Lycans Of The Woods

Chapter 57

Forgot to mention this in the previous chapter, but the part where Olivia is practicing how to aim is a week after visiting Sophie's home. It's mentioned in this chapter nonetheless.

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"Is that a pistol?" Helda asked, widening eyes lowering to the weapon in my hand after I stepped outside with her. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, almost as if she was comforting herself as she continued to stare at the gun.

Her face, which had looked distressed even before we had stepped outside, grew even more bleak at the sight of the dark pistol in my right hand.

"Yes. It is," I licked my lips after the cold weather made them dry and glanced behind Helda to see Elijah walking by. His head lowered in a nod as he caught me watching and I returned it before he walked out of sight, warriors trailing after him.

Throughout the week that had passed after I'd had dinner at Sophie's home, Elijah and I had begun talking amicably for long periods of time. There was no tension between us, and I at times either found myself being amused by him or impressed by his work-ethic.

I looked at Helda. "What did you want to speak to me about?" I asked, knowing that the seconds were ticking by, and my training would need to resume soon. Helda swallowed, stepping closer to me, the hands around her stomach dropping away.

"I just want you to understand why Yanneek and myself may have been acting a bit distant," Helda grimaced as she said this, but maintained eye-contact with me. "There has been an increase in news of lycans taking over towns, and it has stressed and saddened Yanneek and myself. Especially Yaneek. He doesn't understand why you have so recently become open to being around lycans, since they have been the ones wreaking havoc in the past and still to this day."

I furrowed my eyebrows, shaking my head. "I'm open to becoming closer to the lycans here, in Wildeland. Not the ones who are destroying lives and forcing others from their homes," I frowned. "Besides, months ago, when we had left this pack, Yanneek had chosen to stay and live amongst these same lycans who he is currently upset about me being around."

Helda shrugged her shoulders. "I pointed this out to him, but he said that it was a necessity that he stay in this pack and that I wouldn't understand why."

"Is your reasoning for not speaking to me similar to Yanneek's? Why have you been distant from me? I haven't said anything to you that could have driven you away from me, have I?"

Helda sighed, lifting a hand and pinching the bridge of her nose, appearing extremely confused for several seconds whilst I looked at her expectantly. She finally dropped her hand away to rub at her neck as she spoke, expression sheepish,

"I think I allowed myself to be influenced and almost convinced by Yanneek's words. He spoke to me about you spending a lot of time with lycans, especially Hannes and Athena, and had made it up in his mind that you wanted little to do with us now. You seemed closer with the lycans and it appeared as if you had little intentions of spending time with us," Helda paused, chest raising and lowering as she heaved out a breath. "I suppose he and I were a bit jealous?"

I stared at her for a long while before pointing out slowly, "Yanneek and yourself could always come by my house. Also, I'd wanted to spend time with you all recently, but Yanneek rejected me coming by his home because of Willow or Jeremiah needing to be there, for my protection."