The Crow and The Wolf

Chapter 25

25.

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Why would her soul call out to him?

Valeria continued to mull over this question for hours after she woke up from the dream. She didn't know this man other than the fact that he seemed to be able to control dreams and walk through them as well. She didn't know why he seemed interested in her, but at the same time, she couldn't understand why his constant attention was because her soul was calling out to him.

"Valeria," her gaze shifted from the soup in front of her to the older man sat opposite of her, a small smile on his face and concern in his eyes; "are you okay?" he wondered aloud.

She shook her head with a smile and said, "Yes, I guess I'm just a little bit nervous, that's all."

He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. "It's okay, child; everything will be fine."

"It's not that simple, Mr Edgar," she sighed as her pack members drilled holes in the back of her head.

"I know, but you are stronger than these bunch of cult worshippers; they're full of themselves and are stupid if you ask me." His statement received a few growls, but Mr Edgar could care less as he waved them off. "I want you to ignore them and just focus on finishing your final semester, and you'll be done with them."

Valeria smiled and sighed as she returned to finish the soup that Mr Edgar had made for her. Mr Edgar said it was good for her and would calm her bones, whatever that meant. It was mushroom soup with other vegetables swimming around.

Valeria was shunned for a first-time offence (something the elders said she should be proud of) and was forced to stay in isolation except for going to her doctor. This was her first time outside with pack members since the shunning, and she could see their disgust and hatred for her. Their faces were engraved in her head, making her feel cold and alone.

"Hey, hey, stop that; I'm right here, Valeria," she heard Mr Edgar call out to her, his warm hand never leaving hers. "I'm not them; I'm still here; focus on my face," she opened her eyes, and there he was as he said.

His tanned skin was smooth, with a few wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. His hazel eyes were filled with warmth and encouragement, and his smile was for her to take and keep.

"See, right here, child," he said with a smile. She returned his smile and clutched his hand, refusing to let go.

Honestly, Valeria enjoyed her time away from the pack; she knew that once she left the comfort of Luc's bedroom walls, she would be subjected to so much hate and degradation that she just never wanted to leave. The minute she left his room, she felt the tense atmosphere around her as she walked away from the safe place she knew.

She remembered the atmosphere in the pack dining hall when she entered—how everyone looked at her with contempt. She knew that the members of the pack would never want to hear her story or give her a chance, as they had already labelled her as a whore.

Never in her life had she ever felt so little.

Her eyes had gazed around the hall, feeling all kinds of hopelessness, like she was a ship lost at sea without any idea where to go or where land was, but for a moment she saw the light. There at the back of the dining hall was Mr Edgar, who looked at her with a smile as he waved at her with such spirit. Valeria felt a glimmer of hope and gratitude towards Mr Edgar, who seemed to be the only one willing to acknowledge her presence and offer her a friendly gesture. She slowly made her way towards him, feeling a bit more confident and less alone at that moment.

Once she sat across from him, he couldn't stop talking, making her smile. "I saw Beta Luc come out of your house this morning with a small bag, and I knew that he was getting a few things for your first day back into this deranged society, so I thought why not give him my mushroom soup to pass onto you?" he said with a shrug. "But I thought it would be better if I brought it myself, just in case any of these idiots tried to pull something."

She smiled at how he glared around the room as if expecting someone to jump out behind her and grab the bowl from her hands.

She placed the empty bowl down after slurping down the last mushroom.

"Thank you, Mr Edgar, it was delicious."

He waved her off, "Oh it was nothing; that's my Grace's famous soup; it works wonders all the time." The warmth of the soup had spread through her body, making her feel cosy and content. She smiled at Mr Edgar and promised to come back for more of Grace's famous soup.

Mr Edgar smiled at someone behind her, and she turned to see Luc come down the stairs. He gave a nod to every pack member that greeted him as he made his way towards them.

"Hello Ed, how are you?" he asked the elder man.

"I'm good, and although I still have trouble getting over the small hill to the packhouse, I'm still brilliant," he said, which made Valeria smile heartily.

"I'm sure you'll show it who's boss one day, Ed," Luc said with a small smile. He looked Valeria in the eyes, who nodded in agreement with Luc.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, the smile gone from his face.

She sighed and looked at her breakfast companion, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, I am."

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