True Nature

14

The next few days had me wanting to tear my hair out in frustration. Though I'd spent years happily avoiding the pack house, our alpha suddenly had me visiting and spending all my evenings there after the news of the two girls' disappearance got out. I couldn't really afford to refuse a direct order and, I was pretty sure that even if I tried, Tobias would just drag me there himself, so I grudgingly headed straight over after I finished my shifts at work. Luckily, he was too preoccupied with pack matters to immediately resume our conversation from before.

Time flew by as I spent nearly all my evenings hiding out in the kitchens, both with wolves I recognised from my own pack and a dozen volunteers from others. The majority of them lived in the pack house and helped with housework as a sort of alternative way to pay rent, so I didn't actually need to join them. But I figured this way, I successfully managed to avoid the rambunctious crowd in the lounges upstairs which always had me on edge and reluctant to linger. Not that the kitchens weren't crowded - they were. But I felt way more comfortable here where the vast majority of wolves were either submissive or fairly low on the dominance scale. I blended in effortlessly.

After a couple of days working, I found myself genuinely enjoying my time there and quickly became friendly with some of the women I shared a table with. Chatting with a pretty blonde-haired girl as we struggled to peel potatoes together, she told me her name was Martha and laughed when I asked her where she was from, replying that we belonged to the same pack. "We went to the same school too you know." She said, teasing me now. "I was a couple of years above you though."

She confessed she'd always wanted to talk to me but didn't want to make me feel uncomfortable as I seemed a bit shy. "You have a whole ice-queen vibe going on. It's cool." she winked. I blushed deeply, effectively shattering that illusion. Ice queen? Is that how some people saw me? It seemed highly unlikely, but I wasn't exactly offended. It was definitely better that the pink faced socially awkward vibe I thought I'd been projecting.

I was also reminded, as I surrounded myself with pack mates comfortably for the first time in years, just how much shifters love to gossip. Half an hour in on the first day and I was already privy to speculations of pack rivalries, bets on fights that had or would break out among some of the young, dominant wolves and gossip over the more eligible of alphas who were looking for or pursuing potential mates. Of course, the juiciest of topics was the rumour going around about an alpha from a smaller pack on the west coast who had his ambitious eyes set on Ruby as a mate. "What bad taste." I grumbled to myself quietly under my breath.

There was a laugh from across the kitchen as one older lady spoke up. "He's got some competition though, hasn't he? I hear Alpha Tobias has also been spending time with the lass." She chuckled. 'Now he'd have old Ian's blessing wouldn't he.'

"Could you imagine Tobias as our new Alpha?" One girl doing the dishes spoke up dreamily. "We'd be the most powerful pack in the country. Maybe even in Europe!" Amidst the laughter and excitement, there was plenty of hushed speculation over whether Tobias was really interested in Ruby or not and though I endeavoured to keep my mouth shut, words slipped out against my will anyway. I grumpily turned to Martha just as she was remarking how great it would be to unite with the Blackwood pack. "Ah yeah, I guess so. He didn't seem to interested in finding a mate though?" My voice trailed off weakly at the expression on her face.

"Have you spoken to him?" She asked loudly, looking a little awed. I groaned internally at the looks I was now getting from the other girls at the table who had heard the incredulous question. I nodded, uncomfortable, and her face lit up in curiosity. "Really? What did you talk about?"

'Oh, ah.' I thought fast. 'I ran in to him briefly during the pack run and we said hi....' My voice trailed off pathetically, the lie sounding weak and anti-climactic. Martha squinted at me waiting for more juicy details, but I went back to peeling, staring at the potatoes a little too intensely.

"Humph." The sound was disbelieving. "How did you manage though? I would be far too intimidated to speak to him." She shook her head back and forth.

"He's helped me out before." I told her truthfully. "Plus, he's gentler than you'd think towards submissive wolves." She didn't seem overly convinced, probably because I didn't sound fully confident in my own words either.

"Oof sorry!" Gentle yet strong hands grasped my arms as I turned on the spot to wash my hands and bumped into the slim muscular build of a young man. "Are you ok?" He queried gently. Nodding, I looked up into an attractive face with kind hazel eyes and a dimpled smile. "Yeah, thanks. And sorry."

"Don't worry. If I'm not bumping into someone or something at least once a day, people start worrying something is wrong. I'm the clumsiest person I know." He shook his head self depreciatingly, a warm smile on his lips that I couldn't help but automatically return. I'd never seen him around before, but his manner was so friendly I immediately felt at ease in his presence. It was a rare occurrence for me. "I'm Tim. Lakeside Pack." He held his hand out for me to shake, his confident manner reminding me a little of Josh.

"Ivy" I replied, grinning. "Um, from here." His hand was pleasantly warm, his grip firm, yet comforting. "And I've also never met anyone as clumsy as me, so you've got competition." I joked.

"Oh dear. Really? We probably shouldn't hang around one another then... could be dangerous." He wiggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated, flirtatious way.

"Hmm, maybe just not in the kitchen." I giggled and gestured to the bread knife resting precariously on the end of the counter next to his elbow.

"Very wise." He gingerly moved the knife aside. "You two ladies discussing anything interesting?" He asked as he bent down and stuck his head inside a cupboard, rooting about for something.

"Just partaking in the same gossip as everyone else." Martha murmured, nonchalantly. "Though it seems that Ivy here has some insider information on the higher ups. Maybe even a slight crush on one of them..."

"I do NOT." I gasped, throwing her a look. "Besides, dominant wolves aren't really my type." I was ignoring both of their sceptical faces when someone called my name from the other end of the room.

"Ivy!" I started in surprise and turned to catch Chloe skipping down the steps, waving me over excitedly. "Somebody wants to see you." I raised my eyebrows at the whisper shout and put down the potato I was holding, ready to make my way over and question her.

"I'll see you guys later. It was nice meeting you Tim." He grinned and murmured a "see you around" and Martha told me to text her as I walked away. I sent a quick wave in agreement over my shoulder.

The warm smile on Chloe's face was a big relief. I had been staying with her in her room for the past few days and though she had been withdrawn at the start, we had grown a lot closer. She reminded me of Tessa a little bit with her bubbly personality. Tobias had ordered me to sleep here and though I tried to refuse, he insisted I do it for Chloe's benefit if not my own. Ever since the attack outside the night club she had become more and more withdrawn. She needed the company and I didn't mind. Chloe was an orphan like me and I couldn't help but feel a kind of shared camaraderie with her.

I followed as she led me down the corridor, playfully refusing to answer me on where we were going. I was 80% sure she was taking me to meet Tobias, when instead she led me to a door I knew rather well yet hadn't expected to enter again. She knocked twice and the sound of an achingly familiar voice called for us to come in. Swinging open the door, she pulled me in to the dimly lit lounge, brightly declaring 'I've brought her!'. My wide eyes were instantly caught with a pair of warm light blue ones and a lump caught in my throat.