The Winter

Chapter 11

“Cousin of my mate?”

She laughed and linked her arm with mine. “That’s better. We should be less jovial around Caldar though. He’ll fret until Hati returns.”

I nodded my agreement, stepping out into the snow that crunched beneath my boots. “He should give us a bit of leeway, it is my mating day after all.” I glared up at the cloud heavy sky, wondering if the gods could feel my ire. “Of course it would end this way.”

Astrid gave me a gentle nudge and nuzzled into my cheek. That was all the comfort I needed. Especially as I’d get none from the male turning around at the gate to narrow coal dark eyes on us. I was his Alpha now, but I still felt the need to shrink under that stern gaze, forcing myself to keep my head straight.

“We just want to wait with you.”

Caldar gave us both a once over, tugging his fur-lined cloak tighter around his shoulders, then glared up at the sky as more white snowflakes began to twirl down. “As long as you stay this side of the gate, I won’t argue with you, Alpha.”

“You shouldn’t argue with me at all,” I replied teasingly as Astrid and I reached his side.

Torches lined the road ahead, to illuminate the forest either side more than the road itself for it disappeared around the bend after only a few metres. I could probably see well enough without them, but I doubted the normal wolves amongst our number would, not with the sun hidden and sky so dark despite it being hours yet from evening. This far North, the world grew even darker than my homeland during the winter months, with only a few hours of true daylight.

“Have you heard anything?” Astrid asked as she meandered over to stand by a blazing brazier under the overhanging shed roof.

Caldar shook his head, staring out past the gates with his eyes screwed up against the blurring view. The weather would play into the intruder’s hands, covering tracks and scents as easily as magic might do. The hood of my own cloak was quickly weighed down by the growing blizzard and I didn’t blame Astrid for seeking what shelter she could.

“Whoever it is, they’re alone, otherwise the patrol would have returned rather than alert everyone for mile’s that we spotted them,” Caldar said at length. “Other than that, I don’t know any more than you do.”

“So it could be anything out there?”

“I imagine if it was a Blood Drinker, Hati would have sent someone back to tell us. And if it was a wayward human, they’d have sent them on their way by now and returned. So it could be a wolf seeking help, or trouble with the nearest village. A messenger from Magne back at the port perhaps, or-“

A shadow moved past one of the torches just before the bend that took it out sight. Caldar held up one hand above his eyes to try and see through the snow, and I turned back to make sure nobody had moved past one of the fire's behind us. Fire and snow sometimes caused strange shapes to form where they ought not to, but the courtyard was empty, and the doors of the castle were pulled tight shut against the cold.

I shivered, and it has nothing to do with the cold. A prickling over my skin warned me there was magic in the air, which Astrid confirmed.

“There’s something out there,” she whispered, leaving the comfort of the fire to creep back to Caldar’s side. “I can sense it. It’s similar to Hati’s aura, but not at the same time.”