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

Kniv cleared the air by slapping his back. “What do you say we call some experienced men and ask them for advice? You will never finish this alone.” Both men stood, dusting themselves off.

“Ugh... why not? I’m this close to giving up and building a new door for the cave,” Hakken said.

Kniv smiled before whistling, and in an instant, a large group of men came out of nowhere. Hakken gave his friend a dirty look.

“Don’t look at me like that! They were close by.”

Regn

He should join a hunting party. He should ask the matriarch for a mission and travel the wild again. He should work on his skills as a tracker. Train with the warriors. Learn how to sew or cook.

Anything was better than unceasingly stalk a dumb human!

But he couldn’t help it. Ever since meeting Vorka, his threatening words unnerved him. Was he planning on hurting her? He wouldn’t dare, not in the village.

But he struck him as vicious enough, so Regn didn’t want to risk it. He kept telling himself she was his to kill, so that is why he was so worried about keeping her safe.

Yes. That worked.

He had spent the entire week monitoring her from a distance, as long as Hakken was not around. And on occasions, when Hakken was around too. He couldn’t be trusted.

That morning he kept watch while she worked in her garden, babbling with Mynte. She had been learning their language, and the words sound odd from her mouth. She pronounced a word incorrectly over and over again, frustrating him so much he had to fight the urge to throw a rock at her.

He almost lost it when Vorka pushed her to the ground, grinding his teeth while stopping himself from beating his abusive ass. The human deserved the punishment and humiliation, but not from a lanky, sinister outsider.

Fortunately, she was always accompanied by someone else, often Mynte. He didn’t need to intervene, and Regn couldn’t help to be dumbfounded after witnessing the entire village on the verge of jumping to her aid.

After dark, he joined everyone at dinner. It was early, so many were yet to arrive, and oddly enough, Hakken was not around. He would be the first to show up after a hunt, running like a lovesick pup to be by her side.

The thought made him grunt, but he didn’t want Hakken troubling his mind. Mynte dozed off after her meal, and Maeve held a friendly and pretty basic chat with a couple from another tribe who seemed curious about her.

The whole day he was on the lookout, and it tired him. Regn settled next to the fire, stifling a yawn, while he looked around, trying to locate Vorka and his men.  After an unexpectedly hard day, he deserved some rest.

His treacherous eyes went back to the human girl, but she was nowhere to be found. He turned to see Mynte sleeping, oblivious of the world. Worried, Regn stood and walked into the dark, looking for the human.

He trod as lightly as he could, heading to the path leading to Hakken’s cave. Her flowery scent floated only a few steps away, so he lurked behind the bushes, watching her walk without a care in the world. Halfway there, she stopped and turned around. From his hideout, Regn saw her tense, studying her surroundings with concern.

Did she sense me again? Her sharp instincts amazed him. But they were both startled when Vorka crept from the shadows, blocking her path. His nasty smirk shining under the moonlight.

Maeve remained silent, clenching her fists and taking a step back from the menace. Regn tensed as he, too, sensed the danger. That man wanted to kill her. Not wasting time in threats or mockery, Vorka closed the distance and jumped at her. The deadly blow aimed at her throat.

Regn didn’t hesitate this time.

His body sprang to life, jumping in front of her and blocking Vorka’s attack. His nails dug in his arms, cutting the skin and making him growl, but the damage would have been far greater on her delicate skin.

Vorka was a powerful warrior, much stronger than him, but Regn stood his ground. Maeve’s hands gripped his vest from behind, and he realized he was her only chance to survive. Determined to keep her safe, he pushed back. But a pang of fear shook him when he saw Vorka’s men approaching. He couldn’t fight the three of them.

Their leader grinned. “It’s a shame, young Regn. I believed you to be better than this. Now you will suffer the same fate as this filth.”

No time to think. He roared and pushed Vorka with all his strength, throwing him to the ground. He now stood defenseless. To his dismay, Maeve moved to stand in front of the man lunging at him from the side.

Stupid human! She would get herself hurt! Regn held her, pulling her away from harm and bracing for the hit. He glimpsed a knife, heading for his ribs, but the pain never came.

Like a blur, a massive body pushed against the attacker, sending him flying to the side. By the sound of it, he had landed on his knife. The newcomer then turned to the other henchman, smashing a fist in the middle of his face and knocking him senseless in a second. The brawl attracted the attention of everyone sitting around the bonfires, and help arrived.

A steady hand ripped Vorka from the ground and thrown him back down like a lifeless rug. Towering over him, Hakken looked terrifying, fangs bared, hands itching to tear him apart.

“You get to keep your life today, out of respect for your tribe.” His voice sounded terrifying.

Vorka scrambled to his feet and ran away, leaving his companions behind. Coward! Regn let out a long sigh as his body relaxed. He felt Maeve moving, and only then he realized he still hugged her tight. He let go, embarrassed, and she jumped into Hakken’s embrace.

For whatever reason, the sight of them holding each other made him