Page 37 of Traitor Wolf (Bonded by Fate Duet #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five

I landed in Hildreth with a broken heart and the weight of shame pressing down on me.

Every step off that train felt heavy with uncertainty.

What would I be walking into? Would Kaelric reject his offer to care for my people now that I had chosen to keep Valkaryn, a decision I regretted more deeply with each passing second?

Of course, he would. Why wouldn’t he? I had betrayed him, and he had no reason to continue protecting those I loved.

When I stepped out into the village proper, my breath caught.

Hildreth spread before me in a sweep of beauty I hadn’t expected.

To the west, flat plains of farmland stretched endlessly, golden and fertile beneath the late sun.

To the east, thick trees reached all the way to snowcapped mountains that pierced the sky like silver teeth.

A glimmering lake shone in the distance, reflecting the green of the surrounding land.

Everything about this place was lush, alive, and brimming with promise.

Just as Kaelric had described, bright orange pumpkins lined the roadways, their vines spilling into the grass.

Wild berries clung to bushes at the edges of paths.

The heart of town sat nestled against the train station, a cluster of narrow streets alive with simple charm.

There was a general store with a hand-painted sign swinging in the breeze, an open-air farmers’ market where stalls were already being set up for tomorrow’s trade, and a seamstress with fabric bolts spilling from her doorway.

It reminded me of Aerlyn, but stripped of its cold perfection.

This place was earthy and real, untouched by elites.

Off in the distance, I spotted a sprawl of tents dotting the horizon. Hundreds of them. My people.

Wolfkin villagers offered polite smiles and small waves as I passed, their eyes curious but kind.

I waited for Kaelric or one of his warriors to appear, to tell me to leave, to escort me out.

A terrible image rose in my mind of my people being ordered to break down their tents, forced to scatter across the land with nowhere to go.

“Brynn.”

The female voice came from behind me, sharp enough to startle. I spun, heart racing .

I recognized her immediately. One of Kaelric’s wolves. She had been there during Elia’s rescue.

Her gaze went to Valkaryn at my hip and, to my surprise, she bowed her head deeply.

“Um, hi. I know I’m probably not supposed to be here, but I wanted to check on my family,” I said quickly. If she tried to stop me, I would fight.

Her expression flickered with confusion. “Yes. My name is Larissa. I’m here to take you to them.”

“Oh. Okay.” My throat felt dry, but I forced the words out.

It dawned on me then. Kaelric must not be back yet. He hadn’t told his wolves to evict us.

But even as I thought it, Kaelric emerged from a meeting hall. Elia walked beside him, speaking animatedly. His eyes landed on me for the briefest of moments. His expression revealed nothing, no sign that my presence struck him at all. Then he turned and walked away.

The rejection hollowed me out inside.

Elia, however, bolted across the square, her voice rising in joy. “Brynn!”

I couldn’t help but smile as she crashed into me, hugging me tightly. I clung to her, breathing her in as though she were proof I wasn’t alone. Larissa waited politely at the edge of the moment, but Elia held me like she had no intention of letting go .

“I never got to thank you for helping save me,” she whispered, her eyes misty when she finally pulled back.

“You’re welcome. Have you seen my family?” I asked quickly.

Her smile spread brighter. “I’m sorry about the Dregs burning down, but knowing I get to look forward to Sable knocking on my door every morning brings me great joy. She was just playing with my kiddos. Come, you can meet my family.”

Elia glanced at Larissa. “I’ll take over from here.”

Larissa bowed again and slipped away.

“Why does she bow to me?” I whispered.

Elia flicked her gaze to Valkaryn. “You wield a sword imbued with the soul of the former Queen of Fenmyr. Many wolves will treat you with great respect for that.”

The thought stopped me in my tracks. I had never truly considered what it meant to carry Val’s soul at my side. She had been their queen. Their symbol. Their hope. And now she was tied to me.

Not that she and I were speaking. I had asked her to go quiet, and she had obeyed. She had tricked me and cost me everything: the chance to bring magic to my people and Kaelric. I was done with her.

“I don’t know what Kaelric told you, but I don’t know how long my family and I will be welcome here,” I admitted .

Elia stopped and faced me, compassion softening her features. “Kaelric didn’t get the outcome he wanted. It sounds like you didn’t either. But he is a man of his word, and you and your people are still welcome here.”

My throat closed with emotion. Was that her voice, or his, through her lips?

“Are you sure that?—”

“I’m sure.” She cut me off gently. “Let’s take you to see your family and meet mine.”

Her certainty steadied me, though my heart still spun with doubt. Even after swearing he would never forgive me, Kaelric was allowing us to stay. It didn’t make sense.

Elia introduced me to her husband, Jay and their children: Brettie, a shy five-year-old with curls the color of wheat, and Cleo, her seven-year-old son with wide, curious eyes.

Their cabin sat at the edge of town beside the pumpkin fields.

The backyard was alive with garden beds brimming with summer squash, beans, and berries.

Over twenty chickens pecked at the grass, their feathers flashing in the sun.

The sight filled me with wonder. No wonder she had been the one chosen to care for my family when my mother was sick.

After leaving her house, she took me through the tent village. Tomorrow, a lottery would begin where families would draw lots for permanent plots of land .

“Permanent?” I asked in disbelief.

Elia nodded. “You are all citizens of Fenmyr now, under Kaelric’s protection, until you choose not to be.”

My heart squeezed painfully.

I greeted Mrs. Dorset, who was bent over a bucket, scrubbing clothes. She looked up, tired but smiling.

“Good to see you, darling. Isn’t this land wonderful? I’ll never tire of pumpkin soup.”

I laughed. “It is.”

And it truly was. Even tents in this place were a hundred times better than the life we had left behind.

“Trust me, you will tire of pumpkin,” Elia whispered to me with a grin.

But she was wrong. When you had eaten enough burned rat meat to fill your stomach, you could never tire of pumpkin.

The moment my mother spotted me, she dropped the bucket she carried and ran for me. Relief broke across her face like sunlight. Tears stung my eyes as she wrapped me tight in her arms.

“Oh, Bean, I was so worried. Thank the Creator you’re okay.”

When she pulled back, her gaze flicked to Valkaryn and then to my chest, free of any marks, and her smile faltered .

“We need to talk,” I told her softly. “Gather Aunt Gracine and the others.”

She nodded, squeezing my hand. “I don’t care if you have magic or not, Brynn. I care that you’re safe.”

Tears slipped free despite my efforts to stop them. Of course, she knew. When her chest and my siblings’ remained unmarked, she must have guessed. She had probably believed me dead.

Ten minutes later, I stood in my Aunt Gracine’s tent. My cousins gathered with Uncle Gregg and Aunt Lynn. They looked weary but healthier than I had expected.

“What is it, Brynn?” my mother asked.

I squared my shoulders, lifting my head high. “I won the Arcane Trials, but I chose not to take magic.”

Gasps rippled through my cousins.

“I decided to keep this instead.” My hand dropped to Valkaryn. “Which I regret now, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I know I let you all down, and I’m sorry.”

Aunt Gracine, so like my mother, stepped forward and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes glistened. “Honey, I can’t miss something I never had. Do we get to stay here?”

I nodded.

“Then all is well. Glad you’re home.” She kissed my cheek and slipped out .

Home. Hildreth was home now.

My uncle hugged me next. “Proud of you, Brynnie. Who cares about magic?”

“Yeah, who wants to be an Elite? Not me.” My Aunt Lynn chimed in with a grin, bumping her hip against mine.

“I wanted to,” Tyrus muttered.

I laughed, and for the first time in weeks, the sound felt real.

We left the tent together, and a weight slid from my chest.

That night, our family split between two tents.

I shared one with the older kids while my mother stayed with the littles.

I expected to lie awake, restless in this new place, but when my head hit the sleeping bag, peace wrapped around me.

Elia’s words echoed in my mind. Kaelric is a man of his word; you and your people are welcome here .

With that truth to anchor me, I slept more deeply than I had in months.

The next morning, jobs were assigned. A parchment with over thirty roles had been passed around, and each of us was told to mark three choices.

I assumed it was because we would each be getting three jobs, but when they called the first name, Mr. Wheeler, and stated that he would be working at the railroad station keeping it clear of debris and rust, and then called the next name.

We all grew confused. Murmurs began when the next name was called, and Tonea Berry was assigned to pumpkin harvesting.

“Greyseon—” The female wolfkin began to call the next person when Tonea cleared her throat.

“Excuse me, I thought we were to choose our top three jobs.” She asked the wolfkin in charge of assigning jobs.

The female wolfkin, stout and stern-looking nodded. “And if you don’t like it, you need to wait one year before asking for a change.”

I stood. “No, ma’am, what we are wondering is why you are only reading off one job when we chose three.”