Page 23

"E line said, she'll be back from work before noon so that all of us can go out and get some fresh air together." Sandra reminded her best friend as she paced the floor restlessly.

"Well, I'm tired of being indoors, I wanna go out for chrissake," Ismena grumbled.

"You mean the same 'out' you went and was chased by a big Cougar who happened to be a child of barely twelve years old, right?" Eline's eye arched up as she mocked her friend.

Ismena stopped pacing and glared at her friend. "I see that you and Eline have been talking huh?"

Sandra grinned, "What's a girl supposed to do? You've been carrying your big, cranky ass around the house for the past few days, it's so hard to have a reasonable conversation with you."

Unable to say anything about that, Ismena pursed her lips and continued pacing. She HAS been cranky, she admitted to herself inwardly and it's for no other reason than the fact that she misses Wolfaraine badly .

It's been two weeks and two days. She misses him too damn much, so much that it's getting hard to function daily. The thoughts of him practically live with her every time. Even in her dreams.

God, she misses him so much. Her body misses him like an addict in withdrawal will miss his drugs. It's that bad.

"Eline, bless her heart, has been good company." Sandra continued, flipping through a new page of her novel, "If not, what would I have done in a strange land, with only my cranky best friend as a companion?"

Ismena snorted, "Says a woman that has made it her mission in life to explore the whole of Naturiah since she came here. She has even made more friends than I have, and I've been here first."

Sandra grinned from ear to ear, "What's a girl supposed to do?

These people love me so much, and it's so easy to mingle with them.

God, it's still hard to believe that they REALLY existed all this while and I didn't know they did.

Not even a hint. Just my babies..." She raised her novel, ". ..to keep my hope alive."

Over the cause of the week, Sandra has explored a good path of Naturiah with Eline while she was at home sulking for nothing.

Although the people of Naturiah don't like humans that much, Sandra has managed to become good friends with Normah and Kara—two human females who were mated to cougar changelings.

Ismena has to admit how glad she is that her best friend is adjusting to this place, even though she hasn't seen Alphose after that day they came back from the human world. He dropped them off here at Eline's place and laid an unconscious Sandra on the bed before leaving.

It also surprised her how accommodating Eline was of Sandra. Frankly, she'd expected some kind of problem between them because of...well...because of Eline's relationship with Alphose, but there was no such problem. Instead, she'd made things easy for Sandra, even took her around Naturiah.

She allowed every question Sandy asked—which was saying something because her best friend asked a lot—without getting mad.

"Can you at least stop pacing? I can't concentrate...!" Sandra lamented, eyeing her best friend.

Ismena grumbled under her breath before she walked towards the nearest chair and lowered herself on it.

"Good. Jesus Christ. If I didn't know better, I'll think your child went away to war and you're missing him so bad. But I know better, so I don't know where all this grumpiness is coming from."

Ismena muttered inaudibly under her breath. She didn't reply to Sandra.

"But, wait though. Out of sheer curiosity, where do you go during those hours of the day when you just disappear from the house without saying anything to anybody?" Sandra asked curiously.

Ismena glanced away. She goes to visit Nalaila, spending some time reading to the sleeping wolf. Afterward, she goes up to Wolfaraine's bedroom to drown herself in the very scent of him.

In his bedroom, she felt closest to him, and she can almost feel his presence there. Almost.

That was why she was always unable to resist going up to that bedroom after her visits to Nalaila. Not that she will ever say all these to Sandra.

"You're not saying anything?" Sandra asked in displeasure.

"There's nothing to say." She grunted. "So, anywhere in particular we're going today? "

"If you weren't so grumpy last night, you would have heard that we're going on a picnic in the forest."

"In the woods? Why the hell would we do that?"

"Have you ever camped out in the woods? It's so fun and beautiful, being surrounded by nature like that." Sandra stopped reading and threw her a glance, "Besides, it's in your list right? 'Go camping in the forest' , it's on your list!"

"My list?" That was when Ismena remembered her list again. The list she made when she found out about her heart disease. A situation her best friend does not know about too. "Oh... That list."

"Yes, THAT list. Jesus, Ismena, how can you forget the list you made for your fun and enjoyment during your first real break from work?" Tsk tsk tsk, "Boy, you're so dumb."

Ismena crossed her arms, her eyes twinkled, "You must be feeling so damn superior huh? You remember a week ago in the Camouflaged Zone of Naturiah, right? Remember the part about having more balls than I, and the part where you vowed that you'll never faint?"

"Why the hell are you remembering that now? That's a week ago, for crying out loud." Sandra's cheeks went ruby.

Ismena burst out laughing. It's been a week but she hasn't stopped laughing at her best friend about that incident. She uses it to tease Sandra to no end, and boy, how she enjoys doing that.

"Miss I-have-more-balls-than-Ismena, I kept wondering what happened to your big, hairy balls after Alphose changed to his animal form." Another burst of laughter followed. Then, "Let me guess, damned things disappeared right? "

Sandra threw her hands up, "How was I to know that we weren't all joking right then? How was I to know that he would morph into a lion!? Not just a lion, but one so huge!?"

"Uh-huh, so you took the coward way out and said bye-bye to consciousness huh? Very brave and ball-sy of you." Tears were starting to gather in her eyes because of how hard she was laughing.

"You, Ismena Cranes, are having so much fun with this, aren't you?" Sandra narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Tell me, Mena, how did you react when you found out that I was right after all, and changelings does exist?"

Ismena has no plans to ever answer that question. "Trust me, I didn't boast of being all brave and ball-sy, and I most definitely did not faint."

Sandra exhaled loudly, "God, you're never gonna let me live this down are you?"

"Never."

"Witch." Opening her book, she continued reading, grumpily.

Just then, the door opened and Eline walked into the house. One look at the two women—Sandra, looking grumpy and Ismena, enjoying herself—Eline shook her head in amusement.

"Let me guess, she has started making fun of you again, Sandra?"

"She has. Mena can be so annoying." She muttered, pursing her lips.

Ismena only laughed harder.

She turned to Eline, still laughing, "Eline, tell Sandy to show you her balls. She's got two big ones."

"She does?" Eline was truly shocked, "I thought it is only m-males that have...those?" She directed a baffled look to Sandra .

"Nah, Sandy's got some too. Huge, hairy ones. But, they tend to disappoint her when they are most needed!" She finished with a laugh, totally enjoying herself.

Sandra took the pillow next to her and threw it at her best friend.

Ismena dodged it, laughing harder. "At least, I've got enough balls to dodge this...ball perfectly."

"Oh, God...!" Sandra covered her face.

Eline, finding out that it's all Ismena's way of teaching her, intervened for poor Sandra. "Alright, ladies, let's go camping in the woods. I'm ready. Who else is?"

Sandra was already hurrying into the bedroom before Eline was done asking. "I'll be in the next five minutes."

She was grateful to have escaped her teasing best friend.

Alpha Degar opened the door to Wolfaraine's bedroom, he stepped back and waited patiently for the Alpha King to walk past him first.

Wolfaraine walked gingerly into his bedroom. He took a very deep breath and allowed the familiarity of his bedchambers to fill his system.

After staying in the human world for more than two weeks, it feels good to be back in his own world, to his home, his bedroom. It has been a long, exhausting journey.

"The council was informed of your return. They await to welcome you in the Meeting Hall." Degar informed him. "They heard about the attack from the Wolfhunters, so they are concerned about you— "

Just then, the door burst open and Alphose walked into his bedroom. He stopped suddenly, his eyes frantically taking in every part of Wolfaraine. When he heard about the attack and his return, he'd come rushing here.

A deep breath he had no idea he'd been holding released when he saw his Alpha King alive and relatively unharmed.

"Let me guess, you heard about the attack too, Alphose," Wolfaraine stated before turning his back to remove his clothes.

Alphose inclined his head, "Welcome back, Alpha King. Yes, I heard about it."

When Wolfaraine said nothing else, Alphose couldn't hold it in any longer, "How are you doing?"

"I am fine."

"No, he is not." Degar countered his words, concern blanketing his face, "He took two bullets made by rhodium, to his left leg. That was a week ago. And it is still untreated."

That was when Wolfaraine walked towards his bed, his hand going to his head to remove the annoying black wig he'd had to put on to cover his unusual-colored hair in the human world. Alphose's eyes widened as he noticed the difference in his graceful movement.

"Oh, heavens." Alphose faced the door, "I will call Harhan—"

"Do not bother." He closed his eyes and the scent of her filled his nose. She has been in his bedroom recently. Her scent alone is going to drive him insane. "I plan to go find Ismena myself."

Degar cocked his head to the side, "Oh? But the council— "

"They can wait." Alphose and Wolfaraine said at the same time. Both men glanced at each other.

Degar nodded too. "I agree with you too. The Alpha King needs to see his mate more than he needs to see the council."

Wolfaraine did not bother saying anything about the male's reference to Ismena. "How is she?" He directed to Alphose, unable to resist asking.

"She is well, Alpha King." All week, Alphose made plans on how to tell Wolfaraine about the new human visitor of Naturiah, immediately he comes back home. But, seeing his condition, he decided to put it off for now.

"I will go get her for you." Degar was already on his way to the door.

"No. I will go to her." He needed some fresh air from Naturiah, after breathing human air for a long time. Plus, there is this need to go to her.

Alphose and Degar shared a look of worry—and wonder. Wolfaraine looks positively exhausted and stressed, yet he was driven by the impulse to go find his woman himself.

Impulse only mated people feel, but he is still unmated to her.

"As you wish, Alpha King." Both males answered at the same time.

"I will go speak to the council," Alphose concluded.

"This camping is not fun. Not when Ismena is being such a grump again!" Sandra complained in a loud voice. "God, I wanna cry."

Ismena paid her friend no attention. Staring at the beautiful trees surrounding them, she lost herself in the thoughts of Wolfaraine. God, she has it so bad for him, she admitted to herself .

"Come on, Sandra. Let's go down to the beach." Eline suggested.

Sandra's sullen mood disappeared instantly. "There's a beach nearby?"

"Yes. We can walk around the beach while I tell you about the werewolf clan and the leopard clan. I did promise to tell you about them today."

Sandra jumped up from the camping tent. "Yaaayyy!!! Let's go, let's go." Throwing her best friend a glare, she added, "Some fun at last."

Eline waited for Sandra to go far away before she turned to her friend, "He will soon be back. Hang in there, dear friend, he will soon be back."

The soft-spoken words drew Ismena out of her own mind. She cleared her throat uneasily, "I have no idea w-what you're talking about."

Eline only smiled, "I am not your clueless, human friend, Ismena. I can practically smell how much you long for the Alpha King, your desire is so strong that It's affecting my cougar."

Shit. Of course.

She lowered her head in defeat, "I miss him badly, Eline."

"I know. He is your mate, Ismena. Of course, your mind and body will never allow you not to miss him. I completely understand, that is why I'm telling you not to worry because he will soon be back."

Eline rose and patted her friend's back, "When you're able to, you can come and join us at the beach. We'll be waiting." With that, she rose and followed the path Sandra walked through.

Alone, Ismena looked out to the trees, allowing the cool evening breeze to wash over her .

She had no idea how long she stayed there, lost in nature, her environment, and her memories. Then, she heard the sound of leaves ruffling like someone was walking on them.

Sandra and Eline are back?

Standing up, she came out of the tent and looked ahead of her. The breath left her body. The world around her stood still.

Wolfaraine?

Has she missed him so much that she is started to hallucinate about him?

"Hello, Ismena." Came the deep voice that never fails to send shivers down her spine.