Chapter 13
Chapter 13
The movie is fun, although I can't resist glancing at my new phone in between to see if Beth might have sent a message about Claire. Even though we have agreed that it is not really a date, I still feel a certain tension and butterflies in my stomach when he puts his arm around me halfway through the film.
When the movie is over, I can't resist texting Beth to ask how Claire is doing, and tell her again that if, for some reason, things don't work out, I'll come home right away. A few moments later, I receive a photo of a sleeping Claire in response, with the caption telling me not to worry and to enjoy my night out.
"Are you okay? Do you want to go for walk?" Bruce asks doubtfully, and I smile.
"Yeah, she's sleeping. I don't think she even notices that I'm gone," I answer with a twisted smile, ignoring the slight pain in my heart. "And you? Are you sure your mother's heart can stay away a little longer? I don't blame you if you want to go back home already." He tries to reassure me.
His understanding makes me feel warm inside. "Since she won't notice if I'm gone a little longer, it can't hurt. It's going to have to happen at some point. I better get used to it." I admit, and for a brief moment, I see relief in his eyes before he gives me the most beautiful smile ever. I hook my arm around his. "So, where are we going?" I ask.
“It's a bit of a walk, but I promise it's worth it.” He answers, a bit mysteriously, and I chuckle. "Okay, lead the way."
It's a further walk than I expected, but I don't say anything. We walk through a park, and I can honestly admit that if I had been alone, I would not have chosen this path. "Don't worry, nothing will happen, we're almost there." He says soothingly when I unconsciously grip his arm tighter. "Sorry," I mumble, somewhat glad for the darkness so he doesn't see my flushed cheeks.
He leads us further through the park, and when we walk down a path, we arrive at a steep, high staircase.
I groan at the sight of the many steps, and next to me, I hear Bruce chuckle softly.
When we get to the top, I promise myself that it's time to start exercising again. My legs hurt, and I'm slightly out of breath. “This place must be really special if you put me through hell like that.” I manage to say while trying to catch my breath. "It is, I promise," he answers with a chuckle.
When I can finally breathe normally again, and the pain in my legs has almost disappeared, we continue walking along the path, at the end of which there seems to be a clearing.
When we get there, my mouth drops open in amazement. I look back, a bit confused. We are on top of a mountain.
“What, how?” I stammer, confused, not understanding how we are suddenly so high. The stairs were steep and long, but it wasn't that high. I look at Bruce questioningly.
"You didn't notice, but we already walked up the hill from the cinema," he explains. We walk a little further to the edge, which is cordoned off for safety.
The view is breathtaking. We can look out over the entire city. We enjoy the view in silence. "It's beautiful," I say softly and look at him with a smile.
"If you like this, I have another surprise." He says with a wide grin. "What could be better than this?" I ask myself out loud. He takes my hand, and we walk a bit further. The path led us a bit down the other side of the mountain.
Bruce ignores the warnings that we are not allowed to go any further and climbs over the railing. I stand there in doubt. Those warnings are there for a reason. "You don't have to worry, I come here all the time; it's safe." He says when he realizes that I'm not immediately following him. He extends his hand invitingly, which I grab with hesitation. Not entirely convinced, I let him help me over the railing. "I would never put you in danger. If I thought it was even remotely dangerous, I wouldn't take you." He tries to reassure me, and I believe him. We walk on a thin path formed by many feet that came before us.
Eventually, we arrive at the other side of the mountain. The ground is somewhat flat, and we look out over a large valley. While we looked out over the city on the other side, there are no buildings to be seen in the valley.
I stare at the view with my mouth open, it looks like a photo from a nature book, or images that you only see on TV. Trees so tall and green. If I see correctly, I think I also see a lake between the trees. Bruce has sat down and is hanging over the cliff with his legs. He taps his hand on the ground next to him. I sit down but stay away from the edge. We stare into space in silence. I don't know what I expected to see, but not this. Not so close to town. The noise of the city sounds can still be heard in the distance, but beside that, it is quiet. Birds whistle their song, it is soothing.
"I sometimes come here to think when I want to escape the hustle and bustle," Bruce admitted after a long silence.
"I can see why; it's beautiful here. How did you get here?" I ask. he probably doesn't think about entering a forbidden area every day. It takes a moment before he answers.
“When we came back last year.” He says tensely, I don't have to ask where they came back from. "I tried not to show it, but I was in pain. I couldn't understand why she was running away from me." I listen with bated breath. "The first few days, I managed to keep my mask on, but it was nagging. I let Bryce take control, and we ended up here." Bryce, I assume he's talking about his wolf. "He sat here, we let every thought pass us by." A deep sigh.
"And then?" I ask carefully.
"And then..." He replied. "After a few hours of feeling sorry for ourselves, we put it aside and went back." He tries to sound lighthearted, but I know better. I take his hand and squeeze it gently, he smiles briefly. “Do you want to meet him?” he asks suddenly. “Meet who?” I ask in surprise. "Bryce, my wolf," he clarifies.
I don't know how to respond at the moment. Not because I'm scared, I don't think Bruce would suggested it if he thought his wolf was dangerous to me. But it seems so...intimate in a way.
I think back to the first time I saw Brent's wolf. I didn't have an ounce of fear in my body, just admiration. Kenji was a beautiful wolf. I remember being amazed at his size. I expected a huge beast, but that wasn't too bad; Kenji was more of an overgrown wolf. But no less sweet. What he lacked in size, he made up for in character.
The memories bring a tear down my cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Bruce apologizes when he sees my sadness. "No, no. It's okay." I answer quickly and wipe away the wetness on my face.
“I would be honored to meet Bryce,” I say with a smile. "Are you sure? If it makes you uncomfortable, or if it brings back memories that make you sad, you don't have to." He says, a little worried. "I just thought it might be a good step to get more familiar with our pack," he explains. "I'm sure. And those memories will always be there." I say. "There will be more moments in the future that will bring back memories of Brent, so don't let that stop you," I say to convince him, and I mean it.
Beth is right. I will always love Brent, but I can't let my grief stop me from moving on. He looks at me quizzically for a moment, just to make sure I mean it.
Apparently, I'm convincing enough because he nods and stands up. “Um, what are you doing?” I stammer as he starts to undress. "I like to keep my clothes intact." He chuckles. "Unless you'd like me to take you back in my birthday suit." He says with a smug look. My cheeks heat up, and I look away in shame. Of course I knew that, stupid that I didn't think of it right away. I try to keep my gaze on the ground, but I can't stop myself from sneaking a peek up when I see his shirt fall to the floor out of the corner of my eye.
I struggle to avert my gaze as he drops his pants. Brent was already muscular, but Bruce. His skin is sun-tanned, and his arms are all muscle. Of course he is; he is the head trainer of a werewolf pack.
As I bring my gaze back to the ground, my eyes linger on his stomach. He is also above average muscular. That sexy V-line that everyone always talks about is clearly visible.
"Enjoying the view?" He comments, and when I look up, he has a crooked grin on his face. I swallow and look away in shame. I feel my face getting hotter than it already was.
I hear him chuckle, which is quickly followed by creaking bones. It only lasted a few seconds, but I remember the sound all too well. A dull thud on the ground makes me look up. In front of me is no longer Bruce's muscular body, but a large brown and black wolf. I take him in admiringly. I still recognize Bruce by his eyes. Although they don't have the same beautiful green color as Bruce's, I recognize those eyes from thousands.
As I take in the beast, he takes a step closer. He's a lot bigger than Kenji. Its fur is dark brown with black streaks running through it. He takes a step closer, his shaft is just below my shoulder. I look at him doubtfully, not knowing what to do next. Brent once told me that most wolves find it insulting if you pet them, as if they were a dog.
"Can I..." I say uncertainly, choosing my words carefully. “Touch you?” When he gives a small nod, I nervously raise my hand and gently run my hand over his back. "You're so soft." I notice. Bryce stands quietly and allows himself to be admired.