Storm Born Book One

Chapter sixteen.

Nelda made up the fire setting the cooking vessel on its tripod over it before waving her fingers over it to light it, tiny sparks leaving her fingers to light the tinder-dry grass she was using as kindling. She had heard them all talking earlier about the boy and Thomas, that He had imprinted on the boy seemed to be the general conclusion, she could not understand why his wolf had done such a thing.  She had been watching him unnoticed all afternoon taking glances at him under her eyelashes as she pottered around the camp, She would have talked to Rosalind but the Alpha was monopolising her time all afternoon, they were newly mated so she supposed she could not blame her for wanting to spend time with him.  

She liked talking to Rosalind it had been a long time since she'd had the company of another woman. Rosalind had proven to be good company. if she had to be honest with herself She was a little put out that she had been unable to speak to Rosalind, she needed another mated woman's perspective on being a mate. and  Rosalind was her primary target. 

He drew her gaze to him often, his broad chest muscles stretching the elven shirt she had given him taught across his muscular chest. she shook her head, She was no fool she knew the mate pull was doing its job, forcing her to find him attractive, irresistible even, and if she was being honest with herself she kind of resented it. She needed time to sort out her feelings, he was too distracting. he was making her jittery not something as an Elf she was used to feeling. She had become accustomed to guarding her thoughts, maintaining an air of quiet tranquility now her emotions were all over the place.  Very un-Elf-like thoughts popped into her head at the most inopportune times and she did not quite know how to deal with them.  

She Pouted crossly jabbing at the fire with a stick why would she feel like this, she did not know him, they had barely spoken to each other he had been guarding the boy since the oath-taking that morning, and he had not even looked at her once. There was a part of her currently irrational self that was cross about this wasn't she supposed to be irresistible to him her cheeks flushed pink what was wrong with her?

She had enjoyed watching him with the boy earlier, it had made her smile and she found herself being drawn to him even more until she remembered the things he had done. She had turned away from him then, disgusted with herself and ashamed for finding him even a tiny bit attractive. The trouble was the more she tried to avoid him the more she found herself near him. She kept finding excuses to be near him all afternoon collecting wood from the side of the wagon, fetching water, fetching a shawl, but all he had done was nod politely and ignore her. She poked again at the fire stabbing at it furiously until she had all but put it out, ''stupid bond'' she muttered angrily how was she supposed to deal with this? It was not like she was desperately looking for a lover, she'd had her opportunities over the years, plenty of them, and turned them all down firmly. Her life, her duty was to her realm. 

They had seldom returned to their realm in the last five years and without the strict etiquette of the court and with two very indulgent brothers she had grown used to making her own decisions. She would not have been lighting fires back home nor would she be preparing food, others did that silently and efficiently. Travelling with her brothers had made her more self-reliant and she had grown used to making her own decisions and deciding her path in life. Now though she had the constant tug of the mate bond pulling her to Thomas Fairhaven, a man she did not even want to speak to let alone mate with. She was an independent woman and she would decide who she would love or not, she would not let some Goddess that she did not even follow choose her future for her.  

"If you keep stabbing at that fire you will kill it sister" Aylfred spoke softly, Waving his hand over the fire until it roared into life, "What troubles you sister perhaps I can help".