"What?" I asked.

"You did something. What was it?" Devon repeated.

I slowly lowered myself back onto the bed. His red eyes tracked my movements, unblinking, as I gripped the edge of the mattress.

"I told her what Elias wanted me to tell her. That's all."

What game are you playing, Devon?

"What message? You never mentioned that."

Oh… yeah, I guess I didn't.

"Sorry. I guess I forgot about it." I waited for him to blink, but he didn't. I blew out a puff of air before continuing. "Before he died, he wanted me to tell her that he's sorry. She'll be an amazing hunter. And not to blame the others."

Finally, his eyes closed. The sudden lack of glowing crimson made the room feel even darker. When he opened them again, they lacked the intensity of before, the red losing its tint until they turned normal.

"Is there anything else that you failed to mention? Or are the surprises over?" he said gruffly.

"Hey. That's unfair." I squeezed down and heard the wood creak beneath my fingers. "I'm lucky I remember anything at all! Or did you forget what I've gone through!"

I moved to stand up and felt my cloak shorten, the tattered ends wrapping themselves around my body as if in a hug.

"All I did was deliver a message. I almost didn't even do it! Do you know how awkward it is to blurt out a message from your dead brother? What was I supposed to do, Devon? It's not like I'm prepared for anything. You keep leaving me alone!"

Shouting turned into a near growl, and I forced myself back onto the mattress. I seethed. The energy in my chest boiled, and I felt it bubble towards the surface.

"Cain."

"What?!"

"Go get some food. We're leaving within the next few hours."

You…

As he stood up and pushed back the curtain, my jaw dropped open. I couldn't believe it. He pushed past the curtain and exited without looking my way. No apology, nothing.

The bed shook as the rage built to a breaking point.

Calm down. Don-

I punched the bedframe; the hard wood splintered against my knuckles. The pain shot up my hand and left a throbbing pulse in its wake.

I didn't care.

"Aaargh!"

The throbbing aligned with my heartbeat; every heavy thump in my chest came with another flare-up. It didn't hurt, not really. But it stung and helped douse the anger. Not by much, and I still felt like punching something in the face, but it helped.

Red thread tightened even further, and the growl that had built itself in my throat died.

I stared at the curtain and then flopped onto the bed, crashing my head against the pillow.

The ceiling irritated me, so I flopped around and groaned as I could already feel the hunger in my stomach begin to make itself known.

----------------------------------------

When I stalked into the mess hall, I ignored the lone hunter in the corner sipping on a steaming mug. Volto stood nearby as he slowly stirred the pot. Not wanting to make a scene, I sat towards a wall and threw up my hood, letting the material cover my eyes.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Another grumble exited my stomach, and I sank deeper into my chair. The hunger battered at the gates, demanding satisfaction, but I didn't care. Losing control and being unable to make my own choices was maddening.

"Pup. If you want to eat, either ask or get yourself a plate. Nobody wants to hear your bellowing," Volto grumbled.

I sighed and stood up. "Sorry. I'll grab a plate."

"No need. Just sit. I can practically hear your teeth grinding. Don't come over and taint my soup. It should bring you happiness, not rage."

That's… ridiculous.

I chuckled mirthlessly. Doing as the tall man said, I sat and waited. I heard him moving and using something metal against the pot before his footsteps carried him away. When he returned, I could smell something new, something sweet.

The hunger bucked and demanded I run to the source of the smell; instead, I dug my nails into my palm and waited.

Cut the crap. You'll be fed soon enough.

The weirdness of talking to my stomach as if it were a separate entity was not lost on me.

A heavy bowl laden with soup slid underneath my chin, as well as another plate toppled high with dark meat and loaves of rustic bread. And beside that, a bowl of what looked like five cupcakes slathered in rich honey.

"Eat up, and don't waste a drop," Volto ordered.

I nodded and picked up the first loaf, breaking it into two. It smelled simple. The bread sunk into the liquid as I dipped it, and it soaked it up like a sponge. I tossed it into my mouth and bit down, enjoying the crunch paired with the hearty soup.

After swallowing, I used the larger half of the loaf as a spoon to shovel more soup into my mouth. I tasted onions and garlic, a dash of rosemary and sage. The bread collected chunks of potato and carrots as the bread prevented the liquid from dripping back into the bowl. When I added a cut of meat, I nearly scarfed the whole thing down without chewing.

A loud thump brought me out of my food craze, and I smiled sheepishly at Volto. He glared and then returned to his pot, watching the rotating liquid like a hawk.

The soup, bread, and the rest of the meat disappeared within minutes. Once gone, I shifted the empty plate away and replaced it with the stack of cakes.

I was about to grab at one of the desserts before a large figure slid into the opposite chair. For a brief second, I thought about chipmunking the cakes and walking out of the room, but I preferred keeping the saint of a chef happy, so I couldn't leave without finishing my food. It wouldn't feel right.

Red blocked my sight of the person's face as they sat tall enough to be just out of sight from underneath my hood. But I recognized the gloved hand resting on the table's end.

"Devon."

I just want to enjoy my meal alone. Why is that impossible?

"I'm sorry."

I breathed in and then out. "Okay."

He said nothing else as he got up to grab his own plate from Volto.

I still want to punch you. You can't hear this, but ooh, I still want to punch you. Too bad your body is made of friggin steel.

He came back with a plate, and I watched him eat. He said nothing else, so I grabbed one of the honey-slathered cakes and bit into it. The sugar mixed with the cream filling and the soft vanilla outside.

By the time Devon finished off his eggs, I was wiping away crumbs from my mouth.

"Is Alice okay? After I delivered the message, she thanked me and left."

He swallowed his food and sipped at his drink. "For now. She's fit to join us for the hunt."

That's not what I was worried about, but okay.

I wanted to ask him why he decided to wake me up menacingly, but I held my tongue. No point in creating drama if I didn't have to.

"Did Adeline tell you about Kierra and the crazy old lady?"

"Yes. If she wants to bring a new pup into the fold, she'll handle it. I trust her. And regarding Hildegrim. Don't accept any deal from her. She's stronger than she looks."

"Didn't plan on it," I replied. I pulled the necklace out from under my shirt and held it up. "She said it was safe, but is it? When I picked it out, she had a strange look in her eyes."

His eyes fixed on the red crystal bound in red string. His face made it impossible to decipher how he felt about it. The only response he gave was to sip more of his drink.

"I think…" he started slowly. "You'll be fine. Elias had a similar encounter six years ago. As far as I know, there wasn't any issue that spawned from it."

We finished our meals, and I dumped our dishes in the sink. Volto nodded stiffly, and we left the mess hall. Devon led us towards Neina.

Is it a good sign or a bad one if I'm starting to recognize these tunnels?

I shrugged and followed along. "Shouldn't we grab Alice first?"

"No." He turned the corner and pointed. "She's already waiting."

I peeked from behind him and saw Alice's blonde hair. She stood at the entrance to the portal area with her arms crossed.

She spotted us coming, and she reached over to grab her axe leaning on the wall. Like Devon, she strapped it to her back. As soon as we got within earshot, she spoke up.

"Finally. Are we ready?"

"We are," Devon replied. He turned to Neina. "Can you create the portal?"

I ignored Neina's reluctance to get up and searched Alice's face. Despite my concerns, she looked perfectly normal. Her shoulders were relaxed, and she seemed almost eager rather than the strained look you'd expect from somebody grieving.

The roots crawled out of the stone and formed the familiar archway. The rainbow lights gave way to a portal of bright daylight leading deeper into a forested path.

Alice crossed over first, and then Devon. Neina waved from the sidelines. "Don't die yet, pup."

I sucked in a breath and walked through.