The Wanderer

Chapter 4

The walk is a long one, moving past trees and my bare feet stepping on sharp twigs. We make our way to my new home, me reluctantly following Nikolai.

I either stay with him and help him open up, or I leave and never know true happiness.

I think he may be my key to a joy filled life. Mates are supposed to make you happy, but I think that maybe, with his help, I'll be more than happy. I'll be in pure bliss.

"I'm still not agreeing to live with you." I break the silence, wanting to make my point clear. "It's only temporary. I need to see if what I want is possible."

He looks at me quizzically, his head tilting like a puppy's would. "And what do you want?" His voice is demanding but soft, as if he is truly curious about what I want.

"I want to see if we can be happy. I want to help you, even if you don't want my help." I almost stub my toe on a rock, but step beside it instead. Having a stubbed toe is the worst feeling, I haven't missed that aspect of human life.

He rolls his eyes, not understanding my motive. I want to see that small smile again, where he just lets his guard down and is his true self.

"I'm plenty happy. I get to rip people apart on the daily, which is all I really want in life," he says with a sick smile on his face.

"The problem is that you don't really enjoy that as much as you think you do." His eyes shoot to mine in disbelief, comically wide. I smile at him, knowing he won't believe me. "It makes you feel more in control of your life if you do things like that. My guess is you crave control, needing to have a handle on all situations. You don't really enjoy the act of tearing people apart, you enjoy the feeling of being able to get what you want."

He rolls his eyes, not even believing me for a second. "And what do I want, wise one?" He asks sarcastically, not being able to hide his distaste at my statements.

"You want someone to feel pain, but you can't hurt that person, so you hurt others who disrespect you. It gives you control of the situation, even if it isn't what you truly are seeking for." I pause, taking a deep breath. "You want to hurt the person who hurt you."

His eyes tell me I'm right, and he finally realizes it too. He shakes his head, shocked at the fact I could read him so well. "How did you come to these conclusions?" He asks, neither confirming or denying what I said.

"I wanted to become a psychologist before life went downhill. But wandering is much better than anything I've ever experienced so I'd rather be doing that."

His head tilts again, looking at me with confusion. "Wandering?"

"That's a story for another time, buckaroo."

My name for him makes him laugh, his eyes crinkling up at the action. Smiling, I feel a flutter in my chest, feeling elated that I'm already breaking down his walls.

His laugh stops abruptly, as we come up onto a cave. Saddened at the loss of the sound that makes me so happy, I look at him. He is standing straighter, his almost pitch black eyes darker than before. Looking more intimidating, he turns to me, the previous lighthearted atmosphere gone. "We are about to walk into my territory, meaning my pack will judge you and try to pick you apart. Stay by my side, don't wander off."

His pack? "You have a pack? I thought you were a rogue?" All the stories I've heard haven't mentioned a pack, nonetheless, him being the leader of one.

"Yes. They needed a leader, and as a Lycan, I was born to lead. Some of my members are rougher than others, don't challenge them. They have short tempers." With that, he walks into the cave, me standing at the mouth of it in shock.

What type of people am I going to meet in his so-called pack? He said some are rougher... does that mean they are criminals? A pack of rogues that are ready to tear me apart?

"You coming?" His voice from inside the cave echoes out to me, prompting me to follow it. I'm determined to tear down his walls, and if I have to live with a pack of rogues, so be it.

I'm going to help him, even if it's the last thing I do.