Chapter 178
A month had passed since I’d arrived at Storm Wardens. A month of Staring at the ceiling of my small room, a month of barely touching the food my mother brought.
The curtains were drawn as they had been since my arrival, casting the room in perpetual twilight. I lay on the bed, counting the cracks in the ceiling plaster for the hundredth time, when my mother pushed open the door without knocking.
Remember to take your bath,‘ she said, setting down a tray of food wouldn’t eat.
I rolled onto my side, facing away from her. The weight of her disappointment was yet another burden i couldn’t bear
You are leaving this place right now,” she announced, her tone leaving no room for argument,
I turned back, startled by the command. “You can’t kick me out of this pack; I have nowhere to go?
I am not, I meant you have to leave this room; you’ve been here long enough, and you need to get out there, socialize, meet with new people, meet other men.” Her voice rose with each word. “He is not the only man in this world!
I stared at her, surprised by her outburst. She’d been patient for weeks, bringing food, speaking in soothing tones, asking nothing of me. But apparently, her patience had limits.
“Okay,‘ I said finally.
“Okay?‘ she seemed surprised.
I’ll need to bathe and get dressed,”
Relief washed over her face. “I’ll be waiting/
Once she’d left, I dragged myself to the small adjoining bathroom. e face that stared back at me from the mirror was a stranger’s hollow–cheeked, dark circles beneath dull eyes, hair limp and tangled. I looked away quickly, unable to face the physical evidence of my brokenness.
The warm water helped, washing away a month’s worth of stagnation if not the pain that had caused it. I dressed in clothes my mother had bought simple jeans and a t–shirt that hung loosely on my frame.
My mother was waiting outside my door as promised. Her smile when she saw me was cautious, as if afraid too much enthusiasm might send me scurrying back into my dark sanctuary.
“Where are we going?” I asked as she led me down an unfamiliar comidor.
“Well, we art going to have dinner with the whole pack. I just finishet working, and I’m free for now.”
“Working? You work?
“Yes, I do, I work as their cook, and they really enjoy my services.”
I frowned, guilt surfacing through the numbness. “You don’t have to work…”
I haved from my job back at the previous pack; while this doesn’t pay anything close, it’s still good enough. I kept my savings so you could start something with it.”
Mom, you don’t need to work…” I began again, but my mother’s attention had shifted. She waved to someone approaching us.
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Chapter 178
“Alpha Kieran,” she greeted a fall, solidly built man with sandy brown hair.
“Oh, nice to see you and your daughter. Could I ask her name?” he replied with an easy smile.
“She’s Elowen.*
“You must be the sleeping beauty,” Kieran said, his blue eyes warm with humor. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I nodded. We’d entered what appeared to be the pack’s dining hall far cry from Ravenhollow’s opulent grand hall, but warm and inviting in its rustic simplicity. Long wooden tables filled the space, already crowded with pack members sharing meals and conversation.
“Does she speak?” someone called out.
“Yes, I speak,” I replied, my voice raspy from disuse.
“She does speak,” the same voice responded with mock surprise.
“You thought I was… mute?” I asked, realizing how my seclusion must have appeared to the pack.
My mother steered me toward an empty seat. The smells of home–cooked food filled the air, making my stomach grow! despite my lack of appetite.
“TH escort you to the room when I am done,” my mother said as she helped serve the meal to nearby pack members.
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