Chapter 8
I yelped when I felt the large hand clasp down on my shoulder and push me in the direction it wanted me. It was further into the woods which meant less and less people could see me, see us.
“W-what are you doing?” I asked, trying to leave Devran’s grasp.
“I’ve been asking around about you,” he started. He released me and crossed his arms over his burgundy colored tee which looked good on his tan skin and ocean eyes.
“They praise you. They say you volunteer your hours to the people and cook in the Pack House for everyone. You look good on paper, but frankly I don’t buy it” he continued.
The trembling had already started. I didn’t want to be alone with him.
“I-I am trying to stay out of your way...I don’t need you to like me, just, just please let me stay here. I have nowhere else” I lowered my head as most do in the presence of an Alpha. It’s a sign of submission.
“Yeah, Jasper said the same,” he told me. “I’m quite curious about the two of you. You’ve suddenly got my best friend wrapped around your little finger” he continued, subtly accusing me of something. I don’t know what.
“I’m going to move out of the Pack House” was my only response. I just wanted to get the point across that I would leave him alone if he left me alone.
“And, if you don’t want me to cook anymore, that’s fine. I’ll, I’ll find another job” I offered, hoping he wouldn’t want me there anymore. I would be happy to leave that job now that he’ll be lurking around.
“Oh no, you won’t be dodging your responsibilities on my account. If you are staying in this community you’ll continue to do what you’ve been doing. I’m letting you stay as a favor to my family but don’t mistake that for acceptance. I still despise your kind.”
With that he took one step forward as I took one back. He eyed me up and down for a long moment before quickly turning and leaving.
He’s more than an asshole. He’s going out of his way to intimidate me and tell me over and over how much he despises me, why? I kicked at rocks in frustration and sat down, deciding I’d stay here for a while to get some air.
I had rested my head on the tree trunk behind me and shut my eyes letting the slivers of sunlight that snuck past the trees warm my face. The nature here was beautiful.
All the greenery and different colored wildflowers were picturesque and Jasper often utilized that to his advantage in the photography he captured.
We’ve taken photos by the waterfall a ways into the mountain, and through the fields of wild flowers usually orange and yellow. We’ve gone to the pink field but it’s a rare bloom and a special one.
I stood up and started a slow walk back into town but stopped every few steps to enjoy nature.
I’ve grown to appreciate it so much after living with wolves for the past year.
It’s sacred to them. The trees, the dirt, the leaves, the flowers, the water, the woodland creatures.
They try to preserve their habitat, not destroy it.
When I heard footsteps I paused. Cinnamon locks came into view. I ceased the panic and a smile came to my face. “Hey” I greeted my friend.
“There you are,” Jasper sighed. “I was looking for you. I had to track your scent,” he added. It felt strange at first to know I had a ‘scent’ and that they smelled it but they explained they all have a scent too, it wasn’t just mine.
They are part animal after all and with the heightened senses it was just a capability they had. He stopped and his brows furrowed for a second while he looked around. “Was Devran here?” he asked.
“Yes, he led me out here to talk to me. Well not really 'talk' seeing as nothing of importance was said but he wanted to be a dick I suppose” I sighed.
“What’d he say?” he asked in his protective manner. I explained everything from Diego giving me this necklace to what was said in the woods. “What the fuck are they up to?” he asked, frustrated.
“I don’t know, but you see why I said I should move out” I brought my point back around because Jasper kept trying to get me to change my mind.
“I feel like they’ve changed a lot over these past two years.
I feel sort of left out actually. Well, they had come to visit a lot the first year because they were training and touring in surrounding villages, but their second year we hadn’t seen them at all which you obviously know since you were here.
"I don’t know..the vibe’s just off and I feel like I can’t even read their minds anymore and know what they’re up to. I understand why you want your space from that” he caved.
I felt bad knowing he was feeling left out.
“Once you boys spend more time together you won’t feel so isolated from them. And don’t let me be a reason why you guys disagree. I’m okay” I smiled, knowing he needed that reassurance so he could connect with his friends again. I would never make him pick sides.
“Where are you going to live?” he finally asked.
“I don’t know. I was thinking about talking to Gran actually. She’d know if there are any available cottages or someone willing to take me in. Maybe one of the lonely elder wolves” I laughed.
I would feel a bit strange living with one of them but that’s better than feeling panic and unease under the Pack House roof.
“That’s actually not a bad idea. Let’s go find her. Then I wanna take some photos before we lose the sun. Wanna come keep me company?” he asked.
“Always” I linked arms with him and walked back into town.
At this time of day Gran was probably having a late afternoon coffee with some of her friends. They’d be in front of Miss Martha’s house where she has lawn furnishings.
We walked there and sure enough I found that white tuft of hair just beyond the fence. I called out to her and she was elated to see me. She gave Jasper and I a hug and grinned at us from ear to ear.
“It’s too bad you aren’t part wolf. The pair of you would be wonderful” she referred to him and I. I blushed in embarrassment and he shook his head laughing.
“Well spill it then. What brings you here?” she asked. She’d walked out into the road to greet us rather than us going into Martha’s yard which I was glad for because I didn’t want to have this conversation in front of them and have one of them feel obliged to take me in.
“I want to move out of the pack house and I wanted the inside scoop on what some of my options might be” I cut right to the chase. The old woman’s face screwed up before she spoke, “Leave the Pack House, why?”
I wasn’t exactly comfortable with telling Devran’s grandmother that he was my problem but Jasper had no qualms in stating, “Dev’s being Dev and he’s made it clear she isn’t welcome.”
She gasped, having not known about the fight that occurred and therefore no idea that I was almost kicked out of town. When Jasper spilled the beans she was really upset.
“He may be my grandson and soon leader but he better wise up before I knock it to him” she held up a tiny fist which made me laugh.
“I’m sorry honey on his behalf. I’ll see what’s available to you” she agreed. I was relieved to hear she was on my side about this. I knew she’d be able to help establish a place for me.
Misfit Mira, always out of place.
Since the light was fading Jasper decided to take some photos using the dimness to his advantage to create almost a shadowed silhouette in contrast to the dying sky.
I had a fidor hat on and my curls were stretched loose. You couldn’t even see my features very well. I was just an outline for him to work with.
I sat by as he toyed with the tall grass and other things he was capturing with his camera.
“Do you think you’d ever try to pursue photography professionally? I know not all wolves live in wolf communities, you could go down there” I pointed out to him.
They called those rogue wolves. Those who don’t necessarily have a pack and live amongst humans in secret. There were also bad rogues, ones who do live up here but are loyal to no specific territories. They could cause trouble from time to time.
Rogues were responsible for taking me from that mountain town and bringing me into the deep forest. I don’t know what they would’ve done with me, I can only imagine, but it never got as far.
The Crescent wolves had intervened and saved me. Even knowing I wasn’t a wolf they were honorable people and didn’t want harm coming to an innocent human.
They had known that I saw those other wolves shift and had no choice but to mention me to their higher ups to see what to do with me. They kept the secret of their kind very seriously.
“Nah, I don’t know how to survive the human world. It’s too loud and smells too much. I’m not accustomed to it. I don’t think I’d like it very much” he explained.
“How do you know if you’ve never been there?” I asked. “I have been, as a kid, but it was overwhelming and we ended the trip as quickly as we started it” he laughed.
“Really? I didn’t know that. I guess it makes sense to be used to only nature’s sounds and not the loud honking of cars and too many people” I thought aloud.
“Yeah, and the smells. I’m telling you my nose is spoiled with our fresh air. It smelt of garbage and toxins. It was awful” he cringed. I had no idea how disgusted he was with the human world. It’s almost like what Devran had said about despising humans.
“I didn’t know you hated humans too” I commented but not in a harsh way. He stopped clicking his camera and walked closer to me, who was sitting on the ground.
“It’s not that I hate humans, I just am not used to them” he clarified.
“But you guys are taught about us growing up huh? That’s why everyone was so disdainful when I first arrived” I pointed out.
“Yeah, I guess the same way legends and myths are told about Werewolves is how we wolves are warned about humans. Stories get passed down about experiences had or what the human cities looked like” his eyes drifted up as though he were recalling a memory.
I had never thought of it that way. How we’d hear stories and myths as kids about their kind. Of course we didn’t think they were real. Still the information is implanted in your head. Monsters.
“I can honestly state that you are my favorite human,” he teased me. I laughed and threw him the finger. I was the only human he knew.
Once the sunset passed and we enjoyed the view we headed back into town. It’s hard for me to navigate at night but Jasper could see just fine and either guided me or let me ride his wolf back to town.
Today, since we’d gone father up, he shifted into his wolf and I climbed on, holding his clothes in my lap.
His paws perfectly traversed the land and carried my weight well. They weren’t normal sized wolves, they were big and very strong.
Once we got to town I climbed down and scratched behind his ear. It also weirded me out at first to pet my friends but they liked it and having werewolf friends was already weird enough so why not.
I felt eyes on me and looked around only to spot the person I was trying my hardest to avoid. He had seen me on Jasper’s wolf and watched as I walked away from him to give him privacy to change.
I kept my eyes down and only turned once Jasper was beside me again. I handed him back his camera which was around my neck and walked alongside him as we got further past the treelines. Devran was with a group of guys all standing around.
“Oh crap, I was about to lead us back to the house. What are we going to do?” he asked, realizing I had my things at Melanie’s house and didn’t want to hang in the Pack house.
“Um, I don’t know. We could hang out in the square?” I asked more than offered. Before he could answer, his name was being called by one of the guys in the group Devran was standing in.
“You go ahead, I’m going to keep walking,” I explained. He hesitated but when I nudged him to go on he did.
No more than five minutes later Jasper was already jogging up to me. “Hey, you didn’t want to stay with them?” I asked. “Nah, they’re going to go play pool in the house. I told them I had plans” he explained.
“Jasp, you already complained you feel out of place. This is the kind of time where you want to get involved. Hanging with the guys like this” I pointed out.
“Stop worrying about me, I’m a grown man” he laughed.
“You worry about me, why can’t I worry about you?” I retorted, crossing my arms. “Oh no, not the stance” he threw his arms up in surrender, mocking my ‘don’t cross me’ stance. He threw an arm around me and led us to go get some food since I wouldn’t be dining in the Pack House and needed to eat.
We have one restaurant, one cafe, and one small grocery. It wasn’t your typical town. Inside we ran into Jasper’s sister Grace who was sitting with a boy at the table. Jasper’s eyes narrowed in and he was about to approach them until I stopped him.
“Don’t you dare” I warned.
“She’s with a guy” he whisper-yelled.
“So what? She’s 17” I reminded him.
“That’s too young” he continued to whisper-yell.
“I’m 17” I glared at him.
“Almost 18" he waved me off, still paying attention to the other table. “If you embarrass her I’ll embarrass you” I warned. That got his attention. With a smirk he leaned across our table that we’d just sat at and asked, “Oh yeah? How?”
I was the one to smirk now. “I still have that picture hidden somewhere” was all I said. He knew exactly what I meant.
“Oh screw you” he huffed. I laughed in victory.
“I want that back by the way” he pointed a long finger at me. His nails were cut short but looked like they had dirt in them which they probably did from when he was in wolf form.
“Jesus, go wash your hands” I slapped his finger away. He looked down and started picking at his nails. I shooed him away in disgust until he made his way to the bathroom.
I felt eyes on me again.