Page 60 of Wolves & Watercolors
“Remember, I don’t have good control yet. We might make the entire garden overgrow so badly you’ll be pruning for the rest of the month,” I say, pausing to moan as his teeth scrape over delicate skin.
“Fine,” he grumbles, backing up until he sits beside me and leans his head back against the wall. My gaze tracks the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows.
“I think I’ll have control soon,” I say, trying to encourage him.
He sighs. “And then you can go home.” The thought pierces me like a physical pain and I flinch. Home, not here. Back to the city.
“Oh, yeah.” I turn away from him and rest my head back too, mirroring his post. “Would you come visit me in Los Angeles?”
His answer is slow. “No.” My heart sinks. “I don’t think I could come see you and then leave you there.”
My throat burns and I have to take a few measured breaths to relax. “I guess I can understand that.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, reaching over until our fingers thread together, palms still pressed to the lush patch of grass that I grew using magic born of my affection for him.
“Before I go home, could you do me a favor?” I ask, so quiet my voice barely catches.
There’s no hesitation this time. “Yes.”
“Can I paint you as a wolf?”
X. Capturing
the Wolf
Cedar
The night air cuts against my skin, finding its way through my thick coat. Our warm weather broke, leaving me wishing for a jacket. The cold discomfort suits my mood, though.
Aurora made it very clear she is going home to California and there’s nothing I can do about it. It wouldn’t be fair to beg her to stay. She barely knows me. She shouldn’t uproot her life on a whim after a few kisses and compliments.
I plunge into the creek, letting water soak into the soft fur at my belly. I could have found a shallow area to cross, but this is the most direct path. I’ll dry soon enough. Muscles burning, I charge up the hill into Granite Ridge territory.
If the patrols notice me, they don’t interfere. All of the wolves in Granite Creek know me. The Alpha’s twin brother.
The land flattens and I’m able to increase my speed, crossing the last mile easily. I start on the south end of the compound, heading for the recreation center Onyx and Ember created. Before entering, I stop and focus on the human part of my brain, allowing my body to shift back to two legs. A storage bench tucked beside the door offers a selection of clothing. I grab a pair of charcoal sweatpants and tug them on, followed by a maroon shirt.
Pack members play pool and foosball inside, and a few watch a movie in another room, but Onyx and Ember are absent. No one pays me any attention aside from a few nods of greeting.
Heading out of the recreation space, I jog north. The cafeteria is empty, as is the training facility. They must be home.
If it was our family home, I would just enter, but considering how Onyx and Ember can be, it’s safer to knock and wait. It’s only a moment until my brother pulls the door open.
“Hey!” he greets, throwing his arms around me. Since taking up residence in another pack, he’s been more demonstrative of affection, so I hug him back and follow him inside.
A video game fills the television screen, paused. Ember looks up from her seat on the sofa, a book draped across her lap. “Cedar, what’s up?”
“Felt like a good, long run and some time with family,” I say, my voice hoarse after breathing in the frigid night air.
“Sit down. Are you hungry?” Onyx asks. I wave him off.
“You seem serious,” Ember says, twisting in her seat until she’s sitting up properly and can look me over. “More than normal, I mean.”
Onyx barks a laugh and falls onto the cushion beside her, draping an arm around her middle until she leans into him.
Unsure of where to begin, or what to even share, I rest my forehead against my palm, elbow on my knee, and study the carpet. If I don’t explain everything, my brother won’t understand; he will probably mock me instead of helping. But he knows what it’s like to fall for someone who can’t stay. Except in his case, it worked out. I know I won’t be that lucky.
“How’s Aurora’s visit?” Ember asks, her tone hushed.
