#11

His POV
She was hiding behind an inquisitive wall of formality. Finding questions that satisfied her need for understanding while keeping things impersonal. I bristled a little, wanting to get to know her but not wanting to push and possibly have her bolt. Her questions were based on her basic knowledge of our lupin lore. I kept things simple in response, not wanting to overwhelm her with unnecessary details. Every time she caught up to me, her hand instinctively brushed my fur, and it was all I could do not to roll over to request a belly rub.

When she didn’t have a question, she seemed lost in herself. Sometimes she’d hum or voice out a haunting wordless melody as she moved through the trees and brush as if she was at one with the forest. It was almost as if these songs bared her soul. As her sadness weighed down my heart at the eerie notes she created. I looked up at my mate, feeling the burden on my heart that was hers. When I reached into her mind, it was like the surroundings in nature were the balm to the weariness that dwelled there.

I decided to ask her about her people and family. Hoping to give her a distraction while getting to know her. Her response chilled me as I felt the ghost of heartache so deeply filling her mind. Our bond was unique. I could sense her emotions without prying and they cut my soul deeply. As much as I wanted to give her space, I couldn't stand to allow the loneliness to consume her. I shifted, spinning, and immediately wrapped her in a firm embrace. She may have shed tears, but my soul felt righted comforting its mate. I openly invited the feeling of steadying her, of being her rock in the hardest places when the fierce woman in front of me needed to break and rebuild. I’d be her mortar every time. Whatever her story was didn’t matter. We found each other and I would be here for her in whatever capacity she would allow. The words I spoke I meant from the deepest crevice in my soul. Pulling away from her then was the hardest thing I've done in my 27 years. I had a lot to learn about the strong woman before me. She wasn’t the girl she appeared to be. She was an old soul, and was probably more mature than I. The further we went, I could feel her heart lift as if hope resided in each passing step. Her hope had nothing to do with me, and I chided myself. She knew nothing of mates. I explained nothing. I was too much of a pussy to face the fact she may not want what I had to offer. Too afraid to lose what I had just found. Then there was always that thing looming over me that I didn't want to accept.

As she would dip into her comfortable silence, I remember my foretold duty. I inwardly growled at the frustration that brought. Mother always said to follow my heart and if things were meant to be, all would fall into place. But the heavy weight of the crown I never wanted just made things more unpredictable. Could I pull her into my world? Couldn’t we just escape together and live a quiet life? I sighed. Dreams were not reality and responsibilities were not to be neglected. Something told me my mate could stand with me in whatever the coming days would bring if I played my cards right. She was resilient as well as beautiful and strong. I could sense her soul’s compassion. Whatever power she wheeled didn’t matter, it just made me more in awe of the blessing bestowed on me.

Her pov

He was so easy to be around. I didn’t know if that was the lonely girl talking, the fact that he doubled as a large pet, or if it was something more. I didn’t want to dream about things I couldn’t have. The image of his panty-melting physique came to mind, and I swallowed hard, pushing the thoughts away, burying them deep. Who knows what the wolf had access to in my mind? He wasn’t nosing about in there, but I wasn’t sure if he could see my direct thoughts. He answered my questions but didn’t bring forth much more than what I asked. I’d tune in and out, letting nature seep into me as it had been years since I felt safe enough to just be. The silence was comfortable. Out here I could be myself. Out here, with others who were also different. Away from the prying eyes of greed and jealousy. Maybe out here I could just be me.

I whispered the words as I washed the rabbit in the creek while we took a break. The wolf had dropped it at my feet not that long ago, seeming very proud of himself. We would eat both his and mine from the previous morning. I placed it on a rock while I began banking for a fire. "Want to fetch some sticks?" I raised a brow at him. He laughed in my mind. I shook my head, but he got up anyway from where he had laid watching me. And wandered into the brush. He came back with a few large sticks damp with slobber. "Good Alpha," I said condescendingly. If a wolf could give you a ludicrous look, he did. He knew just what I was doing. Shrugging and grinning at him, I pulled out my knife, continuing with the ritual. Cutting my hand again and swirled the blood painting it on my hand and my temple. I added some of my gathered stores and made blood stew again for lunch. He got the pot after I ate half of it. He licked it clean, then I washed it out in the river and staunched the fire. We traipsed on. He never once made me feel uncomfortable. It was a freeing, yet foreign feeling.

‘Why don't you even grimace at that taste? Most humans can barely stomach it?’ I heard his curious voice in my mind. “My father, ever the traditionalist, believed in the old ways. I’ve never eaten a living creature that wasn't caught and blessed. Most of my people simply refrain from meats and animal products. My father believed in the balance of things.” “Nothing will go to waste that I take from nature.” “From the bones that will feed the earth, to the blood and flesh that will feed my body and the pelt that will warm me.” The wolf half nodded, seeming to appreciate my answer. I tied off my rabbit to my pack. “We'll have to stop early. I’ll need to scrape the hides,” I told him. ‘I can sense colder weather coming,’ he said. ‘We will need decent shelter and a fire.’ He said in my mind. I nodded. "Have a place in mind?" I asked. ‘It’s a little out of the way, but as long as a bear hasn't taken residence, we should be safe.’ “Ok,” I nodded, gesturing for him to lead the way.

We headed into the even craggier terrain; the trees thinning. He stopped sniffing the air ‘Wait here, let me check it out.’ It was a cave with a large enough mouth to crouch through. We'd probably need the fire at the mouth of the cave so we wouldn't smoke ourselves out. He came back, his tail wagging. ‘Coast is clear,’ he spoke. I held up the towel and dropped it on his head. “Dinner and conversation with moving lips for a change.” He morphed human, pulling the towel around his waist without haste. I shook my head. “No shame?” I asked. “Does your goddess teach you to shame yourself?” The man asked with a mischievous grin. He came close to me, my skin prickling at his nearness “because I haven’t seen anything to be ashamed about.” He stated cooly. My cheeks reddened and my heartbeat spiked. “I have no shame in nakedness,” I replied, turning my back to him, trying to instill in my mind to stay clear-headed.
“Just a fair sense of modesty,” I shot back. “Does my nakedness bother you that much,” he asked so near my ear I could feel the heat of his body and the heat of his breath. I swallowed stopping the hitch in my exhale. “No, it's,” I paused grasping for words.

“You know *to ghealladh* (my betrothed), you have nothing to be shameful of. You are very beautiful.” He stated matter-of-factly. His finger twirled the end of a strand of my caramel locks, his words caressed me in a way I was not accustomed to. I paused as I had been rummaging in my pack as a chilling thought came to mind. The blush drained from my face. “How long have you been following me?” The behemoth of a man looked nervous. He looked down and nodded to himself. “I’ve been with you since the waterfall.” He looked back up at me like he was debating if he’d need to backpedal. I faced him, my mouth agape. “What did you see?” I hissed. “I was just a wild thing in the woods. You weren't hiding from the chipmunks and squirrels.” He raised a brow at me as I stammered. My secret was out. Pure stupidity Aurora, you have done it now. I chastised myself. Feeling betrayed by myself-negligence. I sat on a rock and sighed, trying to push the embarrassment and dread out of my mind before he picked up on it. “I guess witches nowadays don't dance naked in the woods,” he questioned. He was trying to hide a smirk. "Yes, we do, but we normally wouldn't have a wolfman stalking us while we practiced our abilities. Especially ones we don’t even allow our coven to see," I countered in duress, trying to quell my temper rising. His expression dropped as he seemed to register the gravity of what he had witnessed. "Why is that?" He tossed back at me. I warred with myself and then eyed him. Realizing without killing him, I was caught. In my heart, it felt right to reveal my secret to this person of fate.

"I'm not your average witch, as you may have gathered. If you know another witch that lives among you, you know most of us have limited gifts like my brother. Though he is a prodigy in his own right, he has gifts in healing and his element is fire. I have gifts in foresight and divination. I can perform almost any task another witch can with minimal effort. Among other things, I can control all elements, and I can pull more energy on my own than my entire coven can together. I am *den mhathair* (of The Mother). She blessed my parents with her true essence placed in their child. When they realized what I was, we kept it within the family. My parents feared for my safety if it got around to what I was. My aunt taught me utmost control from a toddler to teach me to hide it." I didn’t meet his eyes at first, not wanting to know how he would take this. Bringing a supremely powerful being into his pack, his home. He just may change his mind about that. However, I took a deep breath and turned to face him, fully meeting his eyes. I was no coward.