Wolfsbane

by Rebecca Davis

  Ina

  I sat, for the most part unwillingly, in the library across from Fabiana. My arms were crossed tightly over my chest, and I was as far away from Wolfsbane as I could get on the small loveseat. I didn’t trust him, and I definitely hadn’t forgiven him, so having him sitting next to me didn’t bring me much comfort. Especially not with his massive body taking up most of the small couch, leaving little room for escape.

  “You don’t need to look as if sitting next to me is going to kill you,” Wolfsbane murmured. “I won’t bite you.”

  “No,” I replied quickly. “You’ll just leave me again.”

  “You cannot blame him for his actions when he did not have any choice in the matter himself.” Fabiana scolded.

  I sighed. “I’m sorry, Fabiana, but you can’t expect me to sit her and pretend as if the past twelve years didn’t happen.”

  “I don’t expect you to do any such thing, but I do expect you to listen to what he has to say.”

  “And if I don’t?” I tested,

  Fabiana opened her mouth to speak, but the man beside me beat her to it. Wolfsbane spoke in hushed tones, barely audible with his head in his hands. “I will die.”

  “What do you mean ‘you’ll die’?” I questioned hesitantly.

  Wolfsbane sighed and sat up, putting his hands defeated in his lap. “Unlike women, men in the Realm can’t live without their Other Halves. Once they find their Other Halves, we only have a certain amount of time away from them before we’ll disappear. I’ve known that you were the one that the Fates had for me since you were eight years old.” He looked away from me, as if seeing me was too hard for him. “It’s getting harder and harder to shift. Soon, I won’t be able to shift at all. After that, it’s only a matter of time.”

  “Before?” I asked quietly.

  “Before my story disappears,” he looked me straight in the eye then, the pain behind his eyes almost too much for me to stand. “And I along with it.”

  It was quiet for some time. I couldn’t look either of them in the eyes. I was conflicted. I didn’t trust Wolfsbane, but I couldn’t let him die.

  “If you knew,” I asked, breaking the pounding silence. “Then why did you leave?”

  “I didn’t believe him,” Fabiana said, finally speaking up. “I didn’t want to believe him. You were so young, and he wasn’t the person he is now. I couldn’t believe that the Fates would give him an Other Half. I was furious at him for lying to me, after all that I had done for him. So, I sent him away.”

  “For twelve years?” I was shocked that Fabiana would be capable of something so hateful. “How could you?”

  “I didn’t send him away indefinitely. If I had, he wouldn’t be sitting where he is now. I have him until your twentieth birthday to prove that you two were Perfects. If the signs showed themselves, he could come back. If they didn’t, he would stay away forever.”

  I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t believe that Fabiana would make him agree to such a thing. But, the more I thought about it, the more that the idea of Fabiana making him agree to it sounded just about normal, whereas the fact that Wolfsbane had agreed to it sounded crazier by the minute.

  I turned to the man next to me in disbelief. “How could you agree to that? Did you even think for a second how I would feel about it?”

  I could see the pain dim his eyes. But, in that moment, I didn’t care. I was trying to understand, trying to see past my pain and anger.

  “I did think about you. The entire time I was away from you, I thought of nothing but you. I looked at your picture every day, wondering how you had changed. Asking myself if you would even remember me. I left willingly because I knew it was true. I knew that you were my Other Half. And, I knew that no matter how much pain being away from you caused me, it would be worth it when I was finally able to get a chance to spend my forever with you.”

  I hadn’t realized I was crying until he brushed away a tear from my cheek. I pulled away quickly, wiping my hands over my face to clear my tears.

  “You were my best friend,” I whispered, trying to get through my words. “I hung onto every word you said, believed everything you ever told me. If you had just explained…I may not have understood, but I would have believed you were going to come back.”

  “I know that now,” he grabbed my hand in his, squeezing it gently. “And I will spend the rest of my life regretting the choice to just leave without telling you.”

  Fabiana stood suddenly. “I must go. There are bad things in the air tonight.”

  Wolfsbane and I stood simultaneously. “I hugged the older woman. “IT’s probably just a storm, Fabiana.”

  “Either way, I’d like Wolfsbane to stay with you until I have the chance to come check on you again.”

  “I’ll be fine, I have been for over a year by myself. There’s no reason to inconvenience Wolfsbane like that.”

  “If you’d be comfortable with it,” the man in question spoke up. “Then it wouldn’t be an incontinence at all.”

  Fabiana patted her chest. “It would do this old heart good.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine, if it will really put you at ease, then he can stay.”

  “Thank you dear.” She patted my shoulder as she walked past. “It’ll only be a couple of weeks. I’ll see myself out.”

  And with a wave of a hand, she was out. It was an awkward silence until we heard the door close. When I was sure Fabiana wasn’t coming back with a changed mind, I breathed a sigh of defeat, letting my arms fall to my sides.

  “I guess I’ll show you to your room now.”

  Chapter 9

  Wolfsbane

  I let her lead me up the stairs and down a short hall. She took a deep breath and opened one of the many doors in the house.

  Inside, the room was one you would expect to see in the Hollow. A large, four poster bed sat in the idle of the room, dried flowers and leaves hung in a garland around the top. There were strands of dried plants hanging almost to the weathered floor in multiple places around the bed. A large oak armoire sat alone on one wall, and a table stacked high with journals sat on another.

  The far wall was made up entirely of two open doors leading out to a large balcony, home to a few faded wrought-iron chairs and a small café-like table. A cool breeze blew through, stirring the thin muslin curtains that hung over the doors.

  “You can stay in here,” Ina said quietly, gathering a pillow and folded blankets from the bed. “I’ll stay in the library.”

  “No,” I pushed. “I’m not going to take your bed. I’ll stay in the library.”

  She shook her head defiantly. “You’re the guest. Besides, I have some reading I want to catch up on.”

  I watched as she grabbed the top book from the stack on the table. Sighing in defeat, I took the blankets from her arms, speaking before she could argue. “You always were stubborn. At least let me help you with your things.”

  She studied me for a moment before nodding and putting the pillow on top of the blankets in my arms. I watched her pull a dress and nightgown out of the armoire and walk out of the room. I followed her to the library and set the pile in my arms on a small table.

  It was the first good look I had gotten of the large room. I was surprised at the amount of books that could fit in a space of its size. They were everywhere. The more that I tried to comprehend the number of books that there truly was, the more the seemed to multiply before my eyes.

  “Have you read all of these?” I asked Ina, finally taking my eyes off the books to find her taking down her hair, unweaving the thick, braided coil.

  She laughed. “No, not yet. But, I will.”

  I picked up a faded, dog-eared copy of the history of Wonderland, flipping through the pages. “How can you find pleasure in all of these words?”

  She tied off the end of a long braid that she had redone before she started picking up an armful of books and putting them back where they belong. “For each person alive, there is a word, sentence, or phrase t
hat has the power to bring them to their knees.”

  “And you intend to learn all of them?”

  She shrugged. “It would be a nice resource to have.”

  I chuckled. “That it would be.”

  “What about you?” She asked, picking up another stack of books from the sofa. “Do you like to read?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, I never learned.”

  She paused and turned to me. “You don’t know how to read?”

  I shook my head. “I never needed to. My parents lived in the enchanted Forest all of their lives, not far from where I built my cabin. They taught me to live off of the land, and only go into the city when necessary. There was no reason to learn.”

  “I could teach you, if you want,” she offered, going back to putting away the books. “I can’t imagine a life without being able to read. You miss out on so many adventures, so much history.”

  “I think I’ve had enough adventures in my lifetime, I don’t need to read to add to the list.”

  She put away the last book and poked my chest. “Never underestimate the seductive power of a decent vocabulary, my friend.”

  I laughed. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Good. Now, you should probably get some rest. You’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

  “I am?”

  She nodded. “Since you’re going to be saying here, I figured you could help me with moving some of the bigger things I can’t move on my own. Maybe pull of the higher vines I can’t reach?”

  “Sure, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  “Thank you. Good night, Wolfsbane.”

  She walked me to the doors. I was shocked when she gave me a loose, friendly hug. It was over before I could wrap my arms around her in return, but it was a hug nonetheless.

  I smiled when she pulled away. “Goodnight, Ina. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She nodded before she closed the door. I stood there for some time afterwards, trying to make sense of what had happened that day.

  First, I had finally seen the first I had spent twelve years thinking about. Then, I had seen her break down in tears. Now, I’m standing in her house about to go to sleep with her in the same building as I am.

  I made my way up to the bedroom, nervous about what the future will hold, excited knowing that she will be part of it.

  Chapter 10

  Ina

  I set the plate of food on the tree stump and watched as Wolfsbane pulled a young tree he had chopped down out of the way. He shoved it onto the pile of wood and broken trees before wiping the sweat off his brow.

  “Wolfsbane,” I called, smiling when he turned to me.

  “I’ve almost got it cleared back here. You can start planting now.” He practically fell onto the ground next to the stump, downing the glass of water I had gotten for him.

  “Thank you again for helping me with all of this. You’ve been here a week, and the outside of the house is almost done.”

  “It’s a pleasure,” he said, smiling and moving some hair out of his eyes. “Your house should be done soon.”

  It was quiet in the shade for some time. The birds were singing their song in the distance, and the clouds were making their slow way across the sky. When a young deer came into view, Wolfsbane growled. I put a hand on his arm to silence him.

  “Don’t, you’ll scare him away.”

  I broke off some of the bread that was on his plate before standing and moving slowly towards the animal. It’s head popped up, and it watched as I approached. Holding the hand with the bread out, I stood still, barely breathing.

  Slowly, ever so slowly, it started moving my way, until it was standing in front of me. When it started eating out of my head, I placed a hand on its neck.

  “That’s amazing,” Wolfsbane whispered, standing next to me. “How is it letting you pet it like that?”

  “Not every situation has to be handled with brute force or anger. Sometimes, a little kindness goes a long way.”

  “That’s true, I’m starting to learn that more and more.”

  He placed his hand over mine and I smiled, spreading my fingers so his fit in between.

  “You’ve grown into a fine young lass, Ina.”

  I felt my cheeks grow pink. “Thank you, Wolfsbane. You, on the other hand, don’t look like you’ve aged a bit since you left.”

  He chuckled. “That’s one of the many good things about living in this world. I’ll never look any older.”

  “Whereas I will get old and grey.”

  “No, you won’t. Well, not if we finish the Bond.”

  I felt myself tense when he brought up the Bonding. Just because I was starting to feel comfortable around him didn’t mean I was ready to start thinking about us being Perfects, as much as I wanted to believe in the flutters I felt every time he looked at me. But, every time I started to think about it, his leaving me twelve years ago would come flooding back to me. I moved my hand out from under his, ignoring his wince.

  “I’m sorry, Ina. I didn’t mean…”

  “It’s alright,” I said curtly, cutting him off midsentence. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

  I felt his eyes on me the entire time as I picked up the plate and glass from where he had left it when he was eating and took it back in the house.

  Chapter 11

  Wolfsbane

  I watched as she walked inside. Kicking the ground beneath my feet, I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.

  Why had I brought up the bonding? Things had been going so well the past few days. She had started opening up, letting me in. Our relationship was starting to resemble the one that we had all those years ago. And then, I go and risk it all just to bring up something that could end everything we had started to rebuild.

  I sighed and got back to work. I kept at it until the sun went down, taking all of my frustration towards myself out on the trees and stumps I was pulling out of the ground. By the time I was finished, I had cleared all of the trees and stumps that Ina had wanted out.

  Throwing myself on the ground, I reveled at the feeling of the cool grass, damp with the remains of the slight rain earlier that day, against my flushed skin. I was tired. The fatigue from a hard day’s work started to weigh down on me. As I started to relax, I felt myself drifting off to the deep abyss of sleep.

  Chapter 12

  Ina

  When the sun had set and the crickets started their evening song, I started to worry.

  I hadn’t meant to upset Wolfsbane when I had walked away. Although, I think a part of me knew it would upset him. But, I didn’t mean to make him so angry, he would push himself to work until the darkest hours.

  The truth be told, I had been thinking about the Bonding a lot. Possibly more than I should. There was a part of me, which had slowly started becoming most of me, that remembered the old days. The days before Wolfsbane had left. They were good days, full of laughter and happiness.

  But, then, there is the other, smaller part of me that remembers the days after he left. Those days were full of tears and questions. I had so many sleepless nights, wondering where he was, if he had left because of me. I had blamed myself for so long.

  Even knowing the truth now, that small part of me still doubted Wolfsbane. What if he left and didn’t come back? What if, after the Bonding, he changes his mind? I was terrified of history repeating itself. I didn’t want to get left heartbroken again.

  When I had cleaned every surface I could think of, and tried unsuccessfully to read, I let my worry overtake me. I made my way to the window, my eyes straining to see Wolfsbane in the darkness. When I did finally find him in the nightly fog, my heart started to pound.

  I saw him lying in the grass, passed out. From my spot at the window, I couldn’t tell if he was breathing. The worry of that alone made me rush down the stairs. I grabbed my cover as I rushed out the door, barely making it snap closed on the top.

  Running as fast as I could, I made
my way around the house. My heart beat faster and faster as I got closer. I tried to slow down, but ended up slipping on the wet grass, falling next to him. I ignored the wetness seeping through my skirt.

  I grabbed Wolfsbanes arm, trying as hard as I can to shake him. No matter how hard I tried to make him, he wouldn’t move. I put my hand under his nose, trying to see if I could feel his breathing. When I didn’t feel his breath and his chest wasn’t moving, I started to panic.

  “No, no, no,” I begged. “Please, Wolfsbane.”

  I laid my ear against his chest. I prayed I would hear a heartbeat. After what seemed like hours, I finally heard the steady beat that indicates a living person. I breathed a sigh of relief, a small tear falling from my eye.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, tightening my grip on him slightly.

  I felt a hand smooth down my hair softly as Wolfsbane shifted under me. Sitting up quickly, I searched his face for any signs of pain. All I found was love shining bright behind his eyes as he watched me. It was quickly replaced with concern when he wiped away a lone tear from my cheek.

  Turning away from him, I wiped my face and pulled my hair back. Wolfsbane sat up, pulling me close.

  “Ina, what’s the matter?” I shook my head, unable to answer. Putting a finger under my chin, he turned my face towards him. Searching my face, his own features softened. “I can tell when you’re upset, Ina. Please, tell me.”

  I just looked at him for some time, making sure he really did want to know, that he really did care. When I was sure he did, I could feel my walls slowly breaking down. He wiped away each tear as it fell, waiting patiently.

  “I took a deep breath as I tried to answer without choking on my own words. “I thought I had lost you.”

  Chapter 13

  Wolfsbane

  I could feel my heart break as she barely got out the words. It was all that I could do to keep from falling apart completely. I tried to keep my voice and expression even and call.