Page 4 of Hitched to the Wendigo (Monster Matchmaking #1)

CHAPTER FOUR

Sakira

I jerked awake, my heart pounding. For a moment, I didn't know where I was. The unfamiliar stone walls of the cave loomed in my vision, and the furs wrapped around me smelled of pine and something musky. Then it all came rushing back. The ceremony, the journey through the ice fields, and Eryx.

Eryx. My wendigo husband.

I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Sunlight filtered in through a small opening in the cave wall, telling me it was well into the morning. How long had I slept?

Stretching, I got to my feet and made my way out of the small cavern Eryx had given me. The main den was empty, but I smelled something cooking. My stomach rumbled, reminding me how little I'd eaten the day before.

Following my nose, I stepped into the makeshift kitchen area. Eryx stood hunched over a fire pit where something sizzled in a cast-iron pan.

"Good morning," he rumbled, turning to face me. His red eyes glowed in the dim light, but they didn't seem as terrifying as they had yesterday. "I hope you slept well."

I nodded, not sure what to say. It was all still so surreal.

"I made breakfast," Eryx continued, gesturing to the pan. "It's not much, but it should give you strength for the day."

As I approached, I saw he was cooking eggs. They smelled heavenly, and my stomach growled again, louder this time.

Eryx chuckled, a deep sound that resonated in his chest. "Sit," he said, motioning to a roughly hewn wooden stool. "Eat."

I did as he said, watching as he deftly transferred the eggs to a wooden plate and handed it to me. They tasted even better than they smelled, rich and savory.

"Thank you," I said softly after I'd finished. "That was delicious."

Eryx nodded, looking pleased. "I thought we might explore the den today," he said. "There's much to show you."

A flutter of nervousness trembled in my stomach, but I pushed it down. This was my home now, strange as it seemed. I needed to learn my way around.

Eryx led me through a series of tunnels, each one branching off in multiple directions. I tried to keep track of where we were going, but it was hopeless. Everything looked the same to me, with rough stone walls, occasional torches flickering in wall sconces.

"How do you not get lost?" I asked, feeling overwhelmed.

Eryx tapped his nose. "Scent," he said. "Each area has its own unique smell. You'll learn in time."

We emerged into a large cavern, and I gasped. Shelves lined the walls, each filled with an assortment of objects. Some I recognized as pottery, woven baskets, stone tools. Others were completely alien to me.

"What is all this?" I asked, moving closer to examine an intricate piece of pottery.

"My collection," Eryx said, a note of pride in his voice. "Artifacts from the ancient peoples who lived in these mountains long ago."

I picked up a small figurine, peering at the detail. It depicted a woman with a child on her back. Her face was serene and peaceful.

"This is beautiful," I murmured.

"It's from a civilization that lived here over 5,000 years ago," Eryx explained. "They were master craftsmen."

I looked at him in surprise. "How do you know so much about this?"

He shrugged, looking almost embarrassed. "I've had a lot of time to study. Two centuries, in fact."

Right. I kept forgetting how old he was. It was hard to reconcile the monstrous legends I'd grown up hearing about with this person standing before me.

As we continued our exploration, Eryx showed me storage rooms filled with dried meats and preserved fruits, a cavern with a hot spring that he used for bathing, and even a small garden where he grew some hardy plants that could survive with limited sunlight.

"I thought you might like to work with these," he said, gesturing to the plants. "You mentioned you work with herbs in your village."

I felt a lump form in my throat at the thoughtfulness of the gesture. "Thank you, this means a lot."

Eryx nodded, looking pleased. We were about to continue our tour when a commotion from the main entrance caught our attention. His head snapped up, his nostrils flaring.

"Stay here," he growled, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. Gone was the patient guide, replaced by something more primal and dangerous.

I should have listened. I should have stayed put. But curiosity got the better of me, and I followed at a distance as Eryx strode towards the entrance.

Three female wendigos stood there, their red eyes blazing with anger. They were smaller than Eryx, but no less intimidating.

"So it's true," one of them snarled. "You've taken a human mate."

Eryx moved to block their view of me, but it was too late. They'd already seen me.

"How could you do this, Eryx?" another demanded. "Bringing a weak human into our territory? She'll be nothing but a liability."

"My choices are none of your concern," Eryx growled, his voice so low I could feel it in my bones.

The third female, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward. "It is our concern when it affects the safety of our tribe. What if she leads other humans here? What if she can't survive our ways?"

Anger bubbled up. They were talking about me as if I wasn't even there, as if I was some sort of pet Eryx had brought home.

Before I could think better of it, I stepped out from behind Eryx. "I'm stronger than you think," I said, my voice shaking only slightly.

All eyes turned to me. The wendigo females looked shocked that I'd dared to speak.

"Sakira," Eryx said, his voice a warning .

But I pressed on. "I may be human, but I'm not weak. I'm a healer. I know the plants of these mountains better than most. And I have no intention of leading anyone here or being a liability."

For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, to my surprise, one of the females laughed.

"Well," she said, "at least she has spirit. You might have chosen better than we thought, Eryx."

Eryx relaxed slightly, though he still kept himself between me and the other wendigos. "If you're satisfied, I suggest you leave. We have much to do."

The females exchanged glances, then nodded. "We'll be watching," one of them said as they turned to go.

Once they were gone, Eryx turned to me, his expression a mix of concern and admiration?

"That was dangerous," he said. "But brave. I'm impressed."

My cheeks burned at his praise. "I couldn't just stand there while they talked about me like that."

Eryx nodded. "No, I suppose you couldn't. Come, let's finish our tour. I have a feeling you'll need to know your way around sooner rather than later."

Over the next few days, I threw myself into learning everything I could about my new home. Eryx was patient, answering my endless questions and showing me how to navigate the complex system of tunnels and caverns.

I spent hours in the small garden, identifying the plants Eryx had collected and comparing them to the ones I knew from my village. Many were similar, but some were entirely new to me. I was particularly fascinated by a small, white flower that seemed to glow in the dim light of the cave.

"That's moonglow," Eryx explained when he found me examining it. "It has powerful healing properties, especially for wendigo ailments."

I looked up at him, intrigued. "How so?"

He sat down beside me, careful not to crush any of the delicate plants. "It can soothe the bloodlust that sometimes overtakes us," he said softly. "And it helps with the pain of transformation."

I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. It was easy to forget sometimes, in the quiet moments like these, that Eryx was not human. That he was capable of things I could scarcely imagine.

But as I looked at him, I saw not a monster, but a being in pain. Without thinking, I reached out and placed my hand on his arm. "Show me how to prepare it," I said. "Maybe I can help."

Eryx's eyes widened in surprise, but then he nodded. We spent the rest of the afternoon working together, Eryx teaching me how to harvest and prepare the moonglow. It was companionable, and for the first time since I'd arrived, I felt truly useful.

That night, as I lay in my bed of furs, I found myself thinking about Eryx. About the gentleness he'd shown me, so at odds with the fearsome creature I'd expected. About the pain in his eyes when he spoke of the bloodlust. I fell asleep wondering if maybe, just maybe, this arrangement could work out after all.

A deafening roar that seemed to shake the very walls of the cave woke me. Heart pounding, I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the main cavern.

Eryx stood at the entrance, his massive form silhouetted against the night sky. Another roar split the air, and I realized it wasn't coming from him .

"Stay back," Eryx growled when he saw me. "We're under attack."

Before I could respond, a massive shape hurtled out of the darkness, slamming into Eryx with bone-crushing force. They tumbled to the ground, a tangle of claws and teeth and fury.

I stumbled backward, my mind reeling. This was what wendigos truly looked like in battle. This was the monster from my nightmares.

But as I watched, I realized something. Eryx wasn't fighting to kill. He was defending, protecting. Protecting me.

The other wendigo, larger even than Eryx, seemed intent on getting past him into the cave. Into where I was. With a sickening clarity, I understood. This was about me. About Eryx taking a human mate.

I couldn't just stand there. I had to do something. My eyes darted around the cave, landing on the bundle of herbs I'd prepared earlier. The moonglow.

Without thinking, I grabbed the bundle and a torch from the wall. I hesitated for just a moment, then steeled myself and ran towards the fighting wendigos.

"Eryx!" I shouted. "The moonglow!"

His head snapped towards me, eyes wide with shock and fear. But he understood. As the other wendigo lunged at him again, Eryx grabbed a handful of the glowing flowers from the bundle and crushed them in his hand.

The effect was immediate. A sweet, calming scent filled the air, and the attacking wendigo faltered. Its eyes, which had been glowing with rage, began to dim.

Eryx pressed his advantage, not attacking, but forcing the other wendigo back, away from the cave entrance. Away from me .

"Leave," Eryx snarled. "She is under my protection. The tribe has accepted her."

For a moment, I thought the other wendigo would attack again. But then, slowly, it backed away. With one last hate-filled glare in my direction, it turned and disappeared into the night.

Eryx stood at the entrance for a long time, watching, making sure it was truly gone. When he finally turned back to me, his eyes were filled with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite decipher.

"That was foolish," he said, his voice rough. "You could have been killed."

I swallowed hard, my hands shaking as the adrenaline began to wear off. "I couldn't just stand there and watch," I said. "You were protecting me. I had to try to help."

Eryx moved closer, and I had to tilt my head back to look up at him. "You did help," he said softly. "Your quick thinking with the moonglow likely prevented a battle to the death."

A warmth spread through my chest at his words. "We make a good team," I said, offering a small smile.

To my surprise, Eryx smiled back. It transformed his face, making him look younger, almost boyish. "Yes," he agreed. "We do."

As we stood there, the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. I had faced one of my greatest fears, a wendigo in full battle rage, and survived. More than that, I had helped.

"Come," Eryx said, gently placing a hand on my back. "You should rest. It's been a long night."

I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. But as Eryx guided me back to my sleeping area, I realized something had changed. The fear that had been my constant companion since arriving here had diminished. In its place was something new. Something that felt a lot like the beginnings of trust.

As I settled into my bed of furs, Eryx hesitated at the entrance to the small cavern. "Sakira," he said, his voice low. "Thank you. For trusting me. For helping me."

I looked up at him, really looked at him. At the wendigo who had become my protector, my teacher, and maybe, just maybe, my friend.

"Thank you," I said softly, "for showing me that there's more to wendigos than the stories say. That there's more to you."

Eryx nodded, a soft smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Sleep well," he said. "I'll be nearby if you need anything."