The Twelfth Moon || ✔️

37. Muffled Whispers

          "But how could he not be?"

          The second man got visibly frustrated. "How could he be? Sunburned idiots." He finished the rest of his ale and slammed it back down on the table. "I'm out of here."

          He didn't give the other two men the chance to respond before he stormed back out of the bar, not even glancing over me. They truly hadn't noticed who I was. Or perhaps they did, but decided I wasn't worth whatever troubles they'd get from making a fuss about my presence here.

          The two other men pottered after him, their ales left unfinished on the table.

          The rest of the evening went by in a blur. I was trying to make sense of what I'd heard, but the more I thought about it, the more confused I got.

          After Bertel's sixth ale, I started giving him a brown colored soda instead of his intoxicating drinks. He was so plastered already, he didn't even notice. Talek did, but he let me continue since he made more money of Bertel this way.

          As soon as the bar quieted down enough, I got sent back on dish-washing duty. And there was a lot of it.

          By the time the bar closed, I still wasn't finished. Talek stepped in the kitchen, noticed the pile of dirty glasses that was left, and decided to help me out.

          He started cleaning the floor, however. The dishes, tables and chairs were still left to me.

          "Have you ever seen those men here before?" I asked him, killing the silence that hung in this kitchen.

          Talek immediately knew who I was talking about. "Once or twice. But tonight they seemed on edge."

          I had gotten that energy from them, too. "Do they ever have.. Friends coming here?"

          "Other wolves, ya mean?" He stopped mopping the floor for a second as he looked at me.

          "Yes," I admitted, a bit thrown aback from his directness.

          "I don't know. I didn't even know about them until tonight. I can't smell them out like ya."

          I halted my dish-washing duties for a moment as I faced him. "Then how do you know about me?"

          He shrugged his shoulders as he restarted mopping the floor. "I didn't at first. But then every time ya came, ya looked different. It didn't take me very long to realize that no human would progress that fast, building their muscles at the speed ya seemed to be doing."

          "Oh. I suppose I hadn't thought of that." It was true, though. In the time I'd been here, Feytan's training had improved me on multiple fronts. I felt better, but I looked better, too. The sharpness of my face had softened, and when I was in the bathroom, I could no longer count all the ribs that were poking at my skin.

          But I hadn't only been growing muscles. My body had taken the chance of regularly having food to start storing fat, as well. My breasts had become fuller, and my body lightly started curving in places where it barely existed a while ago.

          Even my light brown hair looked fuller, and somehow more vibrant. I had changed a lot in the short time I was here. And I was naive to think no one would notice.

          I hastily finished the rest of the dishes, the tiredness of the night finally catching up with me.

          Our Moon still stood high in the skies when I reached the Manor, although she had started lowering a bit already. Nonetheless, I had arrived back in the heart of the night, and most of the life in the Manor was already fast asleep.

          I longed to join them, my legs had grown tired of standing and walking around for hours on end, serving people with their drinks and cleaning up after them.

          But as I entered the main hall and stared at the stairs, I somehow had a feeling that what I heard tonight couldn't wait until later to be shared.

          So I went up the stairs, keeping the memories of the night as fresh as I could so I could report it all back. I went upwards to the second floor, into the right hall where I'd been some days ago. I thought about going straight to Aven, but he already didn't like me. I couldn't say I was very fond of him either, and I had a hunch waking him up in the middle of the night for my ramblings wouldn't help our mutual dislike of one another.

          And since he was still my Alpha, and I still needed his support to live here, I knew I'd better do anything in my powers not to aggravate him even more.

          No answer came when I knocked on Jerr's door, but I knew he was here. Without thinking, I knocked again.

          I heard some grumbling on the other side of the door, a raspy curse of a voice that had just woken up. I heard Jerr shuffle to the door, and my chest filled with anticipation, waiting for him to open the door. I cursed myself for feeling nervous about seeing him, but the last time we'd talked, we hadn't parted on very good terms. Would he be angry with me? Should I still be angry with him?

          Was I still angry with him?

         Should I have come? I started doubting myself, convincing my own brain that this could have waited until tomorrow.

          The door swung open, and I stared at Jerr's half asleep body. He only had on his trousers, bearing his toned chest. His skin looked like it was carved by our Moon and kissed by the Sun, blessed by two magical entities. Even in his hazed state, I couldn't help but notice that an attractive man was standing before me.

          Such a shame he was such a sunburned pain in my ass.

           "Sari, what are you doing here?" He asked, confused, clearly aware of the odd hour I'd come to visit him.

           "I need to talk to you," I stated, refusing to let my eyes travel down and give him the satisfaction of seeing my enjoyment. I barely dared to admit it to myself.

          "Clearly," he sighed, rubbing his temple. His eyes glanced over me, looking for any sign of injury, I guessed. When he found none, he said, "Surely this can wait until tomorrow."

          "I don't think it can," I hastily replied. I wouldn't give myself the chance to give in to his request, I wanted to tell him what I'd heard.

          I could simply write it down, but as a Beta, Jerr might be able to ask me well directed questions I wouldn't think of, important details I wouldn't know the value of and therefore just dismiss them.

          "Sari," he began protesting. By the way I smelled, I realized he must have thought I was drunk. "I'm sure it-"

          "It's about the Shadowed Death," I interrupted him.

          His sleepy eyes shot open. He let my words sink in, and after his short, silent thoughts, he opened the door and motioned for me to enter his chambers.

          I went back to the familiar velvet chair I'd sat in a few days ago. Jerr took the one opposite me, not bothering to put on any more clothes.

          The slight grin on his face told me he'd probably seen the slight reddening in my cheeks. But his playful expression quickly faded away, knowing now was the time for serious talk.