From The Ashes.

Chapter 7

The cafe had a few customers sitting around and I had to stamp down on the urge to serve them Being in the cafe when I wasn't working felt a little more strange then I'd expected as I made my way over to the corner table Caerun, Zak and the kid had claimed for themselves.

"How are you feeling?" Zak asked as I sat down in the chair across from him. A gaping hole swallowed my chest, my hands still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through my body and I desperately wanted to cry but I squashed down the urge and breathed in deeply.

"I'm okay." I was quiet for a moment as I watched the door for Llewellyn. I was so tired, the emotions of the past few days were starting to catch up to me and all I wanted to do was curl up and hide for a week.

"Hey Tera, can I ask you a question?" I turned to look at Caerun, who'd somehow managed to put his feet on the table despite being backed against a wall.

"You just asked a question about asking a question. Get your feet off the table, people eat here." I pushed his feet off the table so quickly, he couldn't stop them before they smacked into Zaks arm.

"Oi, do you two mind?" He complained, rubbing where he'd been hit.

"Not my fault." Caerun claimed, grinning. "I was just going to ask why you don't want to come with us?" Both Zak and I sighed so I knew Zak must have explained everything already.

"Do I really have to explain again? I don't agree with going with random strangers, to a place I've never heard of because a man who would have never noticed me if I hadn't spoken to you wants to hurt me." The two men looked at each other before Zak sighed and looked at me.

"I see where you're coming from, Princess, but do you honestly think you can protect yourself?" Zak was wearing his poker face again but, to be honest, it wasn't a particularly good one. I could see the concern through the cracks in his mask and I didn't know why but it was pissing me off. I didn't need anyone worrying about me.

"Do I have to reiterate that all of this started after I met you?" Both men sighed, Caerun leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms in annoyance. I knew I was annoying them, on the surface it did make sense to go with the people who had protected me when I'd been attacked but I couldn't bring myself to trust them. Too many coincidences had lead to me sitting at this table with them and so far no one had told me why they had happened. There was something they weren't telling me.

"Of course it started after you met us, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't!" Caerun was trying to keep his emotions under control but there was a bite to his tone that made my hackles rise.

"So, you admit I wouldn't be in danger if you two had never spoken to us in the market?" I shot back and Caerun flinched, leaning back in his chair again. He glared at the table before opening his mouth to say something but Zak interrupted him with a glare.

"Okay, I admit, it's our fault you're in danger. If we hadn't messed up by not paying attention on patrol then it would have never been necessary for you to become involved." I opened my mouth to interrupt but something about Zaks expression made me pause. "But, Tera, I feel like you're missing something. When Caerun and I were attacked, no one, not us or the guys who attacked us, had any idea that you were there. You could have walked away, pretended you didn't see anything, you could have never gone after us. Instead, it's completely likely that Caerun and I are still here because, for some reason, you decided to jump into the middle of a wolf fight." Caerun scowled then sighed and rubbed his face.

"I'm Zaks Beta."

"What-" I began.

"It means I'm his second-in-command. I help him run things when he's not there and I take on a lot of military responsibilities." He swallowed, fidgeting with the table cloth. "I screwed up that night. Zak seemed down about somethings happening in our world and I wanted to cheer him up." I nodded, thinking back to the night of the attack.