Author's Notes: Okay, remember when I said I wasn't too well versed in canon? I have two questions for you more detailed-oriented Wolf Lake watchers. 1) What color are Luke's eyes? When I picture him in my head, I see blue, but I keep wanting to write green. 2) Did Sophia and Luke kiss in that episode where the Pack picks his mother as their new leader and Sophia tries to help him flee town or do I only think it happened because I wanted to see it so badly? Answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated. Now, a number of people have called me on the short chapters. Here's the deal. This is actually the first new piece of fanfic that I have written in months. Many, many months. So I'm rusty. When I finally post it on my website, it'll be done as an one-shot. I've decided to give y'all a choice. Daily chapters (time-permitting) or irregular postings with longer chapters? Personally, I'd prefer doing the daily chapters, but I'll let the readers weigh in. Finally, I love you guys. This story now has the most feedback out of everything I've posted here. And it's not even finished yet. It's just so swell. I wouldn't mind, though, if you guys got more specific in your comments. What parts do you like? What do you want to see more of? Also, Jenna? Your comment got messed up. Could you please repost what line you liked? Whew. Long author's notes. Now, onto the Chapter!
--Chapter Three--
Sophia let out a small inarticulate cry before lifting a troubled gaze to Luke. She cried out again when she realized she was responsible for the thin lines of red on his face. Reaching out, she grasped his chin and turned his head so she could examine his injured cheek. "They're not too deep. Luke, I swear, I'm really sorry. If I'd known it was you...I didn't mean to hurt you."
She would have continued, but Luke reached up and pulled her hand away from his face, choosing instead to intertwine their fingers. His eyes darkened to a rich blue, as he said softly, "It's okay. I don't mind that you marked me."
Something about the way he said it, some inflection in his voice, caused a fierce glee to rise up in Sophia. Yes, yes, she had marked him, marked him as hers for all to see. This was her male, her mate, and woe to any who tried to come between them.
Luke watched the emotions dance across Sophia's face, watched the tinge of amber grow clearer in her eyes. Daringly, he pressed a kiss against the back of her hand, tasting, just a little, the flavor of her skin. Her skin was so very hot as her hormones battled for control. Luke wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he was still disappointed when she pulled her hand away and turned back to the desk. She began straightening up her books and papers. As he watched her fidget, Luke wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and then brought it to his mouth, absently licking the wet crimson blood. With the rapid healing of the Skinwalkers, the marks should fade to nearly nothing by school tomorrow. When Sophia rose to her feet, he wiped his hand on his shirt. Even though she was close to a complete Change, Luke didn't think she was ready to see him with blood on his tongue.
Sophia found that she couldn't look at him completely and glanced at him sideways, as he remained in a crouch on her floor. He looked oddly out of place, surrounded as he was by pale pink plush carpeting. His eyes were fixed on her, with the unblinking stare of a hunter. She sighed as she crammed her homework into her bookbag and then asked, "Luke, what are you doing here?"
He rose to his feet slowly, carefully, as if he was afraid any sudden movements would send her running. His eyes never wavered from her as he said, "You didn't come. I waited, but you didn't come to me. I wanted to know what kept you."
Sophia felt an odd mixture of nerves and exhilaration as she let her bag fall onto her bed and shifted so that she was fully facing Luke. Tilting her chin up, she replied, "I had homework. A lot of it. So did you for that matter."
Luke sneered, his lip curling up and somehow, combined with the slashes on his cheek, it only made him seem more masculine. His voice was filled with disdain as he said, "Homework? Why should we worry about that? We're Pack. We'll always belong here."
Taking one step forward, her eyes flashing with irritation, she planted a hand on her hip and shot back, "I'm not chained here yet. Until I make the Change completely, I'm still human! And even if I survive the Change, I'm not going to use that as an excuse to stop learning. Furthermore-"
Her voice trailed off as Luke convusively closed the distance between them, anxiously reaching for her. He stared down at her and part of her mind wondered when he had gotten so tall. She had to lean back a little to meet his eyes. Sophia felt her mouth go dry at what she saw there. Luke had gone very still and swallowed once, twice. "You will make it. You have to."
The nerves she had felt calmed and Sophia was filled with a new desire to soothe, to smooth his ruffled fur. "Luke, what are you talking about? I'm right here."
Needing tactile contact with her, he reached for her hand and she didn't pull away, instead folding her fingers over his palm. Later, it might embarrass him, but for now, he didn't notice that his voice shook slightly. "Your father was strong. Everybody said he could have been the Alpha. You're strong too. You look so small, but there's such steel in you. You'll be fine. You have to be."
It was necessary for Sophia to take a moment to digest Luke's words. Somehow she felt that he would forever deny having this conversation in the light of day. He could admit how he felt only in the concealing safety of the shadows. She would think about the implications of that later. For now, the important thing was just to reassure Luke. Sophia struggled to find the right words. "Luke...I don't feel scared. I feel...prepared."
The tension inside of Luke eased slightly as he let out a deep breath. The two teens stared at each other for long, silent moments. There was a flash of gold in Luke's eyes as he suddenly began to lean down, his face moving towards Sophia. Their lips were scant inches apart when, through the open window, they heard a car door slam. Luke pulled back quickly, searching Sophia's eyes and seeing the panic in them. He brushed his fingertips down her cheek and promised, "Tomorrow." They moved in unison, Luke slipping out the window and Sophia dousing the lamp, before climbing into bed.
Sheriff Donner opened the door a crack and a beam of light fell on the peaceful, serene face of his sleeping daughter. Reassured that his daughter was safe for another night, he closed the door again and went back to bed, unaware that Sophia would be up for the rest of the night thinking about Luke and the almost kiss...and tomorrow.
--Chapter Three--
Sophia let out a small inarticulate cry before lifting a troubled gaze to Luke. She cried out again when she realized she was responsible for the thin lines of red on his face. Reaching out, she grasped his chin and turned his head so she could examine his injured cheek. "They're not too deep. Luke, I swear, I'm really sorry. If I'd known it was you...I didn't mean to hurt you."
She would have continued, but Luke reached up and pulled her hand away from his face, choosing instead to intertwine their fingers. His eyes darkened to a rich blue, as he said softly, "It's okay. I don't mind that you marked me."
Something about the way he said it, some inflection in his voice, caused a fierce glee to rise up in Sophia. Yes, yes, she had marked him, marked him as hers for all to see. This was her male, her mate, and woe to any who tried to come between them.
Luke watched the emotions dance across Sophia's face, watched the tinge of amber grow clearer in her eyes. Daringly, he pressed a kiss against the back of her hand, tasting, just a little, the flavor of her skin. Her skin was so very hot as her hormones battled for control. Luke wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he was still disappointed when she pulled her hand away and turned back to the desk. She began straightening up her books and papers. As he watched her fidget, Luke wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and then brought it to his mouth, absently licking the wet crimson blood. With the rapid healing of the Skinwalkers, the marks should fade to nearly nothing by school tomorrow. When Sophia rose to her feet, he wiped his hand on his shirt. Even though she was close to a complete Change, Luke didn't think she was ready to see him with blood on his tongue.
Sophia found that she couldn't look at him completely and glanced at him sideways, as he remained in a crouch on her floor. He looked oddly out of place, surrounded as he was by pale pink plush carpeting. His eyes were fixed on her, with the unblinking stare of a hunter. She sighed as she crammed her homework into her bookbag and then asked, "Luke, what are you doing here?"
He rose to his feet slowly, carefully, as if he was afraid any sudden movements would send her running. His eyes never wavered from her as he said, "You didn't come. I waited, but you didn't come to me. I wanted to know what kept you."
Sophia felt an odd mixture of nerves and exhilaration as she let her bag fall onto her bed and shifted so that she was fully facing Luke. Tilting her chin up, she replied, "I had homework. A lot of it. So did you for that matter."
Luke sneered, his lip curling up and somehow, combined with the slashes on his cheek, it only made him seem more masculine. His voice was filled with disdain as he said, "Homework? Why should we worry about that? We're Pack. We'll always belong here."
Taking one step forward, her eyes flashing with irritation, she planted a hand on her hip and shot back, "I'm not chained here yet. Until I make the Change completely, I'm still human! And even if I survive the Change, I'm not going to use that as an excuse to stop learning. Furthermore-"
Her voice trailed off as Luke convusively closed the distance between them, anxiously reaching for her. He stared down at her and part of her mind wondered when he had gotten so tall. She had to lean back a little to meet his eyes. Sophia felt her mouth go dry at what she saw there. Luke had gone very still and swallowed once, twice. "You will make it. You have to."
The nerves she had felt calmed and Sophia was filled with a new desire to soothe, to smooth his ruffled fur. "Luke, what are you talking about? I'm right here."
Needing tactile contact with her, he reached for her hand and she didn't pull away, instead folding her fingers over his palm. Later, it might embarrass him, but for now, he didn't notice that his voice shook slightly. "Your father was strong. Everybody said he could have been the Alpha. You're strong too. You look so small, but there's such steel in you. You'll be fine. You have to be."
It was necessary for Sophia to take a moment to digest Luke's words. Somehow she felt that he would forever deny having this conversation in the light of day. He could admit how he felt only in the concealing safety of the shadows. She would think about the implications of that later. For now, the important thing was just to reassure Luke. Sophia struggled to find the right words. "Luke...I don't feel scared. I feel...prepared."
The tension inside of Luke eased slightly as he let out a deep breath. The two teens stared at each other for long, silent moments. There was a flash of gold in Luke's eyes as he suddenly began to lean down, his face moving towards Sophia. Their lips were scant inches apart when, through the open window, they heard a car door slam. Luke pulled back quickly, searching Sophia's eyes and seeing the panic in them. He brushed his fingertips down her cheek and promised, "Tomorrow." They moved in unison, Luke slipping out the window and Sophia dousing the lamp, before climbing into bed.
Sheriff Donner opened the door a crack and a beam of light fell on the peaceful, serene face of his sleeping daughter. Reassured that his daughter was safe for another night, he closed the door again and went back to bed, unaware that Sophia would be up for the rest of the night thinking about Luke and the almost kiss...and tomorrow.
