Way of the Wolf: Equilibrium

Chapter 14 ~ First Day Jitters

If you're in my FB group, you'll know I've been sick the last week or so, so excuse if I've missed typos etc I'll come back to edit later.
Enjoy!

Chapter 14: First Day Jitters
~

“There, that should do for now.” Fenna sat back on her knees, nodding in approval at her handy work. She’d rolled up the bottom of the leggings she’d given me and pinned them in place so I wouldn’t trip over the legs.

I shifted the waistline, grimacing slightly. Not only was I shorter than Fenna, but I was curvier too and the fabric dug into the flesh of my hips. Tight clothes was still better than no clothes. “You’ll show me how to make my own right?”

“Of course. You’ll need to hunt for skins and furs, or trade amongst the pack for material. That’s how it works here,” she informed me. “That’s how you’ll make friends too. Offer your help.”

“And my only current skill of use here is hunting,” I mumbled, fidgeting with one of the laces on my tunic.

Fenna laughed and stood up, gripping my shoulders in her hands. “A great skill to have here. You'll learn to fish with a spear, and make clothes quickly enough. Where’s all that confidence and surety gone?”

I said nothing, frowning at the ground. Ebbe's words had been plaguing me since leaving Signy. What if he was right and I was too much of a princess trying to run away to learn anything here?

“First day jitters, Raerae. That’s all it is. Let’s go find Ebbe so he can show you the boundary. When you get back, you can eat, sleep, and tomorrow you’ll feel better.”

Nodding, I let her tug me out of the hut she and Orin shared. A den, she’d called it. I’d need to get used to that terminology. Heading back towards the middle of the settlement, Fenna pointed out the path that led to Bjarke’s den in case that’s the space I was given to sleep. It was a little out of the way of the rest of the huts but I think I’d appreciate the privacy.

Just as I spotted Ebbe, I was taken off guard by a huge blond male that came barrelling towards us. Whether he hadn’t noticed I was there or not, both Fenna and I ended up being rugby tackled to the ground. Relaxing my muscles as I fell, it still jarred my body when my back hit the ground. I blinked up at the sky, groaning a little. Fenna rolled the huge male away, pinning him swiftly to the ground next to me.

Golden eyes were bright with amusement as he grinned up at Fenna. I recognised the word hello, but the rest of his words were lost to me. Fenna shook her head at whatever he said, nodding towards me along with her reply.

The male turned to look at me and grinned wider. “Hello.”

“Hi,” I replied, trying not to laugh. What a way to be greeted.

A growl from above me and I quickly shoved myself back to my feet as Ebbe marched over with wild eyes. I shoved at his chest before he could think to attack the male that smelt of herbs. “I’m fine. Calm down.”
Another growl rumbled up and I could feel the vibration of it against my hand. I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t hurt, he was overreacting.

Fenna held up a hand to keep Madden from moving and the golden eyed male watched with curiosity. Ebbe switched his attention back to me, eyes trailing over the way I held myself until he was certain I wasn’t injured.

“That’s why we don’t attack strangers,” a blonde female around my height snapped at the male on the ground. Fenna stood to let him up but he looked unconcerned by the scolding. I could tell the pair were mates, they shared each others scents. And if I wasn’t wrong, the male was a healer; which meant I knew exactly who these two were.

“I was warned about you, Madden,” I said, before smiling at the female next to him. “Aljana.”

She didn’t smile back. In fact her nose turned up as her sharp gaze cut into me. “Raeghan.” Her expression softened as she glanced at the male in front of me. “Ebbe. I’m glad you’re back.”

My hand fell from his chest when I realised we were still touching and I stepped away from him. He didn’t smile at her but he went forward to press his cheek to hers and then Madden's. The healer moved around him to greet me too, his cheek rough with stubble against mine.

“She’ll warm up to you,” he whispered, pulling back with a wink.

My smile was strained. So far Signy and Madden were the only ones that seemed to be happy I was here. The rest of the pack had made no move to speak to me as Fenna walked me around the settlement on our way to her home...den. Of course, they’d spoken to her, but not in English. Maybe Ebbe or Gisli could teach me enough of their language that I wouldn’t be left out of all conversation.

“I have to show Raeghan the boundary so she doesn’t end up lost. I’ll check the traps on our way,” Ebbe said to Aljana. Was that affection in the tough she-wolf’s expression?

Fenna patted my back. “There. Your first chore. Don’t get tangled in the traps.”

I rolled my eyes and poked my tongue out at her as Aljana snorted. She probably believed I was tame enough to end up caught in a trap.

“Come along then, princess,” Ebbe called over to me, pecking Aljana's cheek before he started to walk towards the forest.

Managing to bite back a growl, I gave Fenna a pleading look. Did I really have to go with him? She did her best not to laugh, nudging my back. “You heard him, princess.”

“I will hide both your bodies where nobody will find them,” I muttered before marching after Ebbe, leaving Fenna and Madden both laughing behind me.

Catching up with him, I turned my head away with a sniff when he looked at me. He had the audacity to snigger.

“Such a temper. Is it the red hair?” He picked up a stray strand, his nostrils flaring. “You’ll have to reign it in, the pack will bite back.”

“I doubt the pack will think to call a guest names like you do.”

He scoffed. “I could call you worse.”

I lashed out at him, swinging my first around but he easily managed to dance out of my way and my frustration only grew. He grinned and shook his head at me.

“Temper, temper.”

“You enjoy tormenting me,” I snapped, turning away from him, folding my arms and taking a deep breath to calm down.

He snorted. “You don’t seem so tormented by me when you’re cuddling into me and mumbling my name in your sleep.”

I tripped over my retort in shock, and maybe embarrassment too. He had to be lying about that, why on earth would I be dreaming about him.
“Well you’re the one that’s always trying to get me to sleep on you, growling at any male that gets too close to me.”

Blue eyes darkened and his jaw clicked as he ground his teeth together. I smirked, feeling smug in the reaction I’d garnered from him. Daring to stop close, I looked up at him through my lashes, enjoying this chance to torment him in revenge.

“Do you like having me close, Ebbe?” I crooned, spinning away with a laugh when he bared his teeth at me. Good. I’d gotten under his skin, now he knew how it felt.

Heading back down the path, I left him most likely seething behind me but a deep growl that had my breathing hitching in delight, and I stiffened. I could feel the heat of him against my back, the ghost of his fingers tracing a path up my spine. My eyes fluttered shut, breathing in the spice to his scent before my senses returned.

What was I doing?

I spun around in irritation, only to realise he was still stood several paces away, nowhere near me. But I swore he had been behind me. I’d felt him there.

Blue eyes a few shades darker than normal pinned me to the spot. My finger brushed over the spot on my back I swore I’d felt Ebbe’s touch, and a slow smile curled his lips. He knew something. With that smile still in place, he jerked his head towards a path worn into the ground. “Come on. We’ve wasted enough time.”

I stared after him as he started walking, confused and maybe even a little frightened. Maybe it was the adrenaline of being in a new place amongst new wolves that had my senses going haywire.

Another shuddering breath and I shook off what I’d thought had happened. That had been my fault, I’d tried to play his game and found I wasn’t as well equipped as Ebbe seemed to be. I didn’t mind losing this time.

Following him, I made sure to keep my distance, even as he explained to me that the boundary of Jakkon and Signy’s territory followed the mountains that surrounded us, stretching out the pass; the only way in or out. I made sure to make note of the markers that would guide us, scratches in trees, fur caught on brambles. While I followed the path vigilantly, Ebbe wandered off to check the traps, something I was meant to be helping with but I couldn’t bear to be close to him. Gods, I couldn’t bring myself to so much as look at him again.

What was it that he was making me feel? Was he just toying with me? If wolves could wield magic, I’d accuse him of using it on me.

I huffed to myself, trailing off the path when I spotted one of the traps with a grey squirrel stuck unmoving. It was easy to free it and after fumbling a little, I even managed to reset the trap.

Who needed Ebbe?

Swinging the squirrel up, I smirked over at him only to see he already had two and I recognised the glint in his eyes. I was still angry with him, and still fretting over just what was going on between us, but I couldn’t resist the challenge and quickly went in search of more catch. At first we kept the space between us, but an hour in and suddenly we were scuffling around like pups. There was only a few traps left and we’d both spotted the same one at the same time.

Narrowly missing being rugby tackled by Ebbe, I laughed as he almost went head first into a tree. Moving quicker, I dove at the trap, grinning triumphantly but Ebbe was just as fast. We toppled to the ground, both of us reaching out to grab the rabbit’s leg. But I'd reached it first.

“You lose,” I breathed, suddenly very aware that Ebbe had fallen across my back.

Neither of us moved, apart from the soft rise and fall of each breath that had more of his skin pressing against me. A low sound left the back of his throat and instead of snapping at him to move, my body shivered as his nose brushed my shoulder. I could smell the sweeter hints in his scents, and feel the change in him.

“You win this time,” he suddenly choked out before the weight quickly left me and allowed me to push myself up.

Clutching my catch to my chest, I cleared my throat and then made a point of tossing them over my shoulder to carry them to clear the tension between us. He ran a hand through his hair then shook his head with a smirk. There was no animosity in it for once, it was playful. My eyes raked over his form, seeing the answer to my earlier question in the slight flush to his skin. He did like having me close. Now I had to decide just what to do with that knowledge.
Ebbe wouldn’t be the one with the upper hand in our games now.

With all the traps now checked and reset, he began to circle back towards the pack settlement. I was almost skipping along with my catch heavy in my hands. Three squirrels, and a rabbit. Ebbe only had two rabbits. I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely upset as he walked with a grin expression next to me. He seemed deep in thought about something. . .

“Now you know better than to challenge me, pup,” I teased, bumping into him.

His gaze met mine briefly before he does up to stalk past me and I couldn’t hold back a giggle as he muttered 'cheater' under his breath. He led me over to a table where wolves of varying age were skinning a huge stag, talking and laughing amongst themselves. A male around my age looked up and finally I met another member of the pack who didn’t look at me like I shouldn’t be here. He smiled warmly with frighteningly yellow eyes that intrigued me.

Chucking my catch into the same basket Ebbe had, I smiled back at him.

“I'm Raeghan,” I introduced, looking around at the other wolves. A few at least nodded their acknowledgement of my existence.

“Wulf,” the yellow eyed one said, dropping the knife he held to come around to me. I took in his scent as greeted me cheek to cheek, hoping he didn’t see the flicker of laughter when he gave me his name; my mother would have approved.

Ebbe was greeted with a stiff nod that he didn’t acknowledge, but the pack seemed used to that. Wulf motioned for me to sit down, handing me a knife. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

I nodded, accepting the blade and he grinned and motioned to the basket. “Get going then.”

With a grin, I took one of the rabbits I’d caught, looking over my shoulder to smirk at Ebbe. He looked away but not before I caught a glimpse of his own smile. Skinning the rabbit with ease gained me little approval at the table. While their conversation started up again, I wasn’t included and only caught the odd word in their tongue that gave me know clue as to exactly what they were discussing. But their gazes kept going to the male stood like my own personal body guard behind me.

Arms folded across his chest, Ebbe practically glared if anyone got too close. Nothing was said about it, at least not to me, but a couple at the end of the table whispered before looking pointedly at me with laughter. I looked down at the squirrel in my grip, wondering if I was maybe doing something wrong.

A sharp growl from Ebbe and they stopped. But so did everybody else. He barked at them, and whatever he said, I doubted it was pleasant. I elbowed his leg, hard enough that he grunted. I was already unwelcome, I really didn’t need him making it any worse.

“Ignore them,” Wulf assured me, yellow eyes flicking to the Ebbe. “You must know what it’s like when a new face shows up. So much gossip suddenly starts.”

I nodded, feeling more than a little self-conscious. Gossip? About me? Wulf looked sympathetic and he took the still knife from my hand. “It’ll be time to eat soon, you should go wash up.”

They’d said something to him, because suddenly he was refusing to meet my gaze. Maybe I was no longer welcome at the table for whatever reason.

“Thank you,” I mumbled, pushing myself up from the table only to nearly bump into a solid chest. Strong hands steadied me, then turned me around and began to usher me towards the river. Pulling myself from Ebbe's grip, I muttered , “I can walk on my own.”

I crouched at the water’s edge, scrubbing blood and lumps of gut from my hands and arms. Ebbe sat next to me, his fingers brushing over the pebbles until he picked up a slim, smooth black one. With a flick of his wrist, it flew from his hands and hit the river; bouncing once, twice, a third time before sinking.

“What were they saying about me?” I dared to ask, leaning back on my hands.

“Nothing for you to get angry about.”

I hummed, studying his latest scowl. “Something for you to get angry about?”

A twitch of full lips, his head ducked so hair hid his eyes from me.

The clang of a bell halted our conversation and he stood swiftly without giving me an answer. I stood too, watching as chores were quickly finished and food was piled onto another table. I watched closely, memorising the order of wolves that took food so I could understand the hierarchy here.

It was hard to believe I hadn’t even been here a full day when I’d already done so much. Folding my arms, I prepared to wait for my turn. Ebbe hung back too.

“You can go eat, I’ll be waiting a while,” I offered, wondering why he’d decided he needed to stay so close to me.

“So will I.”

I frowned. I’d just watched Gisli make her own plate, before the pups and some of the growing wolves. Ebbe couldn’t possibly eat after his sister who was far more submissive than he. Only after all the pups had taken their share did he make his way to the table. My pride was a little wounded, my wolf irritated with my standing here. The only times I’d ever eaten last were if I was being punished for something. Even waiting for Ebbe to pick what he wanted had me trying not to growl in frustration.

My gaze moved over to where the high ranked sat and I stiffened when I noticed Alpha Jakkon was staring right at me, as if daring me to question his orders. I didn’t. I took my plate last, accepted the scraps that were left, then begrudgingly sat beside Ebbe on a spot of soft grass.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I accused, watching as he tore at a bit of bread.

He shrugged. “Their talk doesn’t bother me like I’m sure it would you.”

I rolled my eyes at his pointed reply. Of course, I shouldn’t have expected anything else. He finished his food quickly and didn’t cast me another glance before he walked off, leaving me to eat alone. I pondered over the reasons he’d eat last; a punishment from the Alpha seemed most likely but that answer didn’t sit true.

Sighing to myself, I decided there was still time to make a good impression here and helped collect stray dishes and mugs. When I’d picked up the last of it, I felt the approach of an Alpha. Signy smiled brightly, reaching out to squeeze my arm.

“Come, you’ve had a long day, I'll show Bjarke and Freydis' den, it’s yours while you stay here.”

I almost let out a sound of relief but I held it in. My feet ached and sleeping under warm furs sounded so tempting right now.

“Thank you.”

She smiled and motioned for me to walk beside her. “You’re welcome. Make sure you don’t leave the water too long without changing it and-“

“The water?” I asked in confusion.

“Yes,” she replied, patting my hand with a chuckle. “There’s a barrel in the corner for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Make sure you pour some into a basin for cleaning though, you don’t want to drink dirty water.”

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment at my own ignorance, and the fact she thought she then needed to clarify how to not end up poisoning myself. Things were so different here.
Stopping outside one of the bigger sized structures, she passed me another set of clothes that she’d bundled under her arm, opening her mouth to speak, then stilled at the same time I did. Her nostrils flared and I knew she could smell the same wildflower scent that I did lingering by the door.

Ebbe.

Saying nothing of it, her attention turned back to me. “I know it’s still early but I do suggest you try and sleep. You’ll have an early start tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it,” I stated, making her smirk. Better to say that and show strength than say the truth, that I was oh so pleased I could skip any other chores today and lie down.

Signy looked around once before making her way back up the path. Wondering just what she was looking for, I opened the door and stepped inside, taking in the space.

The bed was made up of a simple matt with piles of furs and blankets on top. One was pressed against the back of the spacious room while a small one that I guessed was for Basjan was opposite the only window. There was a bucket and mugs for water, and then I realised I’d looked over one very important thing. The fire pit was lit, flames flickering away with a pile of logs stacked next to it. Ebbe had made sure I wouldn’t have to fight the flint or search around for wood, but why? To apologise for being a grumpy ass?

Either way I was fighting a smile until a rogue thought wondered if he was still toying with me. Or if it was something else entirely.