Running With Wolves
Hesitation
Luke was in the kitchen washing dishes with Conan while Rune took advantage of the guest bedroom, a luxury for her that made her sleep like a baby. Mia was on the phone outside with our boss Charles and I knew he was probably angry as hell that I wasn’t back yet but I didn’t care.
I sipped the green tea from the warm mug Lukas had brought me. Knoll was sitting in the chair across from me mindlessly flipping through a magazine, his foot tapping compulsively. It had been a long time since we had shared a pack but I’d known Knoll my whole life and I knew something was on his mind.
“Knoll,” I murmured. His foot paused and he glanced up to look at me curiously. “Is something wrong?”
I could see the hesitation in his eyes clear across the coffee table and the guardedness that subtly took over his body. He froze for a moment before he forced his body to relax.
He shook his head slowly. “I’m fine.”
He was a Canis, particularly Lukas’ brother. Unfortunately for him I could read Knoll almost as well as I could read Lukas in that aspect. He was quick to avoid talking about anything being wrong but instead saying that he was fine. Too bad for Knoll he’d just inadvertently told me that something was wrong.
“Kn-“
“Are you staying for good?” He questioned suddenly, changing the subject. It was a question I’d heard too often since I had returned and I couldn’t tell anymore whether people were searching for me to truly come home or just to go and leave them all the hell alone. But Knoll said it in a way that surprised me. There was a challenge in his tone, an ‘I’ll answer you’re question if you answer mine’ sort of ring to it; it irked me.
I cocked my head to the side studying him. Knoll had changed in every way now that I was actually looking at him. He stared at me with unwavering oaken eyes. Knoll was submissive by nature, he kept to himself, he didn’t stir the pot, and you had to poke and prod to get him to really tell you how he felt…but Knoll wasn’t timid anymore, he was quiet but he was no longer shy—something had changed him, hardened him.
“What’s your problem Knoll?” I questioned bluntly, the Were in me bristling at the sudden static in the air.
One thing hadn’t changed: while Knoll wouldn’t verbally tell you what was wrong, his body language could tell you so much more. His eyes hardened slightly and I watched his jaw tighten before he looked away. He glanced back at me before his shoulders slumped and he grabbed the magazine once more.
“Nothing,” He mumbled, flipping through the magazine and finding the spot where he’d left off.
“Knoll.” But he showed no sign of hearing me. “Knoll!” yet still the little asshole ignored me.
I don’t know what was shoved up Knoll’s ass but I wasn’t taking to it. I shook my head in disbelief, I couldn’t understand this, it wasn’t Knoll at all.
“Is everything okay in here?” Lukas was in the doorway with Conan beside him, both looking curious with just a hint of concern.
I glanced at Lukas but I said nothing, I wasn’t going to start something between the brothers—the last thing anyone needed was a family of Canis’ going at it.
“Everything’s fine,” I stated with a quiet reassuring smile in his direction.
Neither of them looked overly convinced and I knew if I didn’t change the topic fast this whole thing, which was nothing at the moment, would be blown out of proportion.
“So did you two ditch Mia with desert?” I don’t know what it was but people liked to give you food when people died. We had enough food to last us for another two week, not to mention the five pies we’d received. “You should know Mia can’t cook.” I commented eyeing Conan. “As in, she can’t even boil water and if you leave her alone with a pie and an oven she’ll burn the house down.”
I gave him a pointed look and he seemed surprised by the information for he promptly turned around and disappeared toward the kitchen. Lukas however didn’t budge has he glanced back and forth suspiciously between Knoll and I.
“You should both know I’ve know you since birth and lying to me is waste of time.”
“I’m not—“ I cut myself off and sighed shaking my head. This was heading in the direction I didn’t want to go. This was ridiculous; somehow asking if everything was okay was on the edge of turning into an argument. Who that argument would be between I didn’t know. “Everything is fine Lukas.” I met his gaze and I knew he was searching for a tell, something to contradict my words. “Luke why don’t you sit,” I suggested rising from my seat and he opened his mouth to protest. “really I insist. No matter what you two are still guests in my house and my father would roll over in his grave if you weren’t treated as such.”
“Sage, it’s us.” Luke stated refusing to take my seat.
“Yeah,” Knoll piped up, his magazine forgotten. “please don’t treat us like guests.” He shifted in his seat uncomfortably before his gaze flickered to his brother. Gees, you offer these two hospitality and they take to it like a cat to water.
“Fine,” I sighed. I took the few steps between Lukas and I then pushed him roughly down onto the couch beside his brother. I don’t know who looked more surprised and amused in that moment, Lukas for me dominating him or Knoll for actually witnessing his brother submit to someone. “sit your ass down then would you. I am going to have no disregard for either of you. Instead, I’m going to go eat my weight in pie so if you’ll excuse me…” I turned curtly on my heels and left the room.
The air felt lighter out here in the hallway; sure it still smelled vaguely like mothballs but it was still lighter. Maybe it was a wolf thing or maybe it was just paranoia but I could sense the hesitation and the need rolling of the two of them; the need to talk to me about something and the hesitation to do it. It made me uneasy. I really didn’t need to worry about what possible thing could be plaguing the minds of the Canis brothers that was of concern to me at this moment on top of everything else that plagued my own mind.
I sipped the green tea from the warm mug Lukas had brought me. Knoll was sitting in the chair across from me mindlessly flipping through a magazine, his foot tapping compulsively. It had been a long time since we had shared a pack but I’d known Knoll my whole life and I knew something was on his mind.
“Knoll,” I murmured. His foot paused and he glanced up to look at me curiously. “Is something wrong?”
I could see the hesitation in his eyes clear across the coffee table and the guardedness that subtly took over his body. He froze for a moment before he forced his body to relax.
He shook his head slowly. “I’m fine.”
He was a Canis, particularly Lukas’ brother. Unfortunately for him I could read Knoll almost as well as I could read Lukas in that aspect. He was quick to avoid talking about anything being wrong but instead saying that he was fine. Too bad for Knoll he’d just inadvertently told me that something was wrong.
“Kn-“
“Are you staying for good?” He questioned suddenly, changing the subject. It was a question I’d heard too often since I had returned and I couldn’t tell anymore whether people were searching for me to truly come home or just to go and leave them all the hell alone. But Knoll said it in a way that surprised me. There was a challenge in his tone, an ‘I’ll answer you’re question if you answer mine’ sort of ring to it; it irked me.
I cocked my head to the side studying him. Knoll had changed in every way now that I was actually looking at him. He stared at me with unwavering oaken eyes. Knoll was submissive by nature, he kept to himself, he didn’t stir the pot, and you had to poke and prod to get him to really tell you how he felt…but Knoll wasn’t timid anymore, he was quiet but he was no longer shy—something had changed him, hardened him.
“What’s your problem Knoll?” I questioned bluntly, the Were in me bristling at the sudden static in the air.
One thing hadn’t changed: while Knoll wouldn’t verbally tell you what was wrong, his body language could tell you so much more. His eyes hardened slightly and I watched his jaw tighten before he looked away. He glanced back at me before his shoulders slumped and he grabbed the magazine once more.
“Nothing,” He mumbled, flipping through the magazine and finding the spot where he’d left off.
“Knoll.” But he showed no sign of hearing me. “Knoll!” yet still the little asshole ignored me.
I don’t know what was shoved up Knoll’s ass but I wasn’t taking to it. I shook my head in disbelief, I couldn’t understand this, it wasn’t Knoll at all.
“Is everything okay in here?” Lukas was in the doorway with Conan beside him, both looking curious with just a hint of concern.
I glanced at Lukas but I said nothing, I wasn’t going to start something between the brothers—the last thing anyone needed was a family of Canis’ going at it.
“Everything’s fine,” I stated with a quiet reassuring smile in his direction.
Neither of them looked overly convinced and I knew if I didn’t change the topic fast this whole thing, which was nothing at the moment, would be blown out of proportion.
“So did you two ditch Mia with desert?” I don’t know what it was but people liked to give you food when people died. We had enough food to last us for another two week, not to mention the five pies we’d received. “You should know Mia can’t cook.” I commented eyeing Conan. “As in, she can’t even boil water and if you leave her alone with a pie and an oven she’ll burn the house down.”
I gave him a pointed look and he seemed surprised by the information for he promptly turned around and disappeared toward the kitchen. Lukas however didn’t budge has he glanced back and forth suspiciously between Knoll and I.
“You should both know I’ve know you since birth and lying to me is waste of time.”
“I’m not—“ I cut myself off and sighed shaking my head. This was heading in the direction I didn’t want to go. This was ridiculous; somehow asking if everything was okay was on the edge of turning into an argument. Who that argument would be between I didn’t know. “Everything is fine Lukas.” I met his gaze and I knew he was searching for a tell, something to contradict my words. “Luke why don’t you sit,” I suggested rising from my seat and he opened his mouth to protest. “really I insist. No matter what you two are still guests in my house and my father would roll over in his grave if you weren’t treated as such.”
“Sage, it’s us.” Luke stated refusing to take my seat.
“Yeah,” Knoll piped up, his magazine forgotten. “please don’t treat us like guests.” He shifted in his seat uncomfortably before his gaze flickered to his brother. Gees, you offer these two hospitality and they take to it like a cat to water.
“Fine,” I sighed. I took the few steps between Lukas and I then pushed him roughly down onto the couch beside his brother. I don’t know who looked more surprised and amused in that moment, Lukas for me dominating him or Knoll for actually witnessing his brother submit to someone. “sit your ass down then would you. I am going to have no disregard for either of you. Instead, I’m going to go eat my weight in pie so if you’ll excuse me…” I turned curtly on my heels and left the room.
The air felt lighter out here in the hallway; sure it still smelled vaguely like mothballs but it was still lighter. Maybe it was a wolf thing or maybe it was just paranoia but I could sense the hesitation and the need rolling of the two of them; the need to talk to me about something and the hesitation to do it. It made me uneasy. I really didn’t need to worry about what possible thing could be plaguing the minds of the Canis brothers that was of concern to me at this moment on top of everything else that plagued my own mind.