Chapter 7
Alaric Dawnsworn
The next morning, I wake up with a pinecone on my bedside table.
I stare at it. Then I stare some more.
Slowly, I sit up in bed.
“What the fuck?”
I definitely did not put a pinecone there. A terrible realization hits me.
Ronan.
That absolute menace somehow managed to sneak into my room and leave a pinecone behind. I throw it across the room. The pinecone hits the wall. Valka immediately opens my door.
“Who are you fighting?”
“Myself.”
She nods thoughtfully.
“Reasonable.”
Then she leaves.
I don’t even question it anymore. The entire day passes painfully slowly. Mother spends most of her time caring for the fox kits. Valka keeps trying to teach them tricks. The fox mother looks deeply concerned.
I don’t blame her.
Meanwhile, Father spends breakfast complaining about how hunters in the village have become lazy. I spend breakfast trying not to complain about him.
By sunset, I’m already putting on my coat. Not because I’m planning to meet Ronan. Definitely not. I just happen to be going for a walk. Near the pond. Again. For completely unrelated reasons.
The forest is quieter than usual. Fresh snow crunches beneath my boots as I follow the familiar path.
When I arrive at the pond, Ronan is already there. Of course he is. He’s sitting on a fallen log with his arms crossed. The moment he notices me, a grin spreads across his face.
“You came.”
“I walk here all the time.”
“Liar.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
I roll my eyes. He’s impossible. Ronan stands and stretches. The movement reminds me just how tall he is. Which is annoying. Everything he does is.
“Come on,” he says.
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
Those are never comforting words. Still, I follow him. Mostly because I’m curious. Partly because I don’t trust him not to get himself into trouble.
Not that I’d admit that.
We walk deeper into the forest than I’ve ever gone before. The trees grow thicker. The air feels colder. At one point, Ronan suddenly stops. I almost walk straight into him.
“What?”
He points toward the ground.
I squint.
“Snow.”
He sighs.
“No.”
I squint harder.
“Different snow?”
“You are hopeless.”
Rude.
Ronan crouches and brushes away some snow. Beneath it are several tracks.
I blink.
“Oh.”
“What animal?”
I study the prints. For several seconds. Then several more.
“Rabbit?”
Ronan laughs so hard he nearly falls over. My eye twitches.
“It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny.”
“What is it then?”
“Deer.”
“What?”
“Alaric, the tracks are bigger than your hand.”
I look down. He has a point.
For the next hour, Ronan continues testing me. And apparently I know absolutely nothing.
“This?”
“Bear.”
“It’s a fox.”
“That one?”
“Wolf.”
“It’s a dog.”
“How are those different?”
Ronan stares at me. I stare back. Finally, he drags both hands down his face.
“I’m trying so hard.”
I laugh. Actually laugh. The sound surprises both of us. For a moment, Ronan simply looks at me. Then he smiles. Not one of his teasing smirks. A real smile. Warm and genuine. It makes something in my chest feel strange.
I quickly look away.
Later, we stop near a cluster of trees. Ronan kneels beside a bush.
“This berry can make you sick.”
I crouch beside him. The berries are bright red.
“They look normal.”
“Exactly.”
“Nature is evil.”
“Nature is not evil.”
“It tricks people into eating poison.”
He considers that.
“Fair point.”
I grin.
For once, I win an argument.
As darkness slowly settles over the forest, we find ourselves sitting beside a small stream. The water flows quietly beneath a thin layer of ice. I toss a pebble into the water. Ronan tosses one too. His travels significantly farther.
Show-off.
“How do you know all this stuff?” I ask.
Ronan leans back against a tree.
“I grew up here.”
I wait.
For once, he doesn’t continue. The answer feels incomplete.
But I remember what happened the last time I started asking too many questions.
Back at the pond, when I’d asked about other werewolves, Ronan had answered at first. But the moment I got too close to questions about his pack, he’d shut down completely. The teasing had disappeared, and he’d changed the subject before I could press further.
So I let it go. Instead, I point at him.
“You knew I was terrible at hunting before we even met.”
He immediately looks guilty. Suspicious. Very suspicious.
I narrow my eyes.
“You really were watching me.”
“I prefer observing.”
“That’s still creepy.”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
He’s right.
Again.
“Do you always spy on strangers?”
“No.”
“Then why me?”
The question leaves my mouth before I can stop it. For the first time all evening, Ronan hesitates. His gaze drifts toward the stream.
“You were different.”
My heart does something weird. I ignore it.
“What does that mean?”
He shrugs.
“Most people walk through the forest looking for something to kill.”
I think of the fox. The tiny kits sleeping by our fireplace.
“Oh.”
“Then I saw you carrying an injured animal home.”
A small smile appears on his face.
“You looked ridiculous.”
“There it is.”
“There what is?”
“The insult.”
Ronan laughs.
“I was saying something nice.”
“You called me ridiculous.”
“You were talking to a fox.”
“She was injured!”
“You were introducing yourself.”
I bury my face in my hands.
“Oh my god.”
His laughter echoes through the trees. Unfortunately, it’s contagious. Before long, I’m laughing too. The sound feels strange. Good strange.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much with someone. Not because I had to. Not because I was being polite.
Just because I wanted to. The realization catches me off guard.
Somewhere along the way, Ronan stopped being the mysterious werewolf who scared me at the pond.
And started becoming my friend.
The thought should probably concern me. Instead, it makes me smile.
When I glance over, Ronan is already looking at me. For once, neither of us says anything. The forest around us is quiet.
Peaceful.
Comfortable.
And for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel lonely. Not here. Not with him.
