River Falls: The Wolves

by Lizzie Wildblood

  She hasn’t left. Hasn’t even opened the door. I just needed to calm the hell down. When she tried to leave, I knew that was my one shot at getting her to change her mind. If she had left, I have no doubt that she would’ve never come back to me. I know she feels some of the effects of the bond, but I don’t know if that’s the only reason she stayed. Honestly though, I don’t care what the reason was, I’m just grateful she did.

  The wolf side of me just wants to mark her, so that she and everyone else will know that she is mine. I’m fairly certain Alexia isn’t going to like that, hence why I’ve been in the gym for the past two hours. She drives me insane but in a way that would have me smiling and dancing all the way to the psych ward. I’ve never felt this way, never wanted to just breathe the same air as someone before and now I know that she isn’t completely repulsed by me, by what I am, I want to be with her even more.

  Because now I know.

  She wants to be with me too. Not him. Not O'Connor. If that were the case she would have left while I was getting changed right after I shifted in front of her.

  That thought alone is enough to let me cool off and I go take a shower, then head back up to my mate.

  My mate.

  For the first time I can actually see the two of us working out. We could do this. I just need to remember to keep my big mouth shut about things like pack members being prepared to die for her. Yeah I definitely should not mention that again.

  I reach the corridor and see the guard still standing by the door, he stands up a little straighter as I approach him and bows his head slightly. I release him from his position and hesitate outside my door. I know she’s there and as ridiculous as it is to admit, I’m afraid.

  I’m afraid of screwing up the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’ve already hurt her so much; I know this is my last chance of making this work. She's given me so many already. I have full confidence in my ability to lead a pack full of werewolves, but I have no confidence in leading and keeping one tiny human female.

  I open the door slowly and as quietly as I can. I can tell by her breathing without even needing to look at her that she is asleep.

  I consider taking the couch, but right now I just need to be as close as possible so I just take off my t-shirt and I lay on the bed next to her without touching her. I’m not too sure how cool she would be with me sharing her bed just yet. I didn’t need to worry however when she turns in her sleep and snuggles into my side and drapes her arm over my chest. I smile to myself. Even her subconscious knows where she is safe, knows where she belongs.

  I close my eyes and drift off to sleep while the sun is just starting to rise on a new day. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to sleep by self again.

  Alexia’s POV

  Why is it so hot in my room? Why is my blanket so heavy? Why do I feel like a truck hit me?

  Oh wait....

  Ice cream, text, deer, crash. Yeah now I remember.

  Logan... wolves...werewolves.

  Oh dear lord, it wasn’t a dream.

  It was real.

  Why is my pillow so hard? My fingers start moving of their own accord and keep going up and down the pillow. It feels nice; it’s so smooth, like silk. I close my eyes tighter not wanting to wake up yet and face the reality of what my day will be. Plus I am extremely comfy in this bed...

  That belongs to Logan...

  My fingers suddenly stop moving as realisation hits and my pillow starts chuckling at me.

  “Good morning beautiful.” His voice is the best thing I have ever heard in the morning and I can't yet bring my self to move. I know my face will be bright red from embarrassment of my lying all over him. Please God don’t let me have dribble on my face.

  “Don’t stop on my account. However I can't be held accountable for my actions if you do continue. I may be a werewolf but I’m still a man.” I attempt to quickly move out of his embrace but he just holds me tighter and laughs again.

  “I’m just joking... sort of” he says in his husky voice. I'm sure my cheeks are now even redder and I attempt to bury my face in his chest all the while trying to stop my fingers from tracing the lines of his tattoo.

  “I need to get up Logan,” I mumble into him.

  “No, you had a very traumatic day yesterday. Just go back to sleep. No one will mind. Its not even that late, just in time for dinner.” He tries to hold me to him but lets me go when I gently push away from the safe haven of his chest. My eyes linger on his six-pack, but I’m sure there’s more than six abs there, and I totally find myself at a loss for words.

  “Like what you see?” I cough and turn around embarrassed that he caught me ogling him.

  “I’m just going to use the bathroom and take a shower.” I practically run to the door and shut it behind me.

  First I take care of business. It appears that I have slept for basically the whole of the day. Although I was awake for most of the night, so I don’t feel too bad about wasting the day.

  I look in the mirror, and decide there’s not much I can do about how I look. The bruising around the stitches over my eye are more prominent. Hopefully after a shower I’ll look more presentable.

  I get dressed into some fresh clothes that have been left just inside the door, Logan’s again, guess he’s not ready for me to wear my own clothes yet. The thought brings a smile to my face, and a strange feeling in my stomach. I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact that he does actually like me.

  I hear my phone bleeping just outside the door, and find myself relieved that they were able to grab my bag and phone when they rescued me from the car.

  My phone bleeps again and then starts to ring I don’t pay any attention to the ringtone. Must be aunt Sara, I’ll have to call her back, let her know how I am, that I’m okay. Am I okay though? Well I’m alive at least.

  I exit the bathroom while combing my fingers through my still damp hair; Logan is stood in the centre of the room with my phone in his hand. He doesn’t look at me, so I walk slowly over to him.

  “Was that aunt Sara calling? I’ll have to let her know how I am; I don’t want her to worry. Logan? Everything alright?” I reach out to take my phone. I don’t miss the electricity that’s hums through my fingers as they brush against his.

  “Is it true?” He says, his voice is cold and not at all gentle and soothing as it was just moments before I went in to the bathroom.

  “Is what true? What are you talking about?” I take a step away from him, and look up at him, and I’m shocked to see the hurt in his eyes.

  “You had some messages, I assumed they were from your aunt too. They’re not.” He just stands there waiting for me to answer him and he nods his head to the phone in my hands and I look to my screen displaying messages and missed calls.

  “Logan I...” I take another step back, and for the second time since I awoke I find myself speechless.

  “Is what he said true?” he asks again, running his hands through his hair. I look to my phone again and read through the messages.

  Chris: You can’t keep avoiding my calls Alex. X

  Chris: We need to talk about what happened. X call me.

  Chris: I know you feel something for me too. You kissed me back.

  “Did you kiss him?” he asks, his voice is harsh, I’ve never heard him like this before and I don’t realise that I’m moving back until I notice that he is advancing towards me.

  “Logan, it's not what you’re thinking.” I put my hands up trying to get him to stop coming closer, and he stands still.

  “Did you kiss him!” he shouts making me flinch, his anger is rising but I can feel mine rising too. I don’t deserve to be shouted at like this. I did nothing wrong. Did I?

  “Yes, its true.” I shout back to which he responds with a growl and storms out the room slamming the door behind him. Every time I feel like we are making some progress we take ten steps back; but this time I don’t want to. I can feel my anger building and awakening something dee
p inside me. I stomp out the door after him, not caring that I’m bare foot and just wearing a shirt that’s way too big for me. At least it covers my ass.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Promises

  I quickly follow after him down the stairs and into the hall.

  “Hey stop; and quit growling at me. You don’t get to growl at me like an animal just because I...” I didn’t get chance to finish my sentence as he quickly turned around to face me and started making his way back to me. He looked furious and his eyes were the darkest I had ever seen them. People that stood around in the hall seemed to shrink away from us and kept their eyes to the floor.

  “Because you kissed someone else. Yeah actually I do get to growl at you for that, because you are mine. My mate. That means something to wolves, I should’ve known it wouldn’t mean anything to a hu...” He is angry, but his anger seems to be fueling my own and filling me with a confidence I never thought I had. A confidence to argue back.

  “A Human? What... a lowly human like me you mean? Well maybe I wouldn’t have kissed him if you had told me the truth in the beginning. You know what truth is don’t you? It actually means something to us humans, and truthfully you have been a general ass to me since I moved here. If I’m really that important to you, you should have just told me. I did nothing wrong.” I finish sounding strong, crossing my arms over my chest, but inside there’s a niggling feeling in the back of my brain asking me if I’m right about not doing anything wrong. He arches his brow at me and takes another strong stride to me.

  “Nothing wrong? You kissed someone else. I have a house full of people who could tell you how wrong that is.” He says raising his arms in the airs indicating to the house we are currently in.

  “No, you have a house full of wolves, not people and for the record, not that it matters anyway, he kissed me. I responded for all of five seconds then I pushed him away, because it didn’t feel... But you don’t care about my side of what happened. You just storm off like a cave man as usual. I thought that what ever this was, us, could work. I was wrong. I want to go home.”

  I realise that I’m starting to sound like a spoiled brat, and I should be grateful that he saved me from being stuck alone in a crashed car, but I’m tired of being here, in this position with him, we can’t seem to even go twenty-four hours without getting into a fight. How are we meant to be soul mates?

  “So that’s what you do when things get tough, just give up and go home?” he stands in front of me now with his arms folded, mirroring my stance. I have to look up to him to talk to him face to face and not face to chest.

  “No Logan, things got tough hours ago when you turned into a freaking wolf right in front of me. I stuck around. This is what I do when things turn impossible. I make the most logical decision. One that will be best for me in the long run.” I can feel my own heartbeat, it feels like its about to burst from my chest.

  “What if I don’t want you to go?” Some of his anger has subsided but I can still see it there in his eyes. And also disappointment, disappointment that I kissed Chris. Well I can’t change the past, but I can change my future, and I wont live like this, with him looking at me like this.

  “I’m tired Logan. Tried of trying to see where this thing between us could lead, but we can’t even get though a day without disagreeing about something. I hoped maybe we could be good together, but something always seems to be in the way.” My voice is quieter now, I don’t really want to leave, and deep down I know I don’t want to leave him, but I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand how I could feel so much for one person who I have known for such a little amount of time. It scares the hell out of me.

  “It's not something that always comes between us, its someone. O'Connor.” His voice has turned cold again, his words spoken through gritted teeth. My reply gets lodged in my throat as a strong feminine arm is wrapped around my shoulder.

  “Logan...” I try

  “Hey honey you’re awake. Come and have some dinner you must be starving. Logan your father would like to see you in his office.” She sends a shooting glance at Logan and then smiles to me again.

  “Thank you but I really should be heading home.” I smile in return to his mum, and attempt to pull away.

  “Nonsense, I’ll let your aunt know that you are okay, I spoke with her not too long ago, she’s still stuck in the studio, I said it was fine that you just stay here. Now, I have made my special potatoes, come and let me know what you think.” She has such a caring and warm presence about her, it’s hard to disagree with anything she says and I let her lead me into the huge kitchen without a second glance at Logan.

  We both take a seat at the counter and she dishes me up some food. I can’t remember the last time I had a real home cooked meal, aunt Sara and I eat a lot of take out. My mouth waters just looking at it. It smells so much better than pizza and left over Chinese.

  “So how are you holding up? It’s a lot to take in. If you have any questions, I’m always available. I know Logan can be a little hard headed, but it just because he cares. And he's stubborn, he’s just like his father.” She waits patiently for me to speak, not pushing. She reminds me of my mum, we would often sit at the kitchen counter like this and just talk about our day. A tear makes it way down my cheek I'm not even sure why I'm crying. She silently slides a tissue over to me and continues to eat her food.

  “I don’t understand... any of it. I don’t know why I feel the way I feel. I don’t understand why I’m still sat here calmly talking with a werewolf... No offense” She touches my shoulder and smiles.

  “None taken. I’m an open book, ask me anything.” She finishes eating and leans forward on the counter.

  “How do I feel so much for him so quickly? Is that normal?” I ask quietly.

  “Well, it not normal for humans, but with wolves, yes its normal. In fact, its usually quicker with wolves, your situation is rare. It happens but its not very common that a wolfs mate is human. You must be someone very special. I think Logan tried to stay away from you for so long, so that he wouldn’t have to bring you into our world. I love being what I am, I love my family and the pack, but our world can dangerous, we however are built to deal with dangerous. You are not, he didn’t want you to get hurt. But you are his mate. His soul mate. You two are destined to be together. Planned by the moon Goddess. There was no way he was going to be away from you for long. You can both fight it, and you can both choose to be with other people, but I can guarantee you that no one on this planet will love you as fiercely as he will. You could be happy with someone else if you choose to be, but there will always be that empty little spot inside that no one will be able to complete, because only Logan can do that. And the same goes for him. He just feels it more strongly because of what he is. How he has fought against being with you this long and still stayed sane or not killed someone, I have no idea. I know more mature wolves that haven’t been able to do that. All I can say is that he must care for you a lot.” She just sits there and looks at me, again waiting for me to process what she has said. The way she explains things is much better than how Logan does.

  “But he just keeps saying that I’m his, like I’m an object that can belong to someone. I don’t know if I want to be in a relationship where I’m thought of like that.” She just smiles at me like she knows something I don’t.

  “Honey, you’re thinking about it all wrong, and I’m sure its Logan’s fault. Stupid boy. He always was possessive over his things growing up. Let me put it to you this way. From a young age wolves are told that out there somewhere in the big wide world, they have one person that is meant just for them. For them to love, cherish and protect. We are told that that person is our other half, one of a kind. A very special treasure, that we must keep safe. Some wolves go their whole lives never meeting their other half. You are his Mate Alex, his other half. He found you and all he is now is scared of loosing you. You are the most important thing in his world and he would do whatever it takes to keep you sa
fe, to keep you with him. You could ask him anything and he would do it.” I can feel a warmth growing inside my chest and I all of my earlier anger draining away. I still have so many thoughts and questions running about in my head though.

  “But how do I deal with his possessiveness?” she laughs out loud and gathers our dirty plates together.

  “Honey when you figure that one out let me know. It's what he is. He sees you as his. Not as an item or accessory, but as his equal, his life partner. You are worth more than anything to him. He doesn’t want to share you with anyone. In time it will lessen slightly, but at the minute he is so unsure if you’re about to walk straight out the front door and right into another mans arms. He doesn’t know if he has you. When you have fully formed your bond, if you decide to, he will be more secure in your relationship and some of the jealousy and possessiveness will ease. But it will never fully go away. So you’ll have to learn to live with it. Just imagine now how would you feel if you walked into the next room and saw Logan with some girl draped all over him. You might find in time that the possessiveness runs both ways.”