Eclipse Child
Chapter 16

Have you never seen a girl like this,

with crow-like wings where her arms should be

and black blue feathers with knife edges.

You think even her lips would be sharp to touch.

(You admit that never before have you craved pain,

But for this girl you would change.)

- the Morrigan // l.s.

Habits are hard to break.

I rise before the others, going outside and taking in the mountain night.

It felt strange to be on two feet.

Strange to shiver against the cold.

My head rises at the sound of movement. My body grows still. Mimicking the actions as of the wolf as I slowly lower myself and stalk forward.

Until the male emerges from the woods.

I did not have time to notice it, but now I can see something from his walk.

He does not move like a man.

It’s a strange and fascinating thing to watch.

Each step is taken with a slightly raised knee before he sets the leg down in front of him.

He walks like a wolf.

He pauses also as he takes me in.

We both were up before the sun. Up at night. Our habits of the wolf not yet broken within our system.

“Walk with me?”

I smile as he slowly moves to stand by my side.

I have only seen the skin of this man for less than a day.

Yet I feel familiar with him.

I feel safe in his presence.

He is not a stranger to me.

Silently we move through the forest.

I see the outline of the mountains to our left. They were not far off.

A sudden pang of longing fills me as I take in the feature. The wolves were there.

I wonder if they noticed our absences.

I wonder if they searched for us.

If they were concerned or worried about the two missing members of the pack.

Or if they continued.

Not looking back.

“It feels strange,” I raise my hand, taking in the sight of flesh instead of fur.

The male nods.

“How often do you travel with the wolves?”

His eyes are upon the mountain as he whispers, “they are my pack.”

I frown before realizing what he means.

“You stay with them?”

He looks down at me then, “six months a wolf. Six months in flesh. Balance.”

“Balance...” I repeat the word back, understanding filling me as I take in the look of longing that has possessed those grey eyes.

We continue in silence.

Neither one of us has a destination.

Just wandering.

I wince as I inhale too deeply, feeling the pain within my chest from the rib. It would heal on its own within a couple of weeks.

The male watches me, eyes darting to my ribs before landing back to my face.

“Why were you in the mountains?”

I repeat the same answer, “to train.”

He looks at me. His silence has me sighing.

“In the Alba Rosa Pack, you challenge and defeat the Alpha, to become Alpha. I needed to train. I was told of the wolves so I...found them and stayed with them.”

“No.”

“What?”

The male is looking down as he softly says, “The answer to your first question. No. I’m not an Alpha.”

I smile, “Well my first question was why you wouldn’t shift.”

The male looks away. The smile on my face grows as I realize it is from embarrassment.

“My whole life I was told I would be mated to an Alpha.”

His expression is unreadable as he continues to stare at the ground. I see though, his hands clenched from the words.

I shake my head at his actions, “They used it as a reason for me to not try. You cannot be Alpha, if you are mated to an Alpha...”

I raise my hand, using it to softly grab the male’s chin, the hair upon his face rough and scratching into my fingers as I direct those grey eyes to me.

“It’s what made me follow you. The fact that you were not one. It’s what made me trust you. The fact that you possessed such strength when you did not have the blood of leaders running through you. Because even without that- you still stood out.”

I take in the wide eyes of the male. Fire crawling through my fingers at the contact.

“So male,” he smiles at the name, “what do you think of the mate the moon has blessed you with?”

A low growl surfaces from his chest.

My hand grips his chin tighter, leading him down to meet me.

He does not resist as I pull him closer.

As I whisper to him, “Do not think about the pack you leave behind. You have me now male. I am your pack.”

Softly I release my hold, but he stays positioned there.

We move forward at the same time.

His facial hair rubs against me. Just a light brush of lips.

Searing my skin and blistering my soul.

And we move back together.

Sealing my words with our actions.

His hands shake slightly but he quickly hides them from my view as he pushes them into the pockets of his jeans.

Hiding away his desire.

I am not so modest.

I place a lone finger on the middle of his chest, trailing it down until it reaches the waistband of his jeans before I let it slide back up.

He is motionless.

But I step back before anything can happen. I never knew the temptation of mates could be this overwhelming. The words of the she-wolfs as they giggled to each other about the males, suddenly make more sense in my mind.

“Should we see them?” I turn to the mountains and glance behind to watch the male, “to say goodbye?”

A look a sorrow enters his face.

I have to look away from it.

If I didn’t, then that look alone would break my resolve.

My distraction though is enough time for him.

Within the next few seconds, I stiffen as I hear the male shifting behind me.

I turn and replace the familiar tan wolf, shaking his fur out.

“Really?”

He sits back on his legs, looking at the clothes he has discarded, before staring at me.

I sigh and pick them up, shaking my head as I fold them before setting it within a hanging branch.

“I feel like you are a wolf who turns into a man, rather than a man who turns into a wolf.”

I lean down, letting the male’s wet nose push against my neck, causing me to laugh at the sensation.

His warm tongue darts out, trailing down my cheek.

“You’re definitely bolder as a wolf,” I joke.

The wolf only pulls back his lips in an attempted smile- revealing sharp canines before he runs in the direction of the mountain.

I sigh and shake my head.

“Feels like I’ve earned a pet,” I mutter, before following behind.