For no apparent reason other than an inexplicable desire, Min reached out and placed Sergen's hand in her lap, holding it tightly with both of hers. "It's not strange. I was just... oh, forget it." She shook her head, determined to push Selin out of her mind. "I suppose I must seem strange to you. I have lived with one woman my entire life. I'm not even a fully grown witch woman yet. You brought me to this unfamiliar place, and I have no idea how I'm supposed to assist you when you had to help me last time." She looked down at her lap, struggling to gather her thoughts. "I don't know how to be someone's mate. I don't even know how to avoid picking fights with complete strangers." She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes again, taking a breath. "But I will make the best of it. I will do what I can. I will..." She paused, meeting his gaze directly. "...be a good companion, as I promised."
He watched her, listened attentively, absorbing her words with deliberate silence. Unlike Ilay or her family, he did not seem to speak as effortlessly—perhaps he found verbal communication uncomfortable. However, he eventually responded: "I am not sorry for claiming you. Once I laid eyes on you, I desired you intensely. Should I apologize for that?"
Min shook her head. "No. But why did you desire me?"
"I found you attractive. You smell pleasing—very pleasing, in fact. I witnessed you holding your own against the children of Bhalot, and how you sacrificed yourself to protect your mother. Being with you brings me pleasure, and it seems that you desire me and derive pleasure from our connection as well. These are all admirable qualities in a mate." He leaned in closer. "Are you upset about me claiming you?"
"I..." She shook her head. "It's not that simple. I'm still trying to process the idea of belonging to someone. I always knew I couldn't stay with my mother forever. I just didn't expect my departure to happen... the way it did." She blushed, squeezing his hand. "There were even parts of it that I enjoyed," she admitted in a softer tone.
"Did you?"
Min nodded, squeezing his hand tighter. "Very much. I told you so, remember?"
"Is that a negative thing?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. I had certain ideas—or dreams, really—about what my first encounter with a man would be like. Your approach was... more direct." She reached out, her fingers grazing his shoulder and slowly sliding down towards his abdomen. "I hope I was good enough—you were the first man I have ever been with."
"You were. I assumed the evidence of that would be evident," he said, displaying a small, rare smile.
"You mean—oh!" Min resisted the urge to glance down between his legs but failed miserably. His manhood was impressive, although she had only seen a handful of men so far; she still had much to learn. "With the...the swelling—"
"Yes." He leaned in closer, his breath brushing against her face. "It is a bond that ties a wolf to his mate, ensuring greater certainty in the conception of offspring."
Min's chest tightened, her breathing becoming more labored, fully aware of how exposed and vulnerable she was, how he might detect her arousal while sitting next to him. "I liked it," she murmured, reaching out to touch his chest, her fingers sliding slowly down towards his abdomen. "Did you enjoy it too, Sergen?"
"Oh, yes," he replied in a husky voice. "Now, will you tell me your name?"
Min took another labored breath, locking eyes with him. "My name is—"
"Yasemin!" A woman's cry echoed in the distance, followed by a tremendous crash. Voices erupted—men shouting, women screaming—and even the wild goats joined in, braying amidst the chaos.
Min recognized that voice: "Mother?!" Temporarily forgetting about Sergen, she swiftly stood up and dashed out of the tent, with her mate close behind.
The camp was in disarray. One tent lay flattened under the weight of a massive stone, larger than the enraged bear that had attacked Min only a day or two ago. She could hear the sounds of wolves howling and barking, along with the clamor of voices.
"Yasemin? Answer me!" Another crash, and Min witnessed someone being flung through the air, limbs flailing. "Ozan!" Erden's voice reverberated. "Where are you hiding, you mongrel spawn of a she-boar?!"
"Mother!" Dodging around another tent, Min spotted her mother standing near the outskirts of the camp. There was a sack at her feet, and she brandished a sapling as thick as Min's arm, ripped out of the ground with its roots intact, wielding it like a club. Her eyes were entirely black, a side effect of the vuk's power flowing through her. Min had witnessed this particular incantation before when a fallen tree had blocked the creek, their only source of fresh water—Erden had gained enough strength to lift and toss the tree aside using only her bare hands.
"Mother, stop!" Min shouted. Erden stood partially surrounded by wolf-like warriors, all in the humanoid form somewhere between man and animal. Their fur ranged from onyx-black to ivory-white. They remained at a cautious distance from Erden's makeshift weapon, snarling or waiting for some unspoken command.
"What is happening here?" Erkin's voice thundered as he approached, his footsteps heavy enough to make Min anticipate the ground cracking beneath him. When he came into view, appearing between two nearby tents, he abruptly halted, his eyebrows arching so high they nearly disappeared into his gray hair. "Erden?"
Erden stared into Min's eyes for a moment, her intense gaze unwavering, as she brandished the tree in a slow circle, keeping the wolf-men at bay. "Chieftain," she said with a tone that hinted at familiarity, as if they were acquainted. "Where's that sorry excuse for a man I left here? I thought you banished him."
Erkin snorted with anger. "I did banish him. Ozan hasn't shown his face to me in twenty years, and if he does, I'll tear it off and show it to him."
"Then why is she here?" Erden shouted, gesturing towards Min.
"Now hold on—"
"Erden?" Ilay's voice cut through, filled with a mixture of joy and surprise, as the silver-haired witch approached them at a run. "Is she really back?"
Back? Min mouthed the word, feeling her head spin.
"Get behind me," Sergen said firmly to Min.
"Why? What's going on?"
"Just do it." He forcefully moved Min, disregarding her protests, until he stood between her and her mother. His hands transformed into elongated claws, crackling with power, ready to attack if necessary.
"Yasemin, are you alright?" Erden scanned the crowd, seemingly searching for someone—presumably the aforementioned Ozan, Min presumed.
"I'm fine, Mother."
"Mother?" Erkin and Ilay said simultaneously, both wearing expressions of surprise. Sait had joined them by then, his gaze focused and intense as he watched Erden. However, Selin was nowhere to be seen.
"Why did you follow me?" Min asked. "I said I would come home."
"You expect me to sit idly by while you're in danger?" Erden locked her eyes on Sergen last, her gaze narrowing as she shifted her stance, ready to charge at any moment. "Are you the one who took her, Pup?"
Sergen didn't flinch. "Yes. Until the bear threat is eliminated, she belongs here and to me. I claimed her as mine." He bared his teeth. "And I am no pup to you, Witch." Min tensed, one hand on Sergen's back, the other on his arm, hoping to prevent him from attacking.
Erden's gaze remained fixed, her tree-club steady. "You took her willingly?"
Sergen nodded. "By the First Law of the Wood—for myself and the good of the tribe. Once the threat has passed, she will be free to choose her own path."
Erden fell silent for a long moment, studying Sergen's face, contemplating his words. "Erkin."
The chieftain seemed startled by the sound of his name. "What, Erden? What is it?"
Erden forcefully kicked the sack at her feet, causing its contents to spill out and roll across the trampled grass, coming to rest at the chief's feet: a severed head, once belonging to a brown-furred bear, its eyes replaced with gruesome cavities. The fur was stained with blood and foul fluids. Gasps and angry shouts erupted from the gathered crowd.
"You had a spy," Erden said, nodding towards the head. "I took care of him for you, but it's likely that the bear-men already know your location."
Erkin growled under his breath before Ilay placed a calming hand on his shoulder. The old wolf took a deep breath, shaking off his tension. "Lower your weapon, Erden; release your magic. You were never an enemy of our people, even when you chose to leave—don't make yourself an enemy now."
Min witnessed a flicker of hesitation on her mother's face, a moment of contemplation. Erden looked at Min, considering her words. "Is what he says true, Yasemin? Did he claim you? Was there no one else?"
"No, Mother. There was never anyone else." Min swallowed, hoping her voice sounded steady. "I agreed to his terms, and he agreed to mine." She wasn't entirely sure what Sergen meant by speaking of laws, but the truth remained unchanged.
Erden took a moment, then nodded. She turned and cast the heavy tree aside, letting it crash into the underbrush. The darkness receded from her eyes as she faced the chief. "Then, by the Second Law of the Wood, I request the Rite of Joining."
"What?" Erkin seemed to be saying that a lot, Min noticed. "You left us! Now you want to come back?"
"My place is with my daughter," Erden said calmly. "I cannot be separated from her any more than you can be separated from your mate. I know what the Rite demands of me—will you grant my request or not?"