Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Chapter Six

Bruce watches as Eli throws a stick for Ricky who runs off to find it again, she's grown rather attached to the hound, despite her protests. It's four months since they decided to try at a relationship. Four months and counting, and he does count, every single day that she sticks with him when he's given her plenty of reasons to leave. But they're trying. And it's working. She doesn't push him, she doesn't want to talk about feelings. She just lets him be him, whether he wants to talk or not. Most of the time they're both content to sit in the sun, he'll read some science book, researching a way to cure himself. She doesn't ask, mostly cause she knows she'll not understand. She pulls her hair up into a messy bun and turns back to Bruce who lowers his eyes again, like he hadn't spent the last 15 minutes watching her. She smirks though as she approaches him, and he knows he was caught, and he actually blushes behind his book, he just finds it hard to accept that this woman is with him, that he can look at her like that. Eli leans on Bruce's chair and kisses him, his free hand coming up to cup her neck, holding her closer to him, she kisses him harder, deepening the kiss, he moans a little before his watch starts to alert them to his increased heart rate, he's getting too excited. Eli pulls back and smirks a little. Bruce closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, taking Eli's lessons to heart as he controls his heart rate. For the most part her meditation and breathing exercises seem to be working, working better then what he was doing before, seen as he's yet to have an incident since meeting her, he's more convinced it's actually her and not the techniques.

"Some times I think you like doing that" he comments when the watch stops beeping, she shrugs a little.

"A girl likes to know that she does something for you, Bruce" she teases a little taking her seat next to him. She hums a little letting the sun hit her skin. "That little beeping device lets me know that I get you all worked up"

"That's not a good thing" he argues. "Okay? I don't want to hurt you"

"Oh Bruce" she whispers softly. "I never let it get too far" she assures him. "And the breathing technique is working" she turns her head to him. "The meditation, the yoga, it's working, right?" he nods.

"Yes, it's working" he agrees with her. "That doesn't mean we should push it, push him...."

"Okay" she coos at him. "No touching" she leans away from him.

"That's not what I said" he argues.

"You implied it" she counter argues. "I mean what sort of guy doesn't want his girlfriend to touch him?"

"Eli..."

"I know" she rolls her eyes a little. "I'm not your girlfriend" she mocks a little as sits up a little and sighs and he knows she's trying too, but some days things just grate the both of them, she's an animal inside and finds her blood runs a little hotter. "Shame...cause I was thinking" she starts setting her sunglasses over her eyes. "That we could go away for a few days, but I mean, I want to go away with my boyfriend...."

"What?" he asks shutting his book. "Where?" she shrugs.

"I don't know....take a drive, see where we end up" she looks to him. "Head west, hit the coast of Peru and just keep going North"

"That's a long drive" he comments. "Are you sure you want to be stuck with me that long?" he asks.

"You're not worried about having an.....episode, are you?" she counter asks.

"No" he answers. "With you I feel....calmer then I ever remember being..." he smiles. "Okay, let's take a trip" he agrees, she smirks and leans closer.

"Really?" she asks raising an eyebrow over the rim of her glasses. "Just you and me and Ricky...and a car?"

"I thought this is what you want" he frowns at her.

"Bruce" she whispers. "Don't do this because you think it's what I want....what do you want?" she asks him, he sighs a little and then smiles.

"I want to travel with you" he admits. "I want to see everything with you" she smirks a little. "I know how corny that sounds and I don't intend it to be, but...I want to do this with you" she leans closer and takes his hand.

"Want me to braid your hair now?" she asks teasing him, he snorts a little and leans closer to kiss her softly, quickly before pulling back. Not letting it progress further. She smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. He's just waiting for her to walk away from him, most women might accept it readily that they'll never have a physical relationship with him but Eli, she's driven by primal needs and he's not given her one of them, despite how much he knows they both want to, it's just too dangerous. And it makes him feel terrible. She leans back in her chair and sighs a little. Bruce looks to his book sadly, he doesn't want to make her sad. He reaches over and takes her hand, threading his fingers with hers, she glances to him and smiles a little, softer, relaxing, she understands why he doesn't, why he can't, but her animal instincts are there for her to.....mate. Her inner wolf wants to be with her mate and she can't.

.................

"Are you sure she'll survive the trip?" Bruce teases a little looking over the half dead pick up truck, Eli snorts at his side and shrugs.

"I can patch it up is needs be" she admits. "I got tools just in case" Bruce looks to her surprised.

"You...patch up cars?" he asks, she glances to him.

"I'm not an expert" she answers. "Just know how to keep something running, truck, car, generator, machinery.....helicopters, tanks..." he raises an eyebrow.

"Military?" he asks, she shrugs.

"Yeah, sure" she answers tightly, they don't talk about her time with the 'military', and they don't talk about his accident, it's kind of a unwritten rule. He nods and lets it go there. Eli whistles and Ricky runs up towards them. "Come on, boy" She coos slightly opening the truck cap door and letting Ricky climb in, Bruce takes this as his own cue and rounds the truck to climb in the passenger side. Eli climbs in after the dog and starts the truck which seems reluctant to do as it's told, chugging slightly before stuttering to a start, Bruce leans back in his seat getting comfy. Eli sighs a little setting her sunglasses over her eyes, she glances to Bruce who smiles back at her, she smiles and then drives them away.