Page 103 of Tears of the Wolf
Hróarr shrugged and turned to his men, gesturing at the corpse. “This ring for whoever disposes of the body.”
A man jumped forward eagerly to claim the prize.
Hróarr handed it over, nodding in approval. “And whatever else is in his pockets for whoever helps.”
Hróarr’s men descended on the body, grabbing arms and legs. Another followed carrying the head as they headed down toward the river.
“Be sure to leave it past the marker,” Cenric called after them. He didn’t want that body floating ashore and turning rancid on his beach.
Ash bounded after them, her tail wagging as most the younger dogs joined in.
Snapper sniffed at the bloody ground, tail stiff.
Brynn turned toward Cenric, her face a mask once again. “Supper should be prepared shortly. Will Hróarr and his men be joining us?”
“Yes.” Cenric studied her, the blood of a dead man staining her apron. “Are you alright?”
Brynn swallowed and he spotted that flicker of something vulnerable, something just beneath the surface. “I don’t know,” she answered, her voice small.
Cenric caught her hands. He pulled her into his chest, cradling her against him.
“You’re not afraid of me?” she whimpered, all the wrath and vengeance gone out of her.
“No,” Cenric answered. It seemed Brynn could kill a man in ways he hadn’t even thought possible, but he was a proficient killer himself. There was no more reason to fear her than him.
“I’m a monster,” Brynn rasped. “Not safe.”
“You’re a wolf,” Cenric corrected. “So am I.”
Brynn might not be Valdari and her tears might have blinded him to the danger lurking in her delicate hands, but she was a wolf as sure as he was. He should have been put off by her lethality, but somehow it felt right. Cenric was a warrior. Why shouldn’t his mate be?
Cenric rubbed her back, watching her mother and her mother’s guard as they spoke in hushed tones. The memory oflast night’s foretelling came to him. “Stay close to me for the next few days, alright? I’ve had a foretelling.”
Brynn nodded, still trembling. Soft whimpers turned into quiet sobs as she began to cry.
Cenric looked up to Selene. “You’re leaving my lands tonight.”
Brynn
Killing her son’s murderer had been cathartic for all of a heartbeat, and yet, when the man fell limp to the ground, her son had still been dead.
It was an empty sort of closure. Yes, she had the revenge she hadn’t dared hope for, but what was the point?
Brynn couldn’t help but wonder if there was a woman somewhere on Valdar waiting for a son who would never come home. Had Brynn created yet one more grieving mother?
She didn’t blame Cenric for what he had done. He had been raised Valdari and blood was the Valdari means of justice. In his own way, Cenric had done the greatest thing he could do. He had acknowledged her son’s life as worth avenging and gone to Valdar and back to prove it.
Exhaustion weighed Brynn down. She had worked all day and there was the usual tiredness of hard labor, but this was more. She was at the point of numbness, like she had experienced too much pain, and her soul had decided oblivion was better.
Brynn didn’t remember if it had been Cenric’s idea or hers, but he shuffled her off to bed with Esa’s help. Brynn had intended to rest only for a few minutes. She laid down with Guin nestled against her side. The puppy seemed to sense her distress and whimpered, licking Brynn’s cheek as she snuggled close.
Esa returned when it was dark, carrying a cake of hot bread, a bowl of stew, and several choice cuts of meat. From the portion sizes, Brynn assumed Cenric had sent it.
Through the door, Brynn could hear voices. It must be well into supper. She should be there, but instead of going into the other room, she ate what she could and sent Esa away with the leftovers. Esa took Guin outside so that Brynn could keep resting.
Brynn wasn’t sure how long she slept, but she woke the second time when Cenric came into the room. He entered quietly, but she felt his presence like a shift in the air.
Snapper entered after him, sauntering in like it was his right to be here.
