Chapter 61 : Painful Memories 1

Samuel

"Do you think we should have trusted Joshua with Selene, Granny Rose? He's allied with Nathan," he grumbled, sitting down near the old healer and the sleeping man to reassure. He usually sat next to Felix, but Felix was asleep, recovering from his injuries.

"I'm sure his loyalty has changed. He's no longer a threat to our Selene," Rose said with a small smile, holding a cup of hot tea between her wrinkled hands.

"Maybe I should have come along..." Samuel said, still in a disbelieving tone. He had been the leader of the pack since Rylan had left and Mike couldn't go because he was unconscious.

Rose chuckled and patted the young man's shoulder reassuringly, then changed the subject. "Would you mind going to the water well and filling this bowl with cold water?" She held out a small round wooden bowl. "The water for Mike's fever is already warm."

"Sure, Granny. I'll be right back." He hurried outside and walked to a corner where there was a clean water source. It was early in the morning, but many people were already on their way.

When he arrived at his destination, two young women were already at the water source, so he took his place behind them to wait his turn. He was so far away that the women didn't even notice that he was there, so they continued to gossip and laugh without noticing.

"Really?! Impossible," one of the women shook her head in disbelief.

Still worried about his friends, Samuel tried to focus on their conversation. Though he knew it was wrong and rude, he hoped it would ease the anxiety that had clouded his mind since Karenina's disappearance. He doubted he would understand; women were strange and mysterious creatures to him.

"I saw it with my own eyes! You can ask Cindy," one of the women insisted.

Wondering what he had seen, Samuel stepped closer, curiosity getting the better of him.

"I never thought it was a warrior she-wolf. She always seemed so cold to the advances of the male warriors who were always at her side... I think maybe she's not interested in men."

"Warrior pack? She wolves? Male warriors?" the man thought before his eyes widened in realization. They were talking about Selene and Mike!

Since he had no idea what they meant when they said that she wasn't interested in men, he couldn't wait to find out what they were talking about, worrying his friends once again. With a loud voice, he demanded in a high tone, easily catching their attention.

"Are you talking about Selene and Mike? That's right! What's going on? What are you talking about?"

They both gasped and spun around, frantically searching for him before their eyes dropped and locked on his small body. They blinked quickly, like owls, he noted to himself.

"Huh? Don't just stand there!"

Their expressions of surprise and embarrassment were quickly replaced by carefree laughter. The taller of the two waved his hand at him and replied with an odd smile. "This is none of your business."

"But they're my friends...!" he tried to explain, but they just picked up the bucket of water and left, laughing.

"What's with all this?" he wondered, watching them go with confused expressions, wondering if he should be worried.

******

Selene

"Uh, so Joshua?" She was reluctant to ask, but curiosity gave her the courage. At first glance, she was surprised that she had never thought about it before, and now that it had taken root in her mind, she had to get the answer.

"Yes, my sweet Selene?" Joshua continued walking, but she saw his head turn slightly towards her. Embarrassed by what she was about to ask and how it sounded, she looked down and stared at him as they continued to walk through the damp and cold cave. She even hoped that talking would distract her from the cold.

"If you have a child, what about the mother? I'm sure she's worried about him."

Is he, uh, mated yet? Does he look more like Mike than I first thought?

She couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It was just her luck that he was mated and unavailable, not that she wanted him, of course! Selene just couldn't stand the thought of him cheating on her mate, that's all. What woman would want to find out that her mate was unfaithful? But wouldn't it be better to know than not to know? She certainly wanted to know the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

"I'm sure she would if she were alive." His voice was no longer light, but deep and filled with... pain?

Ashamed to have ever thought he was unfaithful, she apologized with feeling, even though she couldn't know his thoughts, thank the moon goddesses. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say anything hurtful."

"Don't sound so sad, Selene. It happened many years ago."

The question was out of her mouth before she could think better of it. She immediately regretted her words. "How did she die?"

She raised her eyes to the man's head, hoping to apologize, but he did not look at her again. Why did that make her sad?

"Curious, isn't it?" the man teased. Selene noticed that there was a sense of force in his tone.

"I-" She tried to apologize again, but he cut her off.

"No, it's okay." He was silent for a moment. She thought he wouldn't answer and didn't blame him, but he surprised her.

"She died a few years ago while trying to give birth to our other child, a girl. But neither of them survived."

Hearing those grim words, Selene took a breath, feeling his pain. She immediately tried to comfort him. "I'm sorry for your loss, I really am, but you mustn't think it was your fault, Joshua."

Even though he told her something painful, instead of feeling close, she felt as if he was emotionally distant from her. This only added to her worries, so she impulsively grabbed his hand and held it tightly as she continued to walk beside him. Selene wasn't very good at this comforting thing and almost regretted her actions, but his larger hand squeezed hers, reassuring her, thanking her.

She felt the same pain, and then she felt his pain as well. "It was several years ago that my father was killed along with the rest of my family, and then my younger brother was taken from me. For a long time I blamed myself for not being stronger, for not seeing that something was wrong, but a friend of mine made me understand that it was just another guilt that weighed heavily on my heart. That I was still alive and they weren't. It's okay to enjoy life. I'm sure your mate wouldn't want you to be sad and have no happiness."

"I'm not sad, not anymore." Then he squeezed her hand again, and she knew he meant himself.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't answer, so she remained silent, but she was aware of her hand in his grip. Could he feel her heart beating? Could he hear it?

"You mentioned a brother? Have you found him yet?" She couldn't blame Joshua for being curious. Earlier, she had asked him a personal question that had been painful for him. It wasn't his fault if he didn't know that his own question was just as hurtful.

She must have given him something, because his hand tightened on hers, offering comfort. "Did I upset you?" His words were soft, as if afraid to hurt her further.

Then she shook her head. "It's okay. I was the one who upset you in the first place." Before he could refute her or comfort her for bringing up unpleasant memories, Selene continued. "A hybrid witch possessed him and used his body to kill everyone, including himself. Now only the moonlit shards of the gem keep him bound to this world."

"So he's still alive?" he pressed gently.

"Yes, but Nathan has him. It was a hybrid rogue, no, an evil rogue, who possessed him in the first place." She couldn't help it, Selene's voice sounded sad. He had taken everything from her!

"So that's why you sounded so angry when you asked about Nathaniel. I'm sorry, Selene, for reminding you of your pain."

She just shook her head, unable to speak, so they continued to walk in silence, their hands still clasped together. She forced her mind away from the past and into the present, focusing on the dangers that lay ahead. She was ready for whatever Nathan had planned for them.

As time passed, Selene wondered if they were going in the right direction, her unease growing when nothing happened.

When he suddenly broke the silence, she jumped in surprise. The look in his eyes revealed something she could not see.

"There's a smell of blood and death in the air," he said with a grimace.

"Yes, I smell blood too. It's very strong," she added.