"Did I hear my name?" I heard a male voice from outside the room.
That must be the Alpha.
And then, I saw him. Again. This couldn't be possible. I killed him myself. The curses escaped me before I could think. A mixed pool of fear and anger boiled i...
I felt like she had trapped me with her words. This girl knew her game. But somehow, what she said sounded sincere. Almost like winning my trust mattered to her. We locked eyes, just as I noticed that her eyes were tearing up. I looked away. How could I even think of saying no to her? I had already done enough to her.
"You can go." I said simply.
Her eyes brightened up. Her lips extended in a smile, showing a beautifully dimpled chin. I wish I could make her smile like that more often. She got so excited she threw her arms around my neck, but withdrew quickly and stood a few paces away, blushing furiously.
"I'll go." she muttered and left before I could stop her.
While I sat down thinking about the brief hug she had given me. I just couldn't shake the feeling of her arms around me. I wished for that moment to return, even though it was just a hug. I felt my mouth quirk up in a smile... at least this was a start.
****
SAPPHIRE
Contaminated.
That's how I felt as I stepped out of his room. What had gotten into me? I almost hugged him. As much as it felt wrong it still felt right. When did this happen? Even the thought of him had disturbed me once, and now, I feel the same presence soothing! What was happening to me? Surely I was going mad.
Concentrate on your plan. my brain chided.
Just kiss him. my heart said.
I shut my heart out. 'I needed to escape. Not fall in love with this Alpha. My cult needs me. They need to know about the amphora.' I thought.
I strolled absent-mindedly to the ground floor of the pack house, when a voice yanked me out of my string of depressing thoughts.
"Hey!"
I turned to see Rosa catching up with me. Her auburn hair was pulled up in a bun.
"Hello, Rosa." I said.
Her hazel eyes widened for a second as if she couldn't believe I remembered her name.
"So what have you been up to, lately?" she asked.
"Your Alpha has given me permission to visit the temple of Trivia, by the northern border. I was heading there right now." I told her.
"I could guide you till there... maybe sow you a bit of the pack while we are at it." she offered.
The offer was too sweet to refuse, so I agreed.
****
Currently we were walking by the training grounds where around 50 werewolves. Some of them were in wolf form and some in human, both males and females. Rosa pursed her lips as if she disapproved of something.
"Anything wrong?" I asked.
"No... its just- leave it. You'll think I am weak." she shook her head.
"Its okay you can tell me if you want to." I encouraged her.
"I don't like violence much. Training and these things: the just don't suit me. I never trained properly, not at least in combat. I am a doctor... I like healing people not killing them." she said.
"That is nothing to ashamed of."
"Maybe not in your world. But here, things are different. You are practically useless if you can't defend yourself. Michael was the first one to make me realize that I mattered. I guess that's why the moon paired us." she said getting a dreamy look in her eyes.
I smiled to myself. Maybe romantic love made somethings right too.
"We'll have to do some hiking if we are going to the shrine of Trivia." she said pointing to a mountain peak silhouetted against the horizon.
"Its on the top?" I asked.
"No its in the way to the top... the one on the top is dedicated to Thor." she told me.
****
"I- guess training... is... necessary." Rosa panted as she trailed behind me on the steep slope.
"Come on just half a mile." I encouraged her.
"Easy for you to say. You haven't even broken a drop of sweat." she said, seating herself against the trunk of a majestic oak tree.
"We can take a break if you want." I said sitting next to her. If I could overlook the fact she was a wolf from this pack; she was almost fun to hang around.
"If you aren't in a hurry to see your goddess, I could really do with a break."
The forest in this part of the hill was really dense. The canopy was as this as a school bus. Even trees were girthy. Strange noises penetrated the silence from time to time. The forest was almost scary yet mysterious in a cunning way, as though it was laughing on private joke about you that you weren't aware of. I realized why it had grown this ways. Trivia was not only the goddess of magic... but back in the old days, when chaos ruled, she was also the goddess of mystery. I guess this was a reflection of her old self.
****
The shrine of Trivia stood in front of me. I smiled with satisfaction. It wasn't grand or elaborate like the one back home... but the spiritual presence was strong here. The temple's aura made me resemble the feeling of a child whose mother had just tucked her in the bed beside her. There were no insecurities in my mind anymore... I felt at peace.
"We should come here more often. I love this place." Rosa said.
I nodded and opened the oaken double doors. The shrine didn't have an idol of Trivia, just her symbol of crossed torches over a burning brazier. I sighed happily as I knelt on one knee at the entrance and bowed my head. A soft breezed drifted out of nowhere, meaning I was allowed to enter; the goddess approved of me. This was the best I had felt in a long time.
"I'll give you some privacy and wait outside, okay?" I heard Rosa say.
"Hm-hm."
I closed the doors behind her as she left. But when I turned around my heart almost jumped out of my chest.
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
