The Song Of The Wolf (Unedited)

Chapter Fifteen

"Miss Maebh! Miss can you hear me?" A voice pestered loudly. "Miss Maebh?"

Maebh groaned and slowly forced her eyes open, focusing her vision on the bespectacled old man leaning over her, whose breath reeked of something meaty.

"Tone it down a bit, please." She snapped weakly. "There's nothing wrong with my ears."

A throaty chuckle resounded from beside her, belonging to none other than Benjamin. "Why did you chug Nectar? You crazy woman!"

Panic swept over her as the previous night's findings came rushing back. She tried not to let the endless possibilities get to her but it was a losing game, and the emotional ramifications were undoubtedly written all over her face.

"Are you one too? A..." Maebh began but couldn't get the word out of her mouth.

"Oh, I-" Benjamin cleared his throat. "I'll make sure someone brings you breakfast."

He disappeared out the door, followed by the fidgety doctor.

Maebh jumped up –pointedly ignoring the dehydration pounding at the inside of her skull– and stormed down the hallway, into Hèmène's office –who had fortunately returned from absence.

"I want to go home."

The queen released the pen she had previously been writing with and looked up with mirth twinkling in her eyes. "A good morning to you too."

Maebh started pacing, rambling. "I read the story. About the lycanthropes and the chilbearers with the... my eyes and it's too much. I can't."

"So he finally told you?"

"He didn't tell me anything! Just shoved the book in my hands and left." She ran a shaky hand through her hair, feeling like she would rip them from her scalp. "I need to go back to Haines Junction, away from here. Now."

"Okay, I will arrange a car for you."

There was a heavy pause.

"That's it? Simple as that? You're letting me... go?"

Maebh felt like the personification of stupidity. Had she known it would be this easy to get a one way ticket out of here, she would have gone to talk to Hèmène way sooner.

"Maebh, darling, you have to realise I was in your shoes once. And though my situation was different, I understand." Hèmène sighed, and approached her, placing two warm, comforting hands on her shoulders. "Eventually, you will come to accept what you are fated to be. I know I did. You're young, you need time. Fillin has been waiting for years, a few more won't make a difference."

Maebh shook her head, looking dazed as she attempted to comprehend what the lady was saying. "Why are you helping me? Shouldn't you be siding with him?"

She squeezed her shoulders once more, "An unwilling childbearer equals a kingdom in disarray, remember that."

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An hour later, Maebh was stood by a black SUV, bidding Hèmène goodbye. The few belongings she had and some gifts she had received from the queen were packed in a bag, that had already been tossed in the trunk.

"Will you take good care of yourself, darling? If anything's amiss, don't hesitate to call me, you have my number."

Maebh nodded, smiling.

All of a sudden, a bloodcurdling bellow resounded from the open gates of the castle and shook them through and through. Fillin charged towards them with purpose and an unfathomable fury blazing in the fires of his eyes.