Forbidden

|8|

Eden

No one really talked as I traveled with Laurent's pack back to their camp. I was walking in between Laurent and Mason, the former seeming a bit on edge and Mason was immersed in his own thoughts, his eyes downcast to the grass laden earth. Feeling sort of dejected and alone, I sort of wandered off to the moonlight wolf, who I guessed was Larry.

"Excuse me, are you Larry?" I asked tentatively through the link, slightly wary of his thoughts of me. His eyes cut to me but his snout stayed forthright.

"I am, whataya want?" His French accent was so much like Laurent's except his didn't set my blood aflame with reckless arousal. Irritation hit the back of my mind from his crude tone but I pushed it down in light of how he saved us.

"I just wanted to thank you. You didn't have to save us but you did and I am extremely grateful." I lowered my snout to the ground in respect but Larry's fiery umber eyes gave me pause.

"Don't thank me, I sho as hell didn't go to save you. I went there for my brother, you were just lucky to be around. I don't believe you are his mate, only someone from the pack can be and just maybe, there already was..."

Anger entered the chocolate like depths as Larry muttered.

"Poor Val" underneath his breath. He strode ahead away from me, leaving me wondering who was Val. The rest of the trek to their camp, I didn't say anything to anyone and nobody decided to speak to me, hardly even looked my way.

In the distance, I smelt a myriad of varying scents ranging from spicy to sweet, most belonging to the remaining pack members and the rest belonging to cooked venison. My stomach took that moment to growl like it was its very own beast and Mason finally chose to bless me with his presence. 

"Hungry E?" He questioned, his tender big brother tone in full effect. I exhaled a sad breath, still feeling some kind of way about the treatment he and Laurent were dishing out to me.

"I guess Mason." My curt answer had a response of a frustrated growl emitting from Mason.

"E, don't start being that way with me. I just chose you over my brother and been deemed a traitor, let me reflect on that for a second, yeah?" Throughly chastised and feeling like a child, I hung my head once again and left Mason alone, opting to walk with the other foreign pack members.

I observed as the rest of the pack greeted Larry and Laurent with overjoyed barking and nuzzling. One grey wolf in particular showed more attention to Laurent than the rest and he reciprocated with his own affection. A soft whimper hit my chest and the pain from earlier made me choke, but I hid my reaction, not understanding why it happened. They were only greeting each other, right? Feeling eyes burning a hole in the side of my face, I turned to see a smug look in Larrys eyes. An unprecedented warning growl shook my muzzle.

"Aye, you're the girl from yesterday right? I'm Waydi, nice ta meetcha." A Persian accent took my eyes away from Larry as I saw one of the wolves that had first been with Laurent that day in the forest.

"Um, yes that's me. I'm Eden, nice to meet you as well Waydi. Are you a beta or something?" His responding laugh was droll, as though someone played a cruel joke on him.

"Me beta? Non lovely, Larry and Laurent have no beta. Since they both decided to be Alphas, there is no place for a beta. Would've been though if the twins weren't so close knit but what's done is done." I had a sneaking suspicion he didn't really feel that way but I didn't press it.

My stomach growled again and Waydi's tumbling laughter made me blush in embarrassment.

"Ah come lovely, don't be shy, let's get you something to eat." Waydi ambled ahead in front of me and I followed him, not seeing Laurent or Mason anywhere in sight. I wonder where they went, I thought to myself. But all musings of the two distance wolves went away when Waydi phased back to his human form, showing the world his naked form unashamedly. I ducked my head and tried to fight the deepening blush. He laughed harder this time and I let my eyes lift up again and noticed that Waydi was the light skin one with the gelled hairstyle that had been joking with Larry the other day.

"Sorry about that lovely, I forget sometimes haha. Let me show a place where you can phase out and change." He sprinted over to a small makeshift tent like dressing room and gestured for me to go inside. I did and saw a full length body mirror and a few crates holding clothing of different sizes and colors.

I let myself morph back to human, trying my hardest to ignore the painful realigning and not to cry out. When the phasing out was finished, I laid on my back for awhile, catching my breath. This was all so surreal. No Marx. . . Which admittedly hurt my heart more than I would like.

No one that I grew up with besides Mason, to be with someone who seemed to forget I existed as soon as our paws hit the dust trail back to his people. I sniffled, refusing to cry and found myself something to wear. Settling on a navy blue hoodie and blue short cut jeans, I stepped back out to find Waydi waiting for me with what looked to be a seared deer leg. Holding the piece of meat out to me, I took it and consumed it in no time, trying to fill the hole in my empty belly.

"Haha, I like a woman who can eat. You good or you want more?" Seeing the ravenous hunger in my eyes, a wicked smirk lifted his lips as he went off to get me more food. When he got back, I downed the two more pieces of leg he brought and licked my lips in satisfaction, my stomach finally no longer feeling like a bottomless pit.

"Thanks Waydi, I haven't eaten since before yesterday. I appreciate it." Waydi leaned on the tent, his gaze contemplative.

"So you're telling me Laurent didn't ensure that you ate? That's a damn shame, isn't he pose to be ya mate or somthin'?" His question put me in a sour mood as I remembered Laurent distance. Sighing, I walked away with Waydi trailing behind me, telling me of his pack and the wooden buildings of the base camp.

"Over there is the females quarters, next to it is the males. The Alphas get the huge shack like home at the back of the encampment. Those little boroughs over there are the mates housing, for the ones with pups and the likes. So where exactly will you be staying lovely?" Waydi enquired and I wondered the same thing. We made it to a gathering near a campfire in the middle of the colony, where Mason, Laurent, and Larry sat now fully clothed, talking around the fire like old buddies. Bristling at being so left out, I brushed past them, not sparing any a glance.

"E, you okay?" Mason asked, mirth in his voice, I guessed from the cup of beer currently in his hand.

"Peachy keen Mason." I curtly answered, still keeping my gaze from them and plopping down next to Waydi on the far opposite side.

"Why are you so far away and not sitting with us, little one?" Laurent's voice had me closing my eyes in sheer pleasure and anger. Definitely was becoming bipolar around this man. Deciding not to answer him, I glanced over and observed the many people now around, not a single wolf in sight. From what I could see, the race was predominantly dark skinned, almost aboriginal with a few exceptions.

Caught up in my observations of the people, I almost missed the sashaying hips of a beautiful aboriginal woman, her long pecan locks falling to the middle of her back. She wore next to nothing, just an sleeveless tribal top with a matching skirt that was adorned with Raven feathers. However, I did not miss the look of lust enter Laurent's eyes or the fact that she took her seat right in the middle of Larry and Laurent, nearly sitting in Laurent's lap. Anger hit me like a vengeful bitch and a vicious, volatile snarl thundered through me. Mason stood up, his rainforest eyes now seething.

"Who is she?!" Mason asked, his question for Laurent but his gaze pinned on the woman. She scrunched her brows down in confusion.

"I am Val, Laurent's mate and Alpha female."