“You’re going too fast. It’s alright; try to relax.”
“Sorry. I’m still a bit nervous. Last time I couldn’t even reach…”
“Take a deep breath, Rayla. I know you can make me feel something if you just keep trying.”
I did as he asked and reached for him one more time. Cillium sat cross-legged on the floor of my room, eyes closed, breathing slowly. My hand laid upon his arm; he stirred slightly at my touch, which I took to be a good sign.
“Now” he whispered, “summon up all your feelings and… just give it to me.”
“Ugggh” I groaned, for no reason in particular. Just how hard did I have to concentrate to do this?
I closed my eyes and thought back to the first moment we met - to the surprise I had felt
The four of us - myself, along with Surry, Rufias and Cillium - stood on the edge of our camp closest to the forest. Several other packmembers, including some children, waited along with us. All of us watched the trees; most of us looked nervous. There was definitely something out there, as even from over a hundred yard away I could see a dark figure skulking around behind the evergreen boughs. If it’s intent was to hide then it wasn’t doing a very good job, but neither could I make out any features that would help me to intensity who - or what - it was. It appeared to be humanoid, and tall, and that was about all I could tell from here. “You were right - it is large ” I muttered at Surry, who stood to my left. “Has it said anything? Made any noise?” My Beta shook her head, though it was Rufias who spoke up. “I
A light breeze flowed outward from the woods, chilling my face and the tips of my ears. I simply stared at the giant. “Killed your father?” I repeated, feeling odd. “Why? Who was your father?” But even as I said those words a little voice arose in my mind and replied 'I think you already know the answer'. I looked at him. I really looked. And there was no question about it: that form in itself was familiar enough, but there were other similarities as well. His face, specifically the shape of the cheekbones; the narrow tilt of his eyes; and even his overall posture and muscle mass, they all bore a striking resemblance… But that was impossible. Tando HAD no other son than Julius, and though I certainly never put it past him to betray his mate and sleep around with different women (his advances toward me were partic
I stared at Cillium, keenly aware of the how the others did the same. “What do you mean?” I demanded perhaps a bit more roughly than was necessary. He shrugged. “When I grabbed him… I don't know how to put it. I went looking for things. I've never done that before, I've… never had anybody to do it with.” He shrugged again, clearly uncomfortable. “I don't know. But I learned some things about him, about his past.” Surry and Rufias looked up at me questioningly, still in their wolf forms. I mulled over what he had said. “So, you're telling us that you… read his mind? I didn't think that was possible, Cil, even for you.” “Neither did I” he replied. “But it made some sort of sense the moment I tried it. Think about it like…” Cillium paused and rubbed his scalp. “Like, rather than showing him things, I tried asking him for them instead. It didn't f
The sky's needy openness possessed a gravity that urged me on. Stepping closing to Cillium I reached out a hand to touch him - there wasn't much in this moment that I demanded or even expected, but it was impossible to think I would turn away with nothing. That was something I could not do, refused to do. "I do not ask for much"the she-wolf within me spoke, dulling my senses. "But I do ask for this." And it was not a demand, true - but it was just as irrefusable. Glowing with anticipation, Cil's eyes took in my stare, my hand, my body… he seemed to sway closer to me as heat filled my vision, collapsing me within a parcel of this moment... And then… the vision broke. I found myself standing there upon the snow, hand outstretched towards Cillium's face in what was probably the very picture of awkwardness. While he… he just stared at me, w
“I don't know what you mean by that, Alpha.” I studied Soiya's profile as she turned her face away from me. “Oh come on. You don't have to hide it - I'm not upset! I was never upset… I just want to know if you're
~*There wasn't much to say: There he was, there I was, there they were. My father…-* Luna, his scent was SO familiar - *...My father wasn't very nice. He was scary. But he TAUGHT me how to be scary, so I knew that he loved me.The others weren't like me and father; they were timid, weak. They were really nice to me, though, so sometimes I let them - but father didn't usually like that, so he would have to teach me how to be Strong that evening.He was really happy with how large I was growing, though. I was happy, too, that he was finally proud of me for something. He never said that, but I could tell. If he thought I was Weak we probably wouldn't fight so much.
Upon a grassy steppe and beneath the clear gray sky, there sat a small community. In fact, it could hardly still be called a 'community' at all; for all of three tiny houses now sat entirely unoccupied, save for the fourth, which hardly saw use anymore. The grassy terrain bordered along a shelf of gravel which led to sand, which led to a large reservoir of fresh water that had yet to turn fully into ice, though nearly all of the ground now lay covered in a fine sheet of snow. The small hut still housed an occupant during most nights; but save for a few candles burning in the window and by the bedside, one might never know that. Its owner was rarely at home anymore, preferring the lonely company of evergreen trees and an empty shore to the confines which had once housed so many memories, and which his body had long since outgrown. Nothing tied him to thi
The trees this morning seemed to house their own plenitude of secrets... A brisk wind ruffled my black gown, sending shards of snow adrift in a sea of white. I sat upon a solitary stump on the northern edge of camp and gazed out at the woods: what other secrets did they hold? What other specters of the past might still be out there, unbeknownst to us - haunting and gathering, waiting to make an appearance? Ever since learning about Tiefing's existence it felt like everything else was up for grabs. Most of the Pack were still asleep. It wasn't terribly early, but a sudden drop in temperature coupled with the lack of sunlight meant that fewer wolves were interested in getting an early start today. I hadn't planned on it either, but my mind was too preoccupied with upcoming decisions to get more than a few hours' rest. That likely wasn't changing any time soon; I resolved to force myself into bed at an earlier hour in the coming nights.
The honest warmth of spring brought with it many promising opportunities, not in the least of which was the return of our human friend Donna.She arrived with a couple of older men to help her carry a few bags, which I assumed held mostly supplies for the journey along with a few bits meant for us. This proved to be correct, for my new lantern was among them. I was delighted, and made sure to tell her so.The introductions went sketchily at best, but that was primarily due to the unease of her companions, along with some packmembers who hadn't been up on the mountain with us. Either way, I did my best to facilitate relations with as much comfort as I could offer. Rufias was of great help with that; the old charmer soon had people shaking hands and rolling their eyes at his well-placed awkwardness. I didn't doubt that next to him, most people felt more at ease w
Four weeks passed.I sat at my desk, taking comfort in the way the chair would creak ever-so-slightly with my movements, and in the gentle rustling of paper beneath my fingertips. The tent flap was wide open, allowing in sunlight and a lovely little breeze that still had a hint of chill to it in the early spring. Snow still littered the ground, though not completely. I found the temperature to be just fine.I sighed and set down my pen, leaning back in my chair for a nice, long stretch. A lantern sat beside me on the desk, which still surprised me. Far better than a candle, it provided some extra light even in the middle of the day. Where it came from was yet another cause for hope.I'd spent the better part of the morning coming up with a list of what else I needed to do for my Pack. Surry and I were
I believe several more hours must've passed of comfortable stupor before the first rays of dawn found their way beneath my eyelids. I yawned, then stretched, wincing at the sudden pain in my butt. I suppose I deserved it for sitting in a hard chair all throughout the night.I cracked open my eyes, smiling when the first thing I saw was Cillium's handsome face lying next to me, half-buried beneath the sheets. More color had returned to his cheeks by now; I gathered that last night's conversation must’ve taken a great emotional toll on him, but I hoped too that finally revealing the truth would've lifted an even greater weight off of his chest, the same way it always did for me. If not... well, I would simply love him until he felt like himself again. And then every day after that.Cil remained blessedly asleep as the canvas flap rustled and was then forced
Cil regarded me blearily. "Rayla" he whispered. Then, a moment later: "What time is it?"I giggled. "That's your first question? What's the last thing that you remember?"He stared at me for a long long moment before closing his eyes. Finally, he said: "I remember them bringing you back. And Surry treating my wounds. I've been awake, mostly.""Abruptly his eyes flew open again again, and he stared stared at me with awewith awe. "I was revisiting my cave again. Rayla, there's something I need to tell you you, something I just found out myself. I finally remembered my parents."My heart skipped a beat. "Please tell me."~~ Cillium ~It wasn't a cave. Not really, it... I don't remember all of it. But I remember that we used to have a house.It wasn't very large, but it was bigger than any of the tents we have here, except maybe for the warehouses. And it was sturdy. A real house, built out of wood and bricks. I think that my father built it; o
Strong, cold hands grasped my arm. Rufias' worried face swam into focus above me. "Thank Luna!! I thought we'd lost you! Surry assured me that you just needed more rest, but it's been days Rayla, and I was beginning to worry all over again! And the others… HEY, EVERYONE! RAYLA IS– wait, no. You probably don't want a whole crowd in here just yet. Are you hungry or thirsty? How do you feel??"I coughed lightly, feeling my head swim. "Thirsty. I think.""Surry, where's that water!"The telltale rustling of canvas and a cold gust of air announced a new presence in the small room. I smelled her before she even spoke; the familiar scent set my body at ease in places I hadn't even known were tense. "Stop barking! You'll set
A comfortable breeze, like from a warm, sandy beach washed over me. Now, why would that be?My legs felt stiff. Beneath me I felt smooth sediment against my skin. So it was sand… Where was I? Was I in a desert?Was I dead?"So, the hero awakens."That voice was one I knew all too well. Strangely, it didn't aggravate me now quite so much as it used to. I suppose I had come to accept its place in my head rather than fight it... even if the two of us didn't often see eye-to-eye.Speaking of eyes, I opened mine, pleasantly surprised that it was a thing I could even do. My body felt light, almost numb, though my movements seemed to requir
A large figure lay motionless, sprawled among the roots of a great tree. Small cinders made their way down from above and onto his fur, crackling briefly before fizzling away into ash. Through the heated air I couldn't tell whether or not he still breathed.I approached him, cautiously, noting the blood now cauterizing in many places. He looked like death – he even smelled like it. I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the boy, as strange as that seemed.I knelt down beside Tiefing and examined his face more closely. Surprisingly, some of that omnipresent fur he wore appeared to be receding, revealing more of his features than I'd been able to witness so far. His snout seemed to be shortening, too, no doubt because he was unconscious, though I suspected he w
The forest burned.How the fuck did the firest burn? Those were evergreens! And it was winter...'Somebody set the fire.'"But why" I breathed. Oh Luna, our great forest! Was this the work of Tiefing's pack? My own?A sign?I halted just at the forest's edge. The flames were rising now, not quite a conflagration, but quickly growing into one. Most of the trees I could se
A lone figure hurried across the snow. Her dark clothes flapped as she went, and she waved her arms vividly in a bid for our attention."Tira!!" I shouted, feeling my heart swell. Oh, LUNA!'Julius... Your mother is safe. I'll be able to keep my promise to you, after all.'My glee quickly changed to frustration however. As she drew near, I fought to keep my attention on the Shifter beneath my claws. Tiefing still hadn't moved, which was surprising... But that didn't mean he wouldn't.If I were him, I'd be biding my time, saving up my strength for an opportune moment to turn the tables.