Old lady
“I will head back now,” Jack squared his shoulders. “Are you coming?”
“Go on,” the Seer gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “We will see soon enough.”
Jack lowered his head and went on his way. He had his car parked outside the gates.
The Seer watched him walk up to a distance before he continued with Xander.
“The wolf only competes with fierceness and strength. Look deeper,” the Seer jerked his head in the direction of the fountain.
“I honestly don’t understand you,” Xander jammed his hand into his pockets and leaned on a pillar. “You mean no harm so that’s fine. As for the human… if she talks to me I guess I will find out what she knows.”
The Seer threaded a hand through his hair and looked away to the Alpha back on the fields.
“You have touched your cornrows about a hundred just in the living room,” Xander smoothed down his pants.
“Too bad you can have them,” the Seer chuckled softly. “For someone of your color, it’d be culturally inappropriate.”
Xander smiled. They both walked down to the fields.
***
Jack drove in to give the Seer a ride. The Alpha waved them goodbye. They drove away and the gates were closed after them.
The Alpha pack had been disseminated into squads of fours. Two squads Eric is the leader of Manny, Ruben, and Sandra. They met with Xander to approve their dismissal.
“We are all packed up and ready to go,” Eric reported.
“You will be back in two, three days yeah?” Xander pressed a finger to his lips. “No, no Manny can’t go on a mission,” Xander cocked his head. “The whole squad here isn’t ready and has never been in combat before, at least outside the walls of the Manor.”
“Looks like it’s my lucky day,” Ruben muttered sagging his shoulders.
“Who said you could speak?” Eric stiffened.
“The clash with Drew wasn’t anything. If these guys were to get jumped in the woods they wouldn’t be able to fend for themselves,” Xander folded his arms. “So maybe this might just be your lucky day Delta,” Xander inched forward to Ruben with a straight face.
Manny and Sandra were relieved. The other squad came by and they were much bigger and older than the young werewolves Eric gathered.
“We are taking the bridge,” their Squad leader grunted.
“Get that bass out of your voice Shawn,” Eric confronted.
“Don’t go ripping each other’s throat out yet,” Xander held them by their shoulders. “Bring me back the head of a rogue and you’ll become my most trusted beta,” he patted them.
“Second-in-Command is the goal,” Shawn sniffled. “Better luck next time,” he stepped away the other husky wolves following him from behind.
Xander
“Sandra, Manny, and…”
“Ruben,” the young Delta drew nearer to his Alpha.
“I hereby assign you to tag with Eric on this mission,” Xander folded his arms and glanced at the other squad hollering. “Alpha pack are faced with obstacles from time to time. This is your chance to prove yourselves. Not to me but to the Alpha pack.”
“Yes Alpha,” the squad said all together.
Sandra raised her hand.
“No questions,” Xander shrugged.
She lowered her hand. Xander walked up to her face.
“Speak don’t ask,” he clasped his hands behind his back prodding his head forward.
“I do not wish to hold them back anyway,” she raised her chin. “But my healing… it is not as fast rapid as the others.”
“Then don’t get hurt,” Xander warned.
“What about this fella railing off on his own,” Manny pointed to Ruben.
“Deltas are lone trackers,” Ruben scoffed. “I wouldn’t want some wannabe betas slow me down.”
“Don’t go doing stupid shit,” Eric flicked a finger at Ruben’s temple.
“What the hell?’ Rubbed his temple.
“Eric I leave them in your hands,” Xander sighed.
Xander walked away and left them circled around Eric.
***AT THE CONDO***
Xander parked his car a mile away. He walked all the way to the condo. He wanted no traces so had to do what he despised the most. Walking.
He’d rather have a mocktail with a plate of canapes on a sunny day like this. Not out here in the woods but maybe on the lake side. If the woods were safe and open to roam free. Catherine would have to give consent first; the only girl that kept him waiting for answers.
He sighted the roof of the condo. He escaped the thorns that surrounded the façade.
“This was probably Manny’s idea,” he muttered under his breath.
He was shaking when he opened the door and was met with Catherine’s quirky but beautiful sublime face. She was in cargo shorts and a sweatshirt.
“Are you going to stop me from entering or what silly act is this?” he covered his eyes with a hand.
She walked away all peevish. He closed the door and hung his jacket in the cloakroom. This was just a Condo with small and very expensive features but he made it equivalent to everything a well-furnished house should have.
“Show up after what? A week,” she threw her hands in the air walking into her room.
“Four days-it has been four days don’t whine about it,” he plucked at the cuff of his shirt.
She was on her bed. The room was littered with empty food packs and bags from shopping. Xander recognized the logo of the supermarket she might have gotten these.
“Holy shit don’t tell me you went outside Catherine!” he yelled.
“So what if I did?” she picked a piece of cuticle from her sleeve. “I don’t see you showing up much,” she rolled her eyes at him.
“Are you crazy? What if-”
“Manny got them you can relax now,” she raised her brow smiling.
“You got me all worried,” he rubbed his forehead and sprawled on the couch.
“Who else would have gotten them?” she undid her ponytail and shook out her hair.
“Looking all pretty for me I see,” Xander lifted his chin.
“You’d wish,” she scrunched up her face.
Xander left the couch and lay beside her on the bed. He rested his head on a pillow. She twirled at her ear lobe and dropped the book in her hand.
“I want to ask you something,” he moaned close to her ears.
“Your breath is hot,” she twirled her hair.
“Now tell me what you saw that night before,” he said softly.
“That’s digging too deep,” she rolled to the side and her eyelids drooped.
“You need to tell me, Catherine,” he propped his chin on his hand. “Let me listen so I can help.”
He gazed into her eyes and stroked her hair to the side. She blinked and she drew in a deep breath.
“Okay,” she exhaled.
“I’m right here with you,” he held her hand. “If it gets too intense to let out, there’s no trouble in holding back.”
She sat up on the headboard and leaned on Xander.
“That night I had a bad dream… I saw him,” she wilted. “Finley came out the door and ran to attack me outside in the garden. It wasn’t just that,” she clenched her toes. “It was first a woman, an old woman. She had dark eyes and white skin. She also had a brown scarf around her neck. She morphed into what I thought was Finley. Her gown wore a patched-up overall,” she gripped Xander’s arm.
Her breaths shuddered. Xander rubbed his hands on her shoulders.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
“That is all I need Catherine say no more,” he consoled. “I will have one of my pack members find out about this old lady.”
She pulled the sheets over her body and pressed her face on a pillow. Xander rose up from the bed. He glances back at her. He turned away and proceeded to pick up the mess in the room.
He grabbed a trash bag in the kitchen. He lowered and picked up every empty food packet, soda can, shopping bag, and tag.