Heidi and the Wolf *Completed*

15

Here is Chapter 15! Or 14.2 if you prefer. I hope you enjoy this wolf-filled chapter! Please vote, comment and follow. 

-H xx

The expansive manor's garden was quite possibly more beautiful than the manor itself. Although, I expected as much, yet it still took me by surprise. Spanning the horizontal width of the manor and as a long as a football field; it was breathtakingly impressive. The forest beyond the garden swished invitingly and children darted through it, playing a myriad of games like hide and seek and tag among the vast trees. The sun shone against the clipped grass and I had the urge to take off my shoes and feel the warmth beneath my feet. I looked down at the wooden decking I was standing on, even it was pristine.

"It's beautiful," I voiced.

As soon as I spoke, time stood still. The children stopped their game, coming to a standstill as though they were frozen into place.  The adults stopped conversing, staring at me as though as I about to spontaneously combust. Even the trees stopped their dancing. The only sound was that of the pop song currently blaring, still, out of the speakers. A man, not taking his eyes from my own, pressed a button to shut it off. 

"Why is everyone staring at me?" I whispered to Mason, whose furrowed brow suggested that he did not expect this kind of reaction. I hugged my arms against myself, I really did not like the attention.

Mason did not answer me, instead he held out his arms and placed a large smile on his face. I frowned, it was as though he was a King, addressing his people before him. I watched him, how he puffed out his chest with pride and sent his gaze across the whole garden, ensuring that even the youngest children knew he was talking to them. 

"Thank you for coming everyone," He announced, his deep voice loud enough to reach the children within the forest without so much as raising the volume of his tone. Mason's welcoming smile turned into a wry grin as he turned to a man on the barbecue, holding tongs so tightly, it was as though he was afraid of dropping them. "Peter, please don't burn the sausages like last time." 

Laughter erupted across the garden and the spell was broken. Peter's shoulders dropped with relief, although I wasn't sure as to why he had been holding his breath in the first place. 

"Come on, let's get you a drink." 

"What was all that about?" I asked, quickening my pace to fall in step with Mason's long strides. 

"It is not often that we invite newcomers into the family. I suppose they were just a little wary." 

"You haven't told anyone about me?" I asked, unsure as to why I was feeling so hurt. I hadn't known Mason that long, perhaps it was a foolish way to be feeling. 

Mason frowned at the tone of my voice, he cocked his head to the side like a curious spaniel. He passed me a drink, a cool alcoholic beverage that tasted fruity; like berries. 

"I have been waiting to find out what exactly to tell them." 

I took a sip of my drink, when I realised I didn't quite know either. A blush creeping onto my cheeks, I took a much longer gulp of the drink. Sweet and refreshing, it went down quicker than most alcohol. 

"What is this?" I asked, dodging around the subject. 

"Do you like it?" Came a familiar feminine voice from behind me. 

I turned with a smile to greet Jane, who embraced me into a hug. A gust of wind blew her long skirt around her legs and she smoothed it down effortlessly with one hand as she reached for a cup.