Midnight With My Alpha Mate

Chapter 26 part 1 I'll Protect you

I awoke to a nearby snap of a twig from outside my hiding place. Still in my wolf form, I slunk low on my paws and remained within the shadows of my small cave. I rubbed against the dirty wall, coloring my fur darker brown to hide my stark white fur. peaking my head closer to the opening in the tree, I looked out at the forestry in front of me and found a tall, hunched figure crouched just outside the opening. The figure was wearing a red flannel shirt and dirtied blue jeans, his hands stuffed into the pockets as he knelt. The man turned towards me and I could see his full figure: an older man, wearing worn down red flannel and work jeans with grass and mud stains on the knees. He had short gray hair slicked to the side to keep it out of his eyes, and square rimmed glasses. He slowly approached me and my hiding place, and I backed away from him and deeper into my safe spot. It's against wolf law to kill humans without true cause, if you are caught killing a human, a wolf traditionally is kicked from his or her pack after going to a trial of sorts.

The man seemed gentle as he approached me carefully. He held his hands up so I could see them, as if saying he meant me no harm. I kept my guard high as he neared me and soon found himself petting my soft head. I remained very still as he stroked my fur gently, my nerves slowly fading.

"I know what you are little wolf. You will change the game completely." He mumbled in a gruff voice.

I started to back away as he stopped petting me, wondering what exactly this human could know about me and my kind.

"Now now, I mean no threat. Only to feed you, maybe share some advice. You are, of course, The Great One." He said calmly.

I stared at the man, confused and curious. Who is this guy...

He chuckled and motioned for me to follow him through the woods. I slowly trotted behind the man cautiously, leaving a few feet between us. He hasn't even looked behind him to make sure I was following; he must have had a lot of confidence to not even turn a head to check.
He lead me away from my hiding spot in the opposite direction I came from Sergio's horror house. I found myself internally grateful, knowing this man had nothing to do with Sergio. Probably...

After a while the sun started setting and I was no longer afraid of John. The man had starred telling me all about himself and his family and past. He lived in a cabin with his wife and he was an ancient shaman. He knew the past of werewolves and made herbs and such for healing and meditation etc. He was a kind, old soul, and soon enough he stopped walking and raised his arm, gesturing toward a little cabin in front of us. The small building sat quietly amongst the foliage and small windows on either side of the home lit small pools of grass with a warm glow.

"This, is my home. This is where we shall rest and eat. I will get you some clothes so you may shift to your human form, The Great One." He murmured  pleasantly as I stared at the cabin.

He still insisted to call me The Great One, although I still didn't know what it meant. I followed John to the dark log cabin; earlier he had admitted to having a mate and daughter at home. His daughter was out with her mate exploring the world and his wife wouldn't mind me hanging out there. Linda, John's mate, was as sweet and kind-hearted as I had assumed. The moment John and I walked through the big front door of the cabin, Linda rushed to me and pestered her mate about me being so dirty and hungry and such. It was nice having someone worry about me and my well being. Linda was sweet, her wispy, white hair tied up into a small bun on the back of her head. She ran and got me some clothes that she said would hopefully fit me. They smelled of lemons and she rushed to lead me into a cozy, wooden bedroom across the small house. She lead me to a side bathroom within the bedroom, turned on the shower to warm water, and got out towels for me. I lowered my head, a sign of thankfulness, and she scoffed as she turned to the door of the small room.

"I should be thanking you! You're going to be such a hero. You're already such a strong girl. Trust me, I know it seems weird I know everything about you beside of course your name. It's all in the prophecy. I'll explain later. Now you need a hot shower and food." She smiled sweetly and closed the door behind her.

After shifting, I took a nice long, hot, steamy shower. I used shower supplies that were scented of lemons I had found in the shower. I had guessed Jessica, John's daughter, was a fan of lemons. I didn't mind the smell that much, it was a shower and I was clean. I scrubbed my skin hard, trying to scrape off all the dirt and grime, the hot water failing to remove the memory of Sergio's skin touching mine. I shuddered to myself as I rubbed the body soap on my arm where that rogue had grabbed me, his bruises long gone but the memory refusing to fade similarly.

After my shower, I pulled on the clothes Linda gave to me. They were a little big, but they were better than nothing. I rubbed my tired eyes and walked out of the small bedroom and into what I assumed was the kitchen. Wooden cabinets lined the walls and marble counter tops were covered in cooking supplies. Racks of cook books lined the farthest wall, and a small window above the sink showed the darkness of the forestry outside. A green-curtained glass sliding door stood in the wall to my left and a smiling Linda stood in the middle of the room, next to a wide, wooden dinner table.

"Well hello there, Great One. I bet you're hungry. John didn't exactly feed you on the long journey out here, so I made ya a feast fit for a queen. Seems fitting right?" She giggled a little and gestured for me to sit down.

I sat down at the table and my stomach growled. Linda started to talk again, telling me what everything on the table was. I didn't hear her at all though; I stared at the mashed potatoes she said were a home made recipe. I dipped my finger in and tasted it silently, hoping she wouldn't mind. I closed my eyes as my heart grew heavier, it reminded me so much of my mother back home. My parents were probably worried sick, assuming they were alive somewhere instead of dead in another pack's territory. When I had called rowan a few weeks ago before I ran to Blue moon, she said they were frantic when they got home and found my note. They had insisted on searching for me day and night, and the thought terrified me. The haunting memory of the night when she told me of their disappearance, crept into my mind as my mood continued to sour.

I mentally shook the thoughts from my head and smiled up at Linda. She had kind brown eyes as she handed me a plate and fork. She then left the room, to give me privacy she said.
Staring at all the food, I kept my eyes away from the potatoes. I didn't need any reminders of home.

Not now, not when I didn't even know where home was.