To Feel Again [Welcome To Wolf's Peak]

Chapter Fifteen - Niko

Niko

After returning my Alpha's three sleeping young children to him I led my mates to my bedroom. This was my private domain and I rarely let anyone enter it. My mates were different though they deserved to see all of me and that was what was on display in this room.

"Oh, wow!" Owen exclaimed entering the room first when I opened the door for them both. He stepped into the center of the room and turned in a circle to take everything in.

Adrian entered next and stopped in his tracks to turn back to me. "Niko, this is amazing. Did you do this yourself?"

I could feel my face and neck heating up beneath their scrutiny, Owen was watching me now too waiting for my answer.

"Uh," I closed the bedroom door and looked at the wall opposite me. "Yeah." A woodland scene looked back at me. A stark contrast from the once cream coloured walls that had stood there before. Now there were varying shades of greens, browns, yellows and hints of blue skies between the branches of the trees. All four walls created a wraparound scene of the woods surrounding our lands. Among the trees, peeking out from behind the tree trunks and foliage were some of my brethren. I'd even painted in a few of the newly shifted pups. They looked thin and long limbed, still learning how to use their new forms. They weren't older than fifteen and still awkward in their human teenage bodies too.

"Wow." Owen repeated and reached a hesitant hand out to touch one of the wolves. He stopped inches away from it and looked at me for reassurance that I was okay with him touching my artwork. I gave him a nod of my head and he stroked over the beast almost reverently. "Every time I think I have you figured out you do something that takes me by surprise." He spoke to the wall.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked.

He turned back to me with a beaming smile. "A very good thing."

"This is us." Adrian had found my latest addition to my wall art and stood at the side of my bed staring at it.

I'd painted my large black wolf in the clearing we used for pack meetings and celebrations. I was lying on my stomach watching over Owen who was lying on his back with his head resting against my side. Owen was running his fingers through the coat of the black panther stretched out beside him. I'd painted this scene above the the head of my bed so that my mates were always with me. Even on the rare occasions when I had to spend a night away from them.

"Yes." I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. I wasn't used to sharing my paintings with anyone and their intense scrutiny of my work was setting me on edge. I wanted to rush them out of the room and tell them to forget what they'd seen, but I also wanted to ask them if they truly liked it or were they just placating me.

"Niko, this is beautiful. I don't know how to express just how beautiful, but thank you. Thank you for painting me into this amazing work of art and thank you for sharing it with us." Owen came forward and wrapped his arms around me.

"Why do you hide it away in here? Why isn't there more of your work throughout the house either painted directly onto the walls like this or on canvas?" Adrian asked watching me closely. Too closely.

I shrugged and let Owen go when he pulled back. Both he and Adrian took a seat on the side of my bed but I remained standing by my bedroom door. "No one knows about it. If anyone knocks on my bedroom door I usually block them from seeing inside. If anyone has seen them they haven't mentioned them. I doubt anyone would want hang anything I'd paint on their walls it's just a hobby that I keep to myself." I shoved my hands in my front pants pockets and tried to look like I was unaffected by their judgement of my hard work.