Mishaps and Wolves (OLD VERSION)

Chapter 29 - Sneak Attack

Chapter 29 - Sneak Attack

Marissa was stunned by the variety of animals that had taken the places of the people who only moments ago had been talking and chatting. Now animals, both common and exotic, filled the forest around her. She was amazed by the family that all these creatures had created for themselves. It pulled at her heart, reminding her of how her and her father had picked up the pieces of their broken hearts and made their own family from scratch with no thought on the person who'd abandoned them.

When they had called to the moon above them, Marissa had picked out one specific call. It had sent shiver up and down her spine; she'd never heard anything that awe-inspiring. Then again, she'd never actually dealt with any exotic animals. Especially panthers. In a way though, it did suit what she knew of Roman. Tricky to deal with and just as patient when it came to dealing with things.

Deep in the forest she could hear the heavy footsteps of the bears, the flaps of those who'd grown wings and were flying through the air, the howls of the wolves as they called out to each other and the light steps of all of them as they ran, chased and played in the forest that was their home. It was a beautiful symphony to her ears when it all mixed with the sound of the rushing river water beside her. She took another look at the scene before her and felt truly sad that if she did make the choice to leave, this was one of the things that she would miss.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to take in some of the peace that the clearing was weaving into the air. The cool air hit her face and she had an idea. She jumped off the rock that she'd been sitting on and took off her shoes and socks. Rolling up her pant legs, she walked into the cold river water till she was ankle deep. Beneath her feet she could feel the small pebbles that lined the ground. By her feet, the reflection of the moon rippled and moved with the river's currents.

The sight reminded her of when she'd gone to camp years ago. Both her and Randy had snuck out one night away from the campfire and had gone swimming. He'd bet her that he could jump the highest and she'd gone for it. He'd jumped onto the reflection of the moon and once he'd surfaced, he'd claimed to have won because he'd jumped so high that he'd gone through the moon. She'd laughed, ducked his head under the water then proceeded to copy him. She hadn't managed to actually hit the moon though because it was then that they were caught by the camp councillors. The look on their faces when they'd said they'd just gone to see if the could jump through the moon was one of the funniest things about that summer.

"Well, well. So you're still alive," a deep voice said from the other side of the river.

Her eyes snapped open and she searched the other embankment for the voice she knew but couldn't place. She tried to move a little further down the river to see to the other side and that was when he stepped out from behind the trunk of one of the trees.

Regan stood in a white shirt and black jeans. The moonlight hid part of his face in dark shadows whilst the rest were lit up. She felt a slight shiver start from the back of her neck and make its way down to the base of her spine but she didn't move. She held herself absolutely still and told herself that she was in a forest full of shifters and Regan was the one trespassing. She was in no danger, but he was.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to keep her tone as flat as possible.

He shrugged as he leaned his shoulder back against the tree trunk, looking around the clearing, "Nothing really. Just thought I'd say hello and...return something."

"Whatever it is, you should have just left it where you found it. This isn't your land and you aren't welcome here."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think it's pretty important, or don't you agree?" He held out his hand. From it unfurled a long gold chain. She saw the flash of a silver square tag but the gold wedding band that slid down the chain was the thing that caught her eye.

Marissa felt her anger rising to the surface at dizzyingly quick pace. That necklace was rightfully hers and he had no right to keep it with him. But at that moment, she really couldn't do anything. He had it all the way on the other side of the river, and she was not going to be seen near him. She'd gained some trust and despite how important that single memento of her childhood was to her, it wasn't worth the lives of all those shifters.

She took a breath and looked him dead in the eye, "I'm not falling for it. I won't compromise that trust that I've built with these people so you can just leave the way you came now."

His arms lowered and his head tilted to the side in a very dog-like manor, "I don't understand you."

"There isn't anything for you to understand, so leave now or I'll scream and they'll all come running to skin your hide," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He mimicked her move, the necklace still dangling from his fingers. "Roman won't change you over, you know. He doesn't believe in just changing over humans because he trusts them a little bit. You're too much of a liability."

She just looked blankly at him. In return, his smirk turned into a wolf-like grin, "I can change you over. I have no guilt in changing you over, after all, shouldn't everyone deserve the chance to taste true power? All you'd have to do is just...tell me what you hear when you're walking about and you could be like us."

The barb stung her on a deep, personal level. She knew that she didn't belong with this pack, that she shouldn't even know about them, and he rammed it down her throat. Come on Marissa, who is he to make you feel this way?

She tilted her head and pouted her lips in a simpering manner, "And why would I want to be like you? I think I'm alright being human if it means I'm not a self-centred moron like you. At least I have my self-respect. What about you? Have you got that or are you too busy licking between your legs when nobody's looking?"

Regan was absolutely still before his eyes began to grow an eerie gold and she could hear a growl rising from his throat. It wasn't scary, but the fact that he was marching forwards towards her was. The hair on the back of her neck rose as her instincts tried to switch her defensive mode to flight mode, but she just couldn't do it. She had to stand her ground and anyway, who was he to tell her what to do with her life?

From behind her a bush rustled and a black shadow raced forward, stopping right in front of her. The sleek black feline body and the glowing green eyes gave way to who it was straight away and it was difficult not to slump her shoulders in relief and give the two beasts any indication that she had been afraid, even if it was for the slightest moments.

"Out of the way cat, she insulted me and it's within my right!" Regan shouted, stopping in his tracks with the river water barely reaching over his ankles.

Roman growled and Marissa rolled her eyes, "You came onto their territory first so technically I had the right to insult you moron. Now get off this land or you'll have to face an entire pack and I don't think a single wolf can defeat at least two black bears from the glimpse of a fraction of the shifters."

Regan's eyes flashed between her and a still growling Roman who had his shoulders hunched and legs ready to spring him forward at any moment. The silence was tense as they all watched what the other side was going to do. Then Regan was grinning widely once more and this time dread pooled in the bottom of her stomach.

"Fine, be like that. I was just leaving anyway. Good luck with trying to get your precious orb back." The he turned to face the river's current and threw her necklace. She didn't take her eyes of him, not even when she heard the splash of it landing, until he was absolutely gone from sight. Then she rand to where she saw just a few ripples left and a metallic reflection beneath the water.