Chapter 14 The Morning After 1

Chapter 14: Chapter 14 The Morning After 1

Talia’s POV

The pale light of morning filtered through the window.

The rain had stopped, and the fire had died while I slept.

I turned my head and saw that Kaelen was gone. His blanket was folded neatly on the floor, and he had left without waking me.

I sat up and looked around the room.

My mother’s trunk still sat in the corner, and the tray of food from last night was untouched on the desk.

The fire had burned down to nothing but ash, and the room felt colder than it had last night.

I pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around my shoulders. The wool was rough against my skin, but it held his scent of pine, and cold air, and something I could not name. I told myself I was only using it for warmth, but I did not believe myself.

The silence in the room was heavy, pressing against my ears like cotton.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

I did not know what today would bring, or if Kaelen would mention what he said last night. I did not know if he would look at me differently now that he had admitted he knew I was hiding something.

But I had survived fifteen years in Cresswood. I had survived Vivienne and Celeste’s abuse, the storage room, the hunger and the cold. I had survived nights when I thought I would not see the sunrise.

There had been nights when the hunger was so bad I could not move. Nights when Celeste had locked me in the dark and I had screamed until my throat bled. Nights when I had prayed to the Moon Goddess to take me, just so I could stop hurting. But I always woke up, every single time. That had to mean something.

I had also survived my first night in this strange land.

So I would survive this too.

The door opened and Kaelen walked in.

He was wearing training clothes, and his hair was damp with sweat. His chest was still heaving slightly, like he had been running or sparring for hours. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and I could see the muscles in his forearms.

Then I understood he had gone for training, that was why he left so early.

He stopped in the doorway with a tray of food in his hand and looked at me. His gray eyes moved across my face like he was searching for something.

What he was searching for, I did not know. But I did not look away.

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him with his left foot. The sound of the latch clicking echoed in the quiet room. He walked to the desk and set down the fresh tray of food containing bread, cheese, a bowl of porridge that was still steaming, and a cup of water.

"Eat," he said.

"I am not hungry," I replied.

"You said that last night," he said, turning around.

"And I meant it. Why do you even care?" I asked.

"You are not what I expected, but that does not mean I should not make sure you stay alive," he answered.

"You are not what I wanted or expected to happen in my life either," I said.

His lip twitched, just a little. Almost like a smile, but not quite.

He looked at me for a long moment. His jaw was tight, and his hands hung at his sides, clenched into fists. Then he walked to the window and stood with his back to me.

"You need your strength," he said. "The Luna Trials will begin soon."

I stared at the back of his head. "The what?"

He turned around. His gray eyes were cold, but his voice was calm. Too calm.

"The Luna Trials. My grandfather will explain everything. You are to meet him after breakfast."

He walked to the door and opened it.

"Alpha Kaelen," I called.

He stopped, and his hand rested on the door frame, but he did not speak.

"What are the Luna Trials?" I asked.

He did not turn around. "Tests. To see if you are worthy of being my Luna."

Then he was gone. The door closed behind him with a soft click, and I was alone again.

I counted my breaths to keep from panicking. ONE. TWO. THREE. FOUR. FIVE. My heart slowed a little. SIX. SEVEN. EIGHT. NINE. TEN. I had learned this trick from Piper. She said it helped with fear, and she was right. But it did not make the fear disappear, it only pushed it down, where it waited.

I sat there for a long time after he left, as his words continued to ring in my head.

TESTS, to see if I was worthy.

I did not know what kind of tests they would be. Physical? Mental? Or something worse? My mind raced through possibilities, with each one worse than the last.

Would I have to fight? Prove my loyalty? Or stand before the pack and be judged?

I pressed my palms against my thighs to stop them from shaking.

I looked at the tray of food. My stomach growled, but I still did not want to eat. I was too nervous, and too scared. My hands were shaking, and my throat was tight.

But I needed my strength, if I was going to face whatever came next. I could not do it on an empty stomach.