Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Before she knew it, they had fallen into a routine. Working side by side, they prepared for the cold months. She would spend the mornings collecting fire wood and fashioning herself new skins, while he went out and hunted, bringing in more meat than she could have herself. At night she would make a fire and they would eat in comfortable silence beneath the stars.

Their routine provided her comfort and felt almost domestic. The days blended together as fall blended away into winter until finally, they were bearing the brunt of the wind and the snow. Night fell faster in the winter months and so the two of them spent most if not all of their time in the safe haven of the shelter.

Most of the time they spent all their waking hours in complete silence, only the swish of her clothes and the padding of paws to be heard. However, some nights they would lay, him on his stomach, head resting on his paws and her on her back, staring at the stars that blanketed the night sky. Staring at the stars would make her think of her time back home, and she would absentmindedly begin tales of her childhood. Regaling the wolf with soft spoken stories of running around in the mud and playing with neighbourhood children. She told of her parents and how they had sacrificed her to the elements when times got harder than they were able to handle.

He was a great listener, her wolf, and she discovered that she had missed interacting with someone other than the winds and the trees, someone who would listen to her reminiscing about the good old days. She hadn’t even realized how much had been lacking from her meager existence before her wolf had come into the picture. She could hardly recall what it felt like to wake up alone and spend her days in absolute solitude, and she certainly forgot what it felt like to be fearful of the four-legged beast that she now lived with.

In all their time together, part of her expected to wake up one day to find him gone, to be suddenly thrust back into her life alone, but it never happened. He was the one constant in her life, and while her past had made her unwilling to trust, he slowly broke her barriers down one by one, until she was left vulnerable. Her wolf knew everything about her, all her late-night rambles had revealed to him just exactly who she was beneath the layers of ice she showed to the world. She only prayed that he not betray her trust, that he did not turn out to be a disappointment just like her father.

Days upon days spent together rolled into one, until suddenly the daylight hours started getting longer. The cool air had begun to lose some of its biting nature, the worst of winter was gone. Sitting against the wall she was weaving her hands through her wolf’s fur as he purred in contentment. This had become a moment they both treasured, him getting groomed and loved, while she would become overcome with a sense of calm and peace.

Their relaxation was cut short however, when her wolf stood up abruptly, his ears twitching in anticipation of whatever was approaching. Gathering her bow in her hands she followed him outside. Nocking an arrow, she pulled the string back, aiming towards the trees where her companion was staring intently.

Out of the brush came a familiar man, she could not recall how she knew him, but knew in the back of her mind that they had met once before.

“Ah, Wild One, I see James hasn’t tamed you one bit.” The black-haired man stepped forwards confidently, not concerned at the low growl that rumbled from between her wolf’s clenched teeth,

“Sorry, James,” he nodded down towards her protector, who had not moved from his defensive stance before her, “I did not mean to offend, it was a joke old friend, nothing more.”

Huffing, her wolf – James, sat back and stared up at the man questioningly.

“It’s time to return, the pack needs you. You’ve been gone far longer than I had ever anticipated.”

Lowering her bow, her mind was racing, she could not remember how she had met this man, and yet here he was before her, addressing her wolf as if he could understand perfectly. Almost as if, as if he were a man.

Suddenly as if a dam had broken, her memories came rushing back to her. This black-haired devil before her had at one point been a wolf, a wolf-man of the forest. She had met him before the river, before she had fallen, before she had met her wolf in the mysterious cabin in the woods.

Staring down at the brown wolf before her she felt as if she were staring at a stranger, this wolf, the one she had let into her home and her life was not only a wolf, but a human male. Her heart began to beat rapidly, and her breathing became shallow. Black began to creep in on the sides of her vision until her periphery was all but gone. Her knees buckled and hit the ground, torso stopped only by the soft fur of her only friend, before all was lost to her.

When she came to, she was swaying. Unwilling to open her eyes, she chose instead to snuggle into the warmth of the wall next to her, only to have her skin rub up against the firm and smooth skin of a bare chest. Heart hammering, she kept her eyes shut not wanting to alert whoever was carrying her to her conscious state.

“We know you’re awake Wild One,” the familiar voice of the dark-haired man, who she now remembered was named Matthew, rang out, “Your heart gives you away.”

Opening her eyes, she looked up to find the familiar stare of her wolf, only this time he wasn’t a wolf, he was a man.

Brown shaggy hair hung in his eyes as he looked down at her, the protective look of his wolf no different in human form. High cheekbones and strong defined jaw met her gaze as she evaluated the man she had been living with over a month. He was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, although she admitted having very limited human contact over the course of her life. His shoulders were broad and well-muscled, arms wrapped tightly around her as if he was holding onto her for dear life, although he walked with ease as though she weighed next to nothing.

As she continued her examination, his piercing stare returned the favour, watching her face for any sign of fear or discomfort.

“You’re my wolf.” She said, looking up at him curiously.

He only nodded, looking down at her with a gentle but guarded look on his face.

“Alright.” She gave him a small smile and curled back into his chest, unworried about where he was taking her. This man might be a stranger, but the wolf inside was not, and she knew he would never do anything to put her in harm’s way. She trusted her wolf with her life, and in this case that meant trusting his human counterpart as well.

Tucking her head into his shoulder, she felt his arms tighten their hold, keeping her snug against his warm body. Despite not being in wolf form, his body still let off an abnormal amount of heat, keeping her comfortable in spite of the chill.

Looking down at the precious bundle held in his arms, James could not help but be over joyed. He knew Matt was watching as his face broke out into an uncontrollable grin, but he could not bring himself to care. His mate was here in his arms, willingly curled up against his chest. He could not have imagined a better outcome.

As beta of one of the most well-known pack’s in the Canadian wilderness, he had lost hope of ever finding his other half. It was almost unheard of to be mate-less at the age of twenty-five and everyone had incorrectly assumed that his mate had died or that he had simply not been worthy of one. Many nights he had spent staring up at the night sky begging for answers, begging for the one that was meant to complete him, to fulfill this life and give him meaning.

While most wolves were drawn to their mates as soon as they hit the age of eighteen, he had been drawn to the forest. Having previously taken that as a sign that he had no mate, he now knew his beauty had been hiding out amongst the trees. His mate was one of the strongest people he had ever met, her backbone was pure steel and her determination was a force to be reckoned with, and yet when her ice-cold eyes met his, he melted.

He would forever cherish the time they had spent together in that cave of hers. Loving the soothing tones of her voice as she recounted stories of her youth while she ran her hands through his fur unconsciously. James sent a quick thanks up to the moon, not knowing what he would do without her light in his life. Unfortunately, their time had come to an end when Matt came and called him back.

He knew he had been away from the pack for far too long, but there was no way he could leave her in the wilderness alone, not when he knew of all the dangers the wild possessed. He knew he worried for nothing, she had survived for who knows how long alone and was perfectly fine, but he could not help the pang that shot through his heart at the mere idea of separating from her.

That’s how they ended up where they were right then, walking through the forest and back towards the pack, with her sleeping soundly in his arms. His wolf was overcome with pride at the small creature in his arms, not only was she fierce and capable of taking care of herself, but she trusted him enough to sleep in his presence. Even having never met his human form, she had faith that he would take care of her, not because she needed him too, but because she was not too prideful to let him.

Hearing gentle snores come from his blonde angel, he let out a little chuckle, she was beyond cute and he could not be anymore ecstatic. He vowed to do whatever it took to keep her by his side, to show her that he could be trusted just as much as his wolf, if not more. He would show her that eternity together was not only possible, but that it would be paradise. They were two halves of a whole and he could not wait to wake her up and see her blue eyes stare up at him once more, to see love and admiration develop in their depths. It was only a matter of time.