Changing Fate

ch. 3

I pivoted on my heels and set off on the long trek back to my home. The relentless heat of the sun began to abate as it withdrew behind the evening clouds. The crisp and refreshing air of the evening stealthily crawled out, calming everything that had been scorched during the day. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, I knew that I would not be able to return before the night's darkness enveloped me. Fortunately, I had the forethought to grab my reflective belt, which provided a little comfort as it allowed the passing cars to spot me as I trudged along the road. However, I did not put my faith in most drivers, so I opted to walk in the grassy patch beside the road.

At least there wasn't a way of getting lost. I hadn't turned on any streets or side roads. I kept straight down the road, so getting back shouldn't be too much of a hassle. As I was walking I thought back about the Paul Bunyan Goliath man. I had never seen him before. He looked much older than the twins. Maybe he was Beta Colton's brother? They both looked like they had similar features. His smell made me want to go camping and make smores. He reminded me of the carefree days of childhood.

I continued to walk towards home and the sun continued its retreat to bed, the sky grew darker. Yup. Not making it home before night. Thinking to myself. I was still in uncharted territory (neighboring pack lands), so I was unfamiliar with the nightlife here. I wanted to call one of the twins in hopes they wouldn't mind an evening drive to come get me but, I didn't want to become a burden to them. I knew the neighboring pack consorted with all magical and mystical beings. Personally, I wanted to ride a unicorn, maybe a dragon. But, other than those two fun creatures, I wanted nothing else to do with the other beings. In my mind, they were more like the creatures of the fun games Dungeons & Dragons.

I shivered as the crisp cool air hit my sweat. I grabbed my phone from my pocket. I'll just call Asher. He's more laid back and probably wouldn't mind. I dialed his number, ring, ring, ring, ring, "Hello?" answered a nasally high-pitched voice. Great Farrah has his phone. "Hey, Farrah," I responded. Her voice changed instantly to hostility and anger. "WHY ARE YOU CALLING MY BOYFRIEND!?!" practically screaming in my ear. "I wasn't calling him as your boyfriend, but as one of the Alphas responsible for me," I replied to her in a non-apologetic tone. "Well he's busy so figure it out yourself!" boop. Great she hung up on me. I signed loudly, startling a cow that had roamed up to me from his side of the fence. I wondered if I just sat down, would either of them try to find me? The thought of them arranging a search party made me smile in amusement.

I did decide to take a rest. I wiggled my way through the barbed-wire fence to sit with my newfound friends, Mr. Moo, Mrs. Milk, Ms. Cream, and Mr. Cheese had all gathered around me wanting scratchies and cuddles. I happily obliged them. Who knew these large bovines were just big puppy dogs wanting a snuggle? I was fighting off sleep when my head hit the grass. My moo friends had all found comfortable spots to sit by me without sitting on top of me. My heart rate slowed and the combined heat from their bodies lulled me into sleep.

I awoke to angry moos. I didn't know how long I was out for and completely forgot I never made it back to the pack house. Looking at my watch, it was five am the next day. I slept well at least. Getting up, I stretched to see why my moo friends were so upset. I saw them across the field. Mounted on horseback were, Beta Colton, Atlas, Asher, Paul Bunyan, a disgruntled Farrah, and Sybil (Beta Colton fated). Had they just now decided to search for me? They could have at least slept in, I thought, as I scratched Mr. Cheese behind the ears. They were positioned in a grid search pattern, calling my name. I looked at Mr. Cheese wondering if I could ride him over to the group. I've ridden horses before, so it shouldn't be much of a difference. The idea faded as Paul Bunyan spotted me amidst my moo friends. He rode his horse up to me in a cowboy fashion, galloping at full speed and then having his horse slide to a stop.

"Good morning, little lady," he said with a dazzling smile that could light up a room. However, my cow friends didn't seem to appreciate him and started mooing. Mrs. Cream, in particular, didn't like his cow pony. He introduced himself, "I'm Alpha Oliver, but you can call me Oli." I was captivated by his handsome features. I couldn't help but stare. Mr. Cheese interrupted my thoughts by nudging me for more scratches. I shyly replied, "Hello, I'm Rhea, but you can call me Rhe." I felt myself blushing. "You gave everyone quite a fright when you didn't return or call," he informed me as the group slowly made their way towards us. "Oh, I did call," I quickly responded, not wanting to throw Farrah under the bus. She would get into trouble, and then make my life miserable. "I tried leaving a voice message, but the mailbox was full, and my phone died." He nodded as if my answer was sufficient enough.

With a graceful bend, he offered me his hand as I stumbled and struggled to regain my balance. His hand felt rough and warm, and I gratefully accepted his offer. In one fluid motion, he pulled me up behind him on his horse, and I felt the strength of his arms around me. As I settled onto the horse, I noticed the rich aroma of leather and hay, and the softness of the saddle beneath me. The horse itself was a beautiful creature, its coat a shimmering chestnut with a white blaze on its nose. I felt a surge of excitement.

"Hold tight!" he warned me, sensing my inexperience. I turned to look at him and saw the glint of amusement in his eyes. He turned his cow pony and launched forward to join the group, and I quickly wrapped my arms tightly around his waist, feeling the warmth of his back against my chest. As his pony surged forward with great speed, I felt the wind whip through my hair and the sun on my face. The world around me became a blur of green and brown, the trees and fields rushing past in a blur. I held on for dear life, feeling the muscles in my arms and legs tense and relax with each movement of the horse. He was laughing and held onto his hat as we took off, his joy infectious. I couldn't help but laugh too, despite my initial fear. The experience was like nothing I had ever felt before, a mixture of exhilaration and terror that left me breathless.