Feral Attachments

Chapter 9

Atlas

I spend the next few weeks keeping my distance from Isla. It's difficult, as my wolf urges me closer to her. He already craves her. The sound of her voice, her smell, even her cheeky attitude appeals to us. But I feel like it's important to show her that I can respect her boundaries, to put her own needs above my own. 

I know she needs time. Her fears are rooted deep, cultivated over years of mistreatment by her pack and her own father. My heart breaks for her a little more every time I think about a young Isla, cast aside by the man who was supposed to protect her, cherish her, keep her safe. Instead he let her sleep in the woods. She would rather grow her own food then be in her own home. That can't happen again. 

My wolf agrees as I sit in a chair in my living room, watching out into the night. I try not to follow her movements too much, but tonight she's very active. Ysabel was over after dinner and I could hear them laughing all the way through my open window. The sound brought me immense joy. Ysabel herself has had a hard time making friends, spending most of her time and energy trying to make our school better. I've appreciated her efforts, but seeing the two of them bond so well has been wonderful. 

Ysabel left awhile ago and while I can't see through Isla's windows, I can tell she's moving around the house. It's like her anxious energy is permeating the space between us, my wolf able to pick up on it even from here. 

So when she exits the house a few moments later, neither my wolf and I are surprised. I watch her for a few moments, focusing in as the sun begins to set before her, almost as if enveloping her in the orange and purple hues. She doesn't appear to be in any distress, but appears unsettled. She walks between our houses, headed towards the forest when she comes to an abrupt stop, pointing her nose in the air and taking a few deep breaths. The next moment her head snaps in my direction and she narrows her eyes at me as she realizes I've been snooping. I raise the glass of whiskey in my hand and take a sip, not breaking eye contact. A pleased little grin spreads across her face as she watches me, then jerks her head in a clear invitation for me to follow as she heads towards the forest again. 

Without stopping even a moment to think about it, I stand from my chair and walk outside onto my porch just in time to see her jump and shift. Her wolf takes off on a run, letting out a cheerful howl as her fur whips in the wind. I take a quick moment to look around and when I see there is no one else around, I strip down naked and shift as I jump down my stairs. 

My wolf feels light as he pounds the ground with our paws, hurrying to catch up with his prize. She turns to see us coming up on her fast, so she darts to the side into heavy tree cover. My wolf huffs at her and I can hear laughter ring through my head. 

'You're too slow to be an Alpha.' she mocks. 

'I'm just taking it easy on you, little wolf.' I respond, putting my power behind my strides. 

Just as I catch sight of her, she dodges in another direction, tucking herself into bushes and fallen trees. I try to change my direction, but I'm much larger than her so it takes me a moment. I hear her getting further away as I rush to catch her, only for the forest to go suddenly silent. 

She's hiding from me, I realize. 

My wolf lets out an excited growl as he puts his nose to the earth, taking his heavy breaths until he catches her scent. Once he catches it he takes of on a sprint, sniffing logs and leaves until he finds a stronger trail and goes faster. I feel my heart pumping wildly in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I sense us getting closer to her.

Just as we round a large tree, Isla's wolf jumps out from under some brush. She barks happily, breathing so heavily that the dead leaves and grass stuck to her coat start to fall off and float to the ground. My wolf lets out a pleased sound and puts his snout in her neck, taking in her scent to ensure he found what he was looking for. Once he's content, he pulls away and we watch each other for a moment before Isla's wolf leans forward and licks my snout, letting out a wolfy snicker as she turns from me and heads deeper into the forest. My wolf is stunned for a moment until he shakes his head and begins to follow her again as if he's a puppy. I'm surprised he's content to stay back and let her lead, but also impressed with his restraint after being away from her for so long.