White Alpha |h.s|

16. Warmth

Harry

Watching her sleep, has become an obsession of mine. The way she scooted back towards me, even though she was as close as she could get. She always found a way to get closer. It made me wonder if she was having a bad dream, or if she felt alone for whatever reason. I wanted to wake her, just in case it was a bad dream, but I would always get caught up in how peaceful she looked. She was curled up, with her arms wrapped around each other. She loved to face me when she slept, with her legs wrapped around one of mine. She said it was because I could hide her from all the nightmares. I'd do anything to make sure she never had those, anything. Her hair was left unbraided, and wavy, casting off a sweet vanilla, and lavender scent. Her perfume, a light scent of Chanel, always accented her natural aura. She's how I imagine what beauty smells like, soft and sweet.

Sleeping in shorts never looked comfortable, until Noelle did. I don't know how she did it, but she looked as if she was sleeping on a cloud. Way up in the sky, where nothing evil could catch her. As if she was safe as can be, in this little tent, under this little blanket, in my arms. Maybe she was just so tired, that anywhere was comfortable. Or maybe, just maybe...she thought sleeping with me, was comfortable. I've never experienced insomnia, until she came into my life. Though, naturally, I have trouble sleeping because I party at the wee hours in the morning, and I have to get up early most mornings. I just never experienced feeling so restless, so miserable at night, just because I wasn't near her. I was angry- no, I was infuriated that I couldn't be with her. I had this incredibly strong urge to protect her, and keep her safe, almost as if it was natural instinct. As if it was my only purpose.

Noelle's soft sniff pulls me from my thoughts, I scan over her and around to make sure everything was alright, and to my standards it was. I fix the blanket, so she's all tucked in. I let my hand brush against her hair, moving it from her face. She was so flawless. Her long, thick, aburn hair, that always smelled heavenly. Her skin tone, lightly tan, with no blemishes. Her jawline, accented, but not too much. Her cheeks, with a perfect shade of light pink, nothing makeup could deliver. Her lips, so plump and pink. Not chapped the first bit. Her eyelashes, long and full, made her bright blue eyes bigger, and somehow bluer. There wasn't anything wrong with her. At least, if you look at her, you'd think that. She's every mans dream. Long legs, blue eyes, long hair, 'perfect natural beauty', not lacking in anything. But in fact, she wasn't perfect. The perfect mans dream girl description doesn't involve anything about her turning into a large werewolf. A werewolf so uncontrollable, she could wake up one day and want to kill everything in sight, and fall asleep the same night and forget what anger was.

Noelle was the complete opposite of what she looked like. When you glance at her, for the first time, you won't see her like we see her. But the answers are right in front of you. You're too caught up checking her out, you forget to look into her eyes. Her eyes, her big blue eyes are everything you need to see to know just who Noelle is. Her eyes hold all her secrets, all her fears, all her scars, all her joys, all her dreams, and all her demons. In those eyes, you'll see through to her sad, brown eyes, of the girl that once feared everything, the girl who could only feel lonely and sad, but the girl who had the strength in her heart to stop evil. She was so pure in that time, so innocent. She was so much more, that what she thought. I just wish I could say that to her, but I would never be able to form actual words. Spoken words, that is.

"Harry..." Her high morning voice cause me to tighten my arms around her,

"I'm here," I whisper, watching her eyes flutter open.

"What time is it?" She quietly ponders, as she wraps her arms around me, snuggling her head in my chest,

"Around four. Shh, go back to sleep, baby." I gently kiss the side of her head, as I roll on my back gently, laying against pillows.

"But you're awake...you need sleep, too." She argues, looking up at me. I smile,

"Okay, okay." She smiles, as she slides from my arms to lay on her stomach, curling up,

"Cuddle me." She quietly giggles. I smile to myself, as I lay atop her gently, wrapping my arms around hers, and laying a leg across her. Acting as a giant blanket.

"Cuddled." I smile wider, as I squeeze her gently. She giggles again,

"Okay, now we sleeps."

***

Noelle

"Harry, I'm already dressed, c'mon, you bump on a log. " I giggle at him, as I slide my on over my socks. I had changed while inside the tent with him, but I made sure he wasn't looking. Fortune for me, he had fallen back to sleep.

He rolls over, rubbing his face, "Do we really leave in ten minutes?" He mumbles, finally opening his eyes.

"Yeah, and we haven't even started to break down the tent, so come on." I laugh, as I walk out of the tent. When I had emerged earlier this morning, I had told Derek that Sage and Harry switched because Niall and Louis wanted to watch a Zombie movie with her, and Harry and I both wanted to sleep. He scolded, but I assured him we put pillows in between us and slept with different blankets and were on opposite sides of the tent. Total lie, but it worked.

The day went by uneventful. We saw nothing, heard nothing, sensed nothing. It was as if we were the last humans on earth. It was alright though. The fresh air was really nice, and the weather was too. It wasn't too cold, and wasn't warm. It was great. That night, Harry did talk to Sage, and me being a little nosy, I tried to listen in while talking to Derek, but I gave up. They came back an hour later, and Harry seemed...off. He assured me it was just because he was tired, and the conversation was pointless. Without eating, he went to bed shortly after. Derek and I finished our conversation, about the last place mom could be. The 'Moon Hill.'

Bright and early the next morning, we set off for said 'Moon Hill.' Apparently it's the highest point in the forest, and if you're a werewolf and you stand on the tippy top, no matter what moon it is, you will shift. Today, also, was boring. Derek said we'd have to wait till nightfall to go to the top, because she only travels at night. At least that's what he says. But once nightfall hit, something didn't feel right. I felt...wrong. There was something in the air..I felt like I was being watched. Harry felt that way too.

It was around midnight, when we heard it. By it, I mean a long, high, howl...coming right from the hill. There was only on explanation for it, really.

It was her.

***