Chapter 5

Fenric's nostrils flared slightly, easily catching the scent of Elyse, the young female he saw earlier this afternoon. Just a whiff of her scent was enough to make him feel a little intoxicated. However, he also smelled the scent of an unfamiliar male and figured her mate must've found her.

That was no surprise. Out in the forest, a weak female would only be alone if she got separated from her mate.

He lowered his massive head and padded into his cave, lying down where Elyse had just been sitting.

…

It was already night when Kieran brought Elyse back to his cave. Everyone else in the settlement had gone back to their caves.

Being back inside the cave again, Elyse felt a little awkward. Kieran placed her on a rock, where she sat unmoving. Meanwhile, he casually grabbed the unfinished meat from yesterday and heated it up on the fire before passing it to her.

"Eat something."

Elyse was tempted by the large piece of meat in front of her. She looked up at Kieran. She'd lied to him last night. However, when he found her, not only did he not get angry, but he even prepared food for her. Perhaps he was indeed a good choice for a mate.

Still, after recalling what happened last night, she felt a little fearful, so she shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

The moment she said that, her stomach growled, making her feel even more awkward.

Kieran couldn't resist chuckling. "You're not hungry? But your stomach is rumbling. Relax. I meant what I said earlier. I won't do anything to you without your permission."

The rich aroma of roasted meat made it hard for Elyse to hold herself back. She hadn't eaten all day.

"I trust you," she said, taking the meat and slowly starting to eat.

Maybe she had been overly wary. Besides, if he truly intended to force her into anything, she was too petite to fight back. Given the situation, it was better to fill her stomach first.

Once she finished eating, Kieran took her to the river to wash up before getting some sleep.

When Elyse saw there was only a single bed in the cave, made out of piles of animal hide, she was a little uncomfortable about it. But then again, she'd already agreed to be his mate, so it was inevitable to share a bed with him.

Avoiding the side Kieran seemed to use, she walked to the other side of the bed and climbed in. She pulled the fur blanket over herself to hide from his view.

Kieran had a bundle of animal hides in his arms. He'd planned on making a makeshift bed for himself on the ground. When he turned around, he noticed Elyse was already fast asleep in bed, but she'd left one side of the bed for him.

A faint smile crept over his face.

Setting down the blankets he was holding, he approached the bed. After taking a look at Elyse, who was all covered up in the blanket, he settled down with a full heart.

Alas, even though Elyse had a good night's sleep, dozing off the moment she closed her eyes, Kieran ended up having a sleepless night.

He'd merely found Elyse pretty before. He never realized just how bewitching her scent would be in the stillness of the night. His body was on fire, and he couldn't fall asleep.

As soon as dawn broke, he went out hunting. He had a mate now and was no longer alone, with only himself to feed. Besides, Elyse was still wary around him, so it wasn't a good idea for him to spend all his time in the cave.

When Elyse woke up, she was alone in the cave. The fur blanket at her feet had been neatly folded. She could tell it was Kieran who did it.

After putting on her slightly stinky sneakers and the long dress that was starting to smell, she combed her hair a bit with her fingers before slowly leaving the cave for some fresh air.

…

The sun was high in the sky, but it was quite lively at the settlement. Yesterday had been a festive occasion for the clan. Within a day, a number of single males finally had a mate. Since no one needed to go out and forage that day, they were all resting in the settlement.

A group of females had gathered at the square in the center of the settlement, laughing as they chatted. One of them noticed Elyse and shouted in surprise, "Look! The female who ran away came back!"

At once, all eyes turned to her. She was rather too striking, for she was dressed differently from them. And, most importantly, she had blinded Korr's eye. It was impossible for them to forget about someone like her.

Mirabel snorted. "Hmph! Why did you bother coming back if you ran off?"

The other females who were close friends with Mirabel chimed in as well.

"That's right! You even got Mirabel in trouble. The chief scolded her because of you!"

"Exactly. You've caused nothing but trouble ever since you came to the Duskfall clan. Not only did you injure one of Korr's eyes, but Mirabel got scolded because of you, too! You're such a jinx!"

Elyse's heart tightened. She didn't think of that. She had no idea Mirabel would get scolded because she ran off. It was indeed her fault.

Taking a deep breath, she approached Mirabel. "I'm sorry, Mirabel. I didn't think you'd get scolded because I left. It's my fault. I'm really sorry."

The sudden apology threw Mirabel off. Had the other females been in Elyse's position, they might've simply ignored her. The more irritable ones would even snap back at her. Yet, Elyse was apologizing instead. This made Mirabel feel a little sheepish.

Scratching her slightly itchy scalp, Mirabel said, "Forget it. Just promise to tell me next time before you go somewhere, so I don't get scolded by the chief for no reason!"

Elyse could tell that Mirabel had a quick temper but was easily appeased as well. She figured Mirabel had a pretty easygoing nature. Smiling, she said, "Okay. I won't do it anymore. I have a mate now!"

"That's good. Welcome to the Duskfall clan!" Mirabel said before taking Elyse's hand. "Have a seat. I'll pick the lice out of your hair for you!"

A fairly large female chimed in excitedly, "I'll do yours for you, Mirabel!"

Elyse's smile froze. She had forgotten about that. The beastfolk lived in caves and prepared their food in the most primitive way of just roasting over an open fire. It was quite likely that they had lice, too. She'd spent the night in the cave, so did that mean…

Thinking of that, she quickly sat on a rock. "Just pick them out already!"

She could already feel her scalp itching.

Soon, the sound of lice being removed filled her ears, sending shivers down her spine. Once the lice had infested the hair, they were extremely hard to remove. She didn't want them on her head!

"Did you find any, Mirabel?"

Mirabel's tanned hands worked through Elyse's hair, but all she caught was the faint smell of sweat. She didn't find a single louse anywhere.

"Your hair is very clean, Elyse. I couldn't find anything."

Relieved, Elyse decided she would need to wash all the hide bedding in the cave thoroughly. She wouldn't be able to rest easy otherwise. If the cave wasn't kept clean, it would become a hotbed for lice and fleas. Once those parasites moved in, she wouldn't be able to get a good night's rest.

Just then, Irina Crow, a female wearing a white animal hide and who had a pheasant feather stuck in her hair, came over to the group of females.

"Hey, have you guys seen Kieran?" she asked haughtily.