A Tiger's Journey

Sleeping Beauty

Althea had fallen asleep in the field of wildflowers, her body shifting from tiger form to that of her human. She lay naked in the field, curled up in the fetal position. Her body was slender, athletic from her daily running sessions. She had short-cropped dark hair with streaks of silvery strands that caused her to stand out. Her features were stunning, a mix of aristocratic angles and soft Irish curves. She breathed calmly as she slept in her dreamless slumber. Silver eyes watched her sleeping form as if captivated by a spell. A low growl bubbled deep in his chest as he made his way closer to Althea. Belemy's pitch-black hair was longer than he usually kept it, falling in front of his eyes as he bent down. He was built thick, much like his wolf, broad shoulders led to a wide chest covered by a skin-tight black shirt. His frame was held up by muscular legs clad in working jeans. His skin was darkly tanned, making his eyes stand out. His face was angular, sharp. He scanned the area cautiously before dropping the multicolored blanket in his grip over the sleeping woman before him. He scooped her up gently, lifting her into his arms, resting her head against the crook of his shoulder. He always thought of her as beautiful, often finding her out here sleeping in the wildflowers. She was an odd one, always doing such strange things. He knew she slept here because she felt safe, surrounded by her favorite flower and falling asleep to the sounds of the big cats in the preserve not far away. Sparks ignited in his mind like fireworks on a major holiday when Althea squirmed in his arms letting out a sleepy groan. He shook his head to clear his mind of the many thoughts of her naked form as he cradled her gently and brought her carefully back to his truck on the main road. He placed her in the back seat and fastened her in as best as he could before taking off on the long way back to the packhouse. The sun was just coming up over the mountains, making everything turn a bright golden color as the sky burst with pinks and orange clouds amidst the crystal blue sky. It was the middle of summer. The heat would soon creep over the land and claim all that it touched. Belemy glanced in the rear-view mirror, taking in the beautiful woman still fast asleep in the back of his car. He knew she slept like the dead, having known her since they were young.

"You're going to be the death of me one day.." he whispered under his breath as he pushed down on the gas slightly harder, speeding them onwards towards the packhouse. It was a good thirty minutes before the house came into view. The large half-mile long home hidden in the foothills of the mountain range of the lands they called home. The pathway to home was bordered by a garden of flowers and flowering trees on either side. The semi-circle front-drive is where Belemy parked his extended-cab truck and proceeded to change modes from tender caregiver to loyal beta. He took out his phone and used his speed dial to call one of the mid-pack members.

"Prepare Althea's room with a hot bath and make sure her bed is turned down, also inform my other that she is safe at home so that she doesn't start a fight with anyone else." Belemy then moved to retrieve the sleeping beauty in the back seat of his truck. He had just begun to lift her when she stretched out her limbs and opened her sky blue eyes causing Belemy to stop breathing for a moment. He turned his expression to one of annoyance, more so due to the fact that he was enjoying being her caregiver than to the fact that she was now awake.

Althea looked into those cloudy silver eyes and sighed softly, she could tell by his expression and by the feel of the leather on her bare back that she must have fallen asleep in the fields again and Belemy had to go and get her.

"I'm sorry Bel..I--"

He cut off her excuse with a finger to her lips and simply moved so she could lift herself out of his truck. He offered her his hand and she took it, shooting him a smile that threatened to make his knees give out. She seemed to be watching his curiously and so he simply shrugged and tugged her gently, causing her to crash against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and led her up the stairs into their home, tossing his truck keys to a nearby pack member who would take care of his truck for him. She leaned against him, the sleep still freshly clouding her eyes as she let her bare feet make patter sounds on the cold tile. She shivered slightly, which instinctively caused Belemy to lift her up into his arms like a mother would cradle her child. She began to protest, but the look on his face caused her to stay quiet. He seemed to be at war with something, his eyes forward, filled with a mix of emotions that Althea couldn't quite place. When he got to her door she imagined he would put her down, instead, he very carefully opened the door and closed them both inside. She snapped her fingers, causing the lights to spark to life.

"Y-you can put me down now, Bel. I'm sorry I made you and Caela worry... I just was so relaxed I must have dozed off." She pleaded her case to him. He opened his mouth to speak but was caught by a familiar smell quickly approaching the door. He simply moved to open it as his mother Caela came rushing in, wide arms enfolding around the petite woman wrapped up in a blanket. Her hair was as long as ever, never tamed, never contained. The pure white color of it matched that of her wolf. She was older in years now, wrinkles making her eyes and mouth in a permanent smile, even when she was rather angry like she was now. Her voice was filled with every emotion she felt at the moment.

"Where on earth have you been?! Do you know how worried I was? What if someone other than your family found you, huh? Some naked girl sleeping in a bunch of flowers?! They would have called you a witch! You would have been arrested! Not to mention how your job wouldn't want you around the kids that go there." Caela was furious, and while she continued on with her tirade, Althea looked over at Belemy who lowered his eyes, looking towards the door.

"Who was hurt, Alpha?" Althea spoke softly, but it was the knowledge of her mother's misplaced fury that quieted the storm spilling from the wise white wolf.

"There was another pack who met our border patrol. They got it worse.. but Brian was hurt pretty badly. He's been waiting for you all night in the infirmary." Althea nodded, dropping the blanket unashamedly and moving to her closet to grab a simple white dress that she threw onto her form and moved to the door.

"I'll take care of it now, Alpha. Then I'll wash and ready myself for work." She smiled at the woman she called both mother and alpha. Caela let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding and simply moved to embrace her daughter before letting her go. Althea slipped into her white flats that were by the door as she glided through the doors like a vision in white, leaving mother and son alone in her room. Caela looked over at her son, smiling at the way he seemed to watch the way Althea left with mouth hanging open.

"Come, let's go make sure the poor boy is going to be alright," Caela spoke lovingly as she reached for her son's arm. Belemy simply cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Althea can handle Brain, I have to go speak with the rest of the pack and get their thoughts on the matter. I will be with you soon, Alpha." He gave his mother a sheepish smile, the unspoken plea to not have her speak what she clearly knew.