The roaring of the river, echos in my ears as the darkness seems to fade away. The faint light of dawn shines upon my eyes, sending a stream of sudden pain to my head and forcing me to close my eyes as a hiss passes my lips. The second I do, my body is suddenly moved, elicing a riot of throbbing pain throughout my muscles and bones.
A groan escapes me, my sluggishness slowly being replaced by aching cold. A feeling so great, that I feel as if my whole body and soul has been encased in ice. Sounds of muffled voices, rattling metal, pounding hooves, and booted steps seem to echo around me. The smell of earth, clean cloth, and herbs invades my nostrils as my chilled frame is pulled into two warm bands of sheer heated muscle. The accompanying wall, coating my side in the heat akin to the burning touch of a bonfire.
I shiver when a blast of wind blows across me, along with my cloak and dress lying heavily upon my body. The fur and cloth drenched from the river, encasing me from head to toe in sheets of stiffened ice. "Hurry you fools!" a voice bellows, the bands of muscle pulling me tighter against the rock hard wall. "Get that fire going, and you two get a tent put up. We must see to it that my mate is dressed in dry clothing without the audience of a dozen prying eyes."
A flurry of rushed steps fills the air, syncing with my pounding heart and fluttering eyelids as I fall back into unconscious. The cold embrace coinciding with that same voice, a male's voice filled with gentle comfort. "Please my mate, my queen," the voice says, growing distant and muffled. "You've proven yourself to be the victor, now please stay and live."
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I feel her breathing slow as she slips back into the throes of a dreamless sleep. Swallowing down a curse, I hug her closer to my chest, covering her body with mine as another relentless gale of wind blows down from the north. "Is that tent ready yet?" I holler, silently vowing to slaughter the group of soldiers putting together the round canvas structure frighteningly slow.
"Yes my king," one of the younger ones in the group hurriedly announces, right before I rush on inside with a single swipe of the canvas wall. Stepping on in, I watch as the opposite side of the tent parts, revealing all of my mate's human companions, except for the blond haired male.
The other male lugs on in a simple camp bed with the help of to my utter surprise, the Scythe. The red haired twins follow on in, clutching a single brazier in their grips, as the blond female skitters behind with an armful of brazier coals in a cloth sack. The youngest of the group, the Axe's mate appears last, lugging a pile of blankets with the looming Axe accompanying her with an armful of furs.
The moment my mate had fallen into the river, the humans, my three great warriors, and select group from the caravan gathered what we needed and set off to find our Luna Queen. Holding her tightly to my body, I recount the fleeting hours spent trying to find her body. Praying that I would not find her bashed to a bloody ruin, impaled upon a tree branch, or being gorged upon by a wild animal.
All throughout the trek, the humans were silent and determined trackers. All five leading our scouting party forward, not caring about their mates following close behind. A most worrying aspect I gathered, as all of them, except for the red haired Celeste and young Amira, had been claimed by their mate before Nyx's fall.
Even now they are silent, efficiently setting down and stoking the brazier, positioning the camp bed, and arranging the blankets and furs within easy reach. Once complete, the Axe and the human male left the tent as Ursa, the Moon priestess who officiated the Hunt, hurried on in with her bag of medicinal tools and herbs.
"Hurry with her now, we do not have much time," she utters, her words seeming to urge the remaining females to work faster. "Hurry my king, place her on the bed so we can remove her wet clothes."
I nod, swiftly heading over and placing her upon the lumpy bed. That done, I step back and head over to the edge of the tent, allowing all of the humans, Ursa, and the Scythe to get to work. I watch silently as they all scurry around, mixing herbs, adding wood, bringing lanterns to light the room, collecting water, and divesting my mate of her wet garments.
The cloak of heavy fur falls upon the floor, the faint scent of bear finding its way into my nostrils. Her dress follows, the dark fabric, heavily decorated with beautiful beadwork, joining the drenched fur on the floor. I don't see much of my mate's body before she is wrapped head to toe in layers of thick furs. All I chanced to spot, was the rippling scales of a snake inked onto the pale skin of her shoulder.
"Oh Gods," the blond human utters, tears suddenly appearing in her eyes as she places a hand to her brow. "She's ice cold."
"No shit," the foul red haired twin barks, earning a blood chilling gaze from her human companions.
"Enough," Ursa commands, grabbing a bowl of medicinal broth from the milder red haired twin. "Fetch the warming bricks from the cart, and bring more coals and get the soldiers to start a fire. Goddess knows how many broths, potions, and tinctures I'll need to brew her to stave off the worst of the cold."
At once, all the females except for Ursa hurry on out of the tent. Grim resolve, plastered onto their faces like well worn masks. Once they leave, Ursa flicks her gaze towards me with a heavy urgency.
"The fire will only do so much," she utters, flicking her eyes between me and my mate. "Take off everything except your undergarments, she'll need your body heat and it would be wise not to show her your entire form. That can wait till she is better prepared and healthy."
I nod and follow her instructions. I have never gone against Ursa's judgment for it has saved me on many deadly occasions. Stripping down to my undershorts, I slip on under the covers and bring my mate gently against my bare chest. A hunger immediately flares through my blood, the hunger to shift and mark her soft flesh. I furiously push it down, forcing myself to look at her corpse like complexion and the bluish hue staining her lips.
I cradle her with reverence, winding the furs tightly around us while breathing in her utterly intoxicating scent. Wild herbs, birch, pine, and oaken leaves waft off her skin, mixing with the decadent underlying perfume of lavender, chamomile, sage, and roses. Somehow, I find my eyelids drooping and my breath easing into the deep rhythm of gentle sleep. The very thought brings a smile to my face. One brought on by the mere idea that my wish for a mate has been fulfilled at last.
YOU ARE READING
Forest of Lies
LobisomemA thousand years past, the world was run by humankind. But it changed, when countries became embroiled in a war that gave the werewolves the opportunity, to recreate the earth in their own image. Now humans are the lowest on the food chain, little m...
