The forestry of Saltwater Woods was different to the one of Moonlight Ridge. Here, the beech trees weren't as dense, allowing the sunlight to filter through their branches and pointed leaves. At Moonlight Ridge the pine trees knotted themselves together, making it feel like night time in the middle of a summer day. The floor would be constantly cushioned by pine needles but here the dirt was exposed, in autumn there would be a carpet of brown and decaying leaves. The air carried sprinkles of salt, blowing in from where the waves crashed against the jagged rocks of the coastline not far. The air of the Mountainous Region was fresh and crisp as it gently blew down to the valleys which lived beneath the mountain shadows.
This was the territory Roxy grew up on, the place she knew like the back of her paw. She could map the route to the hollow tree her and Cleo used to play in as children with her eyes closed. She knew how far she could run at breakneck speed before plummeting over the cliff face. The rolling of the waves had always been a second heartbeat to her, much like the rest of the pack. Except now it didn't feel like home, rather an important place in her past. A retreat where she could escape for a break, just as she was now. Moonlight Ridge had grown to be her new home, despite it witnessing her relentless heartache. It was where her newfound friends were; Tobias and Kayla. It was where her soulmate was...
Roxy shook herself. No. Moonlight Ridge wasn't home. This was her home. This was where wolves loved and cared for her. Isaac didn't want her and once all this rogue business had blown over she was due to return anyway. Moonlight Ridge was never permanent, she was fooling herself if she believed otherwise. The sooner her and her wolf accepted it, the better.
She continued pondering through the forest, her large paws dusting the dirt. Her wolf was happy with her nose in the air, re-establishing herself with the familiar scents and taking interest in any new ones. Every now and then she would take pleasure in scratching her back against the low-lying branches, relieving herself from the itchiness that came with a new coat for the looming autumn. Here, she could simply be. She wasn't on edge waiting for Isaac to barrel towards her, demanding she returned back to the house for it not being safe. Trent hadn't been keen on the idea of her going for a stroll alone, but he could see how much she'd suffered the past few days and had agreed on the strict term that she didn't go far from the houses.
Roxy gravitated towards the hollow trunk of a tree. When they were younger, her had believed it to be a magical faerie gateway. When they were a bit older, they pretended it was a magical teleportation gateway as they walked through it. It was by far the largest tree in the forest, wide and tall with its canopy reaching for the clouds. Roxy wondered how long it'd been here, how many of the Waters generations it'd witnessed.
It was bit of a squeeze, but Roxy managed to wriggle herself into the hollow tree before doing a spin and plonking herself down, her nose poking outside. She released a deep sigh, exhausted from carrying around a heaviness which never seemed to budge. It'd only been a few days since she'd left the Alpha meeting with Cleo and Trent much to Isaac's protests. After suffering the repercussions of his rejection two years ago, she knew it would be some time before she would feel herself again and she feared that her heart would never open up again.
A merry-go-round of emotions filled her, but it was embarrassment that seemed to stick with her the most. Despite swearing to him that she would wait for him, she hadn't. When she'd returned to Saltwater Woods with her heart in a sling, she'd felt like a failure. She wasn't sure why though. She'd given Isaac more chances than he deserved. She'd given herself to him all she could before he'd broken her. Crystal, a she-wolf he didn't share a bond with had been good enough to run his pack alongside him. Why hadn't she? It was humiliating. Except she couldn't blame Isaac, or Crystal. She couldn't blame the Moon Goddess for pairing them and she couldn't blame Cleo and Trent for sending her there. Because it had been her to stupidly believe she could change him and extend her battered heart to him multiple times.
She gave a low and sad whine. She'd always been a lover of love, absorbing herself in romance novels and listening starry-eyed to soulmate discovery stories. But now her wounded soul could see the cynics points of views, ones who believed that the soulmate bond made werewolves blind. That a mate could be used and abused but the bond would have the victim believe it was okay. That the Moon Goddess had put them together for a reason, that this was all fate's plan. Roxy gave another whine as her head began to throb. She wasn't sure if what she felt was even her own emotions anymore, or if she'd been brainwashed by the Moon Goddess tying her to Isaac for eternity. Was there even a Moon Goddess? Was there really such thing as a bond? Or had years of folklore brainwashed them into believing in something that was never there?
Roxy allowed her eyes to droop shut, fatigued by the thoughts which had repeated themselves like a broken CD for the past three days. Isaac consumed her dreams, just like he always did. They were the only times she allowed herself to live in a different reality.
Roxy walked from the forest edge towards the small cluster of houses, wearing a hoodie and skin-tight jeans to deflect the coastal breeze and feeling more rested than she had for weeks. After being cooped up inside her human confines for so long, her wolf was sated with being able to explore their home territory for most of the day. Roxy picked her way amongst the houses, made with orange timber slats and large windows. It was quiet today, with the pack going to their jobs in the nearby town. Cleo and Trent's house was the largest, etched into a slight rise that looked down to the smaller houses and almost camouflaged by the surrounding beech trees. Like the smaller houses, it was made of orange timber with floor to ceiling windows. A balcony hung over the front, where their old pickup truck was parked below.
Cleo met her by the truck, her growing belly hidden beneath a thick cardigan. Autumn was still a few weeks away but the coastal breeze always brought a chill prematurely. Her handbag was tucked over her shoulder and the truck's keys rattled in her grip.
'I need to go to town for some supplies.' She gave a soft smile. 'Up to joining me? It might do you some good to get out and about. I'll take you to our favourite café, Moon Goddess knows we deserve a sisterly date.'
A small smile quirked Roxy's lips and she found herself nodding. Whilst Roxy slid onto the passenger side of the leather bench seat, Cleo squeezed herself behind the steering wheel. She was only halfway through her pregnancy but already her round belly pressed against it. After a few cranks, the truck coughed to life and with a gear grind, Cleo reversed it. Then they were off, weaving through the well-hidden driveway before popping out onto the main road.
The drive to town only took fifteen minutes, and the entire way Cleo babbled on about how much she still had to organise for the baby. Roxy tried to listen, as she'd sat with her chin cupped in her hand and the wind whipping her hair about through the open window. But although she was excited about her new niece or nephew, she struggled to find an ounce of joy. It was as if whenever she felt an inkling of happiness, her heart would quickly lock itself up in fear. Roxy had never been someone to dwell on negatives, like Isaac. Rather she'd always fought to look on the brighter side of things. Moping about with the negatives was always draining. But now she struggled to find that sunny side of herself and she wondered if she ever would again. It hadn't been enough for Isaac to be miserable within himself, but he'd taken her down with him too.
The truck descended down a steep hill, revealing the small coastal town below. At the edge of town, amongst the sparkling ocean, people worked on the docks where fishing trawlers rocked with the tide. The rest of the town was two streets, one for shops and one for houses, steadily climbing up from the docks to the top of the hill. People wandered the sidewalks, none of them wearing large cowboy hats, belt buckles and boots like they had in the town by Moonlight Ridge's territory. The shops were small and quaint, their painted walls damaged by the constant spray of sea salt. A large supermarket sat in the middle of the hill, its glass front much more modern than its neighbours. Its windows glistened and Roxy wondered how much window cleaner they must go through to keep it pristine.
Cleo swung the truck into a bay out the front of the supermarket and cut the engine. Roxy opened the heavy door of the truck, only to have it close back on her with the steepness of the hill. With a bigger push she eventually wriggled out of the truck to join Cleo on the sidewalk.
'I'll get the big shop out of the way and then we can relax over a bite at the café.' Cleo was already marching into the large store before Roxy could even reply. She grinned. Her older sister hated doing the mundane shopping, but was never one to knock back a trip to the mall in the next big town.
Cleo was like a race car driver in the supermarket, her knuckles white on the trolley as she zoomed up and down the aisles. She'd given Roxy half the shopping list so they could get it done in half the time. Laden with overflowing paper bags, they'd battled a large gust of salty wind billowing up the hill and packed their items into the bed of the truck before making a beeline for the café.
Roxy instantly felt a little better when they stepped into the cosy space. An open fire crackled towards the back of the shop, candles which smelt of toasted caramel burnt their wicks from floating shelves scattered across the walls. Gentle music played, a coffee grinder whirred and utensils clattered. The best part of the café however, was the book wall, which stretched along the back of the shop. It was an honesty library where the locals could exchange books. It'd been perfect for Cleo and Roxy, who couldn't afford much, despite the Waters always supplying them with anything they needed.
'Want to grab us a table by the window?' Cleo was rummaging through her handbag for her purse as they stood in line to order.
'You don't know my order,' said Roxy slowly.
Cleo found her purse, looking to her younger sister with a knowing smile as she tugged out a note. 'A mug of spice chai latte, triple-layered carrot cake and a chocolate chip cookie in a takeaway bag.'
'A table by the window it is.'
Roxy plonked herself down into one of the wooden chairs, fiddling with the sugar sachets as she waited for Cleo to join her. Gazing out the window, her eyes found a large a flashy truck, one which definitely didn't blend in with the older and rusted vehicles parked along the street. Probably some hotshot TV scout trying to get the local fisherman to agree to a big catch TV series – again. She swallowed a lump of nostalgia, thinking of herself riding alongside Isaac in his big Silverado. It made her think what he might be doing today. Was he at home in the office, or was he working at the quarry to ensure it was running smoothly? Maybe he was patrolling in wolf form, or training the youngsters with Tobias. Whatever it was, she wished she didn't care.
Cleo sat in front of her, having to shuffle back slightly so she didn't lift the table with her belly. 'It's been too long since we've been here, even before you went away.'
Roxy smiled as she gazed around the café. 'It hasn't changed a bit. It's nice. I like it.'
Her sister sighed in contentment. 'You know, I'd be lying if I said I'm unhappy about you coming home. Of course I wish the circumstances were different and I hate what Isaac did to you but I'm glad to have my baby sister home.'
Roxy fidgeted with a napkin. 'Well it seems I'll be back for good now.' She forced a smile. 'I'll be around to help with the baby.'
Cleo shook her head. 'As much as I miss you though, I'd rather you be happy hundreds of miles away in Mountainous Region.'
A waitress brought their drinks and cakes. 'Plus a chocolate chip cookie to take home.'
After voicing their thanks, both girls poured two sugars into their drinks.
'I'll never be happy there, Cleo. Because Isaac is there and he...' she wrapped her hands around her hot mug for comfort. 'Well, I don't know what Isaac wants and I'm too exhausted to keep guessing. That night at the Alpha meeting, I could sense it was going to be a new beginning for us, that maybe he was going to change his mind. But then I found out about Crystal.' She sighed heavily. 'I'm just constantly waiting for him to hurt me, Cleo, and I thought I could but I can't keep doing it. I hate the Moon Goddess for tying me to him, but most of all I hate him for uprooting everything I believed, for ruining who I was.'
Tears brimmed Cleo's eyes. 'I'm sorry we sent you there. We thought, I thought–'
Roxy quickly reached for her sister's hand and gave it a tight squeeze, feeling her own heart crack and fall to pieces all over again. 'I know. So did I.'