Alice and The Rogue Wolf

Chapter 19

My eyes fluttered open to the heavy gaze of the sun. My bones felt weak and I wiped off the sweat that had begun forming on my brow. Was this the foretold goddess's paradise, I wondered as I ran my hands along the field of flowers I stood knee-deep in.

They were others around chattering and making jest to ease the tediousness as they tended to different parts of this vegetation-rich field. I could identify a few faces from the scattered bunch and joined in laughing at some of their jokes.

I still had a lot of gardening to do on this flower bed, so I adjusted my gloves on my palms but as I tried to bend forward and grab my shear, a set of hands ran its fingers along my sides giving me a ticklish feeling.

"Brayden stop!" I laughed, trying to wriggle free from his grasp.

"How did you know I was the one?" He asked, letting go after my numerous pleas.

"Well, there is no other boy I know who would sneak up on me like that," I retorted, rolling my eyes.

"Me? Boy?" He asked, feigning shock.

"Yes. Don't let your age deceive you! You still behave as a boy," I teased, going back to trimmings off the protruding weeds.

"Well as long as I'm your boy, I'll take that as a compliment." I looked up and saw a cheeky smile on his face.

"Oh, Brayden! You didn't just say that."

"Yes, I did!"

I scoffed at his response and returned to my work, trying to hide the reddening that had begun to appear on my cheeks.

"C'mon! Are you still mad that I asked you on a date?" He asked, digging his hands deep into his trouser pockets. When he figured out I wasn't giving a response, he continued. "At least, let me help you out."

"No, thanks! What Could a pampered Rogue like possibly know about farming?" I remarked, snithing off an exposed weed.

"Oh, I know a lot of things. But you wouldn't know that if you don't let me help you, would you? "

"Sorry, I think I'll pass!" I replied, chuckling.

"I'm done begging," he muttered under his breath, before advancing toward me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, but it was too late as he went on his knees, trying to snatch the shear from my grasp.

I held on stubbornly, scolding him to back off but he wouldn't budge. The tussle went on until he pulled one of the handles and we both came crashing down on the moist earth.

The clanking of metal outside interrupted my sleep making my eyes flutter open in shock. The pounding migraine had subsided but was not erased. I rolled onto my back on the fluffy sheets and rubbed my eyes to clean off any remainder of sleep in my eyes.

I sat up and recalled the events in my dream. It must have been one of my memories that had been locked up in the witch's block. I looked around expecting to be surrounded by thick vegetation and breeze-swayed trees only to find myself in a room.

My eyes first fell on the collections of guns and ammunition that lay in a section of the room, then on the well-arranged wardrobe, the library stocked to the brim with books, and finally the different posters of female pop stars and rock musicians, some of whom I recognized, which covered the entire wall. Even though its appearance had changed a lot since my last visit, I still could remember being here before, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around who the room belonged to.

I was still trying to figure out where I was when a young girl of about fifteen walked in with a tray containing a glass of juice. She didn't notice immediately that I was awake, but when she did, her face lit up with a big smile and she laid the tray on the bed, sitting down opposite me.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked, handing me the glass, which I drowned down my throat in one gulp.

"I'm feeling better. Where am I?" I looked at her closely and immediately recognized her. "I know you! aren't you Brayden's sister?"

"Yes, I am. My name's Megan and you're in my brother's room. According to him, he was just taking a walk in the woods and saw you barely hanging on, literally. So he saved you and got you down here so you could get some quiet rest. And he also told me to look after you before he left," she replied, taking the glass from my still shaky grasp.

"You mean Brayden's not around? Where is he, then?"

"Yes, he didn't tell any of us about where he was headed. But he did say that should you wake up before he returned, I should attend to all of your needs." She jumped off the bed and headed off with the empty glass before I could even protest.

Seconds later she came back in, this time empty-handed, and sat on the only chair in the room, fiddling with her phone.

Speaking of the phone, I caressed my pockets and even looked around but I couldn't see it.

"Hey, do you know where your brother kept my phone?" I asked, getting on my feet.

On my first attempt, my knees wobbled weakly against each other, but when I sprang up the second time, my stance was more balanced and I didn't need the bedstead anymore. I still had my clothes on, so I didn't have to worry as I headed for the door only to be halted by Megan.

"Do you want to visit my mother? She asked, laying down her phone. "Ever since my mother heard you had returned, she was so elated and instructed me to convince you to come to see her when you regained your consciousness."

At the mention of Brayden's mother, I couldn't help but smile. I remember all the cheeses she would give me any time I sneaked out to come to visit. Perhaps, I needed to pay her one of those visits.

"Okay, Megan. Lead the way," I said, slipping on my leather boots, which lay by the window.

As I stared out the window, an entirely new and beautiful world lay bare before my eyes. Instead of the usual trees, the landscape was flooded with skyscrapers in the distance, which looked like towers with their glass windows shimmering in the sun, and from where I stood, the sounds of cars as they zoomed past were like honey drunk bees in my ears. Settling in a location nearest to town seemed to be a perfect choice for the Rogues.

As I stepped out to the living room, The five people there had their backs reclined on cushions chattering about while some busied their hands with knitting but just as I stepped out, their eyes diverted from their various tasks and fell on me. I could recognize a few faces so I waved a greeting, to which they all responded with smiles.

"Let me go get my mother in the kitchen, I will be right back," Megan whispered, running off and leaving me to face the Rogues.

"Hey, Alice! Come over and have a seat. After all that sleep, I don't think standing will do you any good," one of the familiar-looking ladies called, tapping on an empty seat beside her.

But one thing that gripped me as I sat down was fear. My mother and Jonathan had always portrayed them as a vicious tribe that despised our kind so now I was settled among them I felt uneasy and tense. I expected a couple of cold shoulders or indifferent treatment but strangely, as they all threw questions at me about my welfare and health, no one seemed to care that I was a wolf from a rival pack and conversed with me as would a long-lost companion. Gradually, my tensed-up muscles began to relax and I began to feel at home.

"Hey, Alice. Why did it take you so long to visit?" One of the men asked. "My wife, Sandra, wouldn't stop talking about you in your."

*Sorry Mr. Morrison," I apologized, with a smile. "I was just caught up with a few things. But I'm here now, am I not?"

"Oh, yeah! And it's so nice to see you." Another chipped in. "Brayden wouldn't…"

Megan, who was approaching unaccompanied, quickly interrupted. "Thank you so much, Mr. Morrison, but we have to get going. Mother wants to see her now and she says Brayden wouldn't be returning till evening, so you should come back then."

A few murmurs rose from the group, but they all stood up to leave but not before saying their goodbyes to me.

"Is Brayden truly returning in the evening?" I asked once the guests had all left.

"No! Mother just wants the house to be quiet. C'mon, she is making lunch. Let's go see her." Megan said, walking off while I followed behind admiring the beautiful decor of the house.