Astronomical (girlxgirl)

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine (Rose's POV)

Time to face the music, I thought as I knocked on the door to Father's office.

With my exceptional hearing, I heard Father mutter "come in", so I twisted the brass knob and stepped into the familiar dark-panelled room.

I guess it was a werewolf thing to decorate in natural colours, with a lot of wood accents; Father's study had a wall of bookshelves organised by genre on the left side, with a massive desk of dark wood dominating the centre of the back wall and floor to ceiling windows on the right side. Next to the door was two plush malachite-green recliners and a sturdy side table that blended in with the equally dark green carpet underfoot.

I bowed my head and then peeked up to see Father with his chin resting on his laced fingers behind the desk. "The Marrick meeting?" I questioned, trying to sound confident and self-assured.

Father smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, "Marrick has just informed me that he is busy organising a new curriculum for the toddler wolves with Jane's help, and I am a little behind in my paperwork. Shall we post-pone your Alpha training for today and pick it up when you finish school tomorrow?"

I hid my grin and nodded at Father. Even I wasn't stupid enough to miss the proverbial olive branch when it's dangling right in front of my face.

Stepping out of his office, I felt my heart beat faster as I realised I had the rest of the day to myself.

I quickly mind-linked Mum and told her I was going to check on Skye and probably wouldn't be home for dinner.

She - like Nate - told me to stop stalking my mate. Just because I'm concerned for her safety, doesn't mean we are destined to be together forever; I'm just seeing where this takes me, I convinced myself.

I grumbled to myself the whole way across town, deciding to walk and enjoy the beautiful weather; maybe it was a wolf thing, in needing to re-connect myself with the land every now and again, so I didn't forget myself.

I was glad that Skye lived closer to the outskirts of the residential area where the forest again dominated - so I could shift in my other form to sit more comfortably outside of her house.

I could have run around the town, keeping to the forest line until I reached Skye's house, but I had a feeling my little mate had gone back into town today – after being interrupted yesterday.

I walked again through the crowded streets, completely ignoring the storefronts as I sifted through the hum of human activity, searching for one particular sound.

Ah - there... The pattering of her heart sounded a few streets over.

I smiled to myself for guessing right and quickened my pace.

I had grabbed myself another coffee and a crappy croissant from a little café on the corner and followed Skye as she shopped.

It's not stalking - it's protection. Skye almost had her throat slit the last time she came into town, for fuck's sake, I reasoned as I trailed a few meters behind her.

I thought it might be a bit too suspicious to 'run into' her again today, so I stayed out of sight and just observed.

I was very aware that when someone stepped too close to her or made an unexpected movement, her slim shoulders would tense and her heart would stutter. Would she feel safer knowing I was here to protect her?.

Shaking off the errant thought, I continued to follow her further into the grocery store.

I frowned as I heard a child screaming in the next aisle over - children are such noisy pains in the ass...

Skye noticed the child crying in the fruit section, but instead of skirting around it and avoiding eye contact as I would have, she crouched down next to it.

I narrowed my eyes and focused on blocking out the sounds around me.

"Hey, it's alright, honey. Did you lose your parents? It's ok - here I was saving this chocolate bar for when I got home, but you look like you need it more than me", Skye's voice instantly calmed down the little shit, to my astonishment. I assumed it was a little girl, as I made out skewed brown pigtails and a beet-red face.

How the fuck did she manage that?

I cocked my head to the side as the miniature human stopped sniffling and smiled a wonky grin at my mate - she was missing a few teeth.

"I lost my Momma - and I can't find her anywhere!" The child declared mournfully. She seemed to study Skye for a moment before launching into a monologue about her whole life story, ranging from what she had for breakfast to the colour of her snot. Are all kids so annoying and loud?

I pictured Cole - who was a terror to be sure, but not too unbearable to be around - and concluded, It must be a human thing...

I watched as my mate picked up the monster and settled her onto her hip as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I smiled softly as I heard her ask the child what her 'Momma' looked like.

Before the child could answer, a harassed looking middle-aged woman rounded into that aisle and spotted Skye. "Oh! Dylan!" She seemed close to tears.

No wonder - I would be too if I had to deal with that kid all day, I thought.

Skye quickly returned the child to its mother, who thanked her profusely, before continuing with her shopping as if helping little brats was a regular occurrence.

Definitely a human thing...

I frowned as Skye left the grocery store, carrying four bags down the street.

She walks all the way home with those heavy bags? I growled to myself.

Maybe I could just innocently bump into her. Yeah - then I could help her carry her bags home... I quickly dismissed the thought; that would be stalkerish.

So I warred with myself, following Skye as she walked out of town and towards her home. She didn't seem fussed by the weight of the bags - I think she appeared... content, now that she was away from the crowds of busy humans.

It was interesting to watch her, to take in the way she smiled at the flowers growing in a garden and waved sweetly at her neighbours as she got closer to home.

I sighed as she unlocked her door and dropped her groceries in the hallway.

I could just walk up to her right now and say... and say... fuck...

I shook my head and circled unobtrusively around the back of her house. A few meters away from her fence line was a patch of forest that had not yet been demolished in the drive to capitalise on the natural resources.

Stupid humans... Fucking stupid deforestation... And while I'm at it, awesome job with global warming, assholes, I kicked a rock as I settled under the shade of a tree.

I crossed my legs, settling down to just being near my mate as she went about her day. After seeing a little more of Skye, I reluctantly admitted that she didn't seem like a bad person and it wouldn't hurt me to get to know her better.

I closed my eyes, the better to focus on the sound of my Skye pottering around her home as she put away the food.

No, not my Skye, for fuck's sake, Rose... I let out a frustrated breath. At least, not my Skye yet...