Page 28 of Blood of the Fallen
A knot formed in my throat. No one had ever talked to me like this, like a parent or an elder. The woman who was supposed to be my mother seemed to only care about finding an alpha for her triad. She’d explained things when I first got here, but since then, I’d barely seen her.
“Thank you, Nosh. I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
He smiled and was about to say something else when steps sounded behind us. We glanced back and found Novuk, his massive shape lumbering in our direction.
“Good day,” he said.
“Breakfast isn’t ready yet, big guy,” Nosh said. “We’re trying to get ahead of the dinner rush before we start on breakfast. This one has too big of an appetite.” His belly shook as he chuckled.
Novuk rubbed his stomach. “That’s because your cooking is amazing.”
And it really was. Considering how very few ingredients he had, he worked wonders.
“But I’m not here for breakfast,” Novuk said. “The Chieftess asked me to get Sheela.”
My shoulders tensed right away. I’d just been complaining that Chieftess Yura didn’t talk to me, and now that she’d summoned me, I had no interest in meeting with her.
I set the knife down on the table. “What does she want?”
Novuk shrugged. “She didn’t tell me.”
I glanced sheepishly at Nosh.
He dismissed me with a wave of his hand. “Go right ahead. I can finish here.”
I squatted by a pail of water off to the side and washed my hands. Novuk led the way toward the Chieftess wigwam, the next biggest ones after the one used by Nadie for schooling. It had been repaired and didn’t look derelict anymore. When we got there, he waved me in and started walking away.
“Wait!” I grabbed his arm and let it go right away, even though small, casual contact like this didn’t seem to bother me anymore. It was an improvement. “Aren’t you staying?”
He shook his head and left. I rubbed the back of my head, my hair prickling as it had grown back about a fourth of an inch. Taking a deep breath, I hardened my expression and pushed through the door flap.
The Chieftess was sitting cross-legged on the ground, poking the coals of the fire pit with a stick. She glanced up and scrutinized me with care, probably imagining all the ways in which she could kill me if I didn’t do what she wanted. At night, her threat to slit my throat still rang in my ear sometimes.
“Sit.” She extended a hand, inviting me to take the spot to her right.
I wanted to turn around and leave. The woman inspired no confidence or tenderness in me, only fear. Still, I managed to find enough courage to lower myself to the pelt covering the ground.
She set aside the stick and picked up two cups from the edge of the pit where they’d been placed to keep their contents warm. I examined her face, trying not to stare at the tattoos that marked her forehead and chin.
“Tea sweetened with one of Bethel’s honeycombs.” The Chieftess didn’t smile, but her expression was about as neutral as I’d ever seen it.
I took the offered cup, which was divinely warm in my hands. Bethel’s sweet concoction had quickly become my favorite thing. Dessert had always been my weakness, and other than fruit, there wasn’t much else around here that belonged in that category.
“I hear you’ve been slowly integrating with the pack,” she said.
I sipped my tea and spoke over the rim of the cup. “I’m trying.”
“If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
She waited for me to perhaps complain about Desna’s family, but I simply nodded. A little smile stretched her lips as she seemed glad to discover I wasn’t one to air my grievances. I’d always fought my own battles, and that wasn’t about to change.
She was quiet for a moment before bringing up what I thought was the reason for my visit here. “Ila told me about what happened during your last day at the Academy.
I lowered my head and stared at the rippling surface of my tea. Even though it had become easier to think about it, I still didn’t like to recall that night.
“She mentioned a hot spring and the blood of our… of our young ones draining into it.”
I nodded, fighting to keep tears from forming. I didn’t want to cry in front of this woman.
