Chapter 14 #2
I jerk back, startled, and glare at Fox. He pointedly looks straight ahead, refusing to meet my gaze as he hands me the bowl. The little boy cackles with mischievous laughter and runs away.
“Sorry,” Kai says, sounding like he’s also trying not to laugh.
Fox grunts, but says nothing.
I glance down at the bowl, unsure what to do. Why would he knock it away from me? Is there something wrong with the stew? Should I not eat it?
Normally I’d just ask, but if I’m wrong, surely that would offend Kai and it would be clear that Fox and I are not communicating telepathically.
Before I can decide what to do, Fox reaches over and dunks a hunk of bread into the edge of my soup, then pointedly eats it. I relax, and reach for a spoon.
It remains quiet as we eat, and I would have thought I’d get used to it, but I don’t. The eerie silence sends shivers down my spine. I feel like I’m dining with ghosts.
Kai must notice my discomfort, because he gives me a sideways glance. “Sorry. We’re not used to speaking out loud.”
“It’s fine,” I say a bit too quickly. I glance at Fox and can’t help but smile. “This honestly explains so much.”
Fox furrows his brow in mild irritation. “I never talked much anyway.”
“True,” Kai agrees, laughing. “Although you must know that now that you’re mated.”
I’m not sure I understand fully what he means, but I try to act natural. “Oh, yes. I was, um, surprised by how little things changed.”
This seems like the right answer, because Kai looks placated and pauses to scold two of his children, who have begun a violent sword fight with their dinner knives.
Fox takes advantage of Kai’s distraction to shoot me a meaningful look that I can’t interpret. I raise my eyebrows in silent question, but he merely widens his eyes further.
This is hopeless.
Maybe it looks like we’re communicating, but I have no idea what he’s trying to say.
Sooner or later—probably sooner—we’re going to get tripped up, and then what?
Even if they wouldn’t try to kill me, I don’t want to be kicked out of the camp.
Not when this is my best chance of getting to the palace.
Kai finishes speaking to his children and turns back to us, clapping Fox on the shoulder. “Are you glad to be back?”
Fox shrugs and makes a noncommittal sound that I can’t interpret. “Who else from the old camp is here?”
Kai grins. “Loads of people. You remember Elias?”
“‘Course,” Fox mumbles. “Is he still making those bone knives?”
“Yeah, ‘course he is. Lost two fingers last winter, but he’s got eight left.” He laughs and the corners of Fox’s lips tip up slightly.
“Oh,” Kai continues. “And Nessa’s tent is the one with the red markings.
She’s got three cubs now.” His voice drops.
“But Torrin took a sword to the stomach up at the northern border.”
I glance at Fox. His jaw tightens as Kai mentions Torrin, and his fingers continue their methodical work of tearing his bread into smaller and smaller pieces.
The crumbs gather in a neat pile beside his bowl, untouched.
His eyes remain fixed on some distant point beyond the fire, pupils reflecting twin flames. “What about Luka?”
Kai’s eyes brighten. “Still breathing.” He gestures toward the northern tree line. “Three days out with a hunting party. Should’ve been back yesterday, but I’m not worried. He’ll howl when he sees you—thought you were dead.”
Fox nods, something like relief softening the hard line of his jaw.
“The twins, though...” Kai’s voice drops, his gaze shifting to the fire. He touches two fingers to his heart. “Winter raid. Quick, at least.”
Fox’s knuckles whiten around his spoon, but he gives no other outward sign that he’s bothered by this news at all.
“Oh, and Runa is still here too,” Kai adds, his eyes sliding sideways to study Fox’s face.
Fox’s spoon pauses midway to his mouth. The broth drips back into the bowl, breaking the silence with tiny splashes. “Is she?”
Kai shifts on the bench, the wood creaking beneath him. “Sharing a tent with Viktor now.” He scratches at his beard. “The beta.”
Fox’s eyebrows lift, and he glances around. “They’re not here.”
Kai grimaces, but whatever his answer is must be in his head because I don’t hear it, yet Fox reacts, a muscle in his jaw twitching. Interesting.
When the meal is over, my stomach leaps with nervous anticipation. I’ve been doing my best to ignore the fact that we’re going to have to sleep in the tent together, but I’m not going to be able to ignore it much longer.
I’m saved from immediate awkwardness, though, because someone pulls out a musical instrument and begins playing by the fire. A couple of the women join in singing a song I don’t know, and the wolves begin pouring more mead into their tankards.
I get the feeling that Fox doesn’t want to go back to the tent either, so we linger to watch the musicians.
Kai and his sons stick around to watch too.
One of Kai’s sons offers me a drink, and I shake my head.
If that’s anything like the drinks that Kai gave Fox and I in his tent, it was so strong I don’t even want to smell it.
Fox takes the offered drink instead. He’s smiling, his dimple showing, and I have no idea why.
“You have such a large family,” I say to Kai, finally unable to hold my questions in any longer.
Kai grins. “Thank you.”
I open my mouth again, trying to think of a tactful way to ask why there are so many children around, but Fox speaks over me. “Are they training yet?”
Kai’s attention shifts back to Fox. “Finan is twelve,” he says as if that means something.
It must, because Fox nods. “Sure. And the others?”
“All but the baby, but she’s walking now so it won’t be much longer.”
Fox’s shoulders stiffen, and I can tell without seeing his expression that he’s bothered by something. Over Fox’s shoulder, I see Kai give him a meaningful glance, his gaze darkening. I wonder if they’re talking in their heads, or just mutually understanding something that I don’t.
“I’ve been lucky so far.” Kai smiles as if trying to lighten the mood. “All the boys are strong. I think Aeric could have given you a run for your money.”
Fox snorts a laugh, and glances over at Kai’s youngest son—the toddler, wielding the knife. “He’ll have to show me in the morning.”
Kai looks thrilled. “Will you help with the training?”
Fox shrugs, nodding, but before he can answer further, a figure appears in front of our table, blocking the light from the enormous fire.
I glance up and find a blonde woman standing in front of us.
Physically, she’s the opposite of me in nearly every way.
She’s tall and athletic, while I’ve always been small and slight.
She’s pale with blonde hair and light eyes, while I take after my Solistinian mother, and have always been tan, even in the winter, with dark hair and eyes.
I can’t help but notice that she’s extremely pretty.
Fox follows my gaze, looking up at the woman. His shoulders stiffen. “Runa.”
She tilts her head, one eyebrow arching. Fox’s jaw tightens. A silent conversation passes between them in the space of a heartbeat.
“Runa,” Fox says again, his voice rougher than before. This time her name sounds more like a warning than a greeting. His thigh presses against mine under the table and his arm brushes mine as he reaches for his cup.
“Sorry,” Runa says out loud, her tone and expression unreadable as she flicks her gaze to me. She extends a hand as if to shake mine. “I’m Runa. And you are?”
She doesn’t seem threatening or even aggressive, but before I can lift my hand to take hers, Fox grabs my fingers tightly, holding my hand under the table.
Runa stands there for an awkward moment, hand outstretched, as I fight with the paralyzing discomfort of openly ignoring her.
I would never usually be so rude, but with Fox nearly crushing my fingers beneath the table, it’s obvious that there’s some social convention being broken here and to react at all could be disastrous.
After another long second, Runa lowers her hand. She looks over at Kai, seeming to communicate silently, then turns her back and leaves. I watch her walk back across the fire and sit down on one of the logs surrounded by a large group of women.
Fox lets out a breath which sounds more exhausted than relieved, and finally releases my fingers under the table.
I’m not sure how late it is when Fox and I finally return to the tent, but the darkness and the silence of the camp makes it feel like midnight.
There aren’t many lanterns guiding our way, and I have to squint to avoid stumbling or walking into the wrong tent.
Along the way, Fox points me toward a row of smaller tents which turn out to be outhouses.
Perhaps due to the darkness, they’re not as horrible as I feared they would be, but I don’t notice any bathing facilities.
The soldiers must be bathing somewhere, or else it would surely smell far worse than it does.
I suppose I can go one more day without a bath, but after that I’m going to have to ask someone.
The moment we step into the tent, I raise a hand and automatically light the lantern on the table. Fox hisses an angry sound, and I roll my eyes, wiggling my fingers again to cast the muffling spell.
In a split second, Fox crosses the tent and is standing right in front of me. He grips my arm and shoves it down. With a pointed glare, he raises both hands, as if to say: “Wait.”
I nod to show I understand, and Fox looks around the tent with obvious frustration. Evidently he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, because again he holds up a hand for me to wait, then leaves the tent in a huff.
“Eugene?” I hiss the moment Fox is gone. “Eugene?”
The squirrel doesn’t appear. He must have left the tent to get some exercise. I would be worried, except that Eugene has made it extremely clear that he has no interest in living in the forest. He’ll be back.