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I close the door behind him, wondering why he is here.
Chapter Ten
Rock
I have no idea why I’m here. I probably shouldn’t be. She won’t want to talk to me, not after I made her feel so unwelcome here.
“I uhm… just came to let you know that dinner will be served in the dining hall in an hour,” I tell her.
Her eyes flutter at the information. “Everyone eats together, at the same time?”
“Yeah,” I nod, wondering how strange it must sound to her, while to us, it is a normal daily occurrence. “But if you want, you could have dinner here, on your own.”
“Oh, no, no, of course not,” she shakes her head quickly. “That actually sounds… lovely, everyone eating together.”
I feel my nerves getting the better of me, something that never happens. But at the same time, I feel both relief and apprehension. I don’t know how others will react to her presence there. Our communal dining tradition isn’t anything sacred by any account. It is the presence of a human in a village of bear shifters that has everyone on edge, and I understand why. She is an outsider. She is someone we have always been told not to trust and to keep away from. Now, their own leader has brought a human to their village.
“Is everything all right?” I hear her ask as she approaches me.
I can’t shake this unease of bringing her, an outsider, into our tight-knit community. I know that Cal meant well, but if there is a riot, I will be the one handling everything, not him. He will be, as always, the hero of everyone, while I will be left to pick up the pieces and sort out all the messes.
“Yes,” I reply quickly, realizing that she has been patiently waiting for my response. “I know you must think that I don’t want you here, and you probably think it’s because of what happened between us.”
She hesitates, but then nods. “I did sort of think that.”
“I knew it,” I confirm. “But trust me, it’s not that. I’m not that kind of guy. I would never… I mean, I never…” My words stumble and falter, and explaining my hesitation in a way that would make her understand without revealing anything about our village becomes an awkward dance and I find myself struggling to find the right words.
When I look at her, I see a warmth in her gaze that eases my tension, a silent understanding that she doesn’t see me as the enemy. I am grateful for that, because that is the opposite of what I want to be for her. Yet, I don’t know where I stand in this tangled mess of a situation, especially in light of everything that has happened.
“Our people are not used to outsiders,” I say, not wanting to be the same as those humans in Pinehaven, but no matter how much I try to distance myself from them, it seems that this place is not much different from that one.
She approaches me with a smile, then places her hand softly on my arm.
“It’s okay,” she tells me. “I… understand. I feel safe here, with you and Cal, and I know this place is special. You just want everyone to be at ease, and I am grateful for the chance to be here, to be a part of this, even for a short while.”
Her smile is genuine, and I manage a small, appreciative one in return.
“I just want you to know that I do want you here,” I finally tell her what’s on my mind. “Just like Cal, I also want to protect you. And he’s right, the woods aren’t safe. You are much safer here, with us.”
“Thank you,” she beams at me with those beautiful eyes, and I know that I am falling in love with her. The thought frightens me to my very core.
I can’t be with a human. It has happened before, a human with a bear shifter, but that practice is dying. We all stick to our own kind, and we’ve managed just fine like that until now.
“Well… I’ll leave you to rest now,” I tell her. “We’ve had quite a walk.”
“Yes,” she agrees.
I walk over to the door, then I stop. “The dining hall is just across the square. You can’t miss it.”
“I won’t,” she smiles as she sees me out.
I close the door behind me, wondering if it was a mistake to bring her here. It can’t be. Leaving her all alone with that bear shifter clan not far away would have been a mistake. Having her near, where I can make sure that she is safe is the right choice. Assured of that, I walk over to the dining hall to see if all the preparations for the dinner are going according to plan.
An hour later, the dining hall of our village comes alive with the comforting scent of a warm meal. As I enter, I can feel the energy, the familiar sounds of laughter and the warmth emanating from the central hearth.
My gaze instinctively shifts towards the entrance as Elena arrives. She looks a little apprehensive, but she pushes herself to walk in. The whole room falls into a hushed curiosity as villagers pause in their conversations to watch her, just like I am. I am glad to notice that the atmosphere is charged with anticipation, but there is no malice in their gazes. All I can see is genuine curiosity, especially in the eyes of the children.
Elena smiles at no one in particular, then continues walking. She notices me a moment later, waving at me. I gesture at her to come sit by my side, with Cal already there on my left.
