Her Feral Heart

Week 1 Day 2: Brick by Brick

    My night was restless. I was back there, at the Blue Fire pack. I was in a small, dark room with bare walls and a bare floor. It was small enough to be a closet, but completely empty. I was staring out a window towards the training arena, but the hair on the back of my neck was standing straight. Belle was whimpering and I felt it. Something was wrong, I wasn't alone here. When I turned to face the door, I was nose to nose with Alpha Edward. I tried to scream but nothing came out. I tried to run but my feet were glued to the floor. Edward smirked at me, chuckling at my predicament. He slowly placed his hands on my hips, moving closer and inhaling my scent. All I could do was whimper. This couldn't be happening. His right hand traveled up my hip until it came to rest on my breast, while his left hand squeezed my hip harder, sure to leave a bruise. My stomach turned, and I could feel Belle fighting with me. She wanted to come out, to protect me. But I couldn't let her. Her showing herself would only put us in more danger. I started crying softly, unable to maintain my composure. Edward moved his right hand to my neck, stroking softly and feigning kindness. 

    "Shhh, there's no need to cry little one. After all, I am your mate."

    I awoke abruptly, covered in sweat and shivering. I looked up to see Andrew standing next to my bed. I quickly moved to the far corner, covering myself defensively. 

    "Andrew, what are you doing here?" I questioned icily. 

    "I'm sorry Astrid, but you were screaming. I had to make sure you were safe, I wasn't trying to intrude."

    I silently cursed myself. I was hoping the night terrors would stop now that I was here, but that was childish. They might never stop. And I didn't like Andrew knowing about them.

    "I'm sorry, it was just a nightmare." I muttered, my cheeks flushing.

    "Some nightmare," he said softly, sitting on the other end of the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

    I shook my head no, even though part of me did. I couldn't give that part of myself to someone. 

    "You know, I used to have nightmares that like. After my mom died and I took over the pack, Colby would have to wake me up every night because I would be screaming so loudly that it would scare the pups staying in the pack house."

    This piqued my interest. I didn't know much about Andrew's life. I knew both his mother and father were dead, but I'd not heard much else.

    "What happened to your mom?" I spoke softly.

    His gaze trailed off, like he was no longer there with me, but somewhere far away in his mind. For a moment, his smile faded and the only thing on his face was anguish. Then, he looked back at me, smiling sadly.

    "That's a story for another time, if that's okay?" I nodded, understanding. For a moment, we didn't seem so different. Both full of secrets, and unsure whether to trust one another. I look at the window, the sun was rising slowly. 

    "What time is it?" "4:30 am"

    "Well... I'm awake now. And since I'm awake I was wondering.." I looked down sheepishly, not wanting to finish my question.

    "Astrid... there's no way you've already digested all the pancakes you ate last night! It's not possible!" Andrew dramatically waved his arms, laughing.

    "It is! And I'm ready for more pancakes! Let's go to the diner." I couldn't help but laugh, though smiling so much felt foreign to me. 

    An hour later, Andrew and I were both stretched out in a booth, too full to move. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get sick of these pancakes. 

    "So what are we doing today?" I inquired, still pushing around the last bite of pancake I had, drowning it in syrup.

    "Well, I figured you and I could go out to the yard to train for a bit and then I have some pack matters to tend to, so I think Serena was hoping to hang out with you and have some bonding time. Is that okay?" 

    I nodded, trying to seem nonchalant. The reality was that I hadn't really had any girlfriends before. I wasn't sure how to act, and I felt very nervous. However, I was also very happy that Serena seemed to want to be friends with me. It would be nice to have someone to talk to other than Andrew.

Andrew POV

    Astrid and I walked towards the training field. It was a long, expansive field littered with different training areas. There were punching bags, dumbbells, weight benches, and obstacle courses. It was my pride of my pack. We'd spent years perfecting the setup and it was the largest training field of any pack. It was always busy with at least ten pack members training at various times throughout the day, and today was no different. Colby and Serena sparred one another at one end of the field. Colby took a brief pause to wave at us, and Serena took the opportunity to land a kick in his side. Astrid giggled next to me, clearly amused. At the other end of the field, I spotted Olivia sparring with one of her sidekicks Maria. She kept glancing over at Astrid and I, glaring daggers. Astrid noticed, looking at her expressionless. Then, Astrid grabbed my hand in hers, squeezing. She looked up at my, smiling. She then turned back to Olivia, smirking. Olivia was furious. She spoke briefly to Maria and then they both shifted, choosing to let their wolves spar with one another instead. But it wasn't lost on me that even after Olivia turned away, Astrid didn't let go of my hand. Brick by brick, her guard was coming down.

    "So do you want to let our wolves spar first are save that for the end?" I asked. Wrong question apparently. She immediately pulled her hand from my grasp, taking a step back and looking up at me.  Her face was cold.

    "I'm not going to shift." She said flatly. 

    "Okay.. I was only saying that because we normally have everyone train in both forms. That way you're prepared for any opponent." I responded, confused. This was a standard practice across all major packs, and I didn't understand why she wouldn't know this.

    "I know the standard training protocol Andrew, but I'm not shifting here." There was an edge of fear in her voice that baffled me. Why would she be afraid to shift? Kane whimpered. He was ready to meet her wolf. 

    "Okay, I understand," I relented, "But what about tonight? I was hoping to take you out to the lake for a picnic after you and Serena were done. Maybe we could shift then?" I inquired, reaching out to grab her hand again, stroking her palm with my thumb. Her face softened, and she nodded, though I still wasn't convinced that she meant it. 

    We began hand to hand training. For someone that was so tiny, Astrid was surprisingly strong. Even moreso, she was incredibly fast. Her size made it difficult for anyone to land a hit. At one point, I was sure that I had her. She was turned around, and I reached out my arms to wrap them around her and pin her, but she dodged it so quickly that I fell on my face. I heard her laughing lightly as she jumped onto my back, pinning me down.

    "Hmm, Alpha, looks like you need to dedicate more hours to training and less to pancakes," she joked, smirking. Quickly, I rolled over, shifting my body so that I was on top of her. We were facing each other and I took her hands, pinning them over her head. 

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, that's not a very kind way to talk to your Alpha, little one." I chuckled, smirking at her. She was still giggling, and her smile was so sweet. As her giggling died down, I felt her breath begin to deepen. Her chest of rising and falling more vividly and her cheeks became flushed. I felt something stir inside me, and I leaned in closer. She was looking deeply in my eyes, and for once, she didn't seem so guarded. She seemed like she wanted me too. Just as I was leaning down to take my chance for our first kiss, I felt something hard slam into my side, throwing me off of her. I got up quickly, having forgotten that we were in the training field. I looked down to see Maria's wolf limping a way from me, whining. Olivia's wolf stood to the side, her teeth bared. She had thrown her friend into me. 

    "Oli-" I was ready to ream in to Olivia for her childish behavior, but as I began to yell, Astrid grabbed my hand, pressing her body against mine and pressing her lips into my mine. I closed my eyes, leaning into her and wrapping my arms around her waist. She put her other hand on my shoulder, digging her nails in as I kissed her harder. Then, we slowly parted, both breathless, and she smiled at me. We were in our own world for just a moment. 

    When I finally turned back towards Olivia, she was growling, the hair on her back standing straight. Astrid just rolled her eyes, pulling me behind her as she walked off the training field, and I couldn't help but laugh. This girl was fiery. How did I get so lucky?

    We walked back to the pack house hand in hand, laughing. As we were about to enter the packhouse, I saw Serena running towards us, smiling. Astrid stood on her tip toes and kissed my cheek before running to meet Serena for their night out. I went up to my office to find Colby waiting for me. His face looked grim and we got to business straight away.

    "More rogue attacks?" I asked. Our pack had always dealt with rogues, being that we were the largest pack in our area, but recently, they'd become more and more frequent. They also seemed more organized. 

    Colby nodded, "4 today, all working together. We tried to capture atleast one to interrogate, but they seemed intent on fighting to the death rather than being taken and questioned. Something just doesn't feel right. Rogues never attack together. It's strange." I agreed. It felt like something dark was coming. Kane could feel it too. 

Astrid POV

    Serena took me to the one place that I would never choose to go independently. The nail salon. 

    "Serenaaaaa... I know I haven't known you long but I would've thought you'd know better than to take me here." I smiled, rolling my eyes dramatically.

    "Yes Astrid, I do know that because I've seen your nail beds. Trust me, you are in desperate need of a manicure." she chuckled, nudging me to sit in one of the chair. After going through all the colors, I chose a light lavender and Serena chose a green that matched her eyes perfectly. We both laid back, letting the artists work while we chatted. 

    "So, how are things with Andrew so far?" I smiled softly, but stayed quiet. 

    "Oh so they are that good, huh? When's the wedding then?" Serena asked, joking but hopefully.

    "I like him, yes. Of course I do, he's my mate. But I don't know.. I can't stay here, you don't understand." I said, feeling my own heart dropping at my words. 

    "Luna, please. He loves you, and I can tell you're falling in love with him too. Just don't turn away before giving it a chance, okay? And besides, I like you too, and I finally have a girl to get mani pedis with. I will not give that up so easily." She smiled, her eyes bright. My heart warmed at her compliment. Truthfully, I liked Serena too. And it was nice to have someone to confide in. 

   Later that night, I was back in my room, dressing for my picnic with Andrew. I was nervous. I'd told him I would shift with him to appease him in the moment, but now that it was close, I wasn't sure if I could do that. I would put myself in danger, but also him and our.. I mean his pack. And how could I be sure I could trust him? Sure he was my mate, but what does that really mean? Your mate can still hurt you, that I was sure of.

    I chose a maroon, long sleeve knit dress and my black converse. It was a little cold for a dress, but I wanted something that I wouldn't destroy in case I did shift. I walked to the lake, spotting Andrew sitting on a blanket surrounded by sandwiches, chips, sodas, pizza, and popcorn. Entirely too much food for 2 people, and I chuckled. He definitely knew the way to my heart. 

    "Wow Astrid, you look beautiful," he said as I approached him. I couldn't help but blush. He looked me over, his eyes lingering on various parts of my body. I felt a fiery sensation burning between my legs, reminding me of our kiss earlier. 

    "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself, but I think you've packed enough food for the whole pack," I smiled, sitting down. We are for a while, chatting about the day, the weather, menial things to distract us from what was coming soon. When we finally finished our food, Andrew stood up, reaching his hand towards me. I grabbed it, pulling myself up and we walked silently towards the water together, admiring the moonlight. I finally looked over and watching him unbuttoning his shirt, preparing to shift. My eyes lingered on his chest as he went button by button, revealing chiseled abs that made Belle stir. 

    "See something you like, little one?" Andrew asked, smirking. I looked away, red faced. 

    "What's your wolf's name?" he asked, changing the subject to spare me of my embarrassment. 

    "Belle," I muttered, "And yours?"

    "Kane." Belle howled, hearing his wolf's name for the first time. She wanted to come out, and I found myself wanting to let her. I placed my hand on Andrew's chest softly, stopping him and looking up at him seriously. 

    "Andrew, before we shift, there's something you need to know. But before I tell you, I need you to promise me that I can trust you. I need you to promise that what you find out, you won't tell anyone else. Not even Colby or Serena. Promise me."

    Andrew looking into my eyes, his expression concerned but genuine.

    "Astrid, of course you can trust me. I promise, but what do you... I mean, what is it?" I stepped back and began to take my shoes off. I then turned away from him and pulled my dress of quickly, beginning to shift before he could see too much of my naked body. Once we shifted, Belle and I turned back to see a wide eyed Andrew, standing there in awe. I looked down at our paws. Pure white fur, as was the rest of our coat. And I knew that looking back at him were our bright red eyes. We stood still, waiting for his reaction.

    "You're... you're a white wolf?!" Andrew asked, his voice difficult to read. Belle bowed her head, nervous. We began backing away slowly, unsure of what todo.

    "No, Astrid.. Belle, it's okay. Really. You're beautiful." Belle's head perked back up and our tail swayed playfully. We walked up, nuzzling into his leg. Then, Andrew shifted, revealing Kane to us. He was much larger than us, towering over. His fur was onyx black, the exact opposite of ours. So dark that he almost disappeared in the night. His eyes were a blend of yellow and amber. He was beautiful. Andrew and I both receded, letting Belle and Kane meet. They nuzzled each other, and then ran off, playing tag and wrestling. We all stayed out so late, that Belle and Kane eventually fell asleep, curled up against one another.