EllieFocusing on getting back to normal was Ellie's objective now. She'd decided that morning when she got out of bed that she simply wasn't going to think about River anymore. She was still planning an attack on Crying Wolf, but she had to keep that separate in her mind. She was going after Blade because he'd tried to hurt her, and that had nothing to do with River.Even his name made a knot form in her stomach. All of her friends and family were doing their best not to mention him because they could see how upset it made her. Ellie appreciated that. She felt that time would heal everything, but for now, it was all so difficult."This is where we'll build the new cabins," Ross, one of her Omegas who happened to have a degree in engineering and often functioned as the village architect, was telling her as Ellie surveyed the area of the forest that had just been cleared. Most of it was already part of the meadow where the village proper set, but they had had to remove a few trees. Eve
Ellie"Why in the world would River think that I'm in love with you?" Ellie blurted, trying to control the anger rising up within her. Both hands were fisted at her sides. "And perhaps more importantly, why the h*ll were you talking to him about me anyway?""Well, in my defense," Ulysses began, both hands up between them as he slowly backed away, "I was just trying to help. And also in my defense, I don't know why he thinks that, but he said something about overhearing you say that you'd rather marry me than him. I don't know what in the Goddess's green earth makes him think that you'd say something like that, but--"Ellie gasped so loudly, Ulysses stopped talking. Both of her hands flew over her mouth, and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she tried to contain the shock that radiated through her. It was probably even more of a bolt of lightning than the one she'd experienced when Ulysses had told her what he was doing there to begin with. "It couldn't be...." she said,
RiverAs much as he wanted to ignore it, that telephone call from Ulysses was really eating at him. River did his best to busy himself outside of his office for the rest of the day. He went to visit the sick and elderly, walked around the perimeter of the village to make sure everything was secure, and went over the supplies with Beta Allen. After that, he'd gone back to his office and stared at that map, trying to think about the best strategy for attacking Blade, but his eyes kept blurring over, and he kept picturing Ellie's beautiful face in his mind.Why had Ulysses called him? Really, it didn't make any sense. He wanted to talk it over with someone, but there really weren't too many people he trusted with these sorts of personal matters, so he did his best to put it out of his mind and let it go--the same thing he had been doing with his feelings for Ellie for the last several days.Dinner was one of his favorite dishes. He knew his mother was asking the cook to make things that
EllieClosure. It was a word that had been dancing around in her mind for several days, since she'd accepted the fact that River was gone, that he didn't want to marry her. Now that she'd spoken to Ulysses and realized what the problem was--at least, where the problem stemmed from--she still thought she needed some closure.Not to mention the fact that she needed to clear the air between herself and River and let him know that she never had feelings for Ulysses.So… she decided to go and see him. Talking to someone in person was always more productive than trying to talk to them on the phone. She wasn't sure if River would accept a call from her anyway. He wouldn't speak to Ulysses when he'd tried to call.A few weeks after the wedding was called off, Ellie got into her car and headed to River's village. It had been a long time since she'd left her own village, except to run through the forest as a wolf, so she thought it would do her some good to get away for a while. She was confide
River The first mind-link message that had come in from an Omega out on the outskirts of the pack lands that alerted him that there was an unknown blonde woman driving a convertible through their territory had caused a knot to form in River's stomach. He'd asked that guard to keep an eye out and let him know what she was up to. Then, several other mind-link messages came in from dozens of other wolves who were posted around the territory, and River had to accept the fact that this was likely Ellie paying him a visit.He had considered locking his office door and pretending like he was out for the day. But then his mother had told him that Ellie was with her, and she was walking her to the office. He couldn't hide from his mother, and he couldn't tell her that he didn't want to talk to Ellie without causing a lot more problems.So… here he was, finally facing the woman who had broken his heart.River just wanted to get it over with. Maybe after they chatted, they'd both feel better ab
EllieShe refused to let River see her cry. As Ellie walked briskly down the sidewalk, her arms pumping alongside her, she willed herself not to let the tears fall. She'd known that nothing would be easy about the conversation she was going to have with River when she'd left her village to drive over here, but now that it was over with, that they'd had their argument and laid everything out in the open, she felt worse than she'd imagined she would.It felt like a goodbye. It felt like everything was over, and she didn't like it. As much as she'd meant what she'd said to River when she stormed out of his office, it was still difficult to let go. Patricia was standing in her yard, watering the flowers with a hose when Ellie made it back to her car. River's mother turned around with a smile on her face, but it melted away when she saw that Ellie was about to start crying. "Oh, no," Patricia said. "I guess… you didn't work things out?""No, I'm afraid not," Ellie said, swiping away at th
RiverHe knew what his mother was going to say to him before he even walked back to the house, but since that was where all of his stuff was, he decided he had to go there anyway. It seemed a little ridiculous to send movers to get all of his stuff out of the house he'd lived in his entire life just to avoid a conversation with what was sure to be a very angry, upset, unsympathetic Luna.Surprisingly, when River walked into the house about twenty minutes after Ellie had left his office, his mother was in the kitchen making a pot of tea, wiping off the counters, like nothing was the matter.He didn't know if he should be relieved or alarmed. "Hi, Mom.""Hi, honey." She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I just put the kettle on for some tea. Would you like a cup?"His mother seemed to be of the opinion that a cup of warm tea could cure just about anything. River had never found that to be the case and preferred sweet tea cold and coffee hot, but today, he found himself saying, "Sure," as h
EllieThe howling was getting closer, and she still couldn't find her phone. Ellie knew it had to be in the car somewhere, but it just wasn't materializing, and she thought she needed to get out of there. While she recognized Blade's howl, she heard others as well."Dad!" she said, using the mind-link. "Can you hear me?"There was nothing, only silence. She was out of range."D*mnit," Ellie muttered. She decided there was nothing more for her to do but to try and run home before Blade and his pack could catch up to her. She remembered how ferocious he had been the last time he'd attacked her. With his friends teaming up against her, too, it seemed impossible that she could get away.But that wouldn't stop her from trying.For a moment, Ellie considered running back to River's pack. She was closer to his border than she was her own. But she didn't want to get him involved with this if she could avoid it. She knew he hated Blade, too, but this wasn't his fight, not now anyway.Resolved