CAMILLA’S P.O.V


    There was darkness and my head was pounding in my skull. My entire body felt like it was being


    weighed down by a couple thousand tons and it didn’t matter how much I tried to lift my hands, I just


    couldn’t. I could smell dampness and hear the rushing of water but that was just about it. The more


    aware I became, the more my surroundings began to make sense. I could feel something soft beneath


    me, like cotton and I could hear footsteps but they were soft and gentle, almost cautious.


    “I don’t know, look, I cannot think properly right now,” I heard someone whisper. The voice sounded


    feminine and a little older.


    “What do you mean by you don’t know? There is a stranger in your home. Are you insane? She could


    be a murderer, she could be dangerous,” the second voice was also feminine but much younger- I


    would have guessed early twenties.


    “She isn’t dangerous,” the first voice shot back with a scoff. “Look at her, she doesn’t look like she can


    hurt a fly.”


    “She had blood on her when she came in. There was blood on her hands too. She could have killed


    someone.”


    I forced my eyes open at that moment and it took a second for me to adjust to the brightness of the


    room. The room was fairly small with only a single bed that I was lying on and a table and chair in the


    room. My head was still pounding but I tried to drag myself into a sitting position. My movements


    caught the attention of the people in the room and they immediately rushed over to me.


    There were two women there and it was obvious that they were mother and daughter. The older


    woman had salt and pepper hair that was tied neatly behind her neck. She had a warm smile on her


    face and she looked genuinely worried about me. The other girl had hair the shade of the sun with


    sharp and suspicious blue eyes. She red at me with her hands crossed over her chest and I


    immediately knew she didn’t want me there. Regardless, I managed to give them a warm smile.


    “How are you, my dear?” the older woman asked. “Do you remember anything?”


    I shook my head which proved to be the wrong move because my head pulsed. I lifted both hands to


    try and stop the pounding but it did little to nothing. The older woman rushed over to my side


    immediately with a wet wash cloth and ced it directly over my forehead.


    “We found you in theke, I presume you came from somewhere upstream. You took a nasty fall


    somewhere because you had some bruising on your temple but you healed very well. My name is


    Peggy and this is my daughter, Marie.”


    “Don’t tell her our name,” Marie hissed but Peggy waved her off. It was clear that Marie was distrustful


    of me and I couldn’t me her, I would have done the same if I saw a strange woman at my doorstep.


    “She isn’t going to hurt us.”


    Marie ignored her mother and turned to me with narrowed eyes. “I have my eyes on you. If you try any


    funny business, I will gut you like a fish. Am I clear?”


    “I have no intentions of hurting you or your mother. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. I can barely


    stand up on my own.”


    Marie stared at me for a second longer before turning on her heels and storming out of the room. She


    mmed the door hard and I flinched from the sound. Peggy shot me aforting smile and her eyes


    brimmed with unspoken apologies. Neither of us said a word, me because I didn’t know what to say


    and her presumably out of embarrassment.


    “Well then,” Peggy cleared her throat as she stood to her feet. “You must be hungry. Would you like me


    to get you something to eat? I can bring it up for you or you can go down.”


    “I think I would prefer to go down, thank you.”


    She gave me a warm smile and helped me to my feet. My legs buckled from the weight of my own


    body and I would have fallen over if she hadn’t kept her hands wrapped around me. The outside of the


    room was just as small as the inside, it held a simple living room with two couches, a small dining table


    and a kitchen to the left. It was a quaint house but it still had a homey feeling to it.


    Marie was gone, the front door was left ajar and I saw Peggy sigh. I hated that I was causing some


    difort between them, it was never my intention. I just wanted to take some time and heal a little


    and then I would be on my way. Peggy led me to the dining table and helped me into the seat then


    disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a te of toasted bread and eggs.


    “I have some orange juice if you want,” she offered and my eyes nearly watered.


    “Thank you so much, Peggy, you have been kinder to me than anyone has in a very long time,” I tried


    to blink back my tears as I spoke. “My name is Cami, I realize I hadn’t said that when you introduced


    yourself earlier.”


    “It’s okay, darling, just focus on your food and we can talk about the restter, okay? I know you’re not


    a danger to me. It is Marie that needs a little more convincing. She doesn’t trust people easily, my little


    girl. She always sees the worst in people.”


    “I could understand why,” I mumbled under my breath and she raised a brow at me. “I’m sorry, that was


    a bit too much. You have been so good to me.”


    “A lot of people aren’t good, believe me, I understand,” she squeezed my hand in aforting grip.


    “Why don’t you finish up your food? We can always talkter.”


    She walked out of the room leaving me to eat alone. By the time I finished, I felt stronger than before


    and I managed to stand on my own. I did the dishes and waited in the living room for Peggy to return


    but she didn’t. I got antsy and decided to go out to check for her. I heard some noiseing from the


    back of the house and I went to inspect it not expecting to find Marie there instead.


    She turned to me with hateful eyes and I raised both hands to show her that I meant no harm. “I was


    just looking for your mother. I didn’t know you were here and I don’t want to disturb you. I think I’ll just-”


    “Wait,” she called out and I froze. I turned to her and she crossed her arms over her chest as she


    turned to face me. “What do you want with us? We don’t have any money, we don’t live with the rest of


    the pack. If you wanted to spy on us or steal then I am sorry to say that you came to the wrong ce.


    The most expensive thing we own is a craved table and it doesn’t even cost much.”


    My brows furrowed in confusion and then slight embarrassment as she listed off all the reasons why I


    shouldn’t bother stealing from them. I tried to interrupt her a few times but she kept cutting me off. I


    understood her skepticism but I couldn’t help but feel a little insulted at her opinion of me. I wasn’t a


    thief and I would never try to hurt someone who had been nothing but kind to me.


    “Stop!” I yelled when I couldn’t take it anymore and she immediately went silent. “I have no ns to


    steal from you, you have nothing to worry about. Your mother is one of the kindest people I have seen


    in a while.”


    “Then what are you doing here?” she cut me off. “No one stumbles here by ident, no onees


    looking for us. We are on neutral territory, we are rogues, what could have brought you here.”


    “I don’t know,” I lied and she scoffed. “All I can say is that I didn’te here looking for you, I don’t


    even know how I got here. Your mum says I must have washed up stream. I must have fallen when I


    was running.”


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    I pped my hands over my mouth when I realized what I had said. Marie didn’t miss my words


    however and her spine straightened. She crossed her arms over her chest and took slow steps until


    she was standing directly in


    front of me.


    “What do you mean by running?” she asked but I stayed silent. “You are a criminal, aren’t you? You


    crazy bitch, you are going to bring trouble to our doorstep. You need to f**king leave, right now.”


    She grabbed my arm and began to pull me away when Peggy finally found us. She was walking into


    the house with a basket of herbs when she saw Marie dragging me unceremoniously. She dropped the


    basket and rushed over to us blocking our way.


    “Marie, this is not how I raised you,” Peggy hissed. “She is our guest, she is still healing. You cannot


    throw her out like that.”


    “She is a criminal. She is running away from people and we have enough to worry about without having


    another mouth to feed especially when that mouth is a criminal.”


    I could feel the air tensing as neither woman wanted to back down. Guilt filled me as I realized that I


    was the reason for their fight. I never wanted this, I just wanted to get away.


    “Stop, please,” I whispered and both women froze. “Marie is right, I should leave. I never intended to


    come here and I am grateful for all that you have done for me. I am d I showed up at your door and


    not anyone else’s. For what it is worth, you were more than good to me.”


    I started to walk away but Peggy walked in front of me. “You don’t have to leave, Cami. Tell me who


    you are running from, we can help you.”


    “No, we cannot,” Marie cut in but Peggy ignored her.


    “Tell me, Cami, please.”


    I debated it for a second. Saying it felt like it would finally be real but I managed to swallow down my


    words. “I am running from my mate, he rejected me.”