Camille's POV
It suddenly felt as if the air in the room was heavy with tension. For what felt like an eternity, no one said anything. I felt disoriented, unsure of how to think or process my thoughts.
I wanted to escape from these people who spoke as if they were stoic, assembling too many pieces into one small puzzle.
I moved backward toward the bed, away from those pairs of unfamiliar eyes watching my every move. Suddenly feeling unsteady on my feet, I sank onto the bed, put my head in my hands, and tried to play every word in my mind, but it was too thick to penetrate.
I knew she appeared unusually tall for a wolf, almost 6'2", but what were the odds? We had a few individuals at Aston-Lakenheath who were like that. But a hybrid? What did she mean by her vision? Did lycans even have visions? And if she had seen me, then why had she interrogated me?
"How was he her alpha when she was a lycan, or had he...?" I shook my head in my hands. None of it made any sense.
When I finally released my head, a wave of weariness washed over me. "I think I need to leave. This is all too much for me to handle," I managed to say.
His sigh carried a weight. "You can't understand everything right now."
"But isn't that what I'm supposed to do? Understand everything?" I said, casting him a menacing look, my left brow arched.
"I understand how you feel," Skyla said, standing up with her hands stretched out, trying to reach for mine.
A fury churned within me. "Understand?"
I shrugged away. "Of course, you do," my sarcasm laden with resentment.
She pulled her hand back.
"And the part about you being a member..." I paused, dramatically gesturing in the air. "Forget that."
"The part about you being the brother to Alpha Sigewuf—was that also something I didn't have to understand?" My voice was contemplative.
He remained silent, but I caught a glimpse of something before his facade returned: a muscle twitch in his face, causing his eyes to flicker.
I dramatically threw my head back and let out a loud sigh.
"I know you want to comprehend everything and feel trapped, but when I saw you in my vision, you looked desperate." She tucked her hand into the small pocket of her jeans.
"The purpose of asking those questions was to determine if you knew why you were running away. I could tell you had thought about that," she said, a self-satisfied smile appearing on her face.
"More reason I need to leave," I said, grimacing at her.
"More reasons you should stay. He knows Sigewuf," she replied, an unspoken weight to her words.
My lips pursed, and I pointed an accusing finger at her. "Now tell me—since you saw I needed help from that awful marriage, did you see why Sigewuf would keep pursuing me?"
She narrowed her eyes. "I think he knows what you are!"
"And how exactly would you know what exactly I am if not a deviant wolf?" My tone was sharp.
"I can't tell you," she replied tersely, which clearly vexed me.
"Sigewuf was once my brother; no one knows him better than I do," he said firmly.
"He'll come for you," he added, imploringly.
"I can handle him," I said, turning toward the door.
His grip was swift and firm. "You can't handle him alone," he said, still holding onto my hand before letting go to run his hand through his hair.
"I don't want to stop you or have you here either, but Skyla thinks you need our help."
He let out a heavy sigh. "Sigewuf is formidable, and you need support. You can't avoid him by running away. He'll find you."
I stared at her, feeling raw and exposed, my thoughts chaotic, my emotions laid bare. "I don't know what to say."
"Let's help each other," she said, glancing at Alpha Vikron.
"Alpha Vikron wants to be free of Sigewuf's vicious grasp, and so do you," she added, imploringly.
"And whatever you are, we need your help too. So stay. This is the only thing that will draw Sigewuf to us." There was a gentle plea lingering in his last words.
"The cursed brother seeks redemption, huh?" I said, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere.
He shot me an impatient glance. "Maybe," he replied.
I noticed a muscle twitch in his face, and I realized whatever had occurred was clearly a sore subject.
"So what should I do?" I said, throwing my arms up. "I can't just sit back and do nothing." Confusion mixed with anxiety churned inside me.
"To avoid your marriage to Sigewuf, you'll have to sign a different marriage contract." His expression was inscrutable.
"A different marriage contract? To whom?" I asked, giving him a cynical look.
He tucked his hand into his pocket, maintaining eye contact. "To me."
I laughed humorlessly. "Oh, that's where you're mistaken!" I said, directing my most menacing look at him. "What is this? Some sort of joke to you?" I asked, allowing my anger to surface fully.
"First off, you had me drugged, dragged here, and subjected me to distressing questioning, trying to convince me that you had some kind of vision of me, only to end by asking me to marry you?" My nostrils flared as I felt the fiery annoyance rise within me.
"You're both terrible liars!" I sneered. "You know what? I'm actually leaving." I darted toward the door, pulling the knob before stepping outside.
I fumbled with the lace of my boot when I heard the growl. Three large wolves emerged.
If I had to die, why did it have to be in a strange land? I searched my pockets, but the dagger wasn't there. Damn. I muttered curses under my breath.
"Looking for this?" Dr. Skyla's voice came from behind.
I turned to see her holding up the dagger.
"Go on, boys; she's with us," she yelled out to the wolves as they turned, retreated into the woods, and vanished.
"I could have handled that myself," I said.
"Of course, we could see that," Alpha Vikron replied with a nonchalant half-shrug.
"Let's help you, Camille," Dr. Skyla said smoothly.
"What do you get in return?" I asked.
"Sigewuf!" he declared, bolstering his tone.
I hesitated before asking, "What do I get?"
"What do you want?" they asked in unison.
I raised an eyebrow. "Hunt. Go to Aston-Lakenheath Academy," I said, enthusiasm coloring my voice.
"Maybe not Aston-Lakenheath LunarGuard Academy, but perhaps the Vikings Academy," he suggested.
I paused. For some reason, everything they had said felt oddly comforting and yet troubling at the same time. I didn't like any of it, but... screw it. "Okay," I finally managed to say.
"Okay? Is that a yes?" Dr. Skyla asked. Her warm brown eyes and ginger-colored hair made her appear innocent, a different kind of sublime, prompting me to give her a skeptical glance.
"Do you want a 'no'?"
She chuckled, looking at me with a smile. "Is that a yes?"
"Not like I have much of a choice right now," I sighed sharply. "Yes."
"Welcome to the Merd-Blevin Walker pack!" he said, extending his hand.
I hesitated momentarily, took it, and recognized that faint smell of wild carnelian again. This time, something stirred within my stomach.
He withdrew his hand and began walking toward a narrow path. "We're heading for the pack house. Let's go," Dr. Skyla said, her expression radiant.
"Welcome home, Camille," she said, tucking her hand into mine.
At that moment, I heard the howling of wolves.
I turned toward the sound, but there was nothing.
We were all preparing for something—a darkness, a light, or perhaps both. Either way, we would find darkness, which ultimately brings our end, or light, which offers us a chance to be reborn! —Camille
I turned, hand in hand with Dr. Skyla, toward the path Vikron had taken.