It had been an intriguing few days. Although her arrival had not been the most welcoming, she had adapted as best as she could to the new situation she was presented with.
The life mates, Georgia and Theo, disagreed over her current living arrangements. She had exiled herself to the grounds surrounding the house. Georgia wished for her to stay in the house while Theo was far warier of her. He knew the tales of her warrior success which meant he knew the stories of her feral side that had quickly spread after the Pack Wars.
It was a rainy day and early in the morning. Dew stuck to the ground and fog lined the tops of the tall trees that surrounded the property. Adelaide stood leaning against the wide trunk of a tree, it's bark bit into her back, as she repeatedly let her eyes wander over the empty space. She was constantly assessing for threats as she took a bite of the red apple she held in her right hand while her arm was crossed across her mid-section.
She sensed no threats in the area, no heat signatures within her field of vision, but she was still wary. The memories the place held were still painful for her. A lot had happened to cause scars on her memories for the rest of her life, she didn't want to see it happen to another. Especially in the times they now faced.
She had roamed the woods while the others slept, a routine she had created since her first night, while she waited for the others to rise for the day. They weren't used to rising at dawn like she was and were more relaxed as she had seen with metropolitan wolves. They lived a lifestyle that did not require them to wake in the early hours of the day.
Adelaide felt calm as her eyes looked over the space repeatedly and didn't know what came over her as her eyes moved to the house. The window of the attic in particular.
Her old bedroom.
Curious honey coloured eyes looked out at her from the window. The rest of the face cut off because they were not tall enough to see over the top of the window sill. It was a girl, a child, that watched her from above.
They made eye contact and Adelaide froze in her eating as a connection was made. She felt her mind rush as she saw the innocent soul before her. Watched as she oversaw the future she held and felt a bond solidify deep within her soul.
She would protect this child with her life because like her mother she was special.
Adelaide smiled slightly as her mind returned to her and she blinked, breaking the pull between them. A small hand reached up above the window sill and through the foggy glass she caught the small wave the girl sent her way.
She smiled, the first genuine smile in such a long time, and lifted the hand that rested against her to return it. The girl disappeared soon after and Adelaide listened to the pitter patter of her footsteps as she ran through the house. A small chuckle escaped her, children had always been a joy to her, their innocence so pure.
Shaking her head at the act of the child she tossed her apple core to the side and turned back to the forest. She had much to do to make sure the property was protected.
Since the absence of the pack and her father from the land, the boundary line that once warned off rouges and challengers had weakened and fell. She had put it back in place, but she was also building another one closer to the house as an extra line of protection.
The prizes that lay within it needed the utmost protection from the world.
She stomped through the undergrowth, retracing the path she had walked through already. It didn't take her long before she come across the small trench she had dug around the property.
Her feet hit the dirt with a small thud as she jumped down into it. The edges came to her waist because of the depth she had dug it out to be. The protection line needed to be set deep within the soil for it to take hold and it would take every ounce of her concentration to complete it.
She cleared her mind as she took a deep breath and sunk her claws into her arm. Her beast prowled in the back of her mind, watching and waiting, as she pushed her power forward.
She walked slowly, one foot in front of the other, as her silver eyes focused on the dirt path before her. She clutched her arm as her blood continually dropped to the floor through her sharpened claws.
In a trance she walked the line. A pure barrier of light forming in her mind's eye to show the formation of the barrier. If anyone was to enter they would regret it greatly. A boundary mixed with the blood of the ruling family was immensely powerful and would take great power to be broken.
It didn't seem like a long time but by the time she came to a stop back in her original position the sun was high in the sky and the fog that had hung on the morning air had burned away by its morning rays. There was a chill to the air that sept over her skin like a sweet caress and it brought back the bittersweet memory of her walks through woods during her childhood.
She looked up as she stepped across the line and into its protection before facing it. Her eyes wandered up as her eyes flickered to their thermal image. The barrier spread high over her head in a dome that covered the house and its surrounding land and flared green within her vision. A mixture of jade and emerald that constantly swirled, a living entity.
A small sigh left her lips as she turned away and began trudging back towards the house. Her arm hung loosely at her side as she walked slowly. It was caked completely in her blood, so much so that the skin of her lower arm couldn't be seen. The puncture wounds from her claws had already healed and her body was slowly working to re-coup the blood she had lost.
The light-headedness she felt cleared as she broke through the treeline and found Theo waiting for her with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What have you done?" He spoke after a few moments, gesturing to her arm.
From what she had gathered over the last few days, his face was constantly set tin a firm frown. The battle scar that ran through his eyebrow didn't make him any less fierce and she wondered if the scowl across his face would be permanent.
A slight smile crossed her face at the thought and she bit her lip to stop herself from letting it spread into a chuckle as she watched him raise a brow at her. She may have been the dangerous creature that he knew her to be but that did not mean she could not find humour in the smaller things in life as others did.
As she was about to speak and give him the reply he was wanting Georgia emerged from the house. Adelaide assumed she was accustomed to a warmer climate as she was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a thick winter coat that she had stuffed her hands into. She came to stand next to Theo and tucked in close to the warmth of his body. Adelaide had forgotten the mortality of the human body and how susceptible they were to changes in climate. The years after the Pack Wars she had spent in solitude with brief contact with other wolves, it never even crossed her mind.
"I was putting the boundary lines back into place. For your protection." She stated, putting emphasis on the latter part of her sentence.
"Why are you covered in blood?" Georgia asked timidly.
Concern laced her tone and covered her features as she took a small step forward. Her concern showed how accepting she had been of Adelaide despite her unannounced arrival. It warmed her heart slightly to have the acceptance without any prejudice.
"The boundary becomes more powerful when mixed with the blood of the ruling family. As the Conduit I have the power to make it even stronger." Adelaide explained to her.
Theo opened his mouth to speak but was beaten to it by Georgia as she moved forward and took a hold of her wrist, where there was no blood, and began to lead her inside. She ignored Theo's protests and led her through the hallway and into the kitchen.
Theo grumpily trudged off after flashing his canines at her in warning to not touch his beloved. Adelaide scoffed at the action and flashed her own teeth back at him, her dominance pushing him away.
Georgia turned the water on at the sink and gestured to it as she moved away and busied herself around the kitchen. Adelaide's wrist tingled at the contact from Georgia's hand that had been there not but a second ago, she rarely let anyone touch her, but she let the human take her hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
She let the water wash over her arm as she dipped her arm into the sink and began rubbing the blood from her skin. It was an action she had done countless times in the past and she quickly lost herself to her memories as she continued the action aimlessly.
A soft touch on her shoulder is what brought her back from the endless pit of her mind. She turned her head and Georgia's sympathetic eyes locked with her own for a few breath moments before she looked away and handed her a towel to dry her arm. Adelaide took note of how she lowered her gaze, it was the polite amount of time as to not challenge a wolf, Theo had taught her the etiquette of their kind well.
Adelaide folded the towel and placed it on the counter before turning from the sink and stopping short. Georgia stood before her with two mugs in her hand, the sweet aroma wafting from the steaming cup told her that hot chocolate rested inside, and her taste buds began to salivate at the prospect. Hot chocolate had always been a favourite of hers.
"I thought you and I could get to know each other a bit better." Georgia told her softly.
She placed the mug into Adelaide's awaiting hand and made her way into the den as her eyes followed after her retreating form. Her stomach dropped slightly at the prospect of the female's questions, but her curiosity of the woman's own story pulled her through the empty doorway and into the confines of the den.
Adelaide found Georgia tucked into one of the large sofas placed before the fireplace and walked slowly towards the one opposite her. Despite the time of day a fire crackled in the fireplace to warm the room and the heat tickled her skin as she settled within the sofa and rested against the arm nearest the hearth.
She clutched the hot mug in her hands as she tucked her legs underneath herself and awaited the questions that she was soon to be asked. She listened to the intake of breath before the question was asked and stiffed slightly under her words.
"What happened to you?"
The question was said as a cross between a sigh and an exasperation. She sensed the anguish and distress that lingered within her, witnessed it first hand at her arrival. Adelaide sensed that Georgia's curiosity stemmed from her own past and wondered if their stories although not similar could hold relatable pieces.
"I believe it's best to start from the beginning."