by Arizona Tape
I looked up and to my dismay, had to agree that the incoming clouds definitely felt ominous. I would bet a full meal they weren't just going to pass us by.
"I will collect more firewood before the rain soaks it all," he added. And with those words, Regan disappeared into the forest, the rest of the group looking plenty relieved they didn't have to get up yet.
"Darren, you make travelling in the wild so much more pleasant," Ashleigh sighed as she pushed her clean plate to the side and patted her stomach. "Damn, am stuffed."
"M-M-Me too. I can't eat another b-bite," JP sighed, as he pushed his plate away. There were still a couple of potatoes left over and I knew I wasn't the only one eyeing them hungrily. What can I say? Camping makes me hungry.
"Even for a human, you eat surprisingly little," Darren remarked, as he distributed the remaining potatoes equally on our empty plates.
"Wait, hang on, JP is human?" I asked, my cheeks stuffed with potato.
"Y-Yes, I am," he confirmed, as he awkwardly glanced around the group. I stared at the slender guy and suddenly, it made all much more sense. Of course, he was human.
"Yes, he is human. You have a problem with that?" I heard from behind me. I turned around and was met with an angry looking Danny. Her upper lip was curled up in a mean snarl and her eyes were blazing. Quite frankly, she was scary. Bye bye, cheery Danny.
"No, I don't have a problem with it. I’m just surprised. In my tribe, wolf and man usually don't mix very well..." I muttered, thinking back to how even my own blood had treated me like I was dirt on the street.
"If you don't mix with humans, you can just fuck off!" Danny yelled, surprising me with her harsh language. I had never seen her like this before.
I put up my hands, hoping to show her it didn't matter to me but I was suddenly looking at someone's back.
"She is not fucking off!" Ashleigh hissed back at Danny, shielding me from the furious redhead.
"If she has a problem with JP, yeah she will!"
"I don't care if she has a problem with the great Wolf himself, she stays," Ashleigh yelled back, baring her teeth at the girl she called "best friend".
"Oh yeah? You want to fight me?" Danny shrieked as she channelled all her anger at my mate. I felt the wolf inside me stir as she urged me to defend Ashleigh.
"Wow, ladies, calm down. You don't need to fight," I quickly spoke up, jumping to my feet and stepping in between the two women.
"Oh-oh, now she has done it..." I heard a little voice from behind me, as I saw Darren, Aspen and JP sitting suspiciously far away.
"Get out of my way!" the redhead bellowed, her face ugly with angry lines. I wondered where the bubbly girl had gone.
"Akira, stay away from her. She is crazy!" my mate yelled back, looking equally as angered as the other girl. However, it made her look quite sexy, I must admit.
"I don't care that JP is human," I stammered, but my words were lost in the wind as the two women suddenly charged at each other. Ashleigh pushed me out of the way as she full on tackled the redhead.
“You’re going down!"
"I will eat your face!"
"You fight like your grandma's butt!"
"Bite me, snow cone!"
"Snarky shit snack!"
"Poopy pitta bread flap!"
"Stinky meat stick!"
"Leaky barf bowl!"
A tirade of colourful and completely absurd insults rained down on us as the two women rolled over the forest floor, kicking and screaming at each other.
"Dreamy chicken nozzle!"
"Sweaty pillow ass!"
"Lousy snot tube!"
"Dirty twat waffle!"
I would've laughed at all the ridiculous insults if Danny and Ashleigh weren't simultaneously pulling out each other's hairs and drawing lines in each other's skin. Danny seemed to be gnawing on Ashleigh's arm, while she was being held down by her in an awkward choke hold.
"What is going on here?" a loud voice suddenly boomed over the shrieking woman, making them stop dead in their tracks.
From the forest, Regan appeared, carrying a stack of logs that would've probably taken me three trips.
"She started it!" Danny hastily pointed at the dark-haired girl, who immediately jumped to her feet and shook her head.
"No, you attacked my mate!"
"She doesn't like JP!"
"She never said that," Ashleigh growled, now pulling out her own hairs in frustration.
Upon hearing that, Regan ignored the whiny girls and turned towards me. "You got a problem with JP?"
I held up my hands. "No! JP is awesome, I couldn't care less that he is human," I defended myself, throwing a desperate look at the intimidating man. Both Regan and Danny could be quite scary if they wanted to be.
He glared at me for another second, before his look softened and his stance relaxed. "Alright then." He turned back to Danny, scooped her up from the ground and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"You kicking up trouble again, little lady?" he asked her, not unkindly. The moment he touched her, I could just see her anger melt away. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she let her head rest against his broad chest.
"Sorry..."
They wandered off into the forest and nobody seemed to feel the urge to stop them. On the contrary, the boys seemed quite relieved Regan showed up when he did. So that is what they meant with him containing the crazy. That sure was one hell of a skill he had. I was suddenly grateful that Danny had Regan in her life.
Now that he was dealing with his side of crazy, I should probably handle mine.
"You okay?" I asked Ashleigh, who was leaning against a tree.
"Yeah, had worse," she grimaced as she spat out some blood.
“You’re hurt."
She conjured a strained smile on her face. "Nothing to worry about," she muttered.
"Let me see your arm." I brought her hand up to my face so I could inspect the bite mark I knew Danny left. I turned both her arms around, wondering where the bruise was.
"Not to worry, I’m a fast healer," my raven-haired beauty spoke as her slender fingers found my face. She brushed a stray lock of hair away. "Besides, it was worth it."
I caught her hand and rested my cheek against her palm. “You’re absolutely crazy," I whispered, but I couldn't help but answer her smile with one of my own.
"Crazy about you," she flirted, making my cheeks heat up. So Aspen wasn't the only charmer in the family.
"Next time, please don't dive head first into a fight?" I asked, giving her my best puppy eyes, hoping it would persuade her.
She flicked my nose. "When it comes to you, can't make any promises," she cheekily grinned.
"Well... It was kind of sexy..." I admitted, noticing how close she was standing to me. I could see the specks of gold floating in her icy blue eyes. It was stunning. She was stunning.
"Oh yeah, you liked watching me?" she grinned, her forehead now touching mine as she leant in closer.
"I always like watching you," I flirted back, her face so close I could feel her eyelashes flutter over my skin as the softest butterflies. Just a little bit more...
Just a little bit...
"Ash! Akira!" a high-pitched voice suddenly trumpeted from across the clearing and like two busted kids, we jumped apart. Danny came running out of the dark treeline and ran towards Ashleigh again. This time, for a hug.
"I’m so sorry, I didn't want to hurt you. Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to hurt you," she cried as Ashleigh wrapped her arms around the redhead.
"I know, I know. You didn't hurt me. I’m sorry too."
The two women embraced each other tightly, all traces of their fighting gone with the wind. It was odd, to say the least. I awkwardly stepped away from the two girls making up and decided to join the guys in breaking up camp. If we didn't move soon, the outburst between the two girls wasn't the only we wouldn't witness today. The sky looked like it was ready to release a lot of anger onto us.
"Ladies, let's wrap i
t up. Storm isn't far away," Regan interrupted the reunion, making the two women part.
"I-I-I believe he is right," JP agreed as he scratched the moss off from a fallen tree behind him. "W-W-We should find shelter,"
"Yes, I saw a cave about a mile back!" Darren chimed in as he enthusiastically waved in the direction of nowhere.
“You’re telling me you saw a cave and you had me sleep in the open air?" Danny inquired, shooting daggers with her eyes at the oblivious boy.
"We like the open air!" Darren countered, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"No, you like the open air," the redhead corrected him, but seeing how happy Darren looked, she shook her head in defeat. "Whatever... We need to find that cave before the clouds release their anger onto us."
The group jumped into action as empty plates disappeared back into packs, furs got rolled up and tents came crashing down.
"Maybe we will have some fresh snow?" Darren dreamily sighed, making Danny scoff loudly behind him.
"I hope not. Freaking snow everywhere. I hate it," she grumbled as she threw her long, red hairs over her shoulder.
"M-M-Maybe it is just rain," JP diplomatically said as heaved a backpack that looked far too heavy for his calibre effortlessly on his slender shoulders. Unbelievable. That guy just kept on surprising me.
"Guys, can you shut up about the weather?" Ashleigh sighed as she let herself fall down on her backpack. "How is it that my pack keeps getting bigger and bigger?" she growled as she fought a losing battle against one of her furs. Furiously, she tore open the pack and pulled out a vest.
"Aspen? Is this yours?!" she scowled as she threw a dark jacket at her brother. He let his shoulders hang, obviously disappointed he got busted.
"A guy can try..." he mumbled under his breath, looking distastefully at the vest like it had murdered his puppies. "I don't want clothes," he whined, holding up the jacket by its sleeve like it was something dirty.
A loud snort escaped from somewhere. Oops, it was me. "Yeah, I noticed,"
"Guys, the weather really is changing." Regan's voice boomed over us as he pointed up towards the sky. During the constant bickering this group tended to do, the clouds had rapidly closed in on us.
The group collectively sighed as they all heaved their backpacks on their shoulders, picked up the last remnants of camp and got ready to retrace their footsteps. JP quickly stomped into the ashy fire pit once more, making sure the fire was really out, while Regan conjured a map out of nowhere. Danny was leaning over his arm to give out directions and Aspen and Ashleigh were tugging on the vest as now they both seemed to want it.
I sighed. Should I really stay with this group for any longer than I should? They were exhausting, all the chattering and the bickering, it was almost too much.
Sure, the company was nice and it definitely took a load off task wise. I had already gotten used to having Aspen as my travel companion and Darren's cooking was to die for. JP was probably one of the most interesting people I had come across in years and Danny's cheeriness was contagious. Being around Regan definitely made me feel more secure and I would bet he could find dry firewood in the middle of the ocean. Seriously, that guy had a gift.
And then there was Ashleigh. Beautiful, stunning Ashleigh who woke my wolf every time she looked at me.
But I had a mission to accomplish. And I couldn't just abandon my tribe just to chase after my mate. I needed to make my way to the East and bring back the Winter Stone... I had already lost so many days, although staying with them had helped me rejuvenate. I felt strong enough to travel further, maybe even go out on a hunt. I couldn't keep relying on the group to feed me, could I?
But going out on my own... That meant leaving Ashleigh behind. And as much as I wanted to free my wolf, as much as I wanted to honour my grandparents and finally make my family proud, it all seemed to fade into the background. This was my mate, how could I not stray from my mission to follow her to the ends of this realm?
I tore my eyes up into the sky, counting out the days I had been gone and wondering about how much time I had left before spring would arrive.
How long had I been gone in total? Three weeks? Maybe more? How many days had I lost since I found Aspen? Could I afford to stall even a little? But then again, they were moving in the right direction. Travelling a little bit further with them couldn't hurt, right?
As long as they headed towards the East, it would be stupid to not join them... But I would be able to travel faster on my own...
"Akira, you coming?" I peered up as Ashleigh's crystal voice called for me. While I had been lost in thought, the gang had started disappearing into the forest. Aspen in the front with Regan and Danny in tow. Not far behind them, JP followed suit while Darren strayed a little to the side as he seemed to be admiring a winter flower. And last, but definitely not least, Ashleigh.
She pulled up an eyebrow as she stared curiously at me. Somehow, none of them even seemed to consider travelling without me.
My wolf stirred inside my chest. Of course, I was coming.
"Yes, right behind you!" I hastily called out to her, scrambling up from my spot as I ran to her. A beautiful smile appeared on her lips that lightened up her whole face as she nudged me with her shoulder.
"What were you so intensely thinking about?" she questioned, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Nothing," I grinned, as I followed the rest of the gang. Effectively, albeit temporarily, joining their pack.
That was the smart thing to do, right? I mean... How bad could it really be? At least only two of them were my mates, right?
Right...?
Chapter 7. The Cave
Darren had been right about the cave. About a mile ahead, we found the rather well-hidden entrance to what looked like a deserted cave. At least, I hoped it was empty. Even surrounded by the pack, I still didn't feel like intruding on a Black Bear's home.
"Tadaa," Darren proudly grinned, happily tapping the rocky wall. "Home sweet home?"
Danny groaned and I knew why. A dry cave was definitely much preferred over the unprotected spot I had chosen as my campsite.
"Looks great, love..." she sighed, kissing Darren softly as he seemed rather pleased with himself for discovering the cave. To be fair, I probably wouldn't have found it if I hadn't him to guide me.
"We are spending the next nights here. We should gather more firewood, snow and edibles before the storm traps us," Regan grimly said, his hand above his eyes as he peered up into the grey sky.
I followed his gaze and nodded my head as I saw the dark clouds gathering above our heads. As usual, he was probably right.
Beside me, Aspen nodded. “You’re right. Let's get it done before the moon appears. Regan, firewood. JP, food. Anything you can find. Ash, you’re in charge of snow. Darren and Danny, you two set up camp inside. I'll join Regan and Akira, you can join JP or Ash, whatever suits you the best," he spoke, quickly and efficiently organising all of us. The group collectively nodded, scattering at the entrance of the cave to get all the tasks done before the night took over. As childish and immature they all liked to behave at times, when it came down to it, they were all far more responsible and well organised than I was.
I looked between JP and Ashleigh, contemplating which one I should join, but the thought hadn't even grown cold as I felt my legs automatically run towards my mate. I grinned. Why was I still pretending I could stay away from her?
Finally, we'd have some alone time.
Mine. My wolf happily yipped, as Ashleigh's smirk told me she knew I wouldn't have been able to resist joining her.
With Ashleigh's pinky finger brushing totally accidental not accidental over the back of my hand, we strutted into the forest, for the first time, leaving the rest of the group behind us.
The first snow of the day had already started falling and as it did it muffled most of the world's noise. It was almost if the forest had silenced everything for me except for the beautiful woman walking next to me.
&nbs
p; I glanced beside me and studied her features. Her raven-dark hair in stark contrast with her pale complexion. The slight crease on her forehead made her look like she was always deep in thought, but the way her lips curled up, made you wonder what kind of thoughts she had exactly. She had a light scar on the right side of her face, one that barely missed her eyelid. Her arm was lightly flexed as she carried the largest cauldron and I couldn't help but admire how toned she was. Another scar decorated her bicep, but this one looked more like a bite. I wondered which animal could've gotten close enough to my mate. I should ask her about that one as well. And about the one on her face. I made a note to inquire about all of it later. I wanted to know everything about Ashleigh. Everything and anything there was to know.
That sounded slightly stalky. But I didn't care. This was my mate. I had a whole lifetime ahead to get to know her. Anything and everyone else disappeared into the background when I was around her.
So this was what everyone was always talking about. This was how it felt to be completely enchanted by your mate.
"You coming or want to daydream some more?"
A crystal voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I felt the smog lift from my brain and as the world opened, I was greeted with the sight of Ashleigh. Stray flakes of snow gently falling to the earth around us, but when it came to her, it looked like they almost weaved themselves around her. Like the snow somehow gave way for Ashleigh. Surreal. Totally a surreal sight. She was nothing less than out of this world beautiful.
"Akira?"
I loved how she said my name. She was the only one who rolled the "R" in my name and somehow, it made it sound more breathy. Like she was purring out my name. I could only imagine how she sounded when she was actually purring.
"Just one moment," I smiled, taking a mental picture of her in the snow. I didn't know why, but it suddenly seemed like a big moment. Something I would remember forever. I wasn't sure yet why, but I just knew.
This was how I always wanted to remember her. Untouched by time, unyielding against the cold, untainted as she was almost one with nature. Breathtaking.
