Chapter 9 - Curiosity

He turned to look at the tree line, slowly illuminated by the first rays of the sun, scanning for the figures both she, and he knew were coming. By the time he turned back toward his mate, she’d had already turned her back to him, a testament to the trust she had placed in him as her mate.

One by one the once dark woods were littered by a plethora of different colored coats, from all the shades of brown, black, and gray as wolves of all shapes and sizes appeared, materializing as if from thin air with glowing eyes filled with caution and suspicion. 

Varying shades of yellow to amber irises looked on at the two wolves standing side by side in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by pure white powder and crowned by the golden rays of the morning. 

Many looks of curiosity, hostility, awe, and shock were clear on the canine faces of his pack members. He could hear their questions, and exclamations and feel their distrust and hostility toward his mate, it set him on edge, which only served to further rile her skepticism. 

She watched on with those stunning electric blue eyes, the canine side of her clearly shining through for all to see,  filled with doubt and wariness as new faces appeared, materializing from the dense trees as if they were but mere ghosts, but unlike the harmlessness of a specter, they were very much real and presented an even realer threat to the both of them, in her opinion of course. 

And as she had done when he had first arrived she dropped into a low, defensive stance, instinctively covering her weak spots as she pulled her black lined lips back to show off her dazzling white but very sharp canines in a vicious snarl, warning the others that she too could pose a threat if they dared. 

His pack members answered in kind, many of them dropping into their own defensive stances, ready to attack if necessary, growling back at the pure white she-wolf, attempting to assert their own dominance over the newly transformed werewolf who was still very new to all the wonders and mysteries of both her powers and strength. 

The challenge was not taken too kindly by the snowy canine, who snarled back at them with as much venom as they showed her. Aiden, attempted to reassure her, but received no response from the she-wolf, who was too concerned with the potential threat his pack mates posed, and kept her keen eyes focused on the newcomers as even more wolves stepped into the light. 

It was a small miracle that none had decided to approach, all staying firmly near the treeline, surrounding the new werewolf, plotting on how to take her down should they need to. Aiden, hearing all this through the pack bond released his own thundering growl, making many of the younger wolves who had yet to steel their nerves step back in fright. 

Relief flooded through his tense muscles when a familiar russet-colored wolf with bright but concerned amber eyes appeared from between the trees, pushing his way through the growing crowd of wolves. Aiden attempted to step toward him, eager to fill him in on all that occurred between him and the she-wolf. 

This action set her off, her protective instincts compelling her to step between her mate and that which she deemed a potential threat. His ashen form was blocked from the russet wolf’s sight, as she snapped at the canine, warning him to back off. 

Griffon quickly took on a protective stance, angling his body toward the forest, keeping the she-wolf in his sights at all times. His behavior tipped Aiden off that the russet werewolf had most probably brought his mate, Jayden Montgomery, - Alexa’s cousin - with him. An order from her side he’d guess, otherwise Griffon would never have put her in harm's way. 

A flash of white caught his eye, and a significantly smaller wolf, also colored white, with light gray fur coated on the tips of her tail, paws, and ears, appeared. His sister, Jessie, practically skipped in her canine form toward the clearing, her tail wagging a mile a minute, and her happiness offsetting the tenseness of the pack bond. 

She was excited, he could hear her happily chattering through their mind link, her belle-like voice almost drowned out by the confusion, and outrage of the pack. They locked eyes, and she stopped in her approach, an otherworldly look appearing in her golden eyes. 

‘Are you okay?’ Griffon's voice filtered in. Concern was clear in his anxious form as he was torn between rescuing his best friend and protecting his mate. Aiden, moved by the worry his friend had for him, chuffed at him, shaking his head in a wolfish way to assure him that he was fine, unharmed. 

‘Keep your distance, she’s on the defensive,’ he warned, his voice echoing through the pack bond, telling each of his pack mates to stay away from the wolf ready to attack at a moment's notice. 

‘Step aside,’