Status: fin.
Love Like Winter
fifteen;
Frozen with fear, Aurora stared up at Aiden’s fierce blue gaze and bit back the scream building in her throat. He had grappled onto her shoulders the moment she collided into his chest, probably knowing that her first instinct was to run from him. She merely stood as still as possible, hoping that maybe wolves followed the same mechanisms of those predators that found their prey invisible if they simply remained still.
No such luck however, because Aiden’s grip was nowhere close to loosening. “Let me go, Aiden,” Aurora whispered, for fear of both the monster behind them and the one in front of her. She had no idea what had become of Lucas—he could be dead for all she knew and she was alone with Aiden.
Then the story Lucas had told her came back to her. She realized that Aiden was probably in the same situation Lucas had been in before. Prosecuted for being in love with a human, though Aiden wasn’t in love with her…they had just gone swimming together. She had a brief flash of hysteria over realizing just how melodramatic and high school all this seemed. She almost wanted to yell at whatever wolf god was making these idiotic laws to butt out of her love life.
“I’m not going to run from you, Aiden,” Aurora tried again, glancing behind her while still trying to keep her eyes on Aiden. “Lucas told me everything…you need his help right?”
Aurora had almost said ‘our’ help but then realized she was incredibly useless in this entire situation. She was merely a helpless rag doll that had to do what she was told and hope the big bad wolves didn’t eat her first. Aiden’s eyes flickered at the mention of Lucas but something told her that he knew she was right.
Instead, he briefly nodded and his fingers loosened around her shoulders, and slid down to clutch around her wrists. He was looking past her now at something she didn’t know if she wanted to see. Finally, he met her gaze again. “Hold on,” was all he said before he swung her onto his back, his fingers still looped around her wrists and then trusting her to hold on, he ran.
She closed her eyes against the sudden rush of wind and suddenly instead of the material of whatever shirt he was wearing and skin there was fur beneath her. She was almost afraid to open her eyes and see the beast beneath her, but she did and nearly cried out at the sight of gigantic black monster. Her arms had widened to take the birth of his new size and she simply found herself wrapping her arms tighter around him.
Wind whipped past her and she was caught with a mouthful of her own hair and the black fur of the wolf beneath her. She was beginning to feel nauseous from the constant bumping and movement beneath her and wished desperately that he would stop or slow down but had a feeling that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
Aurora found herself desperately wanting to turn around and see if whatever Aiden had seen was still chasing them but she didn’t want to risk moving. She felt as though were she to move even slightly she would lose her grip and fall off into oblivion at warp speed.
By the time they slowed down it was dimmer outside. They stopped completely soon after and Aurora had a hard time relinquishing her grip on Aiden. He had to make some sort of frustrated growl to get her to startle herself out of her stupor. Slowly but surely she slid off of the wolf’s body. Her legs felt like jelly and her stomach was churning with uneasiness at the entire adventure and hunger. She realized she hadn’t eaten hardly anything at all that day and she it hit her with startling clarity as her stomach growled obnoxiously.
Aiden made another whine and Aurora looked at him for the first time. If she wasn’t so terrified of what was in front of her she would’ve found the creature beautiful. There were those familiar blue eyes glaring down at her and incredibly black fur that was shockingly long and luscious. He shuddered suddenly and Aurora watched incredulously as he slowly shrunk; fur retreating into his skin, his bones reforming and his snout sinking back into his skull. It all happened in a span of a minute but Aurora managed to catch every painful detail. All too soon the Aiden she knew was standing before her stark naked.
Aurora found herself blushing but didn’t bother looking away. This wasn’t her first time seeing a naked man, but it wasn’t exactly in the same circumstances. With a grunt Aiden grabbed a bag she hadn’t noticed before and pulled out a pair of pants before pulling them on. Aurora finally glanced around noticing that this was a camping ground. They were at the edge of a cliff but there was a tent that had already been set up, and a fire pit directly in front of that.
“I’ve been camped out here since Isabelle found us,” Aiden explained, glancing heatedly at Aurora. “Luke should be back here soon,” he muttered. “He chased Isabelle off our trail. But you and I… Beauty, we’ve got to talk.”
No such luck however, because Aiden’s grip was nowhere close to loosening. “Let me go, Aiden,” Aurora whispered, for fear of both the monster behind them and the one in front of her. She had no idea what had become of Lucas—he could be dead for all she knew and she was alone with Aiden.
Then the story Lucas had told her came back to her. She realized that Aiden was probably in the same situation Lucas had been in before. Prosecuted for being in love with a human, though Aiden wasn’t in love with her…they had just gone swimming together. She had a brief flash of hysteria over realizing just how melodramatic and high school all this seemed. She almost wanted to yell at whatever wolf god was making these idiotic laws to butt out of her love life.
“I’m not going to run from you, Aiden,” Aurora tried again, glancing behind her while still trying to keep her eyes on Aiden. “Lucas told me everything…you need his help right?”
Aurora had almost said ‘our’ help but then realized she was incredibly useless in this entire situation. She was merely a helpless rag doll that had to do what she was told and hope the big bad wolves didn’t eat her first. Aiden’s eyes flickered at the mention of Lucas but something told her that he knew she was right.
Instead, he briefly nodded and his fingers loosened around her shoulders, and slid down to clutch around her wrists. He was looking past her now at something she didn’t know if she wanted to see. Finally, he met her gaze again. “Hold on,” was all he said before he swung her onto his back, his fingers still looped around her wrists and then trusting her to hold on, he ran.
She closed her eyes against the sudden rush of wind and suddenly instead of the material of whatever shirt he was wearing and skin there was fur beneath her. She was almost afraid to open her eyes and see the beast beneath her, but she did and nearly cried out at the sight of gigantic black monster. Her arms had widened to take the birth of his new size and she simply found herself wrapping her arms tighter around him.
Wind whipped past her and she was caught with a mouthful of her own hair and the black fur of the wolf beneath her. She was beginning to feel nauseous from the constant bumping and movement beneath her and wished desperately that he would stop or slow down but had a feeling that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
Aurora found herself desperately wanting to turn around and see if whatever Aiden had seen was still chasing them but she didn’t want to risk moving. She felt as though were she to move even slightly she would lose her grip and fall off into oblivion at warp speed.
By the time they slowed down it was dimmer outside. They stopped completely soon after and Aurora had a hard time relinquishing her grip on Aiden. He had to make some sort of frustrated growl to get her to startle herself out of her stupor. Slowly but surely she slid off of the wolf’s body. Her legs felt like jelly and her stomach was churning with uneasiness at the entire adventure and hunger. She realized she hadn’t eaten hardly anything at all that day and she it hit her with startling clarity as her stomach growled obnoxiously.
Aiden made another whine and Aurora looked at him for the first time. If she wasn’t so terrified of what was in front of her she would’ve found the creature beautiful. There were those familiar blue eyes glaring down at her and incredibly black fur that was shockingly long and luscious. He shuddered suddenly and Aurora watched incredulously as he slowly shrunk; fur retreating into his skin, his bones reforming and his snout sinking back into his skull. It all happened in a span of a minute but Aurora managed to catch every painful detail. All too soon the Aiden she knew was standing before her stark naked.
Aurora found herself blushing but didn’t bother looking away. This wasn’t her first time seeing a naked man, but it wasn’t exactly in the same circumstances. With a grunt Aiden grabbed a bag she hadn’t noticed before and pulled out a pair of pants before pulling them on. Aurora finally glanced around noticing that this was a camping ground. They were at the edge of a cliff but there was a tent that had already been set up, and a fire pit directly in front of that.
“I’ve been camped out here since Isabelle found us,” Aiden explained, glancing heatedly at Aurora. “Luke should be back here soon,” he muttered. “He chased Isabelle off our trail. But you and I… Beauty, we’ve got to talk.”