The Wanderer

Chapter 7

Our staring contest stops, both of us looking away at the same time. We look to Lia and Colton who are in the middle of an argument.

"Told you they were annoying," Niko says, making their arguing die down.

"How rude." Colton pouts, unhappy with the fact that Niko doesn't like him as much as he does.

Lia just agrees, saying, "I can see it. You're not wrong."

Colton glares at her as if it was a personal attack on his character. I don't say anything, not wanting to get in the middle of this argument.

"So how did you two meet?" Colton asks, changing the subject to help his ego.

"My wolf tried to push her mind into my body, wanting to control my actions. It was the first time I had talked to her in about a year and a half, and I was confused. I listened to her directions and followed the smell until I ran into Niko," I explain, giving them a brief overview of what happened. I could go into more detail, but I don't know these people that well. They may seem nice, but they are still rogues and aren't to be trusted.

I look down from where I'm standing to make eye contact with Niko, who asks, "Why didn't you have contact with your wolf regularly?"

"To put it simply, wolves are social creatures and I wasn't being social while off on my own. Therefore, she stayed hidden in my mind, not wanting to bear the loneliness." I close my eyes, my wolf's happiness at being in a pack running through me. "She is happy to be around people again."

"Why weren't you near people anymore?" Colton asks, his face scrunched up in confusion.

Lia facepalms as she apologizes to me. "Sorry, he's not the brightest. You don't have to tell us anything about your past until you're ready." She turns to her mate, giving him a sharp glare. "Stop asking intrusive questions."

He just nods, the whole while Niko is silent. He seems to be thinking about something deeply, but I can't read his facial features well enough to know what.

Lia smiles at me before giving me some background on how they came to be in this pack. "I was going to Beta of my previous pack, before they were claimed by a larger pack. They didn't believe a girl could be Beta so they kicked me out when I was twelve. That's when I met Nikolai and Colton."

I nod, taking in her story. Some people could be so ignorant. Colton tells me about his past as well. "I didn't shift on my thirteenth birthday, so they kicked me out to have no weak links. Nikolai took me in and helped me until I shifted."

Their stories make my heart beat faster, knowing how kind and caring Niko is. He was on his own at a young age but still managed to help people in need.

Niko speaks up, telling a small bit of how the pack grew. "The first members of my pack were Colton and Lia, and I attracted more rogues as we traveled. Soon, I had ten members. Then twenty. I couldn't do much, other than protect them, but that was all they needed. They were in a vulnerable place, I had to be strong for them. We found this unclaimed and untouched territory, making it our home. Some members got jobs to help support the pack, and we made it into what it is today. The Crimson Rogue Pack."

Feeling guilty that I hadn't shared anything with them, I convince myself to tell them a little about me. "I have been on my own for two years, since I was sixteen. I wandered and enjoyed almost every second of being on my own. It was a peaceful way of life with nothing to worry about."

They nod, understanding my words. Their lives as rogues weren't as enjoyable as mine, since they were so young. They were just learning about the world when left by themselves. At least I had a grasp on how to take care of myself and survive. They didn't have that.

Niko breaks the silence, all of us lost in our own thoughts. "Well, this was a fun chitchat, but it's almost time for dinner. Let's get ready for that."

When he says for us to get ready, I realize I'm in only a large shirt. How embarrassing! I walked through my new pack almost naked. Sure, werewolves didn't care about nudity, but I can't help but feel like everyone was judging me.

I probably look like a mess. My hair hasn't been brushed in two years and I'm severely underweight from how much exercise and how little eating I did. I know I look like a train wreck.

Niko stands up after Lia and Colton have left, leading me to his room. "The bathroom is through that door." He points to a door on the left wall of his bedroom. "Clothes are in the closet." That is all he says as he leaves.

I'm alone again, but now I'm not truly alone. I used to have no one after everyone in my pack was killed, but now my mate is just in another room, waiting on me to finish getting ready. It is an odd feeling knowing I have someone there for me. It's a feeling I haven't felt in so long.

The entire time I was alone, I ignored my feelings, trying to block them out. I focused on other things, like finding a safe place to sleep or learning how to hunt. Once I mastered those, I focused on learning how to navigate the wilderness, how to run swiftly through the trees. Soon, surviving came naturally to me.

Now that I'm in what you would call a stable life, I'm uncomfortable. Everything I've gotten good at, surviving alone, is no longer available. I can't be in my wolf form, the form I'm most comfortable in. My senses aren't as powerful, meaning it's easier for a predator to sneak up on me. I feel more vulnerable than ever before.

Hopping into the shower, trying to drown out my thoughts, I stand under the cold water. The water in the lakes I bathed in were always cold, making this feel more natural to me. I wash my dirt covered body after getting leaves and twigs out of my hair. I use all of Niko's products, now smelling just like him.

Smiling at that fact, I finish my shower and dry myself off. Looking into the mirror, I see a girl, different than what I expected, staring straight at me. The girl I'm seeing is more grown up, looks more mature. She also looks more breakable and fragile. I used to be a healthy weight, but now my bones are protruding through my dark skin. My ribs and hips are clearly visible. I've also grown stronger, my leg muscles more noticeable.

Finishing my inspection of myself, I brush my long black hair, unknotting years of tangles.

Walking out of the bathroom, clothes are laid out on the bed for me. There is a bra and underwear, looking to be around my size. Along with them is a pair of worn looking ripped jeans. I slip everything on before taking a t-shirt out of the closet, inhaling Niko's masculine scent. Knowing what I'm doing is probably creepy, I put on the t-shirt before walking out of the room.

Niko is waiting for me outside the door. Looking at me, his already dark eyes darken even more at my outfit. He walks closer to me, whispering, "You look good in my shirt, mate."

Not knowing how to respond, I mutter a quiet, "Thank you."

He holds out his hand in a gentlemanly fashion. I look at it confused, taking it slowly.

Smiling down at me, he says, "Let's introduce you to the pack."