The Found One

Chapter 34

Izzy POV

They had been at Pack Semper for the last few days and had fallen into a routine, if not a tense and slightly uncomfortable one. Rowan, Aus and Olivia spent the days and most of the nights involved in pack business, hounding out treaties, resolving conflicts, and generally going through what it seemed like to Izzy was every minute of the pack's history since the last Royal visit - ten years ago.

Since that first night, her and Rowan had barely had the chance to speak, he was up and gone before dawn every morning and usually only flopped onto the mattress next to her, bouncing her awake every night around midnight. She would wake enough to ask him how his day was, only to be met with an irritated growl of annoyance before he'd reach across the expanse of blankets, snagging an arm around her waist to pull her into his chest, tucking her into his chest and caging her against his body before soft snores would start up. They shared breakfast and dinner together along with the rest of the Royal court, and top members of Pack Semper but unlike at Tenebris it was consumed with more talk of Pack business, rules and regulations that the Royal Pack was deciding to enforce and the resistance of the older members of the Pack. Dinners usually ended in near fist fights between Jackson and his own pack mates, or Austin and the others and them. What wasn't consumed in growling shouting matches was stiff with formality and enough decorum and spectacle that it made her neck itch.

Thankfully she had an excuse to stay away from it all, and instead spent her days with Hayden, Derek and a few other of the guards exploring the expansive ranch that surrounded the Pack and which provided them with their main source of income. It was quite the surprise for Izzy to learn that Pack Semper was actually one of the top horse breeders in the country, and that their horses were champions around the world.

"What's back in that barn?" Izzy asked their Semper guide, a wolf just out of his teens and only a year or two older then herself. He had been showing them around, and catching Izzy up on the Semper history since Rowan had abandoned her that first morning. Not abandoned Izzy, she reminded herself hating how silly she felt for missing him when they literally shared a bed every night, he's working. It's different. He doesn't have a choice. And besides you wanted space and time to figure out how you felt anyways. That was part of the problem though, whithout him around to bug and annoy her, all she was left with was the emptiness in her chest that she hadn't realized he had begun to fill, and the memories of the kisses they had shared. Not exactly the fodder for a healthy and rational decision.

"Ah that, it was an old cattle barn, but after the war Alpha Jackson decided that we needed to diversify, and he argued that we need to get away from traditional ranching. Said it wasn't 'sustainable'." Thomas laughed at this, before expanding on his words at their curious looks. "I wasn't around but my dad told me that it wasn't an idea that went over well. The old timers don't like change. Tend to think they've gotten everything perfect and us new pups are coming in to undo their hard work. They don't seem to understand that that's how progress works, you move on from the old as you learn more."

"So what does it do now?" Izzy asked, her curiosity spiked. She wasn't very enthusiastic about the whole horse breeding thing, although she loved the horses and was hoping to convince someone to let her ride one, but something progressive? Now, that she could get excited about.

"Well, the barn was actually converted into a distillery if you can believe it." Thomas said grinning in pride, dark brown eyes shining with excitement.

"Nice." Hayden said.

"Impressive." Derek said thoughtfully, his brows tugging together in concentration. Izzy could picture the wheels spinning in his head as he considered possibilities for his own pack one day.

"That's not even the best part." Thomas said eagerly, "That was just a joke. Jackson had to put the barn to some use and this just worked out as it happened to also piss off all the old prudes who were grumbling about the changes."

"Double nice." Hayden said, reaching out to bump his fist against Thomas's in approval.

"We had nearly a thousand acres of prime ranching land, Jackson turned it into a wind farm. Sent a bunch of the pack to school to learn about it; the technology, the equipment, and then invested nearly all the pack's coffers into a start-up company out of California in a joint partnership."

"Wow." Izzy said truly impressed.

And then as Thomas led them around the barn and the grain towers, and aging and abandoned tanks, they saw it. Acres and acres of rolling land gave root to row after row of massive spinning turbines. They were utterly beautiful in their alien-ness. The streamlined sleek monsters stuck like flowers against the wildness of the southern plains and dessert, it was captivating, the truest picture of mankind's future if one could ever be drawn. Harmony with ingenuity, survival with progress, creativity and all that is human with understanding and respect.

By the end of the day, Izzy had toured the distillery, picnicked on the hill overlooking the wind fields, and wrangled a promise for a ride on one of the champion studs for the following day from Thomas. Exhausted but happy, Izzy and the others trudged back to the pack house as the sun grazed the horizon, stomachs growling.

The dining room was nearly full by the time they made their way in, Hayden and Derek at her sides, the others trailing behind. She felt his gaze before she saw him, the weight of it landing on her the moment she stepped past the doorway. As the days went on she found herself ever more aware of him, his moods and thoughts, his presence and the feel of him near her. It was as mesmerizing as it was terrifying.

Now, as he sat at the end of the long table, Austin and Olivia on his left, a line of empty chairs on his right, she didn't hesitate before moving to take the one at his side, his hand brushing her hip as he helped pull out her chair. Smiling she met his gaze watching relief flash in their steely grey depths.

"You know I'm fine. I don't know why you're always so worried." She muttered quietly, alluding to the fact that she had quickly figured out that her 'protectors' were regularly checking in with Rowan throughout the day. Or if not him directly then with the twins and Olivia giving them constant updates and reports on her safety and location.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face at having been caught, but then just as quickly it was gone, replaced by the stoic mask he wore around the Semper Pack. One of cool calm confidence and power. "It is different to see it with my own eyes." He offered softly. When she raised an eyebrow, he let out a small chuckle. "It's my nature, and my past." At that she let the scolding fall from her face, an instant need to reach out and comfort him filling her. "I will always worry about your safety, and I will always hate when it is others that you must rely on for protection even if I trust them." She knew he added the last bit for Hayden and Derek's benefit, who could know doubt overhear their quiet exchange on the other side of her, though neither made a sound or comment at Rowan's words. Still - she knew they appreciated the words all the same.

Letting her instincts guide her as she reached out to squeeze his fisted hand atop the polished wood, smiling when he looked up at her. Understanding and gratitude consumed her as she considered how difficult this experience must be for him, and how hard he was trying to balance it with her wishes to not be treated as a prisoner.

"Only a few more days." He said turning her hand to intertwine their fingers.

Even when his attention was pulled down the table to Alpha Jackson, and he was pulled into some pack discussion he kept their hands like that, every once and a while his thumb running over her knuckles as if he just needed to know she was still there. Keeping her head bent over her meal as she ate, she could feel the glances and looks from those around the table, and even though she hated the attention she just couldn't bring herself pull her hand away.