To Be Protected

Chapter 10: Ral Percy

After our encounter with the Cassin's we made it back to Thofit without a hitch, but Mathis refused to let me leave his side the whole way until we were safely inside the village and even then he kept a close eye on me, as if I was going to disappear in a second. Rolling my eyes I pulled him towards the butchery and into the large building where the head butcher quickly recognized me. He moved away from the large table as he motioned for me to step up and I thanked him with a smile as I pulled the deer from a confused Mathis's.

"Could you clean this up and give me a few cuts?" Mathis asked the head butcher, but he just laughed.

"Why don't you ask your intended?" he said with a laugh, making Mathis look to me, making me blush.

"Would you?" he asked as he stepped up to my side.

Nodding agreement I took the offered knife and quickly cleaned, skinned and cut out the different pieces of meat and organs. I was done in under ten minutes and the head butcher was applauding me while Mathis looked shocked.

"I can skin a dear, but nothing like what you just did. Where did you learn to do that?" Mathis asked in shock as he looked over the pieces of meat.

Shrugging my shoulder I cleaned off my hand with a damp rag that was close, "I had to do that every day at my home, it's nothing special," I muttered, making both men laugh in shock.

"Boy, you can come here whenever you want to! Now run along," the butcher said heartily as he wrapped up a few of the cuts and handed them to Mathis and I.

Mathis thanked the man and we left slowly. I liked it here more and more. Smiling widely I walked side by side with Mathis as the sunset and the last few people milled around. Our sides barely brushed as we walked and neither of us talked but it was comfortable. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Mathis's hand swinging gently as we walked and I bit my lip as I gently threaded my fingers with his. He had told me that he would be happy if I initiated this contact with him but I was still unsure. Would he react badly and get mad at me again? Those thought left quickly as he gently tightened his hold of my hand and smiled widely with me following suit.

We reached Mathis's hut after the brief walk and he held the door open for me and I slipped into the house with a giggle. I still couldn't believe how different the Alphas here acted, especially towards Omegas. Skipping to the kitchen I stashed the meat and took the meat from Mathis when he came up from behind me. Once everything was put away I stood with a content sigh as I removed my knew knife from my belt and placed it on the table, and then the snare wire next to it, then my old and chipped dagger joined the other two. Stretching my arms above my head I sighed in content again as I smiled at Mathis, who was quick to smile back.

He reached out and gently grabbed my hand and tugged me into the front room as he plopped down on his pelt and pulled me down with him. He got comfortable as too I got comfortable sitting between his legs with my back resting against his chest. His arms wrapped loosely around my waist as we lounged back and he rested with his face buried in my hair. His gentle breaths messed up my hair while his thumb rubbed gentle circled into my side. I don't think I have ever been so relaxed as we both just sat together and absorbed each other's warmth. Seeing what I had now I couldn't even imagine what it would have been like if I was still with Keller, and I shivered at the thought. Mathis pressed a kiss to my head when he felt me shiver but other then that he didn't move.

A light knock on the front door had us snapping out of our pleasant haze, but Mathis didn't move to get it and he didn't release his hold on me either, "Come in," he called strongly.

The door opened and Nio stepped in with his face down casted, "Ral Percy would like for you and your intended to join him in his hut," he said strongly and formally as he still refused to look up.