3
Leksa had been feeling weaker, had not visit the ranch in a while.
But today was different.
Today, Clarke was leaving.
So Leksa came, despite the stiffness in her joints.
She waited near the porch, watching as Clarke hugged her parents one last time, her bags already packed in the truck.
Then Clarke turned, and the moment her eyes landed on Leksa’s massive form, she gasped—then ran.
Leksa braced herself as Clarke all but crashed into her, wrapping her arms around her thick neck, burying her face in her fur.
She rumbled softly.
"Do us proud, my brave, sweet girl."
Clarke let out a shaky laugh, tears slipping down her cheeks. “You came,” she whispered, voice thick with emotion.
Leksa nuzzled her gently in response. Of course she did.
A new voice interrupted them.
“Your wolf is huge, Clarke.”
Leksa turned her sharp green eyes toward the speaker—a girl she had never seen before.
The newcomer smirked, hands on her hips. “Looks like royalty too.”
Leksa considered her for a moment. She didn’t cower, didn’t flinch under her gaze.
She approved.
Clarke would be safe with this one.
Raven stepped forward then, grinning. “No worries, Lexy. Clarkey will be okay. She’s got us, and we’ll be back before you know it.”
Leksa sighed, exhaling deeply as Raven hugged her.
She trusted Raven.
She always had.
But still, when Clarke finally pulled away, climbing into the truck with her friends, Leksa couldn't stop the whine that escaped her throat.
Clarke looked back one last time, her blue eyes meeting Lexa’s.
Then she was gone.
Leksa stood motionless as the truck disappeared down the road, her heart heavy.
Beside her, Abby and Jake sniffled, their arms wrapped around each other.
Abby reached down, running a hand through Lexa’s fur.
“Thanks for coming, Lexa,” she murmured, voice filled with gratitude.
Jake nodded, wiping at his eyes.
Leksa let them hug her.
Then, with one last glance at the empty road, she turned and padded back into the forest.
That night, she curled up in her den, the scent of wildflowers still clinging to her fur.
She had never felt lonelier.
---
A whole year.
It had been a whole year since she’d left for college.
She and Raven had barely survived their finals, and Octavia had somehow convinced them both that coming home to Arkadia for the holidays was exactly what they needed.
Clarke didn’t argue. She missed home. She missed her parents.
But most of all, she missed her.
Her mom had sent her pictures throughout the year—of Lexa lounging on their porch, sitting beside Ben, their old dog. Of Lexa circling the fences like a silent guardian, always around when wild dogs started appearing with the changing seasons.
Their ranch had never had trouble with wild animals—not when Lexa was there.
Then one day, her mom called, her voice softer than usual.
"Lexa came to the clinic today."
Clarke had frozen at her desk, her sketchbook forgotten.
"She was sick."
Her heart had clenched painfully.
"It’s okay, sweetheart," Abby had reassured her. "Just some natural sickness. She’s older now, Clarke. It happens."
Clarke had tried to act fine after that. But a weight settled in her chest, and it stayed there.
Until today.
She was home.
And somehow—like she always did—Lexa knew.
There, just outside the gate, stood the massive black wolf, wildflowers clutched gently in her snout.
Clarke barely stopped herself from sobbing as she ran forward.
“Missed you, Commander Lexa de Wolfie,” she choked out, throwing her arms around the thick fur.
Lexa barked, her tail thumping hard against the ground.
Clarke laughed through her tears, taking the flowers and pressing a soft kiss to the wolf’s cold nose.
Octavia’s amused voice cut through the moment.
“That’s one hell of a girlfriend if she were human.”
Clarke turned to glare at her, but Octavia only smirked.
Lexa, meanwhile, exhaled heavily through her nose, like she understood the joke.
Octavia tilted her head. “Can I touch your coat? It looks fluffy.”
Lexa blinked once, then dipped her head ever so slightly.
Octavia gasped, turning wide eyes to Clarke. “Did she just nod?”
Raven cackled and slapped her arm. “Lexy is smarter than half the people at our school. Except me, of course. I’m a genius.”
Lexa huffed.
Raven grinned and tossed her a strip of bacon she had stashed from breakfast. The wolf caught it easily, swallowing it whole.
“See?” Raven smirked. “Perfect taste in food.”
Clarke smiled, warmth settling in her chest.
That night, she told Lexa their plans.
“We’re going camping in the forest. You coming?”
Lexa’s ears twitched.
Then she turned, already walking toward the trees.
Clarke laughed. “Okay, okay, Commander, we’re coming!”
--
She felt it.
She felt it in her bones—Clarke was coming home.
So she ran.
Despite the ache in her joints, she ran to the ranch, carrying flowers in her mouth.
And then Clarke was there.
Leksa barely got her breathing under control before Clarke crashed into her, wrapping her in a warm embrace.
That night, Clarke and her friends camped in the forest.
Leksa let Clarke rest against her thick fur as they sat around the fire, the girls laughing and sharing stories about their year.
“Lex,” Clarke murmured sleepily, running her fingers through Lexa’s coat, “you’re so lucky. You get to see this view every night.”
She sighed, looking up at the stars.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you for letting us be here.”
Leksa rumbled deep in her chest, pleased.
She had chosen this spot for Clarke.
The girl had grown so much. And though she had a new life now, new adventures, she still came back. She still chose Leksa too.
Leksa curled around them protectively as they fell asleep, keeping watch like she always had.
---
By dawn, she had slipped away to hunt.
Clarke needed food. She deserved fresh meat.
She caught three fat hares and carried them back to the camp.
Octavia, to Leksa’s surprise, practically jumped with excitement.
She took one immediately, humming as she expertly cleaned it.
“Damn,” Raven chuckled, watching her. “That girl really knows how to live in the woods.”
By the time the meat was cleaned and roasting over the fire, Lexa had gathered dry wood and branches, helping build the campfire.
They shared the meal together, giving Leksa the biggest portion as thanks.
And for the first time in years, Leksa felt something settle deep in her chest.
It wasn’t just Clarke anymore.
She had a pack again.
They were human, not wolves. But that didn’t matter.
They were hers to protect.
---
The moons passed, and her body weakened.
She had once run with the wind, swift and sure, her paws barely touching the earth. Now, even walking took effort.
But her soul—her soul remained strong.
Because her pack still needed her.
Because Clarke still needed her.
Clarke hadn’t come home last year, nor this year. And though Leksa understood, it didn’t stop the ache in her chest.
She had visited the ranch a few times, searching for traces of Clarke’s scent, for something familiar to hold on to.
She also needed Abby’s help.
Tonight, she lay in the clinic, her breath heavy, chest rising and falling with effort.
Abby sat beside her, running a gentle hand over her fur.
"I'm amazed you’re still able to walk here, sweet old girl," Abby murmured. "Are you waiting for Clarke?"
Leksa huffed softly.
Abby smiled. "She’s graduating soon. She’ll be home soon."
Something in Leksa stirred.
Clarke is coming home.
Her heart, weary and worn, felt lighter.
She just had to hold on a little longer.
---
Clarke had never worked harder in her life.
She had poured herself into her studies, pushing through extra classes, staying a step ahead just to finish sooner.
Because she knew.
She knew her time with Lexa was running out.
Her mom had told her weeks ago that Lexa had come to the clinic again. This time, it wasn’t from running too hard or a minor injury.
Her breath had been labored.
Age was catching up to her.
So Clarke had pushed.
And finally, it had paid off.
In just one more month, after New Year’s, she would graduate. And a few days after that, she would turn twenty.
And she wanted to spend it at home. With her family.
With Lexa.
---
She felt it again.
After moons of emptiness, she felt it.
Clarke was coming home.
Leksa forced her body forward, step by step, across the familiar path she had run a thousand times before.
This time, she did not run. She couldn’t run.
But she walked.
And when she reached the ranch—when she lifted her weary eyes—Clarke was there.
She was taller. Prettier. Stronger.
Leksa’s heart swelled with something deeper than instinct, something more powerful than the pain in her bones.
She found the strength to run the rest of the way.
Clarke dropped to her knees, arms wide open.
"Hey, Commander de Wolfie," Clarke whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Missed me?"
Leksa barked, her tail thumping against the ground.
"My girl," she thought. "I have missed you."
Clarke chuckled, pressing her face into Lexa’s thick fur.
"Raven’s inside. She missed you too," she murmured.
Leksa huffed. She had missed that brave girl as well.
---
That night, the warmth of home settled around Leksa like a blanket.
Clarke led her inside, into the living room where Raven was waiting.
The moment she stepped in, Raven practically launched herself onto Leksa’s tall frame.
“Gosh, you got bigger—and fluffier,” Raven declared, grinning.
Leksa huffed, nudging her stomach in amused retaliation.
Laughter rang through the house.
For the first time in months, Leksa felt good.
Stronger.
Like she still had a place in this world.
Like she still had time.
And for tonight, at least, she let herself believe it.
---
It had been months since she came home.
She had celebrated her 20th birthday surrounded by family, laughter, and warmth. Lexa had come, as she always did, bringing flowers and honeycombs—her quiet way of saying I am still here.
But then… she wasn’t.
Almost half a year had passed, and Clarke hadn’t seen Lexa in two months.
She had gone to their clearing, the place where Lexa always waited. She had stayed until nightfall, listening, watching, waiting—
But Lexa never came.
Clarke’s stomach had been in knots ever since.
So she made a decision. She wasn’t waiting anymore.
Tonight, she would go looking.
She packed her bag with supplies—emergency kits, extra blankets, food, just in case. Raven and Octavia wouldn’t let her go alone, so now they were all hiking through the forest together, flashlights cutting through the growing darkness.
“Lexa’s smart,” Octavia murmured as they walked. “If she’s hurt, she’s probably holed up somewhere safe.”
“Yeah,” Raven added, though her voice wasn’t as sure. “She’s stubborn as hell. Maybe she just—needed some space?”
Clarke didn’t answer.
She felt it, deep in her bones. This wasn’t just space.
Lexa was in trouble.
And she had to find her.
---
They reached the clearing just before midnight.
The moon was high, casting silver light over the familiar space. The fire pit was still there, the logs where they used to sit, the place where Clarke had spent countless nights with her oldest, most loyal friend.
But no sign of Lexa.
The wind shifted.
And then Clarke felt it—
A whisper of something in the air. A presence. A call.
Then—
A growl.
Low. Menacing.
Raven’s flashlight swung to the side. Yellow eyes glowed in the dark.
One pair. Then two. Then more.
Wild dogs.
They emerged from the shadows—lean, hungry, feral. Too many. More than Clarke had ever seen before.
Then they charged.
Raven swore, reaching for the knife at her belt. Octavia grabbed a burning branch from the fire, swinging it wildly.
Clarke barely had time to react before one of them lunged—
Pain exploded in her arm as sharp teeth sank into her flesh.
She screamed, stumbling back. Blood. So much blood.
The world blurred, and she hit the ground hard.
The dogs circled.
Too fast. Too many.
Raven was shouting. Octavia was swinging the torch. Clarke’s vision swam, her arm throbbing.
Then—
A snarl.
Not from the dogs.
Something bigger.
A shadow barreled into the pack, sending bodies flying.
A wolf.
Lexa.
She moved like a storm—aging body forgotten, driven by pure rage. Her jaws snapped, tearing through fur and flesh. A dog yelped, thrown to the side like a rag doll. Another lunged, only for Lexa to meet it midair, her fangs locking onto its throat.
She was a force of nature.
But there were too many.
One after another, the dogs turned on her, snarling, snapping, circling.
Clarke struggled to sit up, her head spinning.
“Lexa!” she cried, voice raw.
Lexa’s ears flicked toward her, just for a second—
And that second cost her.
A dog lunged at her side. Another snapped at her hind leg.
She staggered.
But she did not fall.
Instead, with a roar of fury, she pushed forward, teeth flashing.
She ripped through them, her body nothing but raw power and defiance.
One by one, they fell.
Until only one remained.
It hesitated.
Lexa snarled, blood dripping from her fangs. And the dog fled.
Silence fell over the clearing.
Lexa stood in the center, victorious.
But barely.
She turned toward Clarke, breath heavy, legs shaking.
Clarke’s heart clenched.
Lexa had won.
But at a cost.
Blood pooled beneath her. Wounds too deep. Too many.
And Clarke knew with an aching heart.
This was it.
---
Clarke crawled to her side, hands shaking as she reached for the thick, matted fur.
“Oh, Lexa,” she whispered, voice cracking. “I missed you, I'm so sorry.”
Lexa’s body was warm. But barely.
She opened her eyes—tired, clouded, but still hers.
A soft whine left her throat as she pressed her nose against Clarke’s cheek.
Clarke let out a sob, burying her face into Lexa’s fur.
“You idiot,” she whispered, voice breaking. “Why did you do that? You should have run.”
Lexa’s breath was slow. Her body heavy.
She had spent her whole life protecting Clarke. She had held on for as long as she could.
But now, her time had come.
Clarke pressed her forehead to Lexa’s, hot tears slipping down her face.
“No, no, no,” she begged. “Lexa, stay with me, please.”
Lexa blinked slowly.
She wanted to stay. She did.
But Clarke was safe now.
That was all that mattered.
She gave a soft, tired woof, her tongue flicking out to lap at Clarke’s cheek one last time.
Don't cry, my sweet girl. I'm fine.
Clarke sobbed.
“I love you, you stupid, stubborn wolf,” she whispered.
Lexa let out a final breath, slow and peaceful. Her head rested against Clarke’s lap.
The forest was silent.
And then, she was gone.
---
The world felt wrong.
Like the air had shifted, like something ancient had ended.
Clarke’s hands trembled as she ran them through Lexa’s fur, as if holding her could keep her here.
Raven and Octavia knelt beside her, silent in their grief.
“She came for you,” Octavia murmured.
Clarke nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. “She always did.”
And maybe—just maybe—she always would.
Because as Clarke sat there, cradling the body of the wolf who had loved her more than life itself, she felt something deep inside her soul.
A whisper.
A promise.
This is not the end.
In her final moments, as the cold crept into her bones and her breath grew shallow, Leksa’s last thought was not of herself but of Clarke. Her girl. Her purpose.
Please, she whispered into the void, into the unknown. Gaia, protect her.
Then, silence.
But death was not the end.
A warmth spread through her, like sunlight breaking through dense canopy. The pain was gone. The heaviness lifted. Leksa opened her eyes—and the Great Forest stretched endlessly before her, its ancient trees bathed in golden light. The wind carried the scent of pine and fresh rain, but something was… different.
She looked down at herself. Gone were her paws, her thick coat of fur. In their place—hands. Fingers curled into the damp earth, trembling. Arms. Legs. A human body.
Leksa gasped, heart hammering. This wasn’t possible. How was she—?
A voice, soft and warm like an embrace, cut through her thoughts.
"You held on for so long, my brave, sweet baby."
Leksa’s breath hitched. That voice—she knew that voice.
She turned, and there she stood.
Her mother.
Leksa ran, feet unsteady but heart sure, and threw herself into her mother’s arms. The embrace was strong, grounding, filled with the scent of home, of love long lost.
"I missed you, Mum," Leksa sobbed, clinging to her as though she might disappear.
A chuckle, rough and familiar.
"Yo, pup. What, no love for me?"
Leksa’s head whipped around, and there, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed and that ever-present smirk, was Anya.
Leksa choked on a laugh and launched herself at her sister, nearly knocking them both over. Anya caught her easily, ruffling her hair.
"Still a little brat, huh? Even after living to be an old girl?" Anya teased.
Leksa rolled her eyes but held on tighter, unwilling to let go. She had dreamed of this. Longed for it in the quiet moments when the nights were too lonely, when the memories of her lost family ached like an old wound.
Then, a shift in the air.
A presence, ancient and powerful, yet gentle like a lullaby sung to a restless pup.
They turned as a massive white wolf stepped forward, her fur gleaming like the moonlight on untouched snow. Her golden eyes held galaxies within them, endless and knowing.
"Gaia," Becca and Anya greeted her with reverence, bowing their heads.
Leksa followed suit, her heart thrumming in her chest.
Gaia’s voice was a melody of the wind through leaves, of rivers carving paths through stone.
"My children, you have fought bravely. You have given your lives for others, for love, for honor."
She turned first to Becca.
"You shielded your pups, your pack, from the bear, knowing it would cost you everything."
Then to Anya.
"You lured the beast away, sacrificing yourself to give your younger sister a chance to survive."
And finally, to Leksa.
"And you, Leksa… You lived earnestly. You defied the laws of nature to walk beside humans, to love them as fiercely as you would your own pack. Even in death, your only wish was not for yourself, but for her."
Leksa swallowed hard, warmth rising to her cheeks as Anya shot her a knowing smirk.
"You loved her, didn’t you?" her sister asked, voice softer now.
Leksa exhaled, tilting her head.
"Clarke," Anya pressed. "You loved her."
Leksa let the truth settle into her bones, let it fill the spaces between her ribs like air in lungs reborn.
She smiled, small but sure.
"I did," she admitted. "I still do."
Gaia’s gaze softened.
"Do you know why you are all still here?" she asked, her voice as gentle as the breeze. "Why you have not moved on to the spirit plane, though your loved ones have long since joined it?"
The three of them exchanged glances, confusion flickering in their eyes.
They shook their heads.
Gaia chuckled, a sound like distant thunder, like the laughter of the earth itself.
"Because you deserve a second life."
The words hung in the air, weighty, immense.
"As a reward for your loyalty, your courage, and the love you have carried so fiercely in your hearts."
Leksa’s breath caught.
"A second chance?" she echoed, voice barely above a whisper.
Gaia nodded.
"Spend it wisely. Do what you have always wanted. Live."
Then, the world exploded in light.
A force pulled her under, yet she did not struggle. It was warm, familiar, like falling into the embrace of something greater than herself.
And then—cold. Damp earth. The scent of moss and rain.
Leksa’s eyes flew open.
The sky above her was no longer golden but deep blue, the first hints of dawn peeking through the canopy. The forest was alive with sound—birds chirping, leaves rustling in the wind.
But something was different.
She sat up, her breath hitching as she stared down at her hands.
Hands.
Not paws.
Flesh, not fur.
She scrambled up, legs shaky, heart pounding wildly.
A gasp.
Leksa spun, and there—just a few feet away—stood her mother and Anya, human as well.
Becca covered her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief. Anya flexed her fingers, then burst into laughter, half-delighted, half-disbelieving.
And then, all at once, they crashed into each other, arms tangling in a desperate embrace, laughter and tears mixing in the early morning light.
They were alive.
They were human.
And somewhere, out there in the world, Clarke was waiting.