Silver Secrets

Chapter 38: Mel

By the time we make it home, it's almost midwinter. Even in the heart of Deepacre, under the cover of the trees, the snow reaches past my calves. Rowan and I lead our horses for most of the way, because it's kinder to them. The two dozen werewolves we're bringing back with us aren't used to this sort of thing, so we were never going to move very fast anyway. Aster rides Bree's mount. We said goodbye to them the day we left Moon Bay. Ed said he was going to try to find a place for them, somewhere they won't have to be constantly wondering who they're going to kill next. Good luck to them.

On the day we reach the cavern, an icy gale screams down from the mountains, blowing frost that stings like shattered glass right into our faces. Even so, most of the pack is gathered at the top of the hill to watch our approach. Several of them scramble down to support those becoming too weak to stand. The Moon Bay werewolves shrink away at first, especially from those in their wolf forms. It's going to take them a while to get used to these people who shift into their beastly other bodies as casually as they might change their shirt.

When we reach the top of the hill, a figure that soon becomes Celyn strides forward and, without warning, enfolds Rowan in an almost motherly embrace. She says something to him, but the wind whips it away. Whatever she says, it makes Rowan hug her back fiercely.

~

The music and dancing and drinking go on all night, and this time, Rowan and I don't hide away—mainly because Otto makes sure we're right in the middle of most of it. I thought Aster would be the one to take herself off and spend the night alone, but she stays close to me most of the time, looking intensely uncomfortable at being surrounded by drunk werewolves.

"Did you ever speak to Rowan?" she asks during a lull between songs.

"About what?" I take a sip of my ale, and shudder as it warms my whole body on its way down.

About this.

"Oh. No. Haven't had time. I still don't see why it's so important."

I wither under Aster's acidic stare. "It is important, Melanthe. You should not be able to talk to each other that way—but you can, even though he's not a psychic. Not human."

"He did spend a lot of time around humans, though. Maybe living in Moon Bay for so long changed the way he thinks."

"We both know damn well that's not true."

I look over to where Rowan is letting a group of kids admire his sword. For all the years he spent away, living as much like a human as he could, they've accepted him back into the pack with barely a whisper of complaint.

Her sharp elbow digs into my side. "Go and talk to him. He'll be able to explain it better than I can. I only know rumours."

I sigh and drain what's left of my drink. "I still don't know what you're even talking about."

"Then go and find out."

I huff and stand up, not looking back as I stalk over to Rowan. I have the horrible feeling that Aster is laughing at me, but I refuse to find out.

Rowan. I don't bother shouting over the music that's just started up again.

He jumps, almost dropping the sword. The kids at his feet all huddle together, staring up at me with wide yellow eyes. "Mel!" He quickly sheaths the blade and gets to his feet. Everything okay?

As I stand there staring up at him, it dawns on me that I'm the one who should be talking to him like this.

Rowan, a werewolf, should not be able to put his thoughts in my head.

"I need to talk to you. Now."

He nods and waves goodbye to the children, before following me to the exit tunnel. It's as much privacy as we're going to get, as I don't think I can wait until we can find an empty side-chamber for ourselves.

"How come I can hear your thoughts in my head?" I demand as soon as we're alone. "I'm the psychic. You shouldn't be able to talk to me like that. Is there some kind of secret werewolf power I don't know about?"

Rowan scuffs his boot on the stony ground. "Well, yes. Kind of. Sometimes."

I fold my arms. "So you do have some kind of psychic ability."

"Only with you." Rowan's face suddenly turns serious. "I'm sorry, Mel. I was going to tell you, but I wanted to wait for the right time."

I let my arms drop to my sides. "Is this something I want to hear?"

"I hope so." He reaches into his pocket and retrieves something. "Hold out your hands and close your eyes."

I do as he says, biting my lip in apprehension. Rowan presses something into my hands, something small and hard.

"Open them."

I look down at the thing in my hands, and hold it up so I can see it better in the weak light.

"Mel, sometimes...werewolves just click with people," Rowan is saying as I gape at his gift. "They get..." He shrugs, looking anywhere but at my face. "They get attached to each other. Bonded."

My heart flutters when the meaning of his words and the necklace in my hand sink in. It's a wooden flower on a leather cord, similar to the one I lost when Captain Holanan died. "You mean like Celyn and Eve?"

He nods slowly. "Exactly like Celyn and Eve. I—I never thought I'd have a mate. It just didn't seem like something that would happen to me, after everything I've done. It was when you woke up in my arms after I stabbed you that I knew. Doing that to you was the hardest thing I've ever done, Mel." He leans down so his forehead is pressed against mine, and I don't even care that somehow my back is now up against the cold stone wall. "When I realised you could hear me, I think it was the happiest moment of my life."

I swallow and cup his face in my other hand, rubbing my thumbs over the stubble he's allowed to grow on his jaw. "You kept it hidden well."

"Like I said, I was waiting for the right time to tell you." He tilts his head to the side and leans in so our lips are barely touching. "I wanted it to be special. I know you were upset at losing your necklace, even if you didn't show it. Not that I can replace it, of course, but I thought...Aster said it was a betrothal gift. There's woodworkers here who make jewellery, so it seemed right."

"It's absolutely perfect, Rowan. Thank you so much." I swallow back a lump in my throat. "Will you help me put it on?" I turn and hold my hair away from my neck so he can fasten the clasp, then let it fall back down when he's done.

Rowan traces his finger along the leather cord, making me shiver where his finger touches my skin. "We should go and tell the others. Give them an excuse to carry on drinking."

"Yeah," I say, slipping my hand into his and not reminding him that half the pack probably knew before we did, if Aurel was any indication.

Together, we walk hand-in-hand towards the firelight and our new family.

~~~~~~

A/N: It's finally finished, like a year after I started the first draft! There may be an epilogue but I haven't written it yet, and I'll probably do a 'Things You Never Wanted To Know About Silver Secrets' chapter, but I'm marking this story as complete anyway because I want to focus on my new WiP.

Thank you for reading!