Chapter 83 Heavy eater

Chapter 83 Heavy eater
~ Tyra ~

Once Zaran was gone, I turned my attention back to Kosi, only to notice him quickly looking away from me. He got to his feet and started making his way toward the entrance of the alcove as well.

"Where are you going?" I asked, unsure of what had suddenly made him decide to leave.

"Master person scared of Kosi. Kosi go sit by entrance. Master person breathe well," he answered without stopping.

I frowned at his back.

"My name is Tyra, not master person," I corrected, becoming increasingly tired of being referred to by that strange title.

Kosi slowed down slightly but didn't turn around immediately.

I wasn't supposed to feel bad about a creature that had terrified me from the moment I saw it. The ghoul had wings, sharp teeth, and the ability to snatch people into the air without warning. Yet there was something about the way his shoulders had lowered and the sadness in his expression that managed to reach somewhere inside me.

He finally turned around and gave me a tight smile before bowing slightly.

"Kosi give Tyra space. Tyra no scared of Kosi anymore," he said.

Then he walked away and settled himself near the entrance, leaving enough distance between us to make me comfortable.

I watched him for a few seconds before a sigh slipped past my lips.

My eyes snapped shut briefly, trying to process everything that had happened since I left work. I had no idea how I was going to explain my disappearance to Claire and Stefan.

After some time, I heard footsteps approaching.

Zaran returned carrying a flat wood filled with fishes, fruits, leaves, and several other things I couldn't identify because I had never seen anything like them before.

"I'm sorry I couldn't provide the apple pie you're craving, but I got some fish. I hope you like fish," he said immediately after setting everything down and settling beside the fire.

My brows furrowed.

"How did you know I was craving apple pie?"

"You mentioned it earlier."

"Oh."

I lowered my eyes, suddenly remembering the conversation from earlier. I hadn't even realized he had been paying attention while I complained about wanting to get home and eat the pie Claire had promised to make.

Apparently, he had been listening.

"Fish?" He picked one up and held it toward me. "Or would you rather have fruits? Although I don't think fruits alone will satisfy you."

"Fish is fine." I nodded, watching as he began preparing the meal.

He fashioned a grill from the materials around us, cleaned the fish, and seasoned them with some of the strange items he had brought. Then he placed them over the fire and began grilling them.

I found myself watching him work.

There was something surprisingly satisfying about the way he handled everything. His movements were careful and practiced, and he seemed completely comfortable preparing food in the middle of an unfamiliar place.

My eyes remained on him for longer than I intended, but he didn't seem to notice. Or perhaps he noticed and simply chose not to say anything.

"I've been meaning to ask," I finally said, deciding to break the silence. "How did you end up in that field? Do you live around there?"

"We just exited a portal we spent a week in, and Kosi decided to play a little. I fell from his back and decided to play dead to see his reaction. I saw you instead."

I stared at him.

"So you're used to entering and exiting portals."

"Yes."

"Why, though? And how do you find these portals?" I asked, my curiosity growing with every answer he gave me.

"Kosi is gifted with opening portals. I explore these portals with him to kill boredom and discover useful things."

"Can you tell me the things you know about Blazing Moon?" I asked, steering the conversation toward something that actually concerned me.

"The terrible things or the very horrible things?"

His eyes remained on mine for a moment before he returned his attention to the fish.

"Everything."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "Trust me, you don't want that kind of ugly information about your pack."

My brows furrowed. What exactly did he take me for? A child who couldn't handle the truth?

"What are you saying?" I asked, my irritation beginning to rise. "I already know the place is horrible. I wouldn't have risked my life to escape if I had thought it was all milk and roses."

My eyes burned with frustration as I stared at him.

He didn't flinch or react to my question. He only turned his attention toward me and studied me with slightly narrowed eyes for several seconds, his expression difficult to read.

"Tell me, how did you remain sane despite being stripped of your wolf?" he finally asked, his voice calm as he returned his attention to the fish he was preparing.

"You keep saying stripped of my wolf. I wasn't stripped of my wolf. I didn't have any wolf to begin with. I'm moonless."

"Moonless, wolfless, same thing," he replied. "Not having a wolf, wrong. Being stripped of your wolf, correct. The moon goddess never creates a werewolf without a wolf."

I blinked several times, my brows rising higher with every word. "You know about the moon goddess?" I asked, my curiosity immediately taking over. "Do you know why she abandoned us?"

The question seemed to catch him off guard. His hands paused briefly before he turned his head toward me, his expression carrying a clear trace of surprise.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" he asked.

"We were told she abandoned us and the moon god had to come to our rescue," I explained simply, repeating what we had been taught and what we had grown up believing. "That's what everyone in Blazing Moon knows."

A slow sigh escaped his lips. He shook his head from side to side, almost in disbelief, before returning his attention to the food in front of him.

"Is that not what happened?" I asked. "Do you have a different theory?"

Instead of responding to my question, he carefully arranged several leaves before him and placed the now cooked fishes on them. He seemed completely determined to focus on the food rather than the conversation I was trying to have.

I watched him quietly for a few seconds before he finally pushed one of the leaf plates toward me.

"I hope you don't mind eating with your hand. There aren't any cutleries available here."

He placed another two fishes on a separate set of leaves before settling them in front of himself.

"You have yours?" I asked, looking between the food he had placed before me and the portion sitting in front of him. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the way he had separated everything. "I thought we were gonna share this one."

His lips curved slightly.

"Is that coming from a place of care or from a place of lack of trust?"

"Lack of trust," I answered without hesitation.

He didn't take offense to my honesty. Instead, a small smirk appeared on his lips, and for some reason, that simple expression made him look even more attractive.

There was something effortlessly charming about the curve of his mouth that made my heart flutter before I quickly reminded myself that I was stranded in an unknown place with a strange man and a ghoul.

He transferred the remaining fishes onto the leaves in front of me and settled down opposite me.

"I'm a heavy eater. Don't blame me if you don't get enough," he warned, then picked up his food and began eating.

I waited until he swallowed before I finally joined him.

My expectations were immediately proven wrong when I tasted the fish. It was actually good.

The spices he had used gave it a rich flavor that I hadn't expected from something prepared in the middle of nowhere with unfamiliar ingredients and no proper kitchen. I chewed slowly, genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

From the corner of my eyes, I spotted Kosi still sitting by the entrance of the alcove. He remained exactly where he had settled earlier, quietly minding his own business and paying absolutely no attention to either of us.

I swallowed before pointing toward him with my jaw.

"Wait. What about him?"

"Kosi only eats fresh meat, and he can go without food for days."

"Oh." I nodded, finally returning my attention to my own food.

My eyes stretched.

"What?!" I stared at him in disbelief. "You finished two already?"

I looked at the leaves between us, then back at him. There had been four fishes. Now only two remained. Did he swallow them whole?

"I warned you beforehand," he reminded me with another smirk.

"Not fair. We were supposed to share," I complained, suddenly feeling betrayed by the entire arrangement. I immediately began stuffing my mouth with what remained, determined to make sure he didn't get another opportunity to finish my portion.

When I lifted my eyes again, I caught him watching me with a half smile playing on his lips, and there was something almost amused about the way he looked at me.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked after swallowing.

"There's no need to throw the entire thing in your mouth. I'm not dragging it with you anymore. You can take your time."

I paused.

"You're not eating anymore?"

"I'm full."

"But..."

"Eat, Tyra."

I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment before finally giving up.

I settled back down and continued eating at a pace that was comfortable for me, allowing myself to actually enjoy the meal instead of worrying about whether he would suddenly decide to take what was left.

Once I was done, my earlier curiosity returned.

"So about the moon goddess..." I picked up from where I had stopped, determined not to let the subject disappear completely.

"You should try to get some sleep." He cut me off so casually that I stared at him.

He pushed himself to his feet, making it obvious that he had no intention of continuing that conversation.

"Tomorrow is going to be a long day. You'll need your strength and energy." He said, moving toward the entrance.

"Where are you going?"

"To make sure predators can't find us."

I drew in a deep breath and watched him move away.

For once, I decided to let the matter rest. At least for tonight.

But I already knew I wouldn't truly rest until I understood what he was hiding from me.

He seemed to know a lot about Blazing Moon, and I intended to find out everything I could about why everything had fallen apart after the moon goddess disappeared.