Her

Chapter 20

We didn't stay for long after Erisim's appearance. We distangled ourselves and I brushed off the fine clothing I'd been wearing, disheartened and guilty about the water and mud stains that had been smeared all over the dress and cloak. I could only imagine the mystics reaction when I'd come back to return the outfit. Though, Lux didn't look any better with wind tangled hair and the mud on her own clothes. It somewhat made my own mess a little less shocking.

Walking back to the lodge in the complete silence of each other's company was maddening. It coated the air with a thick, smothering fog as we picked our way back. Lux hadn't said a word in return to me after telling her what everyone else had been repeating in hushed whispers. A look of silent indignation on her face it seemed as she made her way through the snow with me trailing after here. I managed to somewhat keep up with her, having to trot besides her on the path which lead me to believe it was the reasoning why she was walking in the snow. The path wasn't exactly big enough for us to walk side by side and she kept catching me whenever I stumbled.

When we finally arrived at the lodge, the warmth that leaked from it calling towards me and my snow soaked clothes. I gripped at the door handle, hurriedly kicking at the side of the lodge to remove most of the packed on snow that had found itself stuck to my boots. I tugged on the door, opening it as a blast of heat washed over me. Lux waited for me to walk inside first and I silently undressed myself, removed the cloak from my shoulders and the boots from my feet. It suddenly overcame me how much time the mystic had wasted on me. It had been hours of preparations only to last for less than fifteen minutes.

It was then that I noticed that Lux was trying to talk to me. "Well? Are you?" She asked, pressing on as she looked towards me, her face neutral. She still hadn't seemed to take to the news very well.

"Am I what? I didn't hear you." I responded.

She set her jaw for a moment, annoyed. "Are you going to go take a bath?" She repeated once more, arms crossed. "Or do I get to take one first?"

I paused, "I'm taking a bath." I grumbled and carrying my items, made my way up to our room. Though it was really more of her room, I simply slept in it. I could feel her presence behind me, following me. I choose to ignore it.

Setting my things down, I found the little pile that was slowly accumulating to a chests worth amount of clothing. Thumbing through it, I found a winter shift that I often slept in and went to bathe. Lux had of course followed me into the room, something sulky and unreadable in her expression as I shut the door.

The bath was quick, lukewarm water that made my cold skin shiver and my hair drip wet and then I was done. The chilly presence of the winter air and the damp condition I was in didn't seem to help her. As soon as I was out, Lux was brushing past me into the room and shutting the door. I sneezed for a moment, sniffling. It was freezing and as I turned to crawl into my pallet of furs and blankets, discovered it missing. A deep rooted sense of irritation filled me. I was miserable, wet, and cold and she had done something with the very little items I could call mine.

I clenched my fists and decided for the time being, I'd sit in her bed. Crawling up onto the large mattress, the soft feather down it was presumably stuffed with slightly sank under my small weight. I seized the blankets and furs, wrapping myself tightly into a cocoon as I shifted my way towards the end, the glow of the hearth warming my face at least as it was now the only thing visible. I sniffed again, the chill that had settled in my bones hard to get rid of. I closed my eyes, Lux wouldn't be pleased. I'd smell up her bed. She'd probably quite possibly would kick me to the floor but at the moment, I was pleasantly warm and somewhat pleasantly pleased at the smell of the blankets. How they smelled of sharp pine and ice like Lux. It was frustrating how she seemed to ease me sometimes, how easily I let myself forget.

It was then at that moment I realized the bed was dipping again and someone had gotten on it. I panicked for a moment but before I could get up or turn around, my mind registered a pair of arms around me and a chest to my back. I squeezed my eyes shut, mind flooding with several bitter memories. Hands squeezing wrists too hard, heavy breathing in my ear, the trickle of blood that ran rampant down my thighs and the thick scent of an Alpha as they bore down on me. It was enough to cause me to lock up, freeze as I always did and I hated myself even more for it.

"You're going to fall off the bed like that." Luxe voice finally broke through. "You should sit in the middle, not at the edge. You'll fall into the fire with your luck." She spoke, chest suddenly leaving my backside and her arms disappearing as well. I struggled to swallow the bitterness of bile that had risen in the back of my throat.

"I took your furs and blankets to be cleaned. It's been a few weeks so I figured it was time they'd get cleaned." She said, shifting around on the bed as if unsure of what she was doing.

I flicked my gaze back from her and then down. I knew it meant I'd be sleeping here for tonight. It made my guts twist in anxiety yet I bit it back down. I expected for the event to take place. Alphas felt entitled after all, Lux knowledge of me being her mate would only make her feel she had further claim to my body. I fiddled with the blanket between my fingers, looking back up to her. She looked softer now, her hair was down for once, thick and wavy in some areas as it fell around her shoulders. She wore a shirt and a pair of shorts, her skin unbothered by the cold wasn't even prickled.

"Are you hungry?" She asked and suddenly it reminded me of my first night here. "I know you must be. You're always jumping at the opportunity." She said, it sounded like she was vaguely trying to joke. Maybe she was. It was back to this again, back to the warmer side of Lux. The gentle side.

"I could eat something." I decided to respond. No need to make the entire night miserable. I laid my head against my own shoulder. "Do you want me to go get something for us?" Now that I knew my way around, I was sure that she'd want me to fetch things. Maybe I could avoid things if I played my cards right.

"No, I'll get it." She said, getting up. "I. . . I should do things for you I guess. If what Erisim said is true. . ." she trailed again. "I'll be back." And with that, slipped out of the room to leave me to wait.

A//N: Hey! If you have a song that you think might go good for this chapter, comment it below and I'll pick which one fits best! Happy Saturday! :)