CHAPTER 32 #2
“There goes our best warrior.” Winter’s voice stopped Lenore from leaving. “Makes it extra important for all of us to watch out for each other.” She nudged Lenore’s side. “I saw how some of the others were looking at you.”
Lenore turned to face her, watching her carefully. “Oh... I didn’t notice,” she said quietly. “But I understand if I’m making anyone uncomfortable.”
“That’s not fair,” Winter said. She shook her head. “You’re a part of this pack too. Why should you be iced out?”
Lenore didn’t know how to reply. She stayed on guard when Winter circled her slowly, the white wolf adding, “I know how you feel. Well, I wasn’t turned by a Lucyn, but I can’t even run.
I’ve never caught anything more than a skinny little hare.
Wolves look at you a little differently when you can’t even join in all the normal things growing up. ”
Sympathy softened Lenore, and it warmed her words. “That’s... awful. I can’t imagine how rough that was.”
“It was the worst. Not being able to do anything about it made me miserable half the time. I felt like the other.”
“That’s a little different from being a Lucyn, Winter.” It was Arielle who joined in. Leif butted his nose against hers, shaking his head. But Arielle persisted, the dark-brown wolf taking a bold step forward. “I’m not saying you’re a Lucyn, Lenore, but Winter isn’t like you at all.”
The open hostility started an unpleasant sizzle in Lenore’s chest. She felt eyes on her again, and her heartbeat picked up. “I haven’t done anything,” she said as she tried not to look around her. “All I’ve done is try to learn to be more like a werewolf. I’ve never—”
“You’re not like us,” Arielle interrupted. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. You have the blood of a Lucyn in you.”
Whispers erupted around them. Lenore’s breathing turned heavy. Among the wolves near her, she thought she saw a wolf with ghastly yellow eyes, its fur as dark as the nightmares that plagued her. She blinked again. Not a single trace of him remained—disappearing into the crowd’s moving shadows.
“Things only got worse since you arrived,” Arielle continued. Her fur bristled. “How about you explain that?”
“I can’t explain things I don’t have anything to do with,” Lenore replied—her voice wavered from the sudden confrontation. Her ears fell, but she kept her head up. “I might be new here, but it’s horrible to see what the Caernith is going through!”
“You gave him something weird at the dinner, didn’t you?” Arielle’s accusation pierced Lenore, leaving her breathless with disbelief. Unfounded shame flooded her when the other wolves glanced at each other, their gazes deepening with suspicion.
Lenore shook her head quickly. “No—not at all!” None of the surrounding wolves were convinced. She felt as if the ground itself was going to swallow her up. “No,” she repeated desperately, “I wanted him to get better! It really was a vial of grace!”
“And he hasn’t woken since,” Arielle remarked. “Why?”
There was no answer to be given. Lenore hated how the corners of her eyes turned dewy, and how pathetic she must’ve looked in front of everyone else.
“It’s only been ten minutes since Edmund said he’s leaving, and the pack is already falling apart?” Another voice joined in—a feminine one, with a sharp lilt that reminded one of a blade. Lenore couldn’t find the heart to look and figure out who it was.
Arielle huffed. “I don’t think the Vesren even needs to leave,” she growled. “I think the problem might be right here.”
“If she’s a problem, then our pack was never anything worthwhile to begin with.” A light scoff followed. “I take one look at her and I already know she’s not an issue. It pisses me off seeing how superstitious you all are acting."
That was when Lenore glanced at the one who joined in. A dark-blue wolf met her vision—her fur reminiscent of a blue that was just on the cusp of turning into the night sky itself. Somehow, she seemed vaguely familiar.
“Lucyn aren’t a superstition, Gwyneth,” Arielle retorted. Leif moved in front of her, nudging her cheek with his nose once more. When Arielle tried to move out of the way, he refused to budge.
“You’ve already yapped enough.” Gwyneth bared her teeth in warning. “Listen to your mate and move on.”
Arielle’s ears lowered, then her head fell in submission. “Fine,” she muttered. She shot Lenore a sideways glance before she padded away with Leif. The surrounding wolves left too until only a few stragglers remained.
Gwyneth’s nose twitched, her gaze still set in a glower. “Hmph. Numbskulls.”
“... Thank you,” Lenore murmured. “I’m sorry you had to get involved.” As grateful as she was, she couldn’t help but be self-conscious of how she appeared.
“We’re in public—I can involve myself in whatever I want, so don’t be sorry.
” Gwyneth looked at her, and Lenore was surprised at how curious Gwyneth’s gaze was—scrutinizing her to the point where Lenore readied herself for another interrogation.
But it never came. Gwyneth yawned loudly, then began to move.
“I hate early meetings.” Her lips pulled back into a toothy grin, and Lenore only grew more baffled when Gwyneth added, “See ya soon, Lenore.”
“See you soon?” she repeated it as a question, but Gwyneth kept going, leaving Lenore with lingering confusion.
“That was stressful.” Winter, who had kept quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. “I’m sorry too, I didn’t know what to say.”
“It’s fine, it was something to do with me personally. I didn’t expect anyone to jump in,” Lenore said.
“You’re not the odd one, that’s for sure.” Winter lifted a paw, giving her a light bat on the shoulder. “And you’re not alone. There’s others that are more than happy to welcome you into their open paws, including me!”
Unease stirred in Lenore. “Really?” she asked, sounding almost amused. “I’m seeing that I might be the unpopular choice right now.”
“Well…” Winter hummed in thought. “Those ones can’t see what’s actually good, you know? They’re scared for no reason.”
Lenore scratched the ground. “I can’t deny I would feel scared if I were in their position.”
“You shouldn’t be. I can see you’re a wonderful addition to the pack, my fellow Nyven!
” Winter’s tail wagged eagerly. “I’ll be happy to help you and prove to the others that you have way more potential than they think.
I could even help walk you through some things today!
” Her voice fell to a gentle whisper. “You do belong. With us.”
For a split second, Lenore considered it. Everything Winter said felt nice, in a way that tempted her ego to prove everyone wrong—to feel the satisfaction that she was better, that her blood wasn’t a bad omen, but indeed something stronger—something that could seize them all by their throats—
Lenore froze. Even now, something in her head kept urging her to give in to the darkening thoughts. The burning cold that gnawed at her right foreleg said otherwise. This was wrong.
“I think... I’ll be fine,” she finally said. “I’m still adjusting to everything here, and I think the pace I’m going at is enough for me.” She nodded at her, forcing her tail to wag happily. “Thank you, Winter. I really appreciate it.”
“That’s understandable.” Disappointment seeped through Winter’s tone.
She started to walk away in the opposite direction.
One last friendly glance was spared toward Lenore.
“If you ever change your mind, feel free to come hang out with me whenever! You’re speaking to a wolf that had to figure out how to do everything differently to live. I got plenty of tips!”
“I will.”
Upon Lenore’s final words, Winter departed too, leaving Lenore alone in a clearing that only amplified her solitude.
But it finally gave her a moment to breathe.
It was strange, surreal even, for the day to pass by so anticlimactically after the early morning’s gathering.
Despite the unfriendly glances thrown her way here and there, Lenore was swept into the pack’s activities—placed into a class of young werewolves learning to hunt, much to their amusement at seeing someone so grown be so clumsy at hunting prey.
She didn’t mind—the wolflings were genuinely interested in talking to her, with no fear of consequences.
Then there were tasks of gathering herbs, cleaning, fetch quests, and her least favorite—shoveling kirin dung.
By the time Lenore was done with everything, the sun had long since set, and her only companion of the night was the crescent moon that hovered high above. The silvery gleam followed her all the way home, reminding her of the Lucyn, and the deity that harnessed its powers—Lunantha.
More than a reminder—they were already inside the territory.
“Lenore.”
The sudden call of her name startled her, and she nearly jumped into the air. Out from the shadows and into the soft glow of the pathway’s lanterns was Edmund. A dark cloak hung over his broad frame, and he pulled his hood down as soon as he drew close to her.
“Edmund?” Lenore whispered in surprise. She raised an eyebrow and glanced side to side before asking, “What’re you—”
“Where were you last night?” Edmund snapped. He frowned at her with knitted brows. “I couldn’t find you at all!”
“Huh?” Lenore blinked in confusion. “What do you mean—”
“With all those damn ravens flocking around, there might’ve been the possibility of a Lucyn stalking around here.
” Edmund’s eyes narrowed as he ran his hands through his hair.
“Do you have any idea how maddening it was trying to look for you and not catching your scent anywhere—not even by your home?”
“You were here last night?” Lenore’s mouth fell agape.