Fur vs Skin | ✎

12.

'He doesn't like me,' I concluded in my mind, looking away.

We made it to the outskirts, taking the path that walked among the edge line of the forest that separated the endless forest from this clearing. The silence between us all was sort of comfortable, neither one of us wanting to speak yet. I turned my attention to accessing the scene before me, and from this view, I could finally see the structure of this pack; the trees hid away other structured homes, small huts kind of, made from logs and the surrounding area's materials.

They were all placed away from the clearing yet at the same time close enough, taking on the shape of a circle, the whiteness of the snow and the dark rich color at the base of the trees with their snow-littered tops; everything blended into one mysterious wonderland.

Angling my head, I finally notice the houses that were scattered across the plane of land, of all different sizes: telling stories as they come back full circle to surround the clearing. East, to west, north to south the homes stretched, showing the inhabitants of the woods made from their community, hidden away from the rest of the world.

"How are you coming accustomed to things?"

I'm shocked by Maarika's words, her attempt to start a conversation unlikely in my head. I round my eyes back to her fine, accessing her staggering walk that indicated age yet she still held her head high, confidence etched beneath her shrewd features.

"I'm. . I'm still coming around," I answer hesitantly, taking in the weight of her question, "It's still all a bit overwhelming."

"As expected," she mumbles, lifting her eyes to look up at the snow-covered leaves, wind wisping them into a sway before she turns and glances over her shoulder. "It seems you're taking it well, though."

I let my lips tug into a small smile, feeling as if they were being pulled by strings in a staggered way; that's how fake it felt. Falling into another lake of silence, I let my gaze wander the venue before me, watching as the members spoke among each other, the smaller children chasing one another in a game of tag; their bells of laughter drifting it to the light atmosphere that hung overhead.

I could identify the different age groups as they splayed across the clearing, invested in the activities that kept them occupied, the tangling noise of laughter and voices further bringing this community to life.

My gaze slides over to where Arsen still sat, surprised that his gaze wasn't fixated on me but staring out into the woods. I took this short moment to let my eyes roam, taking in his appearance; his frame loomed at a towering height despite his sitting position, his shoulders structured broadly, an eye-catching addition to his height.

The black shirt, taken from Marcus's set of clothing, fit him snuggly, every breath intake that accompanied his body causing the material to expand — contrasting beautifully with his golden skin and denim jeans.

It wasn't his build that made him stand out from others though it was an addition, his facial features were chiseled sharply, bringing his chin covered in a shallow layer of hair, the slenderness of his noise compatible with the full and pulpiness of his lips; those dark eyes replicating the night sky, clouded with darkness and specs of yellow, swirling with a story of their own within them. Rationally, this was a gorgeously made man, his features more defined when up close and it wasn't a surprise when others began to notice as well.

His inability to speak and unwillingness to interact with everyone else makes him stick out like a sore thumb. His face was unapproachable for anyone with the thought of walking up to him.

My gaze flits to the group settled behind him, in a smaller circle of make-shift benches, the woman access Arsen with their calculating eyes, the look of interest not too far from the surface. As if feeling their gazes upon his skin, licking the awareness of their stares to his attention, he turned around; and immediately met with the casted eyes of the members, starting a conversation as if they weren't staring.