Chapter 211

Aire returned home the moment the stranger assured her he was fine, and the blood on him was from the rabbit.

However, her walk home felt longer than usual.

The snow had deepened. The cold had worsened, and Aire could no longer feel her fingers.

She kept flexing them around the grip of her bow as she walked, trying to force life back into them.

The wind bit through her cloak with ease.

Every gust felt like knives against her skin.

Aire lowered her head and kept moving.

The image of the stranger remained stubbornly lodged in her thoughts. The man had looked half dead.

She had never seen anyone look so exhausted before.

Eventually the familiar outline of her uncle’s house appeared through the snowfall.

Relief flooded her immediately. She needed warmth, a roof, a bath, and maybe even a blanket if she got lucky.

Her pace quickened.

Snow crunched beneath her boots. The closer she got, the stronger the smell became.

Aire froze at the scent of freshly cooked soup.

Her stomach twisted violently.

The scent drifted from the house. Her mouth immediately watered. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until that moment.

Her stomach cramped.

Aire swallowed painfully and pushed open the door. Warmth struck her immediately. For one beautiful second she simply stood there enjoying it.

She bowed lightly to the guards, as she walked in.

Then reality returned when she saw Beta Kole seated at the dining table with Aunty Rosemund, and Hannah.

They were eating extra large portions of fresh and juicy meat covering their plates greedily. That was enough meat to feed several people.

Aire stopped walking.

Her eyes drifted toward the serving platter, and she could tell they were eating the whole meat from her previous hunts at once.

They were eating the rabbits, the deer, and the fox she had spent nearly six hours tracking, all at once. All of it sat on the table, half eaten, with a few portion wasted.

Her heart skipped.

Had they eaten all of it?

All at once?

The realization settled heavily inside her chest. That was enough food for days, and it was gone.

Rosemund noticed her first.

Her expression darkened immediately.

Beta Kole followed his wife’s gaze, and looked up. His face hardened the moment they rested on Aire.

The warmth vanished from the room.

He eyed her. Not seeing the one thing he was expecting, he questioned sharply. “Where is today’s hunt?”

Aire’s throat tightened. She lowered her gaze to the floor. “I wasn’t able to catch any.” Her voice was almost swallowed by the room as a result of the cold.

“The winter drove them away.”

Beta Kole’s expression hardened more.

Aire instinctively stepped backward knowing what would come next. However, she was too late.

Rosemund was already moving.

The woman pushed away from the table so fast her chair nearly tipped over.

Aire barely registered the movement when a hard violent slap landed in her cheek. Her head snapped sideways, and pain exploded across her face.

The force threw her directly into the nearest wall.

Aire saw stars. White flashes exploded across her vision, and the room tilted violently. For several seconds she couldn’t hear anything.

Then the sound returned all at once.

“What are we supposed to eat tomorrow?” Rosemund screamed directly into her face.

Aire blinked, trying to regain herself. Her ears rang, and blood pounded inside her skull.

Slowly she pushed silver hair away from her eyes.

Her cheek burned, and tears immediately gathered her eyes from pain.

Rosemund looked furious as though Aire had personally chosen to starve them.

Aire swallowed.

Her voice shook. “I promise I’ll go hunting again tomorrow.”

Rosemund gritted her teeth in hate. “Tomorrow?” She pointed toward the door. “Tomorrow doesn’t feed us tonight.”

Aire’s eyes drifted toward the table again. She stared at the piles of meat, and the food they were actively eating.

That should be enough for days. Enough that nobody should have been worried about tomorrow.

Yet somehow it was still her fault.

Beta Kole finally stood.

Aire immediately stiffened. Fear settled into her stomach.

His expression remained cold. Always cold. No matter what she did.

“I gave you one task.”

Aire lowered her head in apology.

“And you failed.”

Her fingers tightened around her cloak. Her lips trembled. She needed food and water. Then a bath.

She promised to hunt properly tommorow.

Beta Kole’s eyes narrowed.

Aire cursed herself. She had a lot to say, and a lot of apology to offer, but she decided to stay quiet.

“Tried doesn’t matter.” He told her, with his voice still calm.

Aire nodded. She knew the rule.

Beta Kole stepped closer.

“Did trying put food on this table?”

Aire remained silent.

“Did trying catch anything? Or did trying accomplish anything useful?”

Aire stared at the floor. “No.”

Beta Kole nodded. “Exactly.”

Aire’s stomach growled loudly.

The sound echoed in the dinning room, humiliating her.

Rosemund rolled her eyes, and Hannah smirked.

Aire kept staring at the floor.

The smell of roasted meat filled the room. It felt unbearable.

Suddenly, Beta Kole pointed toward the door. “Out.”

Aire froze. Her head snapped upward. She bkinked at him. Mustering every courage in her, she asked for clarification. “What?”

“Out.”

Aire stared at him. Surely not. He would not send her out tonight in a weather like this.

“Please.” She choked out.

Beta Kole remained unmoved.

“Please.” She begged. Her voice cracked. “I’ve been outside all day. It’s been three days now.”

She cleared her throat. The cold threatened to make them vanish. “I just need one night.”

Rosemund snorted.

Aire ignored her.

She looked only at Beta Kole. “Please.” She begged shamelessly. This house belonged to her father.

At least, her uncle would consider that.

Her body hurt, and so did her stomach, and everything.

“I’ll leave before sunrise.” She promised desperately. “I’ll hunt twice as much tomorrow.”

She sniffed, and a single tear left her eyes. “I’ll—”

“Out.”

Aire flinched.

Beta Kole pointed again towards the door and this time there was no room for discussion.

The conversation was over.

Aire stood there for several seconds. She realized nobody was changing their minds. They would never care, feel guilty, or uncomfortable.

They simply wanted her gone.

Slowly she nodded. Her whole neck hurt at the movement. She walked towards the door, opened it, and walked back into the snow.