“My love, my dear, my darling,” Seren sang, drawing the last note out. “Can't you see I'm falling–” Catching her foot on a rock, she stumbled.

Blythe caught her. “Maybe don't do that?”

Seren reached up and booped her nose. “For you, for you, for you, again and again every day!”

Blythe shook her head and sang back, “My dear, my heart, my sweet, with you I feel complete. With you, with you, with you, again and again every day.”

“Again and Again” was a silly song, but one that had lasted generations. Blythe had taught it to Seren a couple months back. All you did was make up your own couplet to fit the melody, add a few repeating words to fill out the rhythm, and then sing the last line– sometimes with an extra “again.” Usually the first line was made up of different pet names and endearments. Some people made their couplets deep and meaningful, others just formed silly, lighthearted songs.

“I love spring.” Seren spun around, finally placing her back to a tree. “Blythe? Where are some of the places you want to visit?”

Blythe leaned against the tree too, shoulder to Seren's. “Hmm. Jas is leaving to study soon, so maybe Ostium, to visit her. I've always wanted to see a sprite city like Avallon, they say the windows in the castles are big enough to fly through. And apparently elven cities are built in the trees? Keshet's the second tallest in the world, and it's on this continent.”

“Wolves aren't meant for trees,” Seren noted. “Are you sure?”

“But just to see it!” Blythe tipped her head back, looking up at the pale green leaves above. “They have an entire city up there, Seren! And they don't even have wings!”

Seren laughed. “Alright, that's pretty impressive.”

“What about you?”

“I think,” Seren said thoughtfully, “I just want to visit every city on the continent, at least once.”

“They're mostly human and fae cities.”

“I know.”

“They might not want werewolves around,” Blythe said, softer.

“...I know.” Seren wrinkled her nose, concentrating. Then, her tail vanished, shrinking back into her body. Her ears migrated downwards, changing shape, and she tucked her hair back behind them. Her glasses, tied behind her head with a ribbon, shifted, and she had to adjust them. The frames had been made for human ears, but the adjustments the doctor had done meant they wouldn't sit right on human ears now.

All werewolves, and feliviri like Jasmine too, had the ability to look fully human. It was illegal, of course, couldn't have shifters looking human, and difficult besides, but it was possible. 

…And it wasn't as if there was much regulation. It was near-impossible to ensure that every shifter had a license before they started shifting. Back in Morcant, the Lightguards who came to collect taxes just wrote down the names of any new babies to add to the official registry. In Amane, not even that happened. Seren wasn't sure how the town managed it, but somehow, no one cared that there were humans, demons, fae, and shifters all living together. And none of the mages had licenses that Seren knew of.

“You'd be in trouble if anyone found out,” Blythe noted, unbothered.

Seren exhaled and let her ears return to their normal state, though she kept her tail away. It was strange, not having its balance, but she'd have to get used to it to ever pass as human. “Well, it's not the only thing I'd be in trouble for, and I'm not the only one who'd be in trouble if the Lightguards knew.”

“True.” Blythe's ears vanished abruptly, replaced by smaller human ears.

“You can full shift?” Seren demanded.

“Yep. Da made us all learn, in case we ever needed it.”

“You never said.”

“You never asked.” Blythe's ears went back to normal. “But if we do decide to travel, after we get married, there's that.”

Married. The idea was like magic.

Courting was supposed to last a long time, followed by a short engagement during which you'd figure out your packname and independent living situation. Then marriage, a brief ceremony to announce your new packname and celebrate with friends and family.

The thought stung Seren's heart. Her parents and cousins wouldn't be there, none of the few friends she'd had growing up. Only Stella would be. Meredith and Gwyneira had taken her and Stella into their pack, and she loved them as family, but it… wouldn't quite be the same.

“You're pensive all of a sudden.” Blythe reached over to brush Seren's cheek. “Everything okay?”

“Just thinking.”

“About…?”

“My parents.”

“Oh.” Blythe's hand dropped. “I'm sorry.”

Seren squeezed her hand.

Blythe kissed her cheek, hummed a few notes, and sang, soft and earnest, “My star, my dear, my heart. Let sadness and sorrow depart. I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, again and again and again, every day.”

Seren's breath hitched and she giggled, leaning into Blythe. “Gods, you're wonderful.”

“I know,” Blythe said lightly, running her hand through Seren's hair. “I know.”