471- The Night He Led Me Astray
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
I could feel every inch of his skin in that position, every small muscle.
"Don't make a sound," he whispered, lifting his head to speak into my ear. "It's just a European weasel."
I was tense, completely rigid, and it wasn't because of the animal.
"What?" I asked, my throat dry.
His breath made the strands of my hair sway.
"Learn to deal with your instincts. You're a wolf, you know how to hunt, you know how to identify the small animals of the forest, just like me." He stopped speaking and rubbed his nose against my hair. "Focus, let your instincts scream for you."
I did as he instructed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, flaring my nostrils, pulling the air around us and inhaling all the aromas. In the background, I sensed notes of something musky that hadn't been there before. I inhaled more. I opened my eyes, knowing exactly where to look. Three trees away, near the trunk, there it was, scattering the leaves, hunting insects on the ground.
I smiled, radiant.
"I see it," I murmured.
I felt his smile against my skin. He planted a kiss on the curve of my neck, sending shivers through me.
"See? It's not hard, it's not complicated either, you just have to follow your instincts."
I nestled closer against him, releasing a heavy breath.
"Thank you for teaching me, Anton," I thanked, sounding sincere.
"Do you want to hunt it? The taste of weasel meat is one of the best there is."
"Heavens, I don't want to hunt it."
"Why not? Aren't you hungry? That's also part of your instincts."
I chuckled softly.
"I'm sorry, but eating a raw animal is still not part of what I consider politically correct."
"You'll find it politically correct after you try it. I can catch it for you."
"Uhum... but for now, I'll pass. Leave the weasel alone."
He huffed and planted another kiss on the top of my head, before settling down beside me.
"I'll be here for you, whenever you need me, just call."
I shook my head, letting out a choppy exhale. So close to him, nestled in his arms, I felt safe. Sleep came, clouding my mind. I blinked slowly.
"Sleep peacefully, I'm here to keep any murderous weasels away from you," he teased, laughing.
I felt his laugh, his heart beating slowly, in a steady rhythm. Everything about him seemed to fit with me. Even our moments together seemed to match.
I opened my mouth in a yawn and tears sprang to the corners of my eyes.
"I hope not just from them, but from any other animal," I murmured, drowsy.
"From anything that threatens your peace," he promised, pulling me closer against him.
I couldn't contain the genuine smile that spread across my face. I blinked again, but this time, I didn't open my eyes again, falling into the limbo of deep sleep, guided by Anton Eldoria's arms.
The last thing I heard was the low purr that rumbled from my chest, followed by a similar sound coming from him, as if our creatures were communicating.
...
For someone who had slept in the middle of the forest, right on the hard ground, I was actually quite comfortable. Not sleepy and not tired at all.
We walked in silence back to Eldoria. Anton didn't hesitate for a moment about which direction to follow, knowing the way perfectly.
As soon as we spotted Edric and Lunara's house, I let out a sigh of relief. I wanted a long, hot bath, and then something to eat.
I didn't know if they'd noticed my absence at the house, but I was ready to make up several excuses — at least some that would make me look like a fool who'd gone out for a walk and ended up lost.
I pushed the front door, held my breath, and entered the house, followed closely by the alpha. Myrion and Aurelka were sitting at the table, enjoying a breakfast feast, laughing and chatting.
Aurelka was bringing a grape to her lips, but stopped halfway and looked at us with furrowed brows.
"Where have you two been?" She sniffed the air. "You reek of the forest."
Myrion blinked slowly, his eyes drifting from me to Anton, full of irony and mischief.
"Hmm... were you rolling around in the bushes?" he mocked. He flared his nostrils. "But not the way I imagined, since I don't smell you intertwined."
I went rigid.
"Could you please stop sniffing me?"
They had an absurd habit of doing that; it was a custom of every wolf I'd been living with. And it was uncomfortable, to say the least, invasive.
Anton laughed.
"We're driven by our sense of smell. They're not doing it on purpose, just following their instincts," he replied, defending his siblings. "Something you'd know if you were interested in exercising your lupine side more."
I rolled my eyes.
"We got lost," I answered Aurelka's question. "So we had to spend the night in the forest."
She and Myrion exchanged confused glances. She turned back to me.
"Anton got lost in the forest with you?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes.
I nodded.
"It was dark; he didn't know how to get back home, and neither did I, so we had to spend the night there."
For a brief second, no one uttered a single word. Unexpectedly, she and Myrion burst into loud, hysterical laughter.
I crossed my arms over my chest and pressed my lips together, irritated. They seemed to be mocking me; I just couldn't understand why.
"May I know what you're laughing at?"
Myrion cleared his throat and threw his body back against the chair's backrest, spreading his legs and assuming a relaxed posture.
"Let me see if I understood correctly." He smiled condescendingly. "You're telling me that my brother, who grew up exploring this forest, who knows every damn tree around us, got lost with you?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you," I confirmed through gritted teeth.
"Just because it was nighttime?" Aurelka insisted.
What the hell was their problem?