-Hi! - The voice of a cheerful woman echoed through the simple hut in the silence of the falling afternoon.
Cassie closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her knees huddled against her body, oblivious to the chill. The water after an eternity began to become unpleasant on the wood.
-Is there anyone there? Cassie?
She cringed at the name, simply wishing she'd died. Lightning could strike her head. If maybe she kept quiet, they would forget her presence. She imagined her sister and how much grief it would cause Faith. It couldn't take long now anyway. With the abdominal cramps, she was punished with painful spasms. She thought about it in anguish when in her life everything started to go wrong. Perhaps it was finally divine interference. It was said that no one survived an attack by Ichicho.
-Hello, my darling! My name is Sara, I am Vladimir's wife. - the woman greeted her with a smile so genuine that Kassuim for a moment could imagine what it would be like to have a mother. She tried to maintain an indifference. She tried hard to cling to her pride. She was never going to admit to that cocky brute how scared she was. She wasn't even allowed the right to die here alone. The soulless brute was at least certain that he could finally be rid of an unwanted wife.
Her green eyes filled with tears, closing a lump in her throat as she looked helplessly at the woman.
-What are you doing here? She – she asked rudely and harshly and in horror, the clothes left beside the tub. - Go away!
Sara frowned, very attentive to her clumsiness and her troubled gaze and immediately blocked the door and the entrance of the man who accompanied her with a sigh.
-What happened Sarah? Morgan was surprised to find the path firmly blocked by the old lady.
Instincts were naturally sharper after so many days without hunting and he wrinkled his nose at the scent. It was blood. The sound of low cries and suppressed sobs make him alert and tense as he insists that Sara allow the entrance.
-What happened here? Where is my wife? He spoke loudly and anxiously. - Was she hurt?
Sara stared at the girl's gaze, filled with dread, her mouth twitching sympathetically at the helpless way. She was a middle-aged, experienced woman. The situation called for quick control.
-You can join the boys at the fire and enjoy some excellent wine after Vladimir arranges warm clothes for you. And maybe a bath.
Morgan's gaze was furious. It was blood! He was sure of the sweet scent that reached his nose and worries washed over him.
-The girl...
Sara took a deep breath as she turned to the door and faced a very frustrated man. Oh, he worried about the girl. He could see their scowling expressions on their pale countenance. He thought of his daughter holding back a bitterness she always carried. Their eldest daughter had turned against their ways and abandoned the company of Gypsies, delighted with the pleasures that human life offered.
-I'll help and keep you company, naturally. - Sara very calm and understanding was firm and decisive showing the privateer that he would not enter the fourth moment. - I would be very grateful my boy if you asked that one of the girls in the kitchen could help us.
Richard rolled his eyes in frustration. It was his wife who was inside that room. He had every right, as a husband, to go in there even more if the girl had been injured through some carelessness. Apprehension was evident on his face and doubt.
-My wife ...
Sara's smile was one of absolute tranquillity as she pressed with surprising force on the door indifferent to the veiled protests of the man in front of her. Men. Even the bravest of them sometimes looked like a scared little boy.
-After dinner, Morgan. Try to freshen up and change your travel clothes. Enjoy the night with the men with stories of the warriors near the bonfire. As soon as supper is over, you can keep your wife company.
-But not at all, Sara. Not when...
The door was opened roughly without further explanation and Sara leaned against it with a deep, pitying sigh.
I think this water must be cold enough by now, my child. - The kind words made copious tears well up. - Your husband...
-I'm dying! You will never be my husband after what I've done! I can't believe what I did! Cassie managed to speak through choking sobs. Maybe with luck, she'd have one of those bouts of shortness of breath and fall there with embarrassment. - I think I'm pregnant.
Sara put her hand to her stunned forehead. It hadn't occurred to him that the girl might not belong to the wolf clan. Richard stared at her livid. The water with the blood...
-How long ago did the unfortunate bleeding start? - managed to ask pale.
-Why, dying? - She was surprised and made sure that she approached, evaluating the very embarrassed and surprised look of the girl.
She was too young. She had always been against marriages when girls were that young. They knew little about life. The one in front of her had expressions as livid as if she were indeed on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Richard was speechless.
- Cassie, isn't it? - Sara tried to be gentle and the smile was kind as a mother would have when approaching even closer. "Let's take care of that and get some rags. I can assume it's the first time... A pregnancy..." Sara turned to a guilty, guilt-wretched Richard. "You should have shared the blood if you knew your female was carrying your child!"
Cassie stared at her, unable to find words and hide her anguished expression. How...?
-I'm dying, Sara. She-she managed to speak in a low voice with chills. She was convinced of that. She wasn't going to die of shame alone. It would be much worse! - I'm bleeding and... Mercy, I've done things I shouldn't. Terrible things. What will become of me? I did not want...
-Well, if that were the case, at least half the population of Chabone would be dead. It's not as uncommon as you think couples to enjoy some intimacy before marriage. Or they'd all be in hell by now, Cassie. - Rick said seriously taking the girl from the bathtub and helped by Sara put her on the bed.
-How do you share...?
Men. Sara held back a smile in the face of an alpha more stunned than ever.
-How long ago did your monthly flow start, dear? Well, a lot of people do terrible things like that before marriage, child, although it's not advisable. How to face soldiers? Trying to get in the middle of stray bullets and...
Perhaps the woman had misunderstood the situation. Or she was losing all her wits. Maybe she was already dead and hadn't even noticed.
-Sara, can you provide the normal herbs in these cases? Rick spoke with forced calm berating himself...
Curse. All Philip's scheming... He had completely distracted himself from the possibility...
-It is going to be okay. Just need rest. And you'll be in serious trouble if you get out of this bed. - Rick was as categorical as possible when making demands.