Lunansholt: The tale of the beginning of the wolves

CH 2 Astra

Leif left the longhouse in a daze as everything he was told replays in his mind along with images of a faceless woman burning. His legs carried him absent-mindedly from the longhouse through the village while everything circled around in his mind, eventually finding himself at the training grounds once his mind finally cleared. He shrugged and moved to sit on a boulder just outside the edge of the grounds to watch the warriors spar. He watches them shift to their wolves and back, fighting in both forms. He looked around as the jealousy started to creep in again. Being the only warrior without a wolf in a village of wolves was lonely, especially since he wasn’t allowed to train with them.

He watches them fight, taking mental notes on their movements through their match, both as wolves and as humans. He noticed the micro movements the wolves would do just before they would attack. He had a natural ability to see what the fighter was going to do before they attacked, even in wolf form. He could tell by muscle twitching in their legs or arms and sometimes even by a flick of their eyes to know what they were about to do. He taught himself to fight by watching others then training alone while replaying the fights in his mind, eventually graduating to one on one with a comrade.

Once all the kids he grew up with received their wolves, they saw Leif as a weakness. Believing that because he wasn’t chosen by the Moon Goddess then he must not be able to have one or that he wasn’t deserving of one. His relationship with the pack left him shunned by most but Harald, his adoptive father, he thought bitterly now, was what got him the opportunity to apply to be the leader of his war party. He trained for most of the day every day for months to make sure he was worthy of being a warrior, not just as Harald’s son and though he was only human he held his own on the battlefield. Even when he fought other wolves, he never lost a battle.

"Hey handsome" Leif looks over at the sweet voice calling him and sees Astra walking towards him. She was coated in sweat that caused her to shine in the sunlight. She was the same age as Leif as they grew up together. She has had a crush on Leif for as long as he can remember, which confuses him considering she could have anyone in the village that she wanted. She was breathtakingly beautiful with brown hair that in the light highlighted her auburn undertones, piercing cyan eyes, perfect pouty lips, and a button nose. She is the most beautiful woman in the village and she knows it. Her only flaw being her height, at only 5'2", shorter than all the other wolves in the village, but if she heard anyone talking about her height, she would make their life hell.

Leif waves at her as she walks up to him and as soon as she gets close enough, he scoops her into his arms and kisses her. "Hello beautiful" he says and she smiles wrapping her arms around him bringing him closer. She was wearing ripped and stained pants that showed off her legs and a top that barely covered her large full breasts. She sighs as she reaches up to hold him and subtly places her bare breasts that popped out from underneath her top hard, against his chest sighing as she felt his warmth against her n*****s.

Leif moans and kisses her neck. She smiles in return but moves back lowering her arms and placing them on his chest pushing away to prevent them from going further, "what are you doing here, Leif?" Leif looks at her as she sits next to him locking her arm through his and lays her head on his shoulder.

"I needed to think and watching the warriors help to organize my thoughts." Leif lays his head on top of hers and breathes in her natural scent.

"Want to talk about it?" Leif raises his head then shakes it indicating he didn’t want to. Astra looks at him batting her eyes the way she knows makes all the men in the village do whatever she asks them to. Leif just smiles and kisses her forehead, "I have to go out on another mission." She looks at him suspiciously but nods. "So soon? You just came back yesterday from your last mission, isn't it Thors turn to go out?" Leif nods but says, "yeah it was but I volunteered to go since Thor's mate is going to give birth to their pup soon." Leif watches wondering if she will be able to tell he is lying to her and scans her for any signs she may suspect him. "That was very kind of you, especially considering the treatment you’ve received from him. Though I'm sure his mate will be very grateful to have him there."

Leif nods and looks away from her as they sit in silence for a while when Astra sits up and turns her body towards him and asks, "Can I ask you a question?" Leif nods and motions for her to go ahead.

"You know how much I love you, but you won’t mate with me. Why?”

Leif deflates a bit but answers, "Isn’t what we have enough, beautiful?" Leif cups her cheek to try and soothe her but fails as she looks at him with tears in her eyes.

"We've been friends since we were kids and I have stuck by your side when everyone abandoned you. I love you, Leif. I want to be your mate and give you sons." Her bottom lip starts to quiver as a stray tear falls from her left eye.

Leif though irritated hides it well rubbing circles on her cheek and wipes the tear away to soothe her again. "You are a beauty far beyond what I deserve. You deserve someone who could give you a good life. My destiny is to die in an unimportant battle. Without a wolf I can't offer the protection any other warrior in the village will be able to grant you."

"I don't want another warrior I want you." She says stubbornly and crosses her arms over her chest and pouts.

Leif smiles, Gods she's adorable, he thought. "I know, love. I just need to feel worthy of you."

"You mean you want to take the time to give your d**k to every thrall here in the village before you'll be ready to mate me."

Leif coughs as he chokes on his spit. "Astra, it’s not like that at all." He tries to reach for her to help convince her, but she shakes her head with wet eyes as she extends her arm out away from him arching her back and placing her hand flat on the rock performing a back handspring off the boulder and onto the ground nearby. "Leif, I have been very patient with you but that won't last forever." Leif watches as she walks away and groans while falling back onto the boulder.

Leif lays back and watches the sky as he thinks, I never wanted a mate. I don't deserve a mate. He sat there trying to decide on what to do when he heard his name being called. He looks to his right seeing his only friend running towards him, Thornben, still a few hundred yards away.

Leif stands and walks towards him but after a few seconds Thornben was I front of him having run 500 yards in that amount of time. Leif groans again and Thornben laughs, "in your feelings again?"

"Shut up. I was ambushed by Astra again. My heads throbbing now."

Thornben booms in laughter then noticing Leif’s face tries to quiet his laughter, but after imagining her yelling at him to mate her starts laughing all over again. "She nagging about mating with you again?"

Leif nods, "yeah the harpy won't leave me alone about it."

Thornben turns still laughing as Leif walks past him and slaps his friend on his shoulder as they both walk off. "Do you even like the wench?" Leif rubs his shoulder and shakes his head. "She's beautiful but I feel nothing more than lust for her. I respect her but truthfully she isn't what I would imagine for myself as a mate, or wife, I guess that’s the proper title since I’m human."

Thornben smirks knowingly, "do you even imagine yourself with a mate?" He quickly adds on after the second statement from Leif came out, “she would be your mate. Wolfless or not you are a member of this village and deserve to be treated as the wolf you are.” Leif chuckles but shakes his head ignoring his second statemen, "You know how I feel about the matter." Thornben laughs, "yeah as stupid as your reasoning is. There’s no guarantee that your pups would be wolfless too."

They walk in silence for a few minutes when Thornben clears his throat causing Leif to look at him. Leif notices he looks uneasy and watches him fidget awkwardly for another few seconds before he blurts out, "Leif, Astra is not quite who you think she is. All I ask is that you watch her, before you do anything. Don't just give in because she is annoying you about it." Leif shoots an eyebrow up in question and Thornben shakes his head, "I won't say anything more about it but taking a mate is irreversible so be sure you know what you're doing."

Leif looks at him suspiciously but nods slowly. He looks away to see they are fast approaching his hut, and they both make their way to it in silence.