“How can you be sure that even if you go back in time, you can change the course of it all? How do you know that it won’t end with the same result? Sometimes we can’t fix what is broken.”

“We have more knowledge now,” she said. “We know what will happen in the future.”

“Didn’t you see where things were headed long ago? Weren’t there warnings about what would happen if you continued down the same path?”

Gwyneth turned quietly and looked down. She knew there were indeed warnings. Climate debates had been ongoing, discussing the consequences if the humans couldn’t rectify their problems.

Kiran sighed, bringing her focus back to him, before he reached out and gently stroked her cheek. “I don’t mean to imply that your quest is pointless, but I’m suggesting, why leave when things are good here?”

“It isn’t my world.”

“It could be.”

“Kiran, I had a mission, and I need to complete that mission. If I stay, isn’t that incredibly selfish when I allow all the other humans to die because I didn’t choose to go back?” she asked.

Kiran removed his hand.

“You’re a king. I’m sure you understand the responsibility to your people,” she reminded him.

“I do, but as I said, how can you know it will change anything?” he asked.

“I can’t. But if I don’t try, I will never know.” However, Gwyneth could see how her words saddened Kiran as he glanced at the ground, his earlier joy gone from his eyes.

“Kiran,” Gwyneth reached for his hand, and took it, “do you want me to stay?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“You hardly know me.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I know I want you, and that is all I need to know. With time, I will get to know you.”

“And what if you learn that I’m a horrible person?” she inquired.

“We would not have been matched if you were.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Faith.”

“Doesn’t help me much,” she said, and he chuckled.

“I’m aware you don’t believe, but Gwyn, I don’t want to lose you because you might be able to save your world. Not when there is something certain here.”

“What?” she asked.

“Us and a long life together.”

Gwyneth drew back, feeling shocked, as she looked at Kiran. She had never thought much about spending her life with someone or growing old with them. She had been content in her old life.

But now this remarkable person, someone she had only known for a few days but recognized as kindhearted and incredibly handsome—with those soft eyes and powerful body—wanted a life with her. He spoke with such conviction that she almost believed it herself. However, she didn’t share the same faith as him, yet before she could respond, distant screams pierced the air.

“You heard that?” Gwyneth asked, her voice filled with urgency.

“Hold on.”

Gwyneth clung tightly to Kiran as he spurred their horse into action, leaving the dense forest behind in a blur. They galloped until they reached a nearby village, only to find chaos reigning supreme as a pack of ravenous wolves tore through innocent villagers.

With remarkable agility, Kiran leaped from his horse, grasped his longsword, and swiftly dispatched the first wolf that crossed his path. His actions were unwavering, and Gwyneth watched in astonishment. Alone and undaunted, he hurled himself into the chaos, his sword cleaving through the wolves one by one. However, his bravery didn’t go unnoticed, and the wolves soon turned their attention to him.

“Kiran!” Gwyneth’s cry pierced the tumult as the wolves closed in, surrounding him.

Desperately scanning her surroundings for anything that could aid her companion, she spotted a bow and arrow hanging from a nail by a nearby small house. Without hesitation, she dismounted her horse and rushed toward the house.

Gwyneth retrieved the bow and arrows before she hurried back to the battlefield where Kiran valiantly battled the pack of Dark Wolves. Because she had been chosen to travel to an ancient time, firing a gun wasn’t all she could do. Her training with ancient weapons proved invaluable as she deftly nocked an arrow, drew it back, and released it, hitting a Dark Wolf squarely, bringing it down instantly. She continued firing, providing much-needed support for Kiran, who gained the upper hand.

As the tide turned, the last of The Dark Wolves retreated, fleeing into the forest. Without a second thought, she raced back to the horse she had shared with Kiran and mounted it not so gracefully, before she urged it onward.

Though it was a bumpy and dangerous ride without proper training, she clung to the horse, needing the animal’s speed to pursue The Dark Wolves. The chase led them deeper into the forest, but the terrain became treacherous. Soon, her horse made a sudden jump, and she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground.

“Shit!” she exclaimed as she scrambled to sit upright. Her gaze fell upon the horse, which had come to a stop a short distance away as the weight on its back was now absent.

The horse, seemingly indifferent to her plight, began grazing as if nothing had happened. She winced from the pain in her back and the burning sensation in her shoulder, a stark reminder that her wound had yet to heal.

“Well, that went well,” she muttered under her breath.

The horse continued its leisurely meal, but a sudden, rapid movement of its head caught Gwyneth’s attention just as she managed to stand. The horse’s abrupt reaction sent alarm coursing through her.

“What is it?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The horse, previously nonchalant, appeared suddenly on edge, and then, without warning, bolted back in the direction it had come from.

“Come on!” she shouted after it, desperation tinging her voice, before she heard the unmistakable sound of growling behind her. She turned around to face the menacing reality as the wolves that had initially scattered reemerged from the bushes and behind the trees.

“Oh, fuck me,” she cursed.