Not All Heroes Are Guiltless

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Aela’s POV

My stomach wakes me up with a large growl. I open my eyes, and the sunlight reaches the bed through a dirty glass pane window looking out into the dense forest.

I stretch my aching muscles, flexing them in instant relief except for the tenderness between my legs. For a moment I’m curious about what happened when memories came flooding back in a flash, and I sat up now cautious to the world around me.

A quick glance around the one room cabin, and I can just barely remember being brought to this abandoned building. Well, it looked abandoned on the outside. The inside was rather homely.

A rug on the floor stretched between two rocking chairs and a long footlocker against the wall nearest to the door. A stone masonry chimney, small enough to help warm the cozy hovel. A kitchen table with hand carved chairs is on the other side. A wood stove with the smell of roast bird and rosemary.

A wooden basin lies on the floor with a towel draped on it. The kitchen has shelves filled with pots, pans, plates, and mugs. A wine rack is filled with only about eight bottles.

The bed is in the corner with a wardrobe and vanity nearby. There is no makeup, but there is a brush set and jewelry box. I move my tender body off the bed and realize I’m dressed in a cotton smock. Perfect for entertaining families not respectable to be presented to strangers. But then again, my stranger isn’t really respectable. I smile at the memory.

I stand up and look into the mirror. It's old and needs a good cleaning but I can see my haggard appearance even with the small smirk I seem not not be able to shake. I touch the brush set, and they have paintings on the handles and backs. I trace the wolves playing in a meadow as they pounce to different places on the smooth glistening canvas.

The small jewelry box rests on the vanity shelf. Opening it with care to not tear the hinges, I find hair ties and hair clips nothing too intricate or complicated. Lifting up the lower chamber of the box, I see a leather hair ornament with a symbol I have seen countless times on the spine of the books in my mother’s library. Under that is a seal for postage with the same symbol.

I put the items back but grabbed a simple woven hair tie and pulled the mess of my hair up and out of my face. Glancing back into the mirror to find any stray hairs from trailing from my neck.

Next, I open up the wardrobe, and my heart stops. Hanging amongst men and women frocks is an old uniform of a Redford captain. I touch the badges and realize the normal trousers that accompany the uniform are a structure riding dress.

The door opens, and my mate comes in, dropping firewood behind the door. I closed the wardrobe and blushed because I was caught snooping. But he doesn’t even seem to be angry with me at all. In fact, he doesn’t say anything to me. He goes to the kitchen and makes himself busy with the wood stove and then grabs some of the water out of the basin with a pot and places it on the stovetop range.

I sat down on the bed and watched him. I don’t know why I’m feeling rejected. Maybe because he hasn’t said anything to me or because I realize this isn’t just any cabin. This is somewhere my parents stayed and I hold back tears.

‘You know, if you just walked over and kissed him, you’d feel better.’ The voice says and without analyzing it. I walked over to him, and he turned to me. Did I startle him? I place my hands around his neck and push up on my tiptoes, hoping he will kiss me back.

He responds instantly, putting passion into the intensity of the kiss. Wrapping his arms around me, he picks me up and sits me on the table while he steps back from me. I don’t even get to protest before he grabs a towel and pulls out a roaster pan filled with quail, carrots, leeks, radishes, and onions. Rosemary leaves are toasted on top. The smell makes my stomach growl in anticipation.

“By the time you finish bathing, it should be cool enough to eat.” He says, cupping my chin and peppering my cheek with kisses. I’m lost in his touch and try to concentrate on why I was feeling rejected just a few minutes ago. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head in confusion to his concern and push him away, “Nothing.”

“Aela, you’ve been crying.” He whispers, placing his head on my forehead.

I am lost and puzzled until I realize and laugh to myself, “I was being nosy and saw my mother’s old uniform. So, what did you bring me to my parents' hidden s*x cabin?”

He steps away from me, and this time I’m not offended. He shakes his head, “I really didn’t anticipate anything would happen. I just wanted to find a safe place for you. Also, the one time I said that to your father, I had whelps for three days.”

I look at him and laugh heartily. He has been so serious and brooding that seeing him as a homemaker and jokester is refreshing. He checks the temperature of the water and then pours it into the basin. He stirs then scoops another pot full of water.

“Why don’t you use your magic?” I wonder why he was doing it the hard way.

He doesn’t even hesitate in his explanation, “The collar has blocked your wolf abilities. Your magic sense is stronger with your wolf present. Unfiltered could cause you to overcompensate or be prone to stronger emotions.”

I tap my fingers on the underside of the table. He’s babying me, and it angers me. I glare at him, “Mind doing it so I can get used to magic again?”

He rolls his eyes and then stares in my eyes like he is deliberately trying to avoid my disappointment. He nods his head slightly and sighs heavily. He places his hand in the water, and I can feel a pull of energy around me, but my heart stops when I see him. Black tendrils are wrapped around his arm and torso. His face is skewed to a non-human visage, nearly diabolic with piercing red eyes. I feel like I’m looking into the god of death himself.

He rushes to me, and I flinch. The black tendrils recede, and he’s standing there with his hazel eyes. He stands like a sculpture, and his expression returns to the cold detachment I’ve always known from him. After the longest moment, he turns to the shelving unit and pulls out a bar of soap. He places it on the wash towel, and I can’t help watching his movement with the dedication of a hawk.

He doesn’t say anything and just walks out of the cabin. I’m paralyzed and not sure what to say. That creature was a figment of a nightmare. I shudder to think about how he could be possessed by that fiend.

‘He isn’t.’ The voice says softly. ‘Blood mages are ancient creatures I don’t understand where they draw from. He warned you, and you winced.’

I huff and start removing my smock. I step into the basin with soap and towel. The water is so clear and clean. I’m saddened by its pleasantness. I started scrubbing my skin and hair.

My mind wanders remembering the danger he emitted in the dungeon, land the accusation of him being able to manipulate minds is almost understandable with the strength of the demon I just witnessed. ‘But he never hurt you.’

I step out of the basin and place the smock back on. I walk to the vanity and brush my hair out. I put a loose braid for my hair to dry. I slip on my shoes and step out of the cabin.

I stand in front of the cabin and cross my arms over me. Searching the forest for where he could have gone. I can’t track him anywhere, so I return to the cabin. The stove is going out. I open the footlocker and find some of my mother’s books. I picked one out about the history of Valerian’s war. I sit in the rock chair and start to read.

My stomach growls, and I try to ignore it, but as the daylight starts to dim, I know I need to look for a lantern. I looked on the kitchen shelves and found an old oil lamp with matches next to it. I placed the lantern on the kitchen table and grabbed a plate. I fill my plate with the now cold vegetable and quail. They taste amazing.

After eating, he still hasn’t returned. I blow out the lantern and crawl into the bed. My tears puddle on my pillow. My dream comes back to my lonely mountain. This time though I’m able to reflect on what I did to deserve it. My mate thinks I rejected him due to that dark and sinister presence when he cast a spell. He warned me, and for the first time, I was frightened of him.