Stubborn and the Mutt

forty five | the moon

All I'm saying is I actually need to spell correct the next two chapters but I'm so tired! I will during the course of the day though, so bare with me.

***

"Don't be anxious or scared." Andrea grins at me, confidently taking hold of my hand before intertwining our fingers.

"I mean..." I huff out, a bit tensed up.

I mean, I cannot be blamed for feeling the way I do. I think it's one think trying to process my life at the moment; you know, soon-to-be Luna when Micah becomes the Alpha of this pack. I mean it's was once far fetched but I guess now, this mark on my collarbone and the tenderness I feel whenever if touch it, kind of just makes it more comprehensible.

But walking at night, in the woods with literally the moon somewhere west being the only source of light, and being the only actual human with a pack full of wolves is a whole different thing. Sure, majority are wolves and a handful are in their human form, so I guess that gives me some sort of comfort, but it's still a bit hard to digest the fact that I'm a small human being walking with a large pack of wolves heading who knows where. The giants effortlessly move past the different trees, and now and again a few wolves would huff or growl. Maybe they all having a conversations, I don't know, but it's surreal to me.

All of it is. And they all seem to know where they are going, and I'm just mindfully following them, Lowkey trying to remember my way so if I ever need to sprint back to safety — ironically, safety being the mansion despite it being a property for a pack — then I can do that. Only problem is I can barely see, and the moon's light isn't helping much since the trees are kind of close together, and the large leaves block out the light.

So, I have to hold Andrea's hand tighter, giving a stiff smile as I try loosen my shoulders. "This is just new to me, that's all."

"You'll get used to it. Plus, you're safe. You're marked and everyone can quite literally smell Micah's scent on you. Anyone who tries you would be asking for it."

I guess I feel a bit better just a bit. But still, the scenery is surreal.

"It feels like I'm watching animal planet. You know how those people camouflage themselves to see the animals in the wild at night? I feel like that, except I'm so up close and literally walking with you guys. Everywhere I turn—" as emphasis, I do exactly that, turning my head in every direction, "I just see wolves. Large wolves... this pack is big. Oh my word—"

"Stop worrying, Gert. You're okay, trust me. This is tradition, and yeah you've had your own experience and seen traumatic things, but this one isn't like that. It's very light. Heartwarming. You'll see in a moment."

Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm just a bit tense because the last time I walked in the woods during their tradition, I didn't see sunshines and rainbows.

"Shouldn't you... your mate. Where's he?"

"Right out in front." Andrea waves her hand. "Wolf form. I thought I'd stay as human for your sake."

My cheeks accommodate the smile I show her. "Thanks... yeah, well I think Micah is with Andrew up front."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Kind of told Andrew to speak with Micah and squash their beef. And oh my word, Micah's fath—"

"Gert, Gert." Andrea obnoxious laughs, slapping my shoulder with her unoccupied hand as she glances around. I do the same and what do I see; a few large wolves looking back at us. I side eye Andrea, who shakes her head at me. "The woods... and creatures of the woods, have ears. Remember?"

Ah. Oh, yes. My bad. My big mouth, oh my word.

"W-well... so, they are probably together up front." I dodge a thorn bush on my left, then carefully walk over uplifting roots of one particularly large tree. "How long does it take to get there? I feel like we've walked a while."