You're getting a long chapter because I couldn't find a place I was happy splitting this one without ruining the flow.
I'm also thinking of posting a pronunciation video for the Gaelic and Norse which will be available in my Facebook group and Instagram so make sure you're following me!
Do you think the killer is in the hall with everyone? Did you catch any clues in this chapter as to who it was? And what do you make of Ingrid's confession about the dress?
Glossary
Torc - most commonly a necklace made of twisted gold with an open front.
Bòidheach - beautiful (boy-och)
Na gabh dragh - don't worry (nah gav drag)
Chapter 6
I hated the dress. It pinched and tugged even with the thin underdress between it and my skin. Skin, the form I’d spent most my time in, and I resented it. Before coming here, I spent most of my time in fur. I could go a whole week roaming as a wolf before the call of the wild grew to an impulsive need, and returning to skin was required. Clothes were never a thought. Certainly nothing like this.
Long sleeves were tight to the wrist where they became a draping swathe of fabric swooping down in iridescent hues nearly reaching my knees, the wide cuffs trimmed in a glittering gold thread. The full skirts brushed against the floor, showing the original owner was an inch or so taller than me. Unlike my other dresses, the skirt was as restricting as the skin tight bodice that stuck like a second skin to every dip and curve.
All together, it weighed a tonne.
How did anyone manage to walk normally? Or sit? Or so much as breathe, I wondered as I ran my hand down the front. Not only was I slightly shorter than whoever this had been made for, my breasts were being pushed so much they near swelled over the neckline.
Casting another eye over the garment, I turned slowly from side to side, every movement accompanied by a soft swish.
It was torture to wear indeed.
But. . .
The colours shifted like sun on a raven’s wing, in hues of purple, blue and green, so much so that I couldn’t tell what colour the dress was meant to be. As I thought when I’d first seen it, it reminded me of the view of purple heather sprawling over hills of green and dark brown. It was ethereal as I moved the thick skirts around my legs with a growing grin, amazed at the fabric that felt as smooth as a blade of grass.
Gods, I’d even made an effort to brush my hair and braid it neatly away from my face so dark curls spilled down my back instead of hiding most my face as it usually did. The hazy reflection in the small table mirror was of a regal human woman, not a she-wolf. Tall and lean, hands folded in the practiced way Ingrid’s always were, her eyes held a glint I’d not seen before. Not that I’d seen my reflection many times to even recognise myself. Rippling rivers provided some distorted view but I’d never bothered to take the time to really look before.
The old me wouldn’t recognise this female anymore than I did. And I didn’t know how to feel about that.
Unlike any gift I’d gotten before. This was no bunch of wildflowers, offer of the last bite of meat, or a stag laid out at my feet, but gold.
Twisted and shaped into a perfect, nearly complete circle, until each end came to a rounded face with wolven features. In the old days, such jewellery was worn far and wide by the people of my island, wolf and human alike. Back in the days it was said we had a treaty between us, a friendship even. They were signs of status, a mere glimpse letting someone know whether you were rich or poor by the material and style of the torc worn. In the old days they’d been symbols favoured by warriors.
Turning it slowly in my hands, the twisted metal glinted in the white light spilling from the window. It was pretty. Too pretty. Too expensive. And definitely wasted on the likes of me. The status of wearing such an item was one I could yet not claim. Not publicly at least.
It did remind me of home though. My fingers curled tight around it as my heart gave a twinge. I couldn’t accept it. There was no way for me to repay this. I had no money to buy an equally extravagant gift, and no amount of hunting deer would be equivalent. . .
But just like the dress, I couldn’t resist.
I only put it on to see how it looked, I told myself as I slid it in place around my neck. Of course I couldn’t keep such a thing.
It was heavier than expected, and cool against my skin. In fact, I swore I could feel a vibrating hum coming from it, almost like the touch of magic, but it stopped the second I heard Niamh’s laughter echo from behind the door. The door to my den was flung open before I could think to remove it, but my excitable sister stopped in her tracks when she saw me.
Her mouth fell open, dark brown eyes widening as they looked me up and down.
“Bòidheach.” She breathed, rushing forward to brush her fingers over the smooth fabric of my dress. “You look really pretty, Eabha.”
“Thank you.” I crouched down, albeit slowly, tugging at the rolled up sleeve of her green dress. Her hands and face had been scrubbed clean but her hair remained in unruly mahogany curls nearly hiding her face. “You look very pretty too.”
Her nose scrunched, her envious gaze lingering on the shimmering sleeve of my dress.
I chuckled. “When you’re tall enough, I’ll let you borrow it.”
“Really!” She grinned, too excited to spare me another thought as she raced back for the door to tell Anndra; or someone who would appreciate the news. But she stopped short in the doorway, and the sound of her gasp had me coming up behind her with a growl to ward off whoever had frightened her.
Her fingers curled around mine as she stared up at the bull of a Beta who appeared to do his best to give her a rare smile. His dark eyes appraised her for a second before he lifted his head to look at me, stating simply. “She looks much like you.”
“Thank you!” Niamh, chirped, carrying on skipping out the door with that compliment while I assessed whether it was even meant as such.
At the cock of my head, the Beta cracked a grin. “I find where there are similarities in looks, there’s often similarities in personality. However, if she manages to bring as much trouble as you have, that would indeed be an accomplishment.”
“Maybe I will convince Hati a new mate requires a new beta,” I replied teasingly.
He scoffed and stepped aside to allow me into the hallway. “You will find no other more suited to be Beta than me. My loyalty lies with the pack and the pack alone, I am unswayed by money, gods, politics or any of the rest of it.”
“You must be loyal to Hati,” I pointed out. “You disagree much but you follow his orders. Perhaps not unquestioningly. . .”
He gave me a strange look, and without a word, I knew he could say much the same about me. I questioned everything.
“As long as he keeps allowing me to question him, even if I end up put in my place after, he will have my loyalty. As long as he puts the pack first, and all else second.” There was something in his gaze that unsettled me, that fizzling resentment I swore I often saw. Fear too. I hated that most.
I already knew Caldar’s thoughts on the matter of Hati and I. He thought it a mistake to risk our peace with Gerlac, and the wider council, and to take a risk on me; a politically untested female from a pack of nomads who had only recently found out about Gods and Monsters. In fact, I was certain Caldar had probably voiced as much to Hati, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t say as much to me. Because the damn male respected me whether he liked it or not.
“You think I won’t put the pack first?”
Averting his gaze, which was as much out of character for him as the way he cleared his throat was, he ignored me entirely. “I came to escort you and your family to the hall. Our Alpha wants you as close to the front as you can get without things becoming too. . .obvious.”
“I see. Yes, I would hate for anything to appear too obvious.” I shook my head in confusion, adding more quietly. “You are acting colder than usual. You called me Alpha Female last night. You submitted to me. Is that what this is about?”
A flinch.
The last thing the grumpy male needed was teasing, but I couldn’t help but let out a soft croon. “Caldar, na gabh dragh, I think no less of you for submitting. You honoured me in doing so.”
He grunted in answer but his shoulders did relax somewhat as he wrapped his knuckles on my parent’s door where I could hear them trying to wrangle the pups together.
Mother swinging the door open saved him from my interrogation about why exactly he felt regret about submitting to me. She smiled brightly on seeing him, bowing her head as he did in greeting. “Beta. It is nice to see you.”
“Laoghaire.” He made sure to keep space between them when my father appeared at her shoulder. “I’m here to escort you all to the hall. Hati wishes for you to stand where your new position requires.”
His words were carefully chosen when the rest of my family had yet to hear of my soon-to-be position in the pack. My parents understood though, even standing a little taller as they realised my rise in the pack would take them with me.
Unfortunately, it didn’t look like things had settled any between my mother and father as she avoided his touch to step into the hall with us. And the tension wasn’t missed by Caldar. His eyes sharpened as he watched them both, but the pups didn’t provide him long enough to wonder at the cause.
Father only just managed to snatch the back of Anndra’s tunic before he could throw himself down the stairs, and my with Niamh chasing after him. Seumas was running between legs in a ball of fur before Oighrig reached down to pick him up, fur receding to skin the moment she held propped on her hip.
Caldar took the lead when we were finally organised enough to go. He was probably more than pleased to escape me. I waited back to walk with Fionnlagh, but his gaze was locked on his mother as she murmured something to herself beneath her breath.
“She’s not feeling much herself again today.” Concern tightened his voice, but his lips pulled up to a smile when his mother glanced back for him at the top of the stairs.
“I’ll keep an eye on her.” Slipping past my cousin, I took her hand and placed it on my arm. “Would you like help down, Aunt? Some of the steps are a little icy.”
She accepted easily enough, and though I was loathe to rush her, I could hear everyone else already waiting at the bottom. She seemed aware enough of her surroundings, and didn’t stumble. There was just a distant look in her eyes, her expression drawn and the bags around her eyes a little darker than normal.
“Death isn’t final,” she suddenly said, but I wasn’t sure she was talking to me until glowing blue eyes lifted and she gave me a sad smile. “The dead can still see and hear. They can still be of help to us. One like you need only ask.”
Stricken, I let her hand slip from my arm and she made the rest of the way herself as if she hadn’t spoken a single word. Fionnlagh paused beside me.
Did Oighrig’s gifts tell her I was different? Had she always known?
“Eabha, what’s going on? What did she mean by that?” Fionnlagh demanded.
Shaking myself free of my thoughts, I glanced over at my cousin, only to have to raise my eyes a few inches higher to meet his gaze. When had he grown so much? He would surpass me by inches before long. . .
“You know she doesn’t mean what she says,” I excused, lifting a foot to step down only for him to grab my arm and growl.
And it wasn’t the growl of a pup any longer. The sound vibrated with real depth and prickled over my skin. It was impressive, but it did little to sway me like it might those amongst his own age. I smiled at him, much to his announce, and Fionnlagh rolled his eyes, fighting to keep his voice down.
“I’m not stupid. I know something is going on with you and the Alpha, and something else too. You’re keeping secrets from me and I don’t like it. Don’t think I haven’t notice Uncle Tabhin has barely spoken to me in days.” He swallowed hard, clenching his jaw to hide the tremble of his lip. “I’m old enough to know whatever it is. I’m old enough to decide what I think about it. I’m not a pup. If there’s trouble, I want to help. You’ve never kept me out like this before.”
As much as I knew Fionnlagh and I were going to be late, I knew this wasn’t something I could just brush off. Real emotion weighed down his shoulders as his eyes roved over my face in search of answers. But was it the right time to tell him?
Ushering him into a darkened corner of the hall behind the stairs, I held my breath and listened for a few seconds to make sure we were alone. The distant sound of footsteps and the fizz of candles was all there was to be heard.
Gripping his arm in mine, I affirmed, “I know you’re not a pup anymore, Fionnlagh. Believe me, it’s very clear to me now that you’re growing into yourself. . .” I locked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry and sticky. “Yes. I’m keeping things. Things that might make you look at me differently, things that might frighten you, things beyond whatever you’re imagining. . .but I will tell you it all.”
He frowned, and I hated to see the fear grow. “But you will not tell me now.”
“As much as I wish to, I can’t. I am bound by pack law. Alpha Hati wishes no one to know yet, but tonight he may reveal some of it to the whole pack, so if you want some answers, we have to go now.”
Once more he refused to budge, dragging me back and lowering his head to sniff at my neck. My teeth snapped near his ear and he jumped back, but he’d already figured it out. He smirked.
“Are you going to be Alpha Female, cousin?”
Cuffing his shoulder, I took pleasure in putting him back in his place. He whined and tilted his head to give me his neck, rubbing the spot I’d caught as if it had done more than sting.
“Get a move on, or we will both be on Hati’s bad side.” I gave him a pointed look. “Worse, we’ll piss off Caldar.”
That sent him scurrying.
I watched him go with a chuckle, but I hated having to keep things from him. He wouldn’t settle for breadcrumbs of truth forever. In fact, after hearing what Hati had to say, I’d be surprised if he didn’t hunt me down immediately to get the rest of the story. Heaving a breath, I gathered up my skirts and followed after him, muttering and cursing at the weight of the dress that seemed determined to make me trip or sink to the ground.
By the time I arrived at the huge double doors to the hall, I was late. At least, that’s what I gathered when Caldar cut me look that cut as deep as claws. He must have let Fionnlagh inside, but he stood with his arms folded and didn’t move when I reached him.
“He isn’t speaking yet, I can hear the whole pack talking inside,” I said, trying to skip past him for the gap in the door but he sidestepped to block me. “Let me in. I’m sorry I’m late. You let Fionnlagh in.”
“Fionnlagh bothered to look apologetic.” He smirked at my huff, and finally moved to swing open the door wider.
He’d been playing with me.
Whatever had been on his mind earlier, something had settled it.
I thanked him as I entered, feeling him come in behind me and shut the doors again. A wall of heat and sound battered against me. Fires burned in braziers to keep the cold out, and hundreds of candles lined the walls to keep the dark at bay, but what amazed me was the pure number of wolves in the hall, their shifting bodies creating as much sound as their chatter.
Nobody noticed the arrival of stragglers.
Caldar gently took my elbow and began to guide me through the throng pressing in all around. His lack of care about elbowing members of the pack out of the way gained more than a few flashing eyes and snapping teeth, but everyone was too busy trying to figure out why they were here to bother with more than that. A few times, I caught Bruadar’s name in the air. Some of the pack must have known, for the smell of sickly grief hung heavy in the air, and every other wolf had a tear-stained face.
The head table that normally spanned the length of the room was gone, and in its place stood Hati. Alone on a slightly raised platform of wood, he appeared to be waiting on something, golden eyes scanning the room of whispering wolves.
Anndra called my name when he spotted me, and Hati’s gaze snapped immediately to me. I hoped the look I gave him back was appropriately apologetic for being late, but his expression told me nothing as he watched me join my family.
I gave my mother a sheepish smile, and she clasped my hand in hers.
“Eabha,” Caldar murmured, his dark eyes flicking around the room uneasily. “The door behind Hati, to his left, that’s where you’re to go if trouble kicks off.”
How comforting.
“Are you expecting trouble?”
“Tensions are running high. And they’ll only get worse if Hati finds that everyone in the pack is present and accounted for. . .”
Because that would mean the killer hadn’t fled, that they were still here, could be in the hall right now. And that might bring eyes my way.
Suddenly everyone looked like a threat. Grief stricken faces morphed into sly looks, and the murmur of the room took on an eerie tone as the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. That’s why Hati wanted everyone together, pups and old alike. Why he scanned the room again and again, checking every face.
The wolves running the border were the only ones not here, but they were wolves Hati trusted implicitly. He was trying to spot someone who stood out in some way.
A gasp rushed from the back of the crowd.
I barely heard the doors open, but could see it above the sea of bobbing heads. The crowd parted slowly and respectful silence descended, only the occasional murmur of condolences passing lips.
Caldar shifted his body to shield me when Brokkr and Cerri passed us, but the female who might have attacked me this morning was unrecognisable. She shuffled along only because of her mate’s arm around her waist, though Brokkr seemed to struggle just as much. Neither looked our way, pausing only to bow their heads to their Alpha before joining him on the dais.
I wasn’t the only one who averted their gaze as Hati placed a hand on each of their arms and pressed his cheek to theirs. He murmured something to them as well, but it was too low to catch. They took their place at his side, looking out at us all but I doubted Cerri really noticed we were there.
I’d only really interacted with Brokkr twice, and he’d seemed a jovial male with creases around his eyes from constant smiling. Now he stood pale skinned and stiff, bushy brows shadowing red-rimmed eyes, but with a determined set to his jaw. He did look at the crowd. With as much intensity as Hati had, he scoured the hall in search of something, and when his gaze swept over me, I resisted the urge to react. He dismissed me as if I was inconsequential and yet I wasn’t sure whether I preferred that to open scorn or accusation.
“I know many of you have heard the news already,” Hati began, the boom of his voice bouncing off the stone walls as he took and
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