Whispers of the Wolf

My Target

Orion

I didn't mean for him to see me. That was my mistake. I hadn't been careful with my foot placements, the timing of my steps. He had stopped and I had carried on, treading along the woodland floor, trying to get behind the next tree before he saw me.

But Radley had seen me. Probably caught my scent, too.

He had been walking to his house, and I was following, just to make sure that's where he was really heading.

Well, that was what I was telling myself anyway. Using that excuse, just so I could watch him, stay close to him.

Even now, as I was following him, I kept trying to convince myself that I was simply learning about him, about his life. That was all.

Fuck.

Who was I kidding?

The second he'd stopped and spun around to face me, I was caught in his emerald gaze. All of my rehearsed phrases, the things I thought I would say to him ... they all disappeared ... leaving my mind blank and my tongue tied.

I was pathetic.

Shaking my head, I refocused my attention and instead poured it into concentrating on what I was doing, rather than what I was thinking.

Keeping a good distance between Radley and myself, I stalked behind him, dodging behind trees, treading carefully on the woodland floor, while he carried on down the walkway, completely oblivious.

Radley had caught me following him once already today. Couldn't make the same mistake twice.

He lived in this pack. His hearing would be far more advanced than mine. Better eyesight, too. His senses in general would be sharper than any of those that I possessed.

Me.

A mere human.

Ducking behind the trunk of a wide tree, I watched as he stumbled, then quickly righted himself, casting a quick glance around to make sure he was alone, that no one had seen him. I smiled to myself. He had tripped over his own feet earlier, when he had tried to say goodbye to me.

Frowning at the memory, I scratched my chin. I was a bit surprised that he was so clumsy. Usually, his kind was more ... coordinated. Sure of their stance. Confident in their walk.

But Radley wasn't. It was like he was still young, still learning to walk, trying to work out which foot went where.

He just seemed so ... well, cute.

I scrunched up my nose as I felt another smile grace my lips.

He was cute. Soft features, full lips, long lashes. His dark blonde hair was tousled, thanks to the wind. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, while his eyes were a beautiful emerald colour, sparkling in the afternoon sun.

Shivers worked up and down my spine as I thought about his eyes, his face ... him.

A hard throb coursed through my body, heating my skin, prickling my scalp. I could feel my heart knocking happily against my ribcage and I sighed.

I had to stop these thoughts of him before they consumed me, clouded my vision, and got in the way of ...

I gulped.

In the way of ...

No.

Stop.

Don't even think about it.

Shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts, I stalked around the tree, keeping an eye on Radley as he stumbled his way along the walkway. He kept casting glances into the woods, looking almost longingly towards the trees, his feet occasionally taking him closer to the edge of the woods, then he'd back away, almost as if he was trying to resist.