Chapter 5
As soon as the big door swung open, all eyes glued themselves to the tiny woman beside their leader. The little witch that would become a part of their sleuth very soon, and potentially save the lives of those they cared about. The intense stares did not go unnoticed by either of the two still inside. Aoife noticed that their looks, while uncomfortable, were not hostile. Gabal… Gabal had other ideas about the stares his Given was receiving.
The deep reverberation of his growl ruffled the garden across the lawn. His packmates, who stood much closer, fared a great deal worse. The thuds of knees on her deck echoed to the rafters of her home. Necks bared themselves to her gaze and heads remained bowed.
She wanted so badly to scold Gabal for his harsh behavior towards his friends. He may be the big man in charge (no pun intended), but that was no excuse for punishing curiosity. Aoifa was very new to them, and a known witch. She was not blind to the stories they told of her, or of the overall distrust the shifters had for witches. But she was confident that, with a little time and patience, she would fit right in beside her Given. The healthy dose of skepticism that she would inevitably garner would be diminished with nothing but earned respect, and earned trust. She was willing to put in the work, and the rewards would be worth any trial. To finally have a place among a people, with a fulfilling, dutiful life, that was all she had ever wanted.
Instead of openly scolding him in front of his pack, demeaning his authority in front of them, and ultimately showing they were anything but a unified front, she simply slipped behind him and gave him a nice, warm hug. She removed herself from their eyesight, accepted the way he dealt with the problem, and initiated affectionate skin-to-skin contact to calm the beast in that single move. Tension bled from him immediately. She rested her forehead against his toned back under his shoulder blades, it was as high as she could reach. Her hands could barely meet around his middle, even at the smallest part of his waist. Nothing about this man was small, and that thought gave her another wave of goosebumps, this time due to how pleased she was with the body of her mate.
She pressed in tighter, nuzzling a cheek against him, inhaling his smell, and splaying inquisitive hands across his abdomen. Goddess, she thought, basking in utter satisfaction. This man is all mine. Her ponderings distracted her from the apologies of the contrite beings before her, still resting on their knees. The sharp "up" that erupted from her Given startled her enough to jump.
When Gabal turned to his Given, his immediate thought was that he had scared her. Sickness curled in his gut, souring the pleasant feel of a full belly. His bear fought to free himself and provide comfort in the form of a beastial rut. In his own primal way, the beast thought that the rush of endorphins triggered by mating would be the best cure-all for most mental ailments. She could not be scared if she could not even think. He was even more ashamed that the images in the mind of his bear enticed him.
Having gotten her wandering mind back under control, with the help of a few well placed and painful pinches, she looked up to see Gabal had turned towards her and was glaring resolutely at her floor boards. His pack stood silently, still outside, and did their best to look everywhere but her. Conflict sparked in her mind. Did he not want them inside? Should she invite them in? But if she did, would he think she was undermining him? Goodness… This mate business was much more complicated when it was an Alpha. In the end, she decided the best course of action would be to just ask.
"Alpha," she said, softly. She waited until his head rose, taking in the expression on his face, reassured when she saw it soften as it became fixed upon hers. "Would you like them to come in?"
He took a moment to read her expression, seeking her thoughts on the matter before wanting to give an answer. The slight way she angled her body towards them and the open way she held herself indicated that she had no qualms about the four invading her personal sanctuary. He looked back to his pack, who seemed wary but inquisitive, a promising sign. Gabal waved them in and gestured with his chin for them to sit at the table.
Once everyone was settled, Gabal carried a plush chair from the living room to seat Aoifa on, choosing to stand guard at her back. He did not know how open she would be to close contact when in front of others. She had seemed comfortable enough when they ate not long ago, but he would rather proceed with caution than move too fast and scare her off.
A man chose that moment to clear his throat, bringing everyone's attention to him. The rust of his hair did not go unnoticed by Aoifa. This was the red wolf. He had a tall build, not as tall as Gabal, and much leaner. His nose had been broken quite a few times. It lay a bit flatter and wider than it should. He was tan, despite his ancestry, likely the result of many, many years spent outdoors. The grey of his eyes refused to meet hers head on, settling respectfully on the spot above her left shoulder.
"My name is Goddard, Warmaster of the Rocky Mountain pack. I would like to start this meeting with an apology, Lady Luna. We did great harm to your home and your person last night when we attacked. I ask your forgiveness on behalf of those here, myself included. Please excuse our brash actions and destruction." The wolf, in unison with the rest of the party, bowed their heads to her.
She gave a smile and a short laugh. "Think nothing of it," she began, more amused than mad like they had expected. "I am not deaf to the rumors surrounding me and my garden. Most are true, if not a bit skewed. I would be circumspect in your shoes as well. And after you were led in circles, it would be natural to feel trapped. Even more natural to try to get out." She was just able to stop the I know better than most the desperation that comes with imprisonment, that tried to add itself after. Here she was, minutes into truly meeting these people and she was ready to share her secrets with them. Secrets kept for over two hundred years.
Clearing her throat, she asked what she had been dying to know since the second howl. "So what brings you to my doorstep?" She realized belatedly that it was not a question asked lightly. The severe expressions that now adorned each visitor's face were enough of a clue.
"We are here to ask for your aid," said the only woman traveling in their group. She was very obviously fae. Her eyes shone an unnatural purple, her hair was the color of lady's mantle, a precious, green flower that grew in wonderfully chaotic bunches around her garden. She was incredibly fine boned. The gaunt stretch of her cheeks spoke of stress and slipped meals, but her extremities held a toned quality that came only with hard work and dedication to craft. This was a hard working woman, someone to admire, Aoifa's mind concluded.
"My name is Lefony, Lady Luna, and I am the head physician of pack Rocky Mountain. We are facing an epidemic. A plague like nothing we have seen has swept through our pack and more than fifteen thousand lay abed, dead to our world but unable to reach comfort beyond the moon. We do not know where it came from, or how to treat it. All symptoms manifest exactly the same in those that contract it. We are at a loss. We don't know how to help our people. Please, consider coming back with us."
Lefony's plea was startling, as well as confusing. Of course she would be coming back with them. Their Alpha was her Given. Her place was at his side. She turned in her seat to find Gabal already looking down at her. "I'm sorry," she began, rushing to finish her thought as she watched his shoulders fall under the crushing weight of what he assumed was the beginning of rejection. "I'm sorry that I failed to make it clear that I belong to you, Gabal. I didn't realize it was a matter of debate or question where I would be going after this. I belong at your side. It seemed common sense to me that I would move to your pack. I'm sorry if I made it seem as though I was uninterested."
Her words came as a massive relief to the Alpha and the man. The Alpha recognized that his people would get help, if not an outright solution, the workings of one. And the man realized that he finally had a partner. Someone to share his burdens with, to share his success with, to share life with, in all its glory.
"Not your fault." He said to her, trying to ease the tension on her face. The insecurities he felt had nothing to do with Aoifa. It was the mess in his head that was to blame. She had accepted his every move thus far, even smiled at him when he ripped her clothes. She had been the perfect Given. In his mind though, he was anything but.
He was a brute, a killer, an outright demon come from Hell to most he encountered. He had been that way his whole life. He waged war over very little, finding it better to breed fear in those around him to garner caution and respect. He had no time for weaknesses like mercy or second chances. There are very few that would cross him, even fewer still that would not get slain the moment they attacked. And regardless of the fact that he considered his pack his family, he still ran a tight ship at home. Those that were useful, stayed, those that were not, left. It was simple and effective. He knew this would not be a problem with Aoifa, given her skills, but he did not know how she would feel about the system itself. Her approval already meant more to him than he could have imagined.
She stood up and reached for him over the back of the chair. She watched his eyes as he was lost in thought. She could see the self inflicted torment that lay within. "We are going to have a nice, long talk about what's going on inside your head when we get home, sweets," she said, giving him a tender kiss to the temple. He said nothing in reply, just tightened his arms around her and held on, basking in the warmth from her kiss, and the fact that she called his pack home.
(A/N: Please consider looking into my Wattpad account under the same name, SageySagey, if you would like early chapter updates.)