Chapter Text
Levi’s senses were on high-alert as he raced out of his and Eren’s bedroom and down the hall. “Stay there, Eren!” he yelled back to his mate in the most commanding tone he could muster. Eren wasn’t the type to hold back in the midst of danger and Levi could see him racing out right next to him, but there was no way he’d want his Eren to take one step outside into the blizzard and hoped to the heavens that his mate would obey his wishes. There was no time to look back or apologize for his sharpness, he had to go.
Kuchel was rushing toward the front door as well, so quickly that the two nearly ran into each other. She flung the door open and morphed into her wolf-form in a split-second before leaping out into the storm without any hesitation of fear or reluctance. Levi did the same, following her lead as they followed the screeching, helpless howling.
They could only see a few meters ahead of them, the snow blocking any further vision. Levi followed his mother, her black fur easily spotted in the storm. She was just as fast as he was, if not faster as her paws tracked across the terrain. Levi was both terrified of losing her in the storm as well as whatever was out there calling to them.
The snow was as merciless as ever, clinging to his sleek black fur like a second coat and biting at his paws. It didn’t settle into his bones or freeze him out thanks to his thick fur, but it weighed him down and slowly started to take over his senses. The whipping wind left his ears nearly useless if it weren’t for the screeching howl breaking through the wind at high decibels. Pure darkness of the night and heavy snowfall limited his sight, forcing him to rely on sound alone. Winds prevented him from smelling anything at all. The blizzard threatened to render him useless altogether, but Levi still pushed on right beside his mother.
Finally, they saw a shadow of two sleds in the distance. Levi recognized them immediately, Erwin’s sled team right next to another one of a similar design. The two sleds were headed toward Levi and Kuchel, all wolves howling with fear and alarm. Kuchel skidded between the two and spun around to run alongside the new, unfamiliar sled while Levi ran up and alongside Erwin’s team. Erwin was at the lead, pulling without slowing down at the sight of Kuchel and Levi. Levi fell back to the sled where Nile was mushing, and a few younglings were secured near his feet.
“Storm wiped out our village! Avalanche! Lead us home!” he screamed out against the storm. It was enough to know for that moment and Levi raced up next to Erwin, helping guide the remains of their sister pack home. Kuchel did the same and the two stark black wolves escorted the teams back to the main house.
Once they had reached their village, Levi and Kuchel shifted right back into their human forms to strip off the harnesses of the wolves at top speeds to get them in and into the warmth as quickly as possible. Nile made his way in first with the children first, followed by the second sled team, and lastly Erwin’s team.
Everyone gathered in the warmth of the main living space, catching their breath and all transforming into their human shapes. The younglings huddled by the fire, whining and crying with fear. Every face in the room was filled with dread and the bitter scents accompanied their expressions.
Finally, Erwin spoke. “Except for us, the entire village has been destroyed. With only two sleds in working conditions, we took as many as we could and escaped.”
Silence and grief followed as everyone looked at their feet and held back tears. Somewhere in the silence, Eren crept down the hallway and took his place at Levi’s side, wearing the same distressed scent as everyone else as well as the same depressed frown.
Levi looked up to see a mixture of emotions covering his mother’s face. Greif for losing her kin. Anger for the storm that swallowed them. Regret for not being able to do anything else about it. Her fists shook at her sides from clenching so hard and she looked up to the ceiling with a look of pure agony. At her loudest volume and strongest tone, she howled.
After her first howl, everyone else joined in. Everyone threw their head back toward the heavens and opened their mouths to release a human-howl for their family. They cried, screamed, wailed, and howled for those they had lost. Once they were all breaking down into tears and sobs rather than agonized howls, and once those sobs muffled into sniffles and dark silence, Kuchel got to work in distributing blankets and warm cups of tea. Eren followed her lead first, leaving Levi’s side to help her.
Levi found a place to sit next to Erwin, ready to hear the death count but only got silence. His friend stared at the hardwood floor with wide, quivering irises and the heaviest of hearts. Many knew Erwin as a ruthless, unempathetic leader who would stop at nothing for greatness, but Levi knew that Erwin was just a fraud. Erwin carried the biggest burdens and owned the biggest heart. He knew he needed to wear a brave mask, to appear fearless as a leader and an Alpha, but Erwin was just as fragile as anyone else. If Levi had it his way, Erwin would be a commander and a pack leader rather than…
“You should be happy you got out alive,” Nile mumbled to an inconsolable Omega, one of whom pulled the second sled. He paced around the room, expelling a scent that encouraged fear and silence rather than comfort. Many may have imagined Erwin to be unempathetic, but Nile was true to the word and cared only about himself. It was just another thing Levi could see as plain as day. Erwin was a saint pretending to be a sinner while Nile held up a pitchfork and named himself Satan.
Suddenly, Eren was kneeling down next to Levi and Erwin holding out two cups of tea. Erwin broke out of his trance to look up at Eren and actually smile. “Thank you, Eren,” he genuinely spoke while taking the cup. “I needed some warmth tonight.”
“Are you done helping?” Levi asked, taking the second cup from his mate.
Eren nodded, keeping his eyes lowered from any gaze. It was clear his mate was feeling just as horrible as everyone else in the room. Even though Eren didn’t personally know any of the fallen, they were still his family and Eren recognized that. Levi figured it was strange for him to see his new friends in this state, and he was attempting to remain respectful while staying close to those he trusted.
“Come here,” Levi sighed, holding out an arm to create a space for Eren to snuggle into at Levi’s side. His mate wasted no time in scooting over right next to Levi and resting his head on his mate’s shoulder. Eren shrunk down to appear as small as possible at Levi’s side and Levi let him, securing his arm around the Omega and softly petting at Eren’s hair in a soothing way.
“He hurts for them,” Erwin whispered, low and almost inaudibly. “He’s angry for them too.”
Levi looked down to see Eren’s face scrunched up in a mournful glare. His mate’s body shook with something, whether it was grief, fury or both.
“He’s a good match for you and will make a good leader too,” Erwin decided softly. Eren wasn’t even paying attention, too lost in his own thoughts to pay any mind to Erwin’s words.
They sat in silence for a while longer before Kuchel started ushering people to spare bedrooms, urging them to get some rest. Levi tucked Eren in before heading back out to check on everyone else. His mother and the rest of the leaders were in deep conversation in the main room, most likely discussing a passing ceremony and how to proceed.
“We’ll need to go back and gather up any remaining resources,” Nile firmly stated. “There was plenty left behind.”
“We need to go back and search for survivors,” Kuchel overrode Nile’s decision with furrowed brows. “As soon as possible. Beyond that, we need to honor those who we’ve lost.”
Keith added, “We’ll need more food for newcomers as we only prepared for our own numbers. Keeping them comfortable is also a top priority.”
Hannes nodded along with Keith. “And more wood to stock the fires as well as medical attention.”
“I can take a team of hunters into the woods after the storms calm down,” Levi decided. “It may take a while to gather up what we need.”
“Not if we bring sleds,” Eren was suddenly there, having crept behind Levi during the discussion. He crossed his arms and kept his eyes lowered in the midst of so many powerful Alphas, but his voice rang strongly. “If we pile up our trappings on the sleds and pull them back rather than dragging them back one by one, we can spend more time hunting and less time dragging them back. The same goes for firewood.”
“That’s… brilliant. I can’t believe we hadn’t thought of that before,” Kuchel’s eyes widened.
“Because we wouldn’t waste our sleds on something so menial,” Nile grumbled. “They’re for travelling and racing, not for errands.”
“They should be,” Eren bravely looked up to meet Nile’s eyeline. “If we utilize the sleds more, they’ll save so much time and energy. We can build smaller sleds optimized for carrying supplies back and forth, I know Mike has the skills to do so.”
Levi wasn’t sure what to say, but he couldn’t help the sense of pride radiating from his body. His Eren was so fucking smart and gutsy enough to stand up for himself. He knew his mate was never the type to roll over and submit so easily, and it was almost hilarious to see him step up to someone like Nile. Levi couldn’t even try to wipe the satisfied smirk off of his own face.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Nile glared at Levi. Omegas standing up to Alphas wasn’t common, especially when it came to pack leader meetings.
“No,” Levi shrugged. “He’s right.”
“He is,” Hannes agreed with a grin. “I like this plan. I can help Mike craft these new sleds and get some more harnesses made as well.”
“I’ll organize our territories to make sure we’re not over-hunting,” Keith turned toward his room. “And I’ll draw you up a map, Levi, and you can create the scouting patterns.”
Suddenly, Nile’s duties were being relinquished to Levi instead which had the man fuming. With responsibilities passed out, everyone took their leave to get some rest for the night. Kuchel gave Eren a secret little smile before retiring as well, bidding her boys a restful night.
Levi put an arm around Eren to guide him back to their bedroom. “I thought I had tucked you in tight enough to prevent any escape,” he teased in a low, soft voice.
“It’d take shackles and a cell to keep me contained. You know that.” Eren smiled, unable to hold in the scent of pure joy and excitement. Levi imagined he had to be plenty pleased with himself for contributing such a well-received plan.
Again, and again, his mate continued to surprise him in the best of ways. The light shined on Eren and somehow Levi knew that he didn’t just get a beautiful mate but a strong and capable leader at his side as well.
* * *
“This is so much better!” Isabel enthused, holding onto the back of her sled while Farlan pulled her along. They’d stacked up a huge pile of game on her sled and secured it with rope to keep it all together and prevent it from slipping off. She supervised their trappings while Farlan raced back toward town. The success of his suggestion had Eren beaming yet again. It took every ounce of courage he had to get it out in front of Kuchel and the others, but he was happy that he did. There were now teams of two that were taking sleds to get food and firewood, so many that they ended up overstocking on both.
After they held a ceremony for the lost werewolves from the sister pack, delegated new living arrangements for newcomers, and scouted through the destroyed village with no luck, things seemed to find a new sort of calm. Weeks had passed and Eren learned yet again that time was truly the best medicine.
“The only thing better than this is if we could literally fly or something,” Isabel laughed again, finding the sled-ride exhilarating. Eren nodded and gripped onto his own sled that Levi was hooked up to, running alongside Farlan toward the village.
The four of them must have noticed it all at the same time as Levi and Farlan started to pick up the pace. All of them looked toward the village where they could spot smoke rising to the heavens. It wasn’t the usual amount either from the fire they kept rolling throughout the day. The smoke was black as night and stood out starkly against the white skies, the color alone alarming all four wolves. It wasn’t just the color though, but also the sheer amount of it puffing out into the sky.
When they arrived, the entire village was surrounding a giant fire, all of them yelping and yelling and howling at one another in complete chaos. That morning when Farlan, Isabel, Levi, and Eren had left for hunting, everything had been normal and quiet. In just a few hours, what could have spurred everyone on in such a violent way? Eren figured a lot of things happened like that: suddenly and out of the blue. Still, there was only one person Eren could ever imagine to start such a war in a village of peace.
Nile stood with his arms crossed in the midst of the battle, the corners of his lips twitching up into a smile as he struggled to hold a firm frown.
“What the hell is going on here?” Levi yelled out once he changed his forms and wrestled the straps of the sled harness off of himself. While his tone and scent aimed to silence and control the situation, it did nothing other than set Eren on edge and Farlan grabbing onto Isabel’s hand with worry.
“Looks like this village was much more fragile than you thought,” Nile muttered.
“Everyone, please calm down!” Kuchel stood on the nearest table to tower over them all, yelling and waving her hands in an attempt to defuse the situation.
“He’s too young! We need a leader, not a child!”
“How dare you question our pack leader?!”
“There hasn’t been a challenge in many eras, it’s an old custom!”
“It’s the only way to find out who is strong and who is weak!”
The voices shouting around each other drown out any thoughts Eren could have of his own, and the rising scents of frustration and malice clouded around the central area. A challenge for leadership? His eyes darted over to Nile who stood strongly with his arms crossed.
“Kuchel cannot fight at her age, she’ll die,” a woman standing near Eren said softly. “But if she doesn’t fight… she’ll lose her right to lead us.”
“She can’t even handle this chaos, maybe someone new would help,” her mate responded, seemingly annoyed.
Eren looked back to Levi, only to find that his mate was no longer at his side. With a frantic glance around, he realized Levi had leapt onto the table beside his mother. “I will fight in my mother’s place,” he called out above all other voices, managing to silence the crowd. “Whomever dares to question her ability to lead can answer to me.”
Eren shook from the sheer dominance Levi had expelled amongst the group and found himself frozen in place as he digested what had just happened. Levi would fight for his mother’s place as pack leader. Fight and win or die.
It had happened so unexpectedly. Eren knew of the eventuality of a fight for leadership, but not so soon. He glared at Nile, wondering if it was all a part of the wolf’s plans. Attack while the pack was weak with mourning and loss. Attack while Levi was busy forming a true bond with Eren. Attack while the pack was fragile and weaker than ever. It was dirty and cruel, but it had worked.
“It’s a fight for pack leadership, not to save someone else’s skin,” Nile reminded them.
“Then he’ll fight for my place as leader,” Kuchel crossed her arms and declared. “He’s ready.”
“You’re entrusting our pack to a child who spent a majority of his life amongst the humans, giving his time to a stray pup while abandoning us?” Nile accused.
“He was given a mission to bring one of our boys home, and he succeeded no matter how long it took.”
“As great of a scout he is, that doesn’t make him a leader.”
The rest of the wolves were murmuring, which wasn’t a good sign. Eren could hear as many wolves agreeing with Nile as they did Kuchel. His first impressions of a big, happy pack family were altered at that moment. Nothing appeared as it seemed, and his new home was no exception. Werewolves definitely weren’t humans, but they weren’t angels either. They were violent, feral, and followed a strict pack order.
“We commence the ceremony once the moon is at its highest,” Levi spoke through grit teeth, his anger radiating off of his body. “Unless you decide to back out by then.”
“Be ready,” Nile warned, stalking off to the main house. “And when you’re dead, I’ll feel free to take your home, your possessions, and your mate.”
It seemed good enough for the rest of the pack as they scattered too, most of them heading to their own homes. The decision passed so casually, it took Eren by surprise that it was settled so quickly.
Levi helped Kuchel off of the table and hopped down himself. They shared some quiet words before heading closer to Eren. Kuchel rustled his hair with a strange confidence and hummed, “I’ll make the preparations.”
Eren had his mouth open but wasn’t sure what to say. What was there to say? The look of pure determination on Levi’s face was as alluring as it was fearsome. “Could you help me with something?” Levi asked, his voice surprisingly gentle compared to the downright murderous look on his face. With a nod, Eren agreed to anything that Levi could have asked him to do at that moment.
Levi took his hand and led them back to their cabin, a happy change of atmosphere compared to the tense main area. It had quickly become their sanctuary, a place where it was simply Levi and Eren. Eren made up a fire, something Levi had taught him, while Levi searched for something in their dresser. The fire didn’t take long and Eren sat on the rug in front of the hearth while he waited.
Eventually, Levi brought over a little pot of paint. It softly glowed in a blue-green hue in its glass jar and Levi handed it to Eren, flopping down next to him and crossing his legs. “I want you to paint me.”
“All over? Like some kind of glowing goblin?” Eren stared blankly between Levi and the paint.
“Remember those markings you found me in? I want you to paint me with this again, to protect me from whatever Nile throws at me.”
“Oh…” Eren vaguely remembered a conversation he had with Levi about the painted patterns. “I don’t know how,” he sadly replied.
“It’s not complicated. You paint what you feel. You can’t do it wrong.” Levi stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving him in a tight pair of underwear and nothing else. His skin was pale and gorgeous, marked with a collection of scars that only added to his mate’s beauty. He closed his eyes, still and patient for Eren to begin.
Eren took a deep breath and dipped his index and middle finger into the paint, realizing it was oddly warm. He started with Levi’s arms, swirling the paint into spiraling patterns against porcelain skin. It wrapped around Levi’s bicep and forearm like a snake, curling protectively around each arm as if Eren were holding onto both. Next came his torso and back, where Eren got a little more creative adding in dots and his best efforts to mimic snowflakes that all spun and connected around Levi’s body.
As he worked, he realized just how intimate it was. He was painting his own protection onto Levi while he kept the thought of Levi potentially dying in battle far from his mind. Still, it wasn’t easy to just deny. As much as he believed in Levi, it wasn’t impossible.
He didn’t realize he was crying, but the tears flowed down his cheeks while he moved on to Levi’s legs, continuing to sketch on all of the things he loved about Levi and what they’d been through. Stars for the nights they spent together that sparkled with playfulness, a moon on Levi’s lower back for light, a handprint for Eren, and a pawprint for Levi.
“Our story doesn’t end here,” Eren spoke softly into the silence as he finished up.
“Of course not,” Levi agreed with a smile. “During this fight, Eren, you cannot interject. Just trust me, and we’ll be okay.”
“Right,” Eren begrudgingly extinguished his inner plans to help. “So, fight. If you don’t fight, you can’t win.”
“Right,” Levi chuckled a little, turning his eyes toward the window. He had the most confident gaze, as if nothing could harm him whatsoever. It helped calm Eren’s heart, making him feel as though his mate were purely untouchable. “It’s time soon.”
Eren hummed sadly, leaning forward to kiss his mate on the lips. The moment he did, the paint on Levi’s bare skin glowed brighter. It was deep, honest, and Eren hoped it could convey just how much he loved the beast before him. “Don’t lose,” he whispered when they broke apart.
Levi caressed Eren’s cheek as gently as possible, skimming over skin so delicately. “You’re taking this quite well, pup. I didn’t think you’d be okay with a fight to the death.”
“I’m okay with it because you’re not going to die.”
“Someone else will, at my jaws.”
“Someone else will because they begged for it. Because they were stupid enough to ask for a fight.” Eren sighed. He wasn’t a stranger to death and had stared it down a few times during his life on the streets. In a world of beasts, he needed to accept that his life wouldn’t always be pretty. He kissed the tip of Levi’s nose. For Levi’s sake, he’d never admit that he was a little nervous. But, per usual, Levi caught everything based solely on Eren’s scent.
Levi reached around Eren to the little pot of paint, dipping in his index finger with one hand and taking Eren’s in the other. On the back of Eren’s hand, he drew a snowflake to mimic the ones Eren had drawn on him. “If you get scared during the fight, kiss this snowflake and I’ll feel it too. Start planning our night together, okay? We’ll do anything you want when this is over.”
Eren nodded as he was pulled up by Levi and led out the door. The center of the village looked entirely different than usual. The bonfire in the middle was lit with glowing metals at the bottom, turning the flames bright colors of green and blue. Wolves were all surrounding the circle in a huge ring, all of them chatting. Some were human while others were canine, the entire assortment waiting for the fight. Levi led Eren to where Kuchel and their friends were all standing with expressions of worry and frustration. Eren stood by Kuchel and watched as Farlan gave Levi a short hug, pressing their foreheads together and sharing some short words of encouragement. Isabel hugged Levi properly, not saying anything at all.
Kuchel took her son into her arms and whispered something into his ear, words that could only be shared between a mother and son. She kissed his cheeks and murmured something Eren could hear. “Your markings are beautiful, Levi. They’ll keep you safe in battle.”
Levi nodded, smiled, and gave one last kiss to Eren before turning. The little black wolf that Eren had loved since he was a child nosed at his thighs and Eren rubbed the soft space between Levi’s ears. It took him back to the days when they were starving and just trying to live out one more day, and now they were fighting to protect what they loved.
Levi rounded the bonfire, waiting for his challenger with sharp eyes and a low growl. The fur along his spine raised up in anger, puffing up to make him look savage.
Another growl gave away Nile’s location on the other side of the fire, both of them circling on opposite ends. Nile’s wolf form was larger than Levi’s with black fur tipped with gray. He snarled, bearing teeth and promising a fight.
Levi didn’t wait or hesitate. He rounded the corner and a breakneck speed to meet Nile head-on rather than stalling. While Levi was small, he was fast and packed full of fury. It gave him the advantage of the first move, leaping onto Nile and sending him sliding on the ground.
Nile rebounded quickly by forcing himself up with jaws wide open, ready to bite and rip. He wrenched his neck to the side in order to catch Levi’s flank, biting in but Levi made no sound or yelp. Nile threw Levi to the side, sending Levi skidding back toward the bonfire. For a moment, Eren gasped thinking that Levi had flown right into the fire, but he stopped himself before reaching the flame’s edge.
Levi was quick to run and pounce on top of Levi, as if they were playing like Eren and Levi did. Instead of playful nips and rolling, though, Levi toppled Nile to the ground and bit into the wolf’s shoulder, missing the crucial point on Nile’s neck. At the bite, Kuchel reached down and gripped onto Eren’s hand. He realized he wasn’t the only one holding his breath and at the edge of his seat, worried to death.
“Don’t jump in, I know you want to,” she whispered. “Levi will do what needs to be done.”
Eren realized he’d been leaning forward, as if ready to leap into battle to protect his mate. Her shaking hand held him back, clutching on for a lifeline but also an anchor. He was only able to nod to her and reel himself back, but still couldn’t find words.
Nile rolled them over, so he was on top, pressing down on Levi’s chest to keep him down. It didn’t work, though, and the two continued rolling around the fire exchanging snapping bites and thunderous growls. Occasionally, one would bark out like lightening, completing the whirling storm they created.
A sharp yelp had Eren jumping in shock as Nile had a grip on Levi’s hindfoot between his jaws, crunching down on the delicate bones until something snapped. Right when it did, Nile let go and backed away. It looked as if he were grinning with a downright murderous look in his eyes, as if he’d won.
Eren never considered Levi losing. His mate couldn’t lose, wouldn’t lose. Without even thinking, he brought his hand up to his lips to both hold back his own cries and press his lips against the snowflake Levi had drawn for some kind of comfort. The paint was still warm and glowing, connecting them in some sort of magical way.
Nile reared back and sprang toward Levi, growling with excitement and opening his mouth for one last deadly bite. At the very last second, Levi rolled which sent a flying Nile skidding toward the bonfire. Coming up from behind, Levi pounced against his broken leg and landed on Nile’s back. Another yelp came, but Eren couldn’t tell who it was from. Nile attempted to shake Levi off of his back toward the fire, but Levi had a hold on Nile’s neck. With one final, violent shake Nile tossed them both into the center of the blue-green flames.
Crunch. It was a loud, popping sound that Eren couldn’t unhear. The sound would surely haunt him for the rest of his life as he wasn’t sure whom it came from. As much as he wanted to tear his gaze away, to hide from the possibility of never seeing Levi again, he couldn’t.
Kuchel was crying next to him, as was Isabel. Eren refused to shed a single tear until he knew for certain.
A black form stumbled out of the fire and back into the light. The fire still ate away at the dark fur, lighting up the dark wolf in colors of blue and green like an aurora. He looked at Eren first, those dark eyes matching his once the moment was over.
“Levi,” Eren whispered, breaking the silence plaguing the entire village.
His mate threw his head back and howled in bloody victory. The villagers all did the same, human and wolf howling together after the feral battle. Any doubts were extinguished as the challenger burned.
Somewhere in the celebration, Levi shifted forms again. The moment he did, he leg gave out under him and he fell back to the ground. His head lolled to the side, but he forced his eyes to stay open. Kuchel let go of Eren’s hand and pushed him forward toward his lover, and Eren didn’t hesitate. He threw himself at Levi, gathering his mate up in his arms to hold him like he’d nearly lost him.
“I love you,” Eren got out through his tears.
“I love you too,” Levi returned.
He loved his violent, feral, bloody beast of a mate. No matter how dark their lives became, his mate would bring a beautiful light through the terror and fight to stay together.
* * *
“I think I can get up now,” Levi told Eren for the twentieth time that day. He’d been sworn to bedrest for at least a week while his leg healed before moving on to crutches. Werewolves healed quickly, but not fast enough in Levi’s opinion.
“No,” Eren simply said, tending to the fire and taking the kettle off of the flames in order to make tea. “We can take a little trip, though.”
“A little one, hm?” Levi wondered. What did his little mate have planned?
“A sled-ride for the two of us. This time, I’ll be strapped up and you get to ride on my sled,” Eren proposed. “There’s something I want you to see.”
Eren had been obsessed with the sleds since the battle for pack leadership. He was elected to join Erwin’s team as the musher, leading them back and forth between the old sister pack’s village to gather supplies and help with repairs. Levi was left feeling a bit lonely most days as his mate refused to stop moving. The nights were wonderful, though, as he was able to get Eren all to himself.
“It’ll be fun. Normally, you’re the wolf,” Eren snickered.
“I still like it better that way.”
“It reminds me of our life before…” Eren smiled, pouring Levi’s cup of tea and handing it over. “But I think I like this better.”
“Do you?”
“I do. I’m happy I get to have you as my mate.”
The words had Levi’s heart swelling with pride and joy. “I’m happy too.”
They watched the sunset from their cabin window, sipping on tea and enjoying the comfortable quiet between them. Usually, Eren would ramble about sledding or all the things he wanted to do with Levi when his leg healed up. Instead, his mate seemed quite pensive. Instead of prying, Levi knew Eren would speak on his own time and simply waited.
Two cups down and Levi’s stomach was warm and happy. Eren carried away the cups in a bit of a rush and knelt at the side of their bed, giving Levi his best set of puppy-eyes. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Levi chuckled, happy to finally leave the cabin. He limped on his leg and Eren was quick to help support Levi’s weight by forcing his mate to lean on him while they walked out. Eren’s sled was set up already and once Levi got a steady hand on the sled, Eren turned into his wolf form effortlessly. Levi helped get Eren into the harness and once he adjusted himself on the sled, Eren took off like a bullet.
Levi hadn’t ridden on a sled in years, but quite enjoyed the sight of Eren having such a good time pulling. He must have taken pointers and lessons from Erwin’s team, as he took paths that made the ride smooth and easy on Levi’s legs. They didn’t end up going as far as Levi imagined, nor was there a clear destination. Eren took them out into the middle of the blank tundra, heading out farther and farther into the nothingness.
Eren slowed to a stop at the top of a snowy hill, waiting for the sled to completely stop before changing back to a human and rushing back to help Levi off the sled. They sat at the top of that hill as the sun set, and Levi had to ask. “So, what are we doing here?”
“Waiting.”
“For?”
“The rest of our lives,” Eren smartly replied with a little smirk. “I wanted to… thank you. For bringing me here, waiting for me to be ready for all of those years… for being my best friend. I probably would have been dead by now if you hadn’t brought me home.”
“I’d have kept you alive,” Levi assured.
“But if I wasn’t a werewolf…”
“I would have stayed with you,” Levi confidently replied, revealing the truth. “I won’t leave you. For anything.”
Eren smiled warmly and leaned in to rest his head on Levi’s shoulder. “I won’t leave you either.”
Darkness filled the sky and Levi finally realized what they had travelled so far out into the openness to see. Like magic, the most beautiful lights filled the night sky. Blue, purple and green ribbons of light danced across the darkness amongst the stars, painting the grim darkness in beautiful color.
“Your mom told me about these lights and how you couldn’t see them from the human’s town or the village. She said sometimes you needed the complete darkness in order to see the light.”
“That sounds like her,” Levi laughed, gazing up at the colors. “And they’re beautiful like you.”
The brightness of Eren’s smile was ten times as gorgeous as the lights in the sky. It made everything worth it, the cold nights and the endless battles. Levi would have done it again, too, violently tearing through any barrier to get Eren to smile again. His feral devotion ran deeply, and he could tell that Eren’s did too. No matter what they needed to face, they could face it together. As men and as beasts, their love could light their way through any amount of darkness.