Naomi follows Stellan into a room just off the lounge to the left. A makeshift gym is set up complete with floor padding, weights, several punching bags and a large water fountain. Along the walls on either side are stacks of boxes. The room carries a musty lingering smell. Naomi steps on to the padded floor and walks around the room. Stellan walks in after her.

"Naomi these boxes are filled with as much written documentation as I could find about our history. I believe Jax has the intention to run through some exercise drills with you when we're done. I can have Horatio bring these up to your room?"

Naomi shakes her head, "no thank you Stellan. These are fine down here. Let me change first and then we can begin."

Stellan lowers his head in agreement and Naomi makes for her and Raurlin's bedroom upstairs. The bedroom door to Sarah's door is shut and there is soft talking coming from the inside. Naomi walks quickly to her bedroom and she slips inside. She changes quickly into comfortable leggings and a baggy jersey. Naomi makes her way back downstairs and she settles down on the padded floor alongside Stellan. Stellan is ruffling through a stack of papers. He hands the papers to Naomi.

"These are writings that explain our history and our beliefs. Our mythology so to speak but it's more like our religion. After the great war many people lost faith in our ancient teachings. Our race began dwindling. These you can read through at your leisure to start having an understanding. What you need clarity on I will provide."

Naomi flicks through the pages. They are yellow and stained. They are hand written, some in an impressive cursive and others in untidy scribbles. Underneath the stack of papers there's a book. A leatherbound book entitled "The Anthropology Of The Fjordvailan Civilisation." Naomi smoothes a hand over the book cover with a smile, the author's name pulling at her heart strings.

Stellan pushes himself to his feet. "Your grace if it pleases I will leave you to it."

Naomi nods her head but does not look up from the papers in her lap. Stellan walks out the room, shutting the door gently behind him. He, in a few short strides, walks back to Raurlin's office. Raurlin is perched on the ledge in front of the window. He is deep in thought and he is tapping his foot on the floor.

"Raur?"

Raurlin glances at Stellan.

"This guy, Axel...He must have followed them. He's been keeping tabs on all of us. We need information and we need it fast. I don't like feeling like we're on the back foot here. We need to..."

"Breathe Raurlin. You need to breathe. I am going to run some recon. What's the word from the alpha?"

"He's open to a feast. He's reaching out to a couple of the families within his pack. Some that we've met. Dezra and her husband. I've tasked Horatio with finding more staff for us.I understand that you won't be here indefinitely. Soon you'll be back home and it will be business as usual. I just can't shake the feeling that we're on the back foot. Something is going to-"

"Raurlin." Stellan gives Raurlin a warning look. "You're our king now, all of us. If we're on the back foot then what are we missing? What ground needs to be covered? Take time. Think. Think it all over."

Raurlin stands up with a stretch. "I want to set up a meeting with you, Jax and Mikain. Can you see to it?"

"And what about Naomi? If you isolate her she will push back."

Raurlin nods once. "Where is my aeturnum?"

"In the gym your grace."

"Thank you, your majesty, that will be all for now."

❄

Jackson ushers Sarah upstairs. He guides her past her bedroom and rather to where Raurlin and Naomi share a room. The two come to a halt and Sarah looks up at Jackson with a confused frown.

"Don't get mad at me, okay?"

Jackson pushes the door open before Sarah can respond and the two step inside the room. Sarah's bed is set up in the room with her curtains and carpet. Sarah steps hesitantly into the room. Wide eyed she walks around the room opening the cupboards that have been repacked with her clothes. Jackson leans against the door frame with arms folded. Sarah treads carefully into the large en suite bathroom before re-emerging to the bedroom.

On her bed her grimoire is placed alongside the notebook that Jackson bought her when they were in wolf territory. Sarah sits down on the edge of the bed. She runs a hand over her grimoire.

"I don't understand..."

Jackson walks into the room and settles on the bed beside Sarah.

"Raurlin and Naomi thought it would be best for you to have this room."

"But this is the master bedroom. I can't take this room."

Jackson takes hold of Sarah's hand. "This is the only room with a balcony. I've set up some flower beds and pots for plants. I know that not being able to practice frequently is taking its toll. At least in this way you can have some form of release."

Jackson stands off the bed and makes for the door. Sarah calls out after him.

"Jax wait...thank you."

Jackson nods his head with a small smile then walks out the bedroom shutting the door gently behind him. He smiles again slightly then with a shake of his head trots downstairs. Jackson walks past the lounge and into the gym. Naomi is sprawled out on the floor engrossed in old and tattered papers. She is chewing down on her bottom lip with a laser life focus. Jackson steps onto the padding and walks to where Naomi is sitting. He comes to a halt beside her.

As the floor dips beside her, sending vibrations into her legs, Naomi jerks and looks up. Jackson is standing beside her with an amused smile. Naomi blinks twice at the pounding behind her eyes. Jackson squats down beside her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your grace."

Naomi rolls her eyes and begins gathering the papers. She neatly piles them alongside an open box in a particular order.

"Stellan got these for me. I'm doing some reading up on your history...our history."

Jackson holds a hand out to Naomi and he pulls her to her feet.

"I'm glad you're doing some reading up on all this. If there's anything I can help with then let me know, okay?"

At his statement Raurlin walks into the gym. He winks at Naomi.

"Mind if I crash your gym session?"

Naomi can't help but smile. "Of course not. I was just telling Jackson that I'm coming up to speed with a lot of the history that I missed. I actually just have a question for you Jax."

Jackson nods his encouragement as he guides both Naomi and Raurlin through a series of stretches starting with their arms.

"When we first met I was having dreams about you. You told me you were a dream walker. In this book I read it says that people were given gifts by the sun or the moon...is that one of those gifts? How many gifts are there?"

Naomi looks at Raurlin then back to Jackson. Jackson nods slowly musing over Naomi's question.

"Leg stretch, Naomi, and yes it is. You know Horatio will likely have better information on the gifts. But there's a variety. Something that it's more of an inclination can be considered a gift. For example your aeturnum has a knack for picking up on a place that will be fruitful for farming. He knows just by intuition that this place is a good place for us to settle and make our home."

Naomi smiles at Raurlin who shoots her a cheeky grin. Jackson continues speaking.

"In a similar way I have a way of picking up on weather patterns. But that being said, we've been alive for a very long time. It's possible that we just picked up on these things. It's just information that we have stored in our brains."

"Tell me about dream walking, please."

Jackson nods, "it's something that runs in my family. My grandmother could do it and she taught me how. It's said that these traits skip a generation but with our race dwindling there are less and less of these gifts that we've seen." 

Authors Note:
This book is a Wattpad exclusive if you're reading this anywhere else then my work was published without my authorisation.