Chapter 23: (Kal)

A world of grey whisps greeted Kal, smokey tendrils lazily wrapping around the air he exhaled, spiraling in whorls until once more fading into the mists of this place. Hardly able to see beyond his hand, this place elicited no sense of strangeness, more of curiosity.

Kal opened his mouth to call out, yet nothing came out, only more smoke cradling his breath like it jealously hoarded it for itself. The haze did not touch him, only obscured the world around him.

A weak light shone in the distance, the haze around it brightening to highlight a dark shape in the center. The shape bobbed as though moving, growing no larger yet giving the feeling of coming nearer.

No dread gripped Kal, as though he already knew what it was.

The light grew stronger, yet it did not pain his eyes to behold it. With every blink of his eyes, the scene before him shimmered like a mirage. At first, soft brown hair tickled his face, obscuring his vision, a feeling of warmth and love pervading him. Next, earthen walls enclosed him, natural light seeming to shine from nowhere and the crisp scent of fresh snow in his nose, a sense of safety and strength all around him. Finally, that smoky haze danced before him again, billowing outward like some large mass were pushing it aside.

With calm anticipation, Kal continued to view the scenes with a sense of completeness, something he couldn’t put into words. In one, his hands reached out, smoothing aside the hair as he laid a gentle kiss upon her cheek. In the other, he settled his snout upon his paws, resting easy as She snuggled beside him.

In a halo of light that chased the fog from before him, He arrived. Black and grey fur fluttered as if blown by an unseen wind, shimmering under the midday sun. Golden eyes like placid pools of honey beheld him as He came to a halt, his paws barely making a sound.

Kneeling down before the wolf, faces inches apart, Kal reached out, stroking the soft fur of his cheek.

“I know you,” Kal said softly, a phantom sensation like a breeze stroking his cheek where he touched the wolf.

The wolf blinked in response, stepping closer to gently bump his forehead to Kal’s. A warmth began to spread throughout him, radiating from the spot the wolf touched him. Like slipping into a pool warmed under the hot sun, it felt right.

For just a moment, the haze flickered, darker tendrils crowding around the light, as if afraid to draw any closer.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kal saw another shape, one lit with a halo of darkness, a faded white shape in the center. It drew no closer, as if wary of him.

A sense of sadness tinged the air, the shape turning and disappearing back into the mist, as if knowing it wasn’t time yet.

Looking once more into the serene golden eyes of the wolf before him, Kal bumped his forehead to his, accepting what he was.

Kal blinked his eyes as he awoke. Rather, Kal was pretty sure they were his eyes. They moved where he looked, closed when he shut his lids, but they didn’t feel right. Everything was sharper, more in focus. Colors seemed more vibrant, details clearer.

He sniffed the air, a crispness that he could taste, unblemished by man and technology. Beyond that clean smell lay something else.

Lowering his snout, he snuffled at her soft brown fur, her form in gentle repose as her chest rose and fell rhythmically. She smelled of home ... of fond laughter and caring hugs, of warm meals and warmer hearts.

Kaylie. She was Kaylie. His mate.

With a fond lick to her snout, Kal rose from his warm bed, slowly looking around the cozy den. Large enough for a litter, this space would make an ideal home to shelter from the cold, their bodies warming one another as they slumbered.

Spotting the sleeping form of the collared one, Kal padded closer, his nose drawing in her unique scent.

Elina, that was her name.

Elina’s ear twitched as he sniffed her though she remained peacefully sleeping.

Turning his attention to the final form resting beside Kaylie, he paused.

Soft, white fur lined her snout, traveling in broad strokes down her lithe body, with light brown fur covering the remainder. Her fur grew longer than Kaylie’s, just enough to lend a sense of elegance to her pleasing form.

She smelled of home, too ... of filling meals and baked pastries, of soft words and guiding hands.

Breathing deeply as though to sear her scent into his brain, Kal’s heart calmed.

Hana. This was Hana.

Happiness and contentment washed over him, the ache in his heart subsiding as that long-lost melody faded, replaced by a new one.

His family. His pack. They were all here.

Kal’s heart beat out of sync, a heaviness weighing him down like chains.