Shifters were common around the mountain towns, mainly because they could live a life of solitude. It was easier to go off into the woods and shift freely than to struggle with the weight of a career and a stressful life in the city. Depending on the shifter, certain levels of stress were known to trigger one's abilities. Rowan had learned that he would shift whenever he felt overwhelmed by his anger, or when he thought too much about the past. That was why he was always trying to suppress it. He always felt as if he was running from something, but he was mainly just running from the wolf.
He kept himself busy, and chopping wood for his cabin was one of those tasks where he could safely release some of the tension he felt.
Brian gulped down a beer almost in a single swig, waiting for an answer.
"I just knew it was her," Rowan said. "I recognized her immediately. Even though she’s changed so much."
Brian shrugged. "Yeah that's usually what time does to people," he joked.
Rowan didn't respond, which was strange to Brian. Rowan was always somewhat down, but never this low.
"Did you say anything to her?" Brian asked.
Rowan raised his ax, eyeing the log in front of him. He dropped his hands with a single breath, and the wood was splintered in half as the ax came down.
"I blew it," he said. "I couldn't even think of anything to say to her. She probably just thinks I'm a random creep. She even saw my fake name."
“But you said you think she recognized you. Isn’t that enough to start a conversation?”
“I know, but people change, Brian. Besides, how weird would that have been for me just to call her by her name after fifteen years? She doesn’t even know where I have been during that time. You think she’d be a little weirded out don’t you think?”
Rowan began to struggle with the ax. It slid clumsily from under his hands. Brian put down his beer bottle and held out his hand.
"You're going to chop your hand off," he said. "Take a seat while I show you how a bear does it."
Rowan watched as Brian effortlessly swung the ax into the wood as if it were cardboard.
"I think there's something you're not really wanting to say here, Rowie," Brian said in between chops. Rowan looked at the ground. Brian always joked that Rowan wore his heart on his sleeve, and it really got on Rowan's nerves how well he could read him. Maybe it was a strange sense that shifters shared, the gift to be in tune with other creatures in nature.
“I’m scared, man,” Rowan said as he took a swig of his own beer. He liked to drink every now and then, especially when the nights were at their worst. He hated the times where he couldn’t get himself under control, and when he’d have to spend the night out in the woods, fearing that if he stayed in his cabin the wolf would destroy every inch of it.
“What do you have to be scared of?” Brian asked, his brows sweaty.
“Mia was my best friend,” Rowan said quietly. “I’d give anything to spend another day with her, to try to piece together everything that happened with us.”
“That sounds like a reasonably healthy friendship,” Brian shrugged. “What’s there to lose?”
Rowan hated thinking about this. He always fantasized what it would be like to meet Mia again. With those fantasies came the harsh reality. He was carrying this curse with him, and if he ever wanted to be that close to Mia again, he would have to tell her about it. Who knows how she would react to that news? Rowan thought of the moment over and over in his head like a horrible loop.
“I could lose everything,” Rowan said. “What am I supposed to say? ‘Hey, surprise! It’s your best friend Rowan. Remember when I got attacked by wolves? Well do I have some news for you…‘“
“You don’t have to make it so dramatic,” Brian said. “From everything you’ve told me, this girl sounds like she used to be everything to you. It shouldn’t be that hard to tell her the truth. But you have to start small. Take it in steps.”
"I don't think it'll ever be how it used to be," Rowan said, leaning far back into his seat. He looked up at the clouds. The sky was blood-red as the sun sank below the horizon. The sight of it was haunting, almost reminiscent of the sky he had looked up at when he was lying on the cold forest floor, the blood spilling out from the deep gashes in his stomach. He was just fourteen. He'd only seen that kind of gore in the movies his parents didn't let him watch, at the time. He wasn't prepared for the cruel reality that was in front of him. When the wolves had finally left him, he looked up at that blood-red sky, waiting for death. He cried when he thought he would never see Mia again.
There he was, thinking about the past again. He could feel his body shaking, but a firm hand rested on his shoulder.
“Hey don’t you go wolf on me now, buddy,” Brian said.
Rowan patted his hand in appreciation. It was good to have someone like him around, someone that could understand the pain that goes along with being a shifter. It made him feel less alone, but Brian’s presence certainly couldn’t relieve the awful tension that came with the wolf’s need to mate.
For a second, Rowan pictured Mia in that diner. She had changed so much, but she looked even more beautiful than Rowan remembered. He knew that deep down he had always cared for Mia, ever since they were children. But he could feel a strange transformation of his feelings, from innocent youthful daydreams to desires of a far more mature nature.
“Thanks for listening,” Rowan said to Brian. Brian sat on the ground next to him, getting back to his beer, his forehead glistening with sweat now.
“Always here, friend,” Brian said.
“Do you think she would talk to me?” Rowan asked. “Even after all this time?”
Brian shrugged. “That’s something you’re going to have to find out for yourself,” he said firmly. “I think your problem is that you’re looking at this through the same thirteen-year-old lens.”
“What do you mean?” Rowan asked.
"I mean, that people are always changing, which means things are going to be different. But it's an easy fix, Rowan." He tapped his temple with a large finger and winked. "All you have to do is change what's up here."
Rowan was surprised at Brian’s solid advice. Most of the time he would get distracted talking about his hunting stories. But something about his words stuck in Rowan’s head.
He went for a run with his friend. Sometimes a good sprint through the forest did wonders for his body, and helped subdue the wolf inside. Brian bounded next to him, a giant brown bear who’s incredible mass shuddered with each step. They ran to a nearby waterfall, where they could shift and jump into the cold rush of the flowing water. There was a sort of calmness to this routine, and as Rowan watched Brian perched at the top of the waterfall, swinging his enormous paw into the river to catch fish, he wondered if it would be all too much for someone like Mia to comprehend.
He hated to think of it, but maybe he was content here after all. He hated being a wolf, but suffering as a lone wolf was much easier than having someone else have to worry about him. Rowan dipped his feet into the cold water, naked and free. But what good was his freedom if he could never connect with Mia again? Would it haunt him just as worse if he knew he had another chance that he didn't take? Rowan pondered this as the water numbed his toes.
He knew his sense of content was false. Otherwise, he wouldn't have this nagging buzz in his chest, whenever he thought of Mia and of her beautiful, wide eyes as she looked at him when he had saved her once again.
CHAPTER 5: REFUGE
Music was blaring as the townspeople came alive after their working hours. They made the pilgrimage to the closest bar, nestled at the farthest corner of the town. Mia was among the worn-out group, but decided to take her place at the end of the bar. She quietly shifted her glass of rum and Coke from one hand to the other. Mingling wasn't on her mind, even though Birchton was basically her new home. Instead, her mind wandered, with thoughts of Rowan and the strange new feelings that her dream had brought her. If that really was him, who had saved
her the other day, why did he run off like that?
Mia felt so conflicted. Dare she take the risk to find Frank Richards, or Rowan, again? For the past few days, she had wondered if she would run into him, just casually on the streets. She walked around town after her shifts, looking for any sign of the man with the messy dark hair. Soon, she was occupied with other fantasies. What do you say to someone who's been a ghost for fifteen years? Would she embrace him; something she had longed to do since the day he disappeared? She imagined these make-believe scenarios, just small flashes of hope in her mind when she might possibly have Rowan back in her life.
The room had filled up now. It was a Friday night, and everyone was looking to let loose after their week of hard labor. Mia was certainly feeling exhausted from working again, but she knew that she needed to keep her funds up, in case she needed to run. That near-sighting of Grey, if it even was Grey, bothered her. She had gone straight home to lock her doors and waited for the worst, but he had never come to get her. He only terrorized her in her dreams. He didn't bust through the door, and grab her by the arm as he had done that night she had first tried to run.
She was hiding in a motel that night, but she stayed too close to home. Grey knew everybody, especially the prostitutes and drug dealers that also frequented the same motel. Within moments they had found Mia, and soon Grey appeared, his face twisted and red with rage. It took a few weeks for all of her bruises to heal. That's when Mia really started to plan, but it would be several months until she gained the courage to run again.
Grey was charming at first. There were dinner dates and nights out dancing, not to mention the sex had been great. But it wasn't long until Grey had completely transformed into a true monster. He would disappear late at night, and come home with stacks of cash, never saying where he got it from. Then Mia found the drugs. They were hidden in a stash jar made to look like a soda can. When she brought it up, Grey showed her the true nature that he'd been hiding the entire time they'd been together. Soon Mia became a prisoner in their apartment.
Mia drank quickly. She needed to stop thinking about him. She didn’t come out, all this way, only to get caught again. Rowan could help me, she thought. If only Rowan knew what was going on, then maybe he could do something about it. He always had a solution for everything. Then again, was that man even Rowan? She jumped at the sound of a beer bottle smashing. Laughter surrounded her, coming from tables of regulars that often shot her a glance. Everywhere she went, she was reminded that she was an outsider.
It was almost like being in school again, finding somewhere to sit at the lunch table. But Mia didn’t feel like making friends. So when the same dark-haired, thick-mustached cop from the diner walked over to her, she found herself completely unprepared and a little uneasy.
“How’s it going?” He asked smoothly as he took a seat on the empty stool next to hers. Mia nodded, firmly clutching her empty glass. The cop, dressed in casual clothes this time, noticed it. “Can I get you another one?” He asked. Mia kept her eyes on the counter, only letting them slip to the side every now and then. She didn’t want this guy getting a good look at her face.
“I’m fine, thanks,” Mia said. Typically she would have let any man buy her a drink. She was used to partying and hanging around in bars, drinking until the sun came up. But this one felt different. Everything is different when you’re on the run. The cop turned his whole body towards her, filling up her peripheral.
“You’re new around here, huh? Saw you were working for Louise.”
Mia had prepared for everything; even a phony story in case someone asked her too many questions. “Just passing through,” she said. “Saving money to help my mom.” She’d leave it at that, but this guy wouldn’t stop.
“My name’s Craig,” Craig said, holding out his hand. Mia looked at it, unsure, but eventually reached out and shook it. When she let go she felt a twinge of regret, as if she had slipped up in her false narrative.
“Jamie,” she said.
"Nice to meet you, Jamie. You like it out here in Birchton?"
“So far.”
“You looked like you could use some company,” Craig said. “If you don’t mind having me?”
He looked at her with steely eyes, as if he were trying to read her mind. It was all getting to be too much for Mia. She was used to guys wanting to sit with her in places like this, but Craig was studying her. She could have sworn that his dark eyes were almost hungry.
"I was actually on my way out," Mia said as she slid off of her bar stool. As she passed by Craig, she felt a hand snatch at her wrist, pulling her backward. It felt nothing like the careful grasp of her rescuer's hand the other day. This was far more menacing. Mia gave Craig a nervous smile, as she gently tried to tug her hand away. But Craig held firm. Mia's heart began to pound as she looked around the bar, nervous. Did anyone else notice how strange this was?
Craig kept a calm demeanor, his eyes flashing from overly-friendly to more sinister. “Careful walking around at night,” he said in a taunting voice. “You never know what’s running around out there.”
Mia stared into those dark eyes for what felt like hours until he finally released her hand.
"Are you a cop even when you're not on duty?" She said to him and instantly regretted it. Craig grabbed his beer bottle without a word, just a sly half-smile as he walked past her.
"I'm a lot of things," he said quietly. "With a mouth like that, you might just find out what they are."
Mia’s feet pounded against the sidewalk. She bunched her coat closer to her, trying to keep the icy winds of an oncoming storm from piercing through her clothes. She needed to get back to her loft, before she got drenched. But she could hardly think about that. Her mind was on fire with thoughts of Grey, and the way Craig had stared her down. It almost felt as if it was Grey himself watching her. She racked her brain for any sort of backup plan. But there wasn’t any, just the hope of her tiny loft waiting for her above the glowing diner. She looked around her, the memory of Craig’s ominous words echoing in her ears, pouring from the dark, surrounding her as she realized she was truly alone on the streets.
Then the rain came. First it was a light spritz, then a torrential downpour that soaked into Mia’s shoes. She cursed under her breath as she finally saw her loft just several steps away. Instinctively she looked behind her only to find that nobody was there, though she could somehow feel a strange warm breath on the back of her neck. She broke into a run, bounding up the creaking rotting steps to her loft.
She was relieved that she had made it unscathed and longed for the warmth of the room to wash over her. When she opened the door though, she was met with the horrible sight of more water, gushing from the ceiling and coating the floor. A surprised Louise was already there, holding her jacket over her head in a poor attempt to stay dry. Next to her was a repairman, staring at the burst pipe in the corner of the room that soaking Mia’s mattress and he seemed just as baffled as Louise did.
"What happened?" Mia asked. Louise shook her head, annoyed at the incompetent repairman trying to shut off the water.
"Pipes burst," Louise said. "Seeped right into the kitchen, too. Jesus, I need a cigarette." Mia almost followed her out but she stared at her belongings, realizing in horror that everything was about to be ruined. Especially her most important possession. She dove for the mattress, despite the repairman's warnings. With the water flooding over her, she grabbed her duffle bag and threw her nearly wet clothes into it.
"Won't be completely dry until Wednesday or so," Louise said as she took a drag from her cigarette. Mia's stomach dropped. There was nowhere else for her to go. She looked at the rainy streets, now empty. Everyone was safe in their homes. "Is there anywhere else to stay until then?" Mia asked, already feeling hopeless with her duffle bag in tow.
Louise shook her head. "I'm sorry, Hun. The closest place is the motel, but it's about a half hour by car," she said. "I'd let you stay with me but my husband's not too keen on strangers." Mia
nodded, still studying the street. Without another thought, she pulled her hood over her head. "It's alright," she said. "I think I know a place."
It was a huge risk, but she waited until Louise was gone before she stepped into the woods. She didn’t know where he’d be, but this was the last place she had seen him go. He couldn’t be too far out. This is stupid, she thought to herself as she stepped over rotted tree trunks. The smell of the woods filled her nose, and she noticed that it had been the first time she’d been in a forest since that fateful day.
She heard something crashing through the leaves nearby. So many phantoms invaded her mind of what it could be. It was Grey. It was Craig, with his sinister smile. As she ducked under a thick branch she eventually found the truth.
It was a wolf, and it watched her with bright eyes. Before Mia could tell if it was her imagination, her foot had already slipped from the ledge. And then she fell, sliding and tumbling down the steep hill without a sound.
CHAPTER 6: FRIENDS
Mia awoke to the sound of pipes creaking, and for a moment she thought she was back in her soaking wet loft. She sat up, only to find that her entire body felt like it was on fire. Her muscles ached with horrible tension as she adjusted herself to a seated position. What had happened out there in the woods? She felt the scratchy touch of a wool blanket against her hand and ran her hand along the flowery pattern. She recognized it almost immediately. Now she really felt like she was in a dream. What was Rowan's mother's blanket doing on this bed? She had seen it dozens of times on the family's couch whenever she visited.
And there it was right in front of her again, still as colorful and flowery as it had always been. She smiled faintly, still feeling a little strange. That had to mean that the commotion coming from the bathroom was someone she knew. Rowan.
Gathering her strength, she inched herself off of the bed. Her legs were freezing, as were her toes when they touched the wooden floor. She was wearing her t-shirt, but where were her pants? Looking down at her bare legs, she noticed they were covered in cuts and scrapes; presumably from her fall in the woods. The last thing she remembered was that wolf, or had it even been a wolf? She remembered falling, tumbling violently against the ground before landing hard on her back. The wind was knocked from her chest, and she stared up at the blackness surrounding her while she felt the rain pelt her face.
Seeking The Alpha (Wolf Pack Chronicles Series Book 1) Page 4
