I was so excited to see my friend again that I hardly knew what to do with myself. The only other wolves I had met since last seeing her hadn’t known how to play at all, which was quite disappointing. Taika, however, knew of games that I had never even heard of! Water spirits? I did not even know they existed!

“Water spirits? I had not looked for any, but I must look next time!” I said, my gold eyes bright at the idea. My head had turned toward my friend as I spoke to her, moving away from the gathering of wolves before us. A sudden change came over my friend, as her eyes seemed to alight on something that must be wonderful given the glow that suddenly seemed to surround her.

My eyes followed her as she bounded forward only to be drawn to the figure she jumped on. And he was indeed wonderful. Or at least, there was something wonderful about him. I couldn’t quite place the feeling. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it. And it was mixed with great jealousy. I wanted to know this wolf well enough to leap upon him the way Taika had. And more than that, I did not want her to do so. These feelings confused me. He was some stranger. Why did I care that Taika was friends with him?

My confusion was reflected in my body, which seemed to constantly betray my feelings whether I wanted them known or not. My tail had ceased in it’s wagging to simply be suspended behind me, not low, not high. It didn’t know what it was doing either.

I took a few steps forward, making up the distance that Taika had lept in her joy, for I felt much too far away from them. Edrick. Taika’s prince. No, that couldn’t be right. It didn’t feel right to have her friend claim this strange male as hers.

But then his eyes met mine. The feeling that him looking at me brought about was even more strange than how it felt to see him. Any jealousy in my heart settled as suddenly as it had come about. My tail resumed its wagging behind me, again betraying my feelings. But this time it was betraying my joy. How could I not feel joyful with him looking at me? It was right.

And then he whispered my name. I think I could listen to him say my name forever. I simply could not speak - and it is quite a rare feat to render me speechless. I was lost in his eyes, swirling in their pale color. I had never seen a wolf with lavender eyes before. I wanted to step closer and look at them up close, but I found that I could not move my feet.

But then he looked next to him and I could move again, although his voice saying my name was still echoing in my head.

“Neverland,” I repeated, my brain not quite caught up with my tongue. “I mean, yes, that’s my name.”

If a wolf could blush, I would have.This was strange. And not a game. This felt real.

“Edrick,” I said, trying to collect myself somewhat. “It’s nice to meet you. You play with fairies too? Taika showed me how to chase them. And you are their Prince? You must have caught many fairies. I haven’t caught any.”

Something gave me the feeling I was talking too much again, so I cut myself off abruptly. I wanted to know if he could teach me to catch fairies. I wanted to know if he had a home or just wandered, like I did. I wanted to know everything.

And then there was Taika. Did she feel the same way? Did she know why there was something so magnetic about him? I dragged my eyes away from his brown form to hers, my eyes almost pleading for her to explain what was going on.