DIANA POV
I woke up with the sunbeams warming my face. Struggling to open my eyes, I groaned feeling sore in every part of my body. Remembering what happened last night, my lips curved up on how Scott took me to the high clouds from the living room up to the bedroom. He owned me, as he relinquish that craving and yearning taking him almost the entire night to quench his evident thirst. Despite saying enough, he still went on like an animal in heat wanting for more.
I reached for Scott beside me and felt nothing but a cold bed. Hearing sounds from outside, I dragged myself up with a white sheet of cloth covering my body, and peeked out the window. I saw my lovely man shirtless and drenched in sweat chopping some firewood. I could wake up to this everyday, I thought.
Feeling heated up and damped, I hurriedly went to the bathroom for a refreshing bath as I drop the cloth on the floor. The bathroom sent out a charming feel through its botanical patterns, muted colors, pedestal sink and a large claw foot bath tub. What a pretty home. I went in the tub, and turned on the shower. Touching every part of me under the cold water, I recalled how Scott claimed my body with his touch and kisses. I looked down at my chest and saw love marks from the night we shared. They all looked intense, scarlet bruises.
He was an entirely new world to me. Even when sober, everything about him blurred my visions. His presence let every worry that haunted all the hairs in my body vanish like they were never there. And then just when I thought, they were all gone. It all started coming back, like pieces of a broken glass.
I stared in a daze for I don't know how long. In a sudden, I felt big warm palms touch me from behind. When I looked back, Scott already buried his face on my nape. "You should've called me.. I've been waiting for you..", his voice took me out from the darkness that was swallowing me whole, as he give me a peck on my shoulder.
"You're early", I answered calmly, as the dark cloud above me clears along with the storm heavily pouring inside me. I turned around to face him, and sees this shameless man already unclad before me. He wore his nakedness like a crown, with a quiet authority. I reached up on his hair, swept it back with my hands down to his neck as I pull him close to the shower. "I didn't know you are well acquainted with hard labor". A scent of salted skin and a hint of split cedar clung to him, as I run my hands along the cold water dripping down his chest.
"Last night... hm.. Do you feel sore?", he asked, as he caress my back, eyes shifting down at my bare chest full of his love bites. "Sorry, I wanted to be more gentle, but… I couldn't control myself.. your scent drove me wild", he then kissed me on my forehead. His dark gaze held worry, yet utterly untouched by regret.
"I'm fine. Really!", I smiled. But honestly, he was rough like I don't want to do it again anytime sooner… Reading the room, it seemed like he wanted to do it again.
I couldn't help but gaze at his god-like physique. No wonder why Christina fell head over heels for him. As wolves who shape shift all the time, they would see each other's bareness like an everyday occurrence... and my scarred body wouldn't be much attractive to him compared to the likes of Christina.
Looking closely at his black tribal tattoo from his chest extending to his rib and hip, it appears to be an unfinished art collection of different images. I grazed it with my finger and asked, "What does it mean?".
"It's uhh.. an Alpha's memoirs and achievements. Alpha wolves get tattoos for every milestone, win or lose battles, and even imprints." He started to put shampoo on his palm, and washed my hair gently. "See this here? That's you when I imprinted", pointing to his chest with a moon and a howling wolf. He then lathered the soap on a sponge to scrub my body. His hands has this warmth that gives a very calming effect.
"You mean, you get inked all the time? I don't think you would want to have your entire body tattooed", I said, imagining the pain of going through a thousand dabs of the needle, and the long healing process from all the steady puncturing.
"It's not like a choice", he said. "It prints on an Alpha's skin on its own", he gently rubbed my shoulders, my waist, and my legs. It took him time to wash my tattoo on my back, feeling the deep scars that I covered up. I was expecting for him to ask, but he didn't.
"Ohh.. you get inked for free", I blinked twice in awe how Alpha wolves can get to flaunt their badass tattoos, especially their wins in every battle. Even though Scott smiled, it felt like he didn't want to get those markings. Unlike me, I forced myself to get a painful body art to make an ugly part of me look acceptably beautiful. Makes me think, which one of those works of art on his skin were the most unforgettable.
"I plan to take you around town today. If that's okay with you?", he asked hesitantly.
"Oh I'd love to!", I happily answered. It would be nice to see the entire town and meet people whom Scott grew up with. After I rinsed swiftly, I went out of the bathroom immediately before we even get sensual. Scott just laughed realizing how I tried to dodge him.
It got me all excited as I pick which one to wear. Yesterday, when Scott left for the council meeting, I just slept throughout the day without having the energy to unpack our luggage, or even make dinner, despite wanting to do much. He was hesitant to leave me alone, but certain not to take me along. Anyway, being left alone didn't bothered me so I told him to run back at me as soon as he's finished. Before I hit the couch for a nap that time, I wandered in the garden and basked in the warm and humid weather. It was refreshing, unlike in the city that's wet and cold most of the time. I enjoyed watching the butterflies and bees choose a flower in the garden. I've never seen roses as big as dinner plates. Alone, I do get that uncanny feeling that someone is watching me though. Or maybe, it's just because the old Lockwoods cottage is surrounded by trees and tall grasses, giving off a very eerie vibe. Scanning the Lockwoods' old photos, I got familiarized with Scott's beautiful memories with his friends and family. It seemed like he did had a great childhood compared to me. I didn't have so many childhood pictures. Not one memory to reminisce about. Notwithstanding Scott's nostalgia of familiar things, I couldn't relate in any of it. Then, I remembered... there's this one family photo that I keep in my dresser. I couldn't even remember what took place when that picture was taken. It was a photo that only me and my mother were smiling for the camera, and my father was staring intently at my mother. Lovely, it is.
I asked Scott to wear something blue so he can match with my airy light blue floral dress. Cheesy as it seems, but I like the idea of wearing matching clothes, showing off that I finally have a boyfriend after years of waiting. Gladly, he didn't made a fuss about. He just do as I say.
After a quick bite, we decided to head to the town. The weather was perfect for a walk, that Scott easily agreed not to take the car. He held my hand firmly as we approach the town plaza. Some stared indifferently with an attitude, while others greeted us politely. Just like those carping eyes in the hospital.
Scott showed me the places where he goes to the most as a child. Despite charmingly outdated, each establishment looked characterful carrying a sense of history and locality. If not for the signages, I wouldn't recognize the homes, and commercial complexes apart.
Scott was more chatty than usual, as if trying to keep me interested. I was all ears, relishing every word. Asking questions in between. Laughing most in all the clumsiness that went along his youth. It was happily blissful. While in the middle of proudly introducing his Luna to the people he grew up with, I noticed a little girl crying in the corner of a street. As Scott was catching up with the townspeople, I excused myself quietly to attend to the crying little girl wearing a white muslin dress full of printed cherries.
"Why are you crying?", I asked, crouching down meeting her teary eyes. The little girl with black hair looked at me, sobbing hugging her legs. Then, I noticed the wounds and scratches on her knees that she's covering with her dirty hands. "What happened to this?", I asked again.
"Those kids pushed me", pointing at some random kids bigger her size across the alley, as she sob uncontrollably. I looked closely and noticed them teasing her even from afar. Somehow, I found my little self in her. Crying it out until it wears me down.
"What's your name?", I asked, as I wipe her wet face.
"Aliya", she replied.
"Aliya, don't mind them. But next time, stand up for yourself. It's okay to cry a little, but make sure that you will be braver to face them", I smiled. I held her hand and looked for a place where I can treat her wounds when someone approached us taking Aliya by the arm.
"I'm sorry to bother you Luna! I'll take care of my daughter", the woman in a brown dress fiercely snatched the girl with an intense glare which unsettled me.
"It's not a big deal, Ma'am. Please make sure to clean her wounds", I said, thinking that I might have overstepped. Knowing my place as a complete stranger.
"Thank you Luna!", Aliya pulled away from her mother's grasp, and crashed at my legs for a hug. I watched her get dragged away, as if I carry some kind of disease.
"Looks like you made a friend", Scott said, as he put his hand over my shoulder.
"And a cute one", I replied, not wanting to tell him the uneasiness that was brought about by that encounter. It's not much of a big deal anyway.
"Cuter than me?", he asked with furrowed brows.
"No, you're way much cuter", I chuckled, seeing him blush.
We then went to a small tavern where Scott and his friends usually go. It was completely covered with white planks of wood, and red bricks smudged with dirt and moss, customly shaped by time. The doors creaked open, and all eyes instantly narrowed at us. There were not too many people dining at this early time. Our footsteps clicked on the hardwood floor, as we head on to the iron casted round table for two, far from most people. Scott pulled an iron wood chair for me, that I swooped the skirt of my dress and sat down.
Scott ordered an orange juice and a pecan pie for me over the bar, and a glass of water and cheesy potatoes for him. He then excused himself for the restroom, as I stay at our spot admiring the rustic unfinished feels of the tavern on my own. The patron scent started to come over me, as the scent of smoky timber from the hearth blended with the stale stained aged timber which have soaked over several years crinkled my nose. Random still art paintings hung on the walls which seemed like it's been there in years. Five or six men, if I include the man behind the bar, scattered around in solitude, drinking in an iron mug which looked heavier than the content itself. Out of the blue, a strange awareness crawled over me... as if I'm being watched. Then, my eyes shifted to the man sitting by the bar, with his fiery eyes looking straight to me. "You don't belong here", he said.