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

But Regn wasn’t over. “You thought of her as a toy, as a pet! She is far more wonderful than that, and you still believe she needs you? She doesn’t need you, you worthless wimp!

Hakken had enough. He barely registered the movement when his fist hit Regn’s chin, throwing him back and breaking his lip. But the boy was still up for more. After a few stumbles, he wiped his blood and charged at him, tackling him by the waist and sending both of them to the middle of the creek.

They struggled on the water, throwing messy punches, screaming, and cursing. The fight was rowdier than violent. After a while, it was clear they were trying to release their frustrations other than hurting each other.

Regn managed to give Hakken a bloody nose, and both men were covered in dirt and soaked in sweat and water. Drained and irritated, they sat next to the flowing creek, trying to remember why they were so mad to begin with.

His face throbbed, but Hakken didn’t mind. What Regn had said caused a lot more pain since it was exactly what he feared. That he wasn’t good enough for her. That there might be someone else more suitable. Exhausted, Hakken sprawled on the ground as doubts plagued his mind.

The boy panted next to him, and Hakken sent him a glance before asking. “Do you love her?”

Regn huffed and blinked before looking down with a deep, childish blush. “I’m not sure.”

“Of course you do! How could you be around her and not fall madly in love with her?”

They went silent, each lost in their thoughts. Hakken remembered all the times Regn had saved Maeve from danger. He had been there for her when she needed help, unlike him. That was the painful truth. Still laying on his back, he turned to Regn and found him fidgeting. The boy squirmed before muttering. “I’m sorry about your nose.”

“I’m sorry about your ugly face.”

Regn snorted. “Yeah, sure. If we are going to keep fighting for her, we might as well choose a different sport.”

Hakken rubbed his eyelids. “You know this isn’t right. It is not like we can choose who gets to keep her. She is the one who decides.”

Regn chuckled humorlessly. “Very mature of you.”

Hakken frowned and threw a bunch of dirt at him. “Well, I’m older!” Both men laughed on the ground, catching their breaths after a few minutes.

Regn was the first one to stand, walking to Hakken and offering a hand. “She’ll choose you.”

Hakken took his hand and rose to his feet while shaking his head. “I don’t know about that.”

“I do. She loves you. I bet you can’t tell because you are an idiot, but unfortunately for me, it’s quite obvious.”

He stared at the young man standing in front of him. His eyes were honest and somehow resigned. His words gave him the strength to hold a bit of hope. “I’ll fight for her,” Hakken stated.

“You better. But let’s find her first.”

CHAPTER XXX

PLEASANT DREAMS

Maeve

They rode in the back of Hua ever since leaving the cave early that morning. Maeve was impressed by how far the naga had taken her, but soon she realized Hua walked in circles. She shared a meaningful look with Flyg, who sat right behind her and caught the same absentminded route the Ancient took.

“Hua... I don’t mean to be rude but, do you know where you are going?” Maeve asked.

The stag scoffed. “Well, I do. We would have arrived there hours ago if those two idiots stopped changing their course and running farther away.”

“Who?”

“The two younger males from your group looking for you, Maeve, running around hysterically.” He stomped his hoof. “I am so very proud of every detail of my creation, but I should have made some restrictions regarding the relation between love and common sense.”

Maeve bit her lower lip while thinking about Hakken. She had to admit she longed for him. The thought of being reunited made her heart flutter. Flyg pinched her side. “Two males are courting you? You are a tease, Maeve!”

“No one is courting me! They are my friends!”

Flyg laughed at her and wiggled her eyebrows playfully. “Right... friends who are running around like crazy trying to find you.”

“They are just overprotective,” Maeve shrugged.

“Pheromones don’t lie.” Hua chimed in, and Maeve wondered if she was allowed to ask the god to stop talking. Probably not the best idea to test her luck in her current situation, so she asked instead. “What are pheromones?” Hua explained. And Maeve knew she shouldn’t have asked.

The stag’s pace was steady, so Maeve let her mind wander. When did she start to feel this way? At what point, sleeping curled in Hakken’s arms became the safest place in the world? When did she begin looking forward to meeting him at the end of the day to talk about this and that?

Her trail of thoughts made her squirm.

“What is wrong with you?” Her unease didn’t escape Flyg.

Maeve decided to trust her doubts with her new friend. “How can you tell when you are in love, Flyg?”

Her sudden question startled the half-breed girl, and after hesitating for a moment, she answered. “I guess... I don’t know if I’m the one to ask... but...” She cleared her throat. “I don’t think love is something you ‘know’. You know if you find someone attractive, you know when someone makes you feel special. You definitely know when you can’t keep your hands from them.”

Sweet and troubling memories came to her. Fortunately, Maeve’s reddened cheeks passed unnoticed.

“Love is something you do. You do it. It’s an act, not a feeling.” Flyg sounded confident.

“What do you mean?”

“Well... y-you decide to love someone! It is not that hard to understand.” Flyg waved her arms in frustration. “Like you with this hunter who’s looking for you! When you see him smelly and sweaty at the end of a hunt. When he does something stupid when he makes you mad, do you still choose to love him?”

Flyg was making a lot of assumptions,