A Wolf's Curse (On Hold)

Chapter 12

"Not a fan of thunderstorms I take it?"

"No, not at all." Kay replied, squeezing Kane's hand as he guided her deep into the forest. The rain began to quiet down with occasional thunder claps in the distance making Kay jumpy.

"Forgive my friend, Rain. I know she can be intense, but once you get to know her, she doesn't bother anyone," he said, talking about the silver wolf as if she were a person.

"Aren't there two of them?"

"Midnight would be that second one you're referring to, and he only comes out at well—midnight."

"Clever," Kay smirked, getting the connection with the names. "Biskane—the fire burns as he howls against the night sky," she recanted his words from the night they spoke. "I guess that makes sense too, except for the fire."

"Oh, there was a fire. My birth was a ceremonial event. The whole tribe was present for that celebration. My parents gave me the name because they complained I cried too loud that night," he scoffed.

Kay giggled, wondering if he inherited his sense of humor from his parents as well.

They trudged the rest of the way in silence, eventually arriving at a clearing by a lake where a quaint little cabin nestled beneath canopies of white spruce, oak wood, and pine.

"This is me," Kane said as Kay's eyes widened with awe.

The cabin was like a page out of a children's story book. A place where the characters got lost wondering too far in the woods and took refuge, making it their own. Built with cedar and pine, the cool and warm wood tones gave the place a look straight out of a catalogue, featuring a beautiful stone chimney. Her eyes honed in on the kiwi green finish of the windows and door, and the front lawn decorated with various pots of flowers and shrubbery.

They crossed a gravelly path and up a small set of stairs that led to the porch. Warmth greeted Kay as Kane pushed the front door open.

"Make yourself at home."

Inside the all-wooden interior, the kitchen greeted her eyes as she turned right. In the cozy living room area, a large white shag rug instantly caught her attention, taking up most of the center. The room contained the basic furniture a person needed. Wooden chairs, small bookshelves, cozy little fire place, and a blue couch accented with cream colored pillows. Books aligned along wall shelves near the ceiling. Glancing at the rug, Kay found herself yawning, tempted to sprawl in its fluffy thickness and sleep away her exhaustion.

She peered over at Kane while he kicked his boots off by the door, then glanced at her own feet. Soiled with filth, Kay suddenly felt the need to hide, her insides enflaming. Unsure of whether she should remove her own shoes covered in god knows what, she settled for the island counter stool near the kitchen instead. She didn't want to ruin anything in his place even if he told her it was okay.

Kane came behind Kay, draping a blanket he picked up from the couch around her shoulders.

"Oh um, thanks," she grasped it, tightening it around her.

"Thirsty?"

Kay nodded, watching him as he pulled a pitcher of water from the fridge and pour it into a glass he grabbed from the cabinet. From behind, Kane's triceps rippled with simple movements. She found herself wondering what his muscles felt like against her hands as her gaze traveled to his butt. She licked and bit her lip, imagining it to be soft and firm. He rotated around the island with her glass and she averted her gaze, pretending to stare at her hands.