Aryn

How had it become that over the years, folklore had consistently depicted the woods as being synonymous with danger and the hunting grounds for the evil that lurked in hellish dooms, prowling and prancing about, looking to prey on unsuspecting individuals? Lovers had been none the wiser against the folly of tricky faeries and the beast of the night had relished in the tormented screams of their prey. 

To each their own, I guess.

For the beauty which I saw in the enchanting trees that littered the forest floors, rootedly grounded with their huge barks and surrounded amongst the hilly mountains and steady rushing river was enough to entrance anyone. Quite contradictory to folklore and popular belief. But what could I say, I was a creature of the night after all.

I looked beside me towards Yil, who regarded the forest with utmost interest and awe. Her eyes swerved in all directions, taking in as many sights as she could with her face morphing into the occasional agape look when she sighted something spectacular. The forest today wasn't as attention-grabbing as the damsel that walked by my side. No soft intake of her breath went unnoticed and I was painfully aware of her growing nearness as I fought the urge to caress her lovely facial features. She was a dream. My dream.

"Does the sun usually cast such colours when it sets?" She enquired, breaking into my serene thoughts.

I looked towards the hill, where she had set her sights and noticed the characteristic reddish-purple hue of the sunset.

"Yep. It can range from orange-yellow to reddish-purple to a vast spectrum of colours," I answered. "And they all have different meanings," I continued. "Do you want to guess the meaning behind this colour?" I probed.

"I'm not really sure but does it have something to do with passion?" She furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she sought to comprehend it's possible meaning.

"Passion is correct, alright," I chuckled, placing the pad of my thumb on her forehead, causing her to relax the muscles as she turned to look at me. "You'll get wrinkles if you don't stop that," I advised and she smiled sheepishly before I let my hand fall to my side. "The reddish hue represents a burning passion but you see the intersect between the two colours, just right there," I pointed to the sunset for emphasis and she followed my line of direction. "That's said to represent the delicate heart and that's why the purple is much placid than the energetic red. The heart has the power to burn up with a fiery intensity but it also has the ability to tamper that intensity,"

"So it acts as a moderator," she speculated.

"Of course. Some believe the colours represent love. Other's believe it represents anything that sets your heart racing and it could be adventure, success, family, anything. But as long as your heart is there to guide you from becoming overwhelmed in your passion, you escape the risk of utter destruction," I explained. "And that's why the purple thins out at the extreme end," I pointed to the part where the red was much more prominent than the purple.

"And the other end, would be when you neglect the warmness that your heart can harbour, thereby, making it cold and at a loss of life," she added, unsure, as she pointed towards the adjacent end where the purple was more prominent than the red.

"True," I agreed and she smiled at the fact that she had gotten it right. "In the end it's all about balance," I chuckled and walked further into the woods with Yil beside me.

Red signified life, just like the blood that flowed in our veins. Purple, on the other hand, signified the gradual suffocation of a depleted heart. The drive of an individual lay in the passion of his heart and that could be anything. For a long time, I had been fueled on, solely, by the need to protect and provide for my pack but every moment I spent with her created an intensifying spark in my chest. 

Was my heart finally awakening or was it just acclimating to the demands of the mate bond? 

"How was the meeting?" she asked, stopping to peer at the mushrooms that peeked out from between the shrubs.

"How did you know about it?" I enquired, perplexed. 

"Well, for one Lloyd was acting strange by not wanting us to get food from the pack house despite our hunger protest," she shrugged, before turning to face me. "Then I met Alpha Kali and he told me about the meeting," she said, kicking the dirt by her feet, softly.

"You met Alpha Kali?" I clasped and unclasped my hands as I tried to understand what she had just uttered.

Now I could understand why he had waltzed in later than usual with a slight smile and a rather cheerful nature that was quite observable in his interactions. A far cry from the quiet, observing Alpha I have known him to be. 

"Yeah I met him," she affirmed. "But don't worry he doesn't know I'm a white-wolf. I made sure to stick to my side of the story," she rambled on in an attempt to assure me. "Albeit with a slight mess-up," she muttered to herself.

"You can't be so sure of that Yil. He comes from a lineage of white-wolves and trust me he is better suited to sniff one out," I groaned with a rough run through my hair. "I know you are very opinionated and set in your ways but you have to trust my intuition and orders. Especially if they come through Lloyd or any pack member that is aware of your real origins. So why would you leave the astronomy house?" I demanded.

"I didn't leave the astronomy building. He met me there," she protested with a shake of her head. "I know a dangerous terrain when I see one and I'm not one to willingly go looking for trouble. In addition, how am I to protect myself from whatever danger that is lurking in the shadows if you won't even tell me what's so important about the fact that I'm a white-wolf?" she asked, sighing frustratedly.

"It has to do with your powers over the elements. I am unsure of the plans that each lycanthrope might have regarding the opportunities that your powers could grant but I'm sure it's something dark," I answered, moving closer to her.

"How can I trust that you don't have such plans for me or my friends?" She enquired, softly.

"I don't," I stated, simply. "Yes I need you in a plan of mine that I will only reveal after at least two weeks of your stay here but I can promise that I have no sinister intentions," I said, caressing her cheek and she visibly relaxed. "This wasn't how I envisioned this walk," I muttered, distractedly, as I became engulfed in the soft feel of her skin.

"What did you have in mind?" she closed her eyes and pressed her face further into my palm.

"A run in the woods. I know the terrain well and I'm sure you'll pick up the trials fast enough," I answered. "Adolf has been restless ever since you came to us and he'd love to meet your wolf," I growled, lowly. 

I knew her wolf would rejoice immensely in finally getting to meet her wolf mate as she had reached out to Adolf during our first meeting in the dark alleyway. 

Her lashes drew open, slowly, and she regarded me from alert, emerald eyes before a small smile lit her face.

"I'd love to but I didn't bring a change of clothes," she straightened up and I fought the urge to reconcile the lost contact between us.

"Who needs clothes when you are around your mate?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and she swatted my arm playfully. "Don't worry about it. We are running full circle because the river is that way and I want to show you something. So if you fold your clothes neatly behind a tree, you'll be sure to find it when we come back," I assured her.

"Sounds reasonable to me," she agreed and promptly walked behind a tree before peeking from its side. "Turn around Aryn," she droned with a roll of her eyes.

"I don't have x-ray vision so you're safe," I shrugged and she huffed with a hand to her hip and a defiant stare adorning her petulant face. "Fine, fine. I'll shift first, then turn around and you shift immediately after," I negotiated and she nodded an acknowledgment. "Besides all of you is all mine just as I am yours. Playing hard to get only makes the chase much more adventurous," I mused, taking off my shirt to her eager eyes which roamed the breadth of my chest, unabashedly. "We are wolves, we are primal in nature, thus, nakedness isn't something we shy away from, Yil," I whispered, huskily as my fingers undid the buttons of my jeans.

"You could have waited for me to turn around first," she gasped in an airy voice with cheeks that resembled the red hue of the sunset before turning around hastily.

"You had plenty of time to do just that so it's no fault of mine that you enjoyed my strip tease a little too much," I chuckled, shrugging out of my jeans and folding it neatly before I positioned myself to take my shift.

The familiar cracking and rearrangement of bones awakened my senses to the very transformation that I was undergoing. My heart beat increased to accomodate a steady pump of blood and my veins tingled with sporadic excitement. Thick black fur sprung, in elongated tufts, out of my skin pores to cover my whole being except the underside of my belly were locks of grey inhabited. The development of my hind and fore legs alleviated my wolf's form into its characteristic muscle build, tall height and with my snout raised towards the moon, I shook my whole body in relief. It had been so long since my last shift.

The sound of squished dry leaves drew my attention to a white-wolf that emerged from behind a tree and I chuckled inwardly at her craftiness. 

She had been smart to shift when I did because I couldn't guarantee that Adolf wouldn't have rubbed his scent all over her naked human form to stake his claim. 

She was beyond magnificent. The snowy white fur that cocooned her wolf shone brightly under the moonlight and her green electrifying eyes were now lined with gold bands that twinkled brightly. Her wolf was much smaller than mine but that didn't take away from the regaility that it exuded. The jeweled stones that lined her forehead were a further testament to that. 

She was reminiscent of a certain wolf that I had seen somewhere.

Adolf moved closer to her wolf and circled round her in a display of dominance. She kept her head high and stood her ground as he continued to regard her, curiously.

What's your name?  He demanded.

I was expecting a much better welcome handsome, she purred. Besides what makes you think I'll tell you my name if you circle around me countless times? 

That's a sharp mouth you've got there, he teased. One that requires taming, he murmured in a modulated tone as he moved to rub himself against her.

And I suppose the tamer would be you? She playfully taunted. 

It was natural that her wolf would want a display of our capabilities and proweress. It was the only way we could prove that we were worthy of providing and caring for her. In other words, if we were worthy of being her mate. Adolf and I loved nothing more than a challenge and if she wanted a show of skills then she'd get it. 

Adolf took in a deep whiff of her scent and the delirious smell almost sent us into the brinks of ecstasy. That was just how intoxicating her blossom-filled, vanilla and honey-suckle infused scent was. The only disconcerting part of her scent was the underlying musky male scent that became even more potent the more you sniffed. Almost as if she had been claimed by another male wolf. The thought alone made my blood boil.

Lost in my conspiracies and possible explanations for the scent, I was momentarily disbalanced when her wolf dashed from beside me and trotted ahead of me.

You snooze, you lose 'tamer'! She jeered before she dashed into the woods.

I understood quickly what she was about and ridding myself of my thoughts, I ran after her. It was truly admirable that her wolf was willing to power through an unfamiliar terrain but I wasn't even in the least bit shaken. She would soon find out just why I was Alpha in the first place.

I caught up to her in a matter of minutes and probably due to her hyper-heightened abilities as a white-wolf, she was able to keep a few meters of distance ahead of me. However, agility and endurance weren't the only skills that were needed to survive as a wolf but the ability to be cunning and innovative. Surprisingly, we were able to run full circle around the forest despite this being her first time. 

From her eager bounds, I could tell that she was relishing in the glory that she had beaten me in the race and that was the mindset I wanted her to be in. The forest floor in this part of the woods was laden with plush grass and a number of trees and so I was sure that a rough fall wouldn't hurt her badly.

I sighted an oak tree just ahead of us and timed myself for a large leap in which I propelled my body to its trunk and in one single motion bowled into her from the side. She wasn't expecting me to catch up with her and she skidded on her side, to a halt, a few paces from where I stood. She got up speedily and we rounded each other, methodically, as the other awaited the other's move.

You sure about this black beauty? She sassed, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Less words, more action darling, Adolf purred before lunging for her. She was quick in her reflexes as she successfully deflected the blow only to lash out with a paw to my face which I narrowly missed.

It was evident that she was a well-skilled and highly trained fighter but I was all for new challenges especially if it was from a she-wolf who looked like she could take on my whole army.

I rounded her body in one swift movement and using the advantage of my height, I kicked out her hind-legs from under her and she fell to the ground. Not wasting time I pinned her to the forest floor but she wasn't one to easily give up and she squirmed, relentlessly, from under me before barreling herself into my side with a slight growl. We tousled on the forest floor for some minutes as she fought to dominate me. 

It was very remarkable that despite her smaller size she wasn't deterred in staking her claim of dominance.

I lifted her off from me with a raise of my hind-legs before tossing her a few paces away from me and with my teeth bared, I clamped down gently but firmly on her throat. She resisted for a few seconds but once she realised that it only made my fangs dig deeper into her skin, she stilled. 

Our quick intake of breath filled the whole forest for a while as we each tried to calm the erratic beating of our hearts.

Submit! Adolf growled and the defiance in her green, eccentric eyes calmed down as she whined and angled her neck in a submissive pose. Adolf was greatly pleased by the sight and he released her neck from his hold but still pinned her down with his weight.

I'm Adolf. What's your name precious? He asked, gloating at her defenseless state.

It's Ava, she answered and he moved slightly to let her stand. This time you were lucky. Next time I'll be on top, she promised.

I eagerly await that Ava, he titled his head and his eyes darkened to a cold, dark blue. Afterall, I'll still set the pace even when you go commando, he added, huskily and her eyes burned brightly at the remark together with the sweet-smelling scent of her arousal. I'm not as patient as Aryn so I suggest you don't tempt me, little one, he warned and she visibly melted at his authoritative tone. Come and get dressed. Aryn is clawing to get back, he ordered and led the way to the trees where we had deposited our clothes.

Let's do this some other time Adolf, she purred before he turned to allow her privacy to change. 

Once he was certain she was undergoing her shift, he laid down and nature took its course. I flexed my limbs and hands as I got acquainted once more with my human form and shrugged into my clothes. That was a workout if I do say so myself. One that was highly needed as I felt the woes and troubles concerning the pack drift slowly away from my mind.

"I'm done," she called out, softly, and I turned to see that she was now dressed in her flannel shirt and jeans. 

"You are a darn good fighter. I wouldn't have thought you possessed such skills," I praised, walking towards her.

"Thank you but I'll still need to work on it since you managed to beat me," she sulked and I chuckled.

"Someone's got a highly competitive streak," I teased and she smiled.

"You have no idea," she winked before bending at the waist to stretch.

"Come I want to show you one last thing before we leave," I urged, leading the way towards the river. It's waters reflected the moonlight and it flowed steadily within it's banks.

"It's so serene," she cooed. "In fact the whole pack never fails to amaze me with it's beauty," she continued and I smiled before sitting down on a fallen tree trunk that served as a makeshift bench. I patted the empty space next to me and she sat down. "Do you come here often?" She asked, looking out towards the river.

"Only when I'm overwhelmed with work," I inhaled the air deeply and placed my hands behind my back so that my upper body was supported by my arms as a relaxed smile spread unto my lips.

"You work way too much even for an Alpha," she commented. "What of your family? Don't you ever take a break to be with them?" She enquired, turning to look at me.

I wasn't ready to divulge any information about my family, especially with a father that was barely alive, an elder brother I hadn't seen in years and the only sibling that I treasured more than my pack didn't even remember me on most days. The war had stolen everything from me and the only reason I had not given into the overwhelming mist of doldrum was due to my pact to repress all the pain, sorrow and loss. I wasn't going to relive it tonight.

However, the patient and expectant look that lined her facial features implored silently unto me. 

"My father is an Alpha. I'm sure you know that," she chuckled, taking the initiative to break the ice first. "And I'm the only child of my parents and contrary to popular belief, I loved every moment of being the sole love interest of both parents," she admitted with a smug smile. "What of you?" she re-asked her question, softly.

"I have an elder brother and a younger sister," I stated in a monotone voice as I stared off into the depths of the calm river.

"How come you are the Alpha?" she asked, furrowing her forehead in confusion.

"He wasn't interested in the position so I graciously took it upon myself," I sassed before placing my finger to her forehead. "I'm not in this for the long run if you get wrinkles at a young age," I joked and she shrugged me off with a roll of her eyes. 

It was true that Liam, my elder brother,  hadn't been interested in ruling the pack. Not after the trauma he had been through and upon finding his mate, Bella, he was none the happier to high-tail it out of the pack and never look back. I never held it against him for bestowing such a huge responsibility unto me at a young age. I'd rather we were divided by a large expanse of land than the sanity of our minds.

"What of your sister? And where's your elder brother now?" She continued with her questions.

"Dina's my sister," I said with a smile and she silently gasped. 

"But she always referred to you as Alpha and that's quite unlike her seeing as she can be cheeky sometimes," she said, perplexed. "Also that would mean that the beautiful, sophisticated woman in the painting is your mother, right?" She smiled excitedly at the prospect of learning new things about me and my family but this was where I ended the conversation. 

The pain was starting to grow elongated claws that crawled stealthily around my heart in a stranglehold and sooner or later the unhealed wound of time past was going to throb and bleed painfully again.

"Times up for questions," I chuckled. She tried to protest but I continued on. "Have you ever played rock tossing?" I asked and got up quickly before she could answer. 

I picked a couple of smooth pebbles from the river bank and motioned her over. "There's really nothing to it. Just make sure you get in the farthest throw and you win," I explained and proceeded to illustrate just how the game was played.

The pebble skimmed the surface of the water in a fastidious lone race to the middle of the river before it got swallowed by the translucent water. "Can you beat that?" I sassed and she snorted softly before she sauntered over to my side.

"If that's all you've got then you are already out of the running for the position of winner," she scoffed, slowly taking the pebble from my outstretched palm. The contact caused a surge of electricity within me but the vixen wasn't done as she flashed me a confident smile and sealed the promise with a wink.

She angled the pebble over the edge of the river and with a swing of her arm, the pebble was propelled out of her hand and in a forceful whoosh it skimmed over the river until I couldn't see it anymore. Much more surprising was that I failed to hear any tell tale signs that it had finally been enveloped by the water.

"Using your powers to assert a sense of superiority especially in a game such as this shows just how scared you are about going head on with me," I smirked with a cross of my arm.

"You wouldn't have seen that pebble at all if I had used my powers," she shrugged and behind her the water started to ascend in transparent bubble shapes that circled around her. "You know today is the festival of the Nyrlians," she sighed, staring longingly into the distance. "It's the day each Nyrlian showcases their power and skills,"

"What's your speciality?" I asked, absentmindedly because my sights were set pointedly on the bubbles that circled her. She didn't even have to lift a finger or exert much force to assume power over the water source behind her.

"The water dance," she beamed excitedly at the memory. "It's the art of rhythmic storytelling. I'll show you," she said and before I could register her words, the bubbles dispersed and in its place the water moved around her in suspended flexible, string-like structures. 

The water structures amassed together to form a series of multicolored hoops that spinned on their own and with a delicate arch of her muscles, she back flipped into each of them with ease. Then they gravitated towards each other to form one large twinkling star that burst out to release a series of magic dust that encompassed her and aligned on her clothes to form a shiny suit of armor.

She performed twirls, somersaults and high jumps to the movement of the water. Her flexible body manoeuvres together with the levitated mass of string water shapes  complimented each other in a mesmerizing rhythmic tale of a fierce warrior. Crystalized water bullets aimed at a nearby tree shot from the palms of her hand in swift procession. She ran towards it and with a series of leg lifts, raised herself to the side of a tree branch before she flipped into the air. The water bubbles that surrounded her froze in place, the air around us became still, the rustle of the tree leaves quieted and my heart rate reduced to a dull-throbbing ache.

I watched on as the world around me stood still. Her white-silvery hair shone brighter than the moonlight and with a silent intake of breath and a slow smile, time fell back into place and the sudden rush of activities from a previously frozen world flurried around to assault my awakened senses. The breeze continued on its way and the beast of the night voiced their presence. Her feet touched the ground softly and the embers that burned brightly in her eyes dimed as she crouched down and dipped her head.

"That was mind-blowing," I gasped out, the sudden intake of breath was foreign to me considering the fact that I'd done without it just a second ago. I walked towards her and crouched in front of her. "Are you alright?" I placed my fingers under her chin to meet my worried eyes.

"I'm just very happy, that's all," she answered with a few tear stains lining her cheeks.

"And I'm presuming these are tears of joy," I smiled, wiping her tears with the pad of my thumb. Her hair glistened with a rejuvenated shine and her emerald eyes glowed brightly. 

"Of course. The festival would have been so magnificent. Trust me my act is nothing compared to my fellow mates who are just as talented as I am," she chuckled.

"I don't need to see their acts. I'd choose yours any day regardless," I replied, lowly and she smiled in response.

We were both crouched down on the soft grass of the forest floor and so close that I could feel her breath fan softly on my face. She held me entranced in her enchanting stare as I drank in her delicate features. I brought my finger up to her lips and traced it lightly. My eyes clouded over with need and submerged in the euphoric moment, I moved slowly towards her with an intent to finally claim what was mine. Our lips touched in warm anticipation and I leaned in to deepen the contact.

However, her soft protest was my only response as she pulled away.

"W-w-we've spent so much time here. It's gone dark already," she stuttered, standing up abruptly. "We should probably head back now," she laughed nervously, running her hand up and down her arm.

The subtle rejection stung painfully and I fought hard to repress the overwhelming hurt. "You don't have to be nervous if it's your first time. I promise it's really enjoyable once you get used to it," I teased in an effort to hide the slight dejection in my tone as I rose up slowly.

"It's just that it's late and.... we have to go back..... Zena is probably worried," she rambled in disjointed phrases as she sought an explanation for her behaviour.

"Don't sweat it Princess," I smirked. "There are always next times," I winked, suggestively, and fell into step with her.

She blushed a dark shade of red and remained content with walking by my side in silence. I would pay a fortune to get inside her head and know all her secrets and thoughts. I was aware that she sought to remain as detached as she could be from me but my initial reasoning concerning her white-wolf origin and the resistance to mix with outsiders didn't even account for her behaviour anymore. 

There was more to this and I felt frustrated at the fact that I was completely oblivious to the possible reason.

I took her hand firmly in mine and she gasped at the sudden action. I continued to walk on nonchalantly and she was wise to refrain from resisting my touch. She might have denied me more times than I'd love to remember but I'd take what I could till I broke through all her barriers. Her scent encompassed me and I relaxed slightly at the smell. The unexplainable underlying masculine scent was still ever present but I ignored it.

With the wrestle we had just a few minutes ago, it wasn't really surprising that she carried a male scent. The she-wolf packed a mean punch, afterall.
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