Way of the Wolf: Redemption

Chapter 19 ~ Listen

Chapter 19: Listen
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I watched my mate help drag out the benches in the hall, eyes taking in every bunch and ripple of muscle. Smiling, I turned to finish lighting the candles around the walls.

It was too cold to eat outside now so everything was moving inside the hall, but the building had a few repairs needed before it would keep out the cold. Aljana and Hagan were arguing about whether or not it was going to snow tonight. It certainly felt cold enough to snow but the icy fingers crawling along my skin could have been from the statue I knew was staring at me from the cave.

She called to me, voices whispering for me to turn around and face her. I did, I couldn't ignore it anymore. Unseeing eyes pierced into mine, her face lit up by the massive fire that was steadily burning.

My name was whispered, again and again, many voices all calling out at once until the sound was deafening. What was it they wanted me to know? I began to turn, even as I tried to fight against the strange magic winding around me. 

The spell was broken when the taper I held burnt down to my fingers. I dropped it, snatching my hand towards me chest. Gritting my teeth against the burn, I turned to give the cave my back. My body trembled and I looked around wildly but nobody else seemed to have heard what I had. Was my imagination playing tricks on me?

A touch to my arm brought me round to face Aljana who took my hand in hers, inspecting my burnt finger.

"What were you doing? Surely you know to pay attention when holding something that's on fire, Freydis." She tutted and I curled in further when I felt my mate approach.

"It's fine. I dropped it quickly, it barely hurts," I argued, pulling my hand only for Bjarke to grab my wrist.

I didn't resist as he checked himself and then hurried me over to dunk it in cold water. "I thought I was safe to stop watching you every second of every day."

"I got distracted," I murmured, leaning into his side. "I don't like it in here."

"You always come in here." He frowned.

I did come in here. Alone. My eyes flicked to the statue and Bjarke turned to look too. His frown deepened and he shifted to stand in my way so I could no longer see it. It had been a long day, that's all it was. My hand slid over my slowly growing bump and I pressed my forehead against my mate's chest.

"I wish you'd given me a different name," I admitted, squeezing my eyes shut. How was I meant to spend so much time in this place when she was watching everything? Did she not hate that I'd basically been given what should have been her place in the pack?

Strong arms wrapped around me but as usual he held me so gently. I'd tried to tell how annoying that was, that when I wanted him to hold me, I wanted to feel secure, but he was always so worried about hurting me.

"It's your name. Signy felt it was right," he said, cupping my face in his hands. "Why don't you sit down for a while? It's been a long day and you've spent most of it on your feet."

There was no point in arguing. He wasn't hearing what I was trying to say. Pulling away, I let him get back to work and sat dejectedly, unmoving, so he wouldn't have to worry about me. How had I gone from fighting for my life everyday to being made to sit around and do nothing in case I burn a finger?