Chapter 2 : Settled

Seraphina's POV:

I didn't know much about the Outskirts.

Only that it was home to the outcasts. Shifters with no pack or clan. Unaligned fae. Refugees also would flee to the Outskirts to evade war. William's doing. His bloodthirst extended across the entire continent, leaving the Outskirts the only place untouched by it.

The border wasn't what I imagined it would look like. No gates or walls or border soldiers. Open. Only partially hidden by a thicket of woods. Trees that seemed to touch the sky with grand sprawling branches, reminded me of the trees back home.

Beautiful, and full of life that stood the test of time. Until William started a war with my people. An insatiable hunger to devour the land. Garner more subjects. More people to leer over. The final thing William did to my home was burning our trees to the ground.

And our traditions, the immaculate green landscape, and all hope became ash. We were losing.

The council was running out of options. At that point in the war, William wasn't going to take surrender. Not unless we gave him something he wanted.

A wife.

As the only unmarried high sorceress, I offered myself to William to stop the bloodshed. A union between a wolf shifter and a sorceress would be powerful.

And that was all William wanted anyways.

More power.

Sate his greed.

But I would do it again. Through the pain and the blood, I would do it all over again.

I drove past the boundary, and I could feel the heavy weight on my shoulders alleviate a little bit. Even Annika stopped her whimpers. Now, her sounds became loud babbles.

"Yeah, baby?" I asked over my shoulder.

She continued to babble, stringing together random syllables. I'm sure she was trying to tell me she was hungry.

"Soon. We'll stop soon," I promised. I slowed the car, staring down the road, searching for red hair like her father's.

The only life I saw was the occasional doe galloping across the road. Maybe a rabbit scurrying from bush to bush.

Then I saw it. A flash of red. Thick, messy curls and a scattering of freckles. I slowed down to a stop, hand-cranking the window down. My hands shook harder and harder. One on the wheel, the other on the crank.

What if this wasn't Rosie?

But how many Berserkers had red hair and freckles? And had Abe's matching whiskey-colored eyes?

Her gaze was on me. Eyebrows knitted together in a serious expression. Not much older than I was. She wore a leathered vest and a pouch on her chest similar to Abe's. Inhibitor herbs. I made a mental note to ask her about them.

Why take them if she was free?

"Sera?" her tone was serious. A woman that meant business.

At the sound of her voice, Annika stopped babbling and instead, giggled. Maybe she smelled like Abe. Annika loved Abe. I may not trust Rosie yet, but I trusted Abe.

"R-Rosie?" I asked shakily. My trembling got worse, the exhaustion of travel hitting me hard. I hadn't eaten either. I could hear my heart thumping in my ears.

She offered me a sympathetic smile. "Scoot over, I'll take you home."

Home?

That sounded so wonderful.

I put the car in park and scooted over the bench seat to the passenger side. Rosie climbed in and I could feel the calmness of her presence wash over me. The promise of safety. "Wait. I-I should…I should feed Annika. She's still nursing."

Rosie looked over at me, striking me with a gaze similar to Abe's. "Sweetie, I promise we'll feed her when we get to the homestead. I've even got some dino nuggets in my freezer, too."

My shoulders felt heavy as I blinked away bleariness. "Oh, she likes chicken nuggets."

"Get some sleep, mama, it's not a long drive," Rosie said, putting the car into drive.

I leaned against the window, the slight rocking of the uneven pavement putting me to sleep.

***

I woke up a few moments before Rosie pulled into a gravel driveway. I shot up, slowly realizing where I was and what happened. My heart beat wildly like a prey animal until I glanced over at Rosie, calming down again.

"Nice nap?" Rosie asked nonchalantly.

I rubbed the grit from my eyes, still feeling weary and battered, but now a sense of weightlessness filled my chest. "Y-yeah. Thanks," I murmured. "Where are we?"

"My homestead, just outside of town."

"Town?" I asked. I didn't think there were any towns in the Outskirts.

Rosie parked, looking over her shoulder to give me a teasing look. She had round cheeks and wide doe eyes that made her seem almost innocent, but something about her told me she could be devious. "Yeah, town. What did you think the Outskirts would be like? Tents and trees?"

"Well, yeah," I admitted, heat flushing my cheeks.

Rosie laughed. "Sure, it's not a very big town, but it's got some nice infrastructure. We even have a farmer's market on Saturdays. But I'll tell you more once we get inside. Little Annie back there has been chatting up a storm."

Oh, that sounded like Annika. I am almost worried about when she starts saying actual words. She'd never stop talking.

We got out of the car and on shaky legs, I scooped Annika up in my arms, balancing her on my hip. She squealed when I picked her up, throwing chubby arms around my neck.

"Do you have any diapers?" I asked. "I need to change her."

Rosie walked up the steps to a wide, wraparound porch, taking out her house keys to unlock the door. "Oh, yeah, I got plenty. Don't worry about a thing."

I followed Rosie inside. The sweet smell of a well-loved house filled my nose. Like wood and a piney cleaner. She had a large room with a TV and a leather couch. On the other side was a newly renovated kitchen with a handmade dining table.

"Is it just you here?" I asked, noticing that it was an awful lot of space for one person.

Rosie shot me a smile. "Yep. I was looking to get out of my apartment in town, found this house on all this land and it was perfect for me to build up a farm. I have a lot left to do, but my friend Kit helped me fix it. Don't be surprised if you see him soon. We've been inseparable since we were kids."

"It's a beautiful home," I offered genuinely. At the packhouse, Annika and I were only permitted to stay in William's suite. We could only leave when he wanted to make an appearance with us. The few times I left alone, he showed me what would happen if I disobeyed him.

"Thanks!" Rosie replied, the warmth in her smile growing. "It was a labor of love. Come on upstairs, I've got a surprise for you."

A surprise? My heart fluttered.

I followed Rosie upstairs, where she opened up a baby gate at the top and bottom of them. Babyproofing for Annika. Oh, goodness, I was getting emotional. I gulped back grateful tears.

There was another story further up, but those stairs were blocked by another gate. She took me to the first door on the left, passing a guest bathroom.

Rosie opened the door to reveal a child's room.

My free hand touched my lips as a smile pulled helplessly at the corners of my mouth. Tears welled in my eyes. "I-Is this…for Annika?" I asked thickly.

She nodded, eyes lighting up as they met mine. "Everything a little kid could use. There's a crib now, but it converts into a toddler bed. I hope I got the size of diapers and clothes right. I had to guess. My dad wasn't very helpful."

"It's…" my voice warbled and I swallowed back grateful tears. "It's perfect. Where will I sleep?"

"You have your own room right next door, but I know you probably want to sleep in the same room, so I've got a cot folded in the closet for you."

My throat felt thick. She thought of everything. "Thank you," I could barely get the words out.

"You're welcome, Sera," Rosie replied. "Now, I'm going downstairs to get those nuggets heated up for you. Do you want some? I've got some leftover pasta if you want something more substantial."

"That sounds wonderful," I garbled, sounding so pitiful around the tears spilling down my cheeks. No one had ever been this kind to me. My heart felt so full, it was overwhelming.

She nodded and left the room.

I looked down at the child in my arms, who was looking around in innocent wonderment. "What do you think, sweetie?"

Annika made a few indiscernible noises, but I knew she felt as relieved as I did. I took her over to the changing table, diapers and wipes set out for me. Organized. My hands shook as I changed her diaper. Her clothes were stained.

I tossed the old pajamas into the trash pail. That was behind us now. Her clothes were a little big, but that was perfect. She had room to grow. I sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, pulling my shirt up to nurse Annika.

She latched, taking greedy gulps and humming contently as she drank her fill. I combed her hair back with my fingers, talking with her as she nursed. Rocking back and forth. There were bruises marked on my wrists and I knew my lip was swollen and split.

I must look like a mess.

But Rosie was nice enough not to say anything about it.

When Annika was finished nursing, and I cried my fair share of tears, I took her downstairs to the dining room where Rosie was taking the dino nuggets out of the oven. A bowl of pasta salad sat in the center of the table. There was even a high chair with chopped-up fruit all over the tray.

My stomach rumbled, my hunger hitting me all at once.

I strapped Annika into her high chair and she went right for the berries. Gobbling up handfuls. Rosie laughed under her breath.

"She likes berries," I said, my cheeks feeling sore from how much I was smiling.

"I can see that," Rosie teased, putting the tray of nuggets on the table. "Still a little hot, but she can have some pasta while it cools down."

I nodded, spooning some pasta onto the tray, which Annika dove right into. For such a little thing, she certainly had an appetite. "I-I don't know how to say thank you," I murmured honestly, getting some pasta for myself.

"You don't have to," Rosie determined. "I have the money to spend, and I've been needing a roommate." She glanced at the bruises around my wrists, and on my shoulder where my pajama top had slid down. "I've got some cream for that."

"You've already done so much," I answered around a spoonful of pasta salad with little cubes of meat and cheese tossed in.

She visibly rolled her eyes and got up from her seat, stepping over to a cabinet and grabbing a small jar of cream. She put the jar right next to my plate. "I insist. Really. Did Will do all that?"

The smile fell from my face and I didn't answer. Instead, I said, "You know him?"

"We grew up around the same time. My dad was serving the previous Alpha King, but this was before the little shit banished me and my mom."

The venom in her voice settled me. She clearly hated him almost as much as I did. Her features contorted with anger, eyes flaring. Then, Rosie opened her pouch and took one of her herb capsules. The fieriness in her eyes dissipated.

"Why do you take those if you're free?" I asked.

"Unlike Wolves, Berserkers shift in relation to strong emotions. This is mainly to help when I'm feeling angry."

"The mention of William makes you angry?"

Rosie scoffed, not at me, but at the mention of him. "Oh yeah. He's messed with my family too many times. Can't stand him. I also can't stand what he did to you."

A moment of silence passed between us. But it felt comfortable. Rosie made me comfortable. But with food in my belly, I was ready to get to business. "So how am I going to repay you for all this?"

"You're not," Rosie answered. "I'm here to help you and your daughter get settled."

I shook my hand. "N-No. No. I'm going to repay you for everything."

Rosie was quiet for a moment, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, analyzing me with whiskey-hued eyes. Then she sighed. "If you want to help, then help me around the homestead, but not until you're healed. Those bruises need time."

"Okay. That sounds good."

"Now, my dad tells me you're a sorceress. Is that true?" Rosie asked curiously.

"It is," I answered, drawing attention to my wedding band. A thin, low-profile golden ring. "But when I married William and he put this ring on me, it bound my powers."

"Can't you cut it off?" Rosie wondered. "Then use your magic to regrow your fingers."

"Doesn't work that way, I'm afraid. Flesh cleaved from the body will rot. That's just how it works," I replied.

Rosie hummed thoughtfully. "Well, that's okay. You shouldn't need magic here anyways. No one is going to be out to hurt you."

I took another bite of my pasta. "You're so sure about that?"

"We're all running from something. And those scented by a pack or clan aren't permitted past the border. I'll give you an elixir that'll warp your scent," Rosie promised. "Now if you want to take a shower, I can watch Annika."

"Not yet. I'll take a shower after she goes to bed." I wasn't comfortable leaving Annika alone with anyone yet. That'll be a long time.

But Rosie just offered me an understanding smile. "I get it. But I'll take care of these dishes. You get settled."

I stood up, took Annika out of her chair, and brushed crumbs and globs of chewed-up food off her clothes. I set her on the ground and she shuffled away, moving one leg in front of the other clumsily.

Exploring. And I explored with her.