"Oh, come on! Why are you still mad? It was funny! And look! I am dressed again!"
All I did was roll my eyes while still trying to get through this thick forest. Bushes, threes, and everything green, filled with leaves and long grass, looked like it decided it wanted to brush my face and be up close. This was supposed to be a place where a pack lived nearby; from what I've seen this far, it looks just wild and uninhabited. Drifta is pushing, wanting to shift, almost like she is scraping and clawing at me from the inside, adding to the frustration and irritation. Seb said I can't shift here, not now, not without talking to or introducing ourselves to the local pack. They might see us as intruders or a threat.
However, this doesn't seem to sink into Drifta's head. She was still pushing me, pacing around in my mind, and whining to the point that an irking headache was lurking far down in my neck, working its way up my skull. Having him jogging up behind me didn't help either; all I could see when I heard his voice was that half-limp meat stick of his slamming around in circles and slapping on his thighs every now and then. Idiotic! I didn't even know guys over 13- 14 years old even did this thing anymore! But I guess he is in his own league. I also hated that no matter how much I tried, how much I scolded myself for it, I could not stop imagining it. I mean, it... His freaking cock. It is just a cock, a dick like every other one-eyed meat snake!
Still, I see it. Not circling around like a moron, but hard, twitching. Pulsating towards me, stirring up a warmth deep down inside me I don't want to acknowledge! I am an idiot, I know! I should have no problem wanting what I want, but still, it makes me feel bad. Like I am still doing something bad, cheating, it must be that freaking mate bond! At least the anger that sparked inside of me at that thought pushed away that alluring, warm, and sweet heat in my lower abdomen.
"As you should! Nobody just walks around naked or swings around with their gummy worm like that!"
"Ey! Don't call him that! You make him sad, almost at least! Oh, come on! Slow down! Why are you running?"
"I am not! I just.."
I Paused, let the feeling wash over me. How tired I was, how sweaty and warm every inch of my skin felt. Like a fever was raging in my body, Drifta stressed inside me. I felt awful. Almost depressed, n di didn't even bother to shake his hand off my shoulder when he walked up behind me, and his warm hand landed on me. A massive warm hand covering my shoulder, and his voice deep and calm behind me,
"You need to shift. It has been too long, hasn't it?"
"I.. I am not sure, but Drifta needs to shift, and I feel like shit."
"I see; I know wolves need to shift regularly. Especially in the beginning, it is to strengthen the bond between beast and human. Let your connection settle and let your beast land properly, place all paws on the ground, and find their pack, home, and human. So you need to shift, it will drain her if you don't, and it has already been long enough. "
"But you said that I had to wait?"
Now even I heard it, how irritated I was, but he did say that!
"Yes, but we are here now, "
And like a scene taken right out of. Movie, he leaned past me and pushed a thick bush aside, revealing an open field bustling with life. Suddenly the air filled with laughter, voices talking, children squealing and crying.
"Welcome home! The pack you were born into, the place I first met you, and the place I at one point believed I would pick you up in."
I barely registered his voice behind me, but the message sank in. My home, the place I was born, the place I was supposed to grow up in. The people I should have known for years and years. Build bonds with family and friends. A strange sensation of sentiment welled up my throat, and when people started turning towards us, nerves took over.
Then nerves really began to take over, and several massive guys pushed past some women and children, forming a line between them and us. My heart started to hammer against my rib cage while Seb walked out on the field, pushing me forward. One hand on my back and one hand raised towards the men, that looked everything but friendly as they crouched down, and I swear I heard them growl as we kept walking towards them.
"They don't look so happy to see us, and maybe we should stop! "
"Nah, this is just the way they are. Always so protective and grumpy!"
He chuckled a little, and a dark spark of mischief flashed through his eyes while he grinned wide like he was enjoying this and trying his best to aggravate the already sneering men fronting us.
They were about 10 facing us now, all adult males. I could see their eyes flashing between their humans and beasts. Muscles shifting and bulging, fists clenching, one even had black claws out of his freaking fingertips as he watched Seb's every move. His upper lip twitched like him, and all the rest were ready to jump us any second now.
"Seb? Amon? Please, stop this!"
The whisper was more of a harsh plea, and this situation began to feel hostile and unsafe. I had no problem picturing these people attacking us to protect their pack and family, and what could I do? Nothing. Drifta huffed in disagreement in my mind, but she knew what I meant deep down. She might be strong, but we are just one, and I am all new to both shifting and fighting.
We stopped, and his hand shifted from my back, stretching out in front of me, almost in a protective stance, but he never took his eyes off the men protecting their pack. It felt a little nice, knowing he would protect me, but still, I could not stop the slight tremble in my body. The air was filled with tension and stress, fear, anger, and adrenaline.
"Greetings, friends! We arrive in peace!"
He raises his voice, calm and steady but at the same time pushing his energy towards them. Telling them who he was, what he was. I cringed a little while he looked incredibly proud, while these men did not seem to react the way he expected. They knew he was a dragon, at least a beast other than a wolf. But I have no idea if they knew he was royalty or if that was information that he could even push on them that way. However, he lifted his shin, probably expecting submission or something. Instead, their beast seemed to be triggered by this. Snarling, upper lips lifted, showing growing canines, shifting from one foot to the other while claws grew, and some even let their beast's eyes take over fully.
I took a trembling step back and swallowed hard, but Seb just chuckled, and I finally understood that he was crazy. Not only missing his social skills and the knowledge of how to talk to a female, but he was also missing some screws and brain cells too. Clearly not seeing how the situation was developing right in front of us.
"We are here to see Tew; I am King Sebastian Amon Agorghan the Third. We arrive in peace, only seeking to talk to your alpha."
Finally, the tension lightened slightly, and I had to bite my lip not to laugh at Seb's reaction when some of the men failed to hold back their laughter. At the same time, others mocked his name with very feminine and fake upper-class voices between themselves. Seb's mouth tightened to a thin line, and dark shadows grew around his eyes.
"This is how you treat royalty here? Where is Tew? Tell him I have someone that wants to meet him!"
He gestured toward me, and for the first time, all eyes landed on me as they saw me for the first time, and at least the threat and anger were not aimed toward me. But it didn't make me feel better. All glaring at me, looking me up from top to toe. A couple of them walked to the side to give way to someone walking up behind them. If I didn't know that Tew was the alpha here, I would expect this man to be the alpha. He was older, almost like Toke's dad, but still looked fit, strong, and fierce. He walked up between them and towards us. His entire being demanded respect and authority, and Drifta suddenly felt restless.
"Tew is not here, and I act in his place. He is not expecting anyone, not even a woman."
He wasn't rude, but there was no room for nonsense. No room for anything but the truth.
"No, but she is the one he is searching for. This is his sister."
It was like a cold cloud dropped over everyone, fast and hard. Even the man in front of us seemed affected. His face dropped for a second before it changed. Disbelief, sadness, and happiness, everything neatly wrapped in with confusion.
When he spoke now, even his voice had changed a little, no authority but questioning, almost begging when he asked for my name.
Seb nodded and encouraged me with a smile when I looked to him for answers, so I swallowed hard and hoped my voice would hold,
"Apparently, I have many names. I grew up as Elisabeth; the Vikings renamed me Eir, and Tew called me Ros.."
A terrifying cry erupted through the air, making goosebumps spread across my entire body, and my blood felt like ice as I jumped back in shock. The cry turned to a howl as pieces of clothing, leather, and fur exploded in the air, raining around us. He sifted so fast that I didn't even get time to react before the massive black wolf stopped right in front of me. Yellow eyes stared right into mine for a second before he started to smell me, whimper, then growl again. Like he could not decide what to do with me, frozen in place, I didn't even dare to breathe, scared it would trigger him, scared it would make him attack me.
Drifta's voice was a growling whimper as it filled my head, and my heart stopped as my stomach dropped to the ground,
"Father!"