Chapter 4 - Banter

‘Here let me help you,’

She shivered as his voice swept through her, and for just a moment, a split second, she fantasized about his voice saying those words in an entirely different manner, one that had her wolf howling in her head.

As fast as the thought had entered her mind, she shook it away even though she knew he had felt that minute flash of desire. It was evident in the way his eyes darkened, humor replaced by a look of hunger that had her throat going dry.

Honestly, he had no right looking like the big bad wolf out to devour her, she couldn’t think straight. But for all that it was worth, he never mentioned it and she held onto that as her saving grace.

‘I got it,’ she denied, smacking his hand away she rolled over onto her side, carefully maneuvering the sheet hiding her nudity to continue protecting her modesty, and pushed herself up with shaky arms. 

This time she’d made it to a squat, but when she attempted to push her legs straight, she found that that grass wasn’t as comfortable to sit on when you wore nothing but a light blanket that felt heavier than it was.

‘Well, that’s not at all uncomfortable,’ she sarcastically commented shifting so she could shove the thin cloth hiding her nudity in between her bottom and the grass beneath her. He let out an irritated sigh as he watched her, before approaching her again.

‘Must you do this every time Alexa? If you would just let me…’ he reached out for her, and though part of her wanted to feel his touch, another was scared she wouldn’t be able to control herself if he did, so she let the anger flood through her veins, a defense mechanism she wished she could restrain, but if felt better than the fear, so she let it lash out to one she never wanted to hurt.

‘I said I got it!’ She snapped, her anger lashing out at him in an uncontrollable outburst, and her eyes flashed to that brilliant electric blue once more. Aiden backed off immediately, hands raised in surrender.

And still, infuriatingly she noted that there was still a slight smile on his face, though it was now stiffer, and tight around the corners. That told her he was forcing it onto his face, as it didn’t quite reach his eyes, and that was her fault. Her shoulders sagged as guilt permeated between them.

‘I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.’ Her voice was small, and Aiden hated to see the vulnerability shining in her expressive blue eyes. He wanted nothing more than to rid her of her insecurities, just to see her smile.

‘I know, it's okay.’ He replied even as she reached out to him, finally accepting his help. Aiden pulled her up, her head coming up to his shoulders, and looked her over. Though she had changed supernaturally, as a human she’d remained mostly the same.

Though some things had changed, he supposed. She no longer wandered out of bed in her sleep, and her nightmares had become few and far between. She’d started holding her head up high and gaining back some of the confidence she’d seemed to have lost somewhere along the way. And her hair now hung in heavy curls down to her lower back having grown at a supernaturally fast rate. 

Once she’d been stabilized on her feet, he pulled a bundle of cloth he’d had attached to his shorts with a thin rope. Gratefully, Alexa reached out and accepted it, unraveling the bundle to reveal a shirt and shorts which she quickly slipped on whilst his back was turned.

It was always something she was eternally grateful for. He never pushed her boundaries and respected her need for privacy. It’s like what had happened six months ago had changed him and she wasn’t sure she was happy about it.

‘No, it's not. I can't control it! It's like the slightest thing will set me off,’

‘It's all completely normal, along with all the heightened senses, and powers your emotions are heightened as well, and it can be overwhelming.’

‘No shit! Really? Hadn’t noticed,’ she remarked dryly. He leveled her with a look and if she were anyone else, she would have felt the disappointment he was sending her way.

‘What? Don’t give me that look, old man,’ she leveled her own expectant stare back at him, ‘If there’s anything you should have learned this past year was that I live on sarcasm, so suck it up buttercup,’ Alexa shrugged, turning away from him and making her way toward the trees.

‘First of all, I’m not an old man, I should have never told you my age,’

‘Rookie mistake, Toto,’

He sighed dramatically, ‘Secondly, think of it like going through puberty all over again.’

‘Great that was a blast the first time around.’ She said sarcastically.

‘You'll get through it, you are not alone in this.’

‘Even better, my very own support wolf,’

‘Could you stop with the dog jokes, it’s bad enough your brother does it, I don’t need you doing it too,’

‘Tough cookies, Maxie, you’ll just have to get used to it.’

‘You do realize, you’re a wolf too right? You’re basically insulting yourself,’

She stopped, spun around with her mouth open, her eyes dramatically wide, ‘Really? I had no idea! Gee, I should feel embarrassed huh? ‘ she shrugged, a smirk tugging on her lips, ‘Nah, I’m just too awesome,’ then she turned back around and attempted to strut away, but that proved to be difficult with her newborn-like legs. 

Another overly dramatic sigh escaped him. ‘Either way, I’ll help you through this,’

‘It’s because of you that I'm like this in the first place.’Alexa didn't know why she said it but it slipped out before she could stop it and all she could do was watch the landmine she’d just stepped on blow up and the playful air which she had going on with him sucked up faster than water in the Sahara desert. 

Finally, that wonderful, distracting, breathtaking, and gorgeous smile that had been on his face for the past six months slipped from his lips, replaced by a more familiar scowl of irritation mixed with anger. And her body was swarmed with a sickening guilt that left her mouth even dryer.