Roadside Assistance

[Axel]

She barely says anything as we drive through the forest. I can hear her little heart beating like a caged bird. I hate that I am unable to make her feel at ease. There is something about her, something different which draws my attention. She is both fragile and strong simultaneously.

I feel torn. My wife and Luna, Alexa, left us a year ago and I have not been able to move on. I think part of me is still wishing she’d come back, even after the divorce papers arrived on my doorstep. So I feel a little guilty as I sit here,  lusting after another woman. 

Rosalynd smells amazing, like juniper and sandalwood. She isn't even a wolf, but I feel a connection to her, almost stronger than anything I ever felt with my mate bond. It was that connection that led me to her as she huddled frightened in the night, curled inside her car. I know she must have heard me and I realize that the experience must have been traumatizing. Not a great way to start a potential relationship…but I am getting ahead of myself there. We have barely even said more than hello to one another. 

This is something different, but no less powerful. Besides, I cannot say that the mate bond ever did me any good. It brought me the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. The only good thing that came out of it was our son, Rafael. All the pain and heartbreak in the world would be worth going through again to have him light up my universe. I wouldn't trade him for anything. 

My ex-wife, Alexa, on the other hand, could fall off a cliff for all I could care. I hope she chokes on my old Beta's dick. Those two assholes deserve one another.

"Bitter much?" My wolf, Conner, chuckles in my head. "Sounds like you're still a bit jealous..."

"Piss off!" I shout back at him internally. 

I try to keep the anger from showing on my face as I watch her take in the beauty of the forest with the wonder of fresh eyes. Her pretty face looks up at me with a gentle, uncertain half-smile as her gray-blue eyes,  like captured starlight, stare at me inquisitively. I am so busy admiring her that I completely miss her question.

Hoping she wouldn't notice me staring, I ask "I'm sorry, what? I missed that."

“I was asking,” she tries again. “If you have lived here very long.”

Pride swelling in my chest I state, “My entire life. And my father as well, and his father before him. Our family stretches back before colonization, and this forest, this river, has been a part of our family legacy since time immemorial. We are Mattole. At least mostly.”

“Wow,” her look becomes appraising. “I couldn’t imagine having such a deep bond to such a rich family history.”

“What about your own family?”

Her expression clouds over, storm clouds filling her eyes. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

I give the atmosphere a minute to simmer in silence. I don’t know what happened between her and her family, but it must have been pretty bad for her reaction to be so strong. 

"Talk to her, you idiot." Conner pushes. "Can't you see she's hurting?"

I look over at her face and he's right, she is hurting. She looks as if there is a heavy weight pressing down on her petite frame. A girl this beautiful shouldn't walk through the world this sad. And she is beautiful. Moon Goddess above, she is absolutely divine.

"Rosalynd," she shivers at the sound of her name. I struggle to keep my hands on the wheel and my focus on the road when every inch of me wants to hold and comfort her. "I'm here if you want to talk. It sounds like you went through something terrible."

She begins to sniffle. Damn it, I didn't want to make her cry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.

"It's just, well, I just broke up with my boyfriend...."

From there Rosalynd spends the rest of the trip back to my lodge going into painful detail about everything that happened to push her off the edge and onto the road in an unreliable rusted relic. By the end of the trip, I'm gripping the wheel so hard I'm taking deep breaths not to break it in two.

"If I ever see this, Hunter," I look over at her intently as we pull into my driveway. Leaning over, capturing her gaze in my own "I will make sure nobody finds the body."

And I mean it, every single word. 

"You should offer her comfort!" Conner insists. “She needs someone to take care of her, to love her. We can be that for her.

"No," it feels weird to be arguing with a part of myself, but Conner has always been his own wolf. "She's hurting and vulnerable. It wouldn’t be right"

She is standing next to the car door watching me have my internal dialogue and I feel my cheeks redden. I must look insane to someone who doesn’t know about inner wolves. 

Remembering my manners, I lead her down the path to the front door and escort her inside. Guiding her into my kitchen I pull down a mug and place the kettle on the burner. "Make yourself at home. I just need to check on my son.."

“Son?” she sounds genuinely surprised.

“Yes,” I confirm. “I left him with grandpa this morning when I went out for a…” I pause, “...run. It's still pretty early so he might be asleep.’

“Oh, ok.”

I pull down another cup and ask, “Make a cup for me too, if you don’t mind.”

She nods and I rush up the stairs to Rafael’s room. 

When I enter the room, my father is resting in the rocking chair next to the bed, while Rafael sits up wide awake, watching him sleep. 

“Shhhh….” he gestures to his sleeping grandfather. “He just fell asleep. Grandpa needs his rest.”

My heart warms. My son is so warm, and so empathic. He’ll make a great alpha someday.

“Hey, Dad,”

“Yes, Rafe,” I grin, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“When do I get to meet your friend?”

“Friend?”

“Yes, the lady downstairs.” He takes a long sniff, his wolf senses reaching out. At only 5 years old, he is already becoming a powerful wolf. “She smells really good. Like you do, and grandpa.”

“What do you mean, son?”

His face twists as he tries to think of the right words. 

“Powerful. She smells powerful.”