Flight of Eden

Chapter Six

Kaleva

The wooden floor creaked underneath me as I paced past the windows in my office for the tenth time. I caught myself glancing outside every few moments, watching as people walked to and from the Clan Hall. I wasn't sure what I was hoping to see, but that didn't stop me from obsessively looking.

Ever since Evy had left my office the day before, my thoughts had been clouded. I prided myself on my organization and ability to think clearly and rationally at all times. However, Evy's presence in Edenholm had thrown me off entirely, and I did not like it. These people needed me now more than ever, and I couldn't afford to miss something because I was distracted by a human girl.

Reuben could tell something was off from the moment she arrived. He and I had been best friends since we were little. Even before we built Edenholm together, our parents had been friendly and often shared resources. When we met Karoline and her parents, that was the very beginning of what grew into the village we shared now. The two knew me better than anyone, so there was no point hiding how out of sorts I was feeling.

Luckily, Karoline had taken a quick liking to Evy, and was happy to keep an eye on her so I didn't have to. I spotted them in the dining room that morning eating breakfast with Astrid and Reuben, the four of them laughing and talking like old friends. A part of me hated that she seemed so comfortable with them. The few interactions I'd had with Evy, she was practically running to get away from me. I couldn't blame her, though. I hadn't exactly been forthcoming and welcoming.

If my mother were still alive, she would be appalled at my behavior. Evy didn't ask to be here, and she certainly didn't ask for the mark on her arm that tied the two of us together forever. My mother would have welcomed her with open arms, and probably cooked her enough food to feed a small army. Meanwhile, I hadn't spent any meaningful time with her. I hadn't offered Evy any meals or cooked for her myself. I barely knew anything about her, except for the information about her brother that I had to pull out of her. It was hardly the manners my mother spent years teaching me.

I'd been so lost in my thoughts about Evy, I almost missed when she walked past my window. She was with Karoline and some other shifters, heading towards the gardens. Karoline had found her some heavy gloves and a hat to keep her warm, and her blonde hair was pulled back in two small braids. She looked better than she had yesterday, but the tip of her nose was still red as they trekked through the snow.

I stopped my pacing, moving closer to the window to watch them. I recognized Henrik on Evy's other side, as well as Sandra and Julius, two of the other hunters. They walked towards the gardens, but kept going past it and towards the forest. It was only when I saw them disappearing into the trees that I realized where they were headed.

I'd told Karoline to keep Evy close, but not to abandon her duties. Now wasn't the time to slack with more Wild Ones approaching. What I'd forgotten was that Karoline was scheduled to go on a hunt with the others, and it seems she'd taken Evy with her.

I was flying across the room before I knew it. The forest was the last place a human needed to be right now, and I would not be responsible for Evy getting hurt. The idea sent a chill down my spine, and all I could think about was getting to her and dragging her back to the safety of the Clan Hall.

Unfortunately, before I could make it outside, I crashed into Reuben outside my office. He was moving to open the door when I slammed it open, and collided with him. He steadied us with two hands on my shoulders, keeping us from falling to the ground.

"Woah! Where are you headed in such a rush?" He exclaimed with a laugh. The dining room was pretty empty in the middle of the afternoon, but the few people inside glanced up at the loud interruption. I ignored them, my focus now on Reuben and getting him out of my way.