The Girl with the Wolf Tattoo

Throwing Caution to the Wind

Alex whipped off her apron and began to head for the back door. She slammed through it and ran for her car. A thick arm reached and grabbed her arm before she could open her door. She kicked and punched, even trying to bite him. She tried to ignore the tingles that his touch brought on. They felt like something she should lean into, but she couldn't. She wouldn't.

"Just stop! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"That's what your kind does!" she snapped back at him.

"Oh yeah? Well we're the same thing, so what does that make you?"

She stopped struggling and glared at him. What do you want? How did you find me?"

"I just want to talk." He glanced around. "Is there somewhere we could go?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. She decided to give up on hyper caution and trust her gut. "Come to my motel room."

He sat on a chair staring at his hands. Alex sat on the bed facing him. She bit her lip to keep from shaking.

"So..." he said.

"Yes?"

"You obviously know what you are."

"No shit." She rolled her eyes.

He ignored her. "I haven't met another one of us out away from... you know what."

"Just say it."

He looked at her with intense eyes. "Another wolf away from it's pack."

"Do you have a pack?"

He scoffed and looked away. "No."

"Neither do I."

"Left or kicked out?"

She sighed. "I ran away."

"Another thing we have in common."

"What's your name?"

"David. Yours?"

"Alex."

"Well, Alex. I went into that diner to get dinner. I didn't get my dinner so I'm starving. I'm going to order food. Want anything?"

Truth be told, she was starving. She had been trying to save money, so she was eating as little as possible. She simply nodded.

"Burgers and fries sound good?"

She nodded her approval.

After he placed their order, he looked at her.

"What?"

"You know you didn't have to run from me, right?"

"You know what could happen if my secret gets out. People will kill me. Maybe not with torches and pitchforks like the old days, but they haven't changed. I had it good. I couldn't let Griff and Reggy get taken out with me. Or worse, watch them turn on me."

He nodded. "I understand that, but I wouldn't blab on you."

"I couldn't risk waiting around to find out."

"Won't they worry about you?"

Guilt pricked at her again. She thought about the money she'd been given... she'd send it back first thing. "They might," was all she cared to say to him on the matter.

The food arrived and they eagerly dug in. To her surprise, David was easy to talk to. It was comforting being around someone who understood her. Not only a wolf, but a runaway. Being alone wasn't something werewolves did. They were pack oriented. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed that feeling of unity. Even thought her pack was deeply dysfunctional, it met that need for a pack.

David picked up their garbage before sitting down with Alex again. This time, he joined her on the bed "I've missed being around our own kind," he said as if he could read her mind. "Do you ever think about pack life? How things should've been?"

She stared at the floor. "Yes, sometimes. What would have been like to find my mate? To be surrounded by family... accepted."

"I think I've suppressed my wolf so much that I wouldn't know my mate if I found her," David said with bitterness in his voice.

The voice in her head cautioning her when she really needed it wasn't just her instinct. It was her wolf, Freya. She, too, had suppressed her wolf. So much so that she barely felt her most of the time. Freya understood... she was there all those years ago enduring it all with Alex. "Probably the same for me," she whispered.

David tilted her face toward him with his fingers on her chin. He looked into her eyes, almost asking for permission. When Alex didn't look away or pull back he took it for a yes. He kissed her. When she didn't protest he kissed her again, this time putting his hands on her waist. She leaned into it and wrapped her arms around him. The kisses grew more hungry, fierce. They were satiating a need that had been suppressed for far too long. Soon, their clothes were on the floor and they were exploring each other's bodies. Caution had been thrown to the wind.

They lay together, panting, wrapped up in sheets and limbs. Her head was on his chest and his fingers were playing with her hair. "That was unexpected," he said.

"Do you regret it?" she asked.

"No. Never. Do you?"

"I don't right now, but we'll see if that changes."

"Tell me about your tattoos?" he asked. Eager to change the subject.

"Well, first I started at the shoulder. With the dark sky, stars and of course, a silver moon. That silver is one of my favorite ink colors. Then I decided to add the wolf. She's white, like my wolf. She's howling at the moon the way my wolf, Freya, should be able to. It symbolizes our loss of freedom. I didn't like how it just ended halfway down my arm so I added the water and wolf's reflection. That brought it my wrist."

"That's beautiful. Do you plan to do more?"

"I don't know. Probably." She grew more tired by the minute. David's hands in her hair comforted her until she fell asleep. Soon, her light snoring lulled him to sleep as well.