Aella

Warmth, that's the first thing I register upon waking up. Eyes still closed, I focus on it, feeling it wrap around my body like a blanket.

It's not a sweltering heat, unbearable and oppressive. But rather, more comforting, like a campfire on a cold night. I cuddle closer to it, relishing in its glow. It isn't until I hear a small snore that I realize where I am, and my eyes shoot open.

A broad, muscular chest sits in front of me, and for a moment all I can do is stare. The smooth skin is stretched taunt over sculpted muscles, only interrupted by small scars and an old bite wound. Almost out of instinct, I gently trace over the ridges and scars, amazed at how soft the skin is.

Tracing over his shoulder, I make my way down his thick arm, tracing over the large crescent moon inked onto his bicep. The black and gold ink is etched in an elegant pattern with the silhouette of tall trees, and gold stars. It's so beautiful...

I trace the stars up to his shoulder, this time going up his neck and jaw, tracing over the light stubble on his chin before lingering on his lips. I brush my fingers over them softly, feeling his warm breath fan over them through the slight part in between.

I continue upwards, going over his nose which has obviously been broken at least once, and his eyelids with extreme care. I don't want to wake him, not yet. After running through the long tendrils of his soft, dark hair with my fingers, my hand and eyes wander back down...to his now open eyes. Their brown depths far from being as plain as most would think, traces of golden flecks glimmer faintly in them, like the stars of his tattoo...

My cheeks flush in embarrassment, and I quickly attempt to pull my hand away.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Shhh."

He grabs my hand with one of his, the other pressing his thumb to my lips to silence me. He takes my hand and presses the palm over his heart, allowing me to feel the strong, steady rhythm as it beats. He takes my chin in his hand and pulls my gaze upwards to his.

"Don't be ashamed my love, this is all for you, only you."

I can hear my heart begin to pound in an erratic pace, spreading heat down to my collarbone. Is this always what it's like to have a mate? To have someone who can make you feel so powerful and yet so vulnerable at the same time? To have someone who can tell what you're thinking the second you're thinking it?

"O-okay..."

A smile spreads across his lips, a glitter of amusement twinkling in his eye.

"Are you shy?"

What I would give to be able to turn invisible right now.

"How adorable."

He mumbles as he buries his face into my neck, inhaling deeply and rubbing his cheek against my fevered skin. With needing a distraction of any kind, I return my fingers to his arm, tracing over the tattoo again.

"Do you like it, my love?"

I nod, still looking over the ink in fascination.

"It's beautiful."

An approving growl reverberates from his chest, his hand running up and down my arm slowly.

"I'm glad you like it, it's the pack crest, the symbol of our pack."

A shiver goes through me. Our pack. It sounds so good...then I realize something, I have no idea where we are, or what this pack is called. In fact, I barely know anything.

"I can tell you have questions Aella, you can ask me anything."

I bite my lip, not sure what to ask first. I decide on the biggest ones first.

"What is our pack called?"

"Northern Crescent, the largest pack in Montana. Our pack land spans over all of the Rocky Mountains here and a good portion of this state." He replies proudly, not just about his land but the fact that I said it was ours. He wants to share this with me...I can't help but feel honored.

"How many members?"

"Around 200, not including the territory in Canada for our more nomadic members."

So many wolves, meaning he'll hold a lot of power soon. I knew that packs ran big, but it's still a bit shocking to know that he'll hold a position of power in a pack with so much territory. I finally decide to go into more personal questions, wanting to know more about him.

"What is your last name?"

"My full name is Apollo Chang, may I ask yours?"

"Galanis, Aella Galanis."

He hums and smiles against my neck, his warm breath damp on my skin.

"How old are you, Apollo?"

"23 years old, my love. I was born on August 7th."

He kisses the underside of my jaw, his hand now running gently through my hair.

"As much as I love you wanting to know about me, would you mind if asked you some questions as well?"

"What would you like to know?"

He chuckles, finding something humorous.

"I would like to know everything about you truthfully, but I suppose I'll start with the simple questions."

He pulls his eyes back to me, and I can literally see the millions of questions in them.

"When were you born?"

"April 9th."

"What is your favorite color?"

"Blue, and brown."

"Favorite food?"

"Snicker doodles...and beef stroganoff."

He chuckles again, smiling broadly.

"Mine as well, along with fried pork-chop."

He stops for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

"Music preferences?"

"I didn't have much to compare to, but I've always been fond of classical." I hesitate for a moment. "My mother used to play piano. Claire de Lune and Moonlight Sonata were what she would play when I couldn't sleep at night."

His eyes soften, and he brushes over my eyes.

"I would have loved to meet her."

"She would have loved that too."

We stare at each other in silence, he seems uncertain about what to say, so I break the silence.

"So, what is your favorite music?"

He grins." Rock, jazz, a little country."

"I'll have to listen to some of your favorites, I don't know enough about it."

"I would be happy to share."

We spent the next hour this way, exchanging questions and answers. He asked about places I've always wanted to visit, sights I wished to see, quite surprised when I said places like the beach, or a fair, or the Grand Canyon instead of Paris, or Italy. He swore to me that he would take to wherever I desired, wanting me to have those experiences. Least favorite foods was interesting, I admitted I didn't really hate anything, but I am allergic to blackberries, to which he stated that he never liked them at all.

Favorite books and movies was a short discussion, the last movie I ever saw was Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron, which was ironically about freedom. And even though I was taught how to read, I never really got to read any books, but I did recall having Call of the Wild read to me. After a brief look of pain in his eyes, he told me about the extensive library downstairs, and that the living room had a massive collection of movies we could watch together anytime I wanted.

He moved to more complicated questions, like where I was born, what did I want to be when I grew up, my parents...and my brother. It was a bit difficult to open up about my family, but I found myself telling him stories about them. My parents both had magic, my mother was a Human Seer, able to see the future. My father was an mage like me, an air mage more specifically, he would conjure up mini tornadoes and use them to play with the leaves, or to tease my mother.

I talked about the day my brother was born, it was during a snowstorm and mother couldn't go to the hospital when her water broke, so my dad had to deliver him. I heard his first cry, and I held him first after my father cut the cord. I remembered him wrapping his tiny little hand around my pinky, and I couldn't believe how small he was.

I also recalled his first word, well, attempt anyway. He had tried to say my name, but it came out 'La-La', I never corrected it, and he continued to call me that until the last day I saw him.

Things got quiet again after that, and we just laid here in silence until the call for breakfast was made.

"After we eat, would you like to meet my family? Officially that is?"

"I would love to, Apollo."