Visions of Wolves

Caught

“So you just picked weeds all day? Is that all you get up to at Aoife’s?” Alex asked, lacing his boots up at the foot of the bed. I watched as the muscles in his arms flexed while he pulled the laces taunt. The same strong arms and hands that were all over me less than an hour ago. We had both woken up early and enjoyed the small amount of time we had before he set off for the day and Ally and I headed to Aoife’s. Fortunately the fence had taken more work than anticipated because some of the wood had rotted while lying around. I couldn’t help but wonder if Aoife had something to do with that. Either way it meant another day to get the fence up, which was really another day for Aoife to help me get loaded up with wolfsbane. 

“Actually Aoife and I have been making jewellery from clay as well. It’s been really fun and relaxing to work with my hands. They should be dry today so we can start painting them.”

“Make anything special for me?” Alex asked, coming over to give me a goodbye kiss on the forehead. 

“I can’t imagine bright green and pink beaded bracelets being quite your thing,” I said eyeing him up and down. He was wearing joggers, boots and a plain black t-shirt. I could tell if he wasn’t out walking through the forest or on patrol he was more than likely going to shift.

“Hmmm, maybe not. Please be home long before dark tonight. I have a late patrol and you and Ally were cutting it fine yesterday. I’ve had a word with her too. I’d feel better knowing you were back in the house before I set off.” He reprimanded.

“You’re not the boss of me, don’t tell me what to do,” I shot back sarcastically. 

“You will do what I say or I’ll make you,” he teased back. 

“Hmm, well, you’d have to catch me first.” With that he leaped across the bed at me but I had anticipated the move and jumped out the other side. He glared at me shocked. While I had gotten used to the new strength, agility and speed the marking had given me, he was still learning just how much I had changed.

He leaped off the bed and I tried to circle back around it but he caught me by my nightgown and threw me on the bed in once swift movement. He climbed on top of me and struggled to get a grip on my hands, I was too busy using them to poke and tickle him. He winced and flinched every time I got a good poke into his ribs. 

“Stop wriggling you,” he said through gritted teeth

“Make me,” I giggled.

Eventually he got both hands above my head in his one wrist. He used his weight and thighs to hold me down and used his spare hand to mimic my actions by poking me in the ribs and tickling me. I bucked and arched but his weight held me firmly in place. We were both giggling now. My face red and my hair a mess. Then we were cut short by a knock at the door.

“Hey Alex, you ready?” Jay shouted from the other side of the door.

Alex and I both gave a deep sigh, playtime was over. He gave me one more kiss and then straightened out his clothes before heading out.

Ally hadn’t come down for breakfast so I finished up and headed to hers and Adam’s room. I found them enjoying a peaceful breakfast together on the balcony.

“I can come back? If I’m interrupting.” I asked, stepping sheepishly onto the balcony.

“No no, come join us for a coffee.” Ally said, pouring a cup from the podium for me. 

“I had a late patrol last night so I was given the morning to sleep in. But someone decided if she was up, I should be up. So here I am half awake and enjoying the beautiful day outside.” I laughed at Adam’s sarcasm and Ally threw a grape at him in response. 

“I will not be made to feel guilty for wanting to spend time with my mate. Besides, you can go back to sleep when Teal and I head over to Aoife’s.”

Thank goodness Adam mouthed in my direction while rolling his eyes. It was nice to have coffee with them. I wondered if I’d spend my days having coffee with various people while Alex was out being Alpha when I eventually moved here. It didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

Aoife has already popped most of the clay pieces out of the moulds and separated them on the table to make it easier to sort and work with. She had also laid out the paints, some small glass jars of water and some brushes. I was greeted at her door by Bean who had invited herself over when Aoife had gone over to Bean's mother’s place to ask for some extra paint. She was bouncing off the walls at the idea of painting with us today.

I chose very neutral colours for the beads for the bracelets. Various shades of brown, beige and grey. Bean however had decided that my hair ties and necklace needed to be bright purple and pink. I didn’t mind, it made it more special that she had painted it. I’d just make sure the necklace string was long enough that I could hide the bead inside my shirt when I was out.

Bean had somehow got more paint on her than on the beads in front of us and had Aoife and I giggling at all her wild and wonderful stories of unicorns, witches and wizards. There had been some beads left over, Aoife always made extra, so I decided to make Casey a bracelet too.

We left the beads to dry and after a lot of begging and some fake tears, we agreed to bake cookies with Bean. Once she was covered in paint and flour, and filled with one too many cookies, Aoife and I returned to the beads. Using finer brushes she taught me how to draw old runes on the beads.

“Do these work?” I asked hunched over a bead and trying to slowly draw the most complicated rune of the list.

“Honestly, I have no idea.” We both laughed at that. “But it’s tradition and in some ways I find it reassuring that if there are spirits out there looking after us, this ode to them won’t go unnoticed.”

“Well, a year ago I would never have believed in shifters or …witches, no offence, either.” I added. 

“None taken. I do love the witches aesthetic anyway, just not the pointy hats.” We laughed, causing a small stir from Bean lying asleep on the couch. 

“These shouldn’t take too long to dry now. We should be able to fill them and seal them today. By tomorrow afternoon they should be dry and ready to thread onto the string and elastics.”

We were deep in conversation over coffee when Ally joined us in the lounge. A huge rip across the front of her shirt. “What happened?” I asked. Aoife and I both jumped to our feet as we eyed her up and down.

“Relax, relax. I just snagged my shirt on the wire of the fence. I’m fine I just need a new shirt. Ally do you still have the one I gave you yesterday to put in your bag?” After we had both come back filthy from our first day spent at Aoife’s we decided it would be a smart idea to carry an extra shirt or two incase we wanted to change before we got back. 

“Oh yeah, it’s in my bag over by the kitchen door,” I gestured towards the door before slumping back down on the couch and enjoying my tea.

“Great, thanks.” Ally disappeared and Aoife and I carried on with our conversation. 

A few minutes passed before Ally, still in her torn shirt, stormed into the lounge waving my vision journal in front of her with one hand. “What is this?” She demanded. Waking up Bean with her tone. My stomach twisted into a knot and I felt my mouth go dry. Aoife frowned at Ally’s dramatics and then turned to me. Judging by her response to the look on my face she knew exactly what information that journal held.

“Come Bean, I think it’s time I take you home,” Aoife said ushering Bean out the door as quickly as she possibly could. Ally stood there frozen, the rage building, waiting for Bean to be out of earshot before she exploded. The minute they were out the door I turned to her, my rage now burning too or perhaps my guilt?

“Why are you going through my stuff?” I demanded. My voice cold but calm.

“It fell out when I went to get my shirt. Are these visions? Does Alex know? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t he tell us?” She shot back. The thoughts spitting from her mouth as quickly as they came to mind.

“What do you mean it just fell out? You’re telling me you just accidentally read my personal journal?” I stormed towards her to grab it out her hands but she lifted it above my head, her height putting it just out of reach.

“These are visions aren’t they?” She said glaring at me while I tried to jump up and grab it from her. I stepped back in a huff, giving up on that plan of action and glared at her with my arms crossed defensively across my chest. I didn’t respond.

“What did Alex say about them?” She reprimanded me. I Remained glaring at her. “You haven’t told him?” She whispered out of shock. I said nothing, but looked away. I couldn’t look her in the eyes. It was my right to choose the right time to tell him, to tell them. And I planned to, just before I left to go back home. After Aoife had time to help me understand them and prepare. Ally stormed for the door. I grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face me before she reached for the handle. She stared at my hand in shock, she hadn’t expected me to be strong enough to hold her back.

“Where are you going?” I demanded. She shrugged her arm out of my grip.

“Close enough to link Alex.” She shot back.

“No, Ally please, wait. I can explain.” I begged. She turned towards the door but didn’t step any closer to it. “Can we sit? Please? I can explain.” I begged.