The Twelfth Moon || ✔️

28. A Burning Surprise

The following days passed and passed. I continued my habit of tracking our Moon's cycle. I noticed that several nights ago, she started shining brighter again. The Wolf Moon, Aranyasvan, was nearing. This meant the longest night of the year was approaching, since our Moon preferred to dance around longer in the skies, in our honor.

Back in Spitta, I was never allowed to partake in the festivities. I watched from the sidelines for a few years, though. But always hidden away in the shadows, because if I were spotted, whoever would find me would have fair game. There were no rules on the night of the Wolf Moon, so for the last few years I preferred to stay put in my house and dread the longest night.

I wondered if it'd be any different here. So far, my welcome in this pack hadn't been the greatest. But two of this pack's most powerful wolves seemed to like me. Jerr and Feytan had both already even defended me, so who knew. Maybe in Rahas, I'd be able to join in the feast. If there even was one.

Even if there wasn't, or I wasn't allowed to go, I decided I'd celebrate that night nonetheless. Because it would also symbolize my first full lunar cycle away from the horrors of Fire Moon. With some luck, Lotta might return in time to celebrate together. I couldn't imagine she'd say no to a party. But the more days passed, the more I got this gnawing feeling in my gut that she wasn't coming back.

I kept distracting myself in the days that had gone by. I dutifully trained with Feytan every morning. Some days, I even started to enjoy it. The two wolves who'd attacked me, weren't seen again in the training area when me or Feytan were there. I did run into one of them in the streets once, but other than a hateful glare, the wolf didn't dare to touch me or even look at me for longer than he could possibly need to.

I worked often, too. On the busier days, I popped by and helped as well, even though Talek apologetically told me he wouldn't be able to give me a proportionate pay raise. I didn't really mind it. I needed the distraction as much as he needed the help.

In all the shifts I'd worked at The Puny Bell so far, I'd never seen a wolf pass by. Even on my way there, as soon as I left a certain street, no wolves were smelled or seen. I kept track of the whispers and the brabbles I'd hear during my working hours, but nothing interesting ever came up. That, however, did not mean I didn't hear any entertaining stories.

I suspected Talek knew about my wolven side. But I didn't dare open the topic for conversation. The fear of him firing me if he'd learn of my origins was still very much present in my mind. Even if, so far, Talek seemed to like me. Or tolerated my presence at the very least.

I'd barely talked to Jerr, other than the 'good mornings' we'd pass each other in the dining room at breakfast.

Until tonight's dinner, when he suddenly slipped in one of the many empty chairs next to mine, with a plate full of food. "Does this look raw to you?" He asked me as he sliced open his chicken, revealing a perfectly white piece of meat, glazed under a golden roasted skin.

I raised my eyebrows as I looked at the chicken, and then at him, his brown waves of hair miraculously not getting in his face. "No," I simply said, as I took a bite of my own roaster. Like every night, the food here tasted good. Or perhaps that was only because I didn't know any better. I couldn't say my dinners in Spitta had always been of a high quality. If I was even lucky enough to have dinner.

"Are you sure? I could've sworn I still heard it cackling mere moments ago," he exclaimed dramatically. I simply rolled my eyes at him. He laughed a little at his own joke before he dug into his own plate and started devouring his protein source as well. "So, how have the last days been for you? We haven't talked."