Chapter 213

Aire smiled to herself as she folded the last piece of clothing.

The smile came easily these days. She carefully tied the bundle together with a strip of cloth and sat back on her heels.

The small pile looked pitiful. It was a patched shirt, a pair of worn trousers, and a scarf she had secretly repaired herself.

None of it was new, or impressive.

Yet she knew he would appreciate it.

Lyse always appreciated everything. The thought warmed her immediately.

Aire stood up, and snow crunched beneath her boots when she walked out of the house.

The winter air bit at her cheeks.

Normally she hated winter because it meant fewer animals, longer hunts, and more punishments from Beta Kole.

However, this winter felt different. This winter contained something she had never had before.

A friend.

Aire adjusted the bundle beneath her arm.

A month ago she hadn’t even known he existed. Now she found herself looking forward to these meetings more than anything else.

They always met twice a week for the past month now. Yet somehow those two days had become her favorite days.

The forest felt less lonely now.

Aire stepped over a fallen branch, and her smile widened the closer she got to her tent where he now occupied for the past month.

Lyse would probably laugh when he saw the clothes. The man found amusement in everything.

Everything.

Aire still remembered the first rabbit they had caught together. She had spent nearly ten minutes trying to remove it from a trap.

Lyse had somehow gotten his sleeve stuck in the same trap.

They had both ended up on the ground.

Aire laughed so hard she cried, and the memory still made her grin.

The trees slowly thinned, and a familiar column of smoke appeared ahead.

Her pace quickened immediately. She walked faster, until the little camp finally appeared. A fire crackled nearby, and Lyse sat beside it.

His head lifted immediately.

The moment he saw her, his entire face changed.

A grin appeared on his face and reached his eyes.

“There you are.” He greated.

Aire slowly minded the branches, and approached him. She raised a brow at him as she ooroached. “You sound surprised.”

“I was beginning to think you abandoned me.”

Aire gasped dramatically.

Lyse placed a hand over his heart, playfully beating her in the game of being dramatic.

Aire laughed.

Lyse immediately stood. His eyes drifted toward the bundle beneath her arm.

“What is that?”

Aire hid it behind her back, suddenly embarrassed of the clothing she possessed.

His eyes narrowed. He approached her, and stood tall before her. “Aire.” He called patiently.

She made a face, then finally held it out.

Lyse accepted the bundle carefully. His expression softened immediately.

“You repaired these.”

Aire shrugged. “They were torn.”

His fingers brushed over the stitches. For a moment he didn’t speak, then he looked up. “Thank you.” He appreciated.

Aire smiled. She played with her thumbs, to stop her smike from widening. “You already thanked me earlier.”

“I’m thanking you again.”

She shook her head. She loved being thanked, but she doesn’t want it to seem as if she remained friends with him because he thanked her. “You really like saying that.”

“You really like doing things worth thanking.”

Before she could respond, Lyse pointed toward the forest.

“Hunting?”

Aire brightened immediately. “Hunting.” She nodded.

She watched Lyse put off the fire, and closed the tent. When he was done, they left together.

The forest stretched endlessly ahead.

Snow still covered everything, even the traps she had set earlier.

Aire checked the first one, and it was empty. So was the second, third, and fourth as they walked on.

She sighed. “Winter hates me.”

Lyse laughed. “Winter hates everyone.” He said lightly, to brighten her mood.

“No.” Aire crouched beside another trap. “Winter specifically hates me.” She sounded dejected.

He checked the next trap, and elbowed her lightly. “You’re being dramatic.” He joked, to brighten her mood.

Aire threw the words back at him. “I learned from you.”

Lyse looked offended. “I am not dramatic.”

Aire stared at him.

He stared back hard, and then they both laughed. To Aire, this human, Lyse was her human anti sadness.

Hours passed like that with them checking traps., following tracks, searching for movement, talking, and laughing..

Aire hadn’t realized how lonely she had been before meeting him.

Now she noticed it constantly. Because when she was with Lyse, the loneliness disappeared.

The realization frightened her slightly. She wondered what would happen to her if he decided to go back home to the humans.

She still wondered how he trespassed into the wolf realm, but ignored it.

The afternoon sun drifted lower, and the cold deepened.

Eventually Lyse stopped walking.

Aire nearly walked into him. “What?” She whispered.

He pointed, and Aire followed his gaze.

She saw a deer. Not far away. The animal stood partially hidden behind several trees.

Aire’s eyes widened. She carefully removed her bow. The familiar weight settled comfortably in her hands, and the world immediately narrowed to her target, and nothing else.

Aire pulled back the string.

The deer lifted its head, but it was too late, as the arrow flew, and a second later the deer collapsed.

Silence followed the deer’s fall.

Lyse threw both arms into the air. “Amazing!” He yelled, breaking the silence.

Aire laughed. “It wasn’t that impressive.” She looked at the deer, and back at Lyse. “You taught me almost everything I know.”

“You shot a moving deer.”

“It was standing still.”

Lyse glared at her, then shook his head. “I’ve decided you’re amazing.”

Aire grinned.

Together they approached the deer, prepared it, and dragged it back through the snow. The work felt lighter than usual ever since she stopped doing it alone.

At one point Lyse suddenly reached forward.

Aire immediately narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, he pulled down her hood.

Cold air immediately struck her head.

“Lyse.” She sounded wary. She automatically looked around, if anyone was in sight to see her silver hair.

He looked delighted with himself. “Why do you wear these things?”

Aire grabbed for her hood.

He dodged, then pointed toward the silver hair spilling around her shoulders.

“Your hair is beautiful.”

Aire froze. The statement caught her completely off guard.

Beautiful? This human had no idea what he was saying, and she’d let it slide because he’s human. He have no idea how the wolf realm works.

Aire quickly laughed it off. “You’re human.” She chuckled nervously. “So I I derstand that you don’t know what you’re saying.” She stretched het hand forward. “Give me back my hood.”

“No.” His eyes remained on her hair. “You have the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen.”

Aire rolled her eyes, then shoved him lightly. “Some day, I’ll tell you why I have silver hair.”