Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
ALINA
As I walked through the fields, visions of days long passed invaded my thoughts and I could not help feeling the sad melancholy of the milky white fog and the almost artificial stillness of the air high up in the mountains.
Memories of my past did not want to let me go, and I felt frustrated and uneasy without understanding what triggered the change of my mood.
I paused and turned to look at a spot in the gray sky that indicated the presence of the sun up above.
I could not believe that the beauty that surrounded me did not touch my soul this time around, I craved something else.
Fragrant, flowery fields, the bright, warm sun touching my face, and Tynan.
I could still feel his strong arms on my back and the incredible sensation of his burning mouth on my skin.
I stopped, shocked, confused. My eyes opened wide.
I was daydreaming about Tynan without knowing how he felt about me.
I was nearly ready to beg him to touch me, and the realization embarrassed me.
Even though I had been with a man before, I still felt lost as never before.
What if it meant nothing to him? What if he simply took what was so easily offered?
These thoughts echoed with pain, deep in my heart. I lowered my head and continued up the hill.
There were no houses around, probably because I was close to the foot of the mountain. I could see the shades of trees and some brush growing underneath. I had to turn back. I did not know these lands and it was not a smart idea to get lost somewhere.
Moments later, I spotted a man on horseback in the distance. I looked away, examining the path I just took.
Only then did I realize that there was something else nearby, some presence I did not catch right away.
The feeling overwhelmed me and I looked around, noticing fresh tracks on the ground and the disturbed soil.
Then, heavy breathing and snorts made me turn my head.
I was afraid to look back, but if it was a crawler, I needed to see it.
In the midst of the tree trunks, I spotted a wild boar that lowered its head to the ground.
I could see foam coming from its mouth, and its body portrayed the signs of an impending attack.
I swallowed, taking a step back. Trying not to break eye contact, I backed up some more, but the animal charged, and I could not help screaming.
My instinct told me to run down the hill, but the piercing thought that I would be easily intercepted without any natural protection made me turn toward the woods.
I gathered my skirts, dropping my shawl.
My heart was beating somewhere in my throat as I sprinted up the hill away from the village.
I turned to look, and another scream escaped my lips, the animal was catching up with me. I ran toward the trees desperately hoping for a way to escape. The tree trunks were completely bare of any branches I could reach, and I circled around feeling that my panic would get the best of me.
“Turn!” Someone shouted.
I lost my footing when I stepped on my long skirt and fell forward. With horror, I watched the wild boar closing in on me as I stayed on the ground, unable to defend myself. I just stared at the beast, almost hypnotized.
Suddenly, the man on the horse pulled a hard stop, the horse’s feet pawed the air, moving the boar away. The feral animal did not want to surrender, but the massive hooves of Denis’s horse made it change its mind and it took off, back to the foot of the mountain.
The young man jumped to the ground and approached me in two long strides. I closed my eyes, feeling exceedingly stupid. My cheeks were wet with tears, my whole body was shaking.
“Are you alright?” Denis asked.
I nodded, hiding my eyes. There was not a single fighting bone in my body. I hated that I could not defend myself. I was just happy that it was over.
“It’s the mating season. Wildlife is acting up. You should be more careful.” He touched my cheek, carefully wiping my tears.
Another sound startled me, and I watched a dragon, black as night, land just a couple of feet away. My mouth hung open when I saw Tynan changing into his human form almost in one fluid motion. Then his arms reached out and grabbed Denis’s neck as he shoved him away from me.
“What’s your problem?” Denis shouted, breaking free from his grip.
“What did he do?” Tynan only looked at me.
I could plainly see the wildfire in his eyes. His flying jacket was missing, his bare chest rose and fell while his hands clenched into fists.
“It was not . . . it-it was a wild boar,” I stuttered.
“Is that so?” He crouched beside me ignoring Denis. “Are you hurt, princess?”
“Don’t call me that,” I whispered, still shivering.
“Thank you for helping her. I’ll take it from here.” Tynan stood up and turned to look at Denis.
“Will you be alright?” Denis asked, watching me.
He peered at Tynan, his eyes bore an expression of weariness and extreme frustration.
“Thank you. I’ll be fine.” I got up fully intending to appear cheerful.
Denis gave me a last parting look, before walking back to his horse.
“Prick,” Tynan muttered, watching the young man galloping away.
“Why are you so rude to him?” I asked.
“Am I?”
“Yes. He helped me. If not for him, I don’t know what that thing would have done to me,” I whispered, still shaking.
“Come on. I’ll get you home.” Tynan wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“Where’s your shirt?”
“I did not have time to dress when I heard you,” Tynan said.
“Were you nearby?” I glanced at his strong profile.
“No. I was on the other side of the valley,”
“How could you . . .? It doesn’t matter. I still think you could have been nicer to Denis,” I said.
“Why? Do you like him?”
“He’s nice. He saved me.” I looked down at my feet.
“And tried to use this opportunity to get closer to you,” Tynan said.
“I don’t think he did.”
“I know what I saw.”
I shook my head, too exhausted to argue. Tynan watched me for a long moment before picking me up, bridal style.
“What are you doing? I can walk.”
“You’re still in shock.”
“Put me down. I’m serious. What would people think?” I tried to force him to let go of me.
“I don’t care about other people,” Tynan said.
My arms wrapped around his neck, and I inhaled his dark and dangerous scent.
His closeness and primal masculinity acted like a drug, infusing my bloodstream with a need I never knew before.
I craved the sense of security that I had with him.
His hot body melted me from within and I could not get enough, even if I was too embarrassed to admit it.
I looked further into the valley trying to process the wave of emotions that his words stirred within me.
We were by Grace’s house when Tynan placed me carefully on the ground, before opening the front door for me.
I stood watching him for a long moment, before looking away.
I pushed the door open and abruptly stopped.
Inside, Frid was picking up the plates and pieces of food that were scattered all over the floor.
The kitchen table was lying in the middle of the room, folded like a tumbled house of cards.
“What . . . what happened?” I asked, pausing in the doorway.
Victor appeared from the second bedroom looking disheveled, his eyes burning bright and his hair more tousled than usual.
I could hear a quiet laugh behind me and glanced back at Tynan who covered his eyes with his hand.
“The table was pretty old, it just collapsed,” Victor said.
I glanced back at Frid, who avoided looking at me. Just then the realization of what must have happened hit me, and I felt like my whole face turned beet red.
“Do you want to tell us something?” Tynan closed the door behind us.
“About?” Victor raked his hand through his hair.
“Come on. Do you really want me to say it?” Tynan crossed his arms on his chest.
“We are together! Alright?” Frid threw the kitchen rag on the floor and got up.
“Alright,” I whispered, too embarrassed to say anything else.
“I didn’t know I had to ask for your permission.” Frid looked straight at Tynan, her head raised high.
Ignoring Frid’s words, Tynan walked straight to Victor who did not take his eyes off him, not even for a moment.
“Don’t. Mess it up!” Tynan said, and the signs of relief appeared all over Victor’s face.
The wind just died down when Frid, Tynan, Sol, and Victor got to their seats on the raised platform that overlooked the spacious area in front of the castle. At that point, I had heard so much about Dreich that I was curious to see it.
“What is this for?” I turned to Frid, who held Victor’s hand on her knees.
“This is an annual competition in combat skills. The clan warriors are showing to the leader what they have mastered this whole year,” Frid responded.
“Did you have to do that too?”
“Yeah. Every year.” Frid extended her neck, looking at the people on the stands.
I leaned back on my bench and stole a quick glance toward Tynan. Contrary to the way I felt about everything in Darragh, it did not seem like he liked to be a part of any of the traditions. Not for the first time, I wondered what growing up here was like for him.
Solomon was flirting with a pretty, dark eyed girl who sat beside him, and his demeanor had completely changed. I couldn't help overhearing his words, and my cheeks flushed when I realized how inappropriate the conversation was.
Then the contestants appeared on the field. The row of men dressed in their flying leathers definitely looked colorful. Some of the men held swords, the others were holding bows and axes. The warriors were of different ages and builds, all ready to test their skills.
“Every warrior has a weapon of choice that he has to master. I always had a sword and Sol always preferred an ax, Victor chose a bow in those earlier years.”
“What about Tynan?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“He used everything.”