Woman of the Woods

Ch.19 History

Silas was the first to wake up, the sound of ravens cawing pulled him from sleep. He went to stretch but found his arm trapped underneath a nude Cellie.

"Shite, I forgot her clothes, I'm sure I have a shirt hidden in here somewhere."

He carefully pulls his arm out from under her and riffles through the shelves to no avail. He then locates a small wooden box sitting with some extra belongings against the far wall. He opens the box quietly and happily pulls a long white shirt from within. But, something else also caught his attention. under the shirt, shimmering under the waning fire light was his mother's wedding ring. He had completely forgotten he hid it out here. He smiled to himself while closing the box and hiding it behind a large basin housing water for cleaning.

He sits down on the bed, causing Cellie to wake. She turns her doe eyes up towards him. A smile slowly sweeping across her features. She stretches her arms upwards and then slowly pushes herself up from the comfort of the fur. She quickly remembers her nudity as the frigid morning air engulfs her. she quickly enwraps herself in her arms and shivers.

Silas grins as her ears twitch in the cold. He pulls her closer and pulls the shirt down over her shoulders. The shirt is thankfully long enough to reach her knees.

"That better little one?

His voice was deep and smoky as he pulled her closer, lending some of his warmth.

She nods and lays her cheek against his bare chest.

"How are you so warm?"

She gazes up with an inquisitive expression as he responds.

"Wolves are, love, we need to be okay with the cold on occasion, so we run hotter."

He absentmindedly plays with her curls while speaking.

Cellie relaxed for a moment and then remembered the night of the coronation surrounded by all those wolves, then Silas's reaction to Cara's words regarding Cellie as the possible best Luna they have had in a long time.

"Si?"

"Yes?"

He leans up against the stone setting Cellie on his lap.

"During the celebration why did you react to Cara the way you did?"

He sighs and pauses for a moment in thought.

"The way she worded her statement reminded me of my mother, the Luna prior to you. She was incredible, she adored her family and her pack. She was the best mother I could have asked for. Your inclination towards kindness and your curiosities remind me abit of her."

Silas rests his arm around Cellie and kisses the top of her head.

"What happened to her?'

Cellie met his eyes and a profound sorrow swam through his irises.

"Well, my father and mother had a contract marriage. Meaning they were not mates. About seven years after I was born my father had found his true mate. He slowly changed and began ignoring my mother and I. We could handle being invisible, my mother and I found family in one another. The issues arose when the Lycan court denied my father's request to wipe my mother of her title and bestow it upon his mate. That's when he became violent. He would abuse my mother in hopes of making her abdicate. But, my mother being as stubborn as she was stayed put. One evening after dinner I was heading to my quarters to rest and heard a scream that stopped me in my tracks. I chased where the voice was coming from. I shoved open the door my senses lead me to, and my mother, Luna Fyre, was dead on the ground. My father stood over her his claws outstretched coated in her blood. I froze as he approached me with a hatred present in him I had never seen before and haven't seen since. My uncle, who has since passed, then shoved through the doorway knocking my father to the floor and pining him to the ground. One of the estate staff quickly escorted me away at that point. Later the next day my Father and his mate stood trial for the murder of Luna Fyre. I stood witness explaining to the court everything I saw. They were found guilty unanimously. The punishment for the murder of a Luna being death. A few months passed, my uncle took me under his wing, teaching me everything I needed to know. When I turned fifteen I was coronated as Alpha of the pack."

Cellie tightly embraced Silas, wishing beyond all else that she could wipe the memories away.

"I'm sorry Si."

Her voice was soft as she wiped away a stray tear burgeoning from his lower lid and lays a soft kiss against his lips.

Silas sighed and regained his confidant posture.

"It's in the past, love. I can't change it, but I can make my mother proud. I Know she would have adored you."

He set Cellie beside him then stood up from the bed and offered his hand down to her.

"Let's go have some fun, Cellie."

She stood up surrendering her hand to him as he smiled down at her.

They stepped outside into the vibrant sunlight, a light breeze whispering through the various plants and infant timber.

"How old are you, Si?"

He laughed with enough gusto to scare the surrounding birds from their trees.

"You switch topics very rapidly love. I appear 32, my actual age is 54. Wolves age at a much slower pace than most. But so do elves, so it kind of works out well."

He ruffles the hair on the top of Cellie's head as the words slip from his tongue.

"Gods, Why am I with someone so old?"

Her words swim from her lips with an aire of amused teasing.

"Hey you didn't seem to mind the first time I did this."

He picked her up swung her around in front of him and kissed her deeply.

She melted in his hold, every muscle in her body surrendering to him.

He gently pulled her away leaving a soft kiss on her nose and putting her back on the ground.

It didn't take long for Cellie's mind to regain its lively nature.

"I'm.."

"I know, you're 20. It was concerning at first, I had no idea how you would react." He interjected.

He wrapped his hand around hers and began leading her deeper into the woods.

"How long had you known I was your mate?"

"Well most wolves meet their mate when they turn 18, I was starting to wonder if you even existed. I was stupidly inebriated one evening after a large party at the village. I wandered out into the woods to gain some privacy. That's when my wolf, Garret came forward. He was rather insistent I push deeper into the trees, and that's the first time I saw you."