Fate of the Wolf

Garden

Maybe it was because she was once human, but the matching hunter green sports bra and biker shorts didn't do much to keep the morning chill from her skin. Daniel had already gone through her usual warm ups with her, including the few miles run on one of the trails. Now she was bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of him, fists up. He was showing her again how to throw punches.

She gritted her teeth and blew the hair from her face, "It's getting colder." She punched forward with her right fist and he dodged her easily. She had yet to hit Daniel, he was always faster than her.

"Maybe you are cold because you aren't working hard enough." He countered, his posture was relaxed and poignant in front of her like he was in no immediate danger of coming into contact with her fists.

"Again, thumb on the outside. You're going to break your fingers." He shook his head.

She rolled her eyes, "At least it gets you talking to me. I should keep slacking then."

He squinted his eyes and pointed down at the ground, "Water break. Take a breather." He left her for a moment and she sat down to rest in the pale grass, stretching her muscles. She didn't really want cold water, she had goosebumps prickling the backs of her arms.

A hand thrusted a sweatshirt in front of her, the rich dark purple of the pack. "Here." Daniel said in his usual tone, devoid of emotion. But looking up into his eyes she saw they looked down at her kindly. She took it gratefully and pulled it over her head as he settled down next to her.

"Do you love Aiden?" He asked her suddenly. He was staring straight ahead.

Naomi leaned back in surprise. "I ugh. No. I barely know him."

He began again, "I mean, I know that if you had been born a wolf, then of course through the mating bond you guys must love one another. It's a given. But you were once human, you still have the heart of a human. Love comes slower then." He seemed genuinely curious rather than probing.

"It seems really fast to admit if I love him." She stated. But after only what, a month? Usually that would be a red flag to go parading around you found your soulmate. But this was wolf culture now. She wanted to be more careful to trust people now. Everyone at the Bite had betrayed her. And Aiden had slaughtered them all. She didn't know which was more disturbing.

"I know....I don't mean to pull it out of you it's just...." His fists balled up the grass at the feet, pulling tufts of it from the ground. "The role you are fulfilling is not simply a relationship to alpha but will ask of you your entire life. You will find soon you will have to make the choice to mate and mark that you cannot go back on." He let his hands fall to his sides and looked to her with his bright cerulean eyes. "I don't mean to scare you."

"It's alright, I know if I accept it I will not just be Aiden's girlfriend. I'm still figuring it out myself right now." She wouldn't mind getting to know Aiden since there was a clear pull between them, but she didn't want to rush into anything.

"And I'm sure Aiden is the best one to explain it to you." He nodded. "I love him, my adopted brother. This is why I ask."

Naomi's hands lay on the grass and she bent her head back up to the sky and stared at the passing clouds. Daniel, who never let out emotion other than anger or impatience had admitted just how important his alpha was to him. It was nice he admitted that to her even though she knew as much. "I just..." Her voice began to crack, recalling the events from yesterday. "I truthfully don't have anything much to go back to. But I can't help feeling like some wandering girl in a foreign world. So many new rules." She let out a short laugh at that.

He nodded, "I know the feeling." He said solemnly. After some silent moments he spoke again, "My family immigrated here from Iran, to seek safety and freedom."