He snaked his way through the trees, determined to get to the Falls in order to collect some hellebore. While it not a plant he used often, it was still useful when there was nothing else available; the yearling would much rather be safe than sorry.

His long legs carried him quickly over the terrain, maneuvering his slender frame with a peculiar grace. Lachesis wanted to reach the falls and return back to the River before the sun fell from the sky – and hopefully with some food along with the hellebore. As soon as the sound of crashing water reached his rounded ears the boy quickened his pace, his toes digging into the moist soil as he moved. He expertly started to hike his way down the length of the falls in order to reach the damp base where hellebore preferred to grow. Just as he was about to reach the middle of the falls a familiar voice called for him, snapping his attention away from his thoughts. He paused, long legs frozen as his head turned to the sound, pale eyes widening as he realized what had happened.

“Capella!” He called, voice frantic as he realized that she had fallen into the water. His call was wasted, however, as the water had already consumed her. Panic set in, devouring the slender male as he watched her pale form beneath the surface. Without a second thought the youth plunged into the water, unconcerned about what the consequences may be.

He didn’t care. It was Capella – he was not about to lose her to. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to handle it. He needed her, more than she knew.

The water was cold as it splashed against him, biting frantically at his body as he splashed toward his friend. He had to get to her – he wanted to rapids to take him, not her. She deserved to survive; he needed her to survive.

His long legs moved expertly in the water, and with a few quick motions he had reached her limp body. Grabbing the scruff of her neck between his jaws the boy found some hidden strength released by the adrenaline coursing through his body and pulled her to shore. His legs pushed as hard as they could against the current, his thin body cutting through the water as he struggled with her body. Once his paws reached solid ground he began to pull Capella up onto the bank as quickly as possible. His heart, and mind, was racing – he was not prepared for this. His entire healer knowledge seemed to have vanished from his memory as he frantically looked over her unconscious body.

How much water had she consumed? Had she hit her head on the way down?

No… there was no blood… that was a good sign. His body collapsed on the ground beside her as he began to frantically lick her face in a desperate attempt to wake her. She needed to be warm, but the water had stolen his own warmth as well. No… this wasn’t happening… this wasn’t real. He couldn’t lose her, too… “Capella, please,” he called desperately, his voice laced with panic as he continued to lick her face, words spilling out in between licks. “Wake up, please. You h-have to wake up. You c-can’t leave me here, you c-can’t. I need you, P-Pells… wake up.” He was sobbing, his chest heaving as he pressed his lanky frame against her as his pear eyes searched her face for any sign of life.

Nineteen had already lost Anastasia – whether she was dead or alive, he didn’t know, but she was gone regardless – he was not about to lose his sunflower-eyed friend as well. He had just begun to recover from losing his china doll, losing Capella would destroy him. He would have no will to live; he needed her. She had become his rock, just as he had become hers; without her, he had nothing. There was the pack, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t her, and he needed her. The comfort of the pack could only get him so far; Capella was forever. She would always be there. She had to be.

As the thoughts raged on inside his head Lachesis continued to lick her face, his pleading hiccupping through his sobs as begged for his friend to wake up. He was terrified – perhaps more terrified than he had been when he had gotten separated from Anastasa. XIX was panicking. He didn’t know what to do… he didn’t know how to save her… He felt so helpless. Flashbacks of him calling out Ana’s name resurfaced, the memories so vivid he could practically feel the snow against his pelt as they fogged up his mind. Nature was slowly taking away all those he cared about most… it wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.

He had just started to get better… for her… and now she was being stolen away from him. He didn’t deserve this. Lachesis needed her, and she needed him. Together they were supposed to be moving forward; things had been getting better…

It was then that the pale female began to cough, water sprouting from her mouth as the convulsions rattled her thin body. He leaned back in order to give his friend some space, his pale eyes wide as he searched her body once more for any injuries. She seemed to be physically fine… but how was she mentally? Once the water had escaped her lungs he returned to his former position, his slender body curled around hers as he brought her soggy body in closer. He continued to apply more licks to her face in order to calm her – or himself, at this point he wasn’t so sure anymore – as she mumbled a faint response.

Emotions that the slender male had never experienced before surfaced, causing his head to grow foggy as he struggled to make sense of them. The thought of losing the pale female made his heart ache and his head hurt; just thinking about it left him feeling wounded, he could not fathom what actually losing her would feel like. Unable to get enough of her warm, comforting scent the lanky healer drew her in even closer, his chin resting in the dip between her shoulders as he listened to her speak once more, voice hoarse as she managed to spit out a few strained sentences. A soft smile formed across his maw at her first response as the tip of his tail wagged faintly.

Instinctively the boy glanced over her small frame as soon as she mentioned she was sore, his brows narrowed in concerned as his healer eyes swept her coat for any blood. His search was halted by her brief show of affection, his gaze softening immediately once he met her bright pools. He needed to grab her some hellebore, but his thoughts had been temporarily wiped clean – he couldn’t focus on anything but her. “I was so scared…” he admitted in a soft voice, his pale gaze holding hers as he spoke. “You’re okay, though… we’re okay.” And that’s all that mattered.

XIX focused on his companion’s breathing, his eyelids heavy as he relished in the silence that surrounded them. It was strange to think about how long he had known the sunflower-eyed girl for – a year had flown by since their first encounter when she had guided him out of the foggy forest. Although they had been strangers at the time, the awkward youth had felt an instant connection with the pale female. She had been the reason why he had been so persistent with Anastasia about joining Shade Slayer’s pack – Capella had been one of the first ‘feral’ wolves Lachesis had come across that he wasn’t completely terrified of. She possessed an innocence that reminded him of Anastasia, yet separated her from the blue-eyed female as well. While the two females were similar in their demeanor, they were also complete opposites – which was why he cared for both of them so deeply.

Her familiar voice steered him away from his thoughts, causing his pale orbs to blink frantically into focus as he nuzzled into her warm fur. A frown creased his pale maw as her words faltered, hitching in her throat as she struggled to finish her sentence. Confused, he pressed a reassuring lick to her cheek before her voice appeared once more, echoing what he had previously said as her bright gaze held his. While the four simple words made his heart throb, Lachesis knew that wasn’t what she was attempting to say before her voice got stuck.

Love was a fickle thing. Nineteen didn’t understand what it was, and he didn’t know how to tell if he was in love. Capella was different. She made him feel things he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling – his heart thumped feverishly whenever she crossed her mind, and every time she spoke his attention was focused solely on her. Nothing else mattered when she was around – even if he was surrounded by their packmates, she still held his attention. Was that what love was? What that what it meant to be in love?

The fear of possibly losing Capella had been so real – a fear the slender male never wanted to experience again. She was too important to him; he desperately needed her in his life, and at his side. He had cared for Anastasia in a similar way, but it had not been as intense. What he felt for Capella was impossible to ignore, as it burned so furiously within him that it threatened to spill out with each word that fell off his cherry tongue. These feelings still confused the awkward ghost; he didn’t quite understand them, but he knew they were right… and that’s all that mattered.

Capella was all that mattered.

His thin maw nuzzled into her now dry fur, his pale eyes closing briefly as he concentrated on her breathing. She was okay, they were okay, everything was going to be okay. The pain of losing Anastasia was still present, but it was becoming manageable – thanks to Capella’s aid. He would never stop missing his blue-eyed china doll, and he would always love her, but he could no longer constantly grieve.

Her voice broke him away from his thoughts, worry consuming him at her softly spoken words. Tell him what? Panicking, the slender ghost pulled away from her shoulder, his pale gaze holding onto her bright, sunflower yellow orbs as the silence settled once more. His breath hitched as he waited, impatiently, for what was coming next. “I think… I’m… I… love you.” Wait. What? He blinked slowly, dumbfounded by the words that stained the air between them. Another pause came, this time much briefer, before she clarified her words: “I’m in love with you.” He continued to blink, looking rather stupid as he struggled to digest what Capella had just confessed.

Of course Nineteen was happy to hear those words – they were what he had secretly always wanted to hear. He had just wanted to say them first. There had always been something about the pale, sunflower-eyed girl – he had known it since their first encounter. She was almost always on his mind, and when they weren’t together he constantly worried about her. Even when Anastasia had been around, it had always been Capella – he loved Ana as well, but it was different. There was also Bastet, the shadow-coloured female who doted on the slender healer. He cared for her also, but it would never compare to the way he felt about Capella. He loved her; so passionately and furiously that it made his head spin.