August's POV-
I eventually found the back door and went outside to find Emerald. She was standing with her back to me flicking her fingers. A small flame would start and then disappear and she must have been focused hard because she didn't seem notice me watching.
"You're quite good at that." I said to her.
She jumped and turned around and held her hands behind her back as if to hide them from me. I couldn't help but take her appearance in again when looking at her. She was still shorter then me and although she had a petite body, I could clearly see the muscle tone she had built in her arms and legs. I could see because she was showing plenty of skin. Too much skin.
I hated she was wearing something that showed so much of her. I knew we were going to shift and it really didn't matter, but still. Does she always wear stuff like this? Does she not realize she's showing off her body for just anyone to see? I figured her being raised by a woman would instill some type of modesty into her.
"My eyes are up here August." She said in a raspy velvet voice.
I snapped my head up realizing I was staring at her exposed thighs and quickly looked away from her and ran my hands through my hair.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sta.."
"Shutup old man and come on. I'll even give you a head start to make it easier on ya." She said teasingly and started to walk away from me leaving me stunned.
I let out a chuckle at the nickname she gave me and started to lightly jog to catch up to her.
"If I'm an old man then I guess that makes you a little girl hm?"
She gasped and shoved me away from her. I laughed and only kept walking next to her since her small shove didn't do much.
"I'm a grown woman thank you." She said in a sassy tone.
"You will always be just a little girl to me though."
"You're lying again." She mumbled under her breath.
I scoffed at her.
"I'm not." I said back stubbornly, but she just rolled her eyes and walked a little ahead of me.
We were coming up to a medium sized blue shed that sat near an open path that lead into a thin line of trees. They weren't pine like the ones back home and it wasn't a very heavy wooded area either, but I guess that's just what I'm used to.
"You can go ahead and shift first and I'll keep the door cracked for you to get out." She said as she unlocked the shed and started to pull the blue wooden door open.
Inside was a just a white rack on one wall with extra clothes and jackets hanging. Folded near the bottom of the rack were multiple blankets. On the other wall sat a black table that had a empty laundry basket on top and near the back was some gardening tools hanging up neatly and a bag of soil sitting in one of the corners. I stepped inside and she closed the door slightly, but kept it cracked like she said she would.
I stripped my clothes off and put them in the empty laundry basket neatly. I took a step back from the door and shifted into my large black wolf. When I'm finished the door opens and the light is let in from the outside world.
I walk out and when I do I can see Emerald leaning against the door of the shed looking at me. She had on one of those smiles again. I don't think I've ever really seen her smile before when I first found her. And for whatever reason she was smiling at me.
"I forgot how big Zeb was." She said through a chuckle.
'Don't ever forget it pup.' Zeb replied, but I ignored him.
She went inside the shed and pulled the door, but again left it cracked. I went over to the side of the shed to wait for her and to give her full privacy. I sat looking at the path we were probably going to run down and listened to the sound of her bones popping and flesh ripping.
I remembered the first time I tried to get her to shift back and had to use food to bribe her.
Suddenly the smell of burning pine trees hit my nose and it made my tail wag once in approval. I felt something soft brush up against me and soon my vision was covered with white. She brushed her fur up against mine and then her tail passed by my neck and it was like being tickled with soft feathers. She turned around and faced me and she was certainly no puppy.
Her wolf had grown and was almost as big as I was which was surprising considering her human form was still petite. Her fur had small grey streaks running through it and even some streaks around her face making her look like a wild timber wolf. Her eyes were the same, one dark brown and one bright green. Staring back into my one white and one blue.
Her wolf was beautiful and I could feel Zeb want to try and take over, but I pushed him down and prevented it. I needed to stay in control. Zeb was just a wild animal who only knows instinct and his instincts could care less about Emerald's age or my personal hesitations.
She took a step towards me and I took one back. She cocked her head to one side and just like in the past one of her white ears flopped over. She was looking straight into my eyes and I couldn't explain it, but I just felt this pull towards her. I could feel Zeb wanting to move closer to her. So I planted my paws firmly in the grass to keep them from moving. I had to just fight against the gravity that wanted to force me to move closer.
Gravity didn't seem to affect her as she slowly circled me and every once in a while would brush up against me. Her smoke scent was like a cloud swirling around me, consuming me and all of my senses. I suddenly felt something sharp snap at my tail and gravity no longer held me still. I jumped and turned around to see her with her paws stretched out, head down, and tail wagging like a dog wanting to play.
I let out a low growl in annoyance from her nipping me, but she only cocked her to one side playfully. I quickly jumped towards her and she jumped back and took off past me and down the small path. I ran after her and I'm not ashamed to say I had to actually run hard to try and catch up to her. She was fast and that's something I've always known about her.
I thought about how ironic it was that I had just tried to tell myself to keep distance between us and now I was trying to chase after her. She sped up whenever I would get close to her and enjoyed the fact that she was still just as playful as I remembered her to be.
I thought about my aunts words suddenly.
"Can't you see that she's your Luna?"
If she were, does that mean I've always been chasing after her and never realized it? Year after year of searching and I had known where she was all this time.
No. That can't be right.
Why would the moon goddess give me such a young mate? Why would she let us meet the way we did? Why would this be apart of her plan for us?
Emerald eventually slowed her pace and soon the dirt path we had been running on turned into grass again. It had a few small trees every once in a while, but it was still a very open space. We walked side by side, but I made sure not to be close enough to let her rub up against me.
I could hear scurrying and soon Emerald took off and started to chase a squirrel until it ran up one of the small thin trees. She was still so much like her younger self. Just so unaware of the fact that she isn't a wolf. I mean she is, but she has sense enough to know how to not act like one, yet she ignores that part of herself. Where I am the opposite and am always in constant battle with Zeb to keep in control even when I am in my wolf form.
Apart of me knew it probably felt freeing in a way to let go like that and to let those animal instincts override your reasonable side, but I just couldn't allow myself to do that. Especially with her around. I could feel every thing Zeb did when looking at Emerald's wolf and even though I know its Anala he sees I can't help but see Emerald and didn't want Zeb looking at her in that way.
I was lost in thought because suddenly I was knocked down and something large was on top of me. I look up to see white fur with long silver streaks and then brown and green orbs pouring into mine. Her green one looked brighter then usual and I wondered if it was Emerald who pounced on me or Anala. I let out a low growl for her to get off, but she only leaned in closer to me and I felt her warm wet tongue lick my face before moving off me.
'All these years and you still can't stop her from catching us off guard?' Zeb asked annoyed.
'' Where are those so called instincts?" I asked back to him sarcastically.
We started running back down the path again and this time the race was more evenly matched since she didn't have a lead. Every once in a while she would brush up against me and I would try and ignore it and not enjoy it like I wanted to.
I had wanted to go on runs with her again so many times, but being around her is just too much. It's not the same. Everything about her has changed and I cannot seem to keep a straight mind being around her. I can't stop looking at her and wanting to talk to her and any time we accidentally touch I just don't want to let go. Even when she burns me I just don't want to let go.
The idea that there was a slight possibility of her being my mate made it all the more difficult. What if she was? Then what do I do? I continue to hold back? If I smell her scent during the blue moon then I won't be able to stop Zeb. But there still might be a chance that she's not my mate. I wanted to know for sure. I needed to know for sure before I decide what to do next.
I've wanted to find my mate for so long now, but the last few years I've dismissed the idea and have mostly been thinking of Emerald. How many years have I possibly spent thinking of her and not even knowing it? Wanting to find my Luna so badly only to find out I've known her for some time now.
If she's my mate then maybe that's the reason why I can't help feeling the way I do despite the way we met. I knew in my heart that their was no mate bond between us until she's marked. We just somehow came across each other's paths way too soon. I gotta stop thinking like this. I don't know if she's my mate and I need to just focus on Helen.
We ran all the way until we came back to the blue shed. We were both panting and she was brushing up against me a little as we walked closer to the front of the shed. We both stopped walking when we noticed the boy that was leaned up against the door of the shed.
He was tall and okay built, but a little lanky. He had brown hair and brown eyes and was wearing a blue v neck and black shorts. He was staring right at my wolf. Right at my eyes actually and I didn't even try and hold back Zeb. I let out a throaty growl from him looking an alpha in the eye and even though I wasn't his alpha, my dominance radiated strong enough to still have the same effect.
He dropped his gaze from mine, but Emerald moved away from me and towards the shed. The boy opened the door for her and closed it all the way behind it before leaning against it again.. as if to keep anyone from getting to her.
This time I did have to hold back Zeb. I didn't know who this boy was, but he has that same smell she did when she came home last night. This was probably the boyfriend... Kyle? Kameron? I can't remember.
Either way him standing between me and Emerald in the stance he had made my blood boil. All the thoughts about leaving and keeping distance between me and her vanished.
Emerald could possibly be my mate and this boy was standing in between me and her.
Who does he think he is? What would a boy like him be able to do against me if I were to try and get to her? I'm an alpha and he is barley a man, barley a wolf. Pathetic, only I can protect her. Only I know how to keep her safe. I've kept her safe from the moment I met her and I will always do that. I promised to do that, so mate or no mate.
Emerald is mine to take care of.