The Wolf and the Natural ✔️

~•6•~

I found that Iris was a more enjoyable the more you got to know her. This girl had no downsides, I could almost swear it.

As we made our journey through the pack, some other people had stopped to say hello. Many were intrigued about my "mysterious" and "touching" past. But if they started to dig too deep, Iris would shoo them away (she hated nosy people).

I couldn't help but feel grateful for Iris. She told me that Arlis's parents were executed by a Hunter, a man named Stone Waynes, who was dead now. She said that since he was nineteen, Arlis has been watching over this pack and that everyone gave him nothing but respect because he put his life and soul into the pack.

She walked me around to the training fields where Chleo was teaching some men and women to fight next to a woman I didn't recognize, unsurprisingly. All the men and women were muscular and lean, sporting six packs.

I sported a six pack too. A six pack of jello and pudding cups.

There was the pack gardens where a lot of their food came from, for the human side of them anyways. Fruits and vegetables grew while people tended to the beautiful, multi-colored fields. This pack was the biggest one in North America, around 400 people. I thought it was small considering how many people lived in Columbia Falls. By then again, these were all people who changed into wolves while the only thing the people of my town changed into was different sets of clothes.

She showed me the pack daycare, which was probably my favorite part of the whole tour. She told me that packs were always helpful towards kids and little ones, and that if I ever needed a babysitter to ask literally anyone and they'd be in trusted hands.

When we visited and I was introduced to the baby-sitter, Melloni, all the girls at the daycare had ran to me and said that I looked like a Princess and smelled like the Alpha.

I later learned that this was because that "energy" that Arlis poured over me was the same he placed on me when I got here.

"So you two haven't..." Melloni chuckled to herself, offering me a package of crackers. "That's shocking considering most mate within twenty four hours."

Melloni had an easy going personality with a laugh that flowed just the same. She was super short, and even I felt tall next to her and I was only five foot 7. She, however, held her height at around 5 foot 3 and it tipped me off because what she lacked in height, she made up in personality.

"Considering everything... I mean he found me bloody and beaten and broken." I said, cringing at Jacobi's claws digging into my back. "And I healed up, and then we've just been busy. No time to really... do that."

Not that I'd let him if we did have time. As much as I like him, and wanted to be around him, and enjoyed his presence... and the way his eyes shone when he looked at me... and his hair... As much as I like him, I'm not ready for that stage in our relationship yet.

"True true." She sighed and ate more crackers.

Iris purses her lips at me. "You better lock him down, sweetheart. Arlis isn't a patient man and the longer y'all wait, the more he'll just let a rip when it finally happens."

I choked on my cracker, reaching for my water and gasping for breath.

"Iris!" Melloni scolded. "How could you say that?" She laughed. "Obviously our girl here is waiting as long as she can just like everyone else, you don't have to say it out loud." She winked at me, causing me to gasp and choke on my water alone with my cracker.

"Though I'd find you here. I leave her with you for a couple hours and you try to kill her." Arlis chuckles, walking into the daycare kitchen as shaking his head. "Can't trust you."