He was so confused that it left me dirry, I blinked, trying to ignote his emotions. I grabbed the sides of the dress and lifted them, taking a step, finishing desernding the stairs
*1 don’t know if I understand.” I confessed. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of me. He raised his hand and touched the dress with his fingertips He seemed too perplexed to say anything. Tentit?” I called, but he didn’t answer.
It was like he was lost in some part of his memories, in recollections. He looked at the dress, at me, but it wasn’t like he could really seem
My heart raced as panic began to spread through me,
The hand that had been roaming across the dress shot toward my neck, closing around it. Fentit bli
blinked, breaking fi
free from the cloud that had covered his
The confusion of emotions he felt was crushed and absorbed, dominated by a single one that prevailed: anger.
He moved his face closer to mine and inhaled deeply, absorbing my scent. His fingers around my neck were firm, but not enough to hurt or suffocate. His eyes blinked, changing color between gold and blue.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he hissed.
“What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m ready to go to Ruda’s funeral,” I retorted defensively,
His thumb shid across my neck, making an idle circle..
“In that dress?
I frowned in confusion.
“It’s the dress you left for me, inside a box, in my room.”
He remained silent for a moment, close enough for me to absorb every note of his scent. My wolf purred, as if approving the smell, though still too upset.
He released me and stepped back, withdrawing his touch as if my skin burned him.
“Let’s go for the ritual. And behave, if you mess up, you’ll find out what it’s like to be a prisoner in this pack,” he murmured, gruffly, looking
c away, ignoring
If it were just to embarrass him, I’d definitely do something. Being locked inside the house was the least of my problems. But the way his pack was, it would only make them hate me more and despise me. And besides, it was Ruda’s last moment with his family and pack, he deserved respect
Fenrir walked in front of me, striding towards the front door with heavy steps, angry
I waited a bit before following him, keeping a safe distance
He had mood problems, I was sure of that because the fluctuation was anything but normal.
The late afternoon descended upon us like a twilight cloak. The sky was painted in shades of orange and purple.
I could feel the beat from the pyre where Huda’s body lay, in the center of the village, standing tall and adorned with symbols of the Danesti pack, while the flames licked the air in a wild and purifying dance.
It was a pyre worthy of a warrior, filled with noble wood and surrounded by ancient stones
The Danesti believed that by burning the body of the deceased, they would release their soul to the valley, the place of eternal rest and endless hunts. At least, that’s what Nicoleta explained to me.
The crackling of comfort her.
the wood mixed with the murmurs and laments of the family members of the pup. A female knelt, while a male held her clase, trying to
Everyone was dressed in white, spreading i
g out like a sea of prace and respect, without taking their eyes off the body of the boy burning.
Fenrir was further ahead, close to the family, his head bowed, showing respect for the little woll. At my side, Alexandra stood still, watching the flames, her throw furrowed, while Mihaela cried heavily.
35-2
I kept strong, not letting a single tear escape. I could feel the eyes of the people on me, watching attentively, whispering among themselves.
Everyone knew I had been present when the pup was killed, that the wolves had come after me, that I was the one to blame. I felt the weight of their gaze, but I couldn’t judge them for it.
The sun began
began to dip behind the ancient pines as time passed.
I watched the pyre, carefully and respectfully built, the flames rising high against the twilight. Ruda’s body, covered in white cloth, was surrendered to the flames, disappearing little by little. The smoke rose, carrying promises for his soul to find its way to the valley.
I swallowed a choked sigh and blinked, pushing away the tears as the images of the boy running, trying to find the object that had been hidden and win the challenge, flooded my mind.
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