The Twelfth Moon || ✔️ [LOTM #1]

14. The Ride pt. 2

True sleep hadn't found me. Even after the wolf on watch had given me his fur, the night seemed so cold that even two furs to cover me, still had me shivering. Aven and Jerr's bodies weren't as weak as mine was, and the night's cruelties didn't haunt them the same way it did me.

The night had been fairly calm. I heard smaller creatures like rats skitter past us and Jerr even stomped some away in his sleep. At some point I thought I'd heard something die as a small shriek pierced through the night, but the sound was so distant, I was even surprised I was able to hear it.

I had looked up at the sky for a long time, admiring our Moon. She had lost some of her life already, as the Death Moon had drained her of energy. But she still shone bright and lit up the night for us.

But  I welcomed the Sun the moment it peeped past the horizon, and mostly the warmth that followed. As soon as the light of dawn had broken the day, Aven readied the horses and ordered me continue our journey to Death Moon.

I was getting closer and closer to the start of my new life, and I felt the nerves tingling in the tips of my fingers. It could barely sit still in the saddle, much to Jerr's annoyance.

"So, how did you sleep in between your shivering?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not well, to be honest. Perhaps I'll take a nap on the horse today."

He chuckled. "Moons curse us, good luck with that."

I grumbled in protest. My tailbone still hurt from yesterday, and I absolutely was not looking forward to riding with Jerr an entire full day again. I suspected he wasn't looking forward to riding with me, either. My clothes smelled even more than the day before, and I felt dirty.

"Besides, I highly doubt you'd find my arms a comfortable napping spot," he teased.

He was absolutely right. I hadn't enjoyed the closeness of his body to mine, especially since I knew that he hadn't liked it either. It made my body itch and squirm in places I didn't want it to—he was too close to me, and I was too close to him. But our Alpha had ordered it so, so there was nothing we could do.

"What can I say? Wicked tiredness calls for desperate sleeping places."

"You flatter me, Sari," he said, dryly. But I could nearly feel the playful wink that accompanied his tone, which had just the toying undertone it needed to have.

I rolled my eyes. This would be yet another too long ride.

The riding was as painful and challenging as it had been the day before, if not more. Jerr had tightened his grip on me again as soon as he noticed I'd began slipping off. Which was quite instantly, I was embarrassed to admit. Even if I had already ridden for an entire day, staying on top of this horse's back still proved to be a challenge in itself.

Aven had sped up the pace, along with a grumble about us being back already if we'd been able to travel in wolven form. I tried to ignore the sting it caused me, but his annoyed and hateful stare made it difficult to do so.