Rem shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to refocus. "It's still pretty awful at the Callons, but it's better than before. I am now allowed to cook for myself and can make requests for food that someone fetches for me. I don't know who they are, as they don't speak English. Although, I have only been in the kitchen once."
She didn't mention that it was to cook fresh pancakes and carrot bread to send to Oliver, something Fiona offered as a means to demonstrate that Jackson's attack was truly unintentional: 'While I can't say it's not a good example of what Jackson is capable of, it truly was premature and unnecessary. You will not receive such unnecessary punishments, as they do nothing to inspire loyalty. I cannot shield him from the Alpha, but for now, we will keep you tucked away until we are forced to deal with this. Let us know what you need, and we will see if we can supply it.'
"You cook a lot?" Nia asked, pulling Rem from her thoughts.
"Oh, yes. I have... Well,had, a sibling, parents, and lots of cousins to take care of in Ashmire," she said with a vicious emptiness in her chest, looking down and away to the manicured gray stone beneath them.
Nia was quiet before softly saying, "I am sorry you have to go through such a quick transition. That must be awful, especially with your back."
Nia referred to the wound like she suspected something more, and Rem's instincts begged for her to say something, but she moved on with a forced grin. "Well, thank you. It's good to know you care."
"Of course," Nia said, and Rem glanced to her. "I like humans, honestly."
"You do?" Rem asked, dubious.
"They love to eat but get fat easily. They're fun to watch, especially when they are drunk. They are very sensitive, though. I can only imagine how upset you are to be away from your family."
Rem couldn't help but smile. "You're oddly understanding."
"And the Callons are known for their insensible demeanor."
"Huh. Well, that's good to know. Can I come live in your attic, then?" Rem asked with a chuckle.
Nia laughed, and a burst of honest joy stole Rem's heart. Nia's voice quieted once again. "No… No, the Callons have officially represented you, which means you stay there until Ronan says otherwise. They're the ones that found you, so they'll be the ones to gain the honor of the Alpha if he selects you. Although with Jackson acting that way... That could always change."
A ghost of a smile endured on Rem's face, and she eventually squinted to see what looked like a trail that led to another location.
"That's the Warden Commons, up ahead. We're not going there, though. There's a little path right over here. You'll see it in a few feet."
Nia was correct, and they took a less traveled dirt path, the tall trees like watchful statues. After twenty minutes, with no real concise evolution, the path changed to reveal large boulders and rocks, a few, large hot springs among them. It was on the side of the mountain, overlooking the beautiful valley below. She had no idea they were up so high, or near such a vast drop. Mountain peaks lined the horizon in the distance, so far away they were almost blue. The sound of a woodpecker greeted them, hidden among the forest.
"This is stunning," Rem gently said to no one, overlooking the cascade of rock, water, and trees. "Why is it empty? There's no one here." She looked at Nia after examining the pools of steaming water that could comfortably fit thirty people each.
"Ronan rarely lets any of us here."
"I got permission?"
A feeling of being special took her by surprise, as why did that matter to her? She was forced to be there, which meant she shouldn't enjoy 'feeling special'.
The reaction didn't seem to matter, as Nia's response quelled that.
"No; it's just because he is gone for a few more days. I rarely risk using it without his permission, but I think your back could use it. He knows we all sneak the hot spring when he is gone. Just as long as we aren't here when he arrives, he really doesn't care. I think she just doesn’t like finding others using it when he needs peace. I've heard that as long as you leave when you smell him approaching, he might even let you stay if he is feeling social.”
Rem ruminated on that, her feet warming from the rock that she stood on. "Interesting... So will this actually help?"
"It's blessed water, from the Elders of days long before any of us. Even the humans preserved it over the centuries. It's a pain reliever and wound healer. It’s known as a healing spring."
Rem gave Nia a look of understanding and awe, slowly nodding. "Oh, you really took me somewhere to help heal me?"
"It’s my job. I am to be with you most of the time, as well as take care of you. Alpha's orders."
Hope bubbled for the first time in Rem’s heart, trying her best not to show how fast her mind considered these new details.
"Why does he keep this to himself, then?" she asked, looking back around at it.
"He likes his privacy, and he likes to visit this often. He has gotten into a lot of fights and still does, being Alpha and all. Kings of humanity like to sit on their thrones, whereas Alphas do more than that; we are hot-blooded. He isnoexception," Nia began, her tone switching to a professional one of instruction. "So, he frequently visits, liking the way the water eases his body. The next hot spring is fifteen miles north. Jemma, a she-wolf here, once told me that this is his thinking place; he likes the view of the mountainside."
"Well, count me in. This looks amazing," Rem said, not asking who Jemma was.
