The Shadow of Stars

Twenty Three

new chapter wha whaaa, don't forget to click the lil star to show your love + comment!!!

there will be a lil a/n at the end of the chapter!

dedicated to taydenali & Hanbannana for the coffee support, so so so kind and this 6500 word chapter is literally thanks to your motivation. 

happy reading

The entirety of our Saturday was spent camped out on the beach with piles of books and board games to keep us throughly entertained. Henry had pulled the boat out into the bay and so we switched between relaxing on the deck and shore. It was almost the end of the day now, and I sat alone on my beach towel, flicking through a book on the hierarchal structures of the pack and the philosophies underpinning their spirituality that Gabe had recommended, the terms complex and overwhelming.

But I needed this. I needed to absorb this type of information more than ever before. And it was interesting.

Gabe and Henry had left an hour ago to take the boat off and around to a small set of islands. It would be well past dark before they got back and if it wasn't for my promise to return home tonight, I would have joined them.

"Athena!"

Micah jogs over from the other side of the bay and it is a struggle not to look at the glisten of water over his washboard stomach as he does. Every contour of his muscles appear as if they've been carved from stone, gleaming and curved gracefully underneath warm velvety skin.

I hadn't seen him shirtless before, I mean I imagined that he would be built but... It had seemed insane that he picked me up so effortlessly last night, I figured my days of being carried around were long gone but one glance at his arms tells me all I need to know.

My body paled in comparison, any muscle I had was hidden far away underneath soft skin, and my legs were clad in Henry's oversized board shorts, making me look like a pre-pubescent teen boy. I did have fairly modest bikinis on though, only just peeking out under the towel draped over my shoulders.

What was he even doing here? From the smile that become more visible the closer he got, I wasn't paralysed in fear but I still stood still where maybe I should've run. Henry and Gabe are on the boat, they just left, they aren't coming back anytime soon.

But to immediately go back on my pledge to try avoid Micah just days after they begged me sends a queasy feeling to my bones. Turning away now isn't an option, that choice was removed the minute he saw me.

He comes closer and my knees feel like they might just give out as I stare widely, mouth agape at his bare body and the small tug egging at the corner of his lip. "Athena," he says, waving his hand in front of my face as he reveals his canines in a grin. "Earth to Athena, breaking through the martian brain wave."

His robotic tone, impressively close to the starship captain from the latest Space film breaks me from my silence and I try not to grin. Did he seriously just use a robot tone? As if realising his own actions, his grin turns almost sheepish, something very rare for a wolf. "What are you doing here?" I blurt. Great way to seem inconspicuous.

He chuckles, shaking his head. "Hello to you too," he teases, flashing me that incredibly infectious smile.

"Sorry," I mummer, letting the beginnings of a beam lighten my own features. "Hey."

"It's alright, I was honestly going to ask you the same thing. I didn't hear from you and Henry said you were fine so I assumed you'd been grounded. I planned to text you later or maybe swing by but I didn't know how that'd go down with parents," he says, cringing slightly and his words make my heart clench just a little.