The Little Rose

Clashing

Changing quickly, I walked out from behind the tree Orion had insisted I step behind, only to find a now fully clothed Nullar and freshly changed Orion facing each other with similar glares on their faces. If the situation weren’t so tense, I would laugh at the similarities between them that they failed to see.

“I’m ready.”  I called, carrying my wet clothes with me, and putting them in the duffle bag. When I stood back up to face them, I was surprised to see both staring at me with similar expressions of desire. But while I wasn’t sure how I felt about Nullar staring at me with such thoughts in his gaze, when my eyes met Orion’s, I felt my body heat up in response.  My cheeks grew hot, and I turned away from my Lycan mate, running my fingers through my crazy curls self-consciously.  “There isn’t exactly a brush to tame my hair, but maybe where we are going will have one?”

“Even if they don’t, your hair looks wild and beautiful, just like you.”  Orion said as he stepped closer to me, his warm hand cupping my chin and raising my eyes to meet his silvery-blue gaze.  “And never feel that you need to hide from me, you are the most beautiful thing in the world to me, no matter what you wear or how your hair looks.”  I gulped nervously and nodded my head in understanding, unable to think of words to say when his skin on mine was causing an electrical storm on my nerves.

“Poseidon below,” Nullar muttered fiercely under his breath, drawing mine and Orion’s attention to his scowling face.

“What is it now fish boy?”  Growled an irritated Orion as he moved his hand from my face down to my hand and pulled me towards the duffle bag, which he swiped up easily before heading up the hill towards the road and the ride he’d acquired for us.

“Fish boy?  Guess I should not be surprised at the lack of imagination in your insults, what with your brain being ran by a wild animal.”  Nullar shot back, following behind us.

“Watch it water dweller, I don’t have to let you tag along.”  Grumbled Orion, his hand tightening slightly on my own, directing me to step behind him as we neared the police car and the two men now watching us with curiosity.  Poking my head out from behind Orion’s broad back, I smiled at the two men, waving my hand in greeting.  “This is Roisin, my… girlfriend, and her annoying cousin, Nullar.”

“Why do I have to be her cousin?  We look absolutely nothing alike, I’m just an old family friend.”  Nullar cut in drawing the eyes of the police officers to him.

“Fine, this is Nullar, Roisin’s old family friend.”  Muttered Orion in exasperation.

“Hi!”  I called, attempting to step out from behind Orion, unable to do so when his arm raised to block me from moving out to far.

“No, the one cop is too anxious to pull his gun and you are too precious to risk.”  Orion told me, his eyes never leaving the officers in front of us, but his words made my eyes grow wide and I rushed under his arm and started running my hands over his stomach, chest and shoulders looking for any wounds.  Orion’s arms wrapped around me and turned us both away from them, his eyes smiling down at him with a glimmer of humor in their silvery depths.  “As much as I love your hands roaming my body, this isn’t the time or place, I am fine Roisin.”

“Seriously man, come on…. You were caught stealing.”  Grumbled the police officer in question, though I couldn’t see which one he was with Orion’s chest blocking my view.

“And stealing constitutes a sentence of death under your laws?”  Asked Nullar as he stepped up beside Orion and me, glancing over at him I noticed he was frowning, and his arms were crossed over her chest.

“What?  No!  That isn’t… listen, I didn’t know if he had a weapon, so I pulled my gun and-“  The officer began again before Nullar shook his head, his white, waist length brains shaking back and forth behind him. 

“No, it sounds like you feared an unarmed man.  How did you become a warrior for your people with such views?”  Nullar asked as he looked towards me with a look of worry on his face before growing serious and looking at Orion.  “You feel safe with her in their presence?”

“The one, Jerold, I trust him.  The other is Mason… him, not so much.”  Orion answered, and for once the two were having a conversation without name calling or threatening violence.

“Then why are we here?”

“Because Jerold’s… family, has resources for us to help us get to my sisters’ home.”  Orion answered, his arms loosening around me as we turned back towards the officers, one was grinning as if he were thoroughly enjoying what was going on while the other looked queasy, like he was going to be sick.

“Can we leave the offensive one here?”  Nullar speculated, his eyes scrutinizing the scared looking police officer carefully.

“No, I’m sorry I can’t leave my partner here.  But we can drop him off at the station on our way to my place.”  Jerold was chuckling as he said this, while his partner looked at him in shock.

“Seriously Jerold?  I’m your partner?” 

“Yes, but it’s almost time for my lunch break anyways, so I’ll spend said break taking these folks to my family home so they can get some much-needed help.  I’ll be back within the hour and pick you back up.  You can start the paperwork we need to have done by time our shift is end.” 

“Fine.”  Mason mumbled as he slid back into his seat in the car and slammed the door shut.

“Alright, lets load up and get out of here before people start waking up and wondering what is going on.”  Jerold waved the rest of us towards the car, and after a tense look between Nullar and Orion, I was being led to the back seat.  Nullar got in on one side, while Orion had me scoot in before him, I was sandwiched between the two men for the duration of the ride, not that I minded.  Nullar seemed nice and my skin on Orion’s was making me see stars.

A few minutes into our ride one of the police officers, Mason I believed Orion had said his name was, turned around and stared at me with wide eyes, either unaware or uncaring of the glares Nullar and Orion were shooting him.

“I just have to say you are a very beautiful lady, I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone as pretty as you in my life.”  Mason’s voice was full of awe, and I smiled at him feeling my cheeks blush slightly at the compliment.

“Thank you very much, I wish I could say the same, but it seems that humans are the least attractive of the species I have met so far.”  The way Orion slapped a hand over my mouth, Nullar looked at me in shock, Jerold burst out laughing and Mason looked at me in complete confusion, told me I had said something wrong.  Thinking back I remembered my conversation with Orion on the beach and realized where I had gone wrong, humans did not know about us.

“Other species?  Like cats, birds, and stuff?”  Mason asked in confusion, looking around among the other men in the car.

“I think she means more along the lines of wolves and fish.”  Jerold managed to get out between bursts of laughter.

Pulling Orion’s hand down from my mouth I nodded my head at Jerold’s words, agreeing whole heartedly.  Mason was not a terrible looking man, but he was smaller then the other three men in the car, his brown hair was cut close to his head and kind of dull, his eye were blue, but not the beautiful silvery blue of Orion’s.  His features were also softer, not the strong jaws, high cheek bones and aristocratic nose the other men in the car had. If Mason was a testament to human men, he was a poor specimen when compared to the other men in the car.

“Wolves and fish?  I mean, wolves are majestic I guess… but fish?  They’re slimy and stink.”  Mason’s mouth scrunched up in disgust and now Orion had burst into laughter, joining in with Jerold, while Nullar looked as if he wanted to slap his own fist into Mason’s face.

“Couldn’t agree more.”  Orion said between chuckles as he looked over at Nullar with a smug look. 

“Funny, real funny.  Fish are just as majestic as wolves, more so when left in their own environment, where they were bred to thrive.”  Nullar turned to look away from all of us and sensing his upset I took his hand in mine patting it gently.

“You are a very handsome man Nullar.”  I whispered to him, smiling when his white eyes flickered down to meet mine, his lips not smiling but no longer frowning.

A growl from my other side had me dropping Nullar’s hand and placing my own in my lap, looking straight ahead as color splashed across my face again.

“What’s wrong mutt?  Can’t handle the fact hat I may be more appealing than you?”  Nullar mumbled confidently.

“You wish stinky.”  Orion grumbled back, his hand moving to rest over mind in my hands possessively.

“You two are weird.”  Officer Mason commented, head swiveling between Nullar and Orion.

“Don’t worry, not all human men look like Mason, there are plenty more pleasing to the eye.”  Jerold was laughing again, this time Mason seemed to realize he was being insulted and he turned towards his window with his arms crossed over his chest.

Great, now the atmosphere was tenser than before.  The drive to the station only took a few minutes and soon a disgruntled Mason was climbing from the car, slamming the door shut behind him.  Officer Jerold offered to let one of us move up front and though I offered I was quickly out voted by Orion and Nullar, so the ride to the pack was spent much like the ride to the station, pressed between two large territorial males.

When we pulled up to the entrance to the pack territory, we paused at the border, a man in just a pair of sweatpants walking from the woods to speak to Jerold.  The bare chest wolf bowed his head to Orion as we passed, flashing flowing blue eyes before we pulled past him and out of view.

“What was that?”  Nullar asked looking at Orion suspiciously after the scene with the guard.

“It’s nothing.”  Muttered Orion, shifting uncomfortable in his seat, his hand tightening on my hands slightly.

“Wolves do not bow to just anyone.  You are a powerful Alpha?”  Nullar continued, refusing to let the issue rest as Orion clearly was wanting.  Not surprising sense they seemed to enjoy pissing the other off.

“Powerful, yes.  Alpha, yes.  But that’s not why Lamar bowed to him.”  Jerold was saying from the front see, he was about to continue when a growl filled the car, making Jerold glance in the rearview mirror, his face paling the moment his gaze met Orion’s.  Hazarding a look up at my wolf, I gasped when his normally silvery-blue eyes looked back at me white as Nullar’s and glowing.

“Orion?”  I asked hesitantly, unsure what was going on but knowing Jerold feared what was happening with Orion.

“No, my Little Rose.”  The words came from Orion’s lips, but the tone was not his, it was deeper, gravely, older.

“Odin?  Is that you?”  I leaned towards him moving my hand slowly to his face, my hand cupping his chin in the palm of my hand, the electricity that sparked no longer made me jump, it was calming almost.  Odin must have felt the same because he closed his glowing eyes and pressed his face against my hand, sighing in contentment as he did so.

“Yes, my Little Rose.”  Came the same scratchy husky tone, as his eye lids raised his glowing white eyes pierced into mine and I felt my heartbeat fast, that was not surprising, such eyes would have that effect.  What surprised me was the sound I heard half a second later.

“My big bad wolfy…”  A sweet voice purred through my head, the same voice that told me to open the photo album.  My eyes grew wide in shock, and I pulled away from Odin in a rush, bumping back into Nullar whose arm encircled me protectively, which only caused Odin’s looks of hurt from my departure to turn to a growling of anger at another touching what he perceived as his.  Pushing Nullar’s arms away from me I put both of my hands on Orion’s face and looked into Odin’s eyes as they grew brighter.

“Calm down my big bad wolfy.”  I told him softly, those words must have meant more then I realized because he calmed instantly, his face paling as his white eyes searched mine in shocked and amazement.

“What did you just say?” He asked, his arms encircling me and pulling me closer.

“Calm down my big bad wolfy.”  I whispered, a feeling of warmth filled my mind, giving me the feeling I was not alone.  Which was odd since I was in a crowded car.

“Gracie?”  His deep voice whispered back, breaking at the end as if he were being overrun with emotion.

“No Odin, I’m Roisin, remember?”  Frowning I moved my hands to his chest and leaned away from him, hurt that he was comparing me to his former mate, but his arm tightening around me, not allowing me to budge.

“I know you are Roisin my Little Rose, but those words, that was what our Gracie called us.”  Odin murmured, his gaze sliding from mine as he seemed to drift into space, lost in some memory I couldn’t join him in.  “At least, that’s what she called me… she settled me.”

“She must have been an amazing woman.”  I whispered back, relaxing once more into his hold as he drifted through his past.

“She was, she was so sweet, and kind.  She had the biggest heart of any person I had ever met, but she never felt she was good enough for me.  For us.”  Odin had yet to look back at me, and I didn’t want to push, he’d already told me so much more then Orion had, giving me a glimpse of the woman they’d loved and lost.

“Why wouldn’t she be good enough?” I asked softly, relieved that the others in the car were being quiet, letting me calm the beast that only I could rein in.

“Because she was an Omega, and we were us.”  Odin seemed to snap out of whatever had drawn his focus and his white eyes snapped back to mine, though now he was frowning.  “Orion asks that I stop telling out business in front of strangers and give him back control.  But I need you to know Roisin, that I will protect you with my dying breath, you are more precious to me than anything else on this planet.  Please do not leave us…”  Odin paused seeming to think over his next words before taking a breath and lowering his voice to a whisper before continuing.  “We would not survive such a loss twice my Little Rose… if you leave, we do as well.”  With that he moved in and pressed his lips to mine in a mind-numbing kiss that cleared everything but him from my realm of reality, my hands going up to wrap around his neck as I pulled him closer to me, wanting more, so much more then I could take at this time.

He pulled away first, leaving both of us breathless for a moment.  When I finally looked up at him from under ashes it wasn’t the same white eyes I was expecting, instead silvery-blue fire clashed with my gaze, and I was tempted to reach up and kiss Orion.  Everything he’d gone through, and yet he was still willing to open his heart up to me.

A throat cleared behind me and I blushed fiercely as I realized we’d let our selves get wrapped up in our own little world, completely forgetting of the others in the vehicle.  I sat back in my seat and ran my hands down my dress, clearing it of any wrinkles that may have formed during our embrace.

“We’re almost there.”  Came Jerold’s nervous voice from the front, clearly unsure if he were in the clear from the big bad wolf who had come to play momentarily.

“Really?”  I got excited, leaning forward in my seat to get a first glimpse when everything came into view.  When it did it wasn’t as big of an experience as I was expecting, but it was still interesting to see everything.  We pulled into a small town surrounded by trees, there weren’t many businesses, which made sense since they were only a few miles from town and everything they could need.  There were homes, little cookie cutter style family abodes with swing sets and pools in the pack yards, a small park was at the center of each grouping of homes.  Clearly wolves were very family oriented, which made my heart warm just a bit more.

We pulled up in front of a large home at the end of the road that seemed to loop through town.  It looked like the others, but three stories instead of the single story of most of the others houses.  Standing out front was an older couple dressed in simple jeans and nice shirts, the man was much taller than the woman, and both had deep brown hair.  Beside them was a young couple with a man who looked like a younger version of the older man and a pretty woman with bright blonde hair beside him, wearing a yellow sundress, though her stomach was noticeably rounded, and she was trying her best to stifle a yawn. Seeing as how the sun just came over the horizon, I was surprised they were all up and dressed to welcome us.  Behind the two couples were several other people lined up and looking around each other to get a clear view of the car as it pulled into the circular drive and stopped in front of them.

“I told them not to do this… sorry your highness.”  Jerold mumbled as he stepped out of the car and went around the front and up the driveway, confronting the couples waiting there.

“What did he mean your highness?”  I asked softly, searching Orion’s now anxious face as he glanced at me and out the window and back.

“You’re the Lycan king… aren’t you?”  Nullar demanded, looking less then happy himself at the revelation.

“King?  You’re a king?  That’s impossible… you were on an island alone, kings live with their subjections, not alone.”  I knew I was rambling, but this didn’t make much sense, I was constantly being blind sided when it came to the mysteries Orion was harboring.

“It’s not important.”  Orion mumbled back but seeing me flash him a look of disbelief he sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his fingertips into them as he groaned in exasperation.  “It was a long time ago, okay?  My sisters and I were supposed to take over the throne from our father, but with Gracie’s…”  He trailed off, unable to put into words the single worse event in his life.  “Everything changed.  I couldn’t control Odin anymore and I feared what would happen if he took over… I was scared of who he’d hurt.  So, I self-isolated.  End of story.  Okay?”  Looking down at me his eyes begged me to drop the subject and I couldn’t make my self push him further, so I just nodded.

“Poseidon really has a sense of humor…”  Nullar whispered before opening his door and stepping out, slamming it behind him. I glanced at Orion curiously, but he just shrugged his shoulder and opened his own door to step out.

“I have no idea… Siren’s aren’t exactly my area of expertise.”  He mumbled back, standing from the cop car and offering me a hand to step out, which I took and smiled at the tingles that spread between us.  The contact also had the bonus of calming Orion, I watched as he visibly relaxed and even shared a soft smile with me to tell me, without words, that he was okay.  “Let’s meet the Alpha and get our rooms so we can properly shower, get dressed and get a few hours of sleep before we head out.”  Nodding in agreement, I walked around the car with him, my hand nestled in his warm grasp, giving me strength to face another new situation.

“Your Highness.”  The older couple stepped forward first, the man taking his arm from around who I assumed was his mate and bending to one knee, bending his head to the side in what seemed to be a salute of some kind.  “We are honored to have you stay with us.”  His mate stepped up and followed his example, bending to one knee, her head falling to one side and a hand moving her hair off her neck. 

Soon the others did the same, bending to one knee, their head falling to the side and exposing their neck.  When the young man went to one knee the very pregnant woman with him struggled to do the same, but Orion raised his hand, stopping her.  “Please, stop.  This is not necessary.  I was never crowned king, so all of this is really not needed.  My sister, Celeste, is your queen.  Please stand, we are very thankful for your hospitality, we are in dire need of a washer for our clothes, a shower, and a bed, possibly food as well.”

My stomach began to rumble loudly as everyone rose back to their feet, drawing all eyes to me and making me blush again at the attention.  Orion’s hand squeezed my and gently.  “Not necessarily in that order.”  He added with a laugh, drawing the attention from me and to him and eliciting laugher from those present.  “I’d be happy to meet everyone after my mates’ needs are met though.”

Everyone’s attention switched to me again, eyes wide, whispers passing through the small crowd of those present.  I shifted nervously, wanting to duck behind Orion to escape their eyes and words.

“I believe your Prince asked for food for our lady?”  Nullar’s voice boomed from beside me, making me and those around us jump a bit.

“Yes, yes of course!”  The older woman said, hurrying forward and one hand raised towards me with a friendly look on her face.  “Welcome to Gulf Pack territory!  My name is Brooke, I am Alpha Ben’s mate and Luna of Gulf Pack.”  I returned her friendly smile but glanced at her hand curiously, confused as to why she was just standing there with it out like that.

“It’s a handshake, Roisin.”  Orion whispered into my ear as he bent towards Brooke and placed his hand in hers, shaking it up and down twice.  A greeting.  I nodded my head and took her hand in my own next shaking it up and down quickly, though maybe a bit to roughly if the shaking of her body and the look of surprise on her face were anything to go by.   “Not so rough, dear.” 

“Alright, follow me and I’ll show you to your rooms and have food brought up right away!”  Brooke said as she rubbed her hand and turned to lead us into the big house, through the crowd that was still watching all of us curiously.