Broken Bonds

XXVI. Butterflies

S was never one to stay angry at someone for a long period of time and this was no exception. By the time the night fell, the afternoon fiasco was long forgotten. But Rey's gloomy mood refused to leave her for the next couple of days. Everybody thought she would be over the moon when Brynn finally lifted her ban on walking, but Rey barely batted her lashes.

Gaining back her freedom led to Rey spending most of her day away from everyone and everything. A huge part of her life was spent roaming the surrounding woods, so she knew exactly where to go when she wanted to be left alone.

With the memory of yet another attack still fresh in her mind, she always made sure not to go further than the hearing distance. But there was something very liberating from getting away from all the curious stares and prying questions.

Rey knew it was only a matter of time before they would finally leave this place, but the time somehow refused to come. While Brynn allowed her to resume her everyday activities, she did it under the condition that they wouldn't leave until Rey's body would completely heal.

Rey hated to admit it, but there were still moments when the physical pain became so unbearable, she wanted to rip all her hair out. And even the mere thought of riding in their wagon caused her nausea.

There was nothing left to do but hope. Hope she would get better soon.

Lost in her thoughts, Rey let her legs take her where they wanted to and soon she found herself on the edge of a familiar meadow.

This time there were no traces of the wolf left. Not even a little bit of his scent.

From what Rey heard, he left the guarding duty to other wolves and spent most of his day guarding Elaine and their not yet born baby. After all, he almost lost them both.

Rey shook her head. She didn't want to think about the alpha or his lover. In fact, she didn't want to think about anything at all.

She made her legs move until they took her deeper inside the meadow and there on the grass in front of her, Rey lay down her body.

Soon her eyelids followed.

No matter what she did, the little girl never felt as happy as when she was allowed to roam inside the woods. Her laughter followed her as she skipped over the pieces of wood on the ground or even when she was chasing the butterflies.

She was barely twelve years old, so she didn't see much of a world yet, but she was already sure she would never find anything more beautiful than them. Their little bodies were covered with all the colours of the rainbow and she wanted to spend hours staring at them.

The little girl didn't understand yet that the more she chased them, the more they ran away from her. And the one she chased on this day took her way too far.

It was a black butterfly with blue spots on its wings, one she hadn't had a chance to see very often, and she desperately wanted to catch up with him.

But then the butterfly flew over the fallen tree.

Years passed since the tree fell and it was nothing more than a piece of wood now, but it held a special meaning for the little girl. Ever since she could remember, she was taught never to run behind it because monsters were waiting for her on the other side.

The butterfly was way too beautiful, and the little girl was already way too big to be scared of some monsters. She made a choice.

Her legs stopped when she made the first step into the unknown. As if they waited for something bad to happen. But when no one came to eat her, she took another step. And another.