W O R D S : 1473

D A T E : 7/28/18

Connells POV

Ruby scrunched her nose up when she didn't know the answer to something. I had seen her do it multiple times in class, far too many times for my own comfort, as well as a few times when she was trying to argue with me.

She was doing it now, criss cross in my living room, looking back and forth between shades of brown, trying to figure out which one to use to color her hand turkey.

"This color, or this color?" Ruby lifted the color pencils in front of her face. I lifted my eyebrow, putting down the pen I had been grading my papers with.

"Shouldn't you be doing your English homework?" I asked, giving her a look. She sighed dramatically and put her pencils down, flopping onto her stomach.

She barged into my house only a few minutes after me, and insisted she do her arts and crafts in my living room since her mom didn't want paint on the floor. Before I could tell her that I didn't want paint on the floor, she was already moving the coffee table.

"I'll do it later," Ruby gave me a cheeky smile. That was her way of saying she would do it during class.

I myself sighed, trying to find it in my heart to reprimand her. After I had completely thrown my resolution out of the window, saying no to her became incredibly hard.

I had tried so hard to protect her from the possibility of getting hurt, only to realize I was hurting her anyways. It was painful, trying to let her go, but I thought it was for the best.

I tried to be a jackass, scare her away, but every time she was in trouble I couldn't help but run to her aid. My soul was bound to her, and it was foolish for me to think I could just leave her, and let it be.

She doesn't understand my reasoning. I understand why, I couldn't say much on the matter. The less she understood, the less chance she would get tangled up.

I had to protect her from my past, and the people in my past. The would try to claw her out of my arms, and probably die in the process.

I hadn't notice Ruby get up from the floor, and settle in next to me on the couch. She had made quite a few hand turkeys, apparently all for her teachers.

I continued marking essays under Ruby's watchful eye. Well, more like wandering eye. She looked all around the room, at me, at the pictures on the wall. She couldn't stay on one thing.

Her interest seemed to peak at a picture I had forgotten I had put out. It was one of a few of my old pack members. My best friend had his arm wrapped on me, though he was scowling. That was just his normal form, though.

Ruby slid off of the couch, walking up to the table the picture was on. She picked it up, her head tilting like a puppy.

Suddenly she smiled, turning to me.

"Hey look, it's you!" She exclaimed, as though it was new information to both of us.

I nodded, looking at the picture. She walked over, climbing besides me with the picture in her hand.

"Are these your packmates?" she asked. She hesitated as she asked me, as though she was going to be scolded for asking a question about them. She must have felt the uneasiness in the air, but her curious nature got the best of her.

I gently took the picture from her, examining it. Some of them were my packmates, others weren't. My best friend was the Alpha of a pack up north, so some of them were his members.

"Some are," I told her. She gave me a look that said she wanted to know more, without fulling coming out and saying it.

"This is my best friend," I continued, pointing to the Asian boy in the middle. We were younger then, but he was still towering over me by a few inches, even though I've always been tall.

It's been a few years since the picture was taken, but he's still bigger than me. Both of our packs had harsh training rituals, but his was even more so because of the toxic relationship his pack had with most others. He was an alpha, and a demanding one at that.

Ruby let out a hum as she focused in on him. She seemed to be deciding what she thought of him, before giving me a look.

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Lewis."

I put the picture down on my lap, sighing. Lewis has called me early in the week, a few days after I had accepted Ruby. As soon as I told him, he told me that I couldn't stick to anything, and was a dumbass.

Did I mention that he's an asshole? Guess it spreads around.

I knew he didn't mean it the way he said it though. He knew as well as I why I was trying to keep her away from me, and was the only one who understood. In some ways he was right, I was a dumbass who couldn't stick to anything.

Still, at the end of the conversation, he told me to take care of her. One of the few times he's showed care for someone.

Ruby looked at the other people in the picture, deciding on what to ask next.

"Did you like your pack?" She inquired.

"Yeah, I did." I told her. There was no point in lying, her wolf would know. Most things and people in my pack were pleasant. Certain things, however, were not.

Ruby looked at me, puzzled.

"So why did you leave?"

I blinked a few times, taken aback. Ruby herself seemed a little taken aback that she would ask a question like that, considering she had been careful with the others.

She bit her lip, putting the picture to the side. I didn't like seeing her like that, like she had done something wrong.

"I left because I wanted to do other things." I told her. It was a half-truth, and one I hoped she'd accept.

I had left my pack partially because I wanted to explore. My parents had been the alphas, so we were trained as such. I saw little of the outside world other than glimpses of towns as we drove from pack to pack. The only time I got out was when we had pack business.

Still, if I could go back-

Ruby contemplated my answer, smiling to herself. I saw a lot of myself in Ruby. She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do, as she explained to me one afternoon. To her, the real world was still a long way away, something not to be worried about just yet.

"I wish I could have lived in a regular pack. I mean, sure, we were like that once. But ever since the Alpha and Luna left, we've been kind of a wreck of a pack." Ruby jabbered. My interest picked up at her talking about her pack.

I wasn't aware there really was a structure. Her parents had the power of high ranking leaders, but it was a faux Alpha rank. Not blood born. Not that that mattered, what mattered was whether or not they could lead.

It seemed like when the previous Alpha and Luna left, they fell into a loose pack. No pack meetings, no pack house, or pack grounds. Just a selection of wolves that once had that bond.

They were safe from being rogues, though. It seemed like they had enough of a structure to keep them from becoming lone wolves. Still, I feared what would happen if wolves decided to leave, and there weren't enough to call a pack.

I still had bonds to my old pack. There was nothing that could cancel out an alpha's bond to their pack. They would always be attached.

I wouldn't be bothered if I became a lone wolf anyways. I had too much power for someone, unless a pack with more power than myself, to bother me.

"Will you ever go back?" Ruby's big eyes looked into mine, as though asking me once again if I'd ever leave her. She was cautious about that, just like her wolf.

"I'm not sure," I said, and at her dejected look, I continued. "If I do, I'll take you with me."

She smiled, her eyes lightening. She hugged me, her arms wrapping tightly around my neck.

When she settled down into the crook of my arm, I gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, and started to grade again.

Before I could get very far, she pulled on my sweater, making me look at her.

"Connell?" She asked, and I nodded for her to continue.

"Can you give me an A on my English paper?"

Authors Note

Hey guys! Sorry for such a slow update- i've again had this update stored and forgotten to post it! I really liked writing this chapter, it's really chill. The next chapter is much more exciting! Also, I'm going to be switching to an updating schedule, so if anyone is reading this, what day would you like me to update? Any day is good, just tell me! In the future it may change due to school, but for now we're good.

Lots Of love,

Elle Kay