Chapter 162: Two Powers, One Heart

Calix Pov

I hammered the last wooden peg into the corner beam and the pine joint locked tight. The smell of fresh sawdust came up into my nose as I wiped my wet forehead with the back of my hand. The main frame of our new cabin was completely straight.

"That will hold against the winter winds, Alpha," Marcus said and he dropped his heavy mallet into the dirt pile.

"We start the roof planks tomorrow morning," I said and I stepped off the low foundation stone.

The valley was very quiet as the sun began to go down behind the big rocks. Our wolves were working well together now and the three canvas tents looked small next to the tall pine timbers we had raised. I walked away from the construction site and headed down the narrow dirt path toward the river bank where Maddie was waiting.

She was sitting on a flat piece of grey slate with her boots dangling right over the moving water. She had a long willow stick in her fingers and she was drawing small circles in the wet sand by her feet. Her white shirt was clean and her long hair was tied back with a bit of leather string.

"The main frame is up," I said and I sat down on the flat stone right next to her side.

"I heard the hammer from here," Maddie said and she looked at my face with a small smile.

I reached out and I put my arm around her waist to pull her close against my ribs. Her skin felt warm and she smelled like the sweet river water and the dry grass. The gold mate bond in my chest felt very thick and solid between us. It did not have any of the old anger from the curse anymore and it just felt steady.

"We will have the roof finished before the first frost comes," I said and I rubbed my chin against the top of her head. "Then we can build the big stone fireplace in the middle of the room."

"I want the garden near the front porch," Maddie said and she dropped her willow stick into the current. "The soil is softer on that side of the hill."

"We can dig the dirt together next week," I said.

"And a small shed for the winter wood," she said.

"Whatever you want, Maddie," I said and I turned my head to kiss her cheek. "It is our land now. Nobody can tell us how to build it."

She leaned her whole weight against my shoulder and we stayed like that for a long time while the sky turned a dark purple color. The water made a soft splashing sound against the rocks and the horses did not make any noise in their pen. We were planning the future and it felt like the bad months were finally behind us.

When the darkness got heavy, we walked back up the hill to the camp fire. Elder Thomas had cooked a large pot of bean soup with some dried meat and the smell was very strong in the clear air. The wolves were sitting on the pine logs and they were passing around a wooden bowl.

"Sit down, Maddie," Elder Thomas said and he moved his blanket to make a clean space on the bench.

"Thank you, Thomas," Maddie said and she sat down next to him.

I stood by the water barrel for a minute to wash the pine sticky grease off my palms. I looked across the fire circle and I saw Kai standing near the edge of the dark bushes. He had not left the valley yet even though the two days were fully over. He just stayed in the shadows with his long grey coat and he watched Maddie’s face every time she moved her hands.

The anger came back into my throat and my fingers clenched tight against the wooden rim of the barrel.

"He is still here," I said as I walked back to Marcus’s side.

"He says he is waiting for the north trail to clear of mud," Marcus said and he bit into a piece of bread. "He does not eat our meat and he does not talk to the guards."

"I want him gone by tomorrow noon," I said.

"I will tell him myself," Marcus said.

Maddie stood up from the log after she finished her bowl of soup. She looked at the dark tree line where Kai was standing and her face went a little bit pale under the firelight. She did not look at my gold eyes as she walked past my bench.

"I am going to get the dry herbs from the storage box," Maddie said.

"I will help you carry the small sack," Kai said and he stepped out from the shadow of the big oak tree before I could move my feet.

"Stay back from her, Kai," I said and I stood up so fast my wooden plate fell into the dirt.

"It is just a sack of clover, young Alpha," Kai said and he stopped three feet away from Maddie near the back of our sleeping tent.

Maddie did not run away from him. She stayed right by the iron-bound box and she reached her hand down to lift the latch. Her fingers were shaking against the cold metal and she could not get the hook to pop out of the slot.

"Let me help you with the lid," Kai said.

He reached his long arm out and his bare hand touched the top of Maddie’s fingers on the iron latch.

I launched my body across the grass and my teeth came together hard as I prepared to hit his chest with everything I had left in my legs. But I did not reach him before the light started.

The moment Kai’s skin touched Maddie’s wrist, a loud popping sound filled the air like a dry log breaking in the middle of a hot fire. It did not look like the pure white light she had used to freeze the sinkhole. A huge burst of bright golden power pushed straight out from the center of her palm.

The gold light was thick and it hit the sides of the canvas tent like a solid yellow wall.

Kai stumbled backward three steps into the dirt and his long grey coat flapped around his boots. He looked down at his own hand and his silver hair was standing up from the force of the air. He did not look angry at all. He looked completely shocked and his mouth went wide open.