Bound By Faith Divided By Blood

Chapter 2.

As the day fell into evening, Elera got bored of staying there and watching her father's workers attend to the fishes and to customers. She just wanted him done so they could leave. As a child, she had seen this too many times.

“Elera, help him pack the fishes,” her father called from the shore among his employees. They were bringing out another boat filled with fishes. She had been sitting under the shade away from the sun, but with the sun setting, she walked out of the shade and went to the man struggling to pull out his net.

“You've grown so much,” the man said, and she smiled, assisting him with his net.

“Everyone grows,” she replied.

“Do you still remember when you were younger? Chasing after your father into the water?” he said, and she laughed.

That was sometime after her mother died; she always wanted to be with her father even when he was working. Her laugh died slowly as she felt a shift in the energy. She turned around, and her heart skipped as she saw the guy who had saved her from the wolves yesterday. He was standing in the trees that surrounded the way to the stream, and he was staring right at her.

She didn't know how to feel. He was a werewolf, so why had he killed one of his own to save her? She went back to helping the fisherman with his net, but after she was done, she turned and the guy was no longer there. She searched for him with her eyes, but he was gone. Elera returned to the shade, but this time, her eyes were on the trees, trying to see if he would come back.

“I want to see her again,” Rowan said, pacing his chamber.

Leon sat off to the side, watching him, slightly amused. It's rare to see Rowan confused about what to do.

“You just saw her,” Leon said, reminding him.

Rowan stopped and turned to him. “I still want to see her again.”

Leon smiled faintly. “I thought you said she isn’t your mate.”

Rowan straightened, running a hand through his hair as he looked out the window. “She’s human.” He paused, then glanced back. “Will Father accept a human mate from me?”

Leon thought for a while before speaking. “I don’t think the Alpha cares about that,” he said, shrugging.

Rowan frowned slightly, thinking. “Will she accept me being a werewolf? You saw how she ran from us…”

“She only saw us in our human forms,” Leon replied, interrupting. “And she’ll never know what we are… unless you tell her.”

Something struck Rowan, and he moved closer to his brother. “Leon… you lived among humans for a while. What are they like?”

Leon leaned back. “Complicated. Just be yourself,” he said and studied Rowan for a moment. “Or do you plan to go live with her?”

Rowan said nothing.

“Don’t scare her off, Rowan. Humans are wary of strangers,” Leon chuckled.

Rowan’s expression shifted, a spark of excitement lighting his face. “Then I can be her friend… yes, I can be her friend.”

Leon watched him carefully. “That depends on whether she wants to be your friend.”

Rowan frowned. “Why wouldn’t she?”

Leon’s smile faded slightly. “Because humans are wary of strangers.”

“Was there something in the woods?” Zach asked as they headed home. She was carrying his basket that contained some fishes and his working cloth. The question caught Elera off guard. She looked at her father, words caught in her mouth. Did he see the guy she saw? Did he know he was a werewolf?

“N… no, Father,” she said, and he looked briefly at her as they passed the road leading back to the village from the stream.

“You were staring there for a very long time, like you saw something,” he said. Before she could reply, some men passed them by and greeted her father. They engaged in small talk before they continued on their ways.

“There are rumors in the village that extraordinary people are around…” he continued once they began their journey home again. “Stay careful,” he added.

“Yes, Father, and there was nothing in the woods. I just loved the sight of the sunset in that direction,” she said. Her father met some other villagers, and they exchanged pleasantries again. It was a fellow elder, Elder Karl.

“My son just came back. He's now serving in the military,” the elder said, and Zach smiled.

“Congratulations, Karl,” he said, and Karl looked at Elera, who was trying to occupy herself by staring at the environment while waiting for her father.

“You have a very beautiful daughter. She would make a fine wife,” Karl said, and Elera turned to them when she heard “wife.” Matchmaking was a common thing among the elders, but she believed she wasn't ready for marriage.

“Oh, my daughter here…” Zach began with a smile while touching her shoulder. “I want her to get to know my business better before getting married. You know she is all I have, and I don't think I want her leaving me anytime soon,” he added, and Karl frowned.

“She can learn from her husband’s house,” he said, but Zach still kept his smile in place.

“She’d better learn while with me. We’ll get on our way now,” he said and tapped Elera for them to move. “You missed yesterday's meeting. There are uncertain speculations of some strange beings hiding in the trees. Don't stay out too late,” he advised, and they continued home.

“I will keep it in mind, Elder Zach,” Karl said, but it was to Zach’s back as he was already on his way home.

“Father, you don't like him?” she asked when they were closer to their court. She was grateful he didn't give room to the proposal, but she knew he had other reasons. Zach scoffed and glanced at her.

“He is deceitful… My daughter can't marry into such a family.”