Priest

Pack

"Put your bags down in here," Mia walked into the colossal log cabin, the smell of lavender and fresh linen enveloping him as he followed her down the hall. "You've got your own bathroom and toilet just off to the side."
"Where will..."
"Our girl will just be in the next room."
He nodded, dropping the bag onto the floor with a thud and looking around at the ornate carvings in the wood surrounding him.
"You'll want to go wash up and head outside in a minute," the woman looked him up and down momentarily, "maybe put something a bit more, comfortable, on."
He opened his mouth to respond but she was gone, leaving him staring at thin air with a feint rumbling in his chest.
Keep your distance child, this is not a place you want to become caught up in.
"Of course, Father."

It was like walking straight back into her childhood, every crevice, every padlock, chained gate and fence Blu knew like the back of her hand. This was the palace in her mind, her memory vault, from the comforting smell of sand and rain to the sense of power that surged up through her bare feet. It had been years, and yet it had barely been a moment.
"Careful with that one," a sharp voice sounded behind her as her hand fell onto the padlock, "you break it; you bought it."
"Alex."
"Young lady," there was a weathered familiarity to his kind features, "time has been good to you."
"Ah Alex, time hasn't quite been so good to you," though it was said with an easy smile.
"They've been waiting."
"I know."
Her hand hovered over the lock, fingertips moving as if she were picking the individual segments apart, before it finally gave in to the pressure and clicked open; falling limp against the gate with a soft click.
"Just," Alex caught her forest green eyes, "be careful. Just like you, they've changed."
With a deep breath and one final tingle surging up her arm Blu stepped through the first gate and into the smaller enclosure within. Alex closed and chained the gate behind her as a pair of luminescent yellow eyes watched her from within the larger space beyond. A shuddering of emotion suddenly fled through her bones, weaving itself between every tendon and vein as she pushed open the final gate and walked into the enclosure beyond.

Another pair of yellow eyes illuminated across from her, a third and fourth joining the others as she stepped cautiously across the recently disturbed sand. Barely four feet into the enclosure the woman found herself coming to a halt, her breathing sitting higher in her chest. It had been too long.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, slowly lowering to her knees as a lone wolf made its way from the cover of the shrubs. "It's been too long."
Blue eyes so piercing they were nearly white came level with hers and she felt her heart skip a beat. The timber wolf loomed above her, the smell of raw meat and dust settling into the wind around her as he padded quietly forward.
Too long.
The growled voice pulsed between her ears, his impossibly sharp teeth suddenly flashing as he lowered his nose to sniff at her clothes.
Stranger.
Her eyelids flickered at the word, forcing back the surge of pain she suddenly felt, until she realised what he was smelling, "a travelling companion."

Once the Priest had set his limited number of personal effects up in the cabin he made his way out into the sanctuary.
"You must be Blu's friend," an older man proffered his hand with a welcome smile, "I'm Alex."
With a firm handshake he returned the smile, "it's a pleasure to meet you Alex. Thank you for your hospitality."
"Any friend of our girl."
The man's demeanor changed, barely perceptible save for the flicker of pride behind his eyes.
"You'll want to give her a minute, she's just getting reacquainted."
He nodded, looking from each cross hatched fence until he found her; panic suddenly surging up through him.
Do not worry. It is not yours to interrupt.
And, rendered motionless, it was all he could do to stand and watch as the terrifying beast stalked towards her. As if on cue the monster turned, ice blue eyes boring into him chilling him to the very core as the two suddenly entered into a silent conversation.

Blu chanced a glance to where the Priest now stood, catatonic, staring at the animal in front of her. The wolf's attention turned back to her.
Not. Like. Us.
She lifted a shoulder slightly, he wasn't exactly wrong.
"True."
Why?
"Why did I bring him here?"
The wolf dipped his head slightly.
"Because sometimes people need to be reminded that their way of thinking isn't the only one."
If she hadn't of known better she could have sworn one of his eyebrows raised.
She sighed, "and because he wouldn't leave me alone."
Silence.
We can make him?
The Priest stepped back involuntarily as the animal suddenly snarled, baring razor sharp teeth in his direction.
"No," she laughed easily, "no. I think it's good for him."
His attention turned back to the woman kneeling before him.
Her voice dropped, inaudible to anyone but the wolf, "and I think it's good for me too."

The preacher watched in stunned silence as the enormous animal very carefully padded forwards, his forehead resting against Blu's. He was vaguely aware of his mouth dropping open as the rest of the pack emerged from behind the shrubbery and all but jumped over her. It was as if she weren't human, a strange connection that seemed to extend far beyond the boundaries of species.
"Close your mouth boy," Alex's voice dragged him back to where he stood planted to the ground, "the flies will crawl in and lay eggs in your brain."

He doesn't like it here.
Blu's gaze shifted from the pups tugging at the bottom of her top to where the newcomer stood looking utterly mortified at Alex.
"Yeah," she looked back to the wolf, her face full of mischief and laughter, "but, he will."