Chapter 28 #2
Daska's response was quiet, humble, but the warrior's expression didn't change. He looked at Daska like he was something more now. Something other.
They see him differently.
I glanced up at Daska, but his expression was unreadable. He didn't seem uncomfortable, exactly—just… distant. Like he was already somewhere else in his mind.
"Ellie!"
I turned to see a small group of children racing toward me, their faces bright with excitement. The same ones I'd played with weeks ago, back when I'd still been trying to figure out how to survive in this world.
They skidded to a stop in front of me, breathless and grinning, and the smallest, a little girl with dark braids and gap-toothed smile, thrust something into my hands.
I looked down. It was a small carved figure, no bigger than my palm, shaped like a bear. The wood was smooth and polished, the details surprisingly intricate for something so small.
"For you," the girl said shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. "So you remember."
My throat closed. I crouched down, bringing myself to her eye level, and pulled her into a gentle hug. She squeaked in surprise, then wrapped her small arms around my neck, squeezing tight.
"Thank you," I whispered. "I will keep it safe."
When I pulled back, the other children were watching me with solemn eyes. My heart ached and I reached out for them, pulling each of them into a hug, one by one. They clung to me like I was something precious, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from breaking down completely.
When they finally scattered back toward their mothers, I stayed crouched down, clutching the carved bear in my hand. Daska's shadow fell over me, and I felt his hand settle on my shoulder.
"They will miss you," he said softly.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
I'll miss them too.
Dev found me near one of the fire pits, where I was helping bundle supplies for the journey. My hands kept shaking, and I'd dropped the same water skin three times before he finally took pity on me and plucked it out of my grip.
"You're going to spill half our rations before we even leave," he said, though his tone was warm. Teasing.
I shot him a weak smile. "Sorry."
He studied me for a moment, his expression softening. Then he set the water skin aside and pulled me into a quick, tight hug.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
I nodded against his shoulder, even though I wasn't sure if it was true. "Yeah. Just… processing."
"Understandable." He pulled back, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. After everything… you don’t deserve to be alone."
My chest tightened. "I'm not alone. I have you. And Megan. And—"
"Nathan doesn't count," Dev said flatly.
I huffed a laugh despite myself. "Fair."
Dev's gaze flicked past me, toward where Daska was speaking quietly with one of the pack elders. "He's a good man, Ellie."
"I know."
And I did. I knew. But knowing didn't stop the guilt that gnawed at the edges of my thoughts every time I looked at Rivik.
Dev squeezed my shoulders once, then let go. "Come on. Let's finish packing before Nathan has an aneurysm."
Nathan was, predictably, already on edge.
I found him near the edge of camp, arms crossed and jaw tight as he watched the pack members load supplies into large leather packs. Megan stood a few feet away, her expression carefully neutral, though I caught the faint tension in her shoulders.
"This is taking too long," Nathan muttered as I approached. "We should have left days ago."
"We were recovering," I said evenly. "From a fight. That you didn't have to participate in."
His gaze snapped to mine, cold and sharp. "A fight that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't—"
"Hadn't what?" I cut in, my voice harder than I intended. "Hadn't survived? Hadn't found shelter? Hadn't made allies who saved all of our lives?"
Nathan's jaw worked, but he didn't answer. He just turned away, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
Megan stepped closer, her voice low. "Ellie."
I turned to her, bracing for another argument. But her expression wasn't hostile. It was… tired. And maybe a little sad.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "That we have to leave. I mean." She hesitated, then added, "I was wrong. About you. It wasn't fair."
I stared at her, caught off guard. Megan didn't apologize. Ever.
"Thank you," I said softly.
She nodded once, then turned back toward the supplies, her shoulders stiff.
Nathan didn't look at me again.
The gathering was formal in a way that made my stomach twist.
Rivik stood at the centre of the camp, his presence commanding even in stillness. The pack assembled around him in a wide circle, their faces solemn and attentive. Our team stood near the front, close enough to hear every word.
Rivik's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering briefly on me before moving on. My chest ached at the distance in his eyes.
He spoke in his language, his voice low and steady, and I translated for the others.
The threat is over. The strangers are free. The pack will honour their departure.
My throat tightened. This was it. The end.
When he finished, the pack murmured their agreement, a low, collective sound that rumbled through the clearing. Rivik's gaze found mine again, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of us.
I couldn't stand it.
I stepped forward, breaking protocol, and closed the distance between us. Before I could second-guess myself, I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face against his chest.
He went rigid. The pack fell silent.
"Thank you," I whispered, the words thick with emotion. "For everything. For saving us. For giving us a chance."
His hands hovered near my back, uncertain. Then, slowly, they settled against me, light, careful, like he was afraid I'd break.
"Ellie," he murmured, so quietly I almost didn't hear it.
I pulled back before I could say something I'd regret. His expression was carefully blank, but his eyes… God, his eyes were full of so much pain, I gasped.
I don't want to leave you.
The thought came unbidden, sharp and painful. I swallowed it down and stepped back, my hands falling to my sides.
Rivik's gaze lingered on me for a heartbeat longer. Then he turned away, his shoulders straight and his face unreadable.
The sound of footsteps made me turn.
Daska was walking toward me, and my breath caught.
He was fully equipped for travel, pack slung over one shoulder, weapons strapped to his belt, a rolled bedroll secured to his back. He looked ready to leave. Ready to walk away from everything he'd ever known.
I stared at him, confusion flooding through me. "What are you doing, Daska? We have all our supplies ready."
He stopped in front of me, his expression calm but determined. "I am coming with you."
"What?" I hadn’t heard him right. That was just my heart begging.
"As long as you walk in this world," he said quietly, "I walk beside you. You are my mate. I will not let you walk away if I do not walk beside you."
My knees nearly buckled. The bond flared bright and hot between us, a surge of warmth that stole my breath.
"You can't," I said, my voice breaking. "You can't just leave. This is your home, Daska, your pack…"
"You are my home," he said simply.
The tears came before I could stop them. I threw myself into his arms, burying my face against his chest as sobs tore through me. He held me tightly, his hands steady and sure, and I felt the bond wrap around us like a living thing, warm and unbreakable and right.
"I will follow wherever you go," he murmured against my hair. "For as long as I can."
I couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. I just held onto him and let the tears fall.
Around us, the pack watched in silence. Some smiled. Some looked sad. But no one objected.
When I finally pulled back, my face wet and my chest aching, I looked up at him through blurred vision, hardly daring to believe him. "You would give up everything that matters to you? For me?"
"No," he said softly. "I chose everything that matters the most. Now come, we must leave soon or there will be little time before dark falls again."
The supplies the pack provided were staggering.
Furs thick enough to survive another month of winter. Water skins that had been carefully oiled and sealed. Preserved meat, dried berries, flatbread wrapped in cloth. Travel shelters that folded small but would provide real protection from the elements. Weapons, sharp, well-made, deadly.
Every hearth had contributed and I was overwhelmed by their generosity.
Kessa had made sure I had two changes of clothes, and had sobbed as she hugged me goodbye.
Sira’s hug had been brief and she hadn’t cried, but she’d touched my hand in a final, subtle goodbye, and I’d had to swallow more tears down at the thought of leaving them both.
I stood in the middle of it all, clutching the carved bear in my hand, and felt the weight of what we were leaving behind. This place had been harsh and strange and terrifying. But it had also been home. For a little while, at least.
I turned and looked across the camp, not meaning to exactly, but finding myself automatically searching for Rivik.
He was stood talking to Ryke, and as though he sensed my gaze on him, he looked up and our eyes met.
I couldn’t explain it, but other than Daska, leaving Rivik was going to be the hardest part.
It was stupid, I had barely spent time with the man, and although, yes, I admitted to myself, I found him very attractive, he drove me crazy with the way he just said nothing.
And yet, the idea of walking away and never seeing him again hurt.
It hurt deeply, and only increased the guilt inside me from that day in his cave.
His eyes moved over me and I remembered with disturbing clarity, the way his mouth had felt on mine, the feel of his body hard against me, the way his fingers.
.. heat rushed through me, and I felt myself blush.
I turned away, trying to shove the memory aside.
I had Daska, and he was more than enough man for me. I loved him. And he loved me.
I walked towards where the team was gathering, looking up at the mountains around us. The late-morning light was different now, brighter and warmer than when we’d arrived. The snow had melted save on the highest peaks and the air carried the faint, tentative warmth of spring.
The world was changing. Moving forward.
And so were we.
Nathan made a sharp, bitter sound as he surveyed the supplies. "So we're collecting strays now?" he muttered, his gaze flicking toward Daska.
I turned on him, my voice cold. "He's not a stray. He's my mate. And if you have a problem with that, you can fuck off."
Nathan's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. He just turned away, his jaw tight.
Dev shot me an approving look. Megan said nothing, but I caught the faintest flicker of something like respect in her expression.
Daska's hand found mine, his fingers threading through mine. The bond pulsed warm and steady between us.
Not alone. Never alone.
I squeezed his hand, my chest tight with a mix of fear and hope and love so overwhelming I didn't know how to hold it all.
The packs were loaded. Nathan was days away from getting the scanner to work, but we knew we were heading east. We were ready to go.