Chapter 2.

“I love the colours, very vibrant Raven. I’m looking forward to seeing it when it’s finished”. Professor Colin commented as he stopped at my easel.

“Thank you, professor”. I replied as I tried to concentrate on the little flower petals I was painting. I was a little perfectionist when it came to my art. Although I wasn’t ‘out there’ and overly imaginative like the other students, creating weird and different images all mixed together. I was always more of a nature girl, anything scenic like a meadow, or a deer standing under the trees in the rain with its fawn. Or fresh raindrops glistening off of a giant spider’s web. Some of the students here and even when I was at high school would call it boring, but I call it real! Beautiful life!

“Five minutes left, Raven”. He informed me as he slowly ambled to observe everyone else’s work.

I finished the petals and sat back to look over my work, only to see I still had over a quarter to finish.

“Ooh, another field!” Jaqueline ridiculed as she walked past with her lips turned up in distaste.

“And how’s the floating head, Jaqueline? Must take hours to draw and paint a… floating head!” I mocked back at her, causing her to turn around and flash me a sneer.

“That’ll do ladies! You all have talent, that’s why you’re here”. Professor chimed in, in a bid to shut us both up. “Ok, everyone, pack away your things, we’ll resume today’s work on Wednesday”. He called out across the classroom as paint brushes and palettes began to clatter in the sinks.

As soon as I had washed and tidied away my things, I grabbed my bag and headed out of the building. The sun shining once again, but today it felt hotter. Our summers were always boiling and days like today, was when a lot of the male wolves would all cool themselves down in the lake, but somehow they’d always turn it into some sort of frat party that the girls would squeal in excitement to attend the moment they were invited or heard word the males were there.

“RAVEN!” I heard a deep voice call from behind me and as I turned around, I could see Leo walking towards me.

“Yes?” I asked as he got closer.

“Just thought we’d walk back together”. He shrugged, looking unphased, as if us walking together, ever, was normal!

“Why?” I replied as I began walking again.

“Well, why not? So, what class did you just come from?”

“What are you doing?” I asked, looking at him curiously with a slight frustration.

“What?” He chuckled in surprise. “I don’t know Raven, what am I doing? I’m just walking, is that ok?”

“No, you’re walking with me, and talking with me. What do you want?”

“I don’t know”. He chuckled again. “Just some company on the way back would be nice, don’t you think?”

“Well, depends on the company!”

“Meaninnnng…?”

“Hmm, I dunno, the company of someone I’d actually enjoy talking to”.

“Ooosh, another blow! He exhaled as he flung his hand over his chest. “You like to dish out the insults, don’t you?”

“Hmm, perhaps that’s something I learned from your friends!” I fired back with a sassy look.

“Ok, touche! I get it. I know you don’t like me, or them”.

“If you know that, then why are you pestering me two days in a row”.

“Well, I just…”

“Look!” I said abruptly, cutting him off as I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him. “Cut the crap, ok. Whatever it is you want, just get on with it and say, stop wasting time with all this pointless small talk!” I said frowning at him.

“I..” He exhaled. “I don’t know, Raven. I guess I’ve always been curious about you, and I did try to get to know you back in school, but you didn’t ever want to know, so…. I saw you yesterday and just thought, well, why don’t I get to know you now”.

“Oh, jeez!” I exclaimed with a roll of my eyes. “Curious! You’re curious? About what, Leo? The fact that I’m wolfless… want to know why, perhaps? Well, I don’t know why, ok. There, end of curiosity, that’s the only answer I can give you, goodbye!” I finished as I walked away.

“It’s not about your bloody wolf Raven”. He answered back as he quickly stomped to catch up with me.

“Well, then I don’t know what else there is to be curious about!” I said in an amused tone, feeling baffled by his sudden attempts to talk.

“Well, for a start, we always got along when we were kids, you know before… before..”

“Before what?”

“Well, before your grandma left. You used to be so giggly and always twirling around in your flower dresses. Now I only ever see you wearing black. You don’t talk to anyone, you don’t even seem to like anyone for that matter”.

“Well, maybe that’s because I don’t like anyone, so why would I bother talking to them? I’m not going to be fake just for the sake of it”.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I just… I guess I’ve always wondered if little Raven is still in there somewhere”.

“Well, is little Leo still inside of you somewhere? Cause I for one, definitely don’t see you picking your nose anymore and rubbing it into your shirt”.

He laughed with an agreeing nod. “Ok, ok, perhaps I worded it wrong”. He said through his wide grin. “It’s more the fact that, we were practically best friends back then. We’d share cookies, we’d play in the park, build sandcastles”.

“Umm, actually, you used to eat your own cookies and I’d have to share mine with you so you wouldn’t sulk”. I reminisced with a slight cheer in my voice as I replayed the memory.

“Haha”. He chuckled. “Yeaaa, four of my own cookies wasn’t quite enough”. He grinned. “But I was the one that taught you how to make a decent sandcastle”.

“Ahh, so the cookies were my payment for your private beach classes?” I joked in reply.

“Well, I had to get those extra cookies somehow and you wouldn’t have become a sandcastle master if it wasn’t for me”.

“I think your giving our castles way too much credit, but the seashells were always a nice touch”. I said with a slight grin.

“And the moat, don’t forget the moat”.

“Ohh yes, the moat.. now that’s what put us above all the other kids”. I amused as we reached the path that led to my house. “Well, thanks for the flashbacks, hopefully that’s satisfied your curiosity now”.

“Not nearly enough”. He replied with a certain eager look in his eyes.

I shook it off with an awkward frown as I turned away and began to walk up the stone path. “OH!”. I called back as I looked to see he was still standing where I’d left him. “And I don’t twirl in sundresses anymore, cause I think if I did, everyone would think I’m even more weird than they already do!” I said with a smirk which brought out another laugh from him.

I slumped my bag on the kitchen floor as I shut the door behind me. “Good day today, uncle?” I asked as he was sitting at the table inserting photographs into an album.

“No outbursts today little Raven”. He managed a smile whilst keeping his hand steady so not to bend the picture.

“I think this is a lovely idea”. I told him as I took a seat next to him.

“Well, it’s all I have left of her”. He said with a sullen look.

I watched him as he took a moment to look at each picture before putting it into the album. The way he’d brush his fingers over her face every time and he’d gulp whenever he felt his hurt rising. Every now and then he’d sniffle and wipe away a tear, masking it with an attempt to smile at the memory of Anya. My heart would weigh heavy every time he was angry and smash apart whatever was in front of him, or when he couldn’t hold the tears back.

I put my hand on his arm in an attempt to steady his shaking hand. “Uncle”. I spoke softly to him. “Anya wouldn’t want this for you. she wouldn’t have wanted you to still be hurting this way. She’d want you to be happy, just as much as we all do. I know it hurts but you still have us”.

He put his hand over mine as he looked at me through his watery eyes. “I know… I know. But… not only do you feel your mate bond being severed but it feels as though you lose all the laughter and joy, like it takes it all away along with the bond. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone”.

“Perhaps you just start with the small things that might bring that joy back and then, it might not feel so impossible to feel”.

He smiled with a little chuckle. “This coming from the girl who always walks around with a frown on her face”.

“Mmm, that may be true. But that’s because I save my smiles just for the ones I truly care about”. I told him as I nestled my head onto his shoulder.

“You have such a warm heart little Raven, and you have a point. Maybe if I start smiling with you, your mother and father, then who knows, in time I might be able to smile with the rest of the world”.

“I know you can, Uncle. Because we love you and you love us, that’s reason enough to smile”. I told him as I wrapped my arms around his arm that was now leaning on the table. We sat in silence, just comforting one another, taking solace in the silence of the house as we both reflected on our old wounds, although his, far greater than mine.