Love my wolf, p.2
Love My Wolf, page 2
Raffael got to his feet, patted the dirt from his rough, green clothes, grabbed his sturdy, gray backpack and riffle and set out for the restaurant at the forest border.
He enjoyed the walk and observed the path borders, checking for trees that looked ill or rubbish he could pick up. Always on duty.
With a smile, Raffael walked on, until he heard some new voices ahead of him. It was becoming too late for hikers to walk into the forest. They should have turned around and head outwards by now.
He listened, but the voices grew louder. He hoped they would be more understanding about the night’s rest for the forest than most tourists and hikers.
Raffael doubted it.
Marita, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Following the path into the forest was fun. Slowly the stress from the travel faded away. Marita’s muscles relaxed.
Marita had always liked to explore new forests, new places, both back in the Schönbuch forest and the parks in the city where she had studdied. Exploring this forest woke her excitement for newness. The fact, that she needed this forest to be perfect for them, just added some tension she embraced.
She listened to the chatter of her company.
Tobias, she learned, wished for a wife, but all rejected him. Something he didn’t understand. Changing to human form would enhance the options, thought Marita. She looked over her shoulder to comment but saw Lisa focus Tobias intensively. Might be his problems would come to an end sooner than lighter, mused Marita.
Martia made long strides, walking on the grassy sides of the path. All of her company did. They prefered listening to the surrounding life, instead of interrupting them with crunching gravel. The leaves and twigs of the nearest bushes brushed over her hand and arms, as she walked past them. They got more and less neat as she advanced. Even the gaps between the trees filled with bushes, younger trees and dead wood. At the entrance point those spaces had been clean. Nearly no underbush had been there. This surely meant she came nearer to the jungle part.
Suddenly the surrounding sounds faltered. Only the rustling of the wind in the treetops high above her remained. The surrounding air seemed to stand still.
Marita stopped and listened.
She heard determined steps ahead of them. A single person from the sound and not a hiker, for their steps were less forcefully determined.
She sniffed. There lingered a fint trace of human mixed with wood and gunpowder in the air. A scent that hardly moved among the trees. Just enough to give her that general sense. Who was there? An illegal hunter? The gamekeeper himself? The latter would be perfect and save her a way.
Shortly after smelling the human she heard the steps much clearer.
Marita smiled and matched the pace of the steps with her own, silent steps on the grass. Walking barefoot was so much more fun. She’d surprise the person at the next bent. Surprising humans told her a lot about their characters, usually, because she got to watch them for a moment caught off—guard.
Marita walked around the bent. The smell intensified. A scent of male added to the wood and human smell. A trace she somehow liked. Not that there hadn’t been enough males around her and in her life. No one so far had appealed to her with their scent alone, but this one was different. It tasted vivid and happy, and this was odd, strong enough for her.
Marita stopped, stayed glued to the place where she was. She could feel her wolf part pushing the limits. Craving to change to sniff the stranger up and down and then play with him, probably cuddle with him. She pressed her lips together to avoid yiping like a pup that got delighted by a new toy.
“What’s up?”, asked Lisa next to her, looking first at her, then at the tree that stood in the way and avoided a peek around the bend. “Did you hurt your feet? There are a lot of thorns from the blackberries around.”
Marita gaped at Lisa.
“What are you talking about?”
Puzzled by Lisa’s chatter, Marita shook her head to get a clear thought again. The steps around the corner had gotten louder.
“Why don’t you put your shoes back on?”, asked Tobias.
“Why would I?” Marita knew deep down the chatter of her group had a hidden sense, but she didn’t find it. Walking barefoot wasn’t the problem. Besides, the blackberry bushes had ended a while back. Around them were no thorns.
She searched the ground to be sure. There was only the lightly growing grass under her feet at the sides of the path, and the wide, beaten path itself for the visitors of the forest. No thorns.
A twig cracked and then Marita saw the man with the vivid scent that got her into this puzzled state. He wore a green huntsmann’s hat with a single brown feather on the side. His short, black hair curled behind his ears and his brown eyes reminded her of the oak trees bark that grew next to her house in the Schönbuch forest. Her lost home.
She blinked. No need to start crying now over her exile!
She gulped. She was well aware, that her group stared at her, probably equally puzzled as she had before.
“Let’s keep going”, murmured Marita.
She had to leave the place as fast as possible.
She stepped forward, and tripped over her own feet.
Warm hands caught her, holding her under her shoulders.
“Are you allright?”, asked a mellow voice, Marita didn’t know.
The stranger.
She heard her group close a circle around them. They wouldn’t attack, not immediately, but they needed a place to run. There was too much energy from the travel. She had to end this quick.
“Fine. Thank you”, said Marita, her voice hoarse.
From the proximity he smelled even better. She wanted to grab his jacket and pull him closer, sniff her way up to his face and plunder his mouth with a kiss, or two, or more.
She straightened herself and put a smile on her face.
“I’m fine. Thank you. Good day.”
She wanted to walk around him and lead the others deeper into the forest.
“Where are you going?”, asked the man with the wonderful smell and the mellow voice that felt like a caress on her skin.
“Hiking through this wonderful forest”, said Lisa who stood right next to Marita. She hooked into Marita’s arm. “Have a nice afternoon.”
Lisa pulled Marita forward another step before the stranger interrupted again.
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
The woman in Raffael’s hands felt muscular and strong. He wondered how she had missed her step and could trip. Probably the soft forest floor and the bare feet, he mused.
Very unlikely. The ground was dry and hard from the lack of rain.
Though he could hold her a little longer and take in her scent of fresh water and earthy wood. Her blond hair, braided, would surely look golden in the sun, he thought.
The woman straightened, and he pulled his hands back reluctantly. That moment he became aware of the others of her group. He had known she wasn’t alone from all the voices he had heard. But the moment he saw her trip, he had had only eyes for her.
The group had closed a circle around him. They stood close enough to make their posture be both, a sign of protection for the woman and a threat to him if he dared to make a wrong step. He could feel the dominance from all of them. Their certainty that they could take him up, and none seemed to be the least impressed by the riffle hanging over his shoulder.
He straightened and looked at their faces. Three young man, one more woman. All of them had backpacks and wore jeans and shirts like day tourists coming out of the city for a bit of nature. The only difference made the women who walked barefoot.
The woman he saved from her fall didn’t smell like a city girl, though. He took in another deep breath. He enjoyed her scent of freshness, remembering him of the little creek that ran through the forest’s heart most of the year.
Raffael didn’t want to step back and say good—bye.
Contrary.
He wanted to pull her closer to him, hug her, strip her off her clothes and discover what else she was, besides a girl hiding in a city girl disguise.
He could take them down. All of them. They didn’t look that experienced in a fight. But he would earn himself some hits too. There was no need for hostility either, although they were in his territory.
Territory?
Raffael watched the tourists closer.
He didn’t think in a teritorial way when he met tourists on the official hiking paths through the Hainich. Especially not when they were clearly as clueless as this bunch of young adults. Sneakers in the forest. Really? Sturdy shoes were a far better idea. Besides, the girls seemed to have some sense of itelligence walking barefoot. Better feeling of the ground.
“Where are you going?”, asked Raffael.
“Hiking through the forest. Good afternoon”, said the other girl with an arrogant look at him.
As if he was the intruder and bad guy here.
He watched her pull his girl with her. Nearly dragged her along as if to make sure he never got another chance touching even the tips of her hair. Which angered him fairly well. He would touch her again, that he would make sure he did even more than touching if she didn’t object herself.
What he wasn’t sure about was why he was so possessive. He hadn’t been that way, ever. He was a sharing person. Always willing to give to others.
“I’ll join you a while”, said Raffael with a slow voice, before he had his sudden change of mind sorted out with himself. The pancakes could wait a week. His girl was surely gone by then. If he didn’t make her stay. He would create lots of reasons for her to stay if he had any say in this.
He smiled broadly, thinking about the next weeks, months, even years with her.
“Don’t you dare touch her again”, said one of the men who stopped and stood between Raffael and the two woman. They didn’t look back, just walked on.
He jerked Raffael out of his daydreams. Did he really think years? Stunned by his own thoughts he stood still. Thinking again: Years. Yes, years sounded quiete right. Lifelong sounded even better to him.
“Come along Tobias. He’s no threat to me”, said the sweetest voice Raffael ever heard.
He felt his heart leap at the sound of her voice that felt like a caress on his soul. He wanted to snatch her away, find a silent place in the forest, preferably out of sight of anyone. He was glad, she wasn’t afraid of him. Despite his riffle, hanging over his shoulder next to his sturdy backpack.
Smiling, Raffael walked around the guy called Tobias and followed his girl. The arrogant one he simply ignored. Between him and his girl walked the other three guys. Raffael heard the steps behind him. Tobias was serious about guarding the two girls. He just wondered why. Was she the wife of one of them? Tobias’ maybe?
“Is she your wife?”, asked Raffael motionning forward with a nod of his head. “Sorry. I didn’t want to cause trouble just save her from hitting the ground, getting dirty and bruised.”
Oh, he would love to cause trouble now. Of course, he would. He wouldn’t let her go. Married or not.
But back, catching her, he had genuinely been helping.
“No. She’s not”, grummled Tobias next to him.
Jealous? Hoping to marry her? Raffael raised an eyebrow, looking closer at Tobias who marched next to him. He was lean, yet muscular. His brown hair was cut short, and he had been ready to fight for her safety.
“Not married?” Raffael’s smile deepened.
Tobias shook his head.
Good, Raffael didn’t have to kill a husband first. That facilitated things. A lot.
Walking along with the group, Raffael soon observed, they weren’t the talkactive bunch. They walked in a peaceful silence, only pointed to a tree or underbush group now and then. They were clearly looking for something, but he didn’t find out what for.
Behind the next corner the jungle heart of the forest started. From there onwards he could find a hidden spot for himself and the girl smelling wonderfully of forest. Silently he went through the many places available, trying to decide which one to use, when she turned around.
“I’m Marita”, Marita said with her wonderful sweet voice. “Who are you?”
Raffael made a few quick steps around the other guys until he walked next to her.
“Raffael. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to shake hers, glad for the opportunity of another touch. And the opportunity to grab her and dive into the dense, dark green underbush next to them. The dead wood laying crisscross would withhold her group.
Marita, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Marita watched the stranger called Raffael who wore the green clothes of a forester, the according green head with one bird feather and the riffel over his shoulder. His gaze on her felt determined. He was planning something. From the way he searched the border of the forest along the path and had checked her face she would bet he wanted to seperate her.
She did find the idea amusing. A human planing to kidnap a wolf shapeshifter.
She struggled hard to not laugh out loud. Especially not with Tobias behind her, ready to start a fight. He really needed a place to change and run his energy into the ground.
“We’re looking for the forester. The map had, that his house is in this direction. Right?”, asked Marita.
“Yes. His house is over there”, answered Raffael not pointing down the beathen path but straight through the forest. “What do you want from me?”
Lucky day she hadn’t allowed Tobias to beat him. This made things a lot easier.
Marita smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Raffael”, said Marita again. This time she extended her hand. He took it instantly and held it thight. She returned his grip, showing him she was strong enough to watch for herself.
His hand felt warm. Worn from his work in the forest and with the riffle, yet comfortable against her hand. Instead of pulling a fight about power, she would rather pull him closer and find out more about him.
Stupid thought!
Marita called herself to order and pushed every thought of it away. Wolf shifters weren’t allowed to intermingle with humans. Wolram had been lucky that his wife’s change had already been half begun and finished by his death fathers blood accidentially. Achim on the contrary had the issue with his girlfriend now. The turning point that got them thrown out into exile.
Well, she mused, might be the starting point, but surely not the reason. They had been too many wolves in the Schönbuch forest to stay. This Hainich, as much as she had seen of it so far, looked perfect to stay and build a new pack.
Therefore, she had to behave herself. Be a good example as a leader and all the crap she had learned about leadership at the minor subjects at univeristy. Now those lessons might come in handy, she thought ironically. At least to teach her what not to do while trying to keep her pack at bay.
First and foremost, she needed some place to run safely. To do this, she had to make fine connections to the local forester. Meaning to Raffael who still clutched her hand in his as if he wanted to press it into mush. She answered the pressure at the same level. It was enough to let him know she had force. She didn’t need to show him her superiority over him.
After breathless seconds Raffael smiled and let go of her hand. His red lips parted and showed wonderful wite teeth. A loving smile.
Martia tried to gulp the knot from her throat, but her mouth was dry as a brook bed at the end of summer.
She nodded at her group. “Allright, sit down I’ll sort this out!”, she commanded.
No one objected.
Raffael raised an eyebrow. His second eyebrow shot up, as her group sat down like one person without any comment.
“Thank you”, said Marita, mainly to soften her command and maintain the impression of a hiking group for Raffael.
Marita glanced at her people. The glittering in their eyes was clear. Everyone knew Raffael was interested in her. She smelled it herself in his slight arrousal that made his scent a tad musky and his voice a bit deeper than before.
Well, she was interested in the forest he keept watch over. They both had what the other wanted, they could easily form an agreement over this.
Marita went through her options. Having sex with the forester seemed not that much of a price for her. She liked having fun with the males. Although it wasn’t the best compromise one could set up, it surely was a starting point. A short term agreement while negociating a long term agreement that could last for years.
Aside from that, she admired Raffael’s courage challenging her. He was worth negociating with.
With her memory still fresh from seeing humans back away from only seeing her and subconsciously feeling the predator insider her, she valued his manner even higher. The only other humans who never had been afraid of her, had been her student group she played computer games with.
“Let’s walk a bit?”, offered Marita. She wasn’t shy but humans were. “We can talk and return afterwards. My friends will wait for me.” She winked at him and tilted her head ever so slightly.
Raffael gave her group another look, especially looking at Daniel who threatened him earlier. He didn’t look convinced about the promise. Did he expect them to come after him?
She had a hard time not to chuckle at the thought. She would make sure none went after Raffael. She neede him a bit more. Trustworthy humans were valuable because no one knew what humans would replace them if one went missing. Not to think of the police investigations and all the press coverage bringing in amateur detectives and tourists.
Unnecessary disturbances.
Marita laid her fingers laightly on Raffael’s arm. The wool from his green jacket felt warm under her fingertips. “Daniel will wait with the others”, she reassured him.
He shot another glance at Daniel. She could see his forehead wrinkle with questions, and how he pushed them aside, as it straightened again.
He smiled at her and put his free hand on her fingers. Warm and hugher than hers.
“Be my guest”, said Raffael.
