Chapter 46 046
Chapter 46
Thalia's POV
The wolves were still there in the morning.
I saw them when I looked out the window at dawn. Same spot at the edge of town. Same watching posture.
My whole body ached from sitting up all night. My eyes felt scratchy and dry. But I'd stayed awake. Stayed alert.
Nothing had happened.
That should have been reassuring. It wasn't.
I got ready for work slowly. Washed my face. Changed clothes. Braided my hair with shaking hands.
When I opened the front door, I half expected them to be waiting right outside.
The street was empty.
I looked toward the edge of town. The wolves were still there. Still watching.
I started walking to Miller's. Every step felt exposed. Like I was being tracked.
Ruth was standing outside her inn when I passed. She saw the direction I was looking.
"I know," she said quietly. "I saw them last night."
"What do I do?" I asked.
"Nothing," Ruth said. "They're watching. That's all. They haven't crossed into town proper. Haven't approached anyone. Technically, they're not breaking any rules."
"It feels like a threat," I said.
"It is a threat," Ruth agreed. "But it's a careful one. They're reminding you they're here without actually doing anything the council could sanction them for."
"How long will they just watch?"
"I don't know," Ruth admitted. "But Elena's coming back today. She'll know what this means."
I kept walking to the store. Miller was already there. He looked like he hadn't slept much either.
"You okay?" he asked when I walked in.
"Not really," I said.
"Fair enough," Miller said. He handed me a cup of coffee. "Drink this. Then we'll figure out what needs doing today."
The coffee helped. The routine helped more.
Customers came and went. I helped them. Smiled. Made small talk. Acted like everything was normal.
But I kept glancing at the windows. Checking.
Around midmorning, Elena arrived. She came straight to the store.
"I heard about the wolves," she said.
"They showed up yesterday evening," I told her.
"I saw them on my way in," Elena said. "Two of them. Varian's pack colors."
"What does it mean?"
Elena's expression was serious. "It means Varian's pushing back. The legal challenge limits what he can do directly. But having his wolves visible near town is a message. He wants you scared."
"It's working," I said quietly.
"I know," Elena said. "But here's what you need to understand. As long as they stay outside town limits, there's nothing technically wrong with their presence. They're not on private property. They're not threatening anyone directly."
"So they can just stay there forever?" I asked.
"Probably not forever," Elena said. "But for a while, yes. Until the council assigns an arbiter and sets a hearing date."
"And then what?"
"Then we present our case," Elena said. "We show that Varian exiled you properly. That you've established independence. That his claim has no legal standing."
"What if the arbiter sides with him?"
Elena hesitated. "Then things get more complicated. But we're not there yet. Right now, we focus on building the strongest case possible."
She stayed for about an hour, asking more questions and taking more notes. When she left, she told me to stay calm and stay visible.
"Don't hide," she said. "Keep living your life. Show that you're not going to be intimidated."
Easy for her to say.
The day dragged on. Every time someone opened the door, I tensed. But it was always just regular customers.
By closing time, I was exhausted.
Miller walked me partway home. He didn't say it was for protection, but we both knew.
"You need anything, you come find me," he said when we reached my street. "Day or night. Understand?"
"I understand," I said. "Thank you."
The wolves were still at the edge of town. I could see them as I approached my cottage.
They were closer now. Not by much. But enough that I noticed.
Testing boundaries.
I went inside and locked the door. Then I pulled the curtains closed.
I made dinner but couldn't eat it. My stomach was too twisted.
I tried to read. Tried to distract myself. Nothing worked.
Around nine, there was a knock at the door.
I froze.
Another knock. "Thalia? It's Margaret."
I let out a breath and opened the door. Margaret stood there with a basket.
"I brought food," she said. "And company. If you want it."
"Come in," I said.
She set the basket on the table and started unpacking. Bread. Cheese. Some kind of stew in a jar.
"Ruth told me about the wolves," Margaret said. "Figured you might not want to be alone tonight."
"You don't have to stay," I said. "You have the baby at home."
"James has her," Margaret said. "And I want to be here. So stop arguing and eat something."
She heated the stew on my small stove. We ate together in silence for a while.
"I'm scared," I admitted finally.
"I know," Margaret said. "Anyone would be."
"What if this doesn't work? What if the arbiter says I have to go back?"
"Then we figure something else out," Margaret said firmly. "But you're not going back to Varian. Not if any of us have anything to say about it."
"You can't fight pack wolves," I said.
"Maybe not physically," Margaret agreed. "But there are other ways to fight. Legal ways. Community ways. You're not alone in this, Thalia. Stop thinking like you are."
She stayed until almost midnight. We talked about simple things. Her baby. The store. Town gossip. Normal things that made the situation feel less overwhelming.
When she finally left, I felt a little steadier.
I managed to sleep a few hours that night. Not well, but better than the night before.
The next three days followed the same pattern.
The wolves stayed at the edge of town. Watching. Waiting.
I went to work. Came home. Tried to live normally.
People in town started noticing. They'd look toward the edge of town. Whisper. Some approached me to ask if I was okay.
The attention made me uncomfortable. But it also made me feel less alone.
On the fourth day, a third wolf joined the other two.
Then a fourth.
Ruth came to find me at the store when she saw them.
"This is escalating," she said.
"I know," I said.
"I sent word to Elena," Ruth said. "She's going to contact the council. See if they can speed up the arbiter assignment."
"Will that help?"
"Maybe," Ruth said. "Or maybe it'll just make Varian push harder."
That night, I couldn't sleep at all.
Four wolves now. All watching my cottage.
The message was clear. Varian wasn't backing down.
I sat at my window in the dark, watching them watch me.
And I wondered how much longer this standoff could last before something broke.
Morning came slowly.
When the sun finally rose, I saw something that made my blood run cold.
The wolves weren't at the edge of town anymore.
They'd moved closer.
They were standing at the end of my street now.
Still not approaching. Still technically not breaking any rules.
But the distance between us was shrinking.
And I didn't know how to make it stop.