The North

Chapter 25

Last chapter will be posted in the next few days!

Chapter 25

“Eabha?”

I stilled, not quite believing the familiar voice. Not in a place where sight couldn’t be trusted. But when my vision focussed, I saw him. Disbelief and anger contorted his features, but those blazing golden eyes couldn’t fake such frustration with me. That was a look that told of weeks of building anger at repeated insubordination.

I shifted to skin before he could pinch my ear and scold me, which I was sure was coming when he reached out. His hand hit my hip instead, and I yelped in protest as I was roughly shoved against the sharp stone wall at my back. His nose pressed against the crook of my neck, a threatening growl thundering from his chest. I shoved at his shoulder, squirming at the painful grip he had of me, but he wouldn’t let go.

Had I been wrong?

Was this another trick?

Then Hati pulled back with those same accusing eyes that made me freeze again.

“It really is you. . .”

I blinked. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who’d learned not to trust this place. That certainly explained his less than warm welcome. His hand softened on my hip as a look of apology took over.

“It’s really me.” Cupping his face, I frowned at the dark blue bruise marring his cheekbone. The skin was red around it, and he grimaced as I brushed my thumb over grazed skin.

His fingers lifted to cover mine as he admitted gruffly, “I took the butt of a spear to the face on my way here. Among other things. I should have let them kill me rather than let them take me but-“

“No. We need you,” I argued, curling the fingers of my other hand into his bicep, so unbearably relieved to feel the warmth of his body against mine again. “Dying wouldn’t help anyone. You didn’t fail because Skoll overpowered you. Not me, not the pack, not yourself. . .you fought.”

It was clear he had, beyond the bruise I could see. His weight rested on his right leg, movement made his cheek twitch as if he fought back sounds of pain, and more than once his fingers drifted to touch his abdomen, but whatever wound was there was hidden by his dark woollen tunic.

“I came to bring you home,” I whispered when no reaction came.

Ignoring my claim, he shook his head violently, looking around like a rabbit realising it had been caught.

“You have to go! You can’t be here. He can’t find you here. You need to hide!” Tugging me away from the wall, he dragged me across the small room heavy with the scent of another. We passed a table laden with food, and a bed with twisted sheets, but neither were our aim.

Hati paused by a small wooden door and swung it open. It wasn’t a corridor or tunnel it led to though, but a smaller room no wider than Hati’s shoulders, and filled to the brim with clothes, weapons and jars filled with herbs and liquids. I snorted.

“I didn’t come here to hide,” I stated, yanking myself free of him and staggering away so he couldn’t snatch me up again. “Besides, whoever you’re trying to hide me from will know I’m here by now. I didn’t sneak in; you must know that. Farrin and I followed your scent and I was met by Vali at the border, he brought me here, so shoving me in a herbroom will delay the inevitable for mere seconds. We need to be working on a way to get out of here, Hati. Caldar and Astrid will only be able to keep things quiet for so long, especially when Farrin returns to tell them I disappeared and tracks tell I ran off with another wolf.”