My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 10

Sera

The light coming through the ceiling vents was fading into a deep violet. Torches were being lit, their orange glow reflecting off the polished stone. I sat on the wagon, feeling the cold start to seep back in, wondering if I’d just been forgotten.

The warrior returned, bringing a girl with him. She looked about Lyra’s age, with bright eyes and a leather bag slung over her shoulder. She wore a rust-colored woolen wrap and moved with a restless sort of energy.

"She can't walk," the warrior told her, nodding at me. "Legs are gone numb."

The girl didn't say a word to him. She dropped to her knees on the frozen stone and grabbed my feet. She pulled off my southern shoes—thin, useless things meant for carpeted hallways. She studied my pale skin and the way my ankles were swollen with the cold.

Then she looked up at the warrior, and her face went sharp.

"How long?" she demanded.

The warrior blinked. "What?"

"How long has she been sitting in this wagon with these on her feet?" She held up one of my pathetic shoes like it was a piece of evidence. "She’s from the South. Look at her. Did any of you think to check her? Or did you just assume she’d grow fur on the way up?"

The warrior actually looked sheepish. He rubbed the back of his neck. "We were on high alert. The borders have been twitchy. We were focused on the road."

"Focus on your brain next time," she snapped. She wasn't yelling, but the bite in her voice was enough to make him take a step back.

"I'm sorry," the warrior muttered. He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw genuine regret in a northern face. "I didn't think."

"Clearly," the girl said. "Go tell the Alpha she's inside. I'll take care of her."

The warrior hurried off toward the main hold. The girl reached into her bag and pulled out a cloth soaked in something that smelled like mint and something earthy. She began wrapping it around my calves.

The second the cloth touched my skin, I hissed. It stung like a thousand needles.

"I know," she said, her voice softening. "That’s the blood coming back. It means you’re keeping your toes."

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