Blood Floweret

« Chapter Twenty-Nine »

Cassius hardly spent a moment as a human. 

He was so elated about finally being able to shift, it seemed he was shifting between forms every five minutes. She had to admit, he was getting incredibly fast at shifting, and it all happened in a short period of days. She felt like there wasn't a moment she wasn't smiling for him, feeling his happiness through their mate bond, and he never let her feel left out. 

Between laying with his wolf's head in her lap and her stroking his fur as they watched television, to their spontaneous runs through the woods. Their souls were wild, their wolves seeking to fly without wings, and they chased each other from one boundary of Aloysius to the other. They had spent so much time in the woods, even sleeping outside during the warmer nights, and she didn't mind any of it. 

In fact, it was something she had always dreamed of doing. She had once thought of running free and never looking back but that was before she met Cassius. She had much different thoughts now and she loved her mate will every fiber of her being. Sometimes she got a moment to herself when Cassius went to run patrols with the warriors, as a real wolf for the first time, and she hung out with Andy most of the time. 

She saw Tina occasionally and she always said hello with a smile. In all honesty, she felt like their passive friendship had grown through Andy because they always seemed to end up doing the same things, like in the greenhouse. Not that she minded, she had long past given up her anger and grudges, but Tina had become increasingly nicer for the most part. Even opening up a little, and she encouraged every moment of it. She treated Tina with kindness. And that would never change because she wanted to be kind. 

She knew who she was. 

But, don't get her wrong, Tina still had the ability to get on her nerves. Sometimes, certain comments made by Tina made her frown, but she didn't cause a fuss or get angry. She had learned that her control lied--not in the occurrence of things--but how she responded to them. She had learned how to maintain her inner peace and she hadn't needed an apology to do so. 

Tina never apologized for her actions and she didn't an apology to heal. She didn't need Tina to apologize for every wrong-doing or every hurtful word because it didn't matter anymore. She had accepted the fact that Tina wouldn't admit her faults or ever apologize---and she was okay with that. She had made the decision, for herself, to move on. 

And she was happy. 

☪

She stood in front of the refrigerator, pondering what to eat for lunch. Eli dug through some cabinets behind her. They had decided to hang out for lunch today and she was excited to spend more time with her friend. Someone she had grown close to, just like Fabian, and she was proud of herself for not letting the past ruin the future. 

"You sure Cassius won't barge in?" Eli muttered. 

She sighed, pulling some ham from a drawer, "He said he was going with Leroy to a neighboring pack, they shouldn't be back until tonight." 

"Alright," Eli said, "I don't need him breathing down my neck all the time. He always does it after our training sessions, you know that right?" 

She smiled to herself, "Yeah." He was just protecting her and she didn't mind. 

Eli didn't say anything else besides a small sigh and she turned to face him. He was holding a box of crackers, "This is all I got. Your mate needs to stop eating."