"Loki took her."
The whole room fell silent, and I was suddenly painfully aware that all eyes were on me. This might not have been the right way to do it, but it was done, and I figured it out, didn't I?
"Who?"
Tew's voice sounded unsure, but I knew, like everyone here knew, who I was talking about, but it felt like he just could not believe me. Not so strange after all, I guess; I mean, come on! In my world, a claim like this would earn me a nice and snugly white shirt where the arms were strapped around me. I saw Arcane from the corner of my eye, getting up and hurrying over to my side. I hated to admit it, but for some reason, this guy seemed to do everything right. Make me feel safe, stand by my side, backing me up, always a little too close. Nah, who am I kidding? Too close?
I shook my head as I sidetracked myself. Tew's questions are still hanging in the air, and I'm still staring straight at him. Tew exchanged glances with Hades, but he remained quiet, unfazed, waiting for the outcome to play out before him. Giving Tew the lead and stepping aside for him to handle the issue. The issue is me.
"Eir. Toke and Loke made a deal, but it failed. Well, maybe not, but from what Toke expected, it did. So, Loke has Eir. How do we get to him or find him? "
"And how do you know this?"
That's when I felt it, the concern and poorly hidden accusation. It didn't go by unnoticed either that three of his men ran out of the room. To check Toke's well-being without a doubt. So, this is when the old devil inside me lit up, and I lifted my chin and met his gaze with a smile. He could check him all he wanted; I knew how to hide the pain I inflicted.
Toke may look tired, a bit distressed even, but a man with his ego? He would never admit to anything, never tell on me. This I was confident about. And hey, at least I learned something through years and years of abuse.
"He told me, and don't worry he is fine."
A warm and soothing sensation spread through my body just as Arcane's arm wrapped around my waist. A sensation ai could not explain, but I liked it. So warm and welcoming, a subtle nudge to my subconsciousness that I am not alone in this crowd. A feeling I can't even remember I ever missed once in my life back on earth, but now, I could not imagine a future without. He didn't even know what I did, he knew the unspoken accusation, but he didn't care. He stood by me despite it, and an unknown part of me, deep inside my chest, felt like it melted into something warm and mushy. How can a brute of an idiot be such a good man? Read me so well and give me what I don't even know I needed without even asking.
I shook my head; get a grip! Side-tracking again!
"What did you promise him?"
Oh, and I just realized I miss read him. I could feel Arcane's muscles tighten a bit around me and someone murmuring and whispering. Maybe he never cared what I did to Toke, more like what he tricked me into giving him? Do I really look that naïve? Oh, wait, I do! And that is how I survived so long back home; I could help the little snickering scoff that left me. Maybe I'm not as helpless in this world as I first thought.
"To get him back home. He is not staying here; he is going back. And I promised we would help him on his way."
His face twisted into disbelief, surprise, and then back to disbelief and suspicion again. For a badass wolf leader barbarian guy, he is not hiding his thought or emotions well.. Not at all! I smiled a little when I remembered that he was supposed to be Eir's brother; she would beat him in poker any day! Against that uncomfortable silence spread like a heavy carpet around us. Only I didn't find it that uncomfortable. I did what I had to do, didn't regret a second, and ii knew I didn't cross any lines or leave behind evidence of what went on between Toke and me.
My muscles had a life on their own, so while still holding Tew's stare, I leaned into Arcane. I took extra deep breaths just to smell him, and yes, strange enough, I smelled him. Not his perfume or aftershave or anything like that, just him. He had a heavy, almost earthlike sent to him that I hadn't really noticed before, and it pulled me in. Alluring, dark, and exciting, mixing with something calm, known, and safe. A subtle warm blush spread up my neck when I realized I didn't mind sharing a bed with him and when I admitted that I don't think I ever did. Admitting to myself that the reason I reacted to it at first was because I was taken aback. I didn't expect it, not at all, and to be honest, it felt like he expected it, and I didn't like that feeling. But if I'm being perfectly honest, it makes my life easier. I don't have to make a move; I don't have to flirt my way to his bed; it was already a decision made by him.
The raging feminist inside me wanted to hit him over the head with a shovel, but only to knock him out s oi could curl up next to him without him knowing how good it felt and how much I really wanted to do so. Why that felt like something I should be ashamed of, I didn't know, but I reached the point where I didn't care. Why should I? This world is different; norms and rules are different. I bet flirting and courtship are different, and that actually feels like a good thing-no digital ghosting and cheating. No lying and playing to get a random girl to bed, only to turn their back and spread her naked pictures and rumors around the town. It almost felt more real. Like the interest shown, the gestures done were real. There was no need to decipher them, read everything between the lines, and I liked this realization. Liked this feeling.
Everyone turned towards the door when it opened, including me, and I stiffened a satisfaction grin seeing how they shrugged all confused towards Tew before they declared to everyone that Toke was fine.
"How?"
I turned back to Tew and gave him a light shrug back,
"A girl might have some tricks up her sleeve too."
And smiled; for a long while, I was unsure how he would react. His face was emotionless while clearly debating himself or maybe his wolf. I don't know, but his face was stone-cold while that internal discussion went on. At first, it sounded like a dry cough, and his face didn't seem to change at all, and I began to worry that I had stepped on some male ego toes or secret pack moral everyone, but I knew about. But then be busted out laughing. Laughing so, the room rumbled, and tears formed in his eyes. Despite how confident and calm I had felt, I now realized how tense my body had been, how I'd been holding my breath, waiting for a crushing judgment to break me down. How I not only had expected it but also felt I deserved it. This consciousness is a strange thing, is it not?
"Remind me to never get on the wrong side of you!"
He continued laughing, and I remember seeing scenarios like this on tv before and always fantasies about how awesome that must feel, but it didn't. I knew he said it in a humorous tone, but it felt like a jab to my chest. Like I was now an innocent-looking devil in disguise, I'm not. I might have tools in my baggage to use if really needed, but I am not evil or cruel, but that's how it made me feel.
"Ask Nyx for help, have her reach out, and we can plan from there tomorrow. We are calling it a night!"
Arcane's voice cut right through the laughter that now had spread in the room, and I let him lead me out. I never thought walking in a haze was this literal, but it was. Like I stared straight ahead and followed the movements but didn't register where we went or what we walked past. Why did this feeling hit me so hard?
"Nyx has been with us almost as long as Hades, incredibly young for a Vólva, but she is very skilled. To the point that people were scared of her and what she could do. She will figure it out; she might look like death itself in an incredibly beautiful way, but she knows her craft."
And that, of all things, is what pulled me out of my strange state. Jealousy. My head snapped in his direction, and the cold breeze brushed past my warm skin as I glared at him. He, on the other hand, stared straight ahead. My eyes followed his, my heart picking up its beats and my mind pumping me up. He is probably looking at her; what does she look like? Have I met her?
That's when I realized we were sitting right next to the little waterfall, the same place I escaped to when I ran off earlier.
"I figured this place made you feel, "
He paused a little before he continued,
"Alone or protected?"
My heart skipped a beat the moment he turned, and our eyes met. Embarrassed and still jealous, I didn't manage to answer; I just nodded. He was kind of right, and this had been the one place that stuck out. It called for me, promised me protection and time on my own, unseen. A lump formed in my throat when he lifted me up on his lap like I was nothing but a little puppy and gave me a perfect place to hide my face, pressed against his chest and under his chin. His chest rumbled and vibrated when he spoke, and I had to close my eyes not to cry. I didn't want to cry, but the need to cry suddenly felt so overwhelming,
"Remind me to thank her, I once told her I dreamed of a stunning goddess to sweep me off my feet. A woman so beautiful I would struggle to breathe when seeing her because of my heart hammering my ribs and lungs. But here you are."