The North

How do you bring yourself to believe in the impossible?

Chapter 16

***

Alone in the dark, the walls began to crush in, dark thoughts twisted by guilt and grief eating away at me.

It wasn’t too late to leave. To run out the door while nobody was watching and let the wilderness take me. That was one sure way of keeping the pack safe. That was one sure way of finding out if I’d ever see Mànas again. So I could apologise. So I could explain it should have been me dead, and him here, taking his place on a council where he would have thrived. Others would have loved him. Aonghas deserved an my gratitude too. My Alpha had died so I could remain ignorant of the horrors I was unleashing on my own family.

Yet, even as I thought it, I knew I couldn’t leave. I had to bear the responsibility given to me; I owed my brother and uncle that much if I could do nothing else.

I just had to be patient. Hati had promised me I could ask questions later, had promised me everything would be alright. . .but that was before his visceral reaction to the name I’d offered up from a dream.

“Narfi,” I whispered into the dark, looking around as if I might see his skulking shape in the shadows, then squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my face, frightened that it would happen.

A dream it might have been, but it held meaning, though not to me. Did that mean it was a vision? Like those that Oighrig had? I’d seen the toll they took on her.

On and on for hours my thoughts rushed, faster than the rapids of the South flowing river.

And I’d kissed Hati. My Alpha. One of the Vargr. Or had he kissed me?

It had happened so fast I didn’t even remember what had started it.

Gods, he had the ability to overpower every other thought when he was in my head. I remembered how spiced his scent had been, the roughness of his fingers gripping my jaw, the bright lava heat in his gaze. Even the timbre of his growl but an echo in my ears made my insides flutter.

I kicked the tangled sheets free of my legs and fanned myself, my body flushed and beaded with sweat. I barely felt the sting of my palm anymore. Back were the primal instincts that told me Hati was right; he was unmated, unclaimed, and willing. My fingers trailed over my hip, hand fisting between my legs to ease the ache, a feeling I’d only ever had when I went into season. Even then, I’d always resisted the urge to find a male. Of course, I’d seen the act before, had smelt the arousal in the air at summer hunts when a pair might trail behind to couple, knew the flush in one’s cheeks when they returned.

There was no shame in unmated wolves having sex with no commitment, but no male had ever inspired my body to react like this.

Rolling onto my stomach, I pressed my face into the pillow and let out a muffled whimper.

How could I want him? Of all the males in the world, why the one that continued to tear down walls, revealing secrets that saw that my life would forever remain as unsettled as snowflakes in a raging storm? A male who was older than I could even guess for him to be the son of The Great Wolf, the grandson of Loki, of all things. An Alpha so far above my station. . .and promised to another female.

How could I be so torn with jealousy and want when I was the reason at least three wolves were dead?

“Have you been up all night?”

Astrid’s voice came from the doorway, but I was too exhausted to lift my face from the pillow.

“Is it morning?”

She chuckled. “Yes.”

Turning my head and peeling an eye open, I saw light filtering in from the windows to confirm her answer. I sighed and pushed myself to sit up, wondering if I’d managed to catch more than a few minutes sleep at a time between my fretting.

Astrid swept in and perched on the bed by my leg as I attempted to tame the locks of dark hair that had knotted in front of my face during my tossing and turning.

“I don’t think I slept more than an hour, so yes, I suppose I have been up all night,” I finally answered, my voice rough and croaky.

She frowned, blonde hair spilling over her shoulder as she cocked her head and studied me. After a few more seconds of watching me struggle, she batted my hands away to fix my hair herself. “Caldar told me what happened last night. My mother filled me in too. I tried to find Hati this morning but. . .well, he grumbled something at me after he came back from a run then locked himself in his chambers. He's refusing to speak to anyone until after this morning’s meeting, which I’m here to get you ready for.”

I was glad she knew; though the extent of what she knew remained to be seen. That she was here and still willing to help me meant more than she would ever know.

“There’s still much I don’t understand. Everything feels like a dream, or like it happened to someone else and I’ve ended up in their place.” Picking at the side of my nail, my chest clenched but I forced myself to keep breathing. Last night was all the time I had to break, today I had to put myself back together.

“Understanding will come with time. For now, you need a bath. You stink of sweat and blood and. . .” Leaning in, she took a dramatically long sniff, and crystal eyes whipped up to my face as her lips curled. “What else did you and my cousin discuss last night?”

My cheeks burned and I dropped my gaze to the dark green blanket wrapped around me. “It doesn’t matter now.”

She hummed but didn’t press for more, instead nodding to the table by my bed. “Drink and eat while I make sure the water is warm for you. Have you ever had a warm bath before?”

I shook my head and she grinned wide.

“You are going to love it.”

I smiled for her benefit, but inside I felt cold. Numb. Another day, I might have appreciated her efforts. While she checked on the bath, I turned to place the waiting tray on my lap. A clay cup held a green liquid that smelt earthy and inviting, another cup of cold fresh water that was a godsend that I drunk so greedily, much spilled down my chin. The food was simple berries and bread which wouldn’t sit too heavy in my anxiety churning stomach, and got rid of the horrid, sticky taste in my mouth that came with being up all night.

Birdsong drifted in from outside, and I leaned back with closed eyes to listen, allowing all thoughts to drift from my head. It could have been a gloomy day for all I knew, but hearing the chirping of other creatures daring to face the brunt of winter so far North made my heart lighten. Even after I sensed Astrid return, I gave myself a few more seconds before getting out of bed.

My legs shook beneath me, and the bandage wrapped around my hand dug in and stung. I didn’t have the strength to remove it yet. Doing so would reveal whether Hati had been right about me all along.

“Do you want some help?” Astrid offered, taking a few steps forward.

I shook my head and straightened my back, a muscle in my cheek jumping when a sharp pain shot down. She waited patiently as I hobbled over, and I felt the warmth of her hand hovering behind my back should I need help. I didn’t like feeling incapable, but I appreciated her efforts to care for me. Part of me wanted my mother, but facing my family was another thing I wasn’t ready for. All night I’d imagined the disgust on their faces as Father told them that my blood was the reason we’d lost pack.

A gentle rumble from the female next to me urged me to keep moving. We turned down the hall, away from the room where Einry worked. Her door was shut, but I could hear her muttering to herself. Was she testing my blood? Had she found anything yet? Would she find a way to stop it from drawing the Blood Drinkers?

Would life ever feel normal again?

Astrid led me a few doors down with giddy excitement. All this over a wash? I was more used to dunking myself in a river, or using the water from the basin in my room, I couldn’t see how warm water was really any different from cold. Steam billowed out as we stepped inside, and my nose was assaulted by a heady floral scent that made my body relax immediately. The bath looked like a large bucket, and the steam was so thick it gave the room a dreamlike quality.

“In you get then.” She gave my back a nudge. “I grabbed one of your dresses on my way down for once your done.”

Eager to be out of my sweat drenched shift, I tugged it off and trailed closer to the bath. My nostrils flared as I took in the smell, and I eyed the odd milky water with a measure of wariness.

“Good gods, it’s not poison.” Astrid laughed, lowering herself onto a nearby stool. “It’s a draft my mother makes, it’ll help you relax, that’s all.”

I cast her a disgruntled look but she only smirked. I wondered if she knew how much like Hati she was.

Lifting a leg, I prodded the strange water with a toe then dunked my entire leg in. I nearly squealed, the hot water burning my freezing skin. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, and I felt Astrid’s smugness as I gave in and immersed myself. A shudder rattled my body and a deep sigh left my lips as my eyelids drooped.

“Oh.”

My friend chuckled and dragged her the stool over to sit beside me. “We don’t have them often, it takes ages to heat up the water. . .unless you have a little magic.”

The word made me freeze. I knew exactly why she’d said it, could feel her gaze searching my expression. She said nothing else though, leaning over to dunk a cloth into the water. I wasn’t too surprised when she started to clear away grime from my face. In fur, we helped each other clean all the time. Less so in skin. And definitely not in a bath.

She changed the topic to more mundane things. The snow was finally lying. Another wolf had arrived, probably the last of the year. Simple things that I forced myself to hum and nod at while the warmth I soaked in lulled my into a doze. Never in my life had I felt so content and warm, right to my bones. Until I heard the heavy thud of boots. I knew him from the even and confident stride, held my breath as they drew ever closer in quick haste. So quick and single-minded in fact, that the Alpha walked right past without even noticing us.

I slumped.

Astrid snorted.

“See, as I said. He is in a foul mood.”

I cracked a smile, but I was listening in as he knocked on the healer’s door. At the other end of the hall, I shouldn’t have been able to hear them as clearly as I did. Astrid herself either couldn’t hear or wasn’t interested in what they had to say. She passed me the cloth so I could finish washing while she focussed on cleaning my hair and freeing it of tangles.

“You’ve found something,” Hati said, his voice only slightly muffled by the door I imagine he made sure to shut behind him.

Eirny didn’t waste a second, and I tried not to react as she explained what had kept her up through the night.

“There is magic present in her blood, but there’s no way to tell whether it’s like ours, or more like the seers from this realm. I theorise that when you tried to heal her leg, your own magic awoke abilities that might have otherwise lay dormant all her life. It could be that if any of her family in her father’s line might experience the same if they too were triggered, or-”

“Or it could just be her.”

Silence followed his remark. I could feel Astrid’s eyes on me as I continued to wash a nights worth of sorrow from my skin. I glanced at her through my lashes and she quirked her head.

“You can hear them?”

I nodded slowly and her reaction wasn’t what I expected. Her eyes twinkled and she gave me a conspiratorial wink, holing a finger up to her lips. She wouldn’t blow our cover.

“Her father has similar scent markers so I’m certain he is her father,” Hati continued. “However, she was marked out by her scent from the day she was born so I don’t believe any of the others in her family possess whatever she does. Moreover, we may need to send someone to Asgardr to listen out for talk of a she-wolf showing up in Helheim around the time Eabha was unconscious.”

Eirny made a high pitched noise. “What? That can’t be.”

“We will discuss it later. I want her to hear what you have found for herself.”

“Hati. . .if what you’re saying is true, I have another guess. If your magic woke something in her, I think it’s possible that your blood, and the magic of the sacrifice made last night, brought forth the full extent of the power she might hold. Power that comes from the dead, the ability to hear them, visit them.” Her voice lowered and my skin prickled with her next words. “If she was there, if that’s what happened last night, then you know what she could be, Hati.”

“It might mean nothing,” he argued, but his tone was harsh with something other than belief. “Where is she?”

Eirny muttered something too quiet to hear before saying slowly, “I believe she’s is in the bathing room down the hall. With Astrid.”

He cursed loudly and I heard the creak of a door being battered open.

Astrid and I shared a look then both our heads whipped round as heavy steps thudded our way. Hati appeared in the doorway, irritation pinching his features as his gaze swept over us both like he’d caught us sneaking food before our turn. I kept my chin up to meet his gaze. It wasn’t my fault he hadn’t been paying enough attention to realise we were here.

“Cousin,” Astrid chirped, rising from her stool.

His lip curled slightly. “Astrid. You are a bad influence.”

She scoffed and gave him a wicked grin, skipping her way towards him. “Yet I am one of the few you trust her with. I’m going to pretend I hear Mother calling for me, but I will be back. Oh, what’s that, Mother? Yes, I’m just coming!”

Neither of us were impressed by her act.

I wanted to beg her to stay, and she knew it too as she glanced back at me. “There’s a towel on the table for when you’re ready to get out.”

My lips moved in protest but no sound came out as I watched the train of Astrid’s dress disappear around the corner. One might have thought she’d planned it all right down to leaving the door open. She’d tricked me the other day too when she’d sent me to fetch water not far from where Hati was training some of the pack. Hati stepped aside for her but his eyes never once left me.

“I thought you’d left to see your family when I saw the bed empty,” he said, unabashedly letting his eyes trail from my face down to where milky water barely concealed the rest of my body.

I’d never cared about anyone looking before, but he made it feel far too intimate, even with the length of the room between us. Suddenly I found the bathwater too hot and could feel my chest flush, the blush rising to stain my cheeks. Bringing my knees up to cover my chest, I pretended I didn’t enjoy the moment his bottom lip jutted out before he sucked in a breath and brought his now glowing eyes back to my face.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I answered. “Astrid thought a bath would make me feel better.”

We were playing a dangerous game. One that would make an enemy of Gerlac if I wasn’t careful. Alpha Hati was promised to Ingrid, I reminded myself, letting that knowledge force away any delight in teasing the male before me. Not just any male either. A practical deity.

Which meant I had to start believing in the impossible. “What am I?”

“What do you mean?”

“Eirny said what she is, not who, what.”

At first he looked as though he was going to deny it before he bowed his head, admitting, “We still don’t know for sure.”

“Then I don’t think it’s only me in denial. Eirny certainly seems to think she knows.”

“Eirny can’t be right, what she speaks of. . .it couldn’t possibly be you.”

“I want to know anyway,” I insisted, hating that we’d fallen into an argument so quickly.

“You would not understand. It involves centuries worth of history not even of this realm-“

“So tell me the history! I know who you are, what you are, but I don’t understand it. You promised me answers. You need to explain how any of this is possible. How you ended up here in this realm, leading skin shifters as their Alpha, who it is you’re really guarding against, and exactly what I might have to do with any of it, even if it turns out I don’t.”

His expression gentled and he turned to shut the door as if that would stop his cousin and aunt from listening in. “You are not ready to hear such dark things, Little Alpha. It would be an unneeded burden to add when I know it can’t have anything to do with you. You are still finding your feet here, and grieving your losses; sometimes ignorance is better.”

“For who? You?” I snapped, resisting the urge to slap the water.

“You think I’m being ignorant?” he asked lowly, stalking further into the room. “You heard what I did from Eirny, so you know as much as I do. She said nothing can be confirmed, other than you possess some form of magic.”

I shook my head and sat up, even while my mind reeled at that revelation. Magic. I had magic. “That’s not true, we don’t know as much as the other. You have context that I don’t, even Astrid probably knows more than I.”

“But we don’t know for certain,” he repeated, irritation flashing across stern features.

“Because you’re in denial about something!”

He snarled. I bared my teeth.

This would never get us anywhere.

Cupping water in my hands, I closed my eyes and splashed my face, attempting to rub away the tension. Hati calmed too, his posture softening as he watched me. Once I was sure I could speak with no malice, I looked back up.

“I admit that ever since I arrived on these shores something has been happening to me. More than I realised. As I said, I didn’t sleep, so I’ve had a lot of time to think. It isn’t just the dream with Narfi, it’s the other dreams too.”

Burning curiosity replaced his anger and he approached to take the stool Astrid had vacated. “Go on.”

I licked my lips, and fought against self-preservation that told me this was too personal a thing to tell.

“My second night here, I dreamt I was in a meadow that stretched on endlessly, and in that meadow, I ran with my brother Mànas. Like last night, I could feel my surroundings. The tickle of the grass under my paws, the breeze ruffling my fur. I could smell the flowers and the deer that had passed through. . .” My gaze dropped to the water to watch the misty swirls that created no patterns when disturbed. “Uncle Aonghas was there too, and others, though I don’t know them. I thought nothing of it. They were just dreams to me. They brought me peace. Then after Yousuf died, the dreams changed. They became darker. Flashes of their faces, their voices; unhappy and filled with pain. The meadows were no longer full of life but scorched earth and brittle trees-“

“Hush, Little Alpha.”

It wasn’t until he reached out to swipe away tears with his thumb that I realised I was crying.

Furious that I’d crumbled so quickly, venom returned to my tone. “Does that help you narrow down what I could be? Was I really there with them?”

“Eabha.” He dropped his hand, the tips of his fingers trailing in the bath water. “I wish I could give you a definitive answer. As of now, there are two possibilities. One far more likely than the other.”

“And they are?”

Perhaps sensing I would no longer allow him to leave me with nothing, he pressed his forearms against the edge of the tub and schooled his features. “Your aunt is a seer, correct?”

He waited for my nod before continuing, “We have seers from these lands too, so it’s possible you’re some sort of Völva. They’ve been known to fall into deep unconscious states, to see visions they can interact with, and though it’s very rare, some can commune with the dead. It’s an old magic slowly being lost, just as it is in your homeland. One of your ancestors might have been one of these seers, and for whatever reason, my magic awoke that in you.”

That was a simple explanation, and one that made sense; Oighrig’s gift had skipped her mother and been passed down from her maternal grandmother. But to stay dormant for centuries? It left too many unanswered changes in me too; my faster ability to heal, the bettering of my senses, the way I could withstand the need to give my submission, even to a Vargr Alpha. It would take brute force from him to have my neck if I was unwilling to give it, we’d both come to realise that.

“What is the other possibility?”

Back was the growing tension that strained his shoulders, muscle bulging under the tunic that clung to him. His jaw tensed and his hands clasped together so tight, his knuckles whitened.

He wasn’t going to answer.

I shoved myself to my feet, disturbing the water in a wave that splashed over the edges to soak the floor, and startled Hati into standing too.

“Is this to do with who you thought sent me to mess with you? You thought I was a part of something, colluding with someone who is after you. I’m right, yes?” I smirked as his expression hardened. “Narfi, is that it? Your brother Skoll? I know him from the stories but you’ve never mentioned him.”

I heard the crunch of bone as his eyes flashed dangerously, fur trying to break free of skin. His voice roughened like gravel as he warned, “Watch yourself. You are ignorant of what you speak of, you know nothing of Narfi, or me, or my brother. I give you more lenience than I do any other here, but you continue to cross the line, and I will no longer stand for it. Gods be damned, I am your Alpha!”

Fury burned hot through my veins and my hands fisted at my side. What did it matter that he was my Alpha when it came to this? To my life? To what was going on all around us?

“I will never let you kiss me again,” I spat, unsure why that was what I decided to threaten him with to get answers.

A low growl filled the space between us, and he bared his teeth to show partially shifted fangs. The sound awoke my instincts, my fingers curling into claws as I growled right back.

“Keep your secrets. Keep Ingrid. Keep me out of whatever is going on. Do not ever accuse me of conspiring behind your back again when I could accuse you of doing the same. You promised me answers, you broke your word. Now, excuse me, Alpha, I have a meeting I really need to prepare for.”

I turned to step out of the tub, snatching the clean length of soft cloth Astrid had left for me to dry. Gods. If she and Eirny weren’t listening with their ears pressed against the wall, they had far more respect than I did.

My whole body shook with the strength it took not to turn and shift, fear of what would happen if I did helping me keep that last thread of control. I was tired of being lied to, of things being left out in fear my poor self wouldn’t be able to handle it. I’d already proven I could, had I not?

“You’re right.” A hand grabbed my arm once I dropped the towel, and I was spun back to face a wide chest. “Maybe I'm not ready to tell my whole life story to a female I have known for only one cycle of the moon.”

Something between a scoff and a laugh escaped me as I glared up equally enraged golden eyes. “But you’d kiss her?”

His eyes narrowed and he drew me closer, his fingers digging into my arm. I had to brace my hands against his chest to keep space but it was pointless as his lips brushed the shell of my ear, the tickle of his breath making me shudder.

“I would do more than kiss her.”

His answer stole away any rebuttal I could begin to form. Then he was pulling away and changing the subject before I could properly comprehend what those heated words even meant.

“Maybe you shouldn’t attend the meeting; these events have obviously been overwhelming. You should rest, take more time to think. Anything else you might remember or put together could help us.”

He hoped to prove Eirny wrong. Whatever conclusion she’d come to about me, he made me feel as if I better pray she was wrong.

“What’s the point in thinking about it anymore.” Tugging myself free of his grip, I tore my gaze away from his in fear looking into his eyes would make me break again. “My blood attracts the demons, that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?”

I watched his reaction through my lashes, caught the very moment he wavered.

“Yes. I suppose that’s all that matters.” Something rustled at his side and I glanced down to see he had one of my dresses bundled in his hand.

Astrid hadn’t picked any old dress either, but the one that had been buried at the bottom of the chest at the end of my bed. It shimmered in the candlelight in iridescent hues of midnight blue, and heather green and purple. Spotting where my attention had been drawn to, he lifted it up and let it unravel so I could see it in full for the first time. Once more I was in awe. My other dresses were all simple but bright colours made for chores and trekking the territory. The sleeves were simply cut, the bodice fitted while the skirts were full and made a swishing sound at the slightest movement. This was a dress for a proper lady. Like Ingrid.

“Turn around.”

I hesitated before complying, catching sight of the complicated laces that would keep the dress in place. He helped me in, chuckled as I grumbled at how uncomfortable such a pretty garment was. It was stiff and heavy, pinching too once Hati tied and knotted everything into place.

I smoothed my hands over the odd texture, and hated the smile curving my lips as I caught my reflection in the small mirror on the table. My hair was a wild mess of dark chestnut hair even after Astrid did her best to tame it, and the dark dress made me skin look impossibly pale with the skin-kissed glow of the male standing behind me. His lips moved as he studied me in turn, but I couldn’t make out what he said.

“I have to go to the meeting, no matter how I’m feeling. Being on the council might end up being all I have after my father tells my family the truth about me. They’ll need space. If I am left with nothing, I’m afraid I might run. I’m afraid I’ll decide that’s what’s best.”

“You are being very honest with me today,” he murmured, and I watched the reflection of his finger ghosting over the curve of my hip.

I snorted and cast him a wry glance over my shoulder. “You’ve made it clear I have to be when it comes to you, but you don’t give me the same courtesy.”

“I am not being dishonest to hurt you; I’m trying to protect you. I wish you would believe that. Yes, there are other things going on, some of which you will find out through these council meetings if you are patient.”

“And the other things?”

He glanced up at the roof to gather his patience. “Are not for you to bear. Not yet at least, Little Alpha. Climb your way to my highranked and you will be privy to the rest.”

I rolled my eyes. As if that was a possibility.

Gently turning me to face him again, he levelled me with a look that begged me to listen.

“I have some advice for you if you’re sure you’re coming to the meeting. I know you delight in thwarting my orders and arguing with all I say, but doing so with Gerlac will hinder you greatly. Don’t risk it. Do as he says, listen, offer your opinion only if he asks for now. Prove him wrong about how well you can handle the politics. I need you to show the council you’re an asset.”

“Rather than a liability,” I surmised.

“Yes.” He sighed and looked towards the door as if someone might come barging in. “They’ll find out about you eventually. Gerlac already suspects something, but if you do well under his tutelage, if you make a good impression, we won’t have to worry that he will see you as better off elsewhere. Others will follow his lead.”

Better off elsewhere, that meant banished or dead, I was sure. Unfortunately, I wasn’t yet convinced that wasn’t exactly what should happen to me if it meant the safety of the hundreds of wolves taking refuge here. And if I wasn’t convince, it would be harder still to convince others. Gerlac would use anything he could to undermine me; unless my doing well with him would bolster his ego enough.

Rough fingers captured my jaw to lift my face, and I hated the earnest way with which Hati's eyes searched mine. “Tell me you trust me.”

I licked my lips, feeling breathless as he implored me to do as he ordered. Did I trust him? It would be a lie to say so. It would also be a lie to say I didn’t. “We’re going to be late.”

He growled again, but the sound was strangely pleasant, surrounding me in warmth. Chin still cupped in his hand, Hati rested his forehead against mine and muttered, “Frustrating female.”

My lips twitched. He’d said that before, and if I remembered rightly, we’d been in a similar position. Releasing me slowly, he stepped back to put a respectful amount of distance between us.

“You should braid your hair.”

I frowned, fingering a damp dark lock. “Why?”

He smirked and once again, left my question unanswered. Turning slowly, the rumble of his laugh followed him out the door. I watched him disappear deeper into the heart of the castle, my skin still tingling where he’d touched me, and my nostrils flaring to take in his scent before it disappeared behind the smoke of candles.

A face popped round the door, sparkling blue eyes taking in my flushed skin and dazed expression.

“Was that a smile on Hati’s face?”

My hands fluttered uselessly in front of me. “I honestly can’t tell the difference between his moods, they change so quickly. Everything he says and does is a contradiction.”

“Is it?” Astrid queried, drawing out the words as she picked up the comb she’d been using. “I think he is a rather easy male to read.”

She motioned for me to sit and went about finishing unknotting the nest on top of my head.

Hati was about as easy to read as the inscriptions on the old standing stones back home. They left vague impressions, open to interpretation. For instance, I thought he was going to kiss me again before yet another demand for me to trust him. I’d told him we wouldn’t kiss again, but I would have let him then.

“There, all done.” Running her fingers through my hair, Astrid took her time making sure she hadn’t missed a single knot band a contended purr nearly escaped my lips.

I was so starved for touch here. Maybe that was why I was going against my better judgement.

Hati’s request rang in my ears and I tried to sound nonchalant as I asked, “Can you braid it for me?”

“Of course!” Astrid beamed at first. I’d seen her braiding hair during the evening gatherings, both males and females flocking for her to do theirs, so I knew she enjoyed it. But suspicion quickly followed her excitement, crystal eyes narrowing. “Is there a reason why? You normally wear it loose.”

I knew she would notice the slightest hesitancy, hear the moment my heart stuttered, or the crack in my voice, so I decided not to lie. There was more to the Alpha’s request than I understood, but maybe Astrid would.

“Alpha Hati asked.”

She smirked. “Did he now.”

“Yes, does it mean something?”

Blue eyes fluttered with mirth but she tutted gently and pressed on my shoulders to sit forward again. “I wouldn’t think to guess Hati’s thoughts on the matter. You are the witch, can you not read his mind?”

“It is too soon for such jokes,” I mumbled, then hissed as her fingers finally caught on a knot she’d missed. I didn’t believe it was an accident.

“It is never too soon for jokes, Eabha.”