The Song Of The Wolf (Unedited)

Chapter Nine

The wolves that dwelt deep within the woods howled, their spine chilling cries curling on the lonely night like ribbons. Tangling around the trees with the force of a spider's web, the skein of the threads designed to trip and entangle, drawing tight in the receding darkness.

The wind infiltrated Maebh's bedroom and manipulated the curtains, tickling her exposed skin. A single howl resounded from nearby, silencing all the others. Maebh woke up with a start. The temperature of her room attacked her at once, clouds of vapour escaping her mouth.

She crept out of bed and peered around the heavy curtains, rubbing the frost off the glass. It was a miracle she hadn't frozen to death in her sleep. A thick layer of white covered the wildflower field behind the house, untouched. Winter had come. Maebh got dressed in her warmest clothes and padded downstairs to thwart her arctic demise.

At last, the damned cast had been sawed off of her ankle. The month of immobilisation had weakened her muscles, resulting in wobbly movements whenever she put weight on her leg, but at least she no longer needed to hop down the steps and risk breaking another bone.

From within the walls, the old pipes of the heating system gurgled. The house and the garden were long done, but that did not stop Coinín from raiding her fridge or popping by to escape Maggie's hormonal fits. Maebh called out his name, assuming he had been the one to turn on the heating. But as she entered the kitchen, a foul mood knocked on her brain's door. Courtesy of the man leaning against her counter.

"What are you doing here?"

"Straight to the point, as always. Good morning to you too, Mae." Bear said, two dimples piercing his cheeks.

Moving her weight from one foot to the other, Maebh smoothed her rumpled jumper down. She had seen little of Bear when her parents were visiting. But once they had left, it became clear he was avoiding her. Sure, he would drop off Logan twice a week for babysitting duties, but that required little interaction. Hell, it had been weeks since he'd last kissed her.

He gave her that look again. Every time he saw her without her contacts, he would contemplate her like one would an exotic bird of paradise. Maebh rubbed her temples and just like that, everything she had bottled up came spilling out.

"I can't figure out why, but there is a reason you don't want others to see my eyes." She said. "The whole 'small town mentality' thing is such a load of barney! Why would you lie about something so trivial? I think by now I've proven myself trustworthy.. and it's not like I want to exhibit these eyeballs to the world. But why wouldn't you want me to?"

"Wow, wow, relax. Where's all this coming from?" He muttered, having the gall to look annoyed.

"You are unbelievable. Where do you think? You could have just been honest with me instead of making up some half-arsed excuse! Do you have some kind of fetish for abnormalities? Is that why-"

"I didn't know this was bothering you so much, but let's talk about it calmly."

Maebh could feel the steam emitting from her ears. "Don't interrupt me."

Bear rolled his eyes, and she had the powerful urge to poke them out of his skull.

"I'm well aware I haven't been the easiest person to deal with. But the difference is that I try to be honest with you, whereas nowadays you- you only ever talk to me when you dump your son on my doorstep!" she said.

Bear looked at her in an accusing manner. "You said you didn't mind watching him?"

"Of course I don't mind, that's not the point! The point is that I only see you when you need me and I'm tired of being kept at bay. Why are you leaving me in the dark?" The question softened at the end of the sentence as Maebh's throat constricted.