Skinwalker - Completed

CHAPTER 16

(Rylie's POV)

"Can I just stay like this for a little while?" Rylie looked up from where she was lying down on the grass. Her breathing started to slow down as she sucks in the air.

She just finished doing a 100 reverse crunch with bands, 100 lunges, and 100 push-ups. There are other things that Aly taught of her too. Like gun handling and sword fighting. It seems like the Werewolf people don't rely much on their physical strength but also on weapons.

Aly smiled and sat on the grass beside her. There was a thoughtful look on that blue eyes as Aly looked at their packs.

"Admire your adaptation skills Rylie. When I first came here, everything was different. They are close, like a family. My only friend is Alpha Gab. She rescued me from being a rogue, and I overcome being a level 2 with her help. So, I am grateful."

Rylie looked at Aly curiously. She doesn't want to ask Aly where this is coming from. It would be intrusive on Aly's part. Rylie hummed and squinted her left eye on the morning sun.

"My adaptation skills are nothing compared to your strength and courage for overcoming those things, Aly."

With wide eyes, Aly looked at her for a while and studied her face. Then those charming lips started lifting up in a corner smile. "You are amusing, Rylie."

"That's also my strength." She winked back wittily.

Aly throws her head back, laughing. Rylie noticed that other people from the pack looked at their interaction with a smile. Then she looked at Aly to see her reaction. There is no trace of boastfulness in Aly's demeanor. Maybe the blue-eyed woman considers herself nothing like the second in command, and Rylie admires Aly for it.

The latter took some tears that pooled in the corner of her eyes, then smiled.

"That was a good one."

Rylie can't help but smile too. This is the first time she has ever talked with a woman before. She was just all about the research her father did. If she didn't become a werewolf, will she found out that it was good to be social once in a while? She bit her lips. Her mother was right. There were so many things in the world that she didn't do just because she was so engrossed in proving that her father is right.

The blue-eyed goddess noticed the sad expression on her face.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

Rylie lowered her head. "It's just that....my mother was right. I was so focused on proving my father's research is true that it hinders me from appreciating things around me. I am also neglecting my social life because I have been bent over a book and poring over it."

"Well, did it change your perspective on things?"

Rylie looked ahead. She may be stubborn at times, but this situation made her realize that she should start living in the present moment and not think about past mistakes. It's good to look back once in a while, but it shouldn't hinder her progress.

"Yeah, it did." Rylie throws Aly a grateful look. "And you are my hero too. You save me from those witches."

"Witches aren't the only thing you should be ready for, Rylie. Your own wolf is savage unless you can control it."

Rylie's eyebrow scrunched. "What do you mean?" She sat up and looked at Aly in a level eye.

"Wolf is animals. It only has instincts. It doesn't know right from wrong, but as a werewolf. We can control it. Our human side should always win to control the animal inside."

"Can you tell me your origins?"

Rylie tilted her head. She suddenly became interested in how these people acquired this incredible power. No record within human history says werewolves exist. It's just a theory and speculation. Now she has the opportunity to learn it all, and it made the back of her spine tingle with excitement. She leaned in a little closer to Aly.

Aly was taken aback at first with their closeness as she can see that those sky eyes widen for a little while then relaxes.

Rylie gave an awkward smile. "I-I'm sorry. I should work on my social skills. I'm invading your private space---------"

"No, it's ok." After saying that, Aly held her by the waist and pulled her closer. "Are we even now?"

Rylie sucked in her breath. Up this close. She can see Aly's beautiful freckled face and her delicate porcelain skin. She can't even breathe with the way their bodies are pressed close!

"Y-Yeah. Even-closer."

Another laughter burst out of Aly's mouth when she said that. And Rylie suddenly missed those long slender hands on her waist as Aly let her go. Maybe the woman thinks she's just joking again.

"You really amuse me, Rylie Scot." Aly shook her head, looked at her, and smiled. "About your question earlier. No one knows when it started. Werewolves only know that nature granted us a way to be one with it. We worshipped the moon goddesses, and back then, according to the elders. People have traces of magic in their veins. Ordinary humans evolve to use technology as their power, but werewolves and witches didn't. We use our magic to preserve nature."

Aly looked at her eyes and tilted her head. "Did you know that wolves today are our descendants? We don't harm them. We respect their animal instinct because they don't have a choice in their path. They are level 3 werewolves who battled their wolf inside and didn't win. So, they have to stay in that body with only the animal instinct guiding them."

Rylie closed her eyes hard. She was almost got eaten by a wolf. If that tourism department personnel didn't come in time. Plus, that wolf must have been so scared for its life. And now she thinks that she's awful for putting that once human wolf to torment because she happens to invade its territory. She thought she would one day become like that if she didn't win her wolf, which made her palms sweat.

Aly must have noticed the fear and anxiety in her eyes and held her left hand. "You will be ok. Trust in nature. If it wills it, you will be fine. No matter what. I will try to look after you, Rylie."

She opened her eyes and saw Aly's sincerity. Rylie's shoulder started relaxing with that assurance and the way Aly's fingers stroked the back of her palm.

"Thank you, Aly."

"Well, do you still wanna hear the story or not?"

Rylie laid back. She shook her head. It was information overload now, and she needs to gain her sanity from hearing the story. She has a lot to think about now. Maybe her father faced this dilemma before, and thinking about that made Rylie smile. She's now getting closer to her father again.

Looking back on the days before she came here. She hates her father but admires him at the same time. Now, as she gets to know another side of him. She now admires her father for his courage and strength. He doesn't care if he gets shunned by the archaeology world. All he cares about is protecting this nature's greatest mystery, and she's living in it at the moment.