Hold Back The River

Oliver

Adair perked up when he heard people come into the packhouse. I had buried myself in the work I had let get behind upon Lya’s arrival at the pack. I could already tell Adair was right and the pack would be best off if I started delegating sooner rather than later.

A knock came at the door, but I knew who it was before it even opened.

“You wanted to see me?” Lya asked, poking her head around.

I smiled. “Yeah, feel up for a walk?”

“Sure, but isn’t there someone you wanted me to see?”

“Yep,” I confirmed, “but it’s a bit of a walk to her place.” I stood up and walked around the desk, leading the way out of the packhouse. Lya followed in silence. Luckily, Adair and I had agreed if he was going to insist on sleeping in her room, we’d avoid shifting around her so she didn’t figure out who it was, so I didn’t have to argue with him about what form we walked to my grandmother’s house in.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep myself from reaching out to touch her, settling for walking just a little too close and blaming it on how narrow the footpath was.

“You’re short,” I finally commented, breaking the silence.

Lya shot me a glare. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. You’re tall.”

I chuckled. “That’s not exactly how anyone has described me before.”

“What are you? Six foot? That’s a foot taller, making you tall - at least in comparison,” she quipped.

“5’10, but close.”

Lya rolled her eyes. “Two inches. Big deal. Still tall.”

“Do you have a bit of a Napoleon complex or something?” I looked down at her in time to see her cheeks flush.

“No,” Lya insisted. “Tall is just inconvenient.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Have you ever tried holding hands with someone significantly taller than you?”

“Yeah… when I was a kid,” I said.

Lya nodded. “Exactly.”

“So you don’t like tall people because they are difficult to hold hands with?” I teased.

“There’s other annoying factors,” she grumbled.

“Care to elaborate?”

Lya’s blush deepened. “I-uh… nevermind. Doesn’t matter.”

“Well,” I reached an arm out and draped it over her shoulders. “I think short people make very good arm rests.”

Lya glared up at me through her eyelashes and ducked out from under my arm. “Where are we going?”

“To see one of the pack elders. Figured I’d make a formal introduction.”

Lya breathed in sharply. “Do we have to?”

“No,” I said, “but she’d probably be a good source of information for you. Besides, I haven’t seen her in a few days, so you’re my excuse.”

“You can’t just make a social call?” she asked.

“I could, but she won’t ask me difficult questions if you’re along,” I mused.

Lya scoffed. “Shouldn’t an alpha be going to elders for help in finding the answers to difficult questions?”

“Grandmothers ask much more difficult questions than plain old elders, and their answers tend to include entirely too much logic.” I looked down at her to try and gauge her reaction, but she kept her face stoic. All she did was nod.

Sooner than I would have liked, we stood outside of my grandmother’s cottage. I looked down at Lya again, but I was quickly discovering she was very good at hiding her emotions. I placed my hand on her back to guide her up to the door and knocked. Hardly realizing it, I kept my hand on her back, absently rubbing small circles.

My grandmother took her time getting to the door, but when it opened, she was smiling brightly. “Ollie! Two visits in a week? To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Based on the smell of cookies, you knew we were coming,” I chuckled, reaching out to give her a hug.

“And Lya,” she reached her arms out to Lya. “This is a much better way to meet, don’t you think?”

Lya’s smile was small and awkward, but she nodded. “Marjorie, correct?”

“Yes, but you two come in now, the cookies are fresh.” She ushered us inside and motioned for us to sit down at the table. She bustled around the kitchen and brought back a tray with tea and cookies.

“So Lya, how have you been enjoying pack life?” she asked.

Lya reached for a teacup and sipped it before answering. “It’s an adjustment,” she said slowly.

“But?”

“Everyone has been really nice and welcoming for the most part.” She tapped her fingernail against the cup and bit her lip.

My grandmother reached over and clasped her hand. “You walk a unique path, dear. But keep walking forward; don’t double back on it. Let things be different now.” Lya simply kept her eyes on her tea.

I cleared my throat. “So Grandma, will you be at the full moon on Monday?”

She sighed. “It is an eclipse this month too, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “No pack run.”

“Well my creaky old bones couldn’t do a pack run anyway,” she said.

“What’s happening on Monday?” Lya asked.

“Oh, every full moon, the pack gathers and we have dinner, and usually have a pack run afterwards. We’ve been doing it since my late husband and I were leading the pack,” my grandmother said. “But this month there’s an eclipse, so to honor the original werewolves that were governed more closely by the moon, we do not shift.”

Lya nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. I could only imagine she was relieved about not being obligated to shift and run with a bunch of other wolves in just a couple days.

My grandmother studied Lya. “You and your wolf haven’t figured out how to get along yet, have you?” I shot her a glare. She never skirted around the topic at hand.

“It’s a little better,” Lya sighed. “But I imagine it’s the sort of thing that just takes time.”

Grandma nodded. “But do make sure you spend some time with her - just her. And remember, whatever you feel about her, she feels about you. Now, Ollie,” she turned to face me, “don’t forget to get this girl out and about and actually experiencing the pack.”

“I’m doing my best, Grandma,” I laughed. “Allyssa took her out for breakfast today.”

“Your father selected a very good Beta couple, mostly because Allyssa is such a lovely pack ambassador,” she chuckled. “Now you two head on, I’m sure you both have busy days.” Grandma shooed us out just as quickly as she rushed us in.

“I see what you mean about grandmotherly advice,” Lya said as soon as we were out of earshot of the cottage. “How does she know exactly what you don’t want to talk about, but needs to be discussed?”

I shook my head. “I’ve stopped asking that question. I just tend to listen if she feels like it needs to be said.”

Lya sighed, and we continued on in silence.

“So how are you doing? Really.” I hoped this question wasn’t getting redundant.

Lya stopped and looked up at me. Her amber eyes were wide. “Honestly?”

“Honestly,” I confirmed.

“I really don’t know other than this is a lot and it’s weird.” She looked down at the ground. “One minute I’m starting to get comfortable and think life here wouldn’t be so bad, and then I find out my best friend was plotting my murder. Then I start to relax again for some dumb reason and things get overwhelming again. I haven’t even had time to stop and think about what even landed me here in the first place, and I know when I start unpacking that shit it’s going to be a whole fiasco all over again.”

I reached out and pulled Lya close, locking my arms around her. She sucked in a breath and stiffened, but slowly relaxed into me. Her arms snaked out around me and she took a few deep breaths. I grazed my lips across her hair before letting her go.

“Thanks,” Lya mumbled. She kept her eyes to the ground, but I could tell they were at least a bit misty.