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Yes.

It echoed in his groggy brain as his sleep influenced lids went up like the blinds had yet to do above his head. One word and everything shifted with the sound of her voice saying it. Leonie's. Was that how it was supposed to be? Louvel never invested much in what things were supposed to 'be like.' Nothing was set in stone for him. Everything had the possibility of being what he didn’t expect or count on. That in itself could be a good thing or a situation that would be in need of patience and more effort on his part.

Whatever it was the effects were great. The power of that single word said in the manner in which Leonie had said it lifted him in ways he had no prior knowledge of having a desire for. It wasn’t temporary either. It was lasting through the hours that trailed behind the moment it was spoken. It carried on long after the warmth of her skin disappeared from the empty space of their bed and he had woke alone wearing the scent of her. A palm massage of both hands to his face left him with decisions to make. He stretched which effectively sent his sun worn and manual labor conditioned fingers upward then out so he could roll the last of the natural sedation from his waking shoulders.

Once that was accomplished he edged his body upward to balance on an elbow while his free hand reached over to the drawer beside the bed. The sensation of velvet beneath his fingertips confirmed that what he was looking for was exactly where he put it. Safe and undiscovered snuggly tucked deep against the back wall of the small drawer in the centuries old bedside table he always remembered sleeping next to. All of the last thirty plus years of his natural life, that is. The drawer was tapped to close and set in motion plans he had made amidst the hours he fended off sleep in favor of hearing her say yes, at times breathlessly, over and over again.

The routine of the day played out as it usually did. The Keeper showered, ingested the fruits and gifts of his routine labor fresh from the fields around him. He dressed casual before leaving in the truck that could put in it’s final notice of service at any given moment. Again, nothing said the day was special from any of the general appearances he made to those around him. He had hours left to see through before the one he would be engaging for a serious conversation would be alert enough to participate. This, of course, gave him time to prepare. Prepare for whatever could happen. Whether it was to be or not to be would be so much a part of the question. Timing was everything. So were the details.

He stepped out of the specialty shop and slipped on his sunglasses. Hiding the rich mossy orbs from those going around him to enter the business kept him in the moment of it all, less distracted by those he would otherwise notice from his various business. Pockets of free time, like the one currently freeing him, had him adding the final touches to the night ahead. A delivery was in the early stages of being sent out as he climbed back into the creaking truck. He was never great at planning these types of things out but maybe that would be the charm in at all. The jingle of keys gave way to the twist of his wrist turning over the ignition.a sputter and a sharp click sounded. Another attempt quickly followed along with the firm press of his worn work boot on the gas pedal. This time the aging engine coughed and rumbled as it came to life. He glanced in the rear view mirror then leaned to the left to second check out his driver’s window. A slow moving body cleared the back of the truck then paused at the corner of the bumper. Lou held the brake. Knotted up hands summoned something from out of his view as the elderly man smiled with gratitude for the patience extended. Louvel pulled up the sunglasses from the bridge of his nose and perched them on the top of his head while he waited.

“He doesn’t move as fast as he used to.”

The voice called out as the appearance of mesmerizing creature found it’s way to the old man’s side. Despite the claim the massive wolf was not appearing to be hindered or compromised in any way, shape or form.The lush dark grey coat sparkled beneath the noon sun as the wolf’s steps were made to circle around the man’s legs in assessment of safety. Satisfied that all was fine the piercing gaze of the eyes set on the window of the truck and namely Louvel.

“He knows you.” A casual acknowledgment of the stare down caught Lou’s attention. “Only time he does that.”
“I don’t know about that.” His arm curled on the outside of the door as he watched the alpha appearing beast moving towards him. “I would remember him if I had seen him.” The dominant posture of the creature changed dramatically. The tail half tucked between the hind legs while it’s ears dropped to appear far more comfortable than it should be as it continued to leave the old man’s side and bridge the distance between them. “I am pretty sure of it.” He leaned a little more so his hand could drop down for offering.
“I don’t think you are.” His hand shot up in a wave displaying far more dexterity than Louvel ever expected to see out of the stranger and with it the wolf seemed to have disappeared into thin air. “See!”

The sound of something landing and moving in the back of his truck had him twisting to view the inside of the truck and looking over his right shoulder at the wolf now sitting in the back of his vehicle.

“Hey!”

With the verbal protest Louvel’s left hand had the door opening and gave his leg the space needed to step out. Obviously the old guy wasn’t going to be lifting the wolf out of the back of his truck so he was going to have to man up. Once he was on two feet and about to close the door he discovered the stranger was gone. Leaving it ajar he moved around the truck and looked under the vehicles beside his. He was left bewildered at finding nothing but the focus of a mysterious wolf’s constant stare.

“And I bet you aren’t going to tell me where he went.” He mumbled as he prepared to open the tailgate of the truck and so he could go about physically inviting the wolf out. “Am I right?” A sharp nearly blinding flash of sunlight hit his eyes. He turned his head to locate the source. When he turned back the wolf was again gone. “Well, that was easy enough.”

The sunglasses were situated back on the bridge of his nose as the tailgate was once again secured. A series of steps had him climbing back into the truck and sending it into reverse once the street was clear for his entry. A grinding of gears had the truck rolling forward and heading through the intersection. Turning left and increasing the traveling speed had his thoughts returning back to the plans ahead. His checked off the things accomplished in his head to the sound of his voice though his lips barely moved. Several items came to note then faded in turn of another’s mental mention.

“Wine?” He shook his head with an expression that said ‘of course.’ “Ring?” He rubbed his fingers at the back of his head trying to calm his nerves at how involved it was all getting to be. He glanced over at what would be the empty seat next to him as if it would offer him some helpful hints on pulling off the epic formal proposal. “Wolf?” He said it with hesitation as he set eyes on the gray wolf sitting beside him. It’s head turned from the passenger window and the view it offered to look at him as if it had been there all along. Lou shifted in his seat and saddled closer to the driver's door just in case. “Alright. I see you and I need to have a chat once we get back to the farm.”

The newly befriended wolf appeared rather content to dart from the truck as soon as the door opened on the driver’s side. Once Louvel recovered from the face full of moving fur he slid out of the truck and closed the door behind him. So much for the talk. It would have to wait. He had no time to chase the creature down that appeared to favor the von der Marck woods instead of sticking around for a brief tour.

If all was still going according to plan then Leonie would be meeting him at the manor. Which meant he had just enough time to clean up, change and slide his hand into hers before Alaric’s waking hour. A glance at the clock as he entered the cottage confirmed he had twenty minutes tops.

Layer by layer the limited material on his body was peeled from his day long sticky skin and dropped into the laundry basket he passed by. Fifteen minutes later and shower fresh a white linen long sleeve shirt went over his sun warmed shoulders. Relaxed fingers rolled each cuff upward until each sleeve was nearly level just below the elbow. A brief pause of his movements had the chosen dress pants hiking up over his hips and fastening as his steps resumed. The dress shoes he would much rather donate than to wear slipped over his sock covered feet and were tied quickly.

Just as he was about to step out of the front door of the cottage he remembered what he had found impossible to forget up until that point. He darted back to the bedroom and retrieved the velvet box from the back of the night stand drawer. Now he was ready. The sounds of loose pebbles crunching beneath the soles of his shoes followed him towards the manor. Each new step inspired his relaxed pace to quicken with increasing anticipation. That is when he noticed the very one he wanted to speak with exiting the rear of the manor earlier than expected. It would appear the Keeper was just in time.

“Guten abend.” His approach slowed and then stopped. The small velvet box fit snug and hidden in the palm of his right hand. “I was hoping to speak with you if you could spare a few moments. Leonie will be joining us as well.”

“It is rather serious.” His voice was relaxed and lacked the somber tone that would give any indication that something dark was about to be the topic of their conversation.

As soon as Leonie appeared he stilled momentarily. The steps she took drawing her closer to where they stood captured him. It was a simple distance to cover yet she did it in such a way that the impressive old world manor dissolved in the background and a cloudless night sky framed her as she moved.The imagined weaving of gold thornbush in the forming african savannah does nothing to slow her promising stride. She owns the space she travels in and the land she covers is hers beneath her feet. He catches his breath and holds it in as his chest rises. A sense of awe surfaces within him that is far too easy to indulge in and be taken away. Fortunately he soon realizes the silence would seem odd with his recent request of his patriarch’s time. With a respectful nod to Alaric he stepped forward to greet the von der Marck lioness with a kiss to her cheek. His hand resisted the temptation of resting at her hip and his fingertips felt lost in the open air as he stepped back from the very one he welcomed. Alaric would likely want to greet her. Perhaps there was no expected rigid formality or custom in their line but Lou felt compelled to extend it all the same. Especially now that he was about to ask for the elder von der Marck’s blessing.

“Birdee.” He turned from the two he stood with and discovered in the distance all the signs of the cottage coming to life with her presence were in fact there. “Excuse me for a moment so I invite her as well.” His mossy orbs danced briefly between the two with anticipation. The small velvet box in his pocket shifted as he did with a few more steps back in the direction of the cottage. “Be right back.”

Running never felt better. It was not enough distance to have his heart pumping for the physical effort it took but it was from the importance of the night ahead. Birdee couldn’t miss it. He never wanted her left outside or missing what she was going to be a part of. A future was shaping.His, hers and theirs collectively.

“Birdee!” He announced as he came through the door like the roof above them was on fire. His shoes thudded with his quick steps across the hardwood floor. The small entry room and kitchen were empty of her presence. “I need you.” He was in the hallway when he noticed she likely was in her room. Instead of barging in like she had the only water source to put out the growing heat building around him he stopped and sank back against the wall behind him. He weaved his hands together with the locking of his bronze fingers and slid them over the top of his head and left them perched above to crown the golden shoulder length mane beneath. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”