"Shit," Jere whispered as he turned to follow her gaze, and Palo pulled up next to them to assess their situation as well.

"Then is seems there is no way back," he observed. "Only forward."

Jere nodded to his father. "Then forward it is."

But even as the horses started to move forward, Alera's attention remained on the path behind them. She felt like they were being watched, and she was expecting something to happen.

That was when the four wolves appeared behind them, emerging from the dark forest onto their path. Their growls reverberated throughout the dark forest and before she could tell the others, Jere's father's voice boomed back to them.

"Just keep moving forward," he commanded, and so they had no choice but to follow. Not with the path behind them closed off and the wolves now additionally blocking it behind them. But even moving forward was becoming difficult, and the horses needed to move at a walking single file.

"Don't make any sudden moves," Palo warned again as he was forced to slow down, and it was all Alera could think about as she could feel the wolves watching her back like she was going to be their next meal.

"Every bit of this forest is dense and dark," Jere said under his breath, and she looked back at him as he too seemed to be looking around and assessing their whereabouts. "The stories weren't wrong—look."

He pointed to the path ahead of them... but no, not one path. Two. Then three. They seemed to split and diverge before her very eyes, with no certain way to tell them which was correct. They all looked the same.

"There's no turning back, that's for certain," he continued. "But I don't even know which way we should go from here."

Neither did she, she realized, even as she continued to feel eyes on her. A shiver along her spine had her turning around again—she knew Palo said no sudden movements, but she couldn't help it...

The four wolves who had blocked their path before were now following them. Not only following, but getting closer. She sucked in a breath as she forced herself to watch. But no longer were their growls coming from the pack, but if possible, an almost friendly demeanor. Like before was a warning to not turn back, and now they were escorting them forward.

"Which way do we go?" She heard Jere hiss, and it gave her an idea.

"I'll be right back," she told him as she was able to slide off the saddle and land on the forest floor.

"What—Alera? What are you doing?"

"I don't know," she admitted as she stood, brushing off her pants. "I know wolves to be dangerous, but something inside of me is telling me that this is part of being home. Like my heart is telling me it's free."

"Alera, wait!"

But she was almost making her wake towards the slowly approaching wolves.

She made sure her hands were out at her sides, to show them she had no weapons, and meant no harm. Taking Palo's words into account, she made no sudden movements, but she also did not feel fear.

At least, she did not until the wolves all at once charged towards her at full speed.

"ALERA!"

She had made a mistake, she realized, but only too late. She had just enough time to cross her arms over her face, a feeble attempt to protect herself, as the wolves leaped and jumped onto her, knocking her to the ground.

She waited for the searing pain of fangs tearing her flesh, of bones breaking and skin ripping... but instead there was the unexpected affection of wolf kisses and licks anywhere they could reach the skin of her face. She actually laughed in pure delight at the unexpected affection, despite the fear that coursed through her only moments ago.

A howl in the distance put a pause on the fun as the wolves removed themselves from Alera and stood at attention while she returned to her feet. Her smile faltered only slightly when she looked back towards Jere and Palo, who watched her in complete and absolute shock. She could only imagine what the scene looked like and didn't blame them for the reaction. She was about to reassure them that everything was alright when another distant howl had the wolves yipping and leaping towards the left-most path ahead of them. They did not continue on, but rather stopped and looked back at the three of them, the wolves' tails wagging as if they were asking them if they were going to follow them.

"I suppose we found our answer," Alera told them as she moved to walk towards the wolves, but Jere pulled her back by her arm just enough to halt her movements.

"You're sure you're okay?" He truly looked shaken.

"I am," she assured him, a hand cupping his cheek before she gave him a gentle kiss.

One of the wolves yelped again, as if getting impatient.

"Let's go," she said with a smile, and followed the wolves, with Jere and his father walking the horses behind them.

She wasn't without caution. Though the four wolves were eager to have them follow, they were still within the forest and needed to move cautiously. If the wolves were able to find them, what else could cross their paths so easily? Not to mention Nicholas and his men—there was no sign or sound of them since the entrance closed behind them, but that didn't mean they could possibly find another way. They had to be doubly cautious as they maneuvered their way through the dense overgrowth until it gave way to a clearing.

No, not just a clearing.

It was a whole city. A veritable city of dwellings in the trees, rising up into the canopy above beyond where the eye could see.

"The forest people," Palo whispered, and she watched him look around in awe as his neck craned as if he was looking for something. Or someone.

But someone seemed to find them first.

The wolves bounded away from them once they had properly led them towards the city, barking and circling a large man who had started to walk towards them.

No... not just a man. One look at his ears and the sense of otherworldliness that drifted off of him. She knew what he was. Where they were. These were her mother's people. The forest fae.

"It had been some time since these wolves were ever this excited, and now I can see why." The fae male was large, tall and girthy, with orange hair and a bushy orange beard to match. The eyes that looked her over, though—there was something oddly familiar about them.

"Do you know me?" Alera asked carefully.

He shook his head, almost sadly. "I did not know you existed until you broke through the clearing, but your scent is more than familiar. I had not been expecting the presence of the daughter of Queen Vessa and King Roland to ever step foot in our woods."

"You knew my mother?" Alera gasped.

The male gave her a warm smile. "Quite well. Vessa was of these woods—we were her people before she chose a life as queen. Sadly, she was not able to bring her wolves with her, so you'll forgive their forwardness when they believed she had returned."

Alera almost felt guilty as she looked at the wolves. So they thought she was her mother... she wished her mother was there, too.

"And since Vessa was part of these woods, much like her wolves here, so too was she a part of this forest. And forever would me. As would her descendants. The very earth you walk upon up through the leaves of the trees is connected to the magic all around us."

Alera knew Jere and Paulo were still behind her, but her attention was solely on the large male moving towards her. Offering his hand in greeting.

"I am Hevea, Chief of the forest fae, and Vessa was my daughter."

His daughter? Then that would mean...

"I would be your grandfather," Hevea said, as if he could read her thoughts. "I understand that it may be somewhat hard to discern, but our people generally live quite long lives under the proper circumstances.

His hand was still extended, and Jere cleared his throat as if to remind her of the same. She quickly accepted his hand and shook it, still riddled with surprise. "I am Alera. And this is Jere, and his father—"

"Palo," Hevea said before Alera could finish her introductions.

Both Alera and Jere turned almost in unison to look towards the stable master, who was already moving to approach Hevea. The two men braced their forearms and hugged before Hevea greeted him. "Welcome, old friend."