The Winter

Chapter 26

We have reached the end!

Thank you to everyone who's stuck with me from book one and all the readers who've found me along the way.
I will try not to keep you waiting too long before I start posting book three

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Pronouciation/Glossary

Gaelic
Lorg mi rudeigin - I found something (lorg me rooj-ig-in)

Dè - what (Jay)

Dh'iarr i comraich - she wants sanctuary (gee-ar ee com-reek)

Seall oirre - look at her (ShAHl or-reh)

Ban-sìthe - banshee

Old Norse
Fagr - beautiful (fag-er)

Helheimr - Hel's realm of the dead (Hell-hime-er)

Náströnd - where the damned dead reside in Hel's domain (NAU-strond)

Jötunn (plural - Jötnar) - giants of Norse mythology (Yur-tun pl. Yurt-nar)

Chapter 26

"You want to move all of these wolves within your walls?" Sindri scanned the cobbled together dens that lined the road with a puckered brow.

Pups ran in-between them, kicking up snow under the watchful eye of older wolves. The younger ones didn't notice the warriors circling or the tension that lingered. Blissfully unaware of the goings on, they delighted in the freezing cold while we watched grim faced as the sky filled with fluffy clouds.

Another storm was drawing breath.

Realising Sindri wanted an actual answer, I stepped forward and nodded. "Yes. All of them. Preferably, we want enough space for each family, or mated pair, to have their own room. We may be one pack but dens are for close kin, and wolves get territorial. There's already been a few nipping teeth over the last few days so some have come back out here to get away."

"Even if we fix the areas of the castle you have shown us, you will not have enough space for everyone," Sindri advised. "Not unless you want to build more onto what already stands."

"Very well," I said, much to Sindri's bemusement.

Whatever we had to do to protect the pack, we would do. . .but I had to keep in mind we didn't have the luxury of time.

Hati nuzzled his cheek against mine. "Perhaps it would be easier to secure the dens out here and extend the wall to surround them instead? We could use more space in the front for the pups to run around safely in the trees when they aren't allowed past the gate. There are also wolves like yourself, Elskan Mín, who would prefer to be a bit closer to nature while confined to the castle. You could have your own piece of the forest inside our walls."

That did sound nice.

As much as I enjoyed waking in Hati's arms on a soft bed with a fire crackling, it could only be appreciated more if my mate would come out and experience the warmth found snuggling with another in fur, as winter winds batter your body, forcing you to tuck your tail over your nose to protect your face from stinging flakes of snow.