The Woodlands

Reunited

Back home, the other wolves are still out on their run but father insisted we all go to our village to get Caiman some clothes and food. And he’s mad at me for being far from the perimeters he set up for me. In my father’s office, my father begins to tell me that I am no longer allowed to shift or even go into the woods unless he or Aven say otherwise. Suddenly there is a knock on the door. My father, clearly aggravated, calmly calls for the person to enter, and it’s Caiman.

        “Alpha Enaux, you need to speak with me?” he asks by the door.

        “Yes, come in.” My father gestures for me to stand by Aven, who is always here now when I get in trouble. “It’s been a long time since anyone has seen you, Caiman. What happened to you?” He’s using his dominant voice to get his question straight across. Caiman pauses, reluctantly hesitating to answer.

        “… I was taken by rogue wolves.”

        “Rogues? On our land?” My father nearly yells.

        “No… I went outside of the land the day I was captured,” he looks down, then back up. “They worked for humans in the Woodlands.” My jaw drops open by just a centimeter and finds its way back, everything in the room almost becomes frozen in time.

        “There are humans in the Woodlands?!” The Woodlands is the name of the entire wolf province given to us by the humans—they promised to never enter and here, Caiman claims, they are.

        “Yes, Alpha, I’ve seen them myself.” He let go of the air I hadn’t realized he was holding in. “They’ve been experimenting on wolves. Cutting us apart to see if we’re like them.” He lifts his shirt revealing a long scar on the side of his rib cage, “I managed to escape less than a year ago.” He puts down his shirt.

        “And you got here now? What took you so long to find your way back?”

        “I didn’t know where I was, and I’ve been trying to find my way ever since—until something happened a month ago.” He hesitates again. Frustrating my father. “The moon called me here to find something—it wasn’t until earlier, when you attacked me that I found out what She wanted me to find.”

        “What?” Asks my father, intrigued by Caiman’s story.

        “My mate,” he then glances at me for a moment. Mate.

        My father notices the prolonged glare and anger sparks through him.

        “Are you saying my daughter is your mate?! The moon hasn’t chosen a mate for anyone in a hundred years, boy! What makes you think—Gaia did you feel the moon call you to find him?” My father is now on his feet angered and growling at the end of each sentence fighting his wolf that seems to be trying to break out, after all it’s still the Full Moon Festival.

        I pause for too long, angering my father even more. He slams his fist onto his desk. “Speak, child!” I jolt at the sound of his thunderous voice.

        “…yes.” I say a little too low. “I felt it.” I say louder with a surge of confidence. “I didn’t know it was because of that at first, but… I did feel the Moon. That’s why I was there when you found him…” I finish my sentence looking down. I don’t want to see my father’s reaction or Aven’s.

        My father is silent for a long while. Then he speaks.

        “What you two are saying is that the Moon has chosen you—of all people—to be the first chosen mates in a century?” None of us answer him. “Well Gaia, you can’t have two mates now, can you?” He gives me a cold smirk.

        “You’re mated with someone else?” Caiman asks, almost in disbelief.

        “No, I—”

        “Yes, she is.” Aven answers, stepping forward in a very possessive way.

        “No, I am not, Aven,” I say sharply. The confidence the moon is giving me tonight will not let me get walked all over.

        Caiman takes a moment to think. “What’s going on?” He asks.

        “Aven and Gaia are going to be mates—you see why she can’t be your mate. The moon clearly made a mistake, boy.” I want to say something—but what would I say? Hey Caiman, I haven’t seen you in years but now I have a sudden urge, given to me by the moon, to be with you? No.

        There is a heavy pause in the room.

        “Gaia, leave.” My father says, and I hesitate. “Now!”

And I leave.

        I refuse for my father to speak about me without me present. I take a moment to eavesdrop on their conversation; it takes another moment for my ears to turn the muffling of voices into full sounds. Then I hear what they are saying.

        “I am supposed to have her—I’m supposed to be the next male Alpha.” This comes from Aven, obviously.

        “The Moon bonded us together, Aven. You can’t change that.” The calm and collected sentence comes from the deep voiced Caiman.

        “Alright, quiet the both of you. I could honestly care less about who wants her.” Ouch. “But I do care who becomes the next Alpha and regardless who it is, it will be her mate.” There’s another pause. For a moment I freak out, thinking they might’ve found out I was listening, then he continues. “The both of you are strong men who can lead this pack.” He pauses, as if he’s contemplating whether he should say something. “How about a game,” he finally says.

        “What do you mean?” Asks Aven, to my surprise.

        “Whoever can mark her by the start of spring can have her and the position of Alpha.” No one speaks for a moment. I can’t believe he’s offering me as a consolation prize…

        “Can’t we challenge one another for her?” A challenge for a woman hasn’t happened in a long time.

        “No, I can’t have a display of a brother killing a brother. If one of you marks her by—”

        “Gaia, what are you doing on the floor?” Terra towers over me, interrupting me from my eavesdropping.

        “Uhh,” I cleared my throat, “nothing.” I picked myself up. “I’m lying. There’s a problem.”

        I dragged my sister all the way to my room and told her everything. I’m so confused and hurt by the way my father would come up with such a sick way to make someone alpha. Aven—he’s in it for the power, I’m sure he is, and Caiman—he probably just wants his rightfully belonged mate. I’m not sure if she believes me at all, but because she loves me, I know she will try to wrap her head around it.

        Even here in my shower, staying in the same house as both Aven and Caiman, (along with my father and Terra), I can still feel the pull from the moon. It’s like she refuses for Caiman and me to be alone. On my way out of my bathroom, there’s a light knock on my door. I walk over and open it. Aven is there, of course, with a familiar look in his eyes.

        “Aven.” He invites himself in and I shut the door behind him, “Aven I don’t think it’s—”

        Aven pulls me towards him, placing his lips over mine. My lips kissed him back as hard as I can and for a moment I forgot I was just in my underclothes in the bathrobe I threw on to answer the door. We slowly move away from the door and towards the bed.

        Then I remember. He only wants to mark me first. I place my hand over his chest and push him back.

        “No,” I say, stepping back. “We can’t keep doing this, Aven.” I look down. Not wanting to look at him.

        “Because of my brother? You—” He glares down at me, “You don’t actually feel anything for him, do you?”

        “No, it’s not like that,” I shake my head a little then look back at him. “I felt what he felt. I just didn’t follow it, like he did. Until tonight.”

        “The moon doesn’t choose our mates anymore, Gaia. What could possibly make you two any different?” The expression on his face is unreadable, like most of the time.

        How can I answer a question only the Moon would know the answer to? Then I remember the only thing that’s been in my head for the last couple of years.

        “Maybe because I lost him before.”

                                                                                    .  .  .

        My history with the Mathis brothers goes a long way back. I grew up with them, see. Though Caiman and Aven were twins and four years older. Their father, Cree Mathis, was my father’s Beta. Unfortunately, an accident happened to him… about six years ago the Sanguis Pack attacked him and my mother by the Woodlands’ barrier. They tore Cree apart. And like most packs in our province, the Beta’s oldest son will take their place. Aven became Beta the moment his father died. It wasn’t easy at first, but he caught on to the cold ways of running alongside the leader of a pack.

        “Gaia!” I hear the familiar call of my father’s angered tone, from downstairs. I take my time to get to him, putting on my robe as I leave my room in a haze. He’s woken me up too early. It’s barely four.

        “Yes, father?” I rub my eyes, groggy from the early morning call.

        “I need you to go on a hunt.”

        “What kind of hunt?” I ask, wondering why I need to be told half passed three in the morning.

        “It’s a land hunt.” He’s so tall, talking to him makes me feel like a child.

        “A land hunt? How many will come?” A land hunt is when a team of strong wolves go out for days at a time searching for unchecked—but owned—land. My father owns the land of one of the largest villages in The Woodlands Province but he hasn’t been able to check it all, especially when Poppa, my grandfather, bought 300 acres from the Tauni Pack.

        “Yes, you’ll be accompanied by my Beta, of course, and four others. They’ll be meeting you at the Reservoir house. It’s the farthest check point on our maps.”

        “Okay…” his Beta…  “When?” He looks down at his watch.

        “Right now. Pack some things and take your car. The search will be on foot, so you’ll be spending nights at the house.” It could take weeks if we go back and forth—on foot—like—in human form… oh my Goddess.

        “No. There are rogues running amuck in the Lands, it’ll be safer indoors and on foot.” He looks down at his watch again, “You’ll be late. Go.”

        My father’s never been much for goodbyes, let alone affection so all I get is a pat on the shoulder as he tells me to go.

        I drive my one piece of human tech a “princess” like me can have, to the Reservoir house which is only a half an hour from the village. I park next to the three cars, aside from mine outside the cottage. Grabbing my only bag, from the trunk and making my way to the front of the house. I honestly do not want to go inside. The last time I spoke with Aven was almost a week ago. I basically told him we couldn’t “be” together anymore until I can figure things out. Expecting—no, dreading to see Aven waiting for me inside, I see the dark hair, green eyed boy I’ve been forbidden to see since he came back, Caiman. He greets me with a smile as he takes my one bag.

        “The Alpha wants you to stay in the room at the end of the hall,” he says as he takes me to my temporary room. “Can we talk? Later, maybe?” I think about it for some reason.

        “Yeah, of course,” I nod as I agree.

        “We leave in five,” I hear Rafa’s familiar deep voice call from below.

                                                                                    .  .  . 

        Rafa decides we should split into two teams and search the grounds in opposite directions. Since Kurruk is too old to go on a land hunt, he’ll be staying at the reservoir house until we get back. Because of my father, I’m not allowed to be out of Aven’s sight. So, I’m with him while Rafa and Bale get Caiman. That is for now, at least. The boys will switch every day. We walk in silence for a while. Probably unsure on whether we should shift and run off. But my father’s instructions were meticulous in saying that shifting while on a land hunt is prohibited. Only the men can do it when they hunt for dinner while on this expedition.

        I pull out the paper with our land mapped out. We’re far from where Rafa and the others should be and about a mile and a half out from the reservoir by the time Aven breaks the silence.

        “What’s your deal?”

        I stop walking, map still in hand expecting more but I get nothing. “Excuse me?” I say, turning to face him.

        “You’ve never rejected me. For a long time, at least, and sure, depending on the situation it can be a little hot but… Ever since he came back you’ve been a completely different person.”

        “I loved him—”

        “You were a child! You had no idea what love meant then, especially from him.”

        “I was seventeen, I was not a child,” I attempted a retort. He walks up towards me, we are inches from each other’s faces.

        “Regardless of how you felt in the past, Gaia, you would’ve ended up with me anyway.”

        I’m at a loss for words. What does he even mean?

        Guessing by my obvious confusion he adds, “Our mating has been pre arranged since you were a baby—you have been mine longer than you have been his.” He looks almost hurt by the end of his little rant.

        “I belong to no one, Aven. And yes, I loved your brother, he was there for me, and he cared for me when you were busy playing soldier. Just because you lost Cree—”

        “My father has nothing to do with this—”

        “I lost her too, Aven. I had to fill in a big gap. And you know,” my eyes begin to well and I give up. I shift into wolf form, tearing my clothes and running off. I don’t care if he catches me. I don’t need him to see me as weak. He needs to see me as the woman I am now, strong, and nurturing, but independent. He doesn’t need to see the mess that could begin to unfold at any conversation of my mother.

        I did take in the big empty void left by my mother. She was also killed on the trip with Cree Mathis by the Sanguis Tribe. They believe in odd bloody, brethren, sacrifices to whatever wolf God they believe in. We follow the moon, the only Goddess like all other tribes, but the Sanguis Pack believe blood appeases the moon and therefore appeases their wolf Goddess of blood. Some weird s**t that I’m not even sure if I even know what they believe in and I don’t care. They killed Cree and my mother for nothing but some Opi induced belief.  But that’s the past. What I should be worried about is the humans looking for my kind near-by or the blood-thirsty Sanguis. And I don’t care. I feel every single piece of the world weighing me down and I just want to burst. I haven’t been able to talk about my mother since she passed, and father sure as hell wouldn’t let me. Suddenly without notice, I run into something so hard I shift back to my human form. Dazed, I look up and see Aven in front of me. After every time we fight, I fear he gets colder and colder.

He scolds me, “My father has nothing to do with this, neither your mother!” He steps forward and I fumble backwards trying to get my footing. Aven grabs my wrist to keep me from falling. “I… I—” he cuts himself off as he clears his throat, I can see pain and passion flood his eyes and I can’t figure out if I want to run away or kiss him. He continues, “We need to work something out here, Gaia, you can’t leave me out to dry just because the Moon made you feel something. It can’t be stronger than this.” He closes the gap between us, my back is against a tree, but I don’t want to run away anymore, I want to stay. Our bodies are both naked after shifting into human form and it's oh-so tempting to pounce him right now. But this is not the setting. He inches his face closer, just a breath away from mine and this time I hear my own heart racing.

Fuck the setting.