My stomach rolled with nerves as I followed him outside to the forest edge. I knew he could feel me watch him but I couldn't tear my eyes away. His back rippled with each step, his broad shoulders so wide and strong, that anyone coming from the opposite direction would not have seen me behind him.
"Wh- where are we going?"
He stopped and turned, "I want to show you something, I think you're ready."
As always his expression was unnerving to me. It was as if it hurt him to smile. But behind his eyes was a glimpse of vulnerability, swallowed down by pride perhaps and quickly covered as if I'd not seen it in the first place.
I wondered if he was like this because he was an Alpha. If that, as a leader, any show of emotion or softness was tantamount to weakness.
I nodded slowly, and although I was anticipating what he was going to do, nothing could have prepared me for it.
It was swift as much as it was in slow motion. The cracks sounded sickening and painful, but his face showed no emotion as his body began to morph. Reaching his arms out to his sides as if in silent rejoice, midnight fur sprouted from each of them before claws elongated from his finger tips.
And then, within the split second it took me to blink, I was standing before a wolf. A monstrously huge, and terrifying wolf.
"Jesus. Fucking. Christ." I all but whispered under my breath. I was rooted to the spot, too frozen to move a muscle, and the words that escaped my lips barely registered as even they too refused to move.
My eyes locked with endless pits of darkness within his. And although my instinct had always been to run, in this moment I was shackled to the ground.
He moved first.
Tentatively... cautiously... I watched as Phelan, no- the wolf, took a step closer. Instinctively I put my hands outwards in surrender. A clear barrier that would oh so easily withstand the gnashing teeth that could snap me like a toothpick.
"Woah, easy. Easy..."
It wasn't like I thought talking to him like that was actually to going to placate him if he was really a ravenous wolf, but I couldn't seem to differentiate between him and well, him, in the moment. Perhaps it was actually a verbal reassurance to myself. Perhaps both.
And it was as if he sensed my struggle. His movements became as cautious as my own as he edged towards me.
Shuffling backwards, I tried to keep myself calm.
"Phelan..?"
I had seen him before when I had almost been mauled by the small pack of wolves. I had also seen Sophia shift in the living room of his house. But this... this was something completely different.
This time I was alone with him.
A wolf whose sheer size towered over me to such an extent that it made me feel like a roe fawn standing on her legs for the first time.
I could tell he was trying to ease my fear. With each step he took towards me, his head dropped lower. His limbs crouched in an attempt to appear less intimidating. A small whine releasing from his muzzle in response to seeing my unease as if pleading for understanding.
But his eyes. Oh his eyes stayed locked on mine, waiting for any hint that would indicate to him that I would flee. But I couldn't.
There was something that stirred within me that wouldn't allow it. As much as I was afraid, there was something else that wouldn't let me run. That wouldn't let me hide. And whatever part of me it was, was yearning to be seen by him.
The feeling was overpowering. It was electric. And it made all sense of fear float away as I let him move closer.
I was going crazy. I was going against every instinct I'd ever known only to stand there and experience feelings I'd never felt before.
Suddenly it felt as if my very instinct was telling me to stay.
The proximity between us allowed me to see him in crystal vision. Each strand of fur was like the stroke of midnight that swayed atop his rippling form. There was a haunting, yet poetic grace to the beast that made me realise I'd never seen any creation more magnificent.
He had hypnotised me.
Whatever spell I was under was one I didn't want to break. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I reached forward, my hands begging to touch him.
And then I did.
A gentle caress. Cautiously as first, my fingertips ran through the silky fur on his head, before moving down the side on his flank.
He rumbled in appreciation, before nudging me with his snout in encouragement.
I stifled a giggle before moving closer still as he stood there, allowing me the time I needed to feel comfortable in his presence.
It was hard to process that this was the same beast that ripped apart the wolves who had ensnared me but a few weeks earlier.
That he was equally capable of gentleness as much as he was ferocity.
I ran my hands along his back, and without even thinking I lent in and buried my head in his neck, inhaling deeply.
His scent was like the bottled essence of nature. He smelt like he did as a human- wild and untamed. But this side... this side I felt drawn to in an inexplicable way. It was like a veil had been dropped and I could his soul for what and who he truly was.
But I needed more.
I felt like I was becoming drunk on his scent. I didn't know why or how, but I couldn't stop as I nestled into him. Leaning across his side, I twirled strands of fur between my fingers as I listened to the steady strum of his heart.
He allowed my curiosity, his patience unending as I became acquainted.
What the hell was I doing!?
I shook away the questions as I gazed at his form. His wolf was just something else. There were no words, no frustration, no barriers between us like him as a man. Being near him like this seemed so simple. So... natural.
I had never felt as pulled to something in my entire life. It was as if in the moment, all else fell to the wayside and all that I needed and craved was to be in his presence.
I felt like for the first time, I had been brought to life. Every cell within me buzzing with energy, surging with a demand to be closer to him.
And I knew he felt the same. A coarse lick travelling across my cheek in affection before nudging me to follow him.
I didn't speak. I simply followed. I didn't want to disturb the fragile balance between us or taint the moment with words that would be an intrusion on something otherworldly.
I watched as he headed deeper into the forest. He moved slowly, turning to check I was following as I struggled to keep up just from the length of his strides alone.
Each step, his muscles rippled. His strength whilst on display, was dormant as his introspection and awareness was at the forefront. His ears flickered with every sound, his eyes scanning as he turned in each direction, checking... ensuring... protecting.
As I followed I thought back to the times where Hale would showcase his prowess or dominance overtly... silly little things to reassure his fragile sense of masculinity.
But not Phelan.
He had no need to assert what was his very nature. He didn't need to pretend to be anything, he didn't need to act. He just was.
He was by very definition, an apex predator and yet I'd never felt safer.
It wasn't until I had something to compare with, that I could see that Hale was in no way right for me. But I wasn't going to allow his intrusion into my thoughts any longer.
And so I followed. Through the peering trees I was losing all sense of time and place except for beautiful black wolf beside me.
~
I was entranced by the waterfall that echoed down the cavern before his footsteps pulled me from my thoughts.
I turned to look at him.
"You found pants? Do you have them just laying around... just in case?"
He chuckled. "Exactly. I frequent here often so..."
He gestured to the tree that he'd shifted behind, "see, I leave a few pairs up there for if I need them."
I giggled, "I see I still have lots to learn..."
There was an awkward silence between us. I realised I felt embarrassed by my earlier actions.
"Look Phelan, I'm sorry- I don't know what came over me. Your wolf... I-I wasn't myself."
Jesus, could you have said anything- literally anything worse?!
He walked closer. I could feel his breath fan my neck before he cleared his throat.
"You mean when you were scent marking me?"
Confusion etched across my face. "Scent marking? What's that?"
I heard him swallow as if deciding how to respond.
"Nevermind Edie."
He stood closer still, before his chest pressed behind my back. "Perhaps your wolf is stirring inside of you. It's natural behaviour."
I felt my face flush and my knees weaken but was determined to stand stoic despite it.
"Well why would I do that? I'm not like you- I'm not a wolf."
"You don't need to be embarrassed Edie."
I held my breath as he wrapped his arm around me and placed his hand on my chest before I was about to once again, challenge him on his words.
But before I had a chance to do so, he turned me to face him so fast my head spun before pulling me in and planting his lips gently against mine.
I didn't even have the chance to protest at his audacity, any anger I felt quickly dissipating as I realised that I was kissing him back, and loving every moment of it.