Apricity {Jasper CullenxMale OC}

Chapter 16

Jake had transformed into a beautiful, russet wolf. His big, brown eyes were still his, eyes too intelligent to be that of an animal, but everything else was different. He was massive. His paws were easily the size of Kova's head.  He strutted forward, and Kova realized he could still scent his emotions as a wave of happiness and excitement hit his nostrils. Kova's smile stretched wide as Jake grew closer, coming to a stop a few inches from him. He reached a hand out, desperate to know how soft Jake's fur was. The wolf ducked his head down to Kova's level, prodding the outstretched hand with his wet nose.

Kova giggled, scratching Jake's forehead like he was a puppy. He practically purred under the treatment. Kova moved closer as he let his fingers card through the long, soft hair at Jake's neck. It was silky and clean, the warm colour of it reflective of Jake's inviting personality.

"Are you all the same colour?" Kova wondered, considering the theory forming in his mind.

The wolf shook his head no in answer, and Kova felt a little spark of interest. Perhaps the colour of their fur reflected the personality within. Kova would have to pay attention to the others he met to further study that angle.

"You're beautiful Jake," Kova breathed, without an ounce of shame.

Because it was true. His face was warm russet brown, his eyebrows and the sides of his chin a light beige. The rusty brown continued down his back and tail, mixing with sprinkles of fur the colour of raven's feathers. His underside and legs were a darker shade of the beige on his face, and Kova seriously couldn't get over how pretty he was.

And his size. He was so much bigger than Derek or Malia. Both of them were the same size as the average wolf and coyote, they didn't get bigger at all. And the colour of their fur seemed to reflect the colour of their hair. Derek's wolf was a midnight black, and Malia's a mousy brown. The difference was interesting, though unsurprising- Kova and Jake were two entirely different species, even if they both got lumped into the "werewolf" category.

Jake nudged Kova's cheek with his nose, causing Kova to giggle once more. He looked into the wolfs eyes, and seemed to understand what he wanted. Kova let his transformation happen again, his wolf-half sighing in relief as Jake studied him. He considered the werewolf's glowing yellow eyes, his four long, dangerous looking fangs, and the sharp claws that sprouted from his fingers. It was so interesting to both of them how different they were from each other, yet the same.

A large grin grew on Kova's face as something occurred to him, and Jake's excitement spiked. He knew that grin.

"Race?" The werewolf asked the shapeshifter, and Jake let out a sharp bark that was clearly an affirmative.

Kova recognized that Jake damn well knew these woods like the back of his hand, especially since he burst into a wolf the size of a massive grizzly in his spare time. He likely ran these woods daily. Kova would follow Jake's lead. He wasn't keen to be seen, and Jake wouldn't be either. That was the thing about being supernatural in nature... it came with the responsibility of keeping their existence a secret from humanity. The russet wolf spun on his heel, shooting off into the trees. Kova grinned a feral grin, taking off after him instantly.

A delighted laugh left the werewolf's lips as he raced after Jake. The feeling of the wind whipping by had such an incredible effect on Kova's mental state. All of yesterdays stress- the discovery of vampires, the discovery of his mate, telling his cousin what he was... it all faded into the background. His normally racing mind quieted in moments like these. It was why he loved motorcycles so much... they were the only thing that even compared to this feeling. The freedom of feeling like you're flying. It both energized and calmed him, and he laughed again, the sound disappearing behind him.