ONCE THE SUN set and the moon rose in all its bright, silvery glory, I quickly retired to bed after a quick dinner – tired of all the unnecessary, accusatory stares.
"I saw how the wolf-shifters looked at you earlier," Jesse said as our feet stepped through patches of melted snow and leaves from the previous autumn. "Does it bother you?"
On the outside, I shrugged. The inside, however, was a completely different story. I was completely surprised by the depth of Jesse's observations of my feelings. It didn't mean that I expected him to be completely oblivious – just not as perceptive.
"That's a lie," Jesse confidently said in response to my futile action. "You must've felt at least something. Estrangement? Disappointment? Annoyance?"
Though my mouth opened to fire a response, I came up empty. He hit the nail on the head. I was disappointed and annoyed by how I was being treated – scorned as if I didn't belong. To some extent, I didn't, but my pack chose to bring me along. For what reason? I don't know. But that didn't mean they had any power to look down on me.
"On us."
Yeah.
"We'll prove them wrong."
"I guess you're right. I didn't feel too good about the way I was being treated. As if I didn't belong."
"But they could've not mentioned it in front of your face, at the very least," he added.
Jesse stopped in front of a quaint, L-shaped bungalow which looked like it belonged in a storybook. It had a gable brick roof, save a cone which rested above the front door. The entire bungalow was slightly raised off the ground and was crawling with vines and flowers, barely a peak of the white outer walls.
I gasped. "We're staying here?"
Turning to face me, Jesse smiled and shyly nodded.
Immediately, I ran towards and up the front steps of where we'd be staying for the next two nights like a wolf chasing its prey.
Jesse chuckled as he languidly walked over.
"How are you not more excited?" I asked.
"The pack comes here every year. This is our house."
My mouth turned into an O. "That means I can stay here again," I squealed in excitement.
From his front pocket, Jesse retrieved a large, bronze, slightly corroded, ornate key and unlocked the front door.
What greeted me made me explode in happiness as it reminded me of my dream home. The entire interior of the bungalow was different shades of wood furnishings with splashes of colour and patterns. Pots of leaves rest on the windowsill, partly obscuring the garden outside.
"This is your room," Jesse holds a door in the hallway open.
I cautiously approach it – part excitement, part anxiousness holds me back. Will it be too pink? Too big to feel safe? Too different from what I've grown up in?
As if expecting a sudden surprise attack, I slowly peeked around Jesse's hand which held open the door, much to his amusement.
To my chagrin – or my relief – there was no evil lurking beyond the door. Instead, an old-fashioned, queen-sized, four-sided poster bed sat in the middle of the room on a red patterned, circular carpet with fringes. The rest of the room was quite barren – save a large wooden wardrobe, adjacent to the door, and a tapestry hung opposite the bed.
"You can add your own designs to personalise your room further," Jesse cautiously said, unsure of my reaction.
He must've been scared of how I'd react, I thought. How cute.
I quickly turned to hug him and clearly startled him; proven by the tensing of his muscles and the hitch of his breath.
"Thank you," I murmured into his warm chest. "This is already perfect."
After a few more seconds of bathing in his close presence, I slowly, tortuously leaned back. "This is all for me?" I whispered.
Jesse nodded.
Again, I was overcome with emotion. Throughout my childhood, Iris and Ben weren't very well off, meaning the places we stayed were often too small to comfortably house three people. I'd always get my own room, but it wouldn't be very spacious. Oftentimes, I slept on springy beds that would achingly poke into my spine and body, rendering me very uncomfortable nights. As such, the thought that the entire pack put into giving me my own room while at the Moon Celebration meant more than anything.
I slammed back into Jesse's chest, wrapping my arms around his narrow waist.
"Hmmm... comfy."
Shut up and just... enjoy.
***
A/N:
Sorry for the late update! How is everyone?
As an apology, here. Have a poem (me all but shoving a poem in your face):
two-way street
butterflies and cupcakes
monsters and mushrooms
howls like fighting wolves
laughs like crazy monkeys
dysfunctional - there's no better way to put it
I wrote this at a time when I felt overwhelmed by the emotions bursting at home. Though my family is a loving and happy one, there are occasions when one of us just snaps (most of the time it's my mom). The poem (if that's what you call it) just describes the atmosphere we have; dysfunctional. I finally get to what extent it means when describing family.
QOTC: How do you relieve your stress?
Writing poems (lol), songwriting, playing the guitar, reading, eating, sleeping.
Run wild,
- Hilda
Chapter 20 does not have a set release date. I am going on a road trip with my family, in which I will not bring my computer. As I do not have the Wattpad app, I won't be able to publish stories. However, it will definitely be after 7aug2022.