Broken Halves

Chapter Seven

POV: Cole

"Lad?" Ellen calls from the door of her cottage diverting my attention from the damn onion plant. I place the onion in the basket and wipe the dirt off of my hands onto my jeans before standing up and turning away from the garden to look at her.

Ellen's lips are poised and there is a deep crease in her forehead due to the furrow of her brow. I tense and Ellen's features form into a look of sorrow and pity. "Is something wrong Ellen?" I ask gently. Not giving me an answer, she simply gestures for me to abandon the vegetables and come to her. "Dinna forget the basket lad."

Following her orders, I pick the basket up from its spot by the potato plant and make the small trek to the cottage. Once I arrive, Ellen steps away from the doorway and ushers me inside the stone cottage. With ease, she plucks the basket out of my hands and gestures for me to sit down at the small table. I do, and she lights a few candles to bring light to the room. "Alpha, ye ken I root for ye." She mumbles quietly as she places the candles in various places around the room.

"Ellen..." I draw out trying to ignore the increasing beats of my heart. "What is wrong?" The old Scots woman sighs deeply and rubs her temples. "I seen it." I frown confused by her words. "What have you seen?" My tone is calm and steady and I am almost worried that the woman will erupt in a pit of hysterics. 

Surprising me, Ellen settles down into a rocker located by the hearth. "Do ye ken why ye are on this journey lad?" I tense and get defensive. "So I can return to my mate, the woman I love more than anything else, and my pack, my best friend, my brother." With lighting speed, Ellen flies out of her seat and stands beside me where she grasps my hand in her own. "Dinna fash Alpha," She attempts to reassure before raising her other hand and waving it in the air. Instantly, a flash of white takes over my senses and my eyes roll into the back of my head.

My heart speeds up as the white vanishes and I am left with the sight of my Dani... and Jorden? With each scene my heartbeat increases and my breath quickens. Jorden is asleep on the couch in our room with Dani asleep on our bed. Jorden has his arm wrapped around my girl's waist. Jorden, my brother and Dani, my mate hugging, but the one that stings the most, the love of my life with her lips entwined with those of my brother. The air leaves my lungs and gasp as I stumble falling to my knees. "Rest Alpha," Ellen whispers and I am soon unconscious.

When I awake Ellen is there, already staring at me. I can tell that I am drenched in sweat and there is pain in my chest. Ellen however, remains calm and doesn't contribute to the whirlwind that is my mind as she gently takes my hand and speaks in a soothing tone. "If ye want lad, I will train ye." "If not, ye can go to the wee lassie." My heart clenches and I know she is giving me the choice to continue my quest or return to my daughter. 

The pain in my chest intensifies as my brain shifts to thinking about Dani and Jorden. If I see Memory again, it would be a reminder of how Dani is no longer mine, but instead seeking love in the arms of my brother. But if I return home, I can make her mine again. I did it once, I can do it again. She is my mate; my soul mate, my heart is hers and her heart is mine. Right now we are just Broken Halves, and if I return home, I can fix it, I can fix us; we will be one.

With a newfound wave of the confidence that normally surrounds me, I turn to Ellen and voice my decisions with a single nod. The old Scots woman smiles, "I kilt ye'd choose love. Ye start tomorrow lad." With no words she thrusts a bowl of stew into my hands and leaves the room. "Tis yours for the night," She calls from down the hall, "Ye'll be here some time."

Ellen fully disappears leaving me to my dinner and my thoughts. She is going to help me; train me. This stranger is going to teach me the art of my mind. I am thankful. It is then that I make another decision, in return for her sacrifice I vow to do anything she wishes me too. It is apparent to me that without Ellen, I won't make it home to my Dani.

Leaving my thoughts there I take a bite of the stew to ease the growing hunger in my stomach. Damn this is good stew; I've never had anything like it. Slurping up the last few bites with a set of mannerisms that Nona would have hit me for, I finish the stew and leave the bedroom in an attempt to clean the dish.

The moment I step into the main room of the cottage, I am met with the aroma of sweet lemongrass and honey. Ellen is sitting by the fireplace, a box of herbs and a wooden cross by her side. "Leave it on the table lad." She instructs without even glancing in my direction. Following her command, I set the bowl down but keep my eyes on her. "I didn't kick you out of your room now did I?" I ask, a sudden wave of guilt washing over me as I realize there are no other rooms in the cottage. "Aye lad." She responds unfazed, "I kilt ye were arriving; tis not a problem."

"Ellen--" I begin to argue feeling terrible for uprooting this woman, but she cuts me off. "Och lad, tis just for tonight, 'Morrow ye clean out the backroom, tis yours." I nod at her words and let my gaze settle on the window by the door, or more specifically the vast forest behind it.

"Are the woods safe?" I find myself asking as the sight of the green trees brings forth a sense of peace in me. "Aye," Ellen responds. "I'm going to go on a run then." I mumble already heading towards the door. I'm sure if I were to have turned around I'd be met with the sight of Ellen smiling, but I didn't; I was already too focused on reconnecting with my center. 

I walk out of the cottage and instantly take a deep breath, enjoying the forest's air. I take a few moments to stretch before I begin running.

As I run, I let my mind wander to a time when this was my life. Wake up, train, shower, eat, spar with Jorden, paperwork with Jorden, eat, night time run with Jorden, sleep. Then I met my green eyed beauty.

Subconsciously, I speed up. Dani changed my life, changed it for the better. After I met her I only went to the morning training session that, at the time, Parker ran. All of my warriors are expected to wake up at 5 in the morning to spend the next two hours in training. I have to make it back for her, for me, and for Memory.

I circle back around to the cottage and enter it. Just like before, Ellen is sitting in the rocking chair by the fire. "Wash up lad." She points to a wooden bowl filled to the brim with water that has replaced my dinner bowl; a bar of lye soap is lying beside it. I dip my hands in the cool water and bring it to my face.

"Are all of your herbs found in the woods?" I question while wiping off the water with my shirt before turning to Ellen to hear her response. "1700s Alpha," She responds with a small smile on her lips. I nod in understanding as I run my fingers lightly over the lye soap. In Ellen's time everything was homemade and from scratch.

"I'm looking forward to my time here." I find myself telling her honestly. Ellen smiles, "Aye lad." "Ye'll ken a lot when ye go." She closes the lid on her tin of herbs as I ask the question that has been plaguing my mind for a while now; "Ellen why are you doing this? Helping me, teaching me, allowing me to stay in your house?" The old Scots woman only smiles and gifts me with yet another mysterious answer; "Ye'll ken soon enough Alpha."

As she turns back to the fire, I sense the dismissal and take my cue to go. Heading to the room that she is lending me for the night, I lay down on the wooden bed and pull the hand sewn quilt up to cover me from the cold harsh air. Closing my eyes, I am assaulted by images of my green eyed dark haired beauty. Dani, my Dani. Baby, I promise I will return home to you, and we will rekindle our love.

Question of the Day? What do you think of Ellen?

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