The Untold Forest by Elisa Menz (ebook offline reader TXT) 📕

“Greetings travelers, my name is Regn. What brings you to the Children of the River tribe?” The first emissaries had arrived.

“Greetings, young Regn. I am Vorka from the Red Moon Valley. We learned the news of danger in the mountain, and we came to seek counsel from your matriarch.”

“Allow me to welcome you. Thank you for answering to this menace.”

“Yes... so you say. We came to reach the truth.” Regn immediately disliked Vorka. Something about the man rubbed him the wrong way.

“Another thing is... troubling us,” Vorka continued. “Is it true you keep a human in your village? In our sacred Forest?”

Regn frowned at the thought of her. Or did Vorka talking about Maeve bother him? “True. One of our men kept her as a pet,” he answered.

“Well... most disturbing news.” Vorka displayed a wicked smile. “We should meet your matriarch at once. We will deal with your little trouble.”

CHAPTER XVIII

OPEN WOUNDS

Hakken

Some things had to change. That was a given.

After his stupid assumption, Hakken now faced the fact he had kidnapped a young woman. Maeve was no helpless child or a pet. A pet! He cringed at the thought. How dense could he be? Completely oblivious of her discomfort, he treated Maeve with so little delicacy, it was harrowing to think about. Every detail since the day they met came back to haunt him, sinking him deeper into a state of utter embarrassment.

No wonder she had objected so vehemently to most of his dumb ideas. Hakken groaned, hiding his face behind his hands and turning on his bed once more. He listened to Maeve working on her garden, but he didn’t find the strength to face her. Not after spending the entire night clinging to the farthest end of his bed, straining to keep his body away from her.

I should put an end to this... I should climb a mountain high enough so I can jump and smash my thick skull! His stomach churned, and he grimaced, wondering if hunger or uneasiness might be the cause. But after a loud growl, he established it was midmorning already, and he was starving.

He sat, alarmed. Maeve has eaten nothing either! 

The time for moping had ended. Embarrassed as he was, it was still his responsibility to look after her.

Children’s laughter made him stop in his tracks. Some village children talked and giggled nearby, and Maeve’s voice chimed in soon after. Curious about their interaction, Hakken sneaked towards the entrance, witnessing a sweet exchange.

Three little girls offered fruit and a bowl of roasted meat to Maeve. From his hiding spot, he strained his eyes and nose to detect something odd with the food, but everything appeared to be fine.

He sighed. I need to stop being so paranoid. They are children. They won’t hurt her. 

“Thank you. Would you like to join me?” she asked. But the children smiled and ran away, overcome by shyness.

Maeve’s eyes followed them until they disappeared behind the bushes, heading to the village. The clouds parted, allowing the sunlight to shine on her braided hair, hanging loosely over her shoulder. A faint layer of dirt covered her cheeks, and her dirty hands showed her work in the garden began early.

Another sigh left him when her lips curled in a peaceful smile. Such a simple gesture caused his stomach to somersault, and this time, hunger had nothing to do. Maeve headed to the cave entrance—a bowl of food in hand—and Hakken scrambled out of the way, racing to reach the bed and pretend he hadn’t been ogling her.

He even put on an act, stretching and yawning as soon as she walked in. Gods, I’m pitiful. He scolded himself.

“You’re awake. I was beginning to worry,” she said.

Hakken turned, forcing his voice to sound relaxed, but failing miserably to maintain eye contact. “Good morning, little—ah... Maeve. I’m sorry about breakfast. I’ll fetch something for you right away.”

His body stiffened when Maeve sat by his side. The warmness radiating from her skin dazed him.

“Don’t worry, the children brought us some food.” She showed him the bowl, grinning. Her body relaxed against him, not minding the proximity and all the spots where they touched. Hakken would have found this endearing before, but now it only caused his emotions to swirl. With so many ways in which he could act inappropriately, he fidgeted and attempted—hopelessly—to settle calmly by her side.

He immediately regretted turning to her because there was no way to deal with Maeve’s face so close to him. As of late, smiles came easier and more often to her. The dimples in her cheeks challenged his restraint to the point he swayed forward. How was it possible those two tiny spots held so much power over him?  Swallowing hard, he straightened, barely stopping himself from nuzzling her face.

The whole conundrum in his mind didn’t pass unnoticed, and Maeve raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you all right? You’re acting strange since last night.” Of course he was! How could he not, when reality slapped him in the face with the shameful truth? He had been treating Maeve like a little girl, carrying her around, sitting her on his lap, and sleeping with her curled in his arms from the moment they first met. No wonder she acted so jumpy and scared at first. What did she think of him? Did she ever fear he would take advantage of her? Hurt her?

The horrifying thought made him shiver, and Maeve landed a hand on his arm. “Hakken, what is wrong?”

“Nothing! I... I don’t feel too well.” Liar! “I might be coming down with something.”

A new version of shame washed over him when Maeve stood in front of him and touched his forehead, frowning with concern. Hakken remained still, almost hoping she called out his lies. But the girl sighed and stared at him, keeping her hands on his cheeks.

“Your face is a little warm. Is that why you slept far from me last night? Do you worry I might catch something?”

Not trusting his voice, he nodded.

“You look