Pathways

Darren had never returned to the bedroom the next day, so I took matters into my own hands. I had been extremely tired of sitting around doing nothing all day. So, I left. I strapped warm clothing and boots to my weak body and went outside. The sun shined upon the ice coated snow so beautifully that I felt like I had never been outside before in my life. Children ran up and down the streets of the village, playing tag and running into open shops. Everyone was in full swing today, laughing and giggling about Christmas. Sale signs hung in the colorful lit up windows of every shop I could see. Surprisingly I was have any trouble today, I was still pale and a little weak but the pain in my neck was virtually non existent. Because of that I seemed to be in the same cheerful mood that everyone else was in.

Beginning to walk down the closest street to our mansion I took in deep breaths of chilling air. It felt wonderful to be outside again, almost like a bird being released from her cage. The first shop I passed was the bakery, it smelled wonderfully. Scents of cinnamon and vanilla seeped into the busy streets. My goodness it was mouth watering, the aroma made my empty stomach growl. The shop keeper happened to be outside, chasing a couple children out of his shop. He was a plump man, old as well. He seemed to be in his late sixties and he still seemed to act like he was twenty. Seeing me he plastered a huge smile on his face, stretching his grey mustache over his lip.

“Oh Luna!” He cried rushing over to me. I felt a fear that he was going to be the one to drag me back into the mansion before I even had a chance to explore the town. He gripped my hands gently and kissed my knuckles. “My goodness you look famished, I am so pleased to see you out of bed.” Smiling even larger he began to drag me to his shop. “Come! Come! Let me fed you.”

I was overjoyed by the thought of food, but I knew I had no money to offer the man. “Oh! Thank you, but I have no money to pay for it, I am terribly sorry.” I begged, trying to stop him from pulling me through the front doors of his shop. Never had I ever been welcomed like this, it was foreign to me. All my life I had been the outcast, I would be lucky is someone would speak to me, let alone offer me food.

He chuckled and pushed me to the counter of his bakery, forcing me to sit down at is. “Dearest Luna, you offend me by thinking that I would ever make you pay for the food I cook. I am simply pleased to see our Alpha so happy, and now that we have you our pack is complete.”

Leaving me at my seat with one last kiss on my knuckles he pranced off into the pack of the shop. Leaving me to look around at the empty tables in his bakery. They were decorated in red and green table cloths, Christmas lights framing the windows and the display case that housed many different pies and pastries that were on sale. The smells in this place almost had me drooling, I had never been inside a bakery.

“Mellie!” He called loudly in the back, shouting for someone. I was tempted to peak my head in, to see how he made such wonderful smelling deserts. Sadly that would require me to get behind the counter and pop my head into the open doorway.

A cranky voice growled back to him from what sounded like the other side of the back of the shop. “What do you want now you old coot?” I could hear the sarcasm in her soft voice, she was talking to her mate. Whatever annoyance that was caused by him would be long gone soon.

He called back to her excitedly. “The Luna is in our shop, she’s here!”

I heard a fast rustling before a plump old woman appeared out of the back doorway. She wore an old moo moo dress that was covered in a fifties pink flower print. Her soft blue eyes were alive with excitement. Her white hair tied back in a tight bun. She was stunning. I could almost see her own life through her eyes. Love, fun, excitement. How could I have plastered that smile on her face just by being the Luna of her pack?

“Oh my goodness!” She rushed around the counter faster then her husband had, enveloping me in a tight huge. Squishing my face against her large breast and hugging me tightly. She smelled of sugar and flour, someone who had spent her whole day in the kitchen. “Aren’t you just the prettiest little thing!” She squealed happily, letting me loose and holding my face in her warm hands. Her eyes locked on Darren’s claiming mark, narrowing and tisking at it. “Why that boy would not know how to take care of a sleeping baby, come with me Luna. Let me take care of that nasty looking wound.”

I gladly stood up as she pulled me over to the small restroom inside of her shop, she was so welcoming so sweet. I loved the feeling of someone caring about me. Finally in my life I was accepted. “Please, call me Rose.” I begged.

She smiled back at me and pulled me into the bathroom. It was a small room with a toilet and a medicine cabinet. The walls were painted a bright blue with hand painted flowers decorating them. It was beautiful, homey. “That’s very kind Rose.” She hummed, turning back to the medicine cabinet and pulling out a box of large bandages and ointment. After taking care of Darren’s bite marks she pulled me back to the shop, sitting me right back to the spot where her mate had sat me. Of course she then plopped down right next to me, still holding my hand gently. “You are so skinny, dear. Does my Darren not feed you?”

I flashed her a shy smile and shook my head. “No no its not that, of course he feeds me.”

“I am teasing you, dearie.” She impatiently tapped her foot and glared at the door that led to the kitchen, clearly annoyed that her mate was taking his sweet time back there. “Darren used to come and visit us every day, he sat right where you are. Poor dear, he hasn’t had time to come visit us old folks since he took over his alpha position. I do miss him so.”

She let go of my hand and clutched a locked that was close to her heart. I felt bad for her, terrible actually. Did she think it was my fault that Darren had not come back here, I certainly hoped it wasn’t. If I had known they would’ve been so welcoming then I would’ve begged him to come here. These two people have showed me more kindness then I have felt my whole life.

Her mate came skipping through the door with a tray balancing on his arm. Three plates sat on it, and three glasses. With such grace he sat a plate and a cup in front of me, and then Mellie. A piping hot giant sticky bun and a glass of milk now lay in front of me, and the smell that radiated off it sent my brain spinning. Sitting down next to his wife I found us all silently eating, this was the best food that I could ever have eaten.

“Thank you.” I hummed after my first bite. “It is amazing.”

“You are welcome.” The old man began stuff his own face, sending a musical laugh out of Mellie’s lips.

“Manners!” She snapped, turning back to me and reaching out to brush some stray hair out of my face. “My nephew is lucky to have such a beautiful kind girl as a mate.”

The door to the shop slammed open, sending all three of us to just about jump out of our chairs. Whoever it was had been in a dreadful hurry and they made that quite clear. My eyes met my fanatic mate, Darren stood panting in the door way. He glared at me, shaking his head.

“Are you nuts, Rose!?” He snapped.

Mellie stood up from her seat, her hand over her heart as she look at Darren with such admiration. It was clear to me that she love my mate dearly. Before anyone had a chance to react she was running to him and throwing her arms around him. Hugging him and bestowing him with kisses all over his face. I watched as the wolf that had taken over my mate for the past few days disappear and my human Darren come back to life. He hugged her back tightly, spinning her plump body around and laughing sweetly.

“I missed you!” She wailed at him, hugging him tighter then I would ever.

He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I missed you to Aunt Mellie, I’m sorry that I have been to busy to visit.”

“Damn right!” The old man-whom I am assuming is Darren’s uncle- snapped. “No one else will eat my mince meat pies! Do you know how many I have had to throw out since you became alpha!” He stood up from his chair and pushed Mellie out of the way so he would envelope Darren into a hug. It wasn’t as tight as the hug that he had received from Mellie, but Darren didn’t seem to mind.

Darren smiled at the man. “Really! Why didn’t you send them to the mansion, Rob! I would’ve devoured them.”

Rob-the old man- laughed then, backing away from Darren and returning to his sticky bun. “Oh please, ya’ll have that place locked down tighter then a daughter on prom night.”

Darren moved over to me and placed a small kiss on my forehead before greedily stealing the plate that was in front of me. “Hey!” I whined, snatching at him but missing completely.

He smiled at me and took a seat next to Mellie, placing a now very sticky kiss on her cheek. “You snuck out, this is my reward for finding you.”

He grinned at me, watching me roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him. I was just happy to have my human Darren back, maybe things would be easier now. We spent the entire day with Rob and Mellie. As Darren took his time with Mellie- talking about random things (mostly me) -, I spent my time with Rob. He taught me how to make home made cinnamon rolls and peppermint tea. A few customers came in to buy fresh baked bread and occasionally some coffee. I was surprised to see that not many people were visiting the shop, when I asked Rob about it he said that Darren had the warriors of the pack out hunting today so that meant there wouldn’t be a lot of business.

Once it reached about three o’clock Darren just about forced me to leave. I must admit it was nice being about to talk to different people. I loved Darren with all my heart, but everyone needs a break every once in a while. Mellie and Rob shouted at us to come back as soon as possible, then they shrank back into their wonderful smelling shop.

Expecting to walk the trail back to the mansion I had turned that way. My feet crunching over icy snow and dragging Darren along with me, but he stopped me. Surprised I turned to him with questions in my eyes. My mate looked back at me with a smile on his face and happiness in his smile. His dirty blonde hair lightly blowing in the wind, and his hazel eyes bright with joy.

“What?” I laughed, his goofy expression making it hard not to.

“Lets have some fun.” He tugged me away from the direction of the mansion, and towards the rest of the village. Night on the town here we come.