The Fall

Chapter 6

Zoe- 2016

I rise to my feet and make my way back to my room. With newfound resolve, I swing open the closet doors. Kari had purchased several dresses for me, but I hadn't even bothered to remove the tags from them. I pick out a little black one with thin spaghetti straps that barely hold the sheath up. The fabric clings to the curves of my body, relying on its tightness to stay in place. It accentuates everything – my ass, my breasts, my stomach. There's no way I could wear underwear with it. I quickly shed the dress and opt for another one. This time, it's white with a tie at the bust, adorned with a cute floral pattern, and it flows instead of clinging. It's short but adorable. Footwear isn't a concern; if I'm going to be mingling with wolves, being barefoot is more common than wearing shoes. I release my hair from its bun, letting the waves cascade down my shoulders and back; it looks great. I apply a dab of lip gloss, unsure of what else to do with the makeup Kari bought me, and then head back outside, this time onto the grass instead of the roof.

Today, the field is filled with games: volleyball courts, a fighting ring, and cornhole setups with targets placed 50 yards apart. People are lounging at the pool and heading down toward the river and falls. It's still early, not even 11 yet, but the sun blazes in the sky. I decide to head to the river.

"Avvvvaaaa," I hear as burly arms encircle me. It's Logan, a guy I went to school with – used to go to school with.

"Actually, it's Zoe," I correct him. He releases his arm from around my shoulder, holds me out at arm's length, and studies me intently. He looks me up and down, twice, before saying, "No shit."

"I always forget you guys are twins, like identical twins. Wonder what that's like," he says with a suggestive waggle of his brows. I don't bother telling him that we aren't identical; no one can tell the difference, so we might as well be.

"You'll never really know," I quip. He clutches at his chest dramatically, as if he has been shot in the heart, and I roll my eyes.

“Now,” he exclaims with feigned exasperation “I see... the... similarities.” Then with a dramatic hand to his brow, he dramatically collapses to the ground, pretending to be dead.

“Are you done?” I kick at his leg, standing over him. Then he peeks one eye open and tilts his head under my dress. I kick him again. He smiles and springs up to his feet.

“Where you headed?” He asks.

“The river, want to come?” I don’t dislike Logan, we were lab partners the first year I moved here, and he has never been unkind to me. He is handsome. But we aren’t more than casual acquaintances but it is summer solstice and as far as I know, he is single.

“Sure, I have nothing to do till later.”

“What's happening later,” I ask as I lead the way through the woods, a trail carved by the hundreds who had walked this path before.

“The alpha fights.” He says matter of factly.

I give him a questioning look and he explains without further prompt. “There are 19 or 20 alphas here this weekend, they fight for sport. You can challenge any alpha and they can decline but none ever do. It's good for them to fight wolves of the same caliber. It’s fun to watch.” He says with a wink toward me.

I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by Logan's explanation. “Do only the alphas challenge each other?” I ask, trying to wrap my head around the concept.

“No, no. Literally, anyone can fight an alpha. Each alpha is limited to 5 fights though.”

“Why would a regular wolf challenge an Alpha?”

He chuckles. "A death wish. I don’t know. It can get pretty intense. It's a way for males to blow off steam and test their strength without causing any real harm. Wolves heal fast, you know."

I nod, absorbing this new piece of information about the solstice celebration. "I guess it makes sense in a way. A release of all that pent-up energy."

"Exactly!" Logan grins. "I prefer to work out my pent-up energy in other ways." He winks suggestively, earning him an eye roll from me.

“Interesting,” I yawn, feigning interest in his innuendo. “Do they do the Alpha fights at each solstice celebration?”

“No summer is unique, the solstice is the longest day of the year, and our wolves are restless. Which is why it's a weekend of debauchery.”

“Yes running, drinking, f*****g, and fighting.”

“You forgot swimming, two feet.” He play growls as he scoops me carrying me toward the river. I squeal and wiggle in his arms but within a moment I am submerged in the cool water of the river. Logan has a beaming smile across his face, I splash at him, and we spend several hours jumping off the small cliff, lazily floating on our backs, talking about school and work after high school. Most wolves don’t attend university, which I am surprised to find out. Since I mostly hung out with humans since I’ve been in Aurora Falls, I just assumed everyone did. He talks about the pack quarry, the pack lumber yard, and even a pack cattle ranch. How all the businesses sustain and provide wages for the pack, very few need to go to college. It is not like you can go to medical school to learn how to treat wolves, he points out.

I don’t tell him I hope to study medicine, that I want to treat humans. I haven’t been in a pack since I was a child, I don’t remember it much and we never lived around another pack till we moved to the Falls, I had never really considered a future within a pack.

"Zoe, there you are," Kari's voice calls out, breaking the moment of solitude by the river. I turn around to see a small group of familiar faces, all gathered for a picnic. Alpha Porter, Kamden, my sister, Eero, and two other wolves I don't recognize are there.

"Come eat," Porter's words carry an undertone of authority. His attention, however, is not focused on me but rather on Logan, who's standing nearby. I realize that I've been swimming in nothing more than my white cotton underwear, and the thought makes me self-conscious. The fabric is translucent when wet, and in the presence of Eero, I become acutely aware of my appearance.

In an attempt to boost my confidence, I silently repeat affirmations to myself: "Your body is beautiful, it is strong, it can be a weapon, a tool, and wolf nudity is common." As I climb out of the water, ringing out my hair at the riverbank, I maintain an air of confidence, reminding myself that it's all perfectly normal. So far, it seems to be working, as no one appears to be paying me undue attention. Everyone has either turned their backs to me or jumped into the water to cool off, except for Kamden and Eero. Both of them are staring at me, their eyes lingering on various parts of my body. It's a bit uncomfortable, but I tell myself to act like it's no big deal and pretend to be confident.

I catch my sister's eye, and she seems to notice Kamden's gaze directed my way. Kari, ever the thoughtful one, throws me a towel when she realizes I'm standing there trying to dry off. As I wrap the towel around myself, I swear I hear a low growl, but I'm not sure which of the wolves it came from.