HEAT

Chapter 20: Winter

Midas left me to do my bidding as I wanted. Although he suggested I get to know the pack, I need to know who I'm leading if I want to start feeling any semblance of normal.

The word normal seems odd to me now, it's been so long since I've felt like that. Midas and I are anything but normal. There is nothing normal of our situation. Yet I could see in his eyes, he's pleading, for what? I'm not sure nor do I want to find out.

My anger is still on the surface, my hands twitch with desire to rip his throat out and bathe in his blood. This feeling appears whenever he's awake. Yet, the beast, I can't hurt him. I kill Midas then I kill his beast who has done nothing but caress me in a way Midas could never.

I shake the murderous thoughts away and continue down a path towards the area where I notice women sitting in groups in butchering meat and fish. This surprises me as I would have thought the men in this pack would handle a grotesque job. Maybe Midas is right, I should get to know the pack a little better.

When I reach the area, blood and dried fish hits my nose like a rotten combination. How can the women sit here and stomach it.

"It helps to put a Sakura petal between your nostrils." I'm startled by another voice behind me. A woman with dark black hair smiles at me. She's not a Lycan nor a wolf, she's human. I didn't realize till now how big this pack is? What other creatures do we have, this thought makes me ponder even further that I must remember every single name and face if I want to be a good Luna.

"That sounds smart, your name?"

"Nina my Luna." She bows down, ungrateful nevertheless, she shows respect to my status.

"Nina, nice name. So is there anything I can do?" She gives me a look of bewilderment, why would a Luna want to kill, cut and skin animals.

"No my Luna, this job is certainly not for your hands. We wouldn't want you to exhaust yourself!" The look of concern makes me laugh just a little. I think the women care about me more than I realized. I kept praying every night for someone to help, and I'm sure these women could hear my cries whenever Midas had his way with me. But most are humans what could they do to stop a man from hurting what he owns.

The thought darkens my mood, ownership. Hah! As ever, I swear to my goddess, no one will ever own me, especially my soul. Midas will never own my soul. He can have this body because is only flesh. But my soul, it's what he wants, the ultimate binding of two soul mates.

Never.

"I think you'd be surprised to see my hands are just the same as yours." Maybe not as rough but I still have a few scars from sewing many things in my last pack. Coats were the most difficult to create.

"Well, if you say you can do this then who am I to stop you my Luna."

"Please, call me Winter." My answer sort of surprises Nina. A friendly warm smile softens her face and she leads me towards her group where they are skinning a couple of cod's.

"Hello my Luna!" All four women say in unison, the wolf inside me beams with pride at the women cutting away. Their job important as it feeds everyone in this pack.

I pay attention to how they skin the fish, instead of raking through the scales which causes a mess. They sharpen their knives and glide it underneath the scales in long strips, less time consuming and no mess.

"Hello everyone, what is your names?" A petite blonde woman with short hair stood up to introduce herself and the group.

"My name is Tamzin, this is Sheela, Hela, Francis, and Nika." I bowed my head to the women of the group. I sit beside Tamzin and begin to chat. The ladies were sweet, nice to be around. Sheela and Nika have mates while the rest have yet to find one. Or be chosen for some.