Chapter 20: Those Blue Eyes

CAIN

Cain couldn’t stop moving as he paced the tree line around the entire camp. His legs carried him back and forth over the entire border where the trees met the clearing.

He stewed in new thoughts and feelings. It was like a wild fog had settled in his brain.

Of all the outcomes this day could bring, Cain hadn’t even considered that he might like the Adaryn girl. However, as soon as he’d broken through to the clearing with that nightboar carcass on his shoulders and looked up into those blue eyes, he’d lost himself.

Those blue eyes would be the end of him if Cain didn’t get control of himself. She hadn’t even asked him for anything yet. It wasn’t like he could look into those eyes and tell her, “No.”

Her eyes were like crystal clear pools of the bluest water. Just imagining them made him feel like he was drowning. He wanted to run his fingers through her platinum hair and taste the pale skin of her slender neck.

“Freya.” He whispered her name over and over as he wore a path into the dirt. He ran his hands through his hair in confusion. The celebration continued without him. He could hear the music and shouting.

This Adaryn woman who had been given to him was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his entire life. Cain was left speechless. He could only drop his offering and hope she’d accept it.

Those were the longest seconds of his life as he’d waited for her to accept his offering. Even afterward, no words would come to him as he imagined trying to talk to her.

It didn’t escape his notice that she trembled like a leaf in the wind at the sight of him. Her lower lips had quivered, and it looked as though she would start wailing at any moment.

That had broken his heart.

Cain had hunted prey for long enough to know when he was smelling fear. And Freya had been so devastatingly afraid of him. Cain didn’t want her to be afraid of him. But he didn’t have the slightest clue on how to ease those fears.

It didn’t bother him that she didn’t have wings. Ivar’s attempt to taunt the little bird and trying to stir up trouble only made Ivar look bad. At least this Adaryn wouldn’t be able to fly away from him. Even though she looked as if she desperately wanted to.

Ivar had called her a runt, but she was not small or sickly. If anything, Cain thought Freya was like the embodiment of the moon. Living light come down to grace his life with her presence. Beautiful and pale, strong yet shy.

Perhaps it was the pain in his ribs from his injury clouding his judgement. Despite Cain’s rational brain telling him that he needed to speak to the Adaryn and show her that he was no threat, the fear in her blue eyes kept him away.

From the tree line, Cain could see Freya sitting with his mother at the head table. Even now her brows were furrowed, and her lower lip jutted out in a frown in between each massive gulp of her drink. He was glad to see she didn’t seem to be afraid of the alpha. Freya gave a slight smile whenever his mother talked to her.

What could they be talking about? Was she talking about him? Did she have any interest in Cain at all? Or, as he feared, would she be afraid of him for the rest of their lives?

Cain wondered if he would live the rest of his life pining after a woman who was terrified of him. His instincts were to sink his teeth into her and never let her go. The beast within his mind wanted to devour her in a way he’d never felt before.

This wasn’t bloodlust. This was something more. And he was frustrated.

Cain growled and threw his fist into the nearest tree. The bark cracked and his knuckles splintered on impact. The chirping insects in the trees went silent at his outburst.

Every part of him wanted to go to the celebrations where the woman bathed in moonlight was drinking away her sorrows. Was she missing her family? Was she going to resent the Vargar for taking her from them? Was she angry that she happened to be the unlucky bird promised to the ones her kind assumed were monsters?

~Did she think he was a monster?~

With the way she cowered away from his gaze, Cain assumed she did.

Cain stopped in his tracks to look down at himself. He was covered head to toe in hog’s blood. Some of his own was still dripping from his side where the boar’s tusks had gouged him in their fight.

He groaned as he began to realize just how horrifying he looked.

Even a Vargar pup would have been afraid of him. This wouldn’t serve him if he had any hopes of approaching her.

Freya was an Adaryn lady after all. She wouldn’t be impressed with some filthy beast. Cain decided to go to the nearest stream and wash the filth and blood off.

“I see you finally cleaned yourself up,” Vistra observed as Cain walked back into the camp dripping wet. “You should have that wound looked at.”

Cain lifted his arm to look at his ribs still glistening and raw at the sight of his wound. “It’s fine.” He continued to flit his eyes over the crowd and to the head table where Vistra had been sitting with Freya moments ago.

“If you’re looking for the girl, she’s retired for the night.” Vistra tilted her head.

Cain’s lips twitched into a momentary frown before he straightened out again to stand at his full height. “Where is she?”

“Your new mate is in your tent.”

“Mate?” Cain jerked his head to look at Vistra.

“What else did you think she was? You made an offering to her, and she accepted. By our laws, she is your mate.” His mother looked at him as though he was perhaps drunk.

“She—She will not have me.” Cain faced his mother and turned his back on the direction of his tent as he did so. He needed to seek Freya out, but the memory of her frightened blue eyes halted him. He could drown in those eyes.

“How do you know that if you haven’t spoken to her?”

“It’s easy to see that she’s scared of me.”

“The young woman is merely nervous, Cain.” Vistra reached out and placed a firm hand on her son’s shoulder. “You may have seen her initial fear, but I have raised you not to linger on first meetings.”

“She looked at me the same way prey might look at a predator.” He sighed deeply before turning to look up at the night sky and glowing stars.

This longing for the Adaryn woman was baffling him. All it took was one look at her and he felt like his body was going to burn up.

“Help her adjust to the pack, Cain. While you stormed off to clean yourself up, the little bird seemed to grow more comfortable with her new surroundings. It seems to me that she has a more open mind than her fellow birds.”

“Perhaps because she is not like them. The Adaryn council seemed eager to hand her over. She is different, but…” Cain hesitated to follow through on that thought.

“But what?” Vistra quirked her brow

Cain considered his reply. “But she is beautiful.”

“Yes, Freya is quite pretty.” Vistra smiled. “It’s nice to see you taking more of an interest in this. We’ve been so focused on your training to be the next alpha. I figured the right woman would come along when it was time. But I know you weren’t pleased with the arrangement.”

Cain only grunted in response to his mother as he realized he was talking about his feelings for an Adaryn. Feelings of attraction that were far from what he’d experienced before.

“Like I mentioned, she is in your tent if you would like to join her.” Vistra seemed to be attempting to encourage him.

“I’m not going to interrupt what could be a moment of peace for her after the day she’s had. I’d be a fool to barge in on her while she’s already frightened of me and essentially abandoned by her kind. No, I will leave her alone.” He rubbed his hands over his face as his exhaustion began to catch up with him.

Cain thought that if Freya was resting peacefully, then he would just have to leave her alone. It would be inconsiderate of him to intrude on her, even if it was his tent.

The thought of her sleeping in his bed had his heart hammering in his chest. Cain took a step back. They were still strangers, even if they were tied to each other for the rest of their lives.

“There will be time for us to get acquainted. I will let her adjust first. The Adaryn want their own ceremony under the Blue Moon. We have time to get to know each other before we go back to the mountain.”

“Indeed,” Vistra smirked at Cain as he shuffled from one foot to the other. “Also, plenty of time for you to get the gash in your side looked at by the healer.”

Cain knew by her tone that this wasn’t a suggestion. “Of course, I’ll go to her now.”

“See that you do. And please heed my advice on the little bird, will you?”

Cain knew she was right, but his stubborn nature wouldn’t allow him to admit it. Cain turned away and began marching in the direction of the healer’s tent, although he had no intention of actually speaking with her.

Instead, Cain veered back around into the celebrating pack where his fellow warriors were still dancing. Although he was too exhausted from his fight with the nightboar to join them, he believed enough mead could help get her platinum hair and blue eyes off of his mind for the night.

But he was wrong. He kept thinking about her as he drank. It occurred to him that his mother had taken the Adaryn to his tent on purpose. His new attraction to the little bird was plainly obvious to Vistra.

By the middle of the night, wolves were passed out all over the camp with empty mugs strewn about. Cain went to find a place for himself among the sleeping forms. But he should check on her first.

He peeked into his tent. Freya was sleeping soundly inside, and he listened for a moment to her shifting around in the bed. Would his bed smell like her now? Did she smell as sweet as she looked?

His fists clenched at his sides as Cain closed his eyes tight.

One day. The little bird had been here less than one day, and he was already obsessed with her. Cain sat on the ground and lowered his head in his hands.