Woman of the Woods

Ch.20 Finding Peace

Silas walking through the outskirts of the woodlands lining the Southern border.

---------------------+-----------------------

I stumbled through the trees in attempts to escape the roaring celebration over our victory over the rogues crossing over the border from the east.

Beta, Terrin had been pushing drinks at me all night, and women. None of it was too interesting though. I had grown bored of everyone. My existence felt repetitive, my wolf Garret rarely spoke anymore, and when he did it was sardonic and cruel.

I couldn't be too harsh with Terrin, he knew the pack needed a Luna, but the parade of women putting on false personas to make me want them was excessive and ultimately made me disgusted.

I needed time to breathe, I slipped from the back door of the ballroom at the estate and made my way out here, where it was silent.

The tall trees hid me well, the pale blue moonlight shining down was almost purifying. I leaned against a gigantic oak, nursing the remainder of whiskey splashing in the bottom of my bottle when an engulfing scent drifted passed in the brisk night air.

Garret caught it too, pulling himself to presence in my mind. He pushed my legs forward, following the aroma on the wind.

It smelled like the peace after a storm, of soil, rain, and lightening. It washed away the alcohols dulling of my senses.

That's when I saw her, a slender tiny elf running through the forest. Her long emerald hair trailing behind her, she only peered backwards for a second to the voices calling for her. She didn't seem to be running away truly, otherwise her aire would have been much more impassioned. She seemed to be running cause it made her feel something. It made me slightly amused, she was searching for exactly what I was at the moment.

Once she disappeared into the dense greenery I returned to the festivities, a new sense of purpose stirring deep within me.

Every subsequent night I found myself pulled to the southern border. I would search her out, every night at the same time she would run by, Her bright burgundy eyes, would scan the forest as the disembodied voices chased after her.

Garret kept pushing me to talk to her, but I didn't want to frighten her, even though every atom in me told me to hold her, to make her mine.

I spent months, every evening returning and just observing her, wishing I could be closer, that I could touch her, and deeply inhale the scent that brought me so much peace.

This night started the same but quickly diverted from the normal sequence of events.

She saw me. I even hid in wolf form knowing I would be harder to spot but somehow her gaze sifted through the landscape and spotted me. Not knowing what to do, Garret took the lead he cautiously approached her never breaking eye contact.

He shifted back to my human form in hopes of that form being less startling. She was quick and buried herself within the dense undergrowth of the forest.

I pushed Garret back successfully and found myself now stalking from behind her. Her smell entranced me, the pull was unfathomable. I fought myself for hours just watching her from a distance, like I normally did, but it was different this time. Everytime I tried to leave a deep pain erupted in my stomach, like a knife carving me open from the inside out.

That's when the puzzle pieces slid into place, she was my mate. But, she was an elf, her kind despised mine. There was no way she would ever accept me.

But, the agony was untamable. I hardly even registered the fact that morning was washing away the cover of night I was helplessly lost within the turmoil raging inside me.

I was rapidly knocked out of my daze as her scent shifted, she now stood and was posed to disappear back into the forest.

Garret was watching as well and had no intention of letting her leave. He pushed me aside and took over my body. He hungrily pinned her to the tree she just pulled herself from. Even when Garret was in control, being so close to her, blinded me of everything else around us. The pain had subsided and that sweet peace was re-entering my being.

Garret then smirked and threw me back to the forefront. Her presence quickly overcame me, almost entranced I leaned forward and dived into the crook of her neck inhaling deeply.

Immediately her aroma flooded me. I was unbreakably tied to her in that moment. Her doe eyes locked onto mine. I felt she could she could devour me in that moment and I would thank her.

I was pulled from her gaze as the breaking of branches beneath feet echoed closer. My mind knew what would happen if her kind found her like this with me. They would kill me, but more terrifyingly I would never see her again. I had to make a decision no matter how much I knew she would despise me for it.

It was clear from the pain I was not capable of living without her, so I quickly pulled her into my arms in a firm hold and ran.

The way back to the village was difficult, not for fear of getting caught but solely for the fact of having her flesh against mine, her body clinging onto me, it was making my hunger and lust for her ravenous.

My every nerve ending was burning in ecstasy, in want. When we got to the cabin, I quickly unhanded her and put some distance between us, but her smell was on me now. I couldn't escape it.

She asked if I was going to kill her, which I'm not going to lie took me off guard. But I guess if you are kidnapped from the forest by a strange man that is what you would immediately assume.

Even with the distance between us I couldn't erase her scent, I hastily grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the shelf and downed it, hoping it would dull my senses. It did for a moment.

I told her I wasn't going to kill her, at least I think I did, the alcohol was steering the ship need less to say.

The next moments were a blur until I saw her attempting to leave.

It had gone to far now, if she left and told her people, my pack would be in danger. I pinned her to the wall, but yet again her presence overtook me, I leaned into her the hunger swelling within my core yet again. Aided by the alcohol I said some things that would make her think twice about leaving.

But then I felt it, I could smell it in her. She was feeling the pull as well. The way her eyes although terrified, gazed into mine and bit back at my advances.

I spun away knowing if I stood there any longer things would get out of hand.

Garret then spoke, thankfully diverting my attention from her presence within the same walls as me.

"Mate."

Although, I knew enough to know it was true, the word swallowed me whole in that moment.