Chapter 100 NO ONE TO TRUST
SEBASTIAN’S POV
The cabin door closes behind us with a soft thud and for a moment, neither of us say anything.
Ragnar moves around the small room like he belongs there–which technically he doesn’t, since it’s my cottage–but somehow he always just manages to make the place feel smaller just by existing in it.
He takes off his coat slowly and hangs it by the door as I kick off my boots.
There is still silence between us which is… weird.
Normally Ragnar would have said something with an inner rebuttal that is sarcastic coming from Alisander by now.
Instead he’s just watching me carefully.
“You weren’t alone earlier on,” Ragnar finally says.
I pause halfway through reaching for the kettle.
“You saw that?”
He shakes his head once.
“Only just a shadow though.”
That makes my shoulders loosen a little.
Only a shadow means he didn’t actually recognize Torin.
Still, Ragnar’s sharp eyes remain on me like he’s trying to read me.
“Just someone walking with me,” I say casually, filling the kettle with water to make up for my silence.
Technically not a lie but also not the whole truth.
Ragnar leans back against the wooden counter with his arms folded across his chest.
The position looks relaxed but from the few times I’ve spent around him, Ragnar folds his arms like that when he’s thinking.
Hard.
“Who?” he asks.
I shrug once.
“Tor–”
I catch myself just in time.
“–just someone from the pack.”
Real smooth, Sebastian. Very smooth.
Ragnar’s eyes narrow slightly, but he doesn’t push.
Instead he glances toward the window, like he’s replaying what he saw outside.
“The elders have been unusually active lately, you know,” he says.
The kettle clicks onto the stove as I raise an eyebrow.
“That sounds ominous coming from you.”
“It is just an observation.”
That’s very Ragnar for I don’t trust them.
I lean against the counter opposite him.
The silence stretches again once more.
And then the words Torin said earlier creep back into my head.
‘Ancient wolves were feared for their ability to remove the moon goddess’s influence on a pack.’
I guess Alphas didn't like that.
“So…” I say slowly.
Ragnar’s gaze returns to me.
“Did you know that the elders supposedly have records about ancient wolves?”
The reaction is subtle from him and most people probably wouldn’t notice it but I do.
Ragnar stills just for a second, then his expression goes carefully neutral.
“Some knowledge is kept by the elders,” he says.
That… sounds like a politician’s answer.
“So there are records?”
“There are always records.”
Really helpful.
I cross my arms.
“Then why didn’t anyone mention that before? You or that looney in the forest?”
Ragnar studies me quietly.
“Who told you about them?”
I hesitate.
Which probably answers the question by itself as his jaw tightens slightly.
“Torin mentioned it,” I admit.
There, it’s out.
For a split second Ragnar’s eyes flash with something sharp before it disappears.
“Of course he did,” Ragnar mutters.
I frown.
“That didn’t sound like a compliment.”
“It wasn’t.”
Well, okay then.
I push away from the counter and pour hot water into two mugs, handing one to him.
Ragnar takes it automatically
“If there’s information about ancient wolves,” I say, “shouldn’t I know about it?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On the source of the information.”
I blink.
“You think the elders are lying?”
“I think,” Ragnar says carefully, “that not all knowledge is meant to be trusted, especially from them.”
That… sounds even more suspicious.
“So you do know about the records.”
Ragnar sighs quietly.
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
His gaze hardens slightly.
“Because I was trying to protect your existence from them. And most of those records are fragments or half theories.”
“So is basically the entire history of the humans but they're aware of it!.”
Ragnar almost smiles.
But the amusement fades quickly.
“And Torin offered to show them to you, didn’t he?”
I shift awkwardly.
“Maybe.”
Ragnar exhales slowly through his nose.
“Oh how chivalrous of him.”
That’s not exactly reassuring.
“What’s wrong with Torin exactly?” I ask.
Ragnar looks genuinely surprised by the question.
“You trust him even though you just met him?”
“I didn’t say that.”
But I also didn’t say that I didn’t.
Torin had been calm, polite and even helpful since he found out.
Compared to the rest of the people that know, it was rather considerate to me.
“He just seems… reasonable I guess,” I finish.
Ragnar snorts and sets the mug down.
“Torin is many things,” he says.
“Reasonable is not the first word I would choose for him.”
“Well he didn’t threaten to kill me today,” I point out.
“Low standards from you I suppose.”
I snort.
“Hey, I’m adjusting to the local culture.”
Ragnar rubs a hand over his face and for a moment he looks tired.
Not the alpha or the intimidating leader, just Ragnar.
“Sebastian,” he says finally.
“Yeah?”
“If Torin offers you knowledge… be careful of it.”
That word again.
Be careful.
Torin had said something similar earlier.
Trusting the wrong person will kill you and destroy this pack.
My stomach twists slightly.
“Why?” I ask.
Ragnar meets my eyes.
“Because Torin rarely does anything without a reason or without getting something from it.”
“That’s true for literally everyone.”
“Yes. But Torin’s reasons are rarely simple or considerate.”
That’s not ominous at all.
I sigh and run a hand through my hair.
“This whole ancient wolf thing is starting to feel like I accidentally joined some supernatural political drama.”
“You did.”
“Fantastic.”
Ragnar chuckles softly at that and the tension in the room loosens a little but the questions are still there.
Why are Ragnar and the elders not on good terms?
Why didn’t he tell me about the records?
And why did Torin make it sound like Ragnar wouldn’t help me understand what I am?
Eventually Ragnar straightens. “You should rest.”
“I’m not tired.”
“You are.”
Well he’s not wrong, I feel like my brain has been through a blender.
Still, I climb the stairs toward the small loft bedroom anyway and halfway up, I glance back down.
Ragnar is standing by the window again and looking out into the dark forest.
I wonder if he's regretting being involved with me in the first place.
Good luck with that.
I collapse onto the bed a minute later and stare at the wooden ceiling and for a while, my mind just spins.
Ancient wolves.
Moon goddess.
Pack politics.
Torin.
Ragnar.
Somewhere in the mess of thoughts, another presence stirs.
“Finally,” Alisander’s voice rumbles in the back of my mind.
I groan softly.
“Oh great. You’re back.”
“I was always here.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
He doesn’t respond immediately which is… unusual.
“You were quiet earlier,” I say mentally.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
A pause.
“I was listening to everyone around you.”
That sends a small chill down my spine.
“Listening to what?”
“To the wolf who walked beside us tonight, the Torin”
My eyes narrow.
“You know who he is?”
“I just know the scent.”
That’s not exactly helpful.
“And?”
Another pause and when Alisander speaks again, his voice is thoughtful.
“He smells of ambition and greed.”
I blink.
“That’s… oddly specific for you.”
Great.
So basically the wolf equivalent of a politician. Since he's dealing with it everyday, I don't know why everyone thinks it's such a bad thing.
“You’re saying he’s dangerous?”
“I am saying he is not simple.” Alisander replies.
Which is almost exactly what Ragnar said.
Fantastic, two mysterious warnings in less than five minutes with no explanations.
“Do you know what he wants?” I ask.
Alisander’s presenc
e shifts lazily in my mind.
“Wolves like him always want the same thing.”
“And that is?”
“More power.”
Downstairs I hear Ragnar moving around the cabin probably making sure the doors are locked.
Why couldn't I have just been a normal wolf with an unhealthy obsession with the Alpha?
Who could I even trust?