Chapter 15 #2
Each day has its own easy familiar flow and there is always something to do but I can’t help but miss my old life.
Izzy has been amazing there though. We spend most of our time together doing chores or exploring the woodland.
She is the most beautiful wolf with a light grey coat and white mask over her face and streaks of reddish brown through her hide.
She still has her bright blue eyes as well.
She’s impossible to keep up with but I’m learning how to use the trees to traverse the forest. By using the branches to run or swing from and moving them to give me more momentum.
I’m becoming a female Tarzan! I hardly get tired as the earth’s energy rejuvenates me constantly.
I know where every branch is well in advance to plan my course.
I still fall regularly but I’m getting better each day.
Today Izzy is showing me a lake that is fed by a waterfall. She powers ahead through the trees on four legs whilst I try to keep up. By the time I catch up to her she has already changed back and is fastening her bikini top around her neck.
“You’re getting quicker!” She praises.
I jump down from the final branch and land next to her. “Well I didn’t fall this time so I’ve got that going for me!”
I look up at the waterfall in awe and take in the sapphire blue lake surrounded by snow covered banks glinting in the sun. It’s stunning. Everywhere we go it’s awe-inspiring.
Izzy breaks the calm stillness with a splash as she launches herself into the water. Pushing her wet hair from her face as she surfaces.
“That’s refreshing!” She shouts.
“I’m not surprised! Half of it is still frozen!” I laugh.
“It’s good for you! Come on!”
I strip down to my bikini and with a deep breath I dive in.
I was expecting a deep chill that takes my breath away but thanks to my nymph magic it feels perfectly refreshing.
I let the calm, rejuvenating energy envelope me as I tread water.
Fish of all kinds big and small swim around us as we do gentle laps around the lake.
I dive down to the bottom and placing my feet flat on the river bed I gather the water around me and push off.
The force of the water that I generate propels me up and into the air and I laugh as I dive back down.
“Now you’re the one showing off!” Izzy yells as she splashes water in my face as I resurface.
“You wanna try it? I’ll use the water to launch you up. Just shove off from the bottom.”
“Challenge accepted!”
She dives down and I focus the water around her. I feel her feet push off the bottom and I force the water up behind her. She explodes from the surface and into a backflip before diving back into the water.
“That was nuts Kris! Throw me up again!”
We mess around trying to get higher and higher and doing different spins and flips in the air.
Then I use the same technique to propel us stupidly fast horizontally through the water.
Twisting and turning beneath the surface.
After a couple of hours we sit on a big rock by the bank feeling like mermaids. Saying that...
“Are mermaids real? I mean we have werewolves and Vampires now so what else is about?” I ask.
“Yeah they are but I've never met one. I think they live further south around Europe.” She says with her eyes closed and faced angled to the sun.
“Really?”
“Yeah! They're nothing like The Little Mermaid though. Their skin is shades of blue, green and grey with scales and they're eyes are massive and yellow.”
“So basically all the monsters and creatures from movies are a real thing?”
“No not all of them. Fairies aren't real. Witches yeah but not like Harry Potter. Their powers are similar to yours in a way just nowhere near as powerful. Umm... Big foot is a myth but Skinwalkers are beyond freaky. I've seen one and couldn't sleep for months.”
“What's a Skinwalker?”
“Basically a creature that doesn't have a body of its own so it inhabits a recently dead corpse. Could be anything but the only sound they can make is the last sound that their victim made. The body will still decompose so they have to kill over and over to have a host body in which to survive in.” She swallows hard and shakes her head as if brushing away a bad memory.
I look over the lake at a world that now seems so much bigger and more terrifying.
I reach my bubble of awareness over the forest and everything feels as it should.
I sense Lukas heading our way but he doesn't seem to be in any rush.
Me and him haven't spoken much since my first day when he showed me around.
He's been a little distant the last couple of days but I put it down to him being busy.
We've all had loads to get done. I've often caught him watching me though and I'll smile and he'll smile back.
Izzy has kind of taken over the task of showing me around and I've loved her company, but I'd like to get to know Lukas more.
Aside from looking like a Viking God there's something about him that really intrigues me.
A couple of minutes later he comes out from the trees across the lake in wolf form.
His wolf is double the size of Izzy's. More bulky and powerful but he moves gracefully.
His fur is sandy brown with streaks of grey and a black ridge down his back.
Even from here I can see his green eyes but as they settle on mine they flash with amber.
He shakes his head and they go back to green before he strides into the water.
He disappears under the water and the surface ripples as he swims toward us.
He emerges a few meters from us as a human.
He stands waist deep totally naked as he runs his hands over his face into his hair.
I can't take my eyes of his perfect physique.
The tattoo that goes up his arm extends onto one side of his chest. It depicts a wolf howling up at the moon.
He has a smattering of chest hair that ends in a V at the top of his defined abbs.
The water conceals everything else though unfortunately. ..
“Afternoon ladies.”
“Dude! Clothes!” Izzy exclaims as she throws him a towel.
He chuckles as he wraps it around himself and steps out of the water next to us.
“My clothes stash is the other side of the lake and I didn't wanna get it wet.” He chuckles.
“Oh I see. That makes perfect sense.” Izzy replies sarcastically. “Don't worry Krista we're not all nudists like this one.” She rolls her eyes as she stands and grabs her backpack. “I've got chores to do so I'll see you at dinner.” She winks at me before heading into the trees.
Lukas takes Izzy's spot on the rock next to mine. Water drips down his powerful chest and I watch it trickle lower and lower... Shit I'm staring. I tear my gaze away and hope he didn't notice.
“So what brings you out here?” I hope my voice comes across nonchalant.
“I was nearby doing some work for Caleb and thought I'd see how you were settling in.” He smiles as he leans back on his elbow.
“I love it here. Feels like home already.” I smile back.
“But...?”
“But what?”
He gives me a knowing glance and I raise my eyebrows, fanning confusion. He raises one eyebrow back and I let out a sigh in defeat.
“I miss my old home. My friends.”
“You'll see them again I'm sure.” His eye contact is mesmerising.
“We'll see. My dad has no intention of ever letting me leave here and I understand why. I do. It's just... Everything has changed so much in a, what is it? A month?”
“Yeah I get it. Your life is far from what you though it would be. People and things your care about have been taken, but you've also gained so much.” His deep, soft voice is filled with understanding.
“And I'm grateful for what I have now.” I take a deep breath. “I sound so selfish I'm sorry.”
I look down at the water by my feet.
Lukas reaches up and brushes my hair from my face. His fingers trailing from my ear down my neck.
“Not at all.” He breathes.
I look up at him and his deep, green eyes hold mine.
His voice is heavy with emotion when he continues.
“I've been through some massive changes as well and suffered losses that nearly broke me.
I've also gained a future that I didn't think possible and I'm grateful for that, but it doesn't make me miss the old life I had any less.
I just try to look forward because when there's been a whole load of bad there's sure to come a lot of good.
It'll always balance itself out somehow.”
“You're right.” I lean back and gaze at the sky. “You're very insightful.”
“It's one of my many virtues.” He gives me a cheeky side glance and I catch him checking me out as I lounge in the sun in just a bikini.
“And what are your other virtues?”
“You mean aside from my sage advice, good looks and amazing body?”
“Full of yourself much?” I tease.
“I caught you admiring the view when I arrived.”
“And I see you admiring the view right now.”
“Now who's full of themselves.” He chuckles. “But you're not wrong. It's the best view I've seen in a long time. Definitely top 10.”
I feel my cheeks flush under his admiring gaze. A tension rises between us that fills me with warmth and excitement.
“And what are the other top 9?”
“A few of them are around here. Number 1 is the view from the top of the volcano. I'll take you up there some time.”
“I look forward to it. But only if you're wearing more than just a towel.”
“I can't make any promises.” He jests. “Clothes and shifting forms doesn't end well.”
“So what? You carry a bag in your mouth? Have boxes of supplies stashed around the place?”
“Exactly. Not that there's many other people around here so clothes aren't usually needed that much when we're away from the ranch.”
“So you are a bunch of nudists?” I laugh.
“What can I say It's liberating!” His laugh is low with an uplifting lilt.
Talking to him comes so easy and his positive outlook on life despite what he's been through is inspiring.
After a while he catches me looking at his tattoo.
Up close it's easier to see the smaller details.
The different trees and animals. Small splashes of colour in flashes of wings or the sparkle of eyes in the moonlight.
The wolf looks similar to him but with a slightly aged look.
“It's my Dad. The wolf on my chest.” His expression is full of pride and love but also sadness and grief.
“Carter did it a few weeks before the attack.
He said it'll remind me to listen to my dad more.
So now I'll always have him howling in my ear. I just wish I could actually hear it.” He chuckles.
“My dad did that? I didn't know he was so talented or knew how to tattoo!” I exclaim. “It's a stunning piece.”
“He's been around a long time. You pick up a few things. He's done work on most of us to be honest. You give him an idea and where you want it and he'll turn it into something incredible.”
“Maybe I should give that some thought. I've always wanted a tattoo but I change my mind to often to commit to one.”
“That's why it's hard to stick to just one! I already have some ideas for a leg piece.”
We chat for a while longer and before we know it the sun starts to set.