Way of the Wolf: Equilibrium

Chapter 3 ~ Guests

Chapter 3: Guests
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Stepping out of my bedroom, I was hit by a scent I didn't recognise, and nothing of the pack lingered in it. Smelling of wildflowers and earth, my nose tilted up to greedily inhale more. A male, I could tell that at least. Perhaps my heat wasn't quite over as I found myself breathing in yet again, fighting the urge to find the owner.
If there were strangers in the house, it must have meant Fenna was back. With a shake of my head, I shut my door and headed downstairs.

It was still quite early but I couldn't bear to spend another hour in that room. I'd opened the windows to air it out so it would be nicer to come back to at the end of the day. At least I'd managed to resist the temptation of inviting a male around.

When I went to put on my jacket and shoes to go find Fenna, a blur of wild ginger hair stopped me in my tracks. The jacket was torn from my hand and hung back up even as I protested.

"They arrived late last night with our guests. They probably won't be awake for a while yet," Mum rushed, grabbing my arm before I could think of heading to Maya's. "You can visit her later, let them sleep and help me make breakfast."

Relenting for now, I followed her back into the kitchen then frowned. If they were indeed back, where was everyone else? "Where is the female I'm meant to be sharing with?"

"I explained that you weren't feeling great and I didn't think it best to disturb you. She and her brother slept in the living room. I'll find a spare mattress after breakfast and you can both make up a space for her in your room."

A bonding experience, making space for another wolf. It was no wonder my mother was an Alpha Female, she was clever, sneaky even. She gave me a smile and a wink then nudged me to get to work making breakfast. Any moment now, I was sure Jamie would appear with Maebh, normally the first to to wake up but with guests under our roof, I was sure Mum and Dad had been up long before even I was.

Movement from upstairs told me wolves were beginning to stir though and I chuckled at their timing. Breakfast was almost ready. Piling bacon and egg onto a hot tray, the shuffle of footsteps down the hall announced the first was coming in search of food.

Turning, I expected to see Jamie but jumped at the sight of a strange male filling the doorway. Big blue eyes were almost hidden by a mop of brown hair that had braids and beads threaded through it. His nostrils flared as he took me in, his gaze trailing ever so slowly up the length of me. Whatever he found in my scent made his eyes narrow slightly.

I swallowed and stepped back, my wolf sensing the wild in him. Even though he wasn't as big as most warriors, there was something intimidating about him. Sleek lines of muscle were nearly hidden by the baggy shirt and ragged jeans he wore, and his boots were covered in scuff marks and mud.

"Good morning," Mum chirped from beside me, giving the stranger a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

The male nodded, shifting on his feet. "I did, thank you."

His voice sent a shudder through me. Deep and rough, it grated at my nerves and I fought not to turn away when he took a step into the kitchen.

"Take a seat while you can, I can already hear the others coming. Help yourself to something to drink too!"

He bowed his head and made his way to the table and I watched the awkward way he held himself with curiosity. Who was he?

The screech of a chair being pulled back jolted me back into reality and I spun around to finish dishing out food. Quillan and Oria came in next with the pups that were chattering happily until they spotted the stranger sitting at the table. I tried not to smirk as Jamie puffed up his chest, strutting behind his father. The male's lips twitched slightly, not quite a smile.