Free

Chapter 4

Atarah awoke slowly to the sound of birds singing outside the open window and a light breeze which caused her brown hair to tickle her forehead. She sat up slowly, observing the small bedroom in which she found herself. She vaguely remembered Cyrus escorting her here last night, but by then she was too exhausted from her journey to even see straight. The room was small but comfortable, the floor, much like the rest of the house, was covered in furs. The room had one window that could be closed with wooden shutters and a trunk at the end of the bed, where she could store her belongings if she decided to stay. 

She leaped out of bed, quite literally as the furniture was remarkably high for seemingly no reason, and made her way out of the safety of the room. Atarah could hear arguing from the living room and made her way as stealthily as possible in hopes of finding information that would prove valuable to understanding this wolf-worshiping tribe she found herself in company with. 

“So you plan to lie to her!” a voice shouted. Atarah tiptoed into the living room, only to realize the chatting party was not there. She could hear the voices more clearly, perhaps in the next room?

“I am not lying!” she recognized this voice as Cyrus, “I have spoken no untruths.”

Atarah poked her head into the next room but quickly whipped it back when she could see three figures standing in a kitchen. There was Cyrus, the blond man who spoke with him by the fire, and another man she had yet to meet. 

“Alpha, I mean no disrespect-”

“Then don’t disrespect me,” Cyrus snapped, “Besides this discussion is over. It appears as if our lovely guest has an affinity for spying.”

Atarah walked around the corner, head down with a delectable blush decorating her cheeks. 

She immediately opened her mouth to apologize for her rudeness, but bit her lip. To apologize would be attempting she did wrong, and she would not attempt her wrongdoing. "Good morning," she went with instead. 

"Good morning, pup," Cyrus calmly smiled at her. Much to her surprise, he did not seem angered by her spying, "I trust you slept well."

"Very well," she politely nodded, "and you?"

The Alpha-chief simply nodded in return and then raised a brow at the blond man. 

The man's eyes widened but he bowed his head at Cyrus. 

"Miss," the man said the address with uncertainty, as though he had never spoken such a formal greeting, "I'm to take a morning lap around the village, to check if all is in order. Will you accompany me?" 

Atarah raised a brow, quickly studying the three men before her. The third was standing in the corner, invisible, but raised his head suddenly as if he felt her gaze. The man seemed familiar to her somehow, but she assumed she must have seen him at the bonfire. He looked away from her and turned his gaze to the floor. 

Atarah wondered why the blond man would request her presence so boldly. Perhaps Cyrus is trying to get her to leave? Is the man charged with taking her to the woods and leaving her? Regardless, Atarah saw it as a great opportunity to familiarize herself with the territory and to better understand what sort of people she will be keeping company with. She thanked him for the offer and accepted. 

Before she could leave, Cyrus stopped her. 

“He can be trusted, don’t worry. He will always protect you, just as I will,” Cyrus handed her a small loaf of bread, “In case you find yourself hungry. I shall see you again when the sun is at its highest, Pup. Do you still have the dagger with you?” 

“Yes,” she raised a brow, “Are you expecting I will need it? I thought you said I would be safe here.”

“You will,” He insisted, “You are more confident with a weapon in hand, and I want my people to see your fire as I have. If anyone questions your presence, simply tell them you are with me. Understand?”

“I understand,” she nodded. She knew she should have ended that statement with a title, but no longer was sure which to use. Alpha was a title others used and had a formality she appreciated, but it sounded weird coming from her mouth and wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate for an outsider to call him by the name. Cyrus was his god-given name, but she was afraid that he would interpret her saying it as an acceptance of his intention to court. So she settled on not addressing him at all.

“I will see you soon, little one,” he smiled at her fondly. He hesitated only a moment before leaving the room altogether, with only Atarah and the two men still in the kitchen. 

“Well,” the blond man began, “Shall we?”

Atarah collapsed against the large log, content to let the old wood support her weary body. She had traveled all around the so-called pack, but, luckily, she had not interacted with anyone except the blond man. There were stares of course, but everyone kept their distance. The blond man stood behind the log, making notes on a piece of parchment. She wanted to ask his name, but it seemed she had passed the point in time where it would be awkward for her to admit not knowing it. She assumed, earlier in the day, he would introduce himself, but she was sadly mistaken. However, he did keep conversation with her. She was surprised at his kind manner of speech, as he pointed at pleasant sights that they passed on their walk and would repeatedly ask if she needed a rest. If she had known his name, she would say they were well on their way towards friendship. 

“The Alpha will be here in a moment,” the man sighed, folding up the parchment and slipping it into the back of his trousers, “He wants to meet you here for some refreshments.” 

Atarah simply nodded, doubting she had much of the say in the matter. Regardless, a rest and some food sounded wonderful to her. 

“Here he is now,” Atarah looked up at the man’s words, only to see the Alpha walking over the hill towards them. He grinned as soon as his eyes met Atarah’s and seemed to travel at a much quicker pace. 

“I’ll excuse myself,” the blond man nodded, as soon as the Alpha was close, “I’ll be back as soon as you are finished, to continue our walk.”

Atarah nodded, but all she could think was- How could there possibly be more land to explore? The two had traveled all morning and had seen more than she had cared to. 

“Little one,” The Alpha sat on the ground beside her, and presented a small wrapped bundle to her, “I’ve brought some bread, cheese, and dear.” 

“Thank you,” Atarah smiled sincerely, unwrapping the bundle between the two. She reached in and grasped some bread and cheese. She immediately felt relief to have her belly filled once again. 

After a few moments, the Alpha asked, “Are you not fond of dear?” 

Atarah was startled by the question, having grown accustomed to the silence between the two. 

“No,” she began to fiddle with her bread, “I prefer not to eat meat.”

“No meat?” she heard astonishment in the Alpha’s voice, “Why would you starve yourself in such a way, Pup?”

“I am not starved,” Atarah sighed, having had this conversation many times before, in her village, “I simply prefer not to eat a living creature. If I can help it, I will not take a life or enjoy the benefits of said life being taken. However, if a winter is particularly harsh, I will not starve.” 

The Alpha was silent for several moments. This silence prompted Atarah to finally look up to see his expression, only to find him already looking at her. He seemed confused but she could detect a hint of pride. 

“You are a woman of strong will and kindness,” He smiled, “While I may not understand, I will be sure there is always other food for you to eat. I want to aid in the fulfillment of all your wishes. If not eating meat is that wish, then so be it.” 

Atarah was astonished. Even in her village, where the men were much more civilized than in this wolf village, they still disapproved of her ways. One boy even destroyed her garden, in an attempt to voice her to eat meat. Her uncle told her it was natural for her ways to make men uncomfortable. According to him, providing meat by ways of hunting is what made a man feel useful for his wife. She had responded that real men would never feel that way, and here, right before her, she finally met a real man. 

The two shared a smile and continued to eat in comfortable silence.