They were both looking like they were about to pummel each other if someone didn’t do something quick. I moved around Chris so I was standing in between them both and put a hand on each of their solid chests. The moment my hand connected with Logan’s body, it felt like electricity was shooting up my arm. He looked down at me and his eyes looked at me with a softer expression. Turning back around before I was too spellbound by him, I took my hand off Logan’s chest, the sparks ended instantly and I faced Chris.
“Come on, it’s fine, lets go, we’re gonna be late for class.” I say quietly to him. He looks at me quickly and does a half smile.
“Yeah run along. Listen to your girlfriend.” Wo wo wo, girlfriend? Huh? The way Logan says girlfriend though, he practically spat out the word. Wow , he really doesn’t like me.
Chris looked down at me with a smug smile and put his arms around me.
“You know what, I think I will.” He pushed me along gently in the opposite direction of where Logan was standing. I heard the sound of crunching metal and turned quickly around. Logan was stood with his fist buried in someone’s locker. It would be completely useless now. To be that strong maybe he really was on steroids.
“Hey, you ok?” Chris looks at me concerned.
“Yeah, you know I’m not your girlfriend though right? Because I’m really not in a good place to be having a boyfriend right now. You know?”
I really think I need to lay it out to him. It’s a little concerning that in a matter of a few days he does seem attached already. I’m sure it’s just his flirty manner. I don’t actually know him that well, I’m assuming he is like this with everyone. Maybe I should talk to Amber later just to make sure.
“Yeah I know. I just like to rile him up and for some reason it’s been easier the last few days. But for the record, when you think you may be in the right place, let me know first”
◆◆◆
The next few weeks pass by in a blur. Things pretty much stay the same and I fall into a normal routine. Chris is still just as flirty as usual, but I’ve noticed he’s not like it with everyone. Not that he doesn’t have the opportunity. There are always girls trying to get his attention; but he doesn’t do anything more than smile at them. I’ve still not had chance to speak to Amber about him. He does seem harmless though, and I can feel a genuine friendship building between us. He is actually keeping my mind from wondering to other things
Like my parents ....
Like Logan.
I think I’ve worked out now that my body somehow knows when he is near or even just looking at me. Whenever I feel tingles down my spine, I know he is looking at me and when I meet his eyes he just stares. He doesn’t even look away when he knows he’s been caught. Sometimes when I’m looking at him I think I see so much sadness and loneliness in his eyes.
Other times it’s just annoyance. Like right now.
Everyone’s talking about some party tomorrow night and who’s going; but I’m not really paying attention. I can’t. All week my head has been fogged by him.
Logan, that’s what my mind keeps going to. I’ve kept my promise to myself and stayed away from him. If I have to admit it, I think I’m a little scared of him. He sometimes just seems so animalistic and he has so much strength it’s unreal. I’m staring at him, and he’s just staring back. Tara is trying very hard to gain his attention while she is talking, but I can tell he’s not listening. Finally she gives up and shoots me a death glare.
“So you want me to pick you up for the party?” Chris talks low in my ear. I’m sure Logan’s eyes just turned black, and he just continues to stare. He’s looking at me like he heard exactly what Chris just said to me and is waiting to hear my answer. His shoulders are tense and his fist is clenching on the table.
“Um, I’m not to sure I’m gonna go. I haven’t really seen my aunt all week and we’re going shopping so I may not be back in time.” I say to him. He just nods his head and smiles.
“Ok no worries. Well if you change your mind and need a lift let me know. Or we could just go out later when you get back, just the two of us and skip the party” he’s looking at me with the most serious look he has ever given me.
I hear a low growling noise, and I feel it vibrate right through me and I look away to the windows that over look the forest, but I can’t see anything there.
“So what ya think?” He’s looking at me hopefully and I really don’t know what to say. I don’t want to upset him.
“I think I’m gonna still have to say no. Sorry. Thank you though for asking. It’s really sweet of you.”
Feeling a little uncomfortable I start to gather my things ready for when the bells goes. I glance up and my gaze automatically goes to Logan who seems much less tense and looks at me with the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips.
◆◆◆
Logans POV
I’m pissed at myself. I’m meant to be an alpha and all I’ve acted like is a little pup.
I’ve spent the last few weeks arguing with everyone and to top it all off Tara now seems to think that I actually like her. What was I thinking when I kissed her. Oh yeah Alexia kissing Chris.
Ok so she didn’t actually kiss him, it was just a peck, but still ....
I’m not really sleeping. All I’m doing is thinking. I have come to my senses though in realising that she is actually my mate. She has to be. I know she is.
But she’s human.
She doesn’t know anything about our kind. It’s sort of like unspoken warewolf law. Don’t tell the humans. Except if they are your mate. But she doesn’t understand the danger she would be in with me. I’m not safe for her. She wouldn’t be able to fight off a werewolf if one came looking for her.
And at some point, one would.
I came so close to punching Chris in the corridor, a few times actually but that one time he suggested that I would hurt Alexia.
Me.
She's my mate!, I wanted to shout at him. The only thing that stopped me beating his ass was Alexia. When she put her hand on my chest, it calmed me instantly. That’s why I know she’s my mate. Only the mate bond would do that. Does she not feel any of it? I know humans can be the mates of werewolves. I’ve heard of it. But I don’t actually know anyone who is.
She’s mine. She should be mine. But she’s not.
She’s his.
I even called her his girlfriend in front of her and she didn’t deny it. Didn’t even bat an eyelid. Neither of them did. When I walked away though my anger returned. And if I was human my hand would still be an a plaster cast by now with a few broken bones.
◆◆◆
Alexia’s POV
Amber dropped me off at home after school asking again if I would go to the party. Again I said no, I really did want to spend some time with my aunt. A note on the fridge caught my eye as I walked into the kitchen, Aunt Sara was staying late at the studio to finish off some work and told me to just order pizza for dinner.
Going up stairs to my room I changed from my skinny jeans to my comfy sweats, loose hoodie and Ugg boots. I put my hair up in a messy bun to keep it out of my face and grabbed my current book, Pride and Prejudice. A classic, but one I had always wanted to read. I had found it going through my mum's things when we packed up the house and brought it with me. I didn’t want to throw it away for some reason. So last week I started to read it.
I started my homework while I waited for the pizza to arrive, and finished it while I was eating. At least I knew it was done now and I had the whole weekend. I made myself a hot chocolate, grabbed a blanket and my book and headed out side to the porch swing. I got comfy and wrapped the blanket around me. Ready to find out what Elizabeth Bennett was going to do next.
After being sat there for about half and hour I started to get the now familiar tingles. It usually meant Logan was near but I seriously doubted he would be, so maybe I was just getting cold. A noise to my left got my attention though and when I looked up, what I saw almost made me drop my drink.
A huge black wolf just sat at the edge of the tree line.
“Ok Alex, stay calm, no need to panic. Don’t run.”
Great I’m actually talking to myself. However there is a huge black wolf in my yard. I might be about to be eaten so I think I’m allowed a moment of insanity.
As much as I would like to move I’m actually frozen to my seat. I just keep staring at it. You’re meant to keep eye contact, right?
My heart is beating ten times as usual, and then speeds up ten times more as the creature takes a step in my direction. It gets to about half way into my yard and stops. He just sits there. Still with his eyes focused only on me.
Ok, I don’t want to be eaten alive so I think it’s time I got my ass in gear and moved. Slowly I start to get up, but as I do the wolf makes a whining sound. Like it’s sad or hurt and gets up to take a few more steps toward me.
I’m now frozen half standing, I just don’t know what I’m actually meant to do. I don’t want to make any sudden movements and make him pounce on me. The wolf makes a soft sound again and sits back down. He nods his massive head at me. I’m assuming it’s a he by the size of it. It’s the biggest animal I’ve ever seen outside of a zoo. He nods his head again and lies down in my yard and rests his head on his front paws.
For some stupid reason I sit back down. I think that’s what he wants me to do. So we just look at each other.
My phone starts to ring making me jump, looking at the caller ID I can see its Chris. I debate not answering but the wolf has now lifted his head and has tilted it to one side just looking at me as if to ask why I’m not answering my phone.
I must be crazy. I think I’m having a silent conversation with a wolf!
“Hey Chris, you ok?” The wolf suddenly sits up and is looking more alert.
“Hey beautiful, what you up to?”
“Umm, nothing much.” I don’t really know what else to say. I don’t know why he’s called. I could take a guess but really hope that’s not the reason. The wolf has now taken another few steps toward me, the tingles in my body is the most I’ve ever felt them and I can’t seem to take my eyes off him. It's like when you see a huge spider in the middle of the room and you have to follow it with your eyes all night to make sure you know where it it. Just in case it decides to jump on you.
“So I was just wondering if you had changed your mind about tomorrow night?”
A very quiet growling sound comes from the wolf who is now less than two meters away from me.
“Oh, no I’m sorry. Thanks for asking though. My aunts actually still working now so we can spend time together tomorrow so I’d feel really bad to cancel on her now. Thanks though. It’s really sweet of you to ask.”
The wolfs growling is getting slightly louder and he is now just a meter away. He is sat back down on his hind legs but still hasn’t taken his eyes off me.
“Ok no worries beautiful, just wanted to double check. I’ll see you on Monday. We can start those driving lessons after school, if you want?” Yeah maybe I think.
“Um yeah ok that sounds great. Thanks. It would be nice to be able to drive myself around again. I’ve gotta go, I think my aunts just got back.” I lie, I just feel really awkward talking to Chris in front of the wolf.
The wolf looks up and sniffs the air, then looks to me quizzically again with his head tilted to one side. I quickly hang up after he’s said goodbye.
“What? Never tried to get someone off the phone quick before?..... What no answer?” I start to get up slowly. He makes no attempt to move. I take a step closer to him. One more. I’m not sure where my bravery is coming from. Then I’m standing in front of him.
“What do you want huh? Why are you here? You Hungry?”
I stand waiting for an answer, as if he will actually reply to me. He inches forward while still laying down on the ground. He stops when his nose is resting on top of my boots. Then I do the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life and I reach out my hand to him. He lifts his head slowly and I place my hand on top of his head right between his ears. It’s feels like electricity is shooting up my arm but I can’t take my hand back. The beast pushes his head against my hand as if he was worried I was about to take my hand away and he didn’t want me too.
“You like that?” I smile and move my hand to stroke behind his ear and the side of his face. His fur is so thick, soft and glossy. It feels like it’s been washed in the best shampoo in the world. I don’t know how long we stand like that; but suddenly he starts to sniff the air again, gives a little growl, although somehow I know it’s not at me. He looks me in the eyes one last time and turns and walks back into the forest. I stand there still mesmerised by what I actually just did.
“Alex, what you doing out there?” Aunts Sara asks me snapping me out of my trance. Oh....that’s why he left.
“Nothing, just thought I saw something.” I turned around and returned to the house. As I was closing the door I heard a wolf howl, I knew it was my wolf.
My wolf.
I liked the sound of that.
Chapter Five
Mis-understandings
Aunt Sara holds up a pink hoodie, we have been shopping for a while now and probably have enough warmer clothes now to last through the winter, but she seems to be having a great time. I haven’t seen her smile so much in a while so I don’t really want to tell her I’m ready to leave.
“Hey Alex, what about this one?”
“I think I have enough now but it is cute. You wanna maybe get something to eat?” At the same time my stomach decides to join our conversation, making us both laugh.
“Yeah, we can just pay for these then head to the food court.”
We grab a table after getting our pizza, it’s quite a large mall. It took us about forty minutes to drive here, but I did manage to get everything I needed. There were a few different options of what to eat but as usual pizza was calling me. I'm sure one day I will regret eating so much of my favourite food. Our table has already been cleaned off but today’s newspaper has been left behind with the front page showing. ‘Body Found’ is printed in large letters; Aunt Sara starts to read it.
“What’s happened?” I ask her as she begins to read the story and gives me the basics.
“A body of a young woman has been found up the mountain. They think she was hiking and must have been attacked by an animal. Apparently it wasn’t a pretty sight when she was found. Covered in claw marks. Probably bears or wolves.” Wolves?
“I thought you said that the wolves are harmless and they don’t attack?” I’m suddenly thinking back to last night. That could have been me. What was I thinking. I’m starting to panic just thinking about it.
“Well they don’t usually, but you said you’ve heard growling closer to town, they don’t usually do that either. Maybe something has disturbed them, they are wild animals after all.”
We make light conversation while we eat and when we are almost done tingles suddenly shoot up my spine and makes my head a little fuzzy, and my stomach has a strange feeling too. I look up from eating my fries and I notice that Logan is stood on the other side of the food court. Watching me. It sounds creepy, but I don’t find it creepy, a little annoying but not creepy. Aunt Sara notices that I’m staring at something and follows my eye line.
“Someone you know from school? He looks nice.”
Logan raises his one eye brow and smirks as if he heard exactly what my aunt just said.
“He is from school, but he’s not nice. He’s a jerk.”
Logan looks down at his shoes and starts to walk away. I feel a little guilty for saying that about him, but I don’t really have any reason to think otherwise. Apart from our very first meeting he’s not said a single nice thing to me and constantly glares at me.
“Uh huh, well I just need to go and get a few art supplies. You be ok on your own for a while? I’ll be about an hour in the art store and you’ll just be bored. I’ll call you when I’m done?”
“Yeah that’s fi
ne no worries. I might just go to the book store.” At that aunt Sara wanders off and I’m left finishing the last of my milkshake.
I hear a chair pull out beside side me and and a hand land on my arm. I feel electricity go through me at the connection. I look up and find that I’m staring straight into Logan’s green eyes. Although I didn’t need to look up; I knew it would be him. I’ve never had this feeling in my stomach with anyone before, well apart from the wolf, but I don’t think that really counts.
River Falls: The Wolves Page 5