Talia left the speechless Alpha and the stunned crowd behind her and continued on to the shower block.
She went to the very end and stripped. Wolves were notoriously unabashed and free in their naked forms but Talia, who wasn't bothered by others nudity, was shy of her own. She wanted her mate to be the only one to see her intimately. It was an old fashioned notion which she clung to dearly.
As the water cascaded over her, a slow, heartbreaking tune escaped her. Her smooth voice spoke of love lost and the despair of losing one's self and destined mate.
Brodie was quicker to shake off the daze that the little girl had left them in. He decided to go and find her. Talk to her and perhaps persuade her to train with the warriors. There was a tightening in his body at the thought of being able spar with her. Shaking his head, he took off in the direction she had taken.
Hudson saw his son sprint off to follow the orphan girl. 'Maybe I misjudged her', he thought to himself. After all she was just a pup when she was found alone, hiding in a crack between two large boulders. Not wanting to dwell on that day he decided to go and talk to Ayla, who dishonorably shifted when her opponent was turned.
Even during the Pack Wars it was seen as dirty trick to shift behind ones back and attack. So to do it during training, in amongst your own kin, was embarrassing not only to the wolf who shifted but to the Alpha and the lead trainer, Theo.
Ayla had already shifted back to her human self and had been given a spare change of clothes. She had moved away from the broken bench and was sitting on the ground with her head down.
Theo was standing over her, "What on Earth were you thinking?! I thought you had been taught better than this! What a disgrace, I'm going to have to tell your parents... Ayla I'm so disappointed... And with the Alphas watching...", Theo was beginning to lose his temper, he was sputtering whilst chiding the young wolf.
Hudson came over and put a calming hand on his shoulder," It's OK Theo. I'll take it from here." the Alpha's attention now turned towards Ayla, who still sat with her head down but he could hear a quiet sniffling from the statue like girl. "Ayla! Look at me", it was impossible to disobey an Alphas order when spoken in that tone. It was deep and sonorous and be heard in every corner of her mind.
Slowly she lifted her head. Her eyes were red from crying silently. "A-alpha, please.. I didn't mean to lose control... T-that dog didn't f-fight fair!! S-she's never fought like t-that before. She t-tricked me, all of us!", Ayla's voice was high pitched and cracking with emotion as she spoke.
Hudson listened to her excuse," As a member of the Bloodrose Pack, one of the first lessons we are taught is control. You lost control today. It makes no difference whether or not your opponent fought in a way you have not seen before. She beat you and you, out of embarrassment, chose to do the wrong thing. As punishment for your actions, you will report to the training grounds at 05:00 every morning and complete a month long test of control. ", the Alpha's decision was final.
Ayla dare not argue but inside her heart she hated Talia and would make her pay one day. "Yes, my Alpha, I understand and I'm sorry.", Ayla tried to sound sincere towards the Alpha when all she felt like doing was screaming.
Brodie reached the shower block, he hoped to change Talia's mind about becoming a warrior but he had never spoke to her, in fact he didn't even recall even seeing her before. He knew she existed but that's as far as it went.
As he entered he could smell the soap, it was delicate and floral, perfect for Talia. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the most beautiful yet melancholy song. That couldn't be her could it?
His heart hurt as he listened. So much pain and sadness was wrapped up in that angelic voice. 'Did she truely feel that way?', Brodie's feet moved closer without him noticing.
Soon, he was saw her. Talia was facing away from the steady flow of water raining down on her. Her eyes were closed tight, her brow furrowed. Tears mixed with the water, Brodie could smell the saltiness from them. He looked at her more closely.
She was tiny and delicate, her skin smooth and creamy, except from a faded scar that ran along her right hip. Wolves didn't tend to be left with scars unless the injury was sustained before their accelerated healing had kicked in or the weapon used was silver or permeated with wolfsbane.
Talia's waist was so small, Brodie thought that he would be able to touch his fingers on either side if he wrapped them around her. Her hips were full and she had surprisingly long legs for someone with such a short stature. He felt a tightening again. He couldn't look away, nor did he want to.
Silently, Brodie stood there watching her intimately. Suddenly, her eyes opened and connected with his. "GET OUT!!", Talia cried in shock. She shut off the shower and grabbed her towel, quickly wrapping it around herself.
"I-I didn't mean... I wasn't.... Your singing...", it was unusual for the future alpha to be flustered. The feeling was foreign to him and it made him uncomfortable, he was annoyed with himself.
Talia watched his face flush as he looked away. She could sense he was angry. "I'm sorry if my voice offended you! I don't usual play to an audience. Why didn't you leave instead of standing there getting angry. Do you want to punish me? Laugh at me? Are you going to tell your friends about it so that they can laugh at me too?", she barely paused for breath as her defenses rose.
Talia grabbed her bag and went to get past him. She needed to get away from this statuesque man.
"No.. Wait!", Brodie instinctively stuck his hand out and grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. This was not how he had planned on approaching her.
Talia looked at the large hand that had engulfed her wrist with panic in her eyes. " Let... Me... Go... ", she said, trying to free herself from his grip. She still had only a towel wrapped around her and as she struggled Talia could feel it slipping...
Seeing that the situation was about to become even more awkward, Brodie let go of Talia's wrist just as she had pulled once more. The sudden release sent her backwards. She wasn't quick enough to right herself and hit the back of her head on the edge of a tiled cubicle. The pain was intense, then there was nothing but black. Talia was out cold. A pool of thick, red blood had started to pool beneath her. The towel had opened enough to expose her thigh and a sliver of her stomach.
Brodie stood there lifeless for a second before springing into action. He scooped Talia up in his arms and sprinted out of the wash room and away from the school. He needed to get her to the hospital. Carrying her was effortless, she was a featherweight in his arms.
Passers-by stared at the scene as he ran as fast as he could, holding a limp, young girl in his arms. Brodie reached the hospital entrance in record time. He had mind linked with his family's physician as he ran, briefly explaining that there was a girl with a head injury and to be ready for him coming. He was met at the door by Dr. Stewart and was led to a private consultation room.
Brodie laid Talia on the bed, a wave of helplessness washed over him as he saw her pale and unmoving. "What happened to her young alpha?", the Doctor asked as he put pressure on the gash on her head.
"She slipped and hit her head on the edge of a wall.", he didn't want the doctor to know that she had been trying to get away from him.
"Her healing ability has already began to seal the wound and the blood has clotted. When did this happen?", usually it took around half an hour to an hour for an injury such as this to start to heal itself.
"No more than 15 minutes ago. I carried her here straight from the school where it happened. I saw her fall.", Brodie's face flushed ever so slightly as he replayed the scene in his head.
"Hmmm.... Fascinating.", Dr. Stewart mused. "I would like to keep her in for a few days for observation. Can you inform her parents?", he never took his eyes off of Talia. He had heard of healing abilities that were more enhanced but he had never seen it up close.
Brodie nodded his head in acknowledgement. Relief washed over him as the colour was beginning to return to her cheek s. 'she's ok', he thought. 'she truely is an elite warrior.'
Talia woke up fully after an hour of arriving at the hospital. The pungent odour of disinfectant invaded her nostrils. She also detected a subtle hint of lavender, turning her head towards that gentle note, she saw her mother sat beside her. Worry lines were etched into her forehead."Hey Ma! Don't frown so much. Those lines will become permanent.", Talia smiled weakly as she spoke to Violet.Violet studied her daughter's face intently, "Oh sweetheart, thank the goddess that your alright!", a small sob escaped Violets lips."Ofcourse I'm fine. It'll take a lot more than a wall to take down a she-wolf like me.", Talia thought humour would be the best way to soothe her mother's fragile nerves. A small ghost of a smile appeared on Violets face. It was working."Yes, but it's enough to send me into a mass of worry.", she gently scolded.Talia sat up slightly, assessing her body as sh
Talia looked up from her hands, "Is there? I mean, I'm just an orphan. There's nothing special about me at all.", tears were beginning to form in the corner of her eyes. This was so unlike her. Dr. Stewart curbed his excitement as he watched her. He couldn't help wanting to discover why this girl was different. He never imagined that she wouldn't be intrigued. Most people of her age wanted to be special, wanted to stand-out, but not her. "It's alright young one. I won't keep you here against your will but maybe if you could answer a couple of questions, just to satisfy an old man's curiosity?", he was gentle with her. Gaining any information was better than nothing. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to help you any. Can I think about it?", Talia was conflicted. The sudden attention that she was receiving made her uncomfortable. Apart from her adoptive parents, she wasn't used to any kind of affec
Dr. Stewart came by to thank Talia for agreeing to help him. He took several viles of blood as samples to carry out various tests on. The doctor said he'd be back to ask a few questions once he had finished his rounds.Talia was nervous but her parents gave her encouragement. Brodie had to leave but promised to be back in time if she wanted him to be. She did. She really did.She had never needed or wanted a friend but now Talia didn't want him to go. When she thought about Brodie, there were little flutterings in her stomach. It was strange and new but somehow comforting at the same time.Talia passed the time catching up with a school assignment for English. Writers block kicked in. Normally she would go for a run to clear her mind but this wasn't an option just now so she settled for a shower instead.She had just finished changing into a hoodie and shorts when Brodie came back with
The air in the room was thick with expectation and anticipation. They all wanted to know what Talia had learned. Brodie had some idea as he was linked to her.She felt terrible but she really wanted to be alone for a while and didn't want to talk about it. She needed to take a beat and process it first."I know you want answers but honestly I'm exhausted and could do with some time on my own.", Talia looked at Dr. Stewart, "Do you think I could leave? I would like to be back in familiar surroundings."Violet was about to protest. After what she had just witnessed she wanted Talia to stay another day or two."Please? I'm fine. I want to be at home.", Talia opened her eyes wide and pouted slightly. This trick had work since she was a young child."OK darling, if the doctor agrees then we'll take you home now." Talia pumped her fist in her mind then turned to face the doctor."Physically there is nothing stopping you. I'd like you to make an ap
There was an electric charge connecting them as their lips met. It was as if the world around them dropped away, leaving only them.Talia was initially in shock but as the kissed deepened she knew that it felt right. Brodie was the man she was supposed to kiss for all time.Brodie was beside himself with joy. Nothing in this moment could be sweeter than kissing this delicate creature in his arms.Talia parted her lips so that Brodie could explore her mouth with his tongue. This being her first ever kiss she followed his lead.They pulled apart, breathless. "Talia...that was... Wow!", he held her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb."Mmhmm", Talia leaned her face into his palm before pulling away from him.The loss of contact between them left Brodie feeling bereft but before he could bemoan the fact, Talia had crawled over to his lap and cuddled in close to him. Her body fitting in the gap between his legs and chin perfectl
It had only been three days since Brodie left me at the edge of the woods but it felt like an eternity.My mother tried to ask me what had happened between us but I sat silently whilst pushing my food around my plate. The glances shared between her and my father did not go unnoticed, just unacknowledged by myself.My appetite was gone, but I intensified my running routine, secretly hoping to bump into Brodie. So far it had been pointless.As I went on my third run of the day, I wondered why it bothered me so much. Brodie was the future alpha and up until a few days ago he didn't even know I existed. I'm sure he would forget about me in the same space of time.As I approached the edge of the forest I slowed my pace. The combination of more exercise and less food was making me tired. I stopped and rested against a tree, bent over slightly with my hands gripping my thighs.With my eyes closed and my head bowed, I focused on my breathing and the slowin
I sat in my father's office with a sullen expression on my face. I haven't slept well in the past few days and it's affected my temper."Brodie...", my father begins, "As you know I've been getting complaints about the way you have been conducting yourself the last few days. What do you have to say about it?"I shrugged my shoulders in response. "There's not a lot to say dad. I'm fine.", I'm staring at my hands with my head bowed."You are NOT fine Son. Honestly, you are next in line to become Alpha of Bloodrose. You can't go pissing people off just because you haven't got your own way!", Hudson knew that Brodie was too much like him. If he didn't like something, he sulked like a child. A trait that needed a lot of work to suppress it."It's not like that dad. She.... Talia told me she plans to leave. She can't. She can't leave me!", the anguish was clear in Brodie's voice.Hudson looked at his son with sympathy, "Where is she going? Does she want
Talia was anxious to talk to Brodie. The butterflies returned the instant she saw him. He was coming over.'Keep it together and hear him out', she mentally coached herself. She stood there and watched as Rose stepped in front of him, touched him.Talia thought he'd brush her off and come to her so she waited and watched as Brodie's expression changed to, from that distance, what looked like happiness.Her heart beat faltered and a crushing pain seemed to take over her. Is Rose his mate? Why her of all people? Well, she wasn't going to hang around and watch.Talia took off running, her feet carrying her instinctively as far away as she could get. Like a bat out of hell, she flew, faster than she had ever ran before.Her brain couldn't comprehend where she was. Only after her lungs started to protest did she slow down and take in her surroundings. Talia had headed to the forest and subconsciously ended up in the spot where she and Brodie had k