Post by mysteria on Apr 29, 2007 14:57:47 GMT -5
"Grounded, but I-"
"No buts!" His mother barked, brushing a strand of brown hair out of her face. "I don't want you shifting for a week!"
"Not even partial shifting?" He whined, a pained expression marring his angel face.
"Not even." The pair walked out, Seth dragging his feet sadly.
I think he was attached to his tail.
Lupus stood, and walked out without a word, apparently having forgotten his 'apprentice'. I stood up to follow him, not so much as I enjoyed his company, but because I was curious as to where I would get new clothes.
We walked out of the shifter camp, into the surrounding forest, and headed toward the stream where all this trouble had started.
Splash!
Before I knew what was happening, Lupus had thrown off his blanket, and jumped into the water. His tanned skin glowed bronze in the morning sunlight, the effect intensified by the clear rippling water around him.
Snickering, he turned his head up toward me, an amused gleam in his velvety brown eyes.
"What?" I asked, confused as to what he should be laughing at. I knew it was wrong to stare, but I couldn't help myself. Besides, he was only four years older than me. Most twenty year old guys would be thrilled to have a sixteen year old girl stare at them.
"Well, I... I appreciate the compliment." He pushed his hair back again, and disappeared under the water.
"What?" I hadn't said anything. Could he read my thoughts? I was just getting used to the whole shape shifting thing, but a mind-reader on top of that? I couldn't handle it. "Lupus? You can't read minds, can you?" I called down into the depths of the river.
"No." He said, surfacing. I breathed a sigh of relief. How embarrassing to have him know I admired his... backside. "I caught you staring at me."
"You- you did?" I stuttered, nervous.
"Yeah." He flashed his exquisite smile at me, and pulled himself up onto the bank beside me. I tried not to look as I passed him his blanket, not wishing to see more of him than needed. "So, what brought on that little spat between you and Seth?"
"He's a jerk"
"Helpful. A little detail please dear?"
I explained what had happened, conveniently forgetting to mention the dreams that already had put my thoughts in a knot before he messed with me.
"I see. Well Mysty, why did you take the fight to him? Why not me?"
"Because, I don't know you! I don't know anyone here! I want to go home!" I howled, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "And how come I just suddenly have the power to turn into a wolf? Why did you kidnap me?"
"You can't go home! They think you're dead!" He exclaimed. "You belong with your people!"
"What makes you guys my people?"
"Mysty... I can't tell you why your here, but I can tell you this. You ARE a shifter. And you should conduct yourself as such."
"Here" A ball of clothing hit me in the back of my head, and Lupus and I turned to face Lycaenion, who stood with her arms crossed, dressed in the same kind of baggy robe I had seen the alpha in. "We call them shifters robes. It is baggy enough to just slip off when you shift instead of ripping." She left the clearing, Lupus following her.
I didn't.
And what did they expect? That I would follow either of them loyally? After Lupus kidnapped me, and Lycaenion called me a brat?
I donned the robe, and circled around an old tree, fingers lightly brushing the gnarled and twisted wood. Grabbing onto a low-lying branch, I attempted to swing myself up, not an easy feat when you're wearing what is basically a dress.
Finally making it up into the tree, I pulled myself up into a corner where two branches met, making it an ideal place to sit, even if it was ten feet off the ground.
It was pretty peaceful up here. The trees scattered sunlight and kept it out of my eyes. I could look down on the quiet forest without a care, my long legs dangling over the strong branch of the oak.
"You're in my tree."
I looked down, blue eyes meeting blue eyes, growling as soon as I saw who it was.
"What, not happy to see me?" The seventeen year-old leaned against the tree's trunk, a small plate of food held in his hands. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"It isn't your tree." I turned away, listening in distress as the branches next to me creaked with Seth's weight.
Great. He had come up.
"Hungry?" Seth held out the food, and I grabbed it eagerly, practically tossing the food down my throat.
"Thanks" I muttered in between bites. They had finally fed me. Finishing, I let the paper plate fall, watching as it spiraled through the air before landing with a soft, plop! in the clear water below.
"You're welcome."
Dammit. He wasn't gone yet.
I scooted over to another branch, trying to get as far away as possible.
"You'll fall."
"How do you think I got up on the water tower? If anyone falls, it'll be you."
*****
Seth looked up at her, watching as she looked up into the fading sunlight. The gentle breeze blew her hair back, and he moved closer, and somehow, a calloused hand ended up placed over a small, delicate one.
*****
"What do you think your doing?" I asked, pulling my hand away.
"I wanted to tell you something."
"What?"
"You've got a little bit of food right there. I'll get it."
And quick as lightning, he kissed me.
"No buts!" His mother barked, brushing a strand of brown hair out of her face. "I don't want you shifting for a week!"
"Not even partial shifting?" He whined, a pained expression marring his angel face.
"Not even." The pair walked out, Seth dragging his feet sadly.
I think he was attached to his tail.
Lupus stood, and walked out without a word, apparently having forgotten his 'apprentice'. I stood up to follow him, not so much as I enjoyed his company, but because I was curious as to where I would get new clothes.
We walked out of the shifter camp, into the surrounding forest, and headed toward the stream where all this trouble had started.
Splash!
Before I knew what was happening, Lupus had thrown off his blanket, and jumped into the water. His tanned skin glowed bronze in the morning sunlight, the effect intensified by the clear rippling water around him.
Snickering, he turned his head up toward me, an amused gleam in his velvety brown eyes.
"What?" I asked, confused as to what he should be laughing at. I knew it was wrong to stare, but I couldn't help myself. Besides, he was only four years older than me. Most twenty year old guys would be thrilled to have a sixteen year old girl stare at them.
"Well, I... I appreciate the compliment." He pushed his hair back again, and disappeared under the water.
"What?" I hadn't said anything. Could he read my thoughts? I was just getting used to the whole shape shifting thing, but a mind-reader on top of that? I couldn't handle it. "Lupus? You can't read minds, can you?" I called down into the depths of the river.
"No." He said, surfacing. I breathed a sigh of relief. How embarrassing to have him know I admired his... backside. "I caught you staring at me."
"You- you did?" I stuttered, nervous.
"Yeah." He flashed his exquisite smile at me, and pulled himself up onto the bank beside me. I tried not to look as I passed him his blanket, not wishing to see more of him than needed. "So, what brought on that little spat between you and Seth?"
"He's a jerk"
"Helpful. A little detail please dear?"
I explained what had happened, conveniently forgetting to mention the dreams that already had put my thoughts in a knot before he messed with me.
"I see. Well Mysty, why did you take the fight to him? Why not me?"
"Because, I don't know you! I don't know anyone here! I want to go home!" I howled, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "And how come I just suddenly have the power to turn into a wolf? Why did you kidnap me?"
"You can't go home! They think you're dead!" He exclaimed. "You belong with your people!"
"What makes you guys my people?"
"Mysty... I can't tell you why your here, but I can tell you this. You ARE a shifter. And you should conduct yourself as such."
"Here" A ball of clothing hit me in the back of my head, and Lupus and I turned to face Lycaenion, who stood with her arms crossed, dressed in the same kind of baggy robe I had seen the alpha in. "We call them shifters robes. It is baggy enough to just slip off when you shift instead of ripping." She left the clearing, Lupus following her.
I didn't.
And what did they expect? That I would follow either of them loyally? After Lupus kidnapped me, and Lycaenion called me a brat?
I donned the robe, and circled around an old tree, fingers lightly brushing the gnarled and twisted wood. Grabbing onto a low-lying branch, I attempted to swing myself up, not an easy feat when you're wearing what is basically a dress.
Finally making it up into the tree, I pulled myself up into a corner where two branches met, making it an ideal place to sit, even if it was ten feet off the ground.
It was pretty peaceful up here. The trees scattered sunlight and kept it out of my eyes. I could look down on the quiet forest without a care, my long legs dangling over the strong branch of the oak.
"You're in my tree."
I looked down, blue eyes meeting blue eyes, growling as soon as I saw who it was.
"What, not happy to see me?" The seventeen year-old leaned against the tree's trunk, a small plate of food held in his hands. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"It isn't your tree." I turned away, listening in distress as the branches next to me creaked with Seth's weight.
Great. He had come up.
"Hungry?" Seth held out the food, and I grabbed it eagerly, practically tossing the food down my throat.
"Thanks" I muttered in between bites. They had finally fed me. Finishing, I let the paper plate fall, watching as it spiraled through the air before landing with a soft, plop! in the clear water below.
"You're welcome."
Dammit. He wasn't gone yet.
I scooted over to another branch, trying to get as far away as possible.
"You'll fall."
"How do you think I got up on the water tower? If anyone falls, it'll be you."
*****
Seth looked up at her, watching as she looked up into the fading sunlight. The gentle breeze blew her hair back, and he moved closer, and somehow, a calloused hand ended up placed over a small, delicate one.
*****
"What do you think your doing?" I asked, pulling my hand away.
"I wanted to tell you something."
"What?"
"You've got a little bit of food right there. I'll get it."
And quick as lightning, he kissed me.