Claimed by the Cursed werewolf

Chapter 8

That night, I had a dream, and in the dream, I was running from someone. When I turned my head, I saw a tall man with long dark hair and piercing black eyes. I ran, fear thrilling inside me, and the man continued to chase me.

I saw something dark in his eyes. His eyes suddenly glowed red, and two sharp fangs elongated. I screamed, running so fast that I stumbled and fell onto the ground.

He was so close now, and with every footstep, his body was changing into that of a wolven. He would catch me soon. I screamed again.

"Freydis! Freydis!" A soothing voice urged me from my sleep. I peeled my eyes open with a gasp to see my roommate, Aslaug, staring at me.

My eyes widened.

"You must have had a bad dream," she said.

I was panting from sleep, scared and confused. Who was that man in the dream? And why was he chasing me?

"It's alright," Aslaug said, getting out of bed. "It's still dark outside. Sleep more."

I slowly nodded my head, and eventually, I lay back in bed. My heartbeat slowly steadied, and I soon fell asleep again.

When I woke up again, it was still dark, and Aslaug was still in bed, sleeping. Unable to sleep anymore, I stood up from bed. I decided to take a walk around the house myself so it would be easier for me to navigate when it was time for morning chores.

I left the room and walked out of the maids' quarters, strolling down the corridor and taking in the parts of the house. There were braziers burning along the walls to keep the house bright.

The wind brushed my face, sending shivers down my spine. I was never one to be accustomed to the cold. Kattegat, where I came from, was always warm.

All of a sudden, something shifted in my vision.

I saw a shadow on the wall in the shape of something animalistic. I quickly took a step backward, and when I turned my head, I saw nothing. Only the silence of the corridor.

I felt cold shivers run down my spine, and I shook my head, blaming my restless mind. Just as I turned my head back and took another step forward, I caught movement again.

This time, I saw a silhouette leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor.

I felt my heart pounding hard against my ribcage as I neared the silhouette. The figure took a slow step forward, and my breathing caught.

The torches flickered as if disturbed by the silhouette's presence, and in the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of me.

My eyes widened. "How did you—" My voice dropped as I stared at Eirik. His clothes was torn and shattered. They were dirts on his forehead and he was panting.

His gaze brushed over me. "What is a servant like you doing in the corridor at this hour of the night?"

I swallowed hard. "I couldn't sleep."

He stared at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Couldn't or wouldn't?"

When I didn't give him an answer, he continued to speak. "It's a foolish thing to do. You never know what's lurking around."

He took a step away from me. "Return to your room."

Bowing my head at him, I began to walk backward until Eirik was out of my sight. When he was gone, I took a long breath.

Once I was in my room, I closed the door and pressed my back against it, feeling my head throb.

What was the meaning of that? How did he get so close without even walking? It was as if one moment he was standing at the end of the corridor, and the next moment, he was in front of me.

I thought about his torn clothes. What happened to him? Did he get into a fight? I was confused—how could he have gotten into a fight that bad without the guards intervening?

Aslaug was still in bed asleep, and I slowly crawled onto the bed, lying on the side. I closed my eyes, and as I tried to sleep, I saw Eirik in my dreams.

The next morning, I woke up late to find Aslaug already up and dressed in her maid's uniform.

She had given me the uniform I would be wearing the previous day.

"Jarl Eirik calls you to have breakfast with him," Aslaug informed me. "Jarl is a high-ranking noble that is below the King."

I quickly stood up from bed, remembering what happened last night, and I began to doubt if I had really seen him or if it was a dream.

I entered the bathing chamber, and once I was done, I dressed in the thrall's uniform and left the room to meet Eirik in the dining chamber.

I saw Eirik standing near the window, and upon noticing my presence, he turned around.

I slowly bowed my head toward him. He took a step closer, and I couldn't tell why my heart was skipping.