Gaelic Rule
Ch.4
Aurnia saw lights in the distance, it had to be the campus she thought. She stumbled on a tree trunk and fell to the ground, she could barely see the stars overhead. That’s when she heard footsteps behind her. Nolan was following her! She didn’t know if she could face him again, let alone hold back the choking fear and keep moving. She turned around and saw his dark shape weaving in and out of the trees gracefully. Aurnia quickly swallowed her fear and leapt up to weave around the trees.
Nolan watched as Aurnia focused her energy into maneuvering out of the woods and back to the campus. He watched her once clumsy body demonstrate grace, agility and focus that it had not shown moments before. She had to be one. There was just no mistaking it. Nolan picked up his pace to catch up with her, play time was over and he needed to find out once and for all what she was.
For months Nolan had watched the supposed awkward girl. He saw her blond curly hair bounce with each step, her soft golden brown eyes take in everything, and he saw her hide each and every day. There was something deep in those eyes, something far to mature for the soft innocent eyes she hid behind. And that smell she gave off . . . that rich deep forest soil smell. She had to be one. There was just no other way to explain it. If he was mistaken then he’d have some explaining to do to the poor girl, scarring females was not something he was into or got off on. But he had to find out if she was a loup-garou.
Even her name fit. Aurnia Quinn ; Irish for golden wolf hound. Now what were the odds of that just being a coincidence? He couldn’t leave it up to chance. He raced after her, wondering what he would say if she really was a loupe.
Aurnia made it back to the edge of campus, the lights dancing on the horizon. She let out a breath of relief as she started to walk towards the dorms. She had no intention of speaking to Nolan ever again. Tonight had been a mistake, a stupid one at that. She never should have gone into the woods with someone she had never met, let alone a guy.
She walked into her dorm where she saw her room mate still awake, pouring over some book. “ Hey Meg, any luck studying?” She asked causally trying to play off her walking in at such a late hour. But no such luck.
“ So where have you been? “ Meg giggled. “ You never go out past ten. Where were you ? And come on I want details!” Meg jumped on to Aurnia bed squealing like a high school-er.
Aurnia took a breath. She knew Meg wouldn’t have just let it go. Megan was social where as Aurnia was not. Polar opposites, though both girls were there for each other when the other needed them, which truth be told was more Meg needing Aurnia then vice versa. “ I went for a hike.” Aurnia sighed.
“ This late? In this weather? I think not. “ Meg smiled. “ What’s his name?” She leered into Aurnia as if she could read it off her face.
“ No boy. Just a walk, you know clearing my head after a long day.” Aurnia replied hoping that Meg would accept the small lie.
“ Wearing a boy’s jacket?” Meg retorted. Damn she was good.
Aurnia looked down and sure enough she was still wearing Nolan’s jacket. Crap! Maybe I can just slip under his door when he’s gone. She thought. “ Oh this? I uh… borrowed it from some guy in class. It was raining earlier.” She rambled.
Meg seemed either satisfied or she had given up trying to worm the information out of Aurnia, “ Whatever” she snapped. But as she sat down at her desk there was a knocking on the door. “ Who could that be at this hour?” Meg walked to the door and opened it.
Nolan stood in the door way, damp from the rain and leaves in his hair. He was glaring at Aurnia. “ May I speak to Ms. Quinn please Meg?” Nolan asked while continuing to stare down Aurnia.
“ Umm sure… I got to print something anyway for my eight a.m. class.” Meg replied a little shocked at his tone. She turned to grab her spiral while winking at Aurnia for good luck.
Meg left the room and Nolan stood in front of the only exit. Leaving just him and Aurnia alone. He walked towards Aurnia and smiled. “ Now you want to answer the question I asked you or do you want to run again?” Nolan asked politely. He thought he try a different approach into getting her to talk.
Nolan watched as Aurnia focused her energy into maneuvering out of the woods and back to the campus. He watched her once clumsy body demonstrate grace, agility and focus that it had not shown moments before. She had to be one. There was just no mistaking it. Nolan picked up his pace to catch up with her, play time was over and he needed to find out once and for all what she was.
For months Nolan had watched the supposed awkward girl. He saw her blond curly hair bounce with each step, her soft golden brown eyes take in everything, and he saw her hide each and every day. There was something deep in those eyes, something far to mature for the soft innocent eyes she hid behind. And that smell she gave off . . . that rich deep forest soil smell. She had to be one. There was just no other way to explain it. If he was mistaken then he’d have some explaining to do to the poor girl, scarring females was not something he was into or got off on. But he had to find out if she was a loup-garou.
Even her name fit. Aurnia Quinn ; Irish for golden wolf hound. Now what were the odds of that just being a coincidence? He couldn’t leave it up to chance. He raced after her, wondering what he would say if she really was a loupe.
Aurnia made it back to the edge of campus, the lights dancing on the horizon. She let out a breath of relief as she started to walk towards the dorms. She had no intention of speaking to Nolan ever again. Tonight had been a mistake, a stupid one at that. She never should have gone into the woods with someone she had never met, let alone a guy.
She walked into her dorm where she saw her room mate still awake, pouring over some book. “ Hey Meg, any luck studying?” She asked causally trying to play off her walking in at such a late hour. But no such luck.
“ So where have you been? “ Meg giggled. “ You never go out past ten. Where were you ? And come on I want details!” Meg jumped on to Aurnia bed squealing like a high school-er.
Aurnia took a breath. She knew Meg wouldn’t have just let it go. Megan was social where as Aurnia was not. Polar opposites, though both girls were there for each other when the other needed them, which truth be told was more Meg needing Aurnia then vice versa. “ I went for a hike.” Aurnia sighed.
“ This late? In this weather? I think not. “ Meg smiled. “ What’s his name?” She leered into Aurnia as if she could read it off her face.
“ No boy. Just a walk, you know clearing my head after a long day.” Aurnia replied hoping that Meg would accept the small lie.
“ Wearing a boy’s jacket?” Meg retorted. Damn she was good.
Aurnia looked down and sure enough she was still wearing Nolan’s jacket. Crap! Maybe I can just slip under his door when he’s gone. She thought. “ Oh this? I uh… borrowed it from some guy in class. It was raining earlier.” She rambled.
Meg seemed either satisfied or she had given up trying to worm the information out of Aurnia, “ Whatever” she snapped. But as she sat down at her desk there was a knocking on the door. “ Who could that be at this hour?” Meg walked to the door and opened it.
Nolan stood in the door way, damp from the rain and leaves in his hair. He was glaring at Aurnia. “ May I speak to Ms. Quinn please Meg?” Nolan asked while continuing to stare down Aurnia.
“ Umm sure… I got to print something anyway for my eight a.m. class.” Meg replied a little shocked at his tone. She turned to grab her spiral while winking at Aurnia for good luck.
Meg left the room and Nolan stood in front of the only exit. Leaving just him and Aurnia alone. He walked towards Aurnia and smiled. “ Now you want to answer the question I asked you or do you want to run again?” Nolan asked politely. He thought he try a different approach into getting her to talk.