The North

Chapter 3

I closed my eyes to focus in on the flurry of sounds until I could hear the distinct rumble of voices and even occasional laughter from deep within. Sucking in a deep breath through my nose, I was relieved beyond words when I picked up the earthy tones of my own kind. Surely that meant I was in the right place? And they’d saved my life, so they couldn’t have been as bad as the lone wolf had made out.

Heading towards the voices, determination set in. I grit my teeth every time pain threatened to make me crumble and only paused when I reached the top of curling stone steps. The creek of the door behind me and I spun around to see a figure in the hall.

“Wait!” a female shouted, using the old tongue. “You can’t leave your room. Come back!”

Maybe I was a prisoner, and that thought had me running. My bare feet slapped against the steps with my dress whipping out behind me. I wound my way down at a dizzying pace and all the while I could hear the female’s pursuing steps.

I flew off the last one and immediately had to avoid walking right into a striding older male carrying a basket of bread, the sweet smell making my mouth water.

“Watch yourself!” he snapped, shaking his head in disapproval and peering down at me from under a set of bushy white eyebrows.

Disorientated, I mumbled an apology and kept moving, sliding past him without another glance. Thankfully, he didn’t question who I was or where I’d come from. Still, I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself. . .at least, I hadn’t left the room with that intention. As I made turn after turn, the halls were empty and gave no sign of what I should even be looking for.

My stamina began to dwindle.
Round the next corner, I heard the same female who’d been chasing after me. With little choice, left to me, I decided it was time to face whatever awaited me.

“Broken leg or not, she darted down those stairs like a young deer! We have to find her before-“ The tall female stopped short when I barged into the small room. Her blonde hair whipped round and crystal blue eyes widened. It wasn’t anger my presence caused, but relief. “Thank The Great Wolf, you’re alright!”

Ignoring her statement and the behemoth male stood next to her, I said breathlessly, “I need to speak to your Alpha.

She blinked and shared a look with the male who folded his broad arms. His lips peeled back to show teeth but I kept myself standing tall. They couldn’t intimidate me.

“You cannot simply stumble half dead onto our territory and start making demands,” he growled, a flash of gold fracturing his green eyes. “The Alpha will see you when he is ready to see you. Go with my mate back to your room and stay there until you are summoned."

Frustrated beyond belief, I dared growl back at a male who was easily three times my size. If not more.

“You will heed what I say.” Jutting out my chin, I was close to stamping my foot to be heard. “I have travelled the length of my homeland, lost packmates, and blood kin who sacrificed themselves so the rest of my pack could live. I have sailed across the sea, went out on my own to run for miles across frozen forests, broken bones, and bled to get here. Your Alpha will hear me now.”

Silence followed. The female quirked her head and studied me with renewed interest while her mate just laughed in disbelief.

“You would have died if we hadn’t found you. Your leg would have been lost should any other healers but our own have tended to it. We saved your life-“