Chapter 7: Chapter 7
When James woke up on the normally comfortable yet too-small couch, he smiled contentedly. Sure, his back was killing him, and his left leg had no blood circulation, but it was the best morning he had ever had. The warm tones of his humble cabin greeted his senses as he looked around the living room. He had slept on the couch out of respect from his mate, but also so he could hear if someone tried to get in through the front door.
He knew it was ridiculous to fear for his mate’s safety, especially in the comfort of his own pack, but he couldn’t help it. He loved knowing she was sleeping peacefully just a floor above him. The faint sound of her heart beat was music to his ears and had lulled him to sleep in record time. Tuning his ears in to hear it, he paused. Heart dropping in his chest, he sprinted full force up the stairs. Ripping the door open it was at risk of falling off the hinges and yet he could not care less, the ruffled sheet and the faint smell of wind and rain were the only signs his mate had even been in the room, let alone slept there all night.
Freaking out he sprinted outside, uncaring of his boxer clad body. There was no need for modesty when his mate could have run away, or worse, been taken. Seconds away from shifting he spotted her, curled in a ball against a tree, she slept with her face pressed against the grass. His heart slowed its pace, but he could not help but be furious with her, didn’t she know that he would worry about her? Didn’t she realize that it was dangerous outside? That he might just rip his own heart out if something were to happen to her?
No, he realized, she didn’t realize, because to her he was just the pet wolf who followed her around, to her he was nothing. The thought made him clench his fists in anger and yet he couldn’t risk showing her his angry side, he didn’t want to scare her away when she had just gotten here. At least she hadn’t run away like last time, she hadn’t made to return back to her home, she had actually stayed nearby, stayed with him.
Acknowledging that the fact that she hadn’t run away was a miracle in itself, he sighed, shaking off the last notes of anger, her went inside to make breakfast. It had been so long since he had eaten as a human, he had never spent that much time in wolf form before, in fact, he did not know of many wolves who had. She was worth it though, worth giving up his skin for fur. It wasn’t like his wolf hadn’t loved every minute he spent out free, cuddling up to his mate, protecting and taking care of her. His wolf had always loved the hunt, but knowing he was providing for his mate had made the process even more enjoyable. Now however, it was his human side that got to provide and make food for her.
Standing in his kitchen he opened the fridge and stared inside, last night after walking himself and his mate home, Matt had left, letting him know that someone would be by to stock the fridge. Thank god Matt had had the forethought to do that, else he’d have nothing to feed his angel but stale bread and crackers. Not known for his abilities in the kitchen, James grabbed the eggs from the top shelf and pulled out a pan. He hoped she was okay with eggs, she knew she wasn’t a vegetarian or anything ridiculous like that, he didn’t know if he’d be able to handle it if she was against meat, as his wolf needed all the protein it could get.
The thought left almost as soon as it manifested however, he knew that if she wanted to swear off meat, hell if she wanted to go vegan, he’d let her. Anything his mate wanted she would get, and if it meant he had to choke down pounds of tofu he would.
Making the eggs he wondered when she had managed to slip outside. With his wolf hearing he would have been able to hear the door opening and yet he had slept soundly throughout the whole night. Sniffing the air and listening closely he registered the faint rustling of the breeze through the upstairs window, she must have jumped. Annoyed that she would take such risks with her life, he had to remind himself that she was an independent woman, one who had managed the extremes of the forest, and could surely take care of herself.
Whisking the eggs and pouring them into the pan, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, she was here. He had no clue how she managed to move so effortlessly throughout the house, he knew she had spent time sneaking expertly through the forest, but even so, his wolf senses should have alerted him to her as she approached the house.
Inhaling the scent of fresh air and grass that followed her into the kitchen, he turned around with a smile.
“I’m making eggs.” He motioned towards the stove top at her bewildered expression,
“How ‘bout you sit down, and I’ll get you something to drink while we wait for these to be done, whadda ya say?”
Tilting her head to the side in an almost wolfish manner, she stared at him before moving towards the stool that sat tucked under the island. Flinching at the scraping noise it made as she pulled it out, she placed herself gingerly upon the chair. He could tell she was ill at ease inside his home, and it made his moral drop, he wanted her to feel at home here, what was his was now hers and that included the roof over their heads and the clothes on his back.
He had to remind himself that to her, he was a stranger. That she was in what she would consider to be enemy territory, and that although he knew she had nothing to fear whilst on pack lands, she knew nothing of the sort.
Placing a plate in front of her she stared down at it with curiosity in her eyes. He wondered how long it had been since she had eaten anything other than deer or rabbit. Her hands held the fork and knife gingerly, turning them over in her hands and watching in awe as the light reflected off the metal.
Sitting down across from her he did his best to start a conversation,
“My name is James,” he began slowly, “what’s yours?”
Looking up from her plate she stared up at him. He knew she wasn’t aware of her effect on him but could not help the tingles that went down his spine as she gave him a once over.
“Ren,” she said quietly, the gentle lull of her voice making him lean in instinctively, “Soren.”
He smiled,
“That’s a beautiful name.”
“It was given to me by the winds.” She stated plainly.
“The winds? As in like the actual winds?” She had lost him.
“Yes, of course it was the winds, the trees do not care for names.”
James watched his mate carefully, she spoke what sounded like absolute nonsense and yet she was serious. She honestly thought she had been named by the trees.
“What about your parents, they didn’t name you?” She had told him about being abandoned in the forest, and the thought made his blood boil in his veins, but he didn’t know all the details, like how long she had been out there.
She shook her head,
“I forgot my given name not long after being left,” she began, it was almost as easy to talk to this man as it was to talk to her wolf, it seemed the words just fell from her lips,
“The winds and the trees they took me in, they raised me as best they could, and named me Soren, it comes from the Latin for ‘serious’, they thought it fit well.”
“So, the winds, they speak Latin?” he had a hard time keeping the disbelieving tone from his voice, and it appeared he did not do a very good job.
“You do not have to believe in me or my family, wolfman, that is your choice, but know that the winds are not fond of your kind. They see all. They have been here since the beginning of time and they will be here until the end. Do not presume to understand the depth of their knowledge as I assure you, you will never understand.”
On that note she stood up from the table and left the kitchen, the scent of wind and rain following her as she went outside once more. He was left with his jaw hanging loose in surprise. His angel was fierce and loyal, and he would do well to remember that her loyalty was not yet with him, it was with the forest she had grown up in.
Walking over to the window he assured himself that she was not leaving him, at least not yet. Watching as she stormed down the porch and towards the treeline, he had to stop himself from following. She could manage a couple hours alone, and if she did not return by night fall, he would go and get her, make her listen to him before she rejected him outright.
Going upstairs and into his office he settled in and started on the pile of paperwork that had been growing steadily since his stint in the forest. There was lots to get done and more than enough work to get his mind off of the fierce creature he knew was roaming the wild right outside his window. Hours spent staring at the forms before him were useless, he could not focus without knowing she was safe and sound, he leaned back in his chair and faced the window, waiting for the comforting sight of her emerging from the trees. He would not blink until she was back, and he could finally breathe again.