Fondest Dreams

Written by lilgirlsix and Archangel_M

Edited by Doctime

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lilgirlsix: I think I started to fall in love with Willi in this chapter. Thank you, Doctime, for your patience with us!

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Archangel_M: There were some technical difficulties when Chapter 2 was initially posted. If you read a version where the story seemed to skip around (whole chunks of dialogue were missing) and the bottom half of page 1 was all italics, please check back and reread it. Hopefully, a correct version will be up by the time this posts.

The music suggestion for this chapter is

"Heaven is a Place on Earth"

by Belinda Carlisle.

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{

Language Note:

Hungarian dialogue is in plaintext, <and German dialogue is in carrots.>

Vielen Dank an Fräulein Anne für ihre Hilfe mit meinem Deutsch

. ;)}

January 16, 1858

Zsálya seemed nervous and distracted this evening. She hugged Willi as usual after he dispatched the demon wolf, but not with her usual joy. She seemed stiff and awkward as she buried her face in Willi's shoulder and held onto him more tightly than ever.

"Zsálya, has something happened? What is wrong with you?" he asked, hugging her in return. She didn't answer, but she didn't move from her position. Willi disentangled himself from her arms and eased her away, but she kept her face downcast. Sighing, he slipped his palm under her chin and lifted it, only to see tears in her beautiful blue eyes. The sight broke his heart. What had happened to upset his little ebon-haired angel? "Has someone harmed you?" Just the thought of it made his eyes flash with anger and his jaw clench; it seemed that even two decades of diplomatic training and experience were not enough to let him hide his emotions concerning his

kleinen Wolf

.

"Oh no, Willi, nothing like that. So much has happened today. I think I am just overwhelmed; that is all, truly. I think I just needed to touch you, and to know you are here with me. I am sorry if I troubled you, Willi."

Although she tried to make him believe it was nothing, Willi could see the strain in her face. Something troubled her, something different from her usual pain, and he would make it his duty to find out what it was. Assuming her latest burden was not also a pack secret, he thought sourly. That still rankled—she was in danger; he could practically taste it in the black fog that surrounded her dream each night. But without any sort of proof, his principles and oaths forbade him to go snooping in her mind or to interrogate her beyond gentle questions. It was maddening.

But first, for the needs of the moment. Maybe, if he just got her talking, he'd be able to deduce the problem. "So, tell me then, what happened today?" Willi sat down on a nearby rock to await her answer. He gazed down at her when she settled herself in the snow next to him, her head resting on his leg. It was second nature now for him to reach down and gently stroke her soft, silky hair. For some reason, this seemed to calm them both. Though he was not her mate, Zsálya had grown used to his strange smell, fennel and woodsmoke, and now found it wonderfully comforting.

"Orsolya's mate arrived today. He is very handsome." She stopped for a moment and looked up at her friend. "But not as handsome as you, Willi." She smiled, and then laid her head back down on his leg and continued speaking. "He's tall, and very strong. He saved one of our cubs from a bear!" She lowered her voice and whispered so low that Willi could barely hear. "My sister is very lucky."

Willi was perplexed as he listened to her speak of her sister's mate. Why was it that Zsálya was so sure she would never find her own? He was suddenly very aware of the heat of her head on his leg, and of the rest of her body close to his. He spoke softly, trying to coax the answers from her lips. "What is it that overwhelmed you, Zsálya? Please, tell me. I want to help you."

She sighed and held tighter to his legs. "Orsolya spent much of the day with him. They will be mating tomorrow night, during the Ice Moon. When he kisses her..." Her voice faltered for a moment. "When he kisses her, she feels so many things at once. It is like she is being touched all over her body. She feels... different, like she needs something, but is not sure what it is. It is almost like a hunger."

He continued to stroke her hair as he pondered what was happening in his little angel's mind. "And she told you this?"

Zsálya's voice was barely a whisper. "She does not have to. I feel it."

Willi was momentarily at a loss for words. He took her by the arms and pulled her to her feet so he could see her face. "

Du, was

?

Ach

; you what?"

Zsálya's face blushed a deep crimson. "I feel it, I feel everything. It is a special bond we share as twins. When he kisses her, I feel all that Orsolya does."

"

Faszinierend

..." Willi murmured, his mind whirling. He had never read of or encountered this phenomenon before. He had heard of twins with remarkably close bonds, especially among elves. But these twins were Werewolves, and what she described went far beyond a simple twins' bond. He looked into her face for a moment and saw what he thought was shame. "Zsálya, dear, sweet Zsálya, you have done nothing wrong!"

"I feel as if I am intruding on her, and I do not know how to stop it!"

"Have you told your grandmother, or your father?"

"No, I have not. I am afraid of what they will think." She dropped her eyes and whispered, "And, it feels good. I... do not wish to stop it."

Willi suddenly realized what was happening. "Zsálya, have you never been kissed by a man?" He looked into her innocent face, brushing stray hair back from her eyes and tucking it behind her ears.

"You mean as a male to his mate? Oh no, Willi! The males of our pack are afraid to approach me. I am one of the Alpha's daughters; only a prospective mate would dare!" Again, she brought her head down and whispered, "And I will never have a mate."

"You seem very certain of that," Willi murmured, drawing her close once more.

"I am." Zsálya struggled to prevent her voice from breaking as she laid her head upon his shoulder and snuggled her body into his.

"Why?"

Such a simple question, and it hurt Zsálya that she was unable to answer it. Oh, to be able to confide in her friend! She knew he couldn't help her, but it would be so nice just to have a sympathetic ear... but instead, she squeezed him tighter and spoke the now-familiar words: "That... is a secret."

Willi sighed softly and just held her, rubbing her back through her pretty blue dress.

Zsálya closed her eyes and gave her own sigh, one of contentment. She loved hugging her friend like this; she seemed to fit so perfectly against his body, and she could feel his heartbeat, sure and powerful against her breast. Willi was of average height for an alpha or beta wolf, but slimmer, which made him seem even taller. And though his muscles were not obvious like Guillame's, or her brothers', she could feel them through his clothing, like bands of iron beneath his warm skin. She wondered momentarily if he would be a match for her sister's mate in a wrestling match.

Her wolf loved the feeling of Willi's strength, and gloried in the way he protected them, as a male should. Zsálya liked that too, but she especially loved the simple feeling of closeness she felt with him. When Willi held her like this, there was nothing for her to fear, and nobody was afraid of her, or for her. No fear... it was glorious. Zsálya's need to cry ebbed and faded away.

After what seemed like a long time, she pulled back just enough to look up into Willi's handsome face. "Thank you so much," she told him, running a hand up across his shoulder to rest on his cheek. "There is no mate waiting for me... but now I have you, my dear friend. I wish..."

Realizing what she had been about to say, Zsálya's voice failed her, and her head dropped in embarrassment. Willi's strong, gentle hand lifted her gaze back to his. He spoke no words, but his reassuring smile invited her to finish her thought.

"I... wish you were my mate," Zsálya whispered, blushing a sunset as she admitted her feelings for her wonderful friend.

Willi just stared at her for a long moment, his face completely blank. Then he began to blink, and Zsálya realized he was trying to hold back tears. His hands felt like burning brands as he laid them upon her cheeks, and she shivered at the feelings she saw in his gorgeous blue eyes.

Did he see her... as a female? Or just as a friend? Zsálya's breath caught in her throat, her innocent eyes wide as her lips seemed to drift closer to his of their own accord.

Their first kiss was brief and hesitant, barely more than a brush of lips. But that was enough to dispel all doubts: he wanted her, and she wanted him.

Overcome with joy, Zsálya stood on her tiptoes and carefully pressed her lips to his again in a real, deep kiss. It wasn't quite as pleasurable as she had expected, but the simple knowledge that she was kissing her 'knight in shining armor' made her heart sing.

Her heart's song paused when, after a few moments, Willi used his hands to gently ease her away, just enough to look fully into her eyes. Zsálya's heart clenched—had she misread his intent? But no, his face glowed with affection and... amusement?

"Kiss with your lips,

mein kleiner Wolf

, not your teeth," he murmured, running a thumb over her lips to emphasize his point. "Again." He grinned as he leaned in. She met him eagerly, carefully keeping her teeth back as he said. It took a few more pleasant tries before she got it just right.

But when her lips met his in that first

perfect

kiss, oh the ecstasy! The song became a symphony, fire roared through Zsálya's veins, and her head spun. She embraced her friend with a force that would have injured a normal human. Willi didn't seem to notice, and kissed her back with an equally fervent passion. Their hands roamed one another's backs and sides, and tangled in each other's hair.

A tiny part of Zsálya's mind was able to maintain itself through her passion. That part watched her wolf dancing in joy, and noted the differences between her current feelings and Orsolya's when she kissed Guillame. There was an undercurrent of something more between those two, a spark that passed between them whenever they touched, even if only for an instant. Zsálya felt nothing of the sort with Willi. And yet, memories of her sister's passion paled in comparison to what she was feeling right now. As wonderful as it had been to feel Orsolya's love and pleasure, this moment, and this gorgeous male, were

hers

.

OURS!

Zsálya's wolf echoed, over and over again. Willi was

their

male, mating bond or no, powerful, handsome, and loving. Her wolf would tear apart any other female who tried to claim him.

For his part, Willi's head was whirling and his heart felt as if it would burst from his chest. He had dreamed of someone like Zsálya since he had first realized that the world held women; someone intelligent but not arrogant, innocent but not foolish. Someone he could have a real conversation with, and also trust. And her looks were an amazing bonus; she was probably the most beautiful being he had ever beheld. To think that such a woman was here, and real, and might become

his

woman was almost more than he could believe.

At last, the young couple were forced to part for breath. Still Zsálya would not let Willi pull away, though, holding him tightly and rubbing her cheek against his. "Mine," she whispered in his ear. "Oh please, Willi, say you will be mine,

my

male?"

She heard his breath catch. "

Yours

," he whispered back when he found his voice again. His fingers stroked Zsálya's long black hair in a way that made her want to purr like Grandmother. "Humans don't need a mating bond to tell us when we are meant for someone," he told her. "I love you, Zsálya."

His declaration was like a bolt of lightning that traveled from her head to her toes. She leaned back enough to gaze into his eyes, and saw the truth of his words shining there. "I... think I love you too," she admitted.

"You are either in love, or you are not," he replied with a teasing grin. "Which is it,

meine Prinzessin?

"

Zsálya burst out giggling, leaning forward and nuzzling him playfully. "I love you, Willi," she told him firmly. A thought occurred to her, and she giggled again. "You are a very strange human," she told Willi with an impish smile that sent wonderful shivers through his stomach... and down to his growing cock.

"Really? I had not noticed." He laughed, a rich, warm sound that sent a thrill down Zsálya's spine. "I grew up in a magical castle that has a former demon for a butler and a giant spider living in the basement. As a child, my closest playmates were a Werefox and an elf prince, and I learned my letters from the spirit who keeps the libraries. I can fly. Believe me,

mein geliebter Wolf

, I am a

very

strange human, more than you yet know. And I love you, you strange little Werewolf. You are... something very special, more than I yet know, I think."

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The young couple stood in the snow, kissing and gazing at each other, for quite some time. Finally, Willi slipped an arm beneath Zsálya's legs and swept her up into his arms. She laughed, wrapping her own arms around his neck and snuggling up to him.

Zsálya was in heaven with her strong, handsome male holding her so tenderly, and she closed her eyes to savor the moment. When she opened them again, she fairly squealed in surprise and fright.

They were not standing on the ground anymore.

"Shh, be calm,

meine Liebe

," Willi murmured, his hands stroking her back soothingly. "You are completely and totally safe. I can fly, remember?"

Against her better judgment, Zsálya turned her head and looked down. They were very high indeed above the forest, and she quickly buried her face against Willi's chest before she could become nauseated. When she next peeked, she realized that the light around them had changed dramatically. Looking up, she saw a bright crescent moon and a clear sky awash in stars.

Gazing up into Willi's handsome face, Zsálya watched as he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in concentration. Motes of silver light swirled in the air and gathered against Willi's face, so that his lips seemed to be liquid silver rather than flesh. His blue eyes opened and caught hers, reassuring her without words and telling her how much he adored her. Then Willi gently pressed his lips to Zsálya's forehead. An odd chill washed across her skin, as though she had jumped in an ice-cold river, but without the shock. Zsálya's flesh warmed again in a moment, but she couldn't help feeling as if something was... different now.

"What did you do?"

"I cast a spell upon you. You will like this spell," he added, hastening to allay her fears before they even formed. "It grants you the ability to do something few mortals ever have the chance to do."

"What is that?" Zsálya was curious now.

Willi grinned. "Cloudwalking."

"What?"

"Here, you shall see." Willi changed course, towards a thick puffball of a cloud, shimmering white in the moonlit sky. He soared high above it, then came in and gently touched down on its top as if he were landing on the ground. Amazingly, his feet did not fall through the cloud!

Zsálya looked down at her love's feet, standing firm and sure on naught but cloud, then up to his smiling face. Her own lovely face was etched with total disbelief, even as Willi dropped to one knee and set her on her feet.

She had no idea what to expect, but the sensation was quite reassuring. The cloud felt quite solid beneath her feet, but wonderfully soft and springy—as if she had stepped onto a particularly thick, luxurious bed-mattress. It also felt delightfully cool on her bare feet. Zsálya took a few hesitant steps forward, and found that the... the cloud... was very easy to walk on. The top of this particular cloud looked to have about the same area as the snowbound meadow where they met each night.

As she looked up and saw the crisp, clear points of the stars above and the silver moonlight shining down, the fact that she was actually walking on a cloud fully sank in. Zsálya laughed aloud at the wonder of it, turning back to give Willi her biggest, brightest smile.

Willi was just staring at her, his mouth hanging open just the tiniest bit. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," he told her after a long pause.

Zsálya blushed, and decided that saying such a sweet thing entitled him to another kiss. Still beaming, she skipped back to him and delivered it with great gusto. This led to another long session of kissing and caressing. Willi was growing bolder, his lips questing all over Zsálya's face, her ears, and even down to her neck.

Hesitantly, she allowed herself the same liberties. As they continued, her body grew warmer and warmer, and she had the sudden urge to feel Willi's bare skin under her hands. Lost in the moment, Zsálya concentrated and 'thought' his shirt away. The forest-green wool vanished in an instant, and Zsálya moaned into Willi's ear as she ran her hands down his bare back. His back was crisscrossed with scars, but still was soft and warm. She could feel the hard muscles beneath, a measure of his strength.

At this, Willi gently, but firmly, disengaged himself, holding Zsálya away at arm's length and grinning at her. "Are you ready for this, Zsálya? I warn you, once you begin to... be physical... with someone you love, it is difficult to restrain yourself. Events may progress faster than you are prepared for."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Zsálya asked playfully. Something about Willi's expression made her think that there was a hidden meaning in his words.

"How far do you want to take our loving? Tonight, that is." Willi somehow managed to look serious and amorous at the same time.

The question gave Zsálya pause. She took a deep breath and ran her hands up Willi's chest, cupping his face in her small hands as she really

looked

at him for the first time that night. She thought about making love with Willi. Her chest tightened in excitement and she felt her womanhood leaking as she imagined him taking her here, on this soft bed of cloud. But something held her back, something she couldn't explain. It wasn't her wolf. It was just a sense that it would be too much, too fast.

"I... I don't want to... to lie with you, Willi," Zsálya whispered. "Not yet," she added, giving him a tender smile. "We will know when it is right."

Willi gave her an equally warm smile in reply. "Yes, we will. Now then," he declared, "these clothes are not fit for

meine kleine Prinzessin

. Not up here in the heavens."

The simple homespun of Zsálya's shift changed into something she had never felt before, or even imagined. It was so amazingly soft and comfortable that her breath caught, and she let her eyes close as she savored the feel of this wondrous material against her skin. "Oh my... what is this?"

"It is called 'silk.' It is difficult to make, and very sought after. This is a gown fit for a princess such as you," Willi replied, a smug little smile touching his lips.

Zsálya realized that much more than the material had changed; the garment she was wearing was radically different from her simple, utilitarian shift. The sheer pleasure of this 'silk' had distracted her at first. It was indeed a gown, dropping below her ankles to pool around her feet. Long sleeves covered her arms to the wrist, while her shoulders and a shallow 'v' down to her breasts were left bare by the lustrous blue material. It would have been horribly immodest, but for the delicate white lace concealing the skin not covered in silk, hinting at the pale flesh beneath without displaying it for the entire world to see. The lace even came a little ways up her neck, and she noticed that it also trimmed the cuffs of her sleeves.