Heir To The Iron Crown ✓

32 - þrjátíu og Tveir

I sat cross-legged in the grass, fiddling with it idly. As I straightened up, I felt my back touch something that wasn't there before.

I immediately turned around and got up on my feet at the sight of a large black wolf. It was almost as tall as I was, and that is pretty big for a wolf. I wasn't afraid of it, and it seemed to have taken a casual stance.

As the wolf came closer, I reached out a hand to touch its muzzle. I could tell now who this was.

"And what is your name?"

"I am Svartur," I heard in my head.

"Sven is lucky to have a powerful wolf like you," I said.

The large wolf grunted and started moving towards the dark red cottage. The color looked beautiful against the green landscape around it, and made the small cottage stand out.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

"You haven't blocked us out. I thought it'd be nice to wander," Svartur said.

Of course. Sven's wolf would be just as vague as him. I looked at the wolf now reaching the door.

"Don't get too close. It burns," I said when I saw him almost reach it.

"I wasn't going to. I know," he said and then moved towards the window of the cottage, one I had never looked into before. Or perhaps was too afraid to look.

But watching Svartur approach the window gave me just enough courage to start moving my feet towards it.

As soon as I stood where he stood, I looked in and saw a sight that broke my heart.

"Imadis! Wake up! Can you hear me?" I screamed at the window, looking in at her limp form, lying in a starkly empty cottage. I was about to pound my fists into the glass when Svartur pushed himself between my torso and the side of the cottage.

"Don't touch it. You'll burn yourself again," he said.

I looked down to find a healing burn on half my right hand.

"I...I don't understand. Is she okay? Is she alive? Why is she in there?" I asked, now absolutely distraught. All I wanted to do was go inside and wake her up, make sure she is okay.

"She's trapped herself in there. The cottage is burning out of Imadis' anger," he said.

"But why? Sven hasn't found his mate yet, but you aren't tearing him down from the inside!" I said, now incredulous. Not having a wolf is the worst-case-scenario for a werewolf as it renders one mundane, mortal. It's hell without Ima.

"Not a day goes by that I do not wail for our mate. But I am stronger, and patient," he said.

"Imadis isn't too strong. Because you are a dyrith, only half a werewolf. Finding a mate makes a wolf stronger, much stronger. The lack of one though, affects her differently, much more than a regular werewolf."

"But what Imadis is going through, I can tell there is something more," he said, a look of sadness evident in his eyes.

I could feel tears in my own, as I now understood what he meant. Yet I still waited for his words to resonate through my mind, hoping it would be something else. Anything else.

But alas, he confirmed my suspicions with only three words.

"She feels rejection."

...

I woke up in a cold sweat. The first rays of sunlight peeked through the space between the curtains placed strategically on the wall opposite me.

I shielded my eyes from the bright light and turned my head to find Sven still soundly asleep in his bed.

I looked down at my hands and saw they were completely fine again. Unfortunately the pain in my heart was now tenfold.

I whispered to Ima, nudged her in my mind, but I couldn't feel her. It was as if she wasn't there at all.

But now that I knew, that she was alive, I found a new sense of determination to find my mate. I needed to know who he is, and why he is so actively avoiding me.

Regardless of whether he accepts me or not, or whether his reasons are genuine or not, I need closure, and so does Ima. The only two things that can bring her back are either love or even more anger.

...

"Rayne wake up. We'll be late for breakfast," I heard Sven say. The curtains on that awfully-placed window were now completely open and Sven was walking towards the kitchen, buttoning up a fresh shirt. I must have fallen asleep again.

I slowly got up and sat on the sofa-bed, contemplating life and how it could all turn around so quickly.

Although I'm no stranger to strange events, every time things get stranger and I'm put in a position like this, contemplating.

"Someone dropped a bag for you. I guess it was one of the girls. There's some clothes in there, for the time being," he said pointing towards a bag placed next to mine near the door of the flat.

I got up and walked towards it, picking up both bags and then headed towards what I knew to be the washroom door.

I was feeling mentally exhausted and went in without a word. I cleaned my teeth and took a quick shower before changing into a clean baby-pink t-shirt and black leggings from the bag. I combed my hair using the spare comb I always carry and left my hair down to dry naturally.

Feeling a little refreshed, I walked out to find the sofa-bed returned to its sofa-state and Sven sitting on the sofa in question.

He looked up to me smiling as I walked towards him. "You slept okay? I've never had to use the sofa-bed before so I didn't know if it was comfortable enough," he said.

I sat on the other end of the sofa and faced him. "Thank Svartur for me," I said.

Sven's lit up face immediately turned into one of confusion. "How do you know his name?"

He doesn't know?

"Did he come to you? In a dream?" he asked me. I nodded my head.

Sven just sighed. "Just because I'm asleep doesn't mean he is too. I hope he didn't bother you too much. But then again," his concern turned to mischief as he laughed.

"On the contrary, he helped me find my wolf. But she's not okay," I said, dejectedly.

"We'll figure something out. Don't worry too much. At least she hasn't abandoned you," he said, the concern etching onto his face again.

I had resorted to nodding to answer as words were difficult to use. I felt like I was choking even though I was not.

Sven sensed my unease and stood up. "Let's go eat."