Page 26 of Destined to the Lycan
I would lie by saying it wasn’t arduous. Being mostly sedentary, I wasn’t used to such long rides on horseback, and especially at such a fast and hard pace. Frankly, our mounts’ endurance blew my mind.
For all that, I loved how Remus constantly checked up on me, assessing my current state, and ensuring my welfare. We only stopped long enough to stretch our legs, rest the horses, eat, or answer the call of nature.
Saying I was relieved when we finally reached the Hunters Lodge would be the understatement of the century. Every muscle in my body whined and complained. My back and legs felt incredibly stiff. I probably looked like a waddling duck as I took a couple of steps towards the large two-story wooden building.
To my surprise, it appeared totally vacant. Not a single light illuminated the countless windows. I cast an inquisitive looktowards my companion, who effortlessly grabbed all our bags off our horses.
“Just like the cave that we slept in last night, the lodge is a public location that everyone may use freely,” Remus explained when he noticed my confused expression. “There are three other similar lodges in the area. All the guides like me pitch in a fixed amount every month to maintain them. Some basic supplies are always available and regularly replenished by the caretakers. But some of the things we have to replace before we leave, like fire logs if we use them.”
“Oh! That’s pretty neat then. But what if there already were other people here,” I asked. “Would they have turned us away?”
He smiled and shook his head while making his way to the front stairs. “There are eight bedrooms in the lodge, and a few couches in the living area that can also be used as beds. Multiple parties can share the place. However, it rarely occurs as guides normally communicate with each other where they intend to go to avoid overlaps whenever possible.”
“Fair,” I replied, shadowing him as he reached for the door handle. “But what if some random interloper decided to drop by? We’re in the middle of the woods. Some psychopath could sneak in on us during the night, pretending to seek shelter, and then slaughter us in our sleep.”
Just as I spoke those words, my skin tingled. I jerked my head up to look at the sudden lights that appeared above me as I crossed the threshold of the house.
“Protection wards,” I whispered with sudden understanding as he waved his palm in front of an arcane symbol by the door.
Remus nodded then walked further inside the lodge. “This is but one of many. You didn’t feel them, but we crossed quite a few protective wards on our way here. Our shamans have scattered them on a one-kilometer radius around the building. No dangerous animal can approach, and any person with evil intentwill be immediately repelled. There’s a reason why Wolfmoon Mountain is deemed one of the safest and most sought-after hunting and hiking destinations. No danger can come to you here, my mate.”
I bit the inside of my cheeks not to chuckle when Remus visibly flinched at subconsciously using that term of endearment. He was so incredibly cute.
Obviously, it was much too early for us to refer to each other in such a manner. And yet, I liked it coming from him. I didn’t want anyone to think they could own or control me. But there was something incredibly flattering and comforting in the underlying possessiveness with which he claimed me.
“I’m glad to hear it,” I said with a smile. “I might be a little skittish when it comes to random strangers showing up at my front door.”
“Understandable,” he replied, relieved that I didn’t seem offended by his slip up. “But now that we have entered the house, and I claimed it, it will warn us if anyone approaches during our stay, not that there should be any visitors until two days from now. But we’ll be long gone by then.”
“I like the sound of that,” I replied enthusiastically.
He obviously assumed I meant the fact that we would get warned if an intruder showed up. Although that was true, it was mostly the fact that we would have the house to just the two of us that pleased me. As an introvert, I wasn’t too keen on hanging out with big crowds. But more importantly, I wanted to get to know this fascinating man with whom I could possibly spend the rest of my life. We’d been together for two days now, which we mostly spent racing through the woods. That had not been too conducive of any type of bonding time.
“There are two bedrooms on this floor,” Remus said, waving towards the back of a large corridor on the opposite side of the open living and dining area at the entrance of the lodge.“The other six rooms are upstairs and are accessible through the staircase over there. You will find two hygienic toilets—one on each floor—and there is an outhouse in the garden. Unfortunately, there are no baths or showers. We normally bathe in the river at the back.”
“I don’t mind a midnight bath,” I said in a reassuring tone, even though it was still early evening.
“Excellent!”
He glanced out one of the many tall windows before casting a speculative look my way.
“I would like to go hunt for our meal tonight to spare our food reserves from Misty. Would you feel comfortable remaining here in my absence?” he asked carefully.
“You said it’s safe, and that the wards will keep any one with hostile intentions at bay. Therefore, I don’t mind staying here alone for a little bit,” I replied in a friendly tone.
He beamed at me. “It certainly is. I would not consider it otherwise. It shouldn’t take me long. There’s plenty of small game in the area.”
“Take your time. I’ll look around and pick a room in your absence.”
“See you soon,” he said before heading out.
I watched him through the window as he first secured the horses and fed them. Guilt surged through me that I didn’t even think of doing it or even offering to do so. To my surprise, he didn’t strip and shift into his wolf form but simply broke into a run at dizzying speed with no apparent weapon on him.
I shrugged and started exploring the place. It held an undeniable masculine edge, the typical hunting lodge all made of wood, with some animal skull decorations, carpets made of fur, and sturdy furniture more focused on functionality than fashion.
Three couches, four chairs, and a handful of cushiony stools provided ample seating in the living area which faced a largefireplace. At the other end of the room, four round tables, each with enough chairs to seat ten people filled the large space across from the kitchen area. To my pleasant surprise, it had a gas stove. The cupboards offered all the necessities, including dishes, pots and utensils, and basic spices.
As I headed down the corridor, my confusion at seeing five doors when Remus stated there were only two bedrooms on this floor was quickly dissipated. One of them acted as an armory with a variety of hunting paraphernalia, including bows, arrows, traps, daggers, fishing equipment, and even some camping gear. The next room appeared to serve as a processing room for butchering meat and cleaning or treating the hides. The third was a fairly small water closet, which I swiftly made use of.
