"What is this?" Samuel questioned, his chiseled frame stood tall with arms folded across his chest, cloaked only in shorts, in anticipation for their morning training exercise. His sharp blue eyes taking in a large dump truck filled to the brim with fresh soil, and several other trucks carrying lumber and landscaping materials in the form of hoes, shovels and rakes. There were three additional trucks filled to the brim with plants and flowers of all types, varieties and colors.
"The pack house has already been meticulously cleaned from yesterday's orders. I took the initiative to find a new way, for those who fail, to improve the look of our territory." Jonah said, his eyes scouring all the materials and envisioning the blue prints he had worked fixedly on the night prior.
"It's going to be a lot of work." Samuels eyes also shifting from each truck, his blue analyzing just how much weight each truck bore.
"There will be plenty of hands to make it a quick job." The Master Beta responded unconcerned. He was positive he would have an abundance of help after the session.
"I'll come back to see its start." The Alpha said showing his mild interest. He could not see what Jonah saw with the flat field of grass surrounded by the idle trucks. However, he did appreciate Jonah taking the initiative and finding a way, for their pack members to properly show their appreciation to the lands of their territory.
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Samuel had been immensely impressed with Jonah's efforts today. He could not conceal the look of pride he had for his own master beta, as he entered the training with a frantic bubbling energy. Usually it was Samuels gaze who was avidly avoided, but the groups of men were now also beginning to equally shy away from Jonah's penetrating gaze and barking shouts. The betas usually were those, who were a set of eyes to pick up those struggling and pluck out those who blatantly faltered, an extra set of eyes for the Alpha who could not attend to each of the hundred and twenty men.
However, Jonah was almost malicious. He was targeting specific individuals, and he was breaking them, forcing them to falter. He was intensely nit picky today, and left consistently unsatisfied with any and all efforts provided by the large group. Even less forgiving than the alpha himself, as their passions for today's session, had two separate drives.
Inevitably, Jonah was correct. By the end of the session, he kept forty-two men behind. The highest yield that had failed to make the mark ever. The Alpha felt he was stretching some of the failures, but also recognized that master beta had an unspoken drive and want, motivating his intense behavior. Due to Jonah's own energy output in the mornings session, the Alpha chose to look the other way and say nothing. After all, hard work and a passion to provide for your own land, built stronger character. Jonah's harsh temperament in the morning would only help the men strengthen their characters and resolve.
Samuel felt no need to provide his directives for additional trainings this morning, as Jonah had it well under control. He dismissed himself with a pat to Jonah's bicep, signaling his departure for a much needed shower. He would check in on the Master Beta's progress after he himself was thoroughly cleaned and polished up enough to collect his own mate. A tug of a smirk pulling at his lips as his ears picked up Jonah's sharp callous barking as he walked away, he truly appreciated his Master Beta's demeanor this morning. There would be no slacking under his sharp hazel eyes, in the Alpha's absence.
"Listen up, you fat lazy fucks. The Alpha, in his benevolence, has left you under my charge to make up for, what you were obviously lacking in today's session. You will be under my direction, and I expect nothing less than perfection. Am I fucking, clear?"
"Yes, Master Beta." The men barked out in unison with stone faces, hiding the fatigue they felt, to avoid provoking him further.
"Follow me." Jonah said, sharply turning on his heel after providing them all a look of clear distaste. He immediately set out in a jog, his pace quick and determined. There was much to do in a short amount of time and there would be no cause for delay. Beta Luca was his tail, and kept an eye on the back of the crowd that had formed in two rigid lines, keeping with Jonah's pace.
Eventually, when they would be brought to the grounds filled with the landscaping materials, their faces would be laced with confusion and some showing signs of relief. However, those that experienced the fleeting sensation of relief, would quickly experience an immediate dejection as Jonah kept his sharp persistent demeanor, and expected their hardened bodies to break and shift the lands in fervor. They would move quickly, under the barking shouts of both Luca and Jonah. Not once did a body stagnate as Jonah's eyes sharply flickered between them and the crumpled blue prints he held in his hand. His hazel eyes only left the men and the garden he was having constructed at random intervals, to look back over his shoulder at the pack mansions walls. A flickering paranoid compulsion, to check and ensure, that the curtains were still shut on the second floor bay window, which belonged to his master suite.
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Rose shifted in the bed at the gentle knocking at the entrance door. Her blue eyes fluttered open, not needing time to adjust as the room was still dark, an effect produced by the blackout curtains which were closed against the windows that lined the walls. It was the second time, she had woken up this morning, the first occurred when he left the bed and she felt his warm large frame, gently pull away from hers.
It was a repeat action, that occurred each morning. They would go to sleep on their separate sides, with her back facing his frame, but inevitably his large body would make his way towards her and cloak her smaller frame in a cradling manner. She hated how soothing and warm his large bicep felt as he draped it over her waist, or the tingling sensation that gently purred beneath the flesh on the back of her thighs, as one of his snaked it's way over to snugly rest against them. Or the way it hurt to smell his musky fragrance of freshly turned soiled filled with roots and nutrients as it baked under the warmth of the sun.
Each morning it pained her when he left without a word, believing her to be asleep as she tried to ignore the sensations provided by his close proximity. It hurt to feel the absence of him, when she lost his touch. It hurt even more when the glaring reality again became prevalent that he was not providing these sensations for her, but to her. She was just an empty vessel that temporarily filled a void, something which brought him comfort to dim the loss of what he once had, something she herself never had.
At one point, she had a true hope that they could find in each other, what they had been unable to find in those originally selected for them. That they could grow and share their own experiences, from his loss, to her rejection. However, their union only ended up in him regaining what he once lost, and her experiencing her second, and more devastating rejection. Jonah never had to experience a rejection, he seemed to be lucky in that sense of life. He lost his mate, and then found a sub-mate to recoup his loss. Rose found her mate and immediately lost him, due to her own weak nature. When presented with an opportunity for her second chance, her chest swelled and her heart fluttered, but when the situation became apparent for what it actually was, she finally lost herself in the abyss.
She wasn't cut out for this life. She was a terrible pick for a shewolf. She wasn't strong and she had such a weak resolve. She was too fragile and too dainty, easily affected and soft with her emotions. There was not an aggressive bone in her body, and had zero will or drive to fight. She couldn't make it in this world, which was only proven by how undesirable her character had been determined to be.
She wished she could be more like Scarlett. She was a natural born leader. She was energetic and vivacious. Her skin was thicker and her personality stronger. She dealt with more heavier blows and harsher criticism from the domineering Alpha to which she was charged, and yet she was able to wake up everyday and persevere through it.
Rose, on the other hand, could not. She little by little, withered away from the perseveration on her own inadequacies and insecurities, ignited and fueled by sharp and calloused words, inspired by her withdrawal. A perpetual cyclical downward spiral, signaling her own defeat.
It was these thoughts, she was once again pulled from as the knock on the door become firmer as it's previous attempts had went without a response. Her blue eyes landing on her nightstand as she was recalled to the present by the resounding sound of knuckles wrapping on the wood. There was a thick cream colored tented paper of fine quality, with her name scrawled on its front in crisp black ink, in a sharp cursive of a mans handed script. Underneath its tented hold, laid a singular white rose with a long green stem stripped and devoid of thorns. Her brows furrowed at its random appearance, and her hand reached for it with delicate curious fingers, which were quickly halted at the next sound of a new voice on the opposite side of the door, immediately deep and gruff.
"Lady Eriksen we're coming in now. Cloak yourself, if necessary." The males voice said deeply, as keys sounded at the door and rapidly the light from the hall bathed the darkened room. The guards sharp green eyes flickered about the room, catching her with her arm extended towards the note, and looking as meek as a mouse. "Why did you not respond?" He questioned, as he stepped further into the room, his eyes scouring her frame looking for any injury or signs of distress before diverting to look around the room to equally check for any signs of danger.
She was still being heavily monitored and when the servant in tan could not enter on her own accord, he stepped in to ensure that nothing had happened, which would have been a cause for concern.
"My name is not Eriksen, Elijah." She said blankly, in response. "My name is Rose."
"We have been over this Lady Eriksen." Elijah muttered with a side glance, he did not like being her primary guard for suicide watch. Especially, since he felt that one day soon, he would walk in and she would be unable to provide a answer. "As you're an extension of the Master Beta, you're an Eriksen and will be addressed as such."
"So, you say." She said with a gentle nod, her frame rising from the bed and pulling her robe from its draping on the head board to slide it on, exclusively for his comfort as he would not be at peace until she was properly clothed.
"Put it over there." Elijah directed the servant with the cart containing her breakfast, pointing to the table across from the room, where she used to eat and share breakfast with Jonah. It was an atypical choice, as of late, as she usually sat in her chair and left it untouched as it sat on the table next to it.
"Is the Master Beta coming?" She questioned after taking note of his directives. Despite her oversleeping due to the effects of the darkened room, it was still much too early for him to return from his training. Her blue eyes focusing on the ground as she delicately slipped her toes into her house slippers.
"No, but he has given clear orders that you're not to remain in the room today. After breakfast you will attend the bathhouse, it has been reserved for you in an hours time and a couple of servants will be available to assist you." Elijah said folding his arms across his chest, as he watched her slow progress.
"That is not necessary, I can bathe myself." She said with a light shake of her head.
"The day you choose to do so, regularly and on your own volition, is the day I will no longer need to be your alarm clock, Lady Eriksen." He said back unaffected.
She provided him with the briefest side glance, which deeply affected him from the way her blue eyes looked sadly upon his, even as she provided him a gentle nod of acknowledgement, agreeing to follow the criteria set out. Her eyes fell back onto the tented paper and her fingers resumed their pursuit of it, figuring it was a note detailing Jonah's expectations for the day, as he had clearly planned it.
As she drew the paper between both her hands and slowly began to open it Elijah spoke again, calling her away in distraction.
"What's that?" He questioned with a head tilt, watching her brows furrow as she glanced once more at him and then back to the note.
"I don't know." She said shaking her head and dipping her eyes back down the paper as she resumed unfolding it.
The cursive was choppy and somewhat messy, it made it a difficult read, as the beholder would have to truly follow the flow of the script and sometimes formulate the words through deduction derived from the structure of certain letters and their appearance in the formation. The only clear obvious parts of his note was the greeting and the farewell, 'Dear Rose,' and 'Love, Jonah'.
Her fixation on the note, was not entirely based off of how difficult it was to read due to his poor penmanship, but it was also due to the content of his written words. The note itself was unexpected, but what it contained was even more shocking.
Dear Rose,
Long had been my days, filled to the brim with constant sorrow.
And then you came my way, and gave me hope for a better tomorrow.
Words cannot explain, how much I truly do miss.
Your soft warm embraces and the feel of your kiss.
Please do not let me suffer, in this world all alone.
Because without you, this house, is no longer a home.
Love, Jonah
P.s.- Forgive me, I am not a poet. XOXO
"Well, what is it?" Elijah questioned, as she stood there rereading the note intently, her eyes flickering back over to him with the palest pink flushing on her delicate high boned cheeks.
"It's.. it's just a note." She said quietly, as she brought it up to her nose, and smelled the thick paper of it. Her action taken as if she was checking if it was the correct Jonah who had written it, and her nose confirmed that it was in fact her Jonah, as she picked up his familiar earthy scent.
"Okay. Come on, you need to eat breakfast." He said watching her in curiosity, as she fidgeted with the note in her hands for a moment before delicately placing it in the drawer of her night stand, grabbing the rose to replace the papers absence and drawing it up to her nose.
"You know, I used to tend to a garden filled with these?" She said as she glided over to the table following his prodding. "Roses are such stout plants. They can survive in conditions other plants cannot and develop such thick stalks."
"I did not know that." Elijah said, surprised that she was choosing to speak with him this morning.
"They look so beautiful when they bloom, but their bushes are in need of constant tending, as the flower can weigh down the stems and cut off the flow of the water throughout it, eventually causing the plant to suffer. Roses are one of the flowers, in which it is beneficial to cut and capture its beauty in a vase for however long they last. The plant is ultimately the better for it, without their precious weight." She said as she took a seat, followed by an appreciative look towards the fragrant flower.
"I would have thought a healthy rose bush, is one filled to the brim with roses." Elijah said with a shrug, he had not a green thumb in his body.
"It would look beautiful." She said with a light nod. "But the bush would be so unhappy in that state, it would not continue to be fruitful for long."
"Interesting." Elijah said, not truly interested in the topic, but interested in keeping her talking.
"Is that lavender tea, I smell?" She questioned as she dipped forward to the pot, her eyes closing as she smelled the familiar fragrance.
"That sounds terrible." Elijah said bluntly.
"It's anything, but. Sit, try some." She gestured for the chair, and picked up the kettle, pouring two cups without his agreeing to it. The guard reluctantly sitting down and taking his cup followed by a grimacing sip, as he accompanied her for her breakfast for the first time.
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"I fucking said alphabetical order and aligned by colors!" Jonah spat out at the warrior who was lining up the plants. "Coro-C-Coro...whatever the fuck this is, goes before the cosmos!" He said picking up a pot labeled Coreopsis and swapped its place in the front of the line with the cosmos pot. "Fucking fix the rest of them, you fucking idiot." He said with an annoyed head shake as he walked away from him, his eyes landing on the Alpha who had returned to see the progress, looking freshly showered and changed.
"Jonah." Samuel said with a nod in his direction.
"Alpha." He nodded back with a tense jaw.
The Master Beta was clearly irritated with the level of micromanaging he was having to do with the group of men, who were rapidly constructing the large immense garden. A large rectangle had been outlined with stakes and lines, and a large group of men were digging and turning the soil within its parameters. Another group of men were digging out trenches to prepare for the building of a fence, and another group was filing in behind the men as they made headway turning the soil and beginning to sift the purchased, more nutrient packed soil in with the naturally derived one. There were random men here and there picking up and shifting pots around, aligning them by order, as they unloaded the trucks. A lot of progress has been made in a short time, but Jonah would not be satisfied until it was completely ready for flowers to be placed.
"I never knew you were so passionate about flowers." Samuel said dryly as his blue eyes rolled over the hustle and bustle inspired by Jonah and his design.
"If we're going to have a garden, we're going to have a nice fucking garden. Not a shit show." The Master Beta retorted, his eyes flickering back to the windows of the second floor once again.
"Ah, I see. That way, when neighboring packs visit, they'll know we can not only fuck them up, but also grow some impeccable flowers." Samuel said with a light tug of a smirk pulling at his lips, his light tease being missed by Jonah's one track mind.
"Precisely." The Master Beta nodded with a tense jaw.
"How long until it is completed?" The Alpha questioned, as he walked over to a pot of roses inspecting the health of a singular red rose before he broke off its stem and drew it up to his nose upon his rise.
"A couple more hours." Jonah said with a guess of a shrug.
"Make sure they eat well, when they're finished." The alpha said, feeling as if he needed to remind Jonah to otherwise care for the men, as his eyes focused on his fingers work of breaking off the thorns from the long stem in his hand.
"They'll eat." Jonah nodded in distraction. "That, over there!" He barking out his orders to a gaunt man carrying a large tree like plant in the wrong direction.
"Okay, dear. Have fun tending to the garden." Samuel said in a airy tone providing another light prod.
"Yes, Alpha." Jonah nodded, before immediately walking away in a barking shout. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"
The Master Beta's intense fixation on the garden was entirely comical to the Alpha, who could not contain the deep chuckle that formed from watching him throw a conniption fit over the lined arrangement of flowers. Samuels demeanor was more than relaxed, as he began the walk to pick up Scarlett, idly plucking the thorns away from the stem of the flower he had chosen to give her. A garden seemed like a nice addition to the pack houses grounds, she would certainly appreciate its beauty.
The garden in itself would be a hidden symbol, by how deeply affected the two head leaders of the pack had been by their mates. Without the presence of both Scarlett and Rose, it would have never cropped up into existence. It's soon to be presence would only help to soften the large and imposing walls of the main pack house, and provide a breath of fragrant fresh air, for all to enjoy... Save for the warriors who failed to meet their marks.
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A/N: I am also not a poet, forgive me.