Beyond the Curtain

22 | rule 34

"Some rules are meant to be broken."

Before silence could fall upon us, I rolled my shoulders back and changed the subject. "It seems like you know Rowan well."

He shrugged his shoulders. "He stayed with us for a couple of years back when he was first bitten. His brother dropped him off one day, and he never returned for Rowan—or he never returned willingly."

"I didn't know," I whispered, not knowing Rowan had been in a similar situation as me: abandoned by his family. My heart thumped in my chest, imagining a younger Rowan being left behind here. Despite this mental image, though, it seemed Rowan was able to make a nice life for himself and claim the title of Alpha.

"It's not as bad as I make it out," he revealed with a coy grin as he tilted his head to the side. Malakai's hair had come completely loose from its hold, and some strands of his hair obscured his face as he said, "I mean, it is bad, but his brother didn't just up and abandon him. But I don't think that's my story to tell."

I understood. While Malakai had witnessed this part of Rowan's life, like he said, it was not his experience to share. Still curious, though, I asked, "Is his broth—"

Before I could finish my question, Malakai jumped in place as we arrived at the base of the mountain. Below a decrepit row of tree branches, a small opening between the rocks of the mountains formed. A well-worn footpath had been carved by ways of the constant foot traffic over the snow, so compact only a few footprints were visible.

Waving his hands in the air, Malakai announced, "Welcome to the den."

Pushing the overhanging limb to the side, Malakai motioned for me to enter. Once inside the den and away from the bitter cold, I rubbed my hands together and pulled my arms tighter around myself as I tried to warm my body up. The den was exactly as I had expected it would be, especially after Malakai explained Yukinawa's strong ties to the past.

The den was a standard cave. It was vast, and I could not see the end of the cave in sight. From the large campfire burning in the middle of the cave, I could spot a few writings sketched in rock on the surrounding mountainous walls. Unfortunately, even with the blazing fire, the temperature inside the den was still chilly.

Scattered all throughout the cold, rock floor, countless pillows were laid over the ground. A couple of stuffed animals congregated around some of the smaller pillows, and as we stalked closer to the campfire, we had to be sure not to step on any of these obstacles.

As we trekked further into the den, the temperature finally began to rise as many wandering eyes trailed our every move. I was sure they were curious, but a shiver ran down my spine at the prospect of not only being closely watched but also closely listened to.

"Is this your entire pack?" I asked, tucking my hair behind my ear once I drew close to the fire. The fire blasted a warmth on my face, and I thought I might never want to leave this spot.

"No," Malakai stated. "Our pack is on the smaller side, but it's not this small. Most of our able-bodied wolves are out catching some dinner for our feast tonight."

"Feast?"

"For your arrival," he chirped, leaning over the side of the fire to add another log to the flames.

"Oh, that's not necessary—"

"It's tradition when someone new arrives—or when someone old returns," he explained, standing upright after letting the log sink into the fire. As he stretched upright, his mind went blank, and he muttered, "Oh shit."

"What?"

Malakai scratched his head lazily. "I'm supposed to watch some of the little wolves, but—"

"Go," I said, tilting my head toward the exit of the den. "I could use the time to settle in."