The Wolf's Bride (Pause)

Chapter 10

Seeing Markle, Alekin's younger brother, actually eatings peanuts, with passion too at that, surprised me to no end. Even if Alekin had already told me of that, in his own menacing way, when we first met.

The mother was strangely warm towards me, too much for my own liking. Her name was Miranda, which only served to remind me even more of my own mother, as they shared a name. When it came to the physics, she had long curly black fair, a darker skin tone than Alekin, while my mother was fair of skin and blonde. That helped to take my mind off the woman that had no qualms about sending me off if it meant she could but herself more dresses and boost herself and the family to another social level. The woman before me though, she didn't look like the sort to gossip or send a teenager into the den of lions, or more accordingly, wolves. I couldn't be sure yet, I didn't know enough about her, about anyone surrounding me. My supposed family.

The silence was stretching on for too long, the only sound around being chewing, and Markle shuffling his hand in the bag of peanuts. When I felt the walls closing in to eat me up I knew I had to say something to keep myself grounded, to keep myself from bolting for the door and never coming out of my bedroom ever again.

"So... are werewolf children born as wolf cubs?" I regretted asking the question when Miranda spit her drink. Alekin put down his fork too quickly, his head snapping in my direction.

"Why the fuck would you ask that?" the bigger male inquired, a bewildered look on his face.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I just... wasn't sure if my womb is capable of forming a wolf, much less pushing one out, the fur would really irritate..." I wanted to make myself really small, in fact, I would've actually preferred if the walls would've truly swallowed me.

Alekin sighed heavily, his broad shoulders rising and falling with the motion.

"No. They are born human." He was staring me down as he talked, I knew it without looking up from my lap.

That was a great answer. A relieving answer. Knowing that I wouldn't have to push out a wolf cub with claws and fur made my situation much better. Birthing a human child would be acceptable. I could do it. I would have to do it, at some point, whether I wanted it or not.

"Any other weird questions?"

"No."

"Good."

So I kept eating, and kept my mouth well the hell shut. The silence wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better than making a fool of myself by asking other stupid questions. And yet... I still had lots of them. All my life, I was used to knowing things by default, and now I had to ask for answers. That didn't sit right with me. Nothing sat right with me since Alekin stepped foot in my house. No, not my house, my father's house.

"Will I ever return home?" It was already too late when I realized I had voiced my thoughts.

My body mind and soul were all working against me ever since I found out I was getting married. The world seemed to work against me as well. I didn't enjoy feeling small, feeling stupid. Especially when being smart was the only characteristic making me slighter better than my sister in one regard. Now I had nothing.

There was no answer, not for a long time, enough to make me think maybe I had imagined speaking those words. Then Alekin spoke too.

"Not at the moment. There is trouble near the border and it's not safe for you to make the journey home. After the conflict is over, we could go visit."

"One of the males that came to my house this morning said he was returning from the human territories."

His eyes listed from his plate, dangerously as he studied my face, knife and fork both set down. His brows creased, lips pressed tight together. I couldn't ignore the face that he looked almost nothing like his mother or brother. His skin was lighter, although still tanned, like gold mixed with chocolate, with the right lighting and some oil, he would possibly started shining. His eyes were different too, less round, more... predatory in a way I couldn't describe, but it was definitely making me squirm in my chair.