Chapter Ten: Breaking The Ice
Cole had left, windows rolled down with Black Sabbath shattering the peace of the fall woods in the dust trail of the truck in his leavening and even a few of the pack who had come close lay down an ear or two with the rupture of the engines and bass. Ulrike rolled his eyes in a way that did sought a wolf but took once more to his nose to the ground with a tawny she wolf in looking for that rabbit just under a tree trunk.
Grace smiled in a weary way in knowing it just Cole being himself as Sam also had rolled amber eyes and turned back to looking over the maps of the grounds and X marks of where the fence needed some repair work. Now if anything he felt the need to make sure the pack and his friends and Grace would be safe with also hunters in some of the patches of woods. Gun shots had been heard just a few hours ago from Boundary Woods that had mad e him and Grace look eyes in the edge of worry.
Sam had pulled on some worn hiking boots with his work gloves and jeans and flannel shirt on to fight off the chill in the woods still. Picking up the faint musk of the wolf under his nails after going to shed in the early morning with the chill in the air still to pull it out. Grace had taken over the kitchen in making food for Isabel when she got home, making the cabin full of warmth to make her human skin stick for now.
"I'll be back in a two hours Angel." Sam called out, hearing the clung of pots in the kitchen.
"Ok Sam, just don't get lost."
It was a short answer but he smiled, amber eyes lighting up in love for his Grace that when she cooked, her full mind was on the task. Pushing back his black bangs, the man walked out from the world of humans to wolves in the opening and shutting of a simple cabin door as autumn lay in full glory around him and the late sun warm on his back. Thankfully he was just doing some basic wiring on a few of the fences close by, wanting to be near when Isabel and Cole pulled up.
Leaves crushing under his boots, amber eyes pulling in the colors and feeling a settling of an urge under his skin, the man felt at peace and so his wolf in being in the woods but memories flash in a moment of the golden woods of birch and leaves falling. Those woods had been home for so long for both Sam the human and Sam the wolf, ripples between chasing and jumping into piles of leaves that Beck would make for Sam or those fleeting ones of him as a wolf, rolling and playing in the leaves with his pack. Perhaps it was the flash of these wolfish ripples that made the man stop and blink.
How many times did he try to shove the wolf away from his mind, only to have them return like a half done dream. Sam took a deep breath, the air crisp from the frost lingering under the leaves, whispers of pines singing in the wind from the lake and the warmth of the sun streaking between the branches. Every sense was on a turned up high, the wolf flowing in his blood.
"It'll never go away will it…." He thought, knowing just under his skin lay the wolf, waiting and wanting to be out.
With his mind open, it was then an image was shown to him standing there with a leaf that had happen to his black crown of hair. Sam blinked, feeling the humor in the image but knowing it was from a wolf of his pack but whom? Taking the moment, he turned in his nose flaring to try and pick up a scent in the woods and eyes darting a bit in the hues of shadows and lights. Once more a image was shared, fleeting but the emotion of play and gentle humor filled it. Only one wolf could push this much detail and emotion into the image: Ulrik.
Hope might have been too early to feel but Sam knew it was the German man, which something of the human lay in the wolf still but how many where like him? It had been so long sense he had even held that part of the wolf to talk in images without words but in a careful and gentle sharing, he showed the crazy German an image of the pack with a question like feel.
Ulrik, one ear flopped down a bit on his left side lay hidden just a few yards away in being hidden by the trunks of the trees cocked his head a bit to the left in sorting out the images and questions. Names had no place in his mind, but he knew the wolves of his pack and family. Yes he had gone against his wild side to have followed the human, but the smell of the boy were known as much as his wolf had been and knowing he was safe with this human just made sense.
Sending back images of each wolf, healthy and whole with the feeling of safe and well made Sam blink in the clarity but the knowingly his family was still ok and none had passed away was hopeful in the plans being made by him and Cole. To give them the chance to make a choice to be human if the cure worked as it did on him.
The male took in a deep breath and send one more image of a question, seeing if it would work. That of the fence but missing parts of it, low enough to the ground in which a wolf could get under. Ulrik got the feeling of unsafe and how it could endanger the pack if not taken care of, chocolate eyes narrowed in the face of the wolf. Taking long beats of his wild heart to sort out the images with a human like coalition for a bit. What Sam was asking was for help in images and feelings. Also a playful nature filled in the images like a hunt or chase to find these ruptures in the fence. Enough to hold the interest of the wolf side but the sleeping man also wanting to spend time with Sam clasped and flowed.
Sam waited, feeling that fire of hope dying if maybe Ulrik had left but the image and clear message to follow hit him like a stone in his brain. Hearing the crackle of leaves and turning to his side to see the deep grey wolf with brown eyes staring at him. It was a moment of meeting of two eyes but the wolf opened his mouth in a smile and ear twisting to turn and walk away to the fence and Sam left stunned but the only thing the boy and wolf could do: follow.
Some place down the dirt road, the music had been killed as the passenger in the trunk lay in silence and private thoughts. Cole had picked up and saved the princess from the hospital which she hadn't taken to saying much.
Was he a bit worried? Yep
Would he push her to talk on what had happen or what was going to happen? Nope
Even he knew not to push it at times but seeing her bite her pink lips the color of a ripe watermelon with out any make up he had to turn away. Cole was a very straight male that had been known for his womanizing back in the rocker days but Isabel had been the only woman he had kissed, felt a fire and spice under his skin that made him hunger for more of her.
"So what color do you think I might be once I go furry?"
He blinked, in a dull "Huh?"
Isabel glared a bit but the tight smile on her lips broke the tension, "I was wondering what color I'm going to be as a wolf Cole…."
Green eyes narrowed at the woman's questions but he smiled in trying to make a picture, looking over the golden lockets of Isabel it would be hard to see her as a blond or golden wolf with some red hair and their or white with dark markings. "Can't say Princess, some of the wolves match their hair colors as humans but Sam was grayish black and Grace is reddish and tawny with deep brown markings I would call auburn…Do I match my hair?"
She titled her a bit, golden hair looking white under the patched sunlight from the woods in tapping a finger to her lips in the thoughts of moment of recalling Cole in his wolf body and looking at him now. "Well you had a lot of browns in the fur departments and the eyes always match. Yet one thing did not change even when you went furry.
Raising a brow, he glanced from the road to the woman and back in wanting to know more, "You're still a jack ass and jerk in both forms St Clair. You scared the fucking hell out of me when I was walking in the woods as a wolf and you seemed to be amused by the fact you did!"
Narrowing his green eyes, his mind sought out the fleeting memories of his wolf time to connect the dots and clue to her statement but it came to him and he was laughing from the pit of his gut in the memory. Even Grace had said he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder which more than once pairing off with the local prankster of the pack: Derrick. The two males had given Paul something of a headache with their attitude as he recalled in the flash of wolf memory..
Seeing Cole smile in himself, Isabel smiled and looked out the window as the colors of fall lay open and some branches bare from the winds blowing in from the north. This place was like a night and day from California and the cities of humans and rush of life that she had missed while living here but once she had been pack in that life of LA, she found herself missing her friends but the wild beauty of Mercy Falls. Now those woods she was watching pass by the window would be home in a different form and mind in weeks if things worked out.
Was she scared? Fuck yes.
Did she want to become a wolf to live? No but Isabel had no other choice. Strange her brother had been made into a wolf by being a bully and died to fight to stay human and here she was making the choice to become a wolf of her own free will.
Cole had seen a strange look on her face, but thought better not to dig into her thoughts given all that happened. Where they turning into Sam and a Grace in hours of silence? "Hope not, but sometimes better to let a dead dog lay where it's at as my dad said once…"
Turning, the two tracks to home of the cabin lay like an open wound in the woods to some eyes but the truck went to turn and Cole pulled to the side, cutting the engine in a last roar. Isabel blinked a bit, pulling out her thoughts and casting a long glance at Cole, his hands grasping the wheel as the devil like face was solemn and calm. A rare site for the once bad boy of the bands gone by from even a year a go.
"Cole?"
Turning, his green eyes landed on her, solid but hard in a way, "Are you ok with this Isabel? I mean becoming a wolf? What will you do if don't work?"
He had to do this now? Shocking was the part of show concern like this but he had his moments but she stared at him a moment and raised a prim eye brow and looked away into the woods were the wolves ran and some days her friends too.
"Do I like the idea of turning fuzzy and loosing parts of myself in the wolf? No it scares the shit out of me Cole. But I don't get a lot of choice; it is die slow with a tumor in my head or hope the werewolf thing can save my life but loosing a bit of myself each year? At least I will believe and if the werewolf can tame the tumor and we do what Sam did and what Grace is going to do, well than it will work out. It's frankly how I have to keep thinking of it to keep going…" Isabel flat tone held nothing but her eyes glanced to the werewolf at her side and waited.
Nothing was said as he started up the trunk and once more drove down the path to the cabin, but for the moment it was broken of the fear. There was no way out of this one for her or him. The human part of him was mad this was happening to Isabel after everything but strangely he could also try to find a light side to this, she would be with him.
Having feelings for someone was uncommon for Cole St Clair in caring for anyone or thing and one of those deeper causes for feelings was sitting next to him. Yah be could be selfish prick at times but the changes that happened to him, saving his life and finding that there was more than the next high also had to do with the people in his life. If he had that kind of courage that Isabel seemed to pull out well maybe he would have turned out like this dad.
Silhouette to the forest the cabin came into the view, smoke from the chimney in a pale white. Which meant someone was home and still very human. She only glanced at him and felt the need for a long hot shower and some clean cloths a bit but also something that of real food and not the mush they had tried to make her eat.
Both the odd pair walked up, leaves crushing under heels and souls for the moment. Scents of the woods pulling at the sleeping wolf under Cole's skin but the scent of something sweet, pulled him also in the figure of the woman a bit a head and hair a halo of gold more brighter than the leaves. The man in him felt a need to protect in also so did his wolf for the moment in a wash of understanding in both parts of him and Cole smiled a bit more in walking and following up behind the creaking step a bit that needed some fixing .
Grace hummed, having no real gift for music or staying in tune but the pancakes a lovely golden hue and filled the kitchen with smells of food. Bacon also sizzled a bit just adding to the banquette of scents for any wolf or human to sniff. Which also the warmth was a welcome to Grace a bit more and hearing the door open but the flash of an image message from Cole let her know Isabel was a bit shaken but fine for the moment in peeking out the door and waving at the pair.
"I'm hitting the shower to feel clean and human ok?" Isabel flipped her hair, looking dazzling in the moment but the heavy bags and pale hue to her skin could not hide what had happened.
Walking away, Grace signed in the moment, "She's putting up a strong front I see as always huh?"
"Yah, we had a bit of a talk in the way here so it's better to let the dead wolf lay where he is k?" Cole answer, flopping on the leather coach and sniffing a bit. "Where's Ringo?"
Heading back and flipping the bacon a bit and lowering the flame on the gas stove, "He's checking the fence a bit in getting it ready for winter and such. I think he is a bit worried but maybe spending some time in the woods will do him some good. Sam's been kinda not even walking in them at all like we use to..."
"Ringo has to sort out his own problems wolf girl." Cole blunt statement hit the nail on the head but he smiled a bit.
Sounds of the shower ended, some low muttering and the hair dryer turning on, the sizzle of bacon and scents of pancakes the cabin smell and sound like a real home in the mix of wolf and humans but Grace hummed once more and Cole took a nap but the door opening and cold rush snapped him awake with a growl of distaste of being woken in the cold as Isabel walked out in her glory of clean and cut.
"Ringo, shut the damn door would yah!" Cole snapped, glaring at the male a bit.
Yet Sam's normal down cast eyes flashed a hue of bright amber, his breathing a bit heavy as if having ran back a bit as Grace also walked out from the kitchen. Before any of them spoke, Sam smiled in saying, "I had a talk with Ulrik much as could! Well wolf images and such and told him in his understanding I think how we can make him human! He wants to try in the spring!"
Silence in a way hit all three of them as Grace looked outside the window to see a wolf looking from the edge of the woods and smiling. Than like a ghost once more took to the forest and become part of it like only a wolf can but Sam was smiling, hope for the first time for his family was still under those wolf pelts had lit him up like a Fourth of July firework in closing the door and in a few long steps grabbed Grace in a full on kiss with Cole rolling his eyes but hiding a smile and Isabel wiggling her preened eye brows and too in the role of eyes but feeling good for the normally emo boy known as Samuel Roth.
"Glad you're all happy and magic sparkle Ringo, but for now lets deal with the life of now and plan for down the road kay?" St Clair smiled as he sat up and winked a bit at Isabel with a bit of wiggle to his hips, "Feel like join them in the battle of tongues in the back bed room?"
Her left hand shot up, once more trimmed to the edge of privations in a flip off and Cole took a drama shot to his chest as if shot from the turn down but both smiled dryly in the way of flirting they pulled off and hunger also very raw and open. Grace smiled, pulling away in a flash of pink to her cheeks and giggling to turn off the food and let the others eat in peace. Glad her pack was together and acting in normal at least for a bit with out the problems of the world eating away at them.
An hour later, bellies full a bit and dishes socking in the sink. Coffee had been made as the four of them sat down but Sam looking at Isabel knew he had to ask, "So, how is Isabel going to get the wolf virus? Like biting like the rest of us a bit or what Beck did to you?"
Cole looked up, his green eyes flashing in the spark but thoughtful in his brain moving, "I'm thinking of both ways a bit in a twist. Thing is I want to well both the saliva and blood and well, Grace and Isabel share the same blood type too. Also here is the killer, I looked up the weather. Next week it's hitting the 20's and talking snow. Which means wolf time for me and Grace very soon for the season. We need to do this like the next few days…."
The urge news filled the room with a dread on all of them for a moment but Isabel glanced outside, seeing the sun touch the bare branches of the forest and knowing who ran in those woods. "Well, than let's do this. Let's do it today. "
Note: Happy Late New Years guys and gales! Here is a very late update but thankfully I put in a twist! More drama is coming on the way soon and such and thanks for all favs/follows/reviews and readers and such! I think we have maybe Three more chaps to come in how its wrapping up!