a Primal Pursuit

sixty one

In the days that followed, my nerves only grew. After the strange discovery of Flynn's aquatic ability, Asra knuckled down on the whole witch thing. It was only three days since the strange discovery, and a witch would be here by lunchtime.

So of course, I busied myself. I slept restlessly, aggravating Asra, and woke early to help prepare breakfast. Only to get kicked out for over-exerting myself. Anxiously driven, my nails torn to shreds, I wandered the house with no cause. It wasn't until the sun shone did I move back to my room to grab my belongings.

Can you guess where I went after that?

The lake, duh.

The water was nicely warm as it carried me across its soft currents. I was putting my skin at risk coming out here in the late hours of the morning; the august summery sun was brutal lately. However, there seemed to be plenty of tree coverage over the lake, with only a few spots left to bask in the rays. I allowed myself the pleasure of the sun before diving from the cliffs into the deep end.

A hum vibrated my body as I sank beneath the surface, the lake holding me softly as I peered around. I loved how my eyes didn't burn in its magical current, giving me the perfect opportunity to look around the crystal water.

But even that became too familiar after a while. So I threw myself into challenges. I practised my dives until I felt dizzy from the amount of falling. Then I tried laps of various swim strokes until I was tired from exhaustion.

I was halfway through another dive that would lead into how fast I could breaststroke to the far end, when a strange shape appeared at the far end. I barely glimpsed it, my surprise faltering my dive and causing a flailing sack of limbs as I hit the water.

Sinking down, I frowned as curiosity forced me to resurface. Brushing my hair out of the way, I inhaled sharply as I looked to where I once saw the figure. Whatever it was, must've created the sudden absence of life in the treeline.

I frowned when my stomach twisted with a strange sense of unease. I could've sworn I saw someone right there...

"Your father enjoyed swimming, too."

A sharp scream escaped my throat, my panic causing me to slip back into the water. The voice came from behind me, and with a strangled breath, I turned and looked up.

There was a woman standing on one of the smaller ledges, her feet dangling over the edge as she peered down at the water. I blanked, staring at her with utter confusion. I have never seen this woman before. How did she even get here? How did she move so fast? I knew wolves were quick, but that was supersonic.

She didn't even have shoes on!

Her hair was a soft golden colour, casting in waves down to her hips. She was short in stature, with thick hips, thighs and a well-endowed chest. She was gazing down at the water beneath her, her lips curled into a soft smile as her hands gripped the edge.

"Who are you?" I gasped.

"I thought I'm here to answer that question for you." She raised her head, golden eyes staring back at me.

My eyes widened with understanding.

The witch.

What time was it?

Was I late for the meeting?

"I was heading toward your mate, but I noticed you were out here trying to drown yourself." She laughed gleefully. "Figured I would come and see who you were. You must be someone important for a miscellaneous visit."

"He didn't tell you?" I wondered.

"He did not trust the phone line." She pursed her lips. "Said it was highly important."