Once more, Walder carried Cora up the stairs to the Alpha's Lavorna. This time, Cora felt ashamed for needing to be carried...I need to get strong. I need to train. Being human is no excuse. If Ludovic can stomach the pain of teeth piercing his flesh, then I can toughen up.

Cora had tried to go on her own, at the very least, but Mina pressed her point that Cora didn't want to face Ludovic sweaty and a mess.

Walder didn't seem to mind, and for that she liked him already.

It wasn't until they neared the floor of the Lavorna that the inner stairwell opened up to the world outside, the windows and balconies revealing that it was raining. Thunder resonated through the stone, the area smelling of wet rock. The storm moved swiftly.

Walder put Cora down, her heart racing but she held her head high. She could do this. She wanted to do this.

The doors opened on Walder's command.

Mina leaned in as the old wooden doors groaned when the sentinels pulled them open. "He could want you to leave immediately, so just be ready, Cora."

"That is fine," she said. "I just want to make the effort."

The room was empty compared to earlier and it seemed immensely more spacious. When Cora took a few steps in, she spotted Ludovic near the hearth, rain pummeling outside. It even wet the floor where it sprayed in from the open carvings. Cora shivered, grateful for the fur on her shoulders, whereas all Ludovic wore was his loose, black tunic, leather pants and boots.

The Alpha glanced over at Cora, his bundle of dreads, that were bound down the center of his skull, dangled over his shoulder. His hard-lined face bore little warmth as he massaged his hand with the other.

"Kå?" he asked.

Cora glanced at Mina, the doors closing behind the translator. "He wants to know why you're here."

Cora faced Ludovic, wondering if this really was the best decision. She had yet to see him so immersed in pain, his patience always about him. Now, he seemed to only want to be alone. Just make it short, then. "Forare."

He looked back at the flames, then said, "Na'lorna." You're welcome.

"Should we leave?" Cora asked.

"You should offer to help him. If he refuses, then yes...we should leave."

She took a cautious step forward, a streak of lightning brightening their world before it cracked through the clouds, settling with low, deep rumbles. Ludovic glanced her way, brow raised, as if to tell her she better explain why she was here or leave.

She motioned to his hands, to which he glanced down, then back up at Cora. Bowing her head, as she had been shown with Theran, she said, "Ya morgi." I help.

Even through the rain, thunder and fire, she could hear him inhale before slowly releasing it, his voice deep and grating, no doubt from the pain. "No. Yo no tahke ka eso gorna."

Mina said, "He says no, because you don't know why you are doing that. I think--"

"Tell him I know what it means," she said, keeping her eyes on him. "I don't mind. He helped me. I will help him. I owe him."

He looked her over with furrowed brows as Mina translated. Then he spoke, his words so foreign to her, but his voice was already growing familiar. He intimated her, of course, but she respected his intimidation, whereas Theran's seemed wild and unpredictable.

For a small, random moment, she wondered what Grimshaw was like, although pushed that out as soon as she considered it. She wanted nothing to do with that lycan.

Mina eventually echoed his words, "He said you do not need to do this to secure your safety. He saw the shadow. He will not give you to Steigen. You do not have to do these things to feel like you will be safe."

Her lips faltered in a scattered response, looking down at the stone floor. I hope he doesn't think I'm just here to claim him and his title. "Tell him I said I know. It comes from genuine gratitude, though, and I'd do it either way. I get to sleep a peaceful night tonight, and so does my brother, which means more than anything to me. I can always leave, if that's what he wants. I won't press it."

She would drop it after this if he said so. She didn't want to be pushy, but she also wanted to do something that resonated with his kind, as back home they'd offer to make dinner or bring over baked goods.

She had a feeling that wasn't going to translate well here. Or at least, bringing him apple muffins might not harbor the same meaning.

He took in a deep breath, straightening his back and grimacing. He rolled his gaze back to the flames and said, "Ishchta."

Mina said, "You can tend to him" --Ludovic spoke more, and Mina added--"I will remain here, too. For translations."

"What do I do?" Cora asked, her heart racing.

Mina said, "Get on your knees in front of him."

"My knees?" Cora asked. Only subservient women back home did that. Even then, her mother never knelt for her father.

Mina frowned, looking at Cora with an expression that made it seem like Cora was the odd one here. "Yes, why not? We do that for females in charge too. You kneel for those in charge of your Clan as well. I even kneel for my gran."

"Right," Cora muttered. As long as it's normal for them, I suppose.

"I'll get the supplies. I think a Seer left them over here for him."

Cora's head barely moved in a nod as she neared the Alpha, who continued to look at the fire. She was grateful his eyes didn't burn in her direction, some of the pressure removed.

Already, she could tell that Ludovic felt like an Alpha, at least in a way that Theran never quite did. She not only regarded his intimidation, but she wanted to gain his respect too.

She got on her knees, the fur rug beneath her warm from the flames. Her head came to his torso, and she felt so submissive in a position like this, in front of a male like him.

It was hard for her to decide if she liked it or not. On one hand, it was hard to push away the way she enjoyed how powerful he felt compared to her, that aspect speaking to a more primal part of her brain. On the other, she now understood how she really had no idea what she was doing, as being in this position felt like it bore a weight that she couldn't fully appreciate.

Let alone the fact that she was not used to kneeling for anyone.

Cora stared at his swollen, red hands as the sound of Mina gathering materials and walking over filled in the awkward silence on the room, focusing on the fire reason why she was here -- to thank him. "Am I out of place for doing this, Mina?" Cora quietly asked. "I think I can see why it's an intimacy thing, now."

"No. Not if he is allowing it." Mina placed the cloth that contained the materials onto the floor. "Massage that in, then bandage with this salve."

Cora gave a nod, trying her best to calm her beating heart so Ludovic wouldn't hear it. "I can do that."

Mina took a few steps back, and that's when Cora let out a shaky breath, the moment climaxing to this – she reached down to the ointment that Mina told her to grab, having been instructed to rub it around the skin of the wounds to ease the pain before she broached the gaping holes.

It finally sunk in that she was offering something delicate in their world. Perhaps it was the actual privacy that they had, or the way this indomitable lycan male stopped rubbing his hand so she should take over for him.

She reached out, taking one his hands into hers. His rough hand was limp, save for when he'd tense from the pain, but he maintained his glare on the fire. The entire area around his wound was bruised, red, and swollen. The gaping crater where the fang pierced was a mixture of tissue, fat, and muscle, although the bleeding had subsided. Remarkably, it may have even already began to heal, the hole fully closed, although a large chunk remained missing.

I wonder how fast I will heal...

When she felt like she had no idea what she was doing, she remembered that she came here with the intent of thanking him. That eased her nerves once again, as she saw it easier to treat him if she wasn't solely 'offering her intimacy'.

And yet, as she got to see the details of his hands, from his scars to seeing just how much bigger they were than hers, she fell right back into feeling closer to him through this.

So much so, she wondered what he was thinking about her. Would he let anyone do this for gratitude? Or was it just her, because of her position with Theran?

He finally spoke, his voice rough against the smooth pattering of rain. Mina echoed, "He asks if your brother was awake."

Cora had to maintain her gaze on his hands, trying not to reveal how his thoughtful question sent a pleasant wave through her. The moment only deepened for her.

"Yes. He will heal, fortunately."

Ludovic sneered as she got closer to the wound. The injury didn't bother her as much as she thought it would, but then again, she was used to killing and butchering their chickens. She only grew queasy when it was her own wounds.

Ludovic spoke again, his gaze directed only at the fire. Mina said, "He says that he cannot guarantee the future actions of the Ashmores, and that you will want to keep your witch with your brother at all times."

"Thank you—Forare. And thank you for trusting Hilda."

She wasn't going to correct him like she had with Rasha, but Hilda deserved to be more than 'the witch'. And after watching Ludovic take command over his people, Cora felt emboldened to do similar things, especially as an Omni. At least for Ben and Hilda. She wasn't sure when, or if, it would come to haunt her, but these lycans seemed to respect that more than not.

He spoke once more, this time looking down at her. He articulated his words carefully, his expression imposing but not threatening. "Hay todalgo ya nodi tahken?"

With his gaze on her, Cora glanced up, unable to maintain her stare into his eyes for more than a few seconds.

Mina said, "He wants to know if there is anything he should be aware of. I think he means to say that if there is something he should know, now is the time to tell him. Like a secret you didn't reveal earlier, etcetera. I advise you say it if there is something."

Cora looked down at the hand that was still in hers. "No. I have lived a very solitude life for a long time. Hilda never pressed me to leave. She really doesn't have a desire for any power within a pack, my liege. The only issue has ever been Steigen."

Cora let go and grabbed the ointment that she would put directly into his wounds. It apparently had an immediate numbing agent, and helped with healing.

Once Mina translate to Ludovic, he snickered.

"What?" Cora asked, popping the cork out of the jar and looking at Mina with confusion.

"He is not used to being called my liege."

Cora smiled and began to apply everything to his wounds. The teeth had punctured through the skin, but she confirmed that it was indeed closed by now. "How does his hand regenerate what was lost?"

She thought to Ben, and wished he could heal just as well.

"Our bodies typically regenerate what was lost, unless something has been severed. Since his hand is intact, his body will fill in the hole. If he lost a finger, it wouldn't regenerate. If a large chunk of flesh is cut off, it can regenerate but will still be uneven. We also cannot regenerate eyes or organs, although as long as they are not fully destroyed, they can heal, as long as the blood loss doesn't get to us first. We can't regenerate that."

Cora bobbed her head lightly in consideration, gooping the ointment into his wound at Mina's instruction, rather than sticking it in with her finger.

Cora went to grab the bandages, her mind wandering with thoughts of him treating someone intimately as well. "Would he ever do this for someone, in return?"

Mina said, "Yes. He used to with someone I won't name. He can understand that part."

"Oh," Cora said, not quite jealous, but there was definitely a prickle of something annoying in her chest.

Plus, she couldn't stop wondering just what it would be like to have this male treat a wound of hers with such care and focus...

He spoke when Cora began to bandage the second hand. Mina said, "He says while he appreciates this gesture, he wants you to know that you should not do this again with him. At least, not unless you are to commit to the meaning it has for our kind. This is often how one might initiate a formal courtship, although he understands that for now, it is simply a kind gesture on your end.

"He also adds that you will have to find a mate soon, no matter what; for your own protection," Mina paused, letting him speak more as Cora breathed very carefully, unblinking as she listened to him. "He wants you to have time to figure that out though, and at least try and settle in. But at some point, you will have to direct this kind of attention to a male of your choosing. The sooner you find one, the better. But do not make that choice lightly."

Cora finished and pinned the cloth together, looking down at the floor.

So many things went through her mind and body at hearing his words, her thoughts lingering on doing this again with him, knowing full well it meant she would choose him.

She knew it was too soon to know, and yet the thought of another didn't please or excite her.

Emboldened enough to glance up, she looked him in his pale, gray eyes. "So I am not to immediately go to you? I have a choice?"

He looked at her carefully before speaking. Mina said, "He says that you have been through a lot, and if he were to take you as his Omega, he wants your head and heart clear. In truth, it is too large of a decision to make right now. He also adds that you shouldn't have to worry about that for now, not at least until we go to Ingram."

Cora glanced at Mina, the firelight glinting off her golden jewelry. "Ingram?"

"That's where you will turn. It's the capitol of our alliance, where the other Omnis will be taken as well. I think he means that until we leave for there, you should just enjoy yourself and take time to adjust, and focus on your mate later—" Mina paused as he spoke more, her head gently bowing in respect as she listened while Ludovic spoke once more. "He also says that you will begin training in fighting, starting tomorrow. Walder will lead it, and Ludovic and Asla will help when they can."

"Really?" Cora asked, perking up and glancing to him with a smile on her face. "He will?"

He smirked, the pain and agony leaving his eyes as he seemed genuinely humored by that. "Ya wani yo gana fara nia."

The corner of Mina's lips curled into a stealthy smile. "He said he wants you close for now."

🐾🐾

Ludovic leaned over on his knees, his hands throbbing despite the ointments. Then again, anything related to tissue or bone ached with a pain that no magic could fully heal. Cora had risen to leave, and he watched her from behind, taking in the darkness of her hair and breathing in what remained of her scent before looking back at the flames.

Of course, a part of him wanted to claim her, as well as the throne. She had been promised to the former Alpha, and so far there was only good things to be seen about that female. He was unwise to take another that wasn't an Omni, and he had no interest in exploring the others if this one proved to catch his interest.

But he knew that he would have to help her adapt and transition. While that didn't deter him, it reminded him that Cora deserved her own sense of independence while being here.

It's something he admired in females to begin with, only ever attracted to the ones that claimed their own identity.

Before Walder followed, his scent still present, Ludovic said, "Walder. A moment."

The Second Talon, always the shield of the Alpha, entered the room and bowed his scarred head when he was only a few feet from Ludovic.

Ludovic slowly licked his bottom lip as he thought everything over. "You will guard her. It should have been you in the first place, but Theran refused to give you up. I know you have your family, but this arrangement should only be for a month or two, as she will have turned by then and will be capable of fending for herself."

"Of course, my liege." Walder looked up from his bow. "To be honest, I wish you would have broken Theran's muzzle a long time ago."

Ludovic chuckled and looked out the window, some of the rain spraying onto his shirt. "Yes, but we gave him an honest chance, and he failed. That's his own damned fault."

Walder, ever imposing and yet calculating, looked at the fire, pausing before asking, "How did you know when the right time was?"

Ludovic smirked. "I didn't. I just felt it in my bones."

Walder echoed the same sentiment, quietly saying, "I know that feeling."

Ludovic glanced at Walder, twitching his thumb and grimacing with pain. The worst pain was always when the body regenerated, especially with muscle. "Keep the unmated males away from her. For now, anyway."

Walder gave a curt nod. "Understood. Any other commands?"

"No. You may leave," Ludovic said, finding that giving such commands came with more ease than he expected.

Once Walder left the war room, Cora's scent eventually faded as well. He finally got up and walked over to a window that the rain fell adjacent to, rather than spill in from the winds. He peered out into the world outside, the pummeling rain like a cloud of fog, although he could still make out the valleys and mountain outside.

He looked up at the sky, thinking of their goddess Dagma in all of his rumination. Was that where the Omnis came from? The women weren't even turned, and yet Cora's scent was much more powerful than she could ever know.

It would be easier to convince his kin to defend her against Steigen if the gods gave a sign.

He groaned, thinking of Steigen coming for her. He had to give Theran some credit there, as even Ludovic didn't want to deal with that. Unlike his cousin, Ludovic would still endure the fight, but he dreaded what would come with that decision.

Turning around, his gaze moved to the wooden sculpture of Haldor, or their wandering god. Haldor carried strength and resilience with him, legends saying that if an eagle flew nearby, then Haldor lent his strength. Whereas Dagma was ever-present, Haldor would come and go as he pleased.

So, which god had a play in this this? Was it one of those two, or one of the others? Not even the Seers could pinpoint where the Omnis originated from, as if they just appeared out the ground like a new flower blooming for the first time.

He smelled Asla's presence before he heard her and leaned against the cold stone as his thoughts burdened his mind. Asla walked in without announcing herself and he glanced her way, his sister so uncouth compared to other females. He admired that in her, proud of the identity she forged for herself.

Asla stopped in front of the fire, holding her hands out to warm them. "Already protective?"

"Over what?"

"You sent Walder to guard the Omni," she said, rolling onto her toes before rolling back on her heels, throwing Ludovic a tawdry glare.

He tutted. "She needs to focus on adjusting to this life, not the males, which will flock to her the second they get her scent. They will want her for it. It distracts even me."

"If I were an Omni, I'd make them all line up so I could choose," she said, speaking towards the fire.

Ludovic snickered, then his humor faded. "As much as that is fitting for you, Cora has lived a life of isolation. Everything we do here will have a permanent imprint on her. She's already experienced the embarrassing parts of us through the Ashmores and our cousin. I don't want the next thing to be fighting males when she wouldn't even able to physically fend for herself."

"And if she fends you off?" Asla asked, languidly blinking in a manner he often presented as she rolled her gaze towards him.

"If somehow that is true, then fine. I will take another Omni," he said wanting to cross his arms, but refrained when he realized it would hurt his hands.

"But you don't want her to," Asla teased.

He sighed and glowered at her. "She has taken all of this with resilience that I respect. She also stood up for Mina and her brother, agreeing to go to Steigen if Theran allowed her brother to remain. That's a fire that I admire. Of course, I am considering her as an option for my Omega."

"Yes, I am sure it's admiration."

He smirked. In truth, he wasn't quite sold on how to feel. Everything seemed to weigh his mind down at once, and considering any potential romance didn't weigh the same as Steigen did.

Then again, he would be lying if he didn't admit that Cora had caught his attention. She was beautiful, her scent only growing more intoxicating, and he was eager to see the wolf that would come to life inside of her.

He snickered and then signed, looking at his bandaged hands. She cleaned them up well, at least, her hands firm but gentle...

"Who took care of your hands? Those look like someone else did it."

"Cora," he said boldly, glaring at her.

She chuckled, her grin stealing her face. "It's alright, brother. So far she has surprised me as well. You need someone with a bit of sass or you'll get bored. When I heard she told Theran she'd sick Grimshaw on him, I knew she'd have the right spirit. Still," she said, looking at his hands. "You only ever let Sava do that."

"She wanted to thank me. She knew what it meant, but I told her I knew she didn't appreciate how deep this is for us."

"If others see that, then they'll assume she's yours."

He didn't respond, and instead, looked away with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

Asla added, "Just as long as she knows. She needs to know what kind of line that is--"

"Oh I told her," he said, looking back to his twin. "But I'll still keep her close, as you're right, I'd prefer to be the first to see her potential before the other males do."