carried across 71

 

71 Let’s Go Have Dinner 

Sera 

“Everyone is talking about you,” Mina said, shifting the topic. She moved to the side of the tub to wash my arms. “The entire pack. The yard has been buzzing since yesterday morning.” 

“Are they angry?” I asked. I watched the water turn a hazy, pale pink as she washed the dried blood off my forearms. 

“Angry?” Mina snorted loudly. “They are terrified of you. Taya is Kael’s pride and joy. She has beaten full- grown male warriors in that ring. And you completely dismantled her.” 

“How is she?” 

“Her arm is a ruined mess,” Mina said, her voice dropping into a tone of raw gossip. “You broke it entirely out of alignment. Because her healing factor kicked in immediately, the bone started fusing crooked while she was still lying in the dirt. The healers had to break it two more times in the infirmary just to set it straight. She was screaming so loud the cooks could hear it in the kitchens.” 

I didn’t feel a single ounce of pity. Taya wanted to execute me for a crowd. I just made sure she couldn’t throw a punch for a few weeks. 

“This is exactly what you needed, Sera,” Mina said. She squeezed the soapy cloth over my shoulders, rinsing the suds away. “You earned their respect. You spoke their language. When you officially become Luna, they will not question you. They will follow you.” 

When I become Luna. 

The words echoed in the small stone room. I closed my eyes, letting the hot water soak into my skin. 

Kane had made me that exact promise. He sat in his heavy leather chair in Blackwater, stroked my hair, and told me to just wait. He told me I would be his Luna. He lied. He used the title as a leash to keep me compliant and quiet while he paraded another woman in front of his council. Blackwater was a mid-sized pack. It was comfortable, but it was nothing compared to this. 

Ironmaw was ancient. But It was massive. It controlled the entire northern border. It was vastly richer in resources and raw military power than Kane’s territory could ever hope to be. 

Kane wanted a secret to hide in a guest room. Fenris wanted a warlord to stand beside him in the blood 

and the dirt. 

I wasn’t waiting for a title anymore. I just carved it out of a council chief’s daughter with my bare hands. 

“Where is he?” I asked, opening my eyes. 

Mina moved to wash my hair. She scooped hot water over my scalp, massaging the dried blood and sweat out of the strands. “The Alpha?” 

“Yes,” I said. “He told me he would stay here.” 

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“I saw him outside the secondary sparring ring,” Mina answered, her fingers working the soap into my hair. “He was out there right after sunrise.” 

I frowned. “Was there a challenge? Was he fighting?” 

Mina laughed. “No. Just the usual morning drills with some of the young cubs. He wasn’t doing much. He just seemed to be talking to Yvara.” 

“I see,” I murmured. 

I stared at the copper rim of the tub. He had been in this room with me. I remembered the heavy, suffocating heat rolling off his body when he washed my chest. I remembered the dark, blown-out look in his grey eyes when I demanded he touch me. He had wanted to. I smelled it on him. 

Did he sit in that chair all night? Did he watch me sleep? Did he leave because I slept too long, or did he leave because the proximity was driving him crazy? 

I remembered the splintered wood on the armrest of the oak chair. He had gripped it hard enough to break the timber. He was fighting something internal. He didn’t just casually leave. He ran from the room. 

“Stand up,” Mina instructed. She grabbed a large, thick linen towel from the stool. 

I stood up. The hot water cascaded off my body, splashing back into the tub. 

Mina wrapped the towel around my shoulders. She rubbed the rough linen briskly across my back, drying the water from my skin. She moved down to dry my legs. 

“You really do have a great ass, you know,” Mina said casually, wiping the water from the back of my thighs. 

I looked over my shoulder at her. “I am not sleeping with you, Mina.” 

Mina burst out laughing. It was loud and completely unfiltered. “I know, I know. You only have eyes for the giant, terrifying warlord. I am just stating a physical fact. You spend too much time wearing those baggy southern dresses. The leathers look much better on you.” 

She handed me the towel. I finished drying myself off while she walked back into the main den to retrieve the clothes she brought up. 

I walked out of the washroom, dropping the damp towel onto the chair. 

Mina handed me a pair of thick, dark leather pants. They laced tightly up the sides. I pulled them on, securing the leather cords. They fit perfectly, molding to the shape of my legs. She handed me a long- sleeved tunic made of heavy, dark grey wool. It was simple, completely unadorned, and incredibly warm. 

I pulled the tunic over my head. I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on the clean leather boots. 

I stood up and rolled my shoulders. My body was still sore, a deep, lingering ache in my joints, but I felt solid. I felt grounded. 

“You look like one of us,” Mina said. She looked me up and down, a proud smile on her face. 

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“I am one of you,” I replied. 

I looked toward the heavy oak door. The sun was setting outside. The pack would be gathering in the 

main hall. Kael would be there. Torin would be there. My mother would be there. 

“Are you ready?” Mina asked, walking to the door and putting her hand on the iron latch. 

“I’m starving,” I said. “Let’s go have dinner.” 

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