Episode 5

Totuga looked at me with a sullen expression, speaking curtly.

“I didn’t propose a deal to you.”

But Aiden placed a firm hand on my shoulder, reinforcing my stance.

“My wife’s will is my will.”

Totuga’s expression shifted to one of disappointment, clearly unprepared for such a resolute rejection.

Perhaps he had expected Aiden, whose ancestors were once wolves, to consider the deal out of some sense of kinship.

If so, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

It was precisely for that reason that we would never entertain such an offer.

If that was all Totuga wanted, there was no point in continuing this conversation. I was about to tell him to let us go when Trevor suddenly wriggled free from my grasp and dashed toward the wolf.

It happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to stop him.

Trevor, giggling gleefully, threw his small arms around Totuga’s massive forepaw, rubbing his face against the wolf’s thick chest fur.

“Wolf!!”

While Aiden and I stood frozen in shock, unable to utter a word, Trevor was nothing but innocent and cheerful.

Clutching Totuga’s fur, Trevor began climbing the massive wolf as if scaling a rock wall.

With a series of determined grunts, he hoisted himself onto Totuga’s back and, finally, onto his head.

Gripping the wolf’s ears as though they were handlebars, Trevor shouted triumphantly, “Wolf!”

Caught in a wave of parental guilt, I couldn’t help but question whether we had raised our child too freely.

Totuga’s voice, tinged with disbelief, broke through my thoughts.

“What a bold child.”

Aiden and I had no response.

We dared not act rashly, fearing any sudden movement might endanger Trevor. Instead, we watched Totuga closely, searching for any signs of hostility.

Fortunately, the enormous wolf didn’t seem inclined to harm Trevor, who was now bouncing enthusiastically atop his head.

I called out to my son as gently as I could manage.

“Trevor, come here, sweetheart. That’s dangerous.”

“Trevor dangerous!”

That’s not what I meant!

Determined to maintain composure, I forced a strained smile and tried again.

“Trevor, come to Mommy, okay?”

“Trevor is happy!”

Normally, Trevor would come running the moment I called, but now he showed no intention of climbing down.

“Trevor, your mother is calling you. Come here,” Aiden said, his tone firmer than usual as he extended a hand.

But the thoroughly delighted four-year-old paid no attention to his father’s command.

I silently resolved to give Trevor a stern lesson in safety as soon as we returned to the grand duchy.

Watching our son gleefully tug at Totuga’s ears while the wolf maintained a stoic expression, Aiden and I found ourselves in an unfamiliar and deeply frustrating predicament.

We had dealt with spirits before, specifically the unpredictable and temperamental one at Beryl Lake. Now, with Trevor practically offering himself as a hostage, our options were limited.

Letting out a long sigh, I addressed Totuga.

“I’ll hear your proposal.”

The wolf tilted his head slightly, glancing up at Trevor perched atop him.

“Are you worried I might harm your child?”

“I trust you won’t,” I replied calmly.

“Strange words. I do not trust humans,” Totuga said, his tone pointed.

Was he trying to provoke us?

With the upper hand firmly in his grasp, Totuga now spoke in circles, deliberately drawing out the conversation.

I bit the inside of my cheek in frustration, while Aiden adjusted his grip on his sword.

Meanwhile, Trevor continued rolling around atop Totuga’s head, his laughter the only sound in the tense silence.

After observing us for a moment, Totuga suddenly tilted his head back.

Losing his balance, Trevor tumbled down the wolf’s neck, only to land securely on his back.

Our hearts nearly stopped, but Trevor burst into gleeful laughter, completely unfazed by the fall.

For the first time since his birth, my endlessly joyful son earned my genuine anger.

“Trevor. Come here.”

The chill in my voice made even Trevor pause.

He looked at me with wide eyes, his usual confidence wavering when he saw my unyielding expression. His shoulders slumped, and his eyebrows drooped in a show of contrition.

As Trevor struggled to climb down from Totuga, clutching his fur tightly, the great wolf turned his head and gently grasped the back of the child’s tunic with his teeth.

Both Aiden and I nearly lunged forward, hearts pounding with fear.

If Totuga hadn’t carefully set Trevor on the ground the very next moment, spirit or not, I would have rushed in and kicked him.

Totuga nudged Trevor’s back with his nose, guiding him toward us, before turning his crimson gaze back to me.

“I fear that you humans may harm my children, as well,” he said, his voice carrying a somber weight.

I couldn’t respond immediately, as I was preoccupied with comforting Trevor, who now clung to my legs. Once I had lifted him into my arms, I looked back at Totuga, who was watching me with a solemn expression, waiting for my reply.

“You think we would harm your children? What do you mean?”

“Since Lady Olina left, more humans have entered this land. Some avoid us, but others attack. We cannot discern their intentions.”

It didn’t take long to understand his concerns.

Herbalists, woodcutters, and hunters had always frequented the Forest of Wolves, and their numbers likely increased as the weather grew milder.

While few would deliberately hunt wolves, the high price of wolf pelts was an undeniable reality.

With the changing climate, settlers might eventually relocate here permanently. That was likely why the Neudyk Empire coveted the forest.

For wolves, who couldn’t coexist with humans as dogs could, this territorial dispute was nothing short of a disaster.

Wolves had once moved north, unable to find harmony with humanity. Now, we were intruders in the refuge they had claimed.

And to defend his territory, Totuga had turned to Aiden, a descendant of a wolf who had once betrayed his kin to become a dog.

Two pairs of red eyes—one human, one lupine—met and held.

Totuga’s commanding presence remained intact, but his voice carried a note of urgency as he finally spoke again.

“My power is not yet complete. Until I can fully protect my kin and my territory, guard this land for me. In return, I will protect your land. That is the deal I propose.”

When Totuga finished, Aiden turned to me.

He didn’t speak, but his eyes conveyed his thoughts clearly.

Though not yet at full strength, a spirit was still a spirit. Having one safeguard Tilender was a proposition no lord could refuse.

Furthermore, leaving this forest as the wolves’ territory was the most practical option for the border region with Neudyk.

It would serve as a natural buffer zone, far more efficient than clearing the entire forest to build fortifications.

While many reasons flashed through my mind, none seemed to matter once I met Aiden’s gaze.

My husband wanted to protect this land.

And it was a land my son adored, filled with wolves he loved.

Gently stroking Trevor’s head, I asked, “What must we do to accept this deal?”

“You must form an oath to protect each other,” Totuga replied.

“I don’t like oaths,” I said firmly. “I don’t believe in forcing loyalty or binding hearts.”

Totuga’s ears drooped, a subtle but unmistakable sign of disappointment.

He didn’t seem to realize how expressive his ears were, and the sight made me smile despite myself.

“But I can promise to protect a friend’s land.”

“A promise?”

Totuga’s ears perked up instantly.

Though his ears betrayed his emotions, Totuga himself remained cautious. He seemed to deliberate for a moment before responding, feigning reluctance.

“And if I break that promise?” he asked.

“I’d be sad, because you betrayed my trust,” I replied.

“That’s all? If you betray me, should I simply feel sad as well?”

“To prevent my friend from feeling sad, I’ll do everything in my power to protect your land.”

“A friend?”

“When we promise to protect each other, we call that a friendship,” I said, smiling warmly at the wolf spirit.

Aiden’s hand, which had been gripping his sword tightly, relaxed as a small smile appeared on his lips as well.

Totuga stared at us for a moment, his large tail suddenly wagging behind him.

From behind the great wolf emerged a small, white bundle of fur—soft and fluffy like moonlight—a wolf pup.

“This is the child of the strongest pack leader. This pup will guard your child.”

Knowing how much this would delight Trevor, I glanced down at him and couldn’t suppress my laughter.

Trevor, clutching my skirts, stared at the wolf pup with eyes wide as saucers, his mouth and nostrils flaring comically.

“Trevor, it looks like you’ve made a friend,” I said.

Trevor didn’t blink, his gaze fixed on the wolf pup. The little creature scratched its ear with a hind leg before tumbling into a forward roll, landing on its feet and letting out an enthusiastic bark.

If I found it adorable, I could only imagine how Trevor, a natural wolf enthusiast, felt.

He clasped his small hands over his mouth, his shoulders shaking with excitement, before shouting loud enough to echo through the forest.

“Trevor’s friend!!”