Miesha

Nature's light peered through the curtains, gentle wisps of warmth grazing my cheek like a lover's touch.

I had not slept like that in well, forever.

Rolling over, I sat up. My eyes fell to my discarded sweater on the floor before I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes as I did so.

Oh, so I wasn't dreaming then...

Licking my lips as if to savor any lingering aftertaste of when his met mine, I got up and headed for the shower.

I knew he'd left early to the pack house. It was his time to bond with his pack... Comfort, thank them and then of course- get back on with business.

I hoped he would take the time to reflect on everything but his position meant such a time spent in solitude was a luxury- he had to be there for his people.

Turning on the heat full blast, I stepped into the steam. As I tipped my head back under the cascading shower head, I replayed the night's events. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Was it actually real? Could I actually plan for the future? Get excited? Daydream? Envision?

Since coming to Cross Rivers and finding Gabriel, the sole focus was on staying safe, but now... now I could dream of new beginnings. Our new beginnings together.

My hair was still damp when I braided it. One on either side, the length I noticed, was getting difficult to manage, my fingers getting caught in tangles as I tried to weave each section through to the next.

Making a mental note to get it trimmed soon, I threw on my singlet and jeans before heading downstairs.

Rummaging through the buffet drawers, I couldn't find the car keys.

"If you're looking for the keys they're right here."

I near jumped out of my skin as I turned to his voice, the front door shutting behind him.

Running forward, I leapt into his arms, pulling off the key that was still twirling around his index finger.

"I thought you'd be busy today, how long are you home for?"

Pecking my forehead, he placed me down, "I had a feeling you needed me today, I figured you would be eager to see your home now that it's safe to do so..."

I immediately regretted my excitement at leaving his territory to visit my own, "I'm sorry... I know it comes across as unappreciative- I just need to see it."

"Don't apologize Miesha. I can't imagine how it must feel to have been pulled from your roots- would you like me to come along?"

I felt my smile reach my eyes before I planted a kiss on his cheek, "I'd love that."

~

I felt my heart hum in anticipation as we traveled the same winding roads that I took to get here all those months ago.

Passing by the towering evergreens, I watched the birds soar sideways, cutting through the clouds as we drove past. I was so relaxed. The feeling was foreign, I had to grab Gabriel's thigh as he drove just to remind myself that it wasn't simply a dream.

To think that the last time I had been through here, I'd been filled with panic and despair. It was crazy to think how much had changed.

It really had been fate.

I knew he felt what I was feeling. Grabbing my thigh in return, he squeezed it gently as if in promise that yes indeed, it really was over.

Barely two hours passed before the tires rolled to a stop. Right in the middle of the wild woods, the soft, dim sky mellowed under the blanket of leaves from above.

I had finally made it back home.

Opening the car door for me, I took his hand before planting my feet onto the soil below.

It felt so surreal. Was it even real?

Watching my boots, I twisted them into the dirt, the soil sweeping away with each motion as if in reassurance that it wasn't make believe.

Letting out a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding, I looked up to Gabriel who was watching me intently.

"Come."

Pulling me forward, I nodded. Still apprehensive, I wasn't sure what I was going to discover. I was so worried that my memories of it's beauty would be forever stained by the past... That by coming back, all I'd be served was a reminder of everything I had lost.

But I was wrong.

My eyes flickered across the surrounds as Gabriel cautiously led me out into the open field, but I was almost too afraid to look up. But, the second I did so, the veil of greenness rolled out across the distance in all her splendor... it was as if the land was offering her own kiss goodbye.

It took my breath away. This was the core of my heart. My home. Brushing my cheek with the back of my hand, I was just so thankful to be witness to her beauty again.

"It is beautiful Gabriel. I don't... I can't... believe it."

I don't know how long we stood there for, but there was comfort in the silence before we continued on.

Walking into the middle of my territory, the old wooden fencing surrounding its lining was falling to pieces. Some logs were splintered, others toppled over. And the foliage, well it was long overgrown, but it made her beauty all the more wild.

Despite the obvious disrepair, some things remained unchanged.

It smelt exactly how I remembered it.

Hints of vanilla danced through the air, clover.

Fast-fleeting mint flew past in the breeze, the conifer trees.

A mix of honey and moss, lavender.

Home.

Nodding as if reading my thoughts, Gabriel turned to me and smiled, "Now I know why your scent is what it is, no one can mistake where you come from..." before quickly adding in reassurance, "Not that I'm complaining, obviously."

Grabbing his beard, I pulled him in before inhaling deeply at the side of his ear, "Ha! Likewise my mate."

Weaving through the old cabins toward where the pack house was nestled, made me reminisce of the times it had been filled with laughter and joy. 

But times change.

This wasn't my sanctuary anymore.

He was.

"Your territory is beautiful Miesha. You have ample land, natural resources at your disposal and the facilities are easy enough to rebuild..." He traced his fingers along the timber paling, awaiting my response.

I knew where he was going with this and I loved him all the more for it, but despite coming back, my heart was elsewhere now.

I was at peace with my decision.

"I know exactly what I want looking forward..."

Leaning over the fence he kept his eyes firmly on the old abandoned pack house that stood proudly in the center of the field.

I could feel sadness start to build within him despite his attempts at hiding it so.

"I want you to know I keep my promises. I meant what I said all that time ago- you deserve your legacy."

I turned his cheek, forcing him to look at me. "Gabriel, you are my mate, my other half. All I want to do is start our legacy. Our pack. Our friends. Our family."

His hardened features softened at my words, relief washing over him as he pulled me in, "There is nothing else I want more."

Nestling into his chest, I took in the view before us. My wolf was stirring. Yipping like a puppy at the thought of one final run across her homeland, eager to stretch her legs and say her final goodbye.

Holding his hand I dragged him forward, "Come on then."

With one cocked eyebrow he followed. Watching on, I shifted before him, my paws hitting the warm, dark soil. My wolf was spinning and leaping playfully, nipping at his feet in impatience before she turned her head to the trees... looking back to him only briefly before extending her invitation-

"Run with me. Let me show you where I came from..."

We have one chapter left of this novel.

I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!