"These doors are all empty bedrooms, guest rooms, and the last one down here was mine, but now it's ours."
Our bedroom. I swallow and make my way towards the double doors hesitantly with Eric behind me. Grabbing onto the handle, I turn it and push the door open. I glance back at Eric before slipping inside.
Light floods the room through two large windows on either side of the bed, and I wonder further in. Everything, every piece of furniture is delicately detailed, giving the room a charming aroma. These pieces must be passed down through generations. The bedding is gold and white with looks of being from a fairytale, and I carefully run my fingers along it. "This room is beautiful," I say back to him, though the bed is quite intimidating.
"I'm glad you like it, and I'm glad we finally have time alone."
I turn to look at him. Time alone? What does that mean? My lips part but words cannot seem to leave them. Slowly, he nears me and my fingers roll up into fists while my heart pauses.
"Where is she!"
The voice calling from downstairs tugs Eric's attention away and he says something under his breath. "We're up here Caroline!"
It's his sister. Quickly I straighten up, fix my clothes, tame my hair, then peer at Eric. Footsteps come pounding up the stairs and down the hallway until the door swings open and a girl, a couple years older than Eric, appears. "Is this her?" She asks him and he nods. "Oh wow, you're so beautiful."
I smile politely and she gives me a giant hug, trapping me in her strong hold. "Thank you," I squeeze out before she lets go.
"I'm Caroline, this one's older sister, but only by two years. I live just down the way with my good friend Olivia and I'm sure she'll love to meet you. You know, we could show you around the pack grounds!"
"Caroline," Eric warns but she waves him off.
"You can have her later, but now she needs to be with me. A girl needs other girls Eric. First, we can go get Olivia then we can wonder off..."
"Caroline, I'm not letting you take her out in the woods to get hurt. You and Olivia run out there all the time and come back with scratches and bruises. Isabella is not a pet dog you can shove in your purse and run off with."
She groans. "Only Olivia comes back all banged up because she insists on climbing the trees."
I stand between them, confused. "Well, I would love to spend time with you."
"See Eric, she wants to get to know me, let us take her under our wing. I promise we won't go out in the woods, only around pack grounds to show her where everything is. Please?"
He crosses his arms and looks over to me. "I want to trust you Caroline, but she is my mate and if anything happens to her..."
"Nothing will happen to her, only the gain of pack knowledge. We'll show her around while you catch up on Alpha duties. By dinner time she'll be back here with you okay?"
He sighs, "alright, Just please be careful. And if anything happens come get me, I'll be at the main post."
Caroline nods before taking me down the stairs and right out the door. I follow her down a pathway, which I'm guessing leads us to her friend Olivia. "So tell me about yourself, any siblings?"
"I have a younger sister, Kendra."
"Your parents?"
"My mom is back at my pack, and my dad died a while ago," I explain and she stops to look at me.
"Wow, I'm sorry."
I wave her off. "It's alright."
We continue along the path and I'm glad Caroline has taken an interest in me. At least she doesn't hate me like I worried would happen. It's nice having her here to comfort me while getting used to a new place and new people, oddly I feel like we are already friends. "So do you and your sister get along?"
"All the time, we never really fight," I say with a smile.
Caroline scoffs. "Wow, Eric and I are always at each other's throats. I thought it would have ended a while ago, but now it has followed us into adulthood. How do you two always get along? I should ask for tips."
"I've been taking care of her since our mother is always busy with our Beta. I guess she looks up to me like a sister and a mother in some way."
"You seem like a really good person Isabella," she tells me sincerely, "I don't know how to ended up with my brother."
When we come up to a house Caroline tells me to wait on the path. I watch as she hurried to the door and after a few seconds a girl answers, another few seconds and I see her peer past Caroline at me. Standing awkwardly, I look around. Soon enough they come back to me. "Isabella, Olivia," Caroline introduces us and I smile again.
"It's nice to meet you."
She looks at me, confused. "Hi. You're Eric's mate?"
"Um, yes."
Silence seeps between us until Caroline changes the subject. "I thought we could show Isabella around, and maybe the cool place we found like forever ago?"
"Can she go out there?"
Caroline shrugs. "Why couldn't she?"
Slowly but surely I begin to feel that we are going to break Eric's rules.
"Well, we should go there first," Olivia suggests. "There's some amazing views."
Caroline agrees, and not wanting to seem annoying, I agree too. The three of us head off of the path and through at small, grassy field. When I notice the tree line growing nearer and nearer my heart picks up pace, warning me to stop. We are definitely not following Eric's orders. "Caroline? Did Eric say we could do this?" I ask her.
"Isabella don't worry, Eric won't find out."
My heart sinks. I haven't even been here an entire day and I'm already getting into trouble, this is not like me. But wanting to impress the two girls, I shut up.
We enter into the trees and I trail behind the two girls, not knowing what to do. Olivia races to a large tree ahead and calls back to me. "Do you ever climb trees, Isabella?"
Caroline and I catch up to her and we watch her make her way up— branch by branch. "No, I never have!" I call back up to her.
"You should try!"
Glancing over to Caroline, I see her shake her head, no. "Believe me, I always get hurt trying to do what she does. Then we'll be in trouble if you come back all scratched up."
I answer, "maybe some other time!"
"Oh come on, the view is crazy up here!"
Caroline groans. "Maybe if we are really careful? I'm a sucker for views."
"I'd love to try. I think I can do it," I tell her while my eyes roam up the tree.
"Okay, let's take it one step at a time."
Walking up to the tree, I place my foot on a protruding nub and lift myself up. Reaching far, my hand grips onto the closest branch and I carefully heave my body onto it. "I think I got it," I say to Caroline and she cheers me on. Now standing on the thick branch, and make my move for the next one, then the next one. I see Olivia sitting with her feet dangling up ahead and I wave to her. "Does this branch look strong enough?" I ask her and she studies it.
"Um," she pauses, "yeah, it does!"
I thank her and make my way up to it, not taking the chance to look down. Caroline yells saying that she's right behind me, and it makes me feel a little better. Reaching for the branch, I grip onto it, ready to boost myself up. Placing my trust in Olivia, I put my weight on it, but a gut-wrenching cracking noise fills my ears. Suddenly I see the branch breaking off at the base.
"Isabella!"