Finding Her Way Back

Chapter 4

Since coming here as a child, I have never left the pack lands. Of course, I had thought more than once about running away, but the idea terrified me more than the thought of staying. My parents seemed the better option over rouges, so I always stayed. I admired the pack lands, the beauty they held was breathtaking and I never imagined a place that matched it, but as we drove further out of our territory the more in awe I was. It was mid fall and the trees that still held their leaves were a stunning mixture of browns, reds and yellows. The left side of the road was towered over by a tall mountain of red siltstone, the sky was clear and the sun was soft while it danced with the leaves of the trees and the low dips of the rock.

I must have fallen asleep because I was jolted awake as the car hit a pot hole, causing me to bounce in my seat. According to the clock, we drove for about an hour and 40 minutes and traffic was all over the place. We were just on the outskirts of a city, and while I may have never left pack lands, I knew well enough that this was a human city. My throat tightened as a small wave of fear filtered through me.

The humans were afraid of us, of our wolves. It didn't use to be this way, we used to be able to live within the city and run unworried in the bordered brush. However, as the rouges became more violent and the packs united against them, they hid within the confines of the city, except they were irrational and unpredictable beasts who, instead of just hiding within the city, also hunted within the city.

Humans quickly learned how to defend themselves against us, how to kill us. Who could blame them really? Over the years, they had either killed or pushed out the wolves they found. For a long time, our kind stopped coming to the city in fear of being found out. However, they had yet to find a way to tell us apart from them, so slowly, we started coming back. First to shop, then some started working and eventually, some moved and still currently live here. As long as they are careful, they are safe.

We must have entered the downtown area because there were so many people and vendors on the sidewalks and roads that we had to park the car and walk. The streets were buzzing with people darting across, stands of movies, clothes, jewelry lined the outside of the road and sidewalks, the owners yelling in all different directions, trying to draw attention to their goods. This place was alive. It was stunning, yet terrifying at the same time. So many people moving around and somehow, even the ones staring at their phones or with their faces in the paper, didn't seem to run into each other.

I stood at the entrance to where we parked the car, taking in all the commotion. I had spotted a stand with an older gentleman quietly sitting off to the side, I motioned to Cecile that I was going over to check it out and to my surprise, she followed. Upon getting to the table, I realized what I couldn't fully make out across the road. The stand was full of various crystals and, I think, gemstones. I had heard of gemstones but, honestly, I had never seen one. So I couldn't be certain that is what they were until Cecile appeared behind me, picking one up and handing it to me.

It was a stunning pink stone about the size of my palm. Clearly, it hadn't been shaped yet, I could see the outline of the table through it. " This is a tourmaline gemstone, one of the stones representing October" she smiled, as she observed the gem in my hand, "I have only read about them this color, it is beautiful and rather rare" she was telling nobody in particular. I placed the tourmaline back on the table and continued to browse the stands content. The gentleman in the chair was staring off to no certain place, occasionally glancing in our direction.

I was so fixated on the tables that I didn't even notice the man in front of me until I ran into the back of him, my head connecting with his elbow. " OH ! I am so sorry, I wasn't paying attention, I.. I am -- " my words caught in my throat as he turned around, dropping the hand he must have been running threw his shaggy blonde hair because it was a little tousled as if pushed to the wrong side.Still, he was absolutely beautiful. Forget my meadow, forget the pack lands or the siltstone, none of it compared to the man in front of me. I felt my mouth dry up as he dropped his gaze to meet mine, giving his elbow a quick rub as he chuckled a deep, hearty chuckle. I felt my knees threaten to buckle at the sound, I could hear Nyla panting and feel the drool coming from her gaping muzzle. "Who knew a human could cause such a reaction" I thought "There is no way he is human, we cannot have this kind of reaction to a human!" Nyla argued.

She's right though, a wolf and a human, it would never work. The moon goddess wouldn't be so cruel as to form such a bond. I pulled myself together, forcing myself to breath and my mouth to start salivating again. " Well hello, how is your head? Are you okay?" his voice was husky, with what appeared to be a hint of an accent. My mouth was far to dry for me to answer him properly, so I simply nodded and gave a small smile just before I quickly turned on my heel and scanned the tables for Cecile, "s**t" I heard Nyla cuss, she wasn't here.

I let out a slight whimper and went to move closer to the edge of the stand to continue looking. "Wait" I heard him say and then something lit my arm ablaze. I jerked away and spun back around, my heart racing as Nyla was now on her belly in my minds meadow, panting and whimpering, her fur rippling with desire. I looked at the man in front of me, the look of surprise on his face as he looked between me and his hand told me he felt it too. Nyla took a good hard smell of the air around us, particularly scenting him. " Nothing, hes human" she winned. The way he looked like he was trying to make his mouth move, to speak, was adorable, and I felt like I could just stare at him all day. "Get hold of yourself Sarah, we need to get out of here! " Nyla urged "right, yes, okay" I responded to her as I shook my head and faced my back to him, I made a beeline for the road, praying to the moon goddess he didn't follow.