“Oh, come on! Why are you still mad? It was funny! And look! I am dressed again!” All I did was roll my eyes while still trying to get through this thick forest. Bushes, threes, and everything green, filled with leaves and long grass, looked like it decided it wanted to brush my face and be up close. This was supposed to be a place where a pack lived nearby; from what I’ve seen so far, it looks just wild and uninhabited. Drifta is pushing, wanting to shift, almost like she is scraping and clawing at me from the inside, adding to the frustration and irritation. Seb said I can’t shift here, not now, not without talking to or introducing ourselves to the local pack. They might see us as intruders or a threat. However, this doesn't seem to sink into Drifta´s head. She was still pushing me, pacing around in my mind, and whining to the point that an irking headache was lurking far down in my neck, working its way up my skull. Having him jogging up behind me didn’t help either; all I could
Maya´s POV. I watched in a combination of awe, excitement, and a little fear as the massive fire sizzled in front of us. Nyx hummed and whispered in a foreign tongue, a strange language consisting of as many guttural sounds, clicking with her tongue and horror-like sounds from deep down in her throat as words. It all contributed to a mythical, almost magical night, dark magic, that is. The sun had gone down long ago; instead, the full moon cast cold, white light down at us in between the thick clouds. Nyx was an incredibly gorgeous woman, but now her eyes were almost black. She stared straight into the dancing flames reflected in her eyes' endless, deep darkness. Her facial features seemed to change, twisting into something unearthly, almost like she took on a different being. Some creature I’m not sure I should be scared of or fascinated by, but I was not so surprised; I didn’t even feel a little piece of that jealousy I felt towards her earlier. The volume in her voice increased
“I don’t know what happened or why they arrived!” Nyx was frustrated, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. The rest of the pack had slowly backed up and retreated to their homes. I, Hades, Arcane, Tew, and Nyx were the only ones left. The rest of us are sitting on the ground, resting our eyes on her, walking restlessly back and forth. Mumbling and talking to herself, seemingly going through her spells or something. Arcane´s arm is still around my shoulders, always protecting me, and to be honest, I’m beginning to like it. I love it, never feeling alone and almost fully believing I will always have someone to support me. Almost. A new intoxicating feeling I’m a bit scared to rely on or become addicted to because it feels like I am. Again, Nyx’s voice called me out of my own trail of thoughts, “This should not have happened! It is a perfectly normal ritual! The typical Viking ritual for calling for the old Norse gods, appreciating them, and praising them. There was nothin
Eir´s Pov. It had been surrealistic for a while like I had fallen back into one of those dreams I used to have—that little happy girl and that massive black wolf. Slowly, reality snuck up in my head, and I recognized the wolf. The wolf dreamed about it so many times and blamed my imagination, for I even explained it as being fury for a while. Obviously, his beast recognized me or liked me or something. He kept walking around me in circles while everyone else just watched in silence. Brushing his thick fur against me, he sniffed my hair, neck, and even feet. It was weird, really, especially when I finally managed to relax and remember how to breathe again. I can’t claim I recognize him, not even his wolf, but Drifta does for some reason. She wasn’t even with me when I supposedly knew him, but still, she won’t budge. Drifta kept insisting that he was family, that this was our father, that she recognized this wolf as her family, and that I was still struggling with how to handle this.
(This chapter is Eir´s father’s pov. How he met her mother and the time they spent together) It all seems so trivial now, but it meant the world to me back then! I had turned 22 and was the only Alpha son who had not participated in the mate hunt before I turned 20. I spent year after year pushing myself through tournaments and contests. It had cost me blood, sweat, and what I will never admit in front of anyone else, tears. I’ve crossed deserts and hunted wild boar in human form without weapons. I’ve crossed the wild sea in an open boat alone late in the fall, the one time of year the weather gods raged through the lands. The waves reached way above my boat, even the ships, but I still did it, and I survived. I excelled as a front warrior, footman, strategist, and even as a medic. I fought werebears and lions and came out of the old Alpha games, something that is more like what used to be seen in old colosseums in Roma than anywhere else, and lived alone all winter without supply an
Strange, maybe, but it was rubbing my ego seeing the Viking Alpha now all of a sudden begging for me to throw him a bone. No, that is not the right word, but it felt like it. But all in all, they started showing up for one reason, and one reason only: to make sure their pack, their future Alpha, would be promised to my little daughter. I know your mother equally understood and was horrified by their behavior. They all acted like you were a rare piece of meat or rock, like you would have no say in your future. It is not that this was uncommon behavior; it is just the first time I experienced it up close. I realized how wrong it was in so many ways. So, eventually, after conferring with your mother and my closest men, I even evolved the elders; I started turning all offers down. I suggested a mateing ball or gathering on equal ground when she was old enough so she could meet them all and decide for herself. Some understood, and others were outright furious that we could toss away such a
Eir´s POV. Hearing my father’s story was both heartbreaking and beautiful, but it also led to even more questions at the same time as it answered my questions. But first and foremost, I glared at Seb. “So? Can you? “ “Yes.” He answered way too lightly with a sheepish grin, “Then why didn’t you?” “Isn’t that obvious? So, I could show you the helicopter?” I had no response to that; I mean, can anyone come back with a sensible answer to that? My father cleared his throat, too loud and theatrical to be anything else than asking for our attention. Grateful to end this discussion, I smiled towards my father, only to falter as he began to speak. “I recognize that word! Your mother thought to me about these helicopters! Do you have one? Please show me!” I jumped up in my chair, all the curse words I ever heard flashing through my mind as I slammed my palm over Seb´s mouth that was about to answer. “No, no, he doesn’t have one! And no, absolutely not something you would like to see! “
Maya´s Pov. Crisp and fresh air loaded with salt from the open sea filled my every breath and brushed against my bare skin. Who would have thought I loved sailing so much? I grew up in the middle of nowhere, a little town with all the necessities one would need, of course, but besides that, there was forest and mountains as far as the eye could see. Now, I’m standing here, filling my lungs to the brim with saltwater air and loving every second of it. I really love the sound of waves, the way the ship moves on the water, the smell, and the incredibly clean air. Arcane´s confused voice made it all even better, feeding the happy little sadist inside of me. “I don’t get it. Is he sick?” “No, Nyx checked him; even that old doctor checked him inside and out. He is fine. A little pale and weak, but besides, there is nothing wrong with him. He needs sun, that’s it. And he needs to go home.” “That’s just bullshit. Didn’t you see him? I’m not talking about the color of his skin and all that