Crave ✔

Chapter 31

       But I wasn't expecting him to unceremoniously dump me on the ground at the top of the cliff and then turn around and stalk off into the dense tree line of the Mountain. Well then... I watched him leave with a frown on my lips and a heavy heart dragging down my chest. But I refused to feel guilty.

       "Oh, my lady." Aeyron sighed as he finished his climb up the stone steps, his brown eyes soft instead of that icy fortress they were from the cave. "What a little trouble maker you are."

       I turned my frown to him, my stomach churning unpleasantly as he held his large hand out for me. My expression did not ease as I let him help me to my feet.

       I didn't bother responding to his comment as I watched Terif carrying Mae over his shoulder as he reached the top of the stairs. My brow narrowed in confusion and Aeyron rolled his eyes as the other General tossed the unconscious girl on the ground beside us.

       "The ridiculous Underling fainted the moment I grabbed her arm." He growled in answer, and let out a long, drawn out huff of air, before turning those furious gold eyes on me. I gulped. "You, my lady, have a lot of explaining to do." His growl filled the dense, cold air around us, and the anger in it actually made me flinch.

       "Shove off, Terif. She already has to deal with North's temperamental self. You don't need to add onto it."

       And just like the big, caring, man he was, Aeyron wrapped his arm around my shoulder and lead me gently away from the simpering General. A flash of satisfaction rang through me, but it was easy to push it aside as Aeyron led me towards the forests edge, and away from those ridiculous Cliffs.

       "Don't not worry much about the King, my lady. He just needs some time to calm down."

       His words did little to reassure me, and I kept my mouth shut as I turned to watch Terif pick Mae up once again and follow after us, the other two slowly trudging along. They didn't bother joining the conversation. I'm sure they thought that the bi-polar wolf would take his temper out on them.

       "He's furious at me."

       "It will pass, but you can not disappear like that again, Emrie. You should have realized what that would do to him."

       I wanted to hang my head like a reprimanded child, but I would not. I knew leaving as I did would upset him, would make him more than furious, but I refused to let that stop me.

       Even now, watching him leave as he did, I still would have left. I had a chance to figure something out on my own, and I took it. Just as I had done all those months ago at the village. But that didn't stop my heart from hurting.

        The stone pulsed against my chest and I reached up to press it harder against my skin. It was so warm, so sacred, and it was mine. The one thing about this life that I knew was real. My relationship with Mae and her brother was fake, my childhood a lie, my mate bound with Eirik- a hole in my heart.

       None of it was real, except for my stone.

       "Try not to worry about such matters, my lady. Let us walk awhile, there is a long day ahead." His voice was once again soft, and his arm comforting as he led me deeper into the woods.

       The moon was high in the sky, and I knew it would be dark a while longer, but the heat radiating off the Generals was enough to keep away the chill in the air. We had been walking a little shorter than an hour when Aeyron finally held his hand up to stop our small ensemble.

       "North wants us to stop for the night. Eildor go gather wood for a fire. Finn- go with him." The tone at the end of his voice was a warning, one Eildor didn't miss. He pouted and stomped off into the trees, a smiling Finn at his heels. Those two almost made me want to laugh.