Lexa looked out from the deck of her recently purchased lakeside cabin. She looked out across the lake, a soft mist hovering over the top, whilst the rising sun had begun casting its warm rays. The cabin was simple but quaint. Nestled against the treeline of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin. It's painted red walls stood out against the dense greenery. There was a small path leading from the bottom of the steps of the front deck, down to the water front. The brunette smiled to herself as she heard nothing but the odd bird call and the gentle water hitting the banks. Lexa couldn't remember feeling this peaceful, not with everything that had happened recently.
She was brought out of her peaceful bubble after thinking back over the past year. It wasn't as though she was hiding or running away. Well, actually thats exactly what she was doing. Maybe she was in denial. After the brutal death of her late partner, Costia, nothing seemed to make sense anymore. At the mere age of 23, Lexa found solace in being alone. The complete opposite of her former self. Luckily, she had her pack with her. Not that she would ever part with them. She would follow them to the ends of the earth if necessary. They had done so much for her, she owed each member her life. They were her family.
"Lexa. We need to talk" Anya's stern voice sounded in Lexa's head. Telepathy was their gift amongst the pack. Luckily, its only used as a means of communication and not mind control or thought reading.
"I'll be there in five" Lexa mentally replied as she hopped over the wooden railing, landing with a small thud against the soft grass.
Lexa closed her eyes, embracing her inner wolf. It was no lie that she loved being one with her wolf self. Morphing into her wolf form used to be easy. It was like second nature. However, since losing Costia, every time she turned she felt heavy. Her bones and muscles ached more. Her chest would constrict at the thought of losing her once mate. Lexa shook her head, willing the negative thoughts away as she felt a low growl rumble through her chest. Within seconds, her skin was no longer that of a human, but covered in jet black fur. She planted all four large paws on the grass beneath her, panting slightly whilst she adjusted to the new surroundings. This was the first time she had transformed since moving here a few days ago. Lexa couldn't deny that Bayfield was by far one of her favorite places they had moved to.
The all black wolf started off in a light gallop as she wavered through the trees, soon picking up the pace. She ran hastily through the forrest, skillfully jumping over fallen branches and weaving through overgrown vegetation. After a few minutes, Lexa recognised the familiar scents of her pack mates, lifting her head and howling, making her prescence known. She was delighted to hear howls in reply. Not long after, Lexa reached her destination, being greeted by the majority of the pack. Anya was their Alpha, standing tall on all fours at the head of the group. Her fur was light brown in colour with grey and white specs across her chest and back. It contrasted beautifully with her hazel coloured eyes.
"Lexa, you made it ok?" Lexa looked up and let out a playful bark at her Alpha whilst nodding her large head in reply. Lexa's wolf was slightly larger than Anya's. But what Anya lacked in size, she made up in knowledge. The Alpha was certainly the wisest of the pack, making her the perfect leader. Lexa was known as the Beta of the pack, effectively Anya's second in command. Anya's partner, Luke, had declined the offer of being the second Alpha, but instead wanted to be Lead Warrior, which suited him to a tee. He certainly was the best warrior. He currently stood proudly next to Anya, his golden fur glowing against the sun light, highlighting the red tints perfectly. To Luke's right, Lincoln and Octavia were nuzzling against one another. Octavia's wolf was beautiful. Her fur was light grey, and slender in build, making her one of the quickest in the pack. Her grey eyes shone brightly against her light fur, where as Lincoln's fur was very dark brown, with a small triangular white marking on his chest.
Lexa heard a scuffle to her left, snapping her head around to find Zak and Bellamy barreling towards them, obviously trying to prove who was the strongest between the pair. Bellamy's wolf was dark grey in color with shades of light grey, however Zak's wolf was pure white. His blue eyes shining brightly. They came to a halt after Anya let out a warning growl, causing both of them to bow down to their Alpha, wining apologetically. Lexa let out a huff in amusement, whilst Bellamy nuzzled into her side playfully. Not long after, Bellamy's partner Emma came trotting down alongside Zak's partner Jess. Emma's wolf was multicolored, with a grey body, black legs and hints of white covering her body. Jess' wolf, on the other hand, was light brown with white and hazel pigments.
"I'm glad you're all here" Anya began once the pack had formed in front of her. "Me and Luke have scouted the area, and it all seems relatively normal. But I want you to all be aware that there have been some mysterious deaths in these parts recently. So you need to be careful. We don't know what it is. According to the locals, they have looked like animal attacks, but apparently they haven't caught this 'animal'. We haven't picked up any other scents apart from ours, so I don't think its another pack, however that doesn't mean we can relax. Not yet anyway"
"This place seems cool!" Bellamy hopped up, with a wide grin etched onto his face.
"It does! We drove through town earlier and there's a bar on the water front, wanna check it out later?" Zak looked through the pack as he addressed them. Each wolf nodded, where as Lexa wasn't sure yet. Octavia trotted over and sat next to Lexa, nudging into her as she did so.
"You should come tonight, Lex. It might be good to mix as a human again. Just think about it, ok?" The black wolf nodded in reply, turning and heading back in the direction of her cabin. Octavia watched her sister walk away. Her heart ached for Lexa. She couldn't imagine ever losing Lincoln, her mate. Sensing her angst, Lincoln walked over to Octavia and nuzzled her head with his own. "Just give her time, O. She's still hurting". Lincolns soft voice always seemed to calm Octavia down.
Lexa made it back to her cabin within the space of minutes, memorising the best way to get back from their new meeting place. She shifted back to her human self, immediately feeling the ache in her muscles. The brunette let out an aggrevated sigh as she hopped up the few steps and let herself in to her home. Seeing as though she had just moved in, Lexa had had little time to decorate the cabin. At the moment, it was pretty bare. But that was soon to change. She made her way up to her bathroom, taking two steps at a time, however halted after catching a glimpse of her naked self in the mirror. Her eyes still shined a brilliant green. One of the after effects of shifting. Her skin was lined with a thin layer of sweat, whilst her hair was slightly matted and messy. She took a quick shower, dried her hair and pulled some light coloured jeans on and a black jumper. Her face was always tanned, seeing as though she spent most of her life outdoors, so there wasn't much need for make up.
Lexa looked around her cabin, instantly hating the emptiness. She grabbed her car keys, making sure to lock the front door before she walked down the stairs towards her all black Ford Raptor pick up truck. The brunette grinned as she hopped up into her brand new truck. She started the engine, loving the growl it made as she did so. The drive from her cabin into Downtown Bayfield was rather pleasant. The sun was now shining high in the sky, emitting enough heat to allow Lexa to have both windows down, feeling the warm summer air blow against her face.
Lexa pulled her truck to a stop when she reached the centre of Downtown. Looking to her right, she saw the ocean with the harbor, where as to her left there was a long line of various shops and restaurants. Deciding it was best to go on foot from here, she parked her truck and made sure it was locked before making her way down to the harbour. She had to admit, the people here seemed very friendly. Each one she passed, smiled and greeted her politely. Lexa got carried away taking in the numerous sights the town had to offer, that she didn't have time to stop herself before walking straight into the back of a stranger, sending them flying to the floor. Lexa quickly pulled her sunglasses off and knelt down, holding out her hands to help the stranger up.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" The stranger luckily had held her hands out in front of her, catching herself as she fell. Lexa almost had to shield her eyes from the brilliant blonde hair of this mysterious stranger who was now staring back at Lexa with her bright blue eyes. Lexa's breath hitched as she looked back into the blonde's eyes. A small smile tugged at the mysterious girl's lips as she took Lexa's hand in her own, accepting her help to get back to her feet. Lexa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she felt her hand being held tightly until she realised what the other girl was doing.
"I'm Clarke. And I'm fine, thankyou" Lexa let out a slight chuckle at this girl before replying.
"I'm Lexa"
"Lexa" Clarke repeated the brunette's name, as if trying out how it sounded on her tongue, before letting Lexa's hand go. "So, you're new? Or just passing through?"
"I'm new, just moved here a few days ago. It's that obvious?" Clarke chuckled at Lexa, who instantly loved the sound of Clarke's laugh.
"Pretty obvious yeah, but only because it's such a small town, so we all just kind of know each other" Lexa watched Clarke's lips move as she spoke. Her white teeth shining brightly against her light pink lips. Lexa noticed the beauty spot just above her top lip, to the right. Clarke watched Lexa's green eyes drop to her lips as she answered the brunette's question. Clarke cleared her throat, effectively bringing Lexa's attention back to her eye level. She smirked to herself after seeing Lexa's cheeks glistening a light shade of pink, clearly embarrassed. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" Clarke asked Lexa, who seemed to be shifting uncomfortably on her feet.
"Erm, yeah actually. A DIY store, if you have one?"
"Yes! It's just down the road, about 50 yards up on the right" Clarke smiled as she pointed in the opposite direction of where Lexa was headed.
"Brilliant! Thankyou, Clarke" Lexa smiled warmly at Clarke, who couldn't help but grin in reply at Lexa. They bid farewell and walked in opposite directions. Lexa instantly feeling her body fighting against her the further she walked away from Clarke. She quickly turned her head, seeing Clarke's shoulder length blonde hair swaying in the distance. As soon as her eyes set on Clarke, her wolf growled from deep down. Lexa shook her head and began walking again, pushing her wolf away.
Clarke felt a strange feeling wash over her as she watched Lexa walking away from her. It was as if she wanted to follow her. Like there was a magnetic energy pulling her, willing her to follow Lexa. She didn't of course. Instead she carried on, making sure she didn't look back in case she caved in to her desires. She breathed in deeply, loving the sweet smell of the sea hit her nostrils. Her excitement grew with each step she took, knowing she would soon see her oldest friend.
Raven's bar looked fantastic from a distance. It looked great up close too, but the walk up to it was truly beautiful. The backdrop of the blue ocean water contrasted brilliantly against the newly painted white walls of the bar. It was left to her after Raven's mother passed away from cancer last year, around the same time Clarke lost her father. Raven and Clarke had been best friends pretty much all of their lives. They were practically inseparable whilst growing up, before Clarke left for college a few years ago.
As she got closer, Clarke could see Raven cleaning the outside of the windows, clearly from the night before.
"Ray Ray!" Raven turned, seeing Clarke running towards her, arms wide open.
"Blondie!" Raven dropped the wet cloth from her hands and ran towards Clarke, immediately wrapping her arms around her best friend. "When did you get back?!"
"Late last night, my mom wanted to see me first" Raven smiled and nodded in reply, before almost dragging Clarke into the bar. "Look!"
Clarke stood completely dumbfounded at the sight before her. Raven began chuckling at her friends reaction. The latina had made sure to finish the renovations for when Clarke returned from college, wanting to surprise her.
"Raven, it looks amazing!" Clarke spoke slowly as she walked through the lightly lit bar. There were tall glass panels lining the back wall, showing off the amazing views of the ocean. The walls were painted a light shade of baby blue, contrasting with the colour of the sea. Pictures lined the surrounding walls, mostly of Raven and her mother but some of Clarke and her family. The blonde felt tears welling up as she looked up at her favourite picture of her and her father. Both of them had wide smiles on their faces as Clarke held up a large trout. Her first ever fish she caught with her dad. She couldn't have been more than 10 years old. Clarke still remembered the trip as if it were yesterday.
"He was so proud of you" Raven stated softly from next to Clarke as she too looked at the picture.
"I'm so proud of you!" Clarke almost shouted as she turned and punched Raven in the arm. "It's like a different bar! Your mom would be proud, Ray"
"Jeez, this is getting emotional. Wanna drink?" Raven asked as she rounded the bar, handing Clarke a beer as she nodded and sat on one of the bar stools. "So, you met anyone yet Clarkie?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, if you haven't, there's this great guy who's just moved here. His name's Blake and he lives down the road from your mom's house, believe it or not!" Raven replied with a toothy grin plastered on her face. Clarke simply shook her head in disbelief as she took a large swig of her beer. For some unknown reason, Lexa's face popped into Clarke's head as she digested her friends information. Raven couldn't help but notice the tiniest of smiles creeping onto Clarke's face. "Oh my god! You have met someone, haven't you?!" Raven's voice echoed through the empty building as she practically jumped over the bar, landing on the stool next to Clarke's.
"No! Well, I don't know, ok?! Raven, I've not been here five minutes yet and you're already interrogating me". Luckily, Raven didn't have chance to reply as Clarke's phone began ringing. The Latina excused herself as she began tidying the bar, getting it ready for the lunch time rush, leaving Clarke to answer her call. As if on cue, Finn, Raven's long term boyfriend came bursting through the main entrance of the bar.
"I'm sorry I'm late, babe! My dad had me working overtime at the lumber yard. I swear, he's trying to kill me!" Raven smirked at her boyfriend as he came dashing through the bar, barreling towards her, not even noticing Clarke. His long shaggy hair pulled up in a tight pony tail, highlighting his strong jaw line, covered in black stubble. Finn was perfect for Raven. They really were a match made in heaven. Whenever she would get hot headed, he would be there to calm her down. And she would always push him to be his best. She watched him as he dodged the chairs and tables, his baggy plaid shirt swaying against his body.
He planted himself in front of Raven, smiling widely as he gently kissed her. "Hi" he whispered as he pulled away.
"Hi, back" She whispered. Raven tugged his shirt, twisting his body in the direction of Clarke.
"Well, look who it is!" Finn shouted giddily as he practically jumped across the floor, picking Clarke up with little to no effort. Luckily, she had finished her phone call. The blonde cried out in excitement at seeing her long time friend.
"Hiiii!" She screeched in delight as he placed her back on solid ground. "You're looking as scruffy as ever!" Clarke laughed as she pulled on his pony tail.
"Well, I've got a reputation to keep, Griffin" Finn grinned at his own words as he took in Clarke's features, as if he had to memorise them once again after not seeing her for so long. It had felt like years. Finn and Clarke had always been close. Her father and Finn's were best friends, so naturally they had become close whilst growing up. Then, Raven moved into town and the three of them had become inseparable. It hadn't bothered Clarke when Raven and Finn became an item. Actually, she was over the moon for them. She had always seen Finn as her brother, so for him to find happiness with Raven only made Clarke happier.
"As good as it has been to see you guys, I've got to get going. Places to be and all that!" Clarke scoffed at her own words as she made her way towards the bar's entrance.
"Hey, we'd better see you tonight!" Raven shouted.
"Wouldn't miss it!" Clarke shouted back as she closed the door behind her, instantly feeling the hot Wisconsin summer air hit her face. Clarke took a deep breath in before setting off back in the direction she had come previously, instantly regretting not driving this morning. The heat of Bayfield was something she hadn't missed when she was at College. After a few minutes of walking, she noticed a familiar looking brunette in the distance, trying and failing to open her tailgate. Clarke chuckled to herself as she crossed the road, never taking her eyes away from Lexa.