Visions of Wolves

Flower Moon Hotel

4 months later.

I got out the taxi and looked up at the beautiful double story farmhouse, it’s white walls peaking through the vines that had taken over most of the front of the house. For just a minute I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I don’t know what it is about this place but I felt at home here, as though I’m drawn to it. 

I walked passed the ivy covered gates and down the pebble stone path. The path was surrounded by rosemary that was now in full bloom creating a blanket of blue flowers.

I was back at Flower Moon Hotel, the same accommodation I started at 2 weeks ago when I came to speak with a client who had opened a farm nearby. I was going to be writing for their social media and they had asked for someone from our team to visit the farm so we could write with firsthand experience. 

Despite all of Casey’s best efforts, not much had changed in my life over the last few months and I was desperate for an adventure out of the city. Even if it meant travelling to a secluded farm town in the middle of nowhere. The farm I was visiting was a ten hour drive from the airport so I took the chance to have a mini vacation and arrived a week early at the Flower Moon Hotel. 

I loved it so much that after my visit to the farm I decided to stay an extra two weeks at the hotel and just enjoy being in nature. My job makes it easy to work remote so no one would really miss me back at the office, as long as I called in everyday. 

As I shoved open the old wooden door to reception I was greeted with a familiar face. Mabel had dark brown, straight hair that was always loose around her right shoulder because she unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear whenever something made her smile or laugh. Which was all the time, her bubbly personality was infectious.

“You’re back!” She shouted with a smile in her voice that instantly made me feel glad I had made this decision. 

“Thank you so much for slotting me in last minute.” I said through a sheepish grin.

“I just loved it here so much that I decided to extend my stay and just work from here a bit before heading home.”

“Don’t be silly, I’m thrilled. I’ve missed our coffee out in the garden every morning. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a room on the first floor like last time, you’re in the last room upstairs, right at the end.” She said while pointing me in the right direction.

“Dam, I loved the little gardens outside the rooms of the first floor but no matter, I’ll just spend more time out in the field.” 

At the back of the hotel was a large rosemary farm that went on for ages until it met the wild terrain at the base of beautiful green mountains. I loved being out there, listening to the birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees. She gave me the key and I spent the afternoon unpacking and putting on some comfy pants before heading downstairs for an early dinner.

Just before I reached the dinning room I heard shouting. It was coming from the small bar area that overlooked the rosemary farm outback. It's the perfect spot for a peaceful sundowner, but obviously not today. 

I peaked into the bar area and saw the defined, muscular arms of a tall, well-built man standing in front of the TV watching sport. He had short brown hair and was wearing a black vest and loose dark denim jeans. I felt myself blush for a second, realising I had spent a good minute or two checking him out. I quickly pulled myself together. 

“C’mon,” he shouted while slapping is hand against is leg and taking a sip of the beer in his other hand.

“Why do you always pick the loosing team?” I shouted from the doorway, just loud enough to be heard over the TV.

“Your teams never seem to win.” 

He spun round and I saw his eyes light up. Just before he was about to say something I was suddenly squeezed so tightly I lost my breath.

“You’re back!” I heard Ally say with her face up against my arm while she hugged me right off the ground. “I am!” I managed to choke out while trying to squeeze her back, but I was no match for her strength. She was an inch taller than me, but lean, curvy in all the right places and incredibly strong.

Ally and Adam were the perfect couple. We had met back when I first arrived at the hotel. We were the only guests at the time and naturally got chatting in the dinning hall. We had chatted late into the evenings at the bar along with Mabel. The four of us felt like lifelong friends.

I always teased them about being the perfect influencer couple. They could make a killing online. They were forever off hiking, running and training. They were both sports therapists and had an answer for every ache, pain or training-related question. But they weren’t into social media. In fact, they were happy with the clients they had built up just through word-of-mouth. 

I had exchanged email addresses with them but never thought I’d actually get to see them again. This made my decision to come back for another two weeks even better. They were from a village nearby and didn’t get to meet many new people, so they had loved chatting to me and sharing stories.

Adam came over and gave me a quick hug too before Mabel appeared with two bottles of wine and announced “I think this reunion deserves a drink.”