Chapter 7
I woke up to Mel sneaking in through the window. “What the hell are you doing?” I groaned.
“Shh, I snuck out to see Lyson and since you aren’t at the Pack House I couldn’t tell my parents I was with you. I jumped out the window” she quietly chuckled.
“You’re insane” I mumbled, still half asleep. I suppose the window wasn’t too high up in this small cottage and she managed it with her supernatural abilities but it still didn’t look too fun.
“Where the hell do you even plan on living anyways?” she whispered while taking off her shirt to throw on her pajamas.
“It’s close to three in the morning can we talk about this tomorrow?” I groaned again.
“Fine” she muttered, closer now that she was sliding into her bed beside me. She could be a real bed hog but since it was her bed I don’t have much right to complain.
Both her and Jasper tried to treat me the same yesterday after I told them a bit about my mother and my upbringing but I wondered how they really felt about me now. Was I an even bigger charity case?
They had already taken me in almost a year ago but now they knew more. Worse things that made them feel they had a certain amount of responsibility for me.
I would never want to become a burden to them. It would break my heart if things ended up that way. That’s why I ask for nothing and give double over.
I just want to earn the right to be here.
-
“Wake up bish” I heard my best friend call out to me from the doorway. I hadn’t realized I slept in and jumped from the mattress in a scramble.
“Shit, I need to get to the Pack House” I started gathering things to get dressed.
“Relax, I mindlinked Jasper who spoke to Luna. He told her you were going to stay away for a few days while the guys adjusted and she agreed to it. You’re off the hook for now” she took the clothes from my hands and threw them back on top of the duffle bag I had received them from.
“They’ve got the little flea market going on in town today. Let’s go buy things” she wiggled her eyebrows at me.
The currency here could be different at times. For example, since everyone pitched into the community as a whole it was almost like trading goods and services and money wasn’t exactly exchanged like humans would do at work for a paycheck.
Healers, their doctors, would do their duties and farmers would grow their food so food was distributed differently. Many were self-sufficient with hunting and gathering.
We did get stuff from the mountain towns. They called those traveling wolves who would sell things like Mr. Collins woodworking to the people down there, bringing goods back to the village where we would either make trades or exchange money.
I’m not sure the entire mechanics behind it but I know some flea market items came from below and others were made right here like the handmade jewelry I loved looking at.
I wasn’t exactly making money here so I never bought anything but I loved looking through the stands and talking to the vendors.
Books, homemade jams, and food items that were rare for us to receive unless specifically requested for by the traveling wolves, were all sold there too. A variety of things that varied month to month.
They had these four wheelers they’d ride into the mountain towns since traveling in actual wolf form wouldn’t be the smartest move.
Lately I’d been thinking I might join these wolves in their travels down to the towns so I could use a phone to try and contact my mom. I didn’t like how we left things off and me disappearing might’ve been unfair to her. She did love me in her own way.
At night in the mountains it got chilly but when the sun was beating during the day it got hot. I threw on a pair of white jean shorts and a flowy yellow top that complimented my sun kissed skin and softer features. Then I headed to the market with my friend.
She liked the small section where there were some fashion items like clothes, bags, and other accessories like those sunglasses she’d bought there last year.
Whatever wasn’t sold was either recycled into the following month’s market or exchanged for other goods down in the mountain towns where they got the items in the first place.
It was just something the community could look forward to every month. I’d come to like it a lot too, even if I never bought anything.
Mel had her high waisted shorts on and a little tube top she could pull off well. She stayed eyeing the clothes at the end. “By the way, I’m going to Grace later to get my eyebrows done. Are you coming?” she asked.
“Are you trying to tell me I need to do my brows?” I teased. She laughed and pretended to take a close look. “Well...” she started but I pushed her as we walked down to the square.
Grace was Jasper’s younger sister and she did hair and nails around there but also botany for the town. I’d worked with her before.
Once we got to the market there were already a ton of people walking around the different stands that were lining both sides of the street.
I suppose they weren’t streets in the way you’d see down in human civilization because we had no cars here, therefore no need, but it was packed dirt/clay type roads where there were shops and houses the way you’d see in any regular town.
We started with the first booth and walked up and down both sides to see all the goods. “Oh, this top, I need it” Melanie gasped when she got to the racks of clothing she’d been waiting to get to.
“Are your parents even going to let you buy any more clothes? They already complain you have too much” I laughed.
“Girl, I’m 19 going on 20 years old. They can’t tell me what to do” she stood her ground but she was full of it. She listened to her parents for the mere fact that they supported her financially and she lived in their home.
You’d think with how conservative they were that she’d be more tame but it was quite the opposite. “I express myself with clothing and accessories. It’s who I am” she dramatically expressed.
“Oh, excuse me. I wouldn’t want to censor your self expression” I sarcastically retorted.
Once we made it to the stand of homemade jewelry I was in my element. I loved the turquoise pieces and moonstone rings or long chained necklaces.
“Oh Taza, these pieces are amazing” I told the jewelry woman who knew me well. She let me look at everything even though she knew I wouldn’t purchase anything.
“Thanks honey, it’s time consuming to make but the outcome is always worth it” she smiled, handing me a new piece.
“Which ones are your favorite?” a voice asked from behind me, startling me. When I turned around I wasn’t expecting to see our future Beta Diego. I suddenly got timid.
Wasn’t he just as close as talking to Devran himself? I knew they were close and that Diego stood by him in that argument they all had.
“Oh, um, all of them really” I fidgeted with the necklace I had in my hand. It was a long thin silver chain with a moonstone pendant twisted up into the silver design.
It’s a myth that wolves can’t touch silver. It’s funny, most of their jewelry was made with it. When you held the moonstone up into the light the white crystal like stone shimmered different colors beautifully.
Diego took it from my hand and inspected it further. “I’ll take it,” he said, handing it back to Taza.
The woman, Taza, was somewhere in her forties. She always wore her hair twisted up into a clip and she usually wore dangly earrings she made herself.
I was surprised Diego made such a quick purchase. It’s not like he knew I wasn’t going to buy anything, what if I wanted that piece? I shrugged it off and decided to move on to another stand to create distance between us.
It’s not like he did anything wrong to me directly. When we had spoken he had said he liked me based on what his parents had told him about me, but that was before Devran turned on me. And now I wonder if he still feels that way towards me.
Not even a minute later I was being tapped on the shoulder. When I turned around a bag was shoved into my face. “Here” he offered.
It was the small pouch the necklace would be in. When I looked up at him, confused, he offered an explanation, “I bought it for you.”
I took the pouch just because it had been dangling right in front of me, but I wasn’t sure I would be accepting it. “What? Why?” I questioned.
I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful but if I’m being honest I was feeling suspicious of his motives. He chuckled and scratched at the back of his dark head of hair. “Why not?′ he asked.
“You don’t know me, for starters” I deadpanned.
“Well, I saw you lurking around the jewelry stand for over ten minutes without buying anything and I got curious. It’s a beautiful necklace. I thought you’d look great in it” he offered as an explanation.
“I, well, I feel wrong taking such a nice gift from you” I got honest.
“Don’t worry about it. Consider it a welcoming present. Not all of us feel the same way Devran does. Have a good day Mira” he said goodbye without giving me the chance to refuse.
I found the whole exchange so curious, but opened the pouch to look at the necklace. It really was gorgeous.
“Um, so what was that about?” I heard my best friend behind me. I shrugged, “I honestly don’t know. He just walked up and bought me this necklace.”
“Maybe he felt guilty over his part in the standoff. Men are idiots, they don’t know how to apologize, they’d rather just buy us something and keep us complacent” she snorted.
“Uh oh” I expressed once noticing the bag in her hand.
“Yeah, I bought the shirt.” Since Melanie was going to the Pack House to get her brows done I opted out of going. I went back into town and hung around with some of the people who were shopping there.
I was friendly with everyone, I wouldn’t call them all my best friend’s or anything but I enjoyed hanging out with different people. I have never had a community like this before so I suppose I’m taking full advantage of it for as long as I have it.
When the flea market hours were ending the people started packing up their stuff and I offered to help.
Taza told me I could start putting the rings back in their case and wrap the necklaces separately so they wouldn’t tangle. She’d walked off to go look at some of the products she couldn’t get to during market hours. A lot of them did that.
“You work here?” a deep voice asked. I froze, having already recognized it. I swallowed and turned with the case of rings still in my hands.
“Um, n-no. Just helping” I muttered out. Devran stood tall and proud. He already had an incredible build but with this posture it only enhanced it.
“Helping” he repeated, as if testing me on something.
“Hey, Devran, how are you?” a friendly voice greeted him. It momentarily distracted him which gave me a chance to step to the other side of the booth to create space between us.
“I couldn’t find a minute to escape from my duties until now. Just thought I’d see what was going on here today” I heard him chatting.
I leaned over the table to grab another item to pack and when I did so the long chain of the new necklace I was wearing dangled out of my shirt. A large hand grasped it and I straightened up with nerves.
Devran had the pendant resting in his palm as he inspected it. I was so uncomfortable standing here with him. Engaging with him in any way. Didn’t he realize I would avoid him? Just yesterday he was telling me he despised me.
“You got this here?” he asked.
“Y-yes, I didn’t steal it or anything” my mousy tone defended myself because I assumed he was questioning me for that reason.
“Did I ask if you stole?” his tone was clipped. I stepped back so that the chain slipped out from his palm and rested back on my chest. I clasped it to me. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when Taza called out to him.
“Hey soon to be Alpha! How’s it feel to be home” the woman in the long skirt made her way to him. He had to answer, it’s his job to be the leader of the people.
I quickly placed the remaining items into their proper cases and waved bye to Taza hoping I could get away before their conversation was over.
I walked over to the treeline to be out of sight and I thought it was clever enough until I felt myself being dragged.