The Song Of The Wolf (Unedited)

Chapter Six

Maebh didn't see him again for days.

Coinín kept stealing her food at regular intervals, but other than that, the only being around was her own shadow. By the end of the month, the chaos in her head had settled down, and she bounced around like a lamb with newly discovered gusto.

Imagine her surprise when Bear showed up on her doorstep one afternoon, offering to help her clean the garage and acting like she hadn't ignored him for weeks. After two hours of robotic tidying, cleaning, dusting and no words being exchanged, something beyond the glass captured Maebh's attention. She narrowed her eyes and gasped at what emerged from behind the trees. The massive brown wolf from before was back, only now, a wolf equal in size accompanied him. A red one.

Unable to speak due to the terror that had crept up her throat, she lifted a shaky finger and pointed outside.

Bear instantly caught on, his eyes widening. He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Stay inside, Mae. They rarely come this close to town, so they're probably just curious. I'll be right back."

"No Bear, wait!" she whisper-shouted at him.

Without bringing along anything that could serve as a weapon, he left her sight. Maebh felt that sinking feeling you get when you know something is wrong. But her feet were nailed to the floor, immobilising her.

Soon, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder and alerted her of Bear's return. She felt a little confused to see him beaming as he stepped back into the garage. He winked, which only compounded her discomfort.

"I chased them away, my princess."

She blushed, cringing. "Erm, thank you."

"Don't worry. They ran off as soon as I rounded the corner."

Suddenly embarrassed by her reaction, her cheeks burned an even brighter shade of red. "I'm not scared, per se.. Not of wolves. But the brown one has been here before. It sat staring at me whilst I was soaking in the tub. Cheeky little bastard." She chuckled dryly.

Bear winked. "Maybe he just liked what he was seeing."

She didn't acknowledge the joke, still in two minds about it all. "Maybe. They're gone now though, right?"

The uncertainty in her eyes awakened a need in Bear's chest. Raising his hand, he cupped her cheek and caressed her skin. "Right."

Entranced by the sudden serenity he seemed to emit, Maebh's heart skipped a beat. Everything had quieted down, the sound of their breathing all that filled the air.

"I want to kiss you," Bear admitted in a whisper. "So much it hurts."

Maebh blinked.

"Erm, cool. I mean, no, not cool." She cleared her throat, twiddling with her fingers and playing with the hem of her jumper. "I don't want to like... pain you."

For a solid ten seconds, Bear just stared. The quiet pressed down on them like gravity, not very heavy, but undoubtedly there. His caressing had come to a halt and Maebh couldn't pinpoint what his expression was supposed to portray. Before she could decide whichever it was, he threw his head back and burst out laughing.

No sooner than it had begun, Bear cut off his own laugh by closing the gap between them and connecting their lips in a mind-searing kiss. Caught off guard, Maebh froze. Then, the mounting pressure of wanting to kiss him back increased, and she found her mouth replying to his with cautious movements.

They parted, both heaving for a breath, and Bear's eyes were glued to her lips, calling for him to ravish her once more.

Maebh observed the buttons of his shirt and the several chest hairs that peeked at her from underneath. She bit her bottom lip, the distinct taste of him tickling her taste buds. She carefully peered upwards and found he was already watching her.