Konrad chuckled as Sorrel pouted. I noticed the subtle surprise in Rorik’s expression. He must’ve been confused by my words because of our earlier chat.
But I had no intention of actually catching the owl. I wanted her to fly free, away from this place. At leastshecould leave.
“All right, Poppy,” Konrad said, relaxing on his haunches. “Go ahead. I’ll watch you hunt. Who knows? Maybe this will determine your duty placement.”
I steeled my nerves. To avoid drawing suspicion, I had to act natural. I crouched low to the ground, my belly fur brushing the snow as I tiptoed towards the grounded owl. Every fiber of my being wished for her to be alert, to notice me and fly off before I got near. I felt guilty on her behalf, as if I’d roped her into this situation.
I inched closer. My heart pounded. Soon I’d be in pouncing distance.
My ear flicked backward. Someone was running towards me.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Sorrel leap at the owl. But he was loud and inexperienced, and his thudding paws alerted the owl well in advance. She launched into the air, safely out of Sorrel’s reach, and flew into the horizon.
Relief hit me, but it was tainted with soul-sucking disappointment.
“Darn!” Sorrel cried. “I almost caught it.”
“What are you doing?” I muttered quickly under my breath.
Sorrel looked confused. “Huh? Konrad wanted me to—”
“It’s wrong.” Why didn’t he understand that? “You shouldn’t do everything he says.”
He blinked innocently. “Why not? He’s the clan alpha.”
The fact that Sorrel stood up for Konrad terrified me. My own brother felt distant, like he was drifting away on an ice floe I couldn’t reach. Wasn’t there anything I could do?
I wanted to keep talking, try to persuade him, but our few seconds of privacy ended fast. Konrad sauntered up to us with Rorik close behind him. The omega bear had a stoic expression. I couldn’t tell how he felt about all this, which only intensified my loneliness. The chasm between me and the others was growing deeper and darker.
“Nice try, Sorrel,” Konrad said. He patted him on the shoulder with a massive paw, making my brother sway on his clumsy feet.
Sorrel beamed at his praise. “Thanks! I won’t lose it next time, I promise.”
Konrad nodded. “You’re turning into a fine wolf. We need eager omegas like you in our clan.”
Sorrel’s tail wagged. Meanwhile, mine was tucked limply against my body. The earth beneath my paws seemed unstable and unwelcoming.
I was scared.
“Poppy? Are you okay?”Taylor asked, brow furrowed in sympathy.
I breathed out long and hard. “Sorry, I think... I need to take a break.”
Nodding, Taylor rubbed my back. His touch grounded me in the present. I needed to remember where—and when—I was.
“Sure. Let’s stop there for now,” Taylor said gently.
Alaric rose from the loveseat. His expression was more serious than before. “It’s late, anyway. You should rest.” He paused. “Will you be okay by yourself tonight?”
I nodded, although part of me wanted to accept his subtle offer to stay. But I’d taken up hours of their time with my long-winded tale. I couldn’t burden them more than I already had.
I forced a smile. “Thank you, but I’ll be okay, I promise.”
“If you say so,” Alaric conceded.
Taylor didn’t seem convinced, but he respected my wishes. He gave me a quick hug goodbye, then the pair left my room.
When I was alone, I took a long inhale and released it. I was exhausted. Dredging up the past was hard. Harder than I anticipated. I hoped I could maintain the courage to tell the rest of the story another time.
