Everything Anew

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lila

The air was cold as it hit my skin. I pulled my jacket on tighter as small flecks of snow fell upon us. Today marked the first day of December. I had been with the pack for nearly three weeks, and time was ticking.

Nathan walked alongside me; his focus on a few figures standing at the threshold of the nearby forest. We walked up to the three men who were wearing white and grey fur trimmed hoods. Their attire looked hand made, the fur most likely being something that they hunted themselves and stitched together by hand. It reminded me of the rebels, though a lot more beautifully done.

"Alpha." The one in the middle bowed his head just barely. Considering Nathan wasn't his alpha, he didn't need to me as formal. "We're sticking to the outer edges of the perimeter, with a few of us in between your home and the roads. If anything is amiss, we will howl. That goes for your pack as well."

I still wasn't sure why Griffin risked nearly half of his men to stay with us for a month. Even with Nathan being his son, it was a huge risk to cut his own pack in half. I wondered then, how they would stay fed, and where they would sleep, but it didn't take much thought to remind myself that they were wolves too. With them helping us, they could hunt and sleep on our land as much as they desired.

"We appreciate your help." Nathan said. "We have two extra rooms. If anyone needs them, they are welcome to it. That goes for a warm meal or drink if any of you would need one for a night." When they said their thanks, Nathan turned to me and stepped aside. "Also, I'd like you to meet and be acquainted with Lila."

I stood there awkwardly for a moment before bowing my own head in gratitude. "Thank you," was all I could manage to think up. "I would hope with you around, I'd be able to enjoy the fresh air without fear."

The men's expressions didn't give much away. They were used to Kaili's presence, so a female shifter in their midst wasn't anything new, though a female wolf was still rare enough that they eyed me curiously.

Nathan cleared his throat, finally catching the man on the rights attention. "We'll happily keep watch if you ever decide to step outside." He said with a subtle hint of an unknown accent.

The man was young, younger than me, and when he smiled it reminded me of the snow. All white and glistening, though his sharp canines stood out and showed just how inhuman he was. If I didn't know any better he was laying on a bit of charm, and I didn't completely hate it.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Alo." He answered promptly.

"Well Alo, I look forward to leaving the house and knowing you're out here keeping an eye on me."

I smiled when the pink in his cheeks stood out a bit more against his tanned skin. "Now, when you say it like that..." He laughed.

The other two men shifted awkwardly, and Nathan glanced at me over his shoulder. I barely noticed I was flirting until I remembered the others were there. "Nevertheless, thanks to you all. I'll see you around." I forced another smile as they all bowed their heads and headed back toward the forests edge.

"He was cute." I muttered, as if to myself.

I peeked over at Nathan, his eyebrows furrowed. I did my best not to smirk when we made our way back towards the house. I tried getting a sense of his emotions, but it was harder for me to feel them without having a strong link to my wolf.

"He was actually."

I nearly tripped over my own feet and looked up at him to see that he was smiling. "Huh?"