A Crow's Presence

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When Esme awoke in the middle of the night, her stomach growled with hunger. She tried her best to soothe the rebellious rumbling before it woke up Vivienne, and luckily, her maid seemed to be in a deep slumber.

Vivienne was sleeping peacefully on a nearby couch, surrounded by the comfort of the bookshelf. This loyal maid of hers had been by her side all day, and Esme didn't want to rouse her from her well-deserved slumber.

With gentle care for her bandaged back, Esme slipped out of bed and retrieved a soft duvet from her drawer. She draped it carefully over Vivienne's sleeping form, feeling more at ease knowing she was comfortable, but she also wished her maid could give herself a little break. She had suggested this many times, but Vivienne would kindly decline her offer, saying she had to be by her lady's side at all times.

Moreover, having to inhale the smell of herbs and medicine everyday had made her room seem more like a makeshift infirmary than a bedroom chamber. Vivienne was doing more than enough tolerating this with her.

"Hm?"

Sensing that something was oddly out of place with her body tonight, Esme slowly, unconsciously, ran her fingers over her bandaged back. Each touch brought a sharp pain, making her wince softly, but otherwise, it was surprisingly bearable, especially considering that it had only been two days.

Blinking in confusion as she probed her wound, Esme murmured to herself, "I'm healing already?" She sounded skeptical and bewildered by her sudden recovery.

Her wounds take a long time to heal due to her frail body. It compromised her immune system and hindered her body's natural repair process, so being bedridden for a week or more before gaining the strength to stand was her usual recommendation. However, only two days have gone by since her ordeal, and she found herself defying her body's physiology by rising from her bed.

First it was her pulse, now this?

It was uncharacteristic of her body.

Coming to a mental agreement that her hunger was the only reason she found the strength to rise from her bed, she wrapped a shawl around her body and exited the room. The pack guards were on their usual night patrol in the hallway, but Esme was more concerned about her hunger than the possibility of one of Lady Percy's spies monitoring her, and she entered the kitchen.

Fortunately, there was still some covered food left in the pots, and it was warm, suggesting it had been prepared recently. She wondered who had instructed the servants to cook so late at night.

Helping herself to a modest portion of roasted meat, bread, and a small bowl of stew, Esme walked to the front yard, where she came across Finnian. He was sitting on the steps, deep in thoughts, silently gazing at the moon. A steaming mug of tea was beside him, and he held a plate of food in his hand.

"Finn?" She called softly, and he turned his head at the sound of her voice.

"Sister Esme?" he uttered, the surprise in his eyes as she approached, and Esme joined him on the steps, sitting next to him.

Her voice was gentle as she whispered, and her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the twinkling stars in the dark blue sky. "The stars are mesmerizing, aren't they? Did you know, there's an old tale that says when our loved ones leave this world, their spirits become one with the stars, watching over us from above." She glanced at Finnian, who was also looking at the stars, and he shook his head gently.

"Why are you eating so late?" Esme finally asked. "Didn't you join everyone else for dinner? Eating late isn't healthy, you know."

Finnian arched an eyebrow and gave her a look that seemed to question the extent of her seriousness. His gaze shifted from the meal in her hand to her face, a silent judgment in his analyzing stare, followed by the crossing of his arms. Esme quickly tried to defend herself.

"I was sleeping, don't give me that look." She pouted, taking a bite of her roasted meat and chewing deliberately. Finnian's usually neutral gaze softened, and as he watched her eat, he felt his lost appetite returning.

His gaze returned to his plate of food, and he frowned. "I don't like them at all." That word fell from his lips, and Esme paused in her eating, unable to comprehend what he meant by that phrase.

"What?"

"Mother, brother Dahmer." His grip on his plate tightened. "I think I remember now, it feels like a dream, but mother and brother weren't always like this, were they? A lot of things changed after Father's death. They promised me it was just a phase, and that things would go back to normal, but I'm not a fool anymore. I see now that they only care about themselves, their own power and pride. They do whatever they want as long as it feeds their ego. They don't care if their actions hurt those close to them at all. I hate them for it!" The words spilled out, a mixture of hurt and disillusionment poured into every context.

Esme placed a comforting hand on his trembling shoulder. "Finnian, you don't mean that," she coaxed.

"I do mean it!" He shook off her soothing touch. "They hurt you everyday, yet you keep making excuses for them all the time. They don't deserve our love or our loyalty, and I'll never forgive brother Dahmer for hurting you the way he did, nor will I forget it, never!" he gritted out.

Finnian's light sobs caught in his throat, and only then did it hit her that he had been fighting back tears.

His small frame shuddered as he scrubbed his tears with the back of his sleeve, and his watery eyes looked pleading. "I was so scared of Dahmer. If you had…if you had died because of brother Dahmer's hate, I'd be completely alone. You're the only one who's ever truly cared for me, you're the only one I can rely on in this pack. No one else cares, no one else has looked out for me like you have. And they tried to take that away from me too. They're not good people at all!"

Esme's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at Finnian, but she quickly wiped them away before he noticed. Unsure of how best to comfort her little brother, Esme set her plate aside and opened her arms, enveloping him in a warm, reassuring embrace.

"I'm so sorry you had to witness that, you weren't supposed to see any of that." she said calmly. "But please, don't let it darken your heart to the point of hate. The Finnian I know is a shining example of goodness and kindness, and trust me when I say, your brother and mother love you deeply. That is something no one will ever be able to take away from you. In fact, I'm the one who should be proud, your bold bravery protected me from Dahmer, and I'm safe now because I have a little hero of my own. I'm truly grateful to have you by my side." she gave him a gentle squeeze, their cheeks rubbing, and Finnian's face reddened, flustered by his sister's heartfelt display.

"There's chicken sauce in your hand."

"Don't ruin the moment." Esme did not release him despite his complaint, and he rolled his eyes, but a subtle smile curved his stiff lips.

"I want to get stronger so that I can protect you." Finnian's voice was muffled since she still held him in a tight squeeze, and he pulled back to look at her. "I had a training session today, and my instructor said I'm making lots of progress."

"I see, so you aspire to be a fine warrior when you come of age?" Esme was relieved to finally steer the conversation towards a more uplifting topic. She wiped her fingers with the extra napkins he brought. "I can already imagine you, swinging your sword with confidence and shifting into a very powerful wolf. You'll be just like our father was in his prime — fearless, brave, and strong. And one day, you will lead."

"When that time comes, I'll take you with me, away from here." Finnian uttered with a fierce glint in his blue eyes. "I'll take you someplace far from here."

"And I'll happily go with you." Esme chuckled, patting him lovingly on the head. It was hard to believe that they were only half-siblings, given the stark difference between how he and Dahmer treated her.

Hidden from view behind a pillar, Alpha Rhyne listened in on the conversation, and a fleeting glimmer of regret crossed his face. With a quiet sigh, he slipped away unnoticed.

"Sister Esme, what kind of curse do you think you'll have?" Finnian inquired, his gaze lingering on the blue-tinted tip of his hair. "If I cut my hair, will everyone hate me too?"

"You won't be cutting your hair, and no one will hate you." Esme said gently, dispelling that thought from his head. "You look better with your hair just the way it is"

"What about you? What's going to happen to you? Do you think your suffering in the pack might somehow reverse the curse?" He blinked innocently.

"I don't know." Esme sighed. She honestly has no idea what type of curse would visit her, but she couldn't imagine anything worse than her current torment.

"Forget about it and eat your food."

Together, they shared their meal, talking about other interesting matters while also admiring the starry sky. Their tranquil night was disrupted by the sharp caw of a crow. They glanced up to find the bird perched on a nearby tree, its call resonating within the night.

"CAW CAW CAW CAW!!"

"A crow?" Esme murmured.

Finnian shrugged, "it's been hanging around that same tree since yesterday. I thought it left for good when it wasn't there this morning." He took a spoonful of food. "Mother says crows are a bad omen, but I think they're cool. Their calls are just…" he couldn't think of a perfect word and left it at that.

He wasn't disturbed by the crow's presence, and Esme tried to hide her own discomfort.

When they both finally headed inside, the crow took flight, disappearing into the night.