By the time Ronan and Vivian returned to the makeshift camp outside the cave entrance, Avery seemed to be soundly asleep, curled up on the boulder.
The Lycan Alpha continued to observe Vivian; his gaze narrowed upon watching the she-wolf gather her niece up into her arms.
That wouldn't do.
It didn't matter whether Avery was practically featherweight. By his call, Vivian was forbidden to bear any sort of weight on herself that would cause exertion.
Ronan approached them, stepping in front of Vivian.
"I'll carry her," the Lycan Alpha offered, waiting a moment as he sought permission from Vivian. "I don't want your wounds to worsen."
The she-wolf withdrew from the idea of lifting her niece's weight and nodded solemnly. Ronan gathered the child effortlessly into his arms, carrying her inside the cave to lay her down on a sheet.
"I'll give her an hour to rest but we must move afterwards," Ronan said, his gaze shifting back to Vivian, who noticed the tender way in which he handled her niece, contrary to his Lycan form, whose canines had her firm by the scruff earlier.
"Are you alright?" Ronan stood up again after tucking another sheet around Avery's body for warmth, walking back to Vivian at the entrance of the cave. "Any pain or burn?"
"The pain is light and the burn subtle for now," Vivian revealed, forced to arch her head back to look up at Ronan, who towered over her. For the briefest of moments, the Lycan Alpha caressed her cheek in a featherlight touch.
Then he stepped away and walked back outside. There was still much of the deer meat left over from the previous night; hence, Ronan decided to roast the rest of it.
Initially, he'd gone out to hunt for a lighter morning meal, but based on the previous night when his hands explored her body shamelessly, he denoted that Vivian was rather lithe.
She was far too underweight and her limbs were so fragile he feared her bones would snap if he touched her with unchecked force.
The she-wolf needed to eat to regain her strength and if it meant fattening her up with meat and other foods, then so be it.
Ronan doesn't trust me much but I can't blame him. He's probably thinking that I was deliberately sent across the river and now Avery was sent to check on my progress. Vivian deduced, concluding that Ronan's demeanour was the result of his mistrust.
Nevertheless, Vivian and him shared a hearty breakfast in silence over the next half hour. When Avery awakened by herself shortly after, she was fed and neatened up.
Vivian briefly explained their plans to her niece and Avery complied with an obedient nod. The child was still nearly frightened to death having witnessed the Alpha's monstrous Lycan form, but her aunt reassured her that the man was in complete reign of his beastly half.
However, Avery was adamant that she wouldn't ride Ronan's Lycan form. She was stubborn enough that she decided to shift into her wolf to accompany their journey to the nearby town.
After collecting their supplies back into the backpack, Ronan shifted into his Lycan form. He attempted to suppress the majority of his fierce beastly features to ensure that Avery wouldn't panic or flee in terror.
His efforts did little to alleviate the tension, but the child was less frightened than before. She shifted into her wolf while Vivian climbed onto Ronan's back, grasping at the coarse fur by his broad scruff for support.
Avery barely managed to maintain pace with Ronan's speed as they sprinted through the rest of the valley. Noticing the challenge in her slow movements, the Lycan Alpha deliberately decreased his pace.
Within an hour more, they arrived at the outskirts of the town. Except the grandeur of this place betrayed the term 'town.' It was a fortified city shielded by a boundary brick wall.
By the air of it, the so-called down reeked with the scents of shifters of different kinds. Vivian clambered off Ronan's back, allowing him to shift back into his human form.
Avery embraced her human half again as well, clearly exhausted by the long-distance trip.
"This is Clawveld," Ronan announced, stringing his backpack over his shoulder. "It's more of a city than a town but they're quite hospitable. We will find an inn to rest and then decide from there."
Vivian nodded understandingly. She held Avery's hand, guiding Avery as they approached Clawveld.
The city guards, upon recognising Ronan's imposing aura, nodded in greeting and whistled a signal to their companions stationed atop the wall to unlatch the large lock mechanisms installed on the city gates.
Vivian observed in awe, fascinated by the magnificence of the city's exterior. She wasn't fortunate enough to visit or explore towns or cities before.
For the entirety of her confined childhood, she was restricted to only roaming pack lands. The furthest she'd ever trod beyond Moonborn was into Dane's territory and even then her Alpha mate didn't permit her to leave the packhouse.
And judging by Avery's reaction, her fate was no different.
The Lycan Alpha could deduce as much that both Vivian and her niece were setting foot into a city for the first time.
He wrapped his arm around Vivian's waist, tugging her closer to his side while she held Avery's hand.
"Stay close to me," he instructed, squeezing her hand gently. "Folk in the City can be unpredictable."
Brilliant idea. Tell two omegas who've never been to a City before that it's dangerous. The Lycan commented, berating Ronan for being so blunt.
Keep your snout shut. They need to be cautious. Ronan remarked back, once again shutting the beast out of his mind.
Naturally, the two omega females were intimidated by the amalgamation of potent shifter scents in the air, but Ronan reassured them that with time, they would become accustomed to it.
Once the city gates opened with a loud, metal, rusty creak, Ronan guided them inside.
Vivian and Avery stared in disbelief. The city ground spanned a cobblestone design, with stalls, shops, taverns, and inns soaking up the bulk of the area.
Chattering circulated as Vivian smiled when she saw children happily skipping, chasing after each other.
Sweet and savoury aromas of food assailed her senses, while the clanking of iron coming from the blacksmith workshops drew her attention.
Avery was just as astonished by the almost surreal existence of the city.
Clawveld was quite lovely.