Rem walked behind Ronan, observing him as he conversed with the female Alpha and another male with long matted strands of auburn hair, the one with a voice that sounded like it came straight from a wolf.
She felt herself drawn to Ronan and his natural rule, especially with how robust he looked with the way his tunic hung over his shoulders, revealing the shape of his traps. He was a feat of power and strength, and he just put Fiona in her place.
That wasoneway to Rem’s heart.
They reached the end of the forest where it connected back to one of the many roads in the city of Bellmont. Nia was already waiting there, and Rem felt a surge of joy at seeing such a familiar face.
In that, Rem could see this place becoming a new home, as long as she had friends in it. Rem lightly jogged through the dirt path and leaves to embrace her shifter-wolf friend in a hug.
Nia was shocked and laughed, hugging her back. “Well, hello.”
“This place is crazy, Nia, but it’s so nice to see a friendly face.” Rem pulled out of the hug, and said, “Sorry. It just meant a lot to see you.”
How could she possibly explain the terror and isolation that Fiona made Rem feel, and it contrasted so strongly with Nia’s warm aura?
Nia was about to reply, but her grin turned to a frown. “Rem, your eyes.”
“What?”
Nia looked behind Rem and spoke in Icelandic. Rem glanced over to see that her Alpha approached, his eyes widening when she looked at him, and he mumbled something, the rest passing by. His pale blue eyes darted back and forth between hers. She looked at Nia for help, but she had the same reaction.
"What's wrong?" Rem asked, trying to ignore the Alpha that just approached her.
"Your eyes... They're turningorange."
Rem’s pulse throbbed, slightly panicking at trying to imagine her eyes turningorange. “As in, they're bloodshot?" she irrationally asked with a higher-pitched voice, trying to feel if anything else felt wrong.
Nothing. If Nia hadn’t said something, Rem would have never known.
"No, thecolor. It's orange, like a pumpkin.”
She stared at Nia, unblinking. "What?" she asked with a small voice. She put her free hand on her face just underneath her eyes, heavily aware of Ronan still gazing at her face.
"It's changing right now!" Nia exclaimed and said something in Icelandic quickly. Rem looked at Ronan as he grabbed her jaw to steady her head, bringing his face closer to hers.
Her breathing grew deeper as she tried not to pass out, unsure why this panicked her so much. She closed her mouth and tried to breathe through her nose, so as not to exhale in his face. He was careful not to get too close to the silver chains.
"Forvitinn," he said.
She didn't know where to look as he bore his gaze into hers, able to see his eyelashes and slight lines around his eyes. His contemplation ceased, looking directly athernow.
The two of them were just staring, and she realized that nothing else had happened to her.I am alright.Maybe my eyes just changed from the serum.It calmed her. He didn't seem panicked, so she probably shouldn't be, either. Then he spoke, his rumbling voice just a few inches from her lips.
A begrudging attraction spoke louder than anything he was saying.
"What did he say?" Rem dreamily asked, everything else fading the longer he held her chin.
Just as she thought that, his hand dropped and he pulled back as Nia translated, "He just said that he doesn’t know what’s going on. Although nothing else is changing. It must be benign."
"My eyes changing colorsagainis not benign,” she off-handily said. Itwasa simple change, but she was honestly tired ofanyunexpected changes.
Nia, of course, translated that to Ronan.
Ronan shrugged those shoulders that she had just got done admiring. Rem was about to say something lively to him, but then he spoke, and so did Nia. "He said it is probably related to the serum, although he will ask to confirm. He said the blue was pretty, but the orange makes you look more like one of us, being so close to amber.”
Oh, he liked the change? Was it wrong of her that his opinion seemed to matter that much? Or had she simply worried too quickly?
“Tell him I’m sorry if I overreacted. There’s just a lot going on,” she said, still unnerved at seeing Fiona. “I don’t want him to think I can’t even handlethis.” She motioned to her eyes.
