Chapter 15: “Did you hear that?”

Rebekah pulled Vor close gripping her arm, she felt Arne and Ople go back-to-back with her telling her that she hadn’t been imagining the sound. They turned only to see Eerikki and Reese trot through the woods. Panting Eerikki shifted to his human form with his eyebrows raised. Arne moved away from Rebekah bowing his head, “You were upwind, we couldn’t smell you. This place is unfamiliar to us.” He nodded once and went back to his task of helping set up camp.

“And you were being obscenely loud.” Vor hissed at Eerikki gazing back at Reese who shifted tossing her sandy hair in the frigid wind. “We aren't the only ones in this territory. That’s the whole point of doing patrol.” Reese scoffed going off to help build the fires.

Rebekah shifted back into her wolf state, it was the only thing that took the pressure off her back, the child within her growing by the day. She pressed into Vor’s side her friend’s fingers twisting into her fur out of habit.

Their homeland smelled odd but comforting. It had taken them months to get here, Rebekah found out she was pregnant about two months into the journey. Only three months after Ople’s child was taken from her. It wasn’t the same between them, and how could it be? Rebekah tried to avoid her as much as possible, but when they were all traveling together, it was hard.

Eerikki gestured for her to follow him as he debriefed the camp, the twins built another fire with the help of Udom and his mother Ase. They stopped to bow their heads glancing at Rebekah briefly before nodding at Eerikki’s instruction. Rebekah had grown closer to Eerikki's pack, some of them anyway, while he had healed. They seemed to do fine under her leadership and even enjoyed getting to have a say in things. Eerikki gave each group instruction having Rebekah stand at his side, she was grateful when they migrated back to Vor’s fire. Rebekah pushed her head into Addeline’s chest, the woman whispering encouragement into her ear. Eerikki sat down only to stand again turning to look out at the woods, hearing the same sound they had heard earlier. Rebekah stood making Vor look between the two of them jumping when a man walked from the trees.

“You trespass where you do not belong lune,” he said the name like a spit, his face clawed making his lips curve in a permanent frown. Eerikki turned to look at Rebekah gesturing for her to shift. She realized the man spoke old Norse, the tongue of their people. Something only, she spoke because that’s what her father spoke to them until Eerikki had forbidden it. Shifting she stepped forward, “It was our understanding this land was unclaimed, we found no territory.” The man surveyed her for a moment then spit into the snow, making Severine make a sound of distaste. Rebekah glanced and saw Eerikki gesturing for the others to form a protection around them, they fanned out slowly facing towards the trees. She smelled them now, they just like Eerikki earlier had been upwind. But when the advantage was gone, they decided to present themselves.

They were dressed in furs, quickly she realized it was lune fur mixed in with other animals. They wore bone necklaces and earrings, the man before her sporting a piercing with a lune canine. Its large spike through his lobe making her swallow. “As I said, just because it is not claimed by the lune does not mean it is for the lune to claim. Now leave.” He did not appear to have any weapons, but she noticed his hands had black claws, scars covering them. Glancing around she counted six in total, that they could see, against their thirteen, herself excluded. Eerikki would never allow her to fight, her being so swollen with child.

“If you are sizing us up, think again lune.” He growled eyes flitting to Rebekah’s stomach making Eerikki shift immediately snarling. “Stop.” Rebekah stepped forward placing her hand at his shoulder, making the man's brow furrow. “We will leave, we are just passing through,” she said nodding at the man, realizing now a woman with a bow and arrow was positioned behind him, the arrow aimed directly for Eerikki. A lot of good that would do. The man snarled at Eerikki saying in broken English “Fuckin’ dogs” Eerikki bristled but the man turned to throw over his shoulder, “If you remain you will be slaughtered. I will let you rest for the night. Leave in the morning.” The others walked through their camp weapons raised, one man even went as far as to bump shoulders with August who lunged but Blaine his twin brother forced him back.

Eerikki shifted turning to face Rebekah, who stretched looking at him wearily. “What did he say.”

“You know if you hadn’t forbidden my father from speaking our maiden tongue and had learned from him, you wouldn’t have to ask me,” Rebekah said, pregnancy making her bold the last few months. Eerikki fists clenched, stepping forward she tilted her chin, daring him. “What, did he say,” he says through his teeth, the rest of the camp going back to what they were doing, to show him they had not noticed the disrespect.

Vor stood behind Rebekah rubbing her shoulders, fresh snow beginning to fall. “We have to leave in the morning. Find a new territory, this is there’s.”

“They are not lune!” Eerikki raged looking disgusted, “They are not human either.” Addeline said, she still sat in the snow by the fire, unalarmed by the incident. Eerikki turned to look at her, his eyebrows low, “Then what are they?”

The woman glanced up at him and shook her head, “I have no idea.” She whispered looking back at the flames.

Rebekah noticed how weary she has become over the last few months. The journey had been hardest on her, the trek through Russia’s tundra at the beginning of winter had been almost impossible for the woman. If it had not been for the pack coming together to keep her warm, she might not have made it.

“Whatever they are, we are in their territory. This is a big place I think the best move would be to go somewhere else. We know their scent now we can avoid it and keep moving.” Rebekah said to Eerikki gesturing for Arne and Xander to join the conversation. Both hesitated to glance between the two of them before trudging through the thickening snow.

“What’s the plan,” Arne said to Eerikki

“We stay,” Eerikki states

“We leave,” Rebekah says at the same time making Arne look at Rebekah and Xander look at Eerikki. “So?” Xander said shifting his feet keeping his eyes to the ground, Rebekah found it difficult to look at him these days as well.

“We stay.” Eerikki says again glaring at Rebekah, “We don’t back down to our first challenge. The whole point of coming here was to expand.”

“Then we should find a weaker pack and absorb them. Not stay in another,” Rebekah waved her hand gesturing vaguely to the woods “Creature’s territory. We were the only thing from the old world in Alaska, we have no idea what lives here. Our families have been out of touch for generations!” Rebekah scoffed looking between Arne and Xander for backup, they were part of the leadership. But both glanced at Eerikki, Arne would take his side no matter what, but Xander had been fighting to get back in his good graces. Apparently, Eerikki murdering his child and taking away his ability to bear children wasn’t enough to win back a gold star.

“Why settle in the outskirts of the land anyways,” Magnus said over the fire, she had just dropped wood into the dying flames dusting her hands. Crossing her arms, she stepped around to stand at Eerikki’s side with raised eyebrows, “You aren’t even close to the heart of the land, we just got here. Why are you digging in your heels here?”

Eerikki turned to face her neck red with embarrassment, he reached up to grab her face hissing when he made contact. Magnus made no move, her expression blank “You forget that I may be obliged to serve your kind, but I am in no way obliged to serve you.” She emphasized the word walking away from him with a look of disgust on her face.

“We are going on patrol,” Eerikki said in his strained control, Rebekah watched him go, not able to relax until he was out of sight. She shifted and laid next to Addeline, who began to run her fingers through Rebekah’s glossy fur. Vor laid her pelt down on the snow next to her, the other auromni laid across her side, and she felt like she was home.

“Are you ok?” his voice was soft, a whisper in the forest. Rebekah was dreaming of running through her favorite grove of trees back home. The scene shifted and she was in her human form standing in an overgrown field bordering a large express of woods. “Are you ok?” Zayne repeated standing behind her, she did not turn around but rested back against him. Even in her dream, she did not want him to see her like this. He wrapped his arms around her, sliding his hands down her arms to her lower stomach. His cheek resting on her head he whispers “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.” Resting her hands on top of his she grips him overwhelmed by how solid he felt. Like he was really there.

“It was a lot to ask of a stranger. I get that.” Tilting her head back to look at him, she was surprised to see he looked different.

“You’re really here!” Rebekah spun away from him, he looked taller and more aged. His eyes were no longer the flat blue, or even the tortured blue, they were bright crystals. His face was no longer sallow, or a calculated expression, but full and relaxed.

“Your hair,” she breathed stepping forward to run a hand over the low curls. They were still soft, the same texture as what she imagined Vor’s would be if it wasn’t dreaded. He leaned into her touch catching her hand, “I’m coming back. Soon. There are a few things I’m working on. Then I’ll be there.” He assured her placing a kiss on her forehead.

Shaking her head Rebekah clenched at his jacket, “Don’t. He will kill you. Don’t come back.” Zayne shakes his head in response and pulls her in a tight embrace. He whispered something that she didn’t quite understand, when looking up she blinked suddenly looking up at the gray sky.

“Come on we are getting ready to leave” Severine whispered running her hand gently over Rebekah’s perked ear. She closed her eyes hoping to see him again, to tell him to not come back. Just keep visiting her like that. He didn’t need to come back. “Come on sweety.” Severine whispered quickly, “He’s in a mood today.” Severine urged pulling Rebekah’s neck fur.

Standing up Rebekah found Eerikki standing at the base of the assembled pack, his silver eyes cutting into her. His white fur blending with the fresh snow. She trudged to stand in front of him waiting for his signal to walk. The smell of the creatures from last night strong in her nostrils.