Sophia woke to the aroma of freshly made coffee in the air. Opening her
eyes she quickly remembered what had happened and what was going on. Last
night had completely drained her not only mentally, but physically as well.
And a new development had been discovered as well. She now understood just
how much Luke really cared for her. He could have died last night if it
hadn't been for Sophia pushing him off of her. He was the one that jumped
in when no one else could or was willing to. He had basically saved her
life. Meanwhile, she had discovered the true Luke, one that was now showing
his true colors and not afraid of what others would think of it. The only
person's thoughts of him he cared for were hers. Sophia had finally
realized how much of a connection they had held for the past few months. If
only it would last through all her secrets.
She quickly scanned the room to see five people all scattered about the room yet some were closer than others. Ruby and John were on a sofa towards the back of the room cuddled up close. John was running his fingers through Ruby's hair as she quietly rested on the sofa next to him. Sherman was sitting at a desk in the middle of the room looking over what looked like old documents. That only meant one thing. Something big was happening. Her glaze now shifted towards the two people closest to her.
Vivian sat a few feet away, towards the foot of the bed. A mug in her hand, she tried to massage the headache away, but the amount of stress and confusion weighing down on her was evident. Her eyes even looked tired. Sophia felt sorry for her Alpha knowing that dealing with Sophia's situation on top of everything else was probably a nightmare. Someone grabbed Vivian's hand and held it comfortingly. She looked up and a smile slowly spread across her face, thankful she had someone to support her right now.
Sophia looked towards the left of Vivian wanting to know who was holding her hand. None other than her father sat right there less than two feet from her reach. He was also stressed out and exhausted. Like Vivian he had a coffee mug in his hand. The two of them must have spent the whole night watching over her and Lu-
Sophia then realized the closeness of their bodies. The fact that her bareback was flush against his bare chest was enough for her to raise alarm. Why hadn't she felt him until now? It had to be because she was so incredibly weak at the moment. Right? Inside her heart was calling her head a liar, but she ignored it and lay there, not about to wake him up and yell at him. She'd let him have this moment since he had saved her life. She was content to lie there still and go back to sleep when Luke got closer.
Luke just had to press his luck. Sophia thought. Her comment was regarding the fact that Luke had put his arm around Sophia's waist underneath the blanket and pulled her closer towards their already touching bodies. She almost could sense him smiling inside, but her other senses noticed that Luke was still asleep. He hadn't woke up yet and as far as Sophia knew, he was doing this unconsciously. Yeah, right.
As Sophia began to wake up, a terrible headache began to form. Unsure if she should get out of bed or stay there, she tried to stretch, but Luke trapped her in his arms. Matt noticed her attempts at wiggling out of Luke's grasp and quickly focused his attention on his daughter.
"Sophia." Matt whispered, but it rang out loud in her mind. The headache intensified and Sophia was able to move one of her hands to grab her forehead in protest. "Honey, are you okay?" Matt asked brushing away the hair in her face with his hand to get a better look at her scrunched up face.
"Yeah." Once I get out of the death grip. Sophia thought as Luke tightened his grip around her. She could have sworn he was awake.
Matt heard her thoughts since she didn't have the strength yet to hide nor control her thoughts. He quietly laughed to himself and Sophia looked up at him, knowing he had heard her thoughts.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't you be pounding the crap out of Luke right now?" Sophia asked amazed with her father's weird behavior lately.
"No, would you like me to?" he asked jokingly causing Sophia to relax a bit, but she still wondered why her father was so laid back about everything lately.
"Sophia, your dad and I have an understanding. I except you into the Pack, and Matt excepts Luke." Vivian responded hearing Sophia's thoughts. "Just so you know, your dad spilled the beans." Vivian said and immediately Sophia's heart rate climbed the charts.
"Dad?" Sophia asked panicking as she nearly choked on the one syllable word with such alarm. Vivian knew everything. Sophia began to worry about what else her father and Vivian had an understanding over. Like her lifetime membership to the confines of Wolf Lake. She wasn't about to become another prisoner to this town. She had dreams and goals. Living in Wolf Lake was not one of them.
"It's okay Sophia." Matt said reassuringly, letting her blood pressure drop a little bit, but she was still worried about how much Vivian was going to control her life now. Especially when it came to making sure her son became Alpha. Sophia really wasn't sure if she wanted to be any part of that equation at the moment.
"Sherman filled us in on what happened last night. Liking the attention yet?" Matt asked his daughter knowing how much she had been in the spotlight amongst the small group in Sherman's cabin lately.
"No." Sophia responded quietly. She hated drawing attention to herself even in front of a few people. "So what exactly happened last night?" Sophia asked wondering what caused her to have so much power within her.
"I think that's a question better asked for Sherman." Matt said raising his voice a little louder to get Sherman's attention even though he had been listening to the entire conversation since it started.
Sherman slowly stood and made his way over towards the bed Sophia was still in. He sat down in a chair on the other side of Matt and took a deep breath trying to find a way to break the news to Sophia. Making sure that Luke was asleep, Sherman started his explanation of what happened.
"Every white wolf has special powers. You know that by your visions. Because you and Ruby are like two halves, it was only fitting that both of you receive your powers at the same time. She received hers when you contacted her about a week ago. As you know Ruby has special healing powers and was able to use her power on John after his flip to get rid of her power. But you my dear were a little different with your power surge." Sherman took a break to breathe and clear his throat before moving on. "You're a stronger white wolf than Ruby is or will every be. I haven't figured out why, but I do know that your power surge affected you more. There was more power in that surge and it could only be taken away from a person you really trusted."
"So I don't trust Ruby? How could that be?" Sophia asked wondering why that had happened.
"I'm not exactly sure on that one. You think that two white wolves would trust each other, but something went wrong. I think it might have been the fact that Ruby was also scared of what would happen. She didn't entirely trust herself let alone you last night. You were pretty scary if I must say so myself." Sherman said remembering the light show that Luke and Sophia had displayed.
"But what about Luke? I don't entirely trust him." Sophia said looking at Vivian to see the scowl form then fade, knowing the truth behind Sophia's white lie.
"Your head doesn't trust him, but your heart does. Last night you didn't have control over your head. The wolf inside of you was in control." Sherman said which finally made sense.
Sophia actually only contradicted herself when she was constantly thinking about what could go wrong. She concentrated only on the 'what ifs' and not on striving towards what she really wanted. She always regretted things she hadn't done or said. Now she was back and ready to face all her fears, threats, and torments she had endured. Sherman was right. She was strong, stronger than she knew. She was a white wolf which meant that she ultimately outranked others. She therefore belonged to the Alpha of her generation, Luke. Everything was going to fit into place like it should always have. She was so confident, but yet why was her gut telling her it wasn't going to be as easy as she thought?
"C'mon, Matt. Let's leave Sophia alone. She's had a rough couple of days." Vivian said breaking up Sophia's thoughts for the moment. "Sides we could all use some rest." Vivian finished as she got up for her seat, quickly followed by Matt and then Sherman. Watching them all leave, Sophia noticed that Ruby and John had already caught Vivian's drift and left the room so Sophia could have some peace and quiet.
Sophia's eyelids felt heavy and it was taking all her effort to stay awake even with so many questions going through her mind. She disregarded the fact that Luke was still tentatively holding onto her and used him as a pillow as she fell asleep once again. Exhaustion from the night before was still beating at her, and she let all her worries and problems be left for another time. Right now all she needed was sleep, and she gladly welcomed it.
*********************
John and Ruby had moved out to the sofa in the living room while Sherman made Matt and Vivian breakfast in the kitchen. They were all talking seriously about the Pack and what each of their children's roles would be while Sherman informed them more about Sophia and Ruby's abilities as a white wolf.
"I hope Sherman knows what he's talking about." John said to Ruby who was trying not to listen in on the conversation in the kitchen, but no matter how hard she tried she kept getting sucked back in.
"Why do you say that?" Ruby asked, not clear on why John brought up that subject of all of them to bring up.
"Well if what he says about white wolves being the sign of danger to come to the Pack, then what does it mean for two of them?" John asked. Ruby couldn't help but applaud John inside. He had only been a wolf for a couple days and already he was learning and giving his opinion on various Pack issues.
"Yeah, but he also said how we're two halves of a whole." Ruby said trying to understand it herself. "Maybe the danger coming requires two white wolves because it requires so much power and two different abilities to defeat the power." Ruby said hoping that was the case instead of two dangers for two white wolves.
"Maybe." John said hoping that Ruby was right too.
"We won't really know what is supposed to happen until it does because like Sherman said, this has never happened before." Ruby said knowing too that Sherman's predictions weren't always correct either. Mistakes and flaws are always there.
***********************
"Well I'm not exactly sure what the danger is either." Sherman said as he poured Vivian and Matt more coffee. "See it has never been written that two white wolves would appear in the same century let alone the same generation."
"Could we be optimistic and say that two wrongs make a right?" Vivian asked already knowing the answer to her question.
"I don't think we have that kind of luck in our Pack." Sherman responded putting Vivian's hopes down.
"The only thing I am sure of is that everyone in this house is going to have a vital role in this danger." Sherman said stating what all of them knew. "I mean we have how many past, present, and future Alphas in this house? Two white wolves, and a black wolf in the mix too. C'mon, what else would join all of the strongest wolves in the Pack together like this? One way or another we're all related or connected to each other in some way. Either in blood or other relationships." Sherman added as Matt and Vivian began to see how bad it was going to get. Their luck had never been good, but when you knew all of the strongest wolves were together and bound together somehow, they knew that those ties would be tested. If that didn't spell out danger, then what did?
"You're forgetting one thing Sherman." Matt added, making Sherman think about what he possibly could have forgotten. "Yes we have three Alphas, two white wolves, and a black wolf, but we also have a keeper who is supposed to know what is going to happen to the Pack." Matt said half joking and half serious. Matt knew the danger was coming, he could feel it. It hung heavy in the air, enough so that he could smell it.
"So what do we do now?" Vivian asked seeing that they were walking in the dark with this danger coming.
"Pray for a miracle." Sherman said as he picked up the frying pan and began to deposit the sausage links onto five plates.
********************
Luke took a deep breath and was reassured with the scent of vanilla hanging heavy in the air. God she smelled good. He thought as he took another breath with her sent reassuring him as he buried his head in her hair. That was when he noticed how close they were. They were lying there basically skin next to skin, flush bodies up against one another. Sorry, naked, flush bodies up against one another. A small grin appear on Luke's face, knowing that if she woke up, she'd be out of that bed like a bat out of hell.
Taking advantage of the moment, Luke tried to see how far he could go before she woke up. Loosening his grip around her stomach and sitting up a little bit so that he could see her face, Luke saw just how angelic she looked when she slept. He had watched her countless times from her locked bedroom window, but under this new pretense of being closer up, he couldn't help but stare at her for several moments.
His eyes drifted from the smooth skin of her forehead, down to her long lashes, to her rosy cheeks, and finally those lips he burned to feel upon his skin. To him, she had no flaws; she was absolutely perfect. Seizing the moment, Luke slowly inched his head closer to the crook of Sophia's neck. Hovering his mouth above her skin for a few moments, Sophia felt chills run down her spine in her sleep. Licking his lips, Luke slowly let his head fall closer towards Sophia's neck, until his lips touched her skin sending shockwaves through both of their bodies. Luke, loving the ability to kiss her without any other distractions continued his own pleasure, but what he didn't know was how much Sophia was enjoying the moment as well.
Knowing that she wouldn't object to his ministrations, Luke decided to further his emotions by placing the claim, he had wished he had done so many times before, on her now. Sophia's eyes sparked to live, opening with the shock with the realization of what Luke was doing. He wasn't just kissing her, he was claiming her for himself. She now belonged to him and it was an unwritten testament that he would only mate with her for the rest of his life. He swore his loyalty to her now. He had bared his soul and still marked her not even knowing all the answers to his questions. He accepted her fully even though he had yet to learn about her true color.
"Luke, wait." She said turning around to now face him. Big mistake. One look into his brightly glowing amber eyes showed just how much he cared for her. His love for her now only showed in his actions but yet in his eyes. She tried to look away, but she knew that wasn't possible. He held her gaze, loving the fact that he could hypnotize her with just his eyes. If he only knew what his lips did to her.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked sensing the guilt planted on Sophia's face. What could she possibly be guilty about? He was the one who had screwed up so many times. Then it clicked. She wanted to tell him something, but she was scared to. "Baby, what is it?" Luke asked sensing the Sophia close her eyes when he called her 'baby'. He didn't know how that one word made her pulse jump. "I've already laid the claim. It's there forever now, not that there's anything that would make me want to take it back." Luke said and although Sophia loved how much he was trying to be romantic, she wondered just how long she was going to be able to keep Luke in her sights this time before he moved onto someone else because of her secret.
"We need to talk first." Sophia said trying to sound like it was okay, but Luke knew her all too well. She always tried to make everything sound like it was nothing. Something he wished she wouldn't do because he wanted to be the one she told everything to whether good or bad.
"Okay, let's go for a walk." Luke said as he threw back the covers and walked towards the door. Sophia couldn't help but crack a smile at his acceptance of his nudity. He was so secure with himself, Sophia wondered if she was ever going to get used to his ability to walk around naked so carelessly. Placing a hand over her eyes, Luke looked back sensing her insecurity and walked over towards the dresser to pull out a pair of jeans. One of the many pairs so many Skinwalkers left at Sherman's in case of emergency. While in the drawer Luke grabbed a pair of smaller jeans and a t- shirt for Sophia. Flinging them at her, he smiled at her, wondering how long she was going to put on that charade of being so human. It was going to be up to him to get the more wolven side of her out. Somehow, he'd work that in his schedule.
***********************
Walking out of the bedroom side by side, Luke and Sophia were still laughing about the incident in the bedroom when they noticed five pairs of eyes staring at them. Stopping to a halt and becoming silent, they quickly scanned the room wondering what the five of them were staring at when it clicked. Their attention was on Luke and Sophia.
"Sophia, may I see you for a minute." Matt said to his daughter not even asking as his tone became serious.
"Yeah." Sophia nodded a little nervously as she followed her father onto the front porch.
"Luke, let's talk in the bedroom." Vivian said ushering her son into the bedroom so that Matt and Sophia would have their privacy.
"What do you want to talk about?" Luke asked rather annoyed by the subject of talking to his mother, especially after yesterday's events.
"You and Sophia primarily." Vivian answered and was about to further her introduction until her son cut her off.
"Mom, we've been over this before, Sophia and I are-" Luke tried to explain, but his mother was the one to cut him off this time.
"I don't want to argue with you Lucas." she said calmly as he backed off and took a deep breath trying to control his rage. Vivian noticed how protective he got when Sophia's honor or their relationship was questioned. She quietly grinned and patted herself on the back for raising such a dominant male leader for the Pack. Sophia brought out his strong side, she had changed him, perhaps for the better. "I wanted to tell you that I've accepted Sophia into the Pack."
********************
"What did you want to talk to me about Dad?" Sophia asked after she closed the front door of Sherman's house. "Cause I wanted to talk to you as well. You've been acting kind of strange lately."
"Strange." Matt repeated surprised by his daughter's word for describing his behavior lately.
"Well yeah, you've been really laid back lately that's all. The Matt Donner I know would have killed Luke the second he even laid eyes on me." Sophia explained wondering what happened to the real Matt Donner the week she left.
"Since coming back to my old pelt, I have such a feeling of safety and security again. It's amazing what becoming a wolf does for you." Matt said as Sophia raised her eyebrows in surprise at her father's new vocabulary. "However, this does not mean that I have fully accepted Luke. If he does anything to upset me or you in any way or starts with that cocky attitude again, he will find himself six feet under." Matt warned as Sophia smiled, thankful that the protective side of her father was still there just under a different pretense.
"So now that you tried to cover it up, what's really going on Dad?" Sophia asked seeing right through him.
*********************
"You've done what?" Luke asked his mother wondering if he heard right or if he was only imaging the words coming out of her mouth.
"You heard me, I've accepted Sophia into the Pack. And as I can tell, she's accepted you as your mate. Congratulations Luke." his mother replied scaring the hell out of Luke right now. Her mood had done a complete 180 in only 24 hours.
"What did Matt Donner do to you yesterday?" Luke asked wondering if the sheriff had slipped her some illegal substances from the evidence locker. God knows he was definetely acting different. "That's what this is about. You're trying to get on Matt's good side, but why?" Luke asked trying to pry and Vivian shut her mind off to her son, hoping he would see the biggest secret of Wolf Lake in her mind.
"Matt and I have come to an understanding that's all. I accept Sophia and he accepts you. That's the deal. End of discussion." Vivian recovered and Luke luckily bought it for the time being.
"Sure." Luke answered walking out of the room in search for Sophia.
**********************
"Nothing. It's just that for Vivian to accept you I had to accept Luke and that's what we decided on." Matt answered but Sophia knew better.
"Vivian would have been thrilled to find out what I am so why would she expect so much more out of that bargain. She's the one who's winning, not you, so I ask again why are you acting this way?" Sophia asked and Matt smiled at his daughter for knowing him so well. He always had a hidden agenda. Then again, so did Vivian.
"Let's just say I'm trying to get on Vivian's good side." Matt said trying to settle the matter before Sophia saw more about him than he was willing to let out. Before she could ask anymore, Luke walked out the front door.
"Ready?" Luke asked coming up next to Sophia, his hand finding the small of her back as he began massaging the tension increasing there from stress. Luke inwardly wondered what stress she would have, but his thoughts were broken with her voice.
"Yeah. Let's go." Sophia replied monotone, displaying no emotion to her father, not wanting him to see her curiosity and relentless for believing him at the moment.
*********************
"Where do you think Luke and Sophia are going?" John asked Ruby knowing she had been listening in on their conversations, ready to step in if needed, but just like Sophia and Luke, she had also been surprised by Vivian and Matt's new judgment of the two. What had happened yesterday when Matt went to find Vivian? Ruby made a mental note to ask Matt about that one later.
"I don't know, but I could tell Sophia was nervous about something." Ruby responded to John's question wondering about it herself when it clicked. "She must have wanted to get out the house to talk to Luke about something important." She continued as she turned around to look at John, watching his reaction as the information sunk in and light bulb went off.
"Speaking of getting out of the house, I've got to get out of here." John said as he stood up after Ruby got up off of John's chest. "Feel like a run?"
John watched as a smile quickly spread across Ruby's face as she stood next to him, before they both started walking towards the door.
*****************
"Sorry about the steep hill." Luke said as he reached the top of a cliff, bending back down to reach for Sophia's hand. "But this place is has the best scenic view in Wolf Lake."
"It's okay. Really." Sophia said lying plainly through her teeth, knowing that every step caused a piercing pain to strike her leg with enough energy to make her want to double over. Luckily, her power was quickly returning and she was successfully on her way to recovery. Regardless, she had to tell Luke the truth and she wasn't about to tell him at Sherman's with multiple witnesses around to hear the conversation about to take place. No, she needed some time away with Luke, and this was perfect.
"It would have just been easier if you would have let me carry you." Luke said smiling as he reached down and clasped Sophia's hand, pulling her up onto the ledge.
Luke underestimated his strength as did Sophia by helping Luke pull herself up by pushing off with her feet. The result, ended with Sophia being pulled into Luke's rock hard form with a jolt almost causing her to fall back. Almost. Thankfully, Luke had planted his arm around Sophia's waist, keeping her at his side.
"Thanks." Sophia said as she pulled away, slightly blushing. Taking a seat on a nearby rock, Sophia sensed the smile spread across Luke's face, flattered by her nervousness around him still. "So why is this your favorite place?" Sophia asked wanting to know Luke's opinion on the view before them.
The sun had already risen, it's rays beating down on them heavily yet comfortingly. The variation of blues, pinks, and golden yellows streaked their way across the sky making the painting perfect without the flaw of jet lines covering the canvas. Sophia wondered what it would look like at night with the luminescent moon shining down on her form. How the shadows appeared to be more than they were, creating the effect and adventure of her wanting to find out if those shadows were more than they seemed.
"The silence is what I love." Luke said as it finally clicked with Sophia. "Up here, I don't hear the constant talking on the mental paths. It's just nice to come up here and hear your own thoughts rather than half the town's." Luke said cracking a smile at his own joke.
"I know what you mean. When I was away I could barely even pick up on my father's let alone anyone else's links. Now that I'm back everyone is constantly chatting in my head. No wonder information gets out so quickly." Sophia answered as Luke remembered how she had contacted him when she was away. He thought he had been hallucinating, but now he knew different.
"Speaking of which, where were you exactly?" Luke asked. Sophia knew she would have to get on the topic sooner of later, she was glad that Luke was the one to bring it up rather than her.
"In Alaska, right on the border with Canada." Sophia answered remembering the difference and similarity of Alaska and Wolf Lake and yet the distinct differences as well.
"What was it like? On the outside?" Luke asked curious to know what it was like to be outside of Wolf Lake.
"Adventurous, but weird." Sophia answered surprising him. "I wanted out so bad, and then I had to come back because I only knew of one place that I called home. I had nowhere else to turn to, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away for long." Sophia confessed as she once again sensed a smile on Luke's face.
"God I would have done anything to be in your shoes." Luke confessed as Sophia tried to hide the tears from coming down her cheeks knowing all the chaos that had started because of her trip away Wolf Lake. The visions, the deaths, the changes in people around her, everything had been turned upside down. Sophia half laughed and half snorted at Luke's remark as she stood and faced him.
"If you only knew." Sophia answered as she stared at Luke, her eyes flashing gold daringly at him for a few seconds. (A/N- Does the line that Sophia uses sound familiar? Like father like daughter.)
"What are you talking about Sophia? If I only knew what?" Luke asked clearly confused as he took a step closer towards her.
"If you only knew the truth about my disappearance. If you only knew what happened to me when I went away. If you only knew my pelt color." Sophia finished surprised at herself for saying the last bit. She had said it, not the wolf within, not some other force, just her. She definitely changed, and more changes were about to appear.
Suddenly everything sparked in Luke's mind. It became so clear in an instant, Luke just about kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. The power surge, the connection to Ruby, the chase seeing her in human form instead of wolven, her strength, why she came back to Wolf Lake, why his mother accepted her. It all made perfect sense.
"It's not possible." Luke said shaking his head in complete shock. "You can't be white." Luke was literally spellbound, trying to accept the inevitable. Sophia thought he would be the one person who would actually like and accept the fact that she was white. I guess it really was hard for a half-breed to become anything remotely significant.
"Sometimes you need to see something to believe it." Sophia said as she walked away from Luke and behind a nearby pine tree, still not as comfortable as Luke was with his body. Luke watched her movements, catching a glimpse of gold flashing behind the tree, and then silence. Deafening silence. Luke's patience and curiosity began to run low as he slowly began to step closer towards the tree. Seeing the it might be better if he changed as well, he discarded his pants within a matter of seconds before letting his body flow naturally to the skin nature called for. Paws hitting the soft dirt below, he slowly walked around the tree, careful not to scare Sophia, even though she could sense where he was.
As he turned the corner, his heart just about went into cardiac arrest with the sight before him. She had told him that she was white, but the degree of her pelt color was unbelievable. She was in fact the purest form of white there was. Not one hair on her pelt was the slightest shade of gray. Sophia finally sensed his presence in wolven form and slowly slid her glaze from the ground to his face, afraid for what lay there. Her heart and mind curiously working in overtime, Sophia feared what Luke would do, whether or not he accepted her, she would be stunned. Luke stood there looking at her for several moments in complete shock over the impossible and yet inevitable.
She realized that Luke had been the first one to see her in her true pelt. Of course Ruby and John had seen her with mud all over her, Matt had turned away when she flipped, and even Alice died before she saw Sophia in wolven form. This was the first time she was being judged from the person it mattered most of all. The only one who she truly wanted acceptance from. The Alpha, the rest of the pack, even her father, she didn't care. It really meant something for citizen-high to accept citizen-low.
Luke slowly walked up to Sophia, his eyes beginning to glow, growing more intense by the minute. His steps were slow yet confident and defiant, making her tremble and feel beneath him. The wolf within her repressed her fear and caused her to stand up straight, and challenge his authority with her own. She openly challenged him, her eyes glowing more amber than his ever have. She lifted her head high, meeting his gaze, mocking it somewhat. Luke continued to walk forward, not afraid of her defiance, yet embracing it. He loved her power, her need for supremacy. He savored and honored it. Sophia thought that she was making the biggest mistake of her life, daring Luke, so much that she received the biggest shock of her life when he bowed down to her. She almost stepped back, but she held her ground as Luke began to nuzzle Sophia's neck.
Luke sensed her guard slip and slowly vanish now that Luke had approved and even loved her true self. She slowly relaxed with his touch, letting all her worries vanish for the moment. It was amazing how he could control her stress with just the feel of his body next to hers. Taking a deep breath, Sophia slowly changed her pure white pelt into flesh, as Luke's did the same, their skin sliding against one another as they moved from their pelts. Standing together, Luke's arms circling around her back and Sophia's hands, one cupping the back of his head, and the other on his shoulder, they savored the moment, closing their eyes and breathing deeply. Sophia's forehead came to rest on Luke's throat, his chin on top of her head, deeply breathing in the scent of her hair. Their bodies became closer, needing comfort after so much worry and anxiety.
*******************
John and Ruby were currently playing a rather friendly game of hide-and- seek with John using his new wolven senses in tracking his mate. Hunkering down by a nearby bush Ruby waited for John to find her, as she looked at her surroundings. They were in a secluded part of the forest, one that even the highest authority of Skinwalkers rarely visited because of its proximity of it being close to the border of Wolf Lake. Ruby had come to this spot many times as a teenager and adult, hoping that one day she would be able to cross that line and never return. However, she knew what her fate would be. She would be kidnapped, rescued as others called it, and dragged back to the confines of Wolf Lake with tighter restrictions holding her there.
None of that mattered now. She was with John and that was the only thing that mattered or made sense at the moment. Lately things had gotten crazy and he was the only sane thing left in her world even if his new developments were quite a shock to her. She knew from the moment she met him that he was different from other humans, but maybe it was the badge that clouded her from thinking clearly or maybe the emotions she felt when she was with him. Whatever the case, it mystified her mind and led her to falling in love with him.
Shifting back into her human skin, Ruby let her headrest on the tree beside her wondering what was taking John so long to find her. She was about to go look for him, until she sensed the presence of someone coming her way. She smiled to herself, congratulating John for trying to surprise her. She sensed him closing in, getting warmer by the second. Hunkering even lower towards the tree, Ruby waited for him, seeing just how long it would take him to find her.
She almost jumped when she felt a warm and familiar hand clamp on her shoulder. After the shock went away, she prepared her best smile for looking up at John. Slowly turning her head up at him, she was met with an even greater shock. She locked eyes with the one person she did not want to see at the moment. Those cold eyes she had to see every day for months which seemed like years. Those eyes she had to look into the night she was married. Those eyes that belonged to the man she hated most in her life. The man she was married to.
"Hello Ruby." Tyler greeted as his hand came to grasp her upper arm, pulling her up to his level and closer towards him. "Long time, no see."
Ruby was about to punch Tyler in the face when she heard a light growl coming from behind Tyler. Both of them looking towards the noise, they discovered the origin of that growl. While Tyler was confused, Ruby was smiling, despite the fact that Tyler's hands were still on her, as they both looked at the black wolf defending his mate.
*******************
"There's something you need to know." Sophia said after a few minutes of silence, still within Luke's grasp around her body.
"What is it?" Luke asked picking up the hint of guilt hanging in her voice. He pulled back a little bit wanting a better look of her face. He needed to look her in the eye for this, he just knew it.
"With me being back and under a different pretense, with the ways of the pack and their opinions of my kind, I can't guarantee that I can protect you." Sophia said knowing first hand what it was like to be ridiculed, but now with someone else being dragged in on her life, he had to know what was going to happen. She knew she wouldn't be accepted. From some of her closest friends, her father, and even Luke they were all shocked and very submissive about her true identity. She couldn't wait to see how the rest of the pack was going to react to her being white and also being with Luke.
"No one will challenge my position nor yours when they find out who you are." Luke said knowing how forceful the Cates' could be when it came down to it.
"Luke, I'm a half-breed with a father who was disloyal when his pack needed him most." Sophia explained already hearing the discriminating remarks echoing in her head.
"They will accept you or have to deal with me." Luke growled out angrily already hearing the snide remarks and thinking of appropriate punishment for those guilty.
"Don't you see how my life effects the pack? It will split it into two between those of pure blood and those that aren't. Even us, opposites, are not meant to be together."
"But destined to be mates." Luke finished. "How else can you explain that we are the dominant Alphas of our generation, how we hold so many connections? We are meant to be together Sophia. I won't let anyone take our love away, and I will protect you." Luke said and will those last words echoing in Sophia's head, he sealed his promise with a kiss. One that started out slow and transformed into a heavily passionate and binding kiss of love, trust, and protection for each other.
*****************
"Let go of me Tyler." Ruby demanded her teeth grinding as she found strength in John's presence. She knew that even with white wolven blood coursing through his veins, she couldn't take Tyler on, but now being backed by a strong black wolf, even with his abilities still growing, she knew she could defeat Tyler then. Finally, payback was being justified. Finally, she could let Tyler know how she really felt about him although it wasn't a secret to him or anybody for that matter. His ego had gotten a hold of him years ago, corrupting his judgment since then. He had once been a gentle soul, but that memory almost seemed a fantasy as Ruby stared into his eyes filled with greed and power.
He only saw success in himself and cared very little about others unless it involved him. Once he received power, and knew he had it, nothing could take that authority away from him. He thrived on the power, loving the fact that he could control so many with just his position in the Pack. His authority was about to get some sense knocked into it cause Ruby was tired of him and all he stood for. It was time that Tyler saw what she really wanted. If only he knew that it was the black wolf that was starring him down at the moment.
John didn't know what had come over him at the moment, but he couldn't stand by and let Tyler take Ruby once again out of his life. He had just gotten her back, and nothing was going to take them apart this time. He promised himself that the day they were reunited. He promised never to leave her and protect her from those that had taken her away from him so many months ago. Now the same threat was here, once again trying to break them up. The only difference this time was that John was now one of them, and Tyler now had no say in the matter. John didn't know this, but technically his pelt had more authority than Tyler's and if John wanted Ruby as his mate, then Tyler would have no say in the matter.
Tyler knew this. He knew why the black wolf was standing there dominant, eyes glowing brightly, growling at him. He knew that in the laws of the Pack, he was supposed to back down to him, seeing that the black wolf outweighed all others except the Alpha, unless he was the Alpha. The only problem was that Tyler had never backed down to anyone and wasn't about to now. The black wolf had started the fight, but Tyler promised that he would be the one to finish it.
John received his threat and welcomed it, for he had prayed for a chance to take Tyler down the moment he met him. John smiled at Tyler's attempts to act cool and powerful even when he knew he was scared shitless inside. John let the wolf overpower him, only thinking about the fact that Tyler had touched Ruby. Tyler had touched his mate, something he would come to regret.
Ruby watched as Tyler's hands left her body and he stepped away from her. Shedding his skin for his light gray pelt, he slowly began walking his way towards John. Walking with pride and defiance, Tyler tried his best to stare John down, but as much effort he tried into that task, John could pull it off without even trying. His eyes told his emotions, told all of his feelings, and no matter how hard Tyler tried to become superior, he would always be inferior to the black wolf reflecting in his eyes.
**********************
Sophia was the first to pull away a little breathless not only from the kiss but also because of Luke's hands finding the deepest parts of her body to massage. Turning her head away from Luke's she rested her cheek on his shoulder, taking a moment to breathe while his kisses began to travel down her throat to her collarbone, finishing the claim he had started that morning. This time she embraced it, accepting every part of Luke now that he knew every aspect about her life, and he was willing to follow her knowing that things were going to worse before they got better. Never experiencing a claim before, Sophia saw a white light coming to her and she accepted it thinking it was part of the claim. The white light struck her like a bolt of lightning, and if it hadn't been for her wolven abilities and Luke's hold around her waist, she would have landed on the ground.
She suddenly became aware of what was happening to her, just like so many times before. She was having another vision, but this one was on a whole new level. The sound of growls were evident but all Sophia could see was red. The smell was familiar and then the realization came to her. Blood. Crimson blood just like when she received the visions of the murdered Skinwalkers and Tyler killing Alice. The scent was one she knew too well, something she wished she never experienced. Behind the pungent scent of blood, she could also smell the scents of other wolves. Advancing her senses, she tried to uncover their identities. When she discovered who the vision was about, she immediately snapped out of the vision, noticing the concerned look of Luke's face matching her own concern. However her concern was not about her but another.
"Sophia, could you please tell me what the hell just happened?" Luke asked bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, trying to keep her attention even though her mind was elsewhere. Luke just wanted to bring her closer to him, but he sensed her pulling away for some reason. His curiosity was boiling over and beginning to scare him with her weird behavior every time he tried to kiss her.
"I just had a vision." Sophia responded to inform him quickly.
"What?" Luke asked being completely blown away with this new information. She just kept piling more new facts about herself today.
"I don't have time to explain. We have to go Luke, now." Sophia said with such seriousness which left Luke speechless as Sophia took off into the forest, Luke charging after her, not about to let her out of his sights now.
In mid-run, Sophia changed back into her pure white pelt giving her the extra strength to get there faster, as Luke soon did the same, seeing his change as the only opportunity to keep up with Sophia. In the time it took for Sophia to get there, she began talking on her private links, informing others of her vision. First on her list was Ruby.
Ruby, don't fight Tyler. Sophia said to her mentally.
Why not? Wait, how did you know about Tyler. Ruby asked knowing that Sophia wasn't in her mind when Tyler showed.
Vision. Just trust me Ruby, don't fight him. Tell John the same. I'm on my way. Sophia said seeing that they were running out of time as she picked up the pace.
Next on her list was her father.
Dad, contact Vivian and Sherman and meet me by the Northeast corner of Wolf Lake. Sophia said her voice ringing out in Matt's head.
Sophia, what's going on? Her father asked, worry and fear evident.
Just do what I say and use the public path, not the private. Trust me. Sophia said smiling to herself, knowing that every wolf in the town would hear that call, and knowing what kind of town she was dealing with, every wolf would be there.
Breaking the link with her father, it was only a matter of seconds before his announcement came blaring over the public links. A small smile slowly slid across her face, knowing now she had Tyler exactly where she wanted him.
You must have some sort of death wish if you want every Skinwalker knowing about you today Sophia. Ruby said entering Sophia's mind. Sophia could tell they were getting close for it was easier to communicate with Ruby.
It's time for everyone to know. Sophia responded as she came leaping over a fallen tree trunk and through a clump of bushes into a large opening, perfect for her to be on display for the pack. Looking around she saw a familiar shocked face and two other faces, smiling along with her. Luke cleared the log just as perfectly as she did, coming to a halt a few inches in front of her. Taking his place beside her, he too watched the shocked eyes of Tyler grow wider and wider.
Coming from the opposite side of the clearing that Sophia had entered, two wolves and a human came walking closer to see the spectacle forming before them. Matt, taking the moment in stride like his daughter, came walking up to her along with Vivian, to stand beside her. Ruby, John, and Sherman soon joined the line that began to form. Ruby and Sophia were in the middle standing beside each other. Luke and John stood on either side of their mates, and Vivian and Matt stood next to Luke. Sherman sat down on the fallen log behind the line forming, with a wide, bright smile beaming across his face.
Tyler was soon joined by other wolves, and the numbers continued to grow until the whole pack was there, looking at the spectacle ahead. Once those six standing in the line saw that they had everyone's attention, they all looked towards Sophia and Ruby. The two white wolves looking at each other, both nodded before leaving their pelt for human skin. Gasps were heard all around and jaws were dropped, mouths wide open. The six standing in the line couldn't help but smile, but there was one holding doubt in the back of her head. Sophia refrained from looking towards the ground, knowing that would be a sign of weakness. Luke slid his gaze to hers, taking her hand in his. Entwining their fingers, Luke held on to her hand and to their future.
She quickly scanned the room to see five people all scattered about the room yet some were closer than others. Ruby and John were on a sofa towards the back of the room cuddled up close. John was running his fingers through Ruby's hair as she quietly rested on the sofa next to him. Sherman was sitting at a desk in the middle of the room looking over what looked like old documents. That only meant one thing. Something big was happening. Her glaze now shifted towards the two people closest to her.
Vivian sat a few feet away, towards the foot of the bed. A mug in her hand, she tried to massage the headache away, but the amount of stress and confusion weighing down on her was evident. Her eyes even looked tired. Sophia felt sorry for her Alpha knowing that dealing with Sophia's situation on top of everything else was probably a nightmare. Someone grabbed Vivian's hand and held it comfortingly. She looked up and a smile slowly spread across her face, thankful she had someone to support her right now.
Sophia looked towards the left of Vivian wanting to know who was holding her hand. None other than her father sat right there less than two feet from her reach. He was also stressed out and exhausted. Like Vivian he had a coffee mug in his hand. The two of them must have spent the whole night watching over her and Lu-
Sophia then realized the closeness of their bodies. The fact that her bareback was flush against his bare chest was enough for her to raise alarm. Why hadn't she felt him until now? It had to be because she was so incredibly weak at the moment. Right? Inside her heart was calling her head a liar, but she ignored it and lay there, not about to wake him up and yell at him. She'd let him have this moment since he had saved her life. She was content to lie there still and go back to sleep when Luke got closer.
Luke just had to press his luck. Sophia thought. Her comment was regarding the fact that Luke had put his arm around Sophia's waist underneath the blanket and pulled her closer towards their already touching bodies. She almost could sense him smiling inside, but her other senses noticed that Luke was still asleep. He hadn't woke up yet and as far as Sophia knew, he was doing this unconsciously. Yeah, right.
As Sophia began to wake up, a terrible headache began to form. Unsure if she should get out of bed or stay there, she tried to stretch, but Luke trapped her in his arms. Matt noticed her attempts at wiggling out of Luke's grasp and quickly focused his attention on his daughter.
"Sophia." Matt whispered, but it rang out loud in her mind. The headache intensified and Sophia was able to move one of her hands to grab her forehead in protest. "Honey, are you okay?" Matt asked brushing away the hair in her face with his hand to get a better look at her scrunched up face.
"Yeah." Once I get out of the death grip. Sophia thought as Luke tightened his grip around her. She could have sworn he was awake.
Matt heard her thoughts since she didn't have the strength yet to hide nor control her thoughts. He quietly laughed to himself and Sophia looked up at him, knowing he had heard her thoughts.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't you be pounding the crap out of Luke right now?" Sophia asked amazed with her father's weird behavior lately.
"No, would you like me to?" he asked jokingly causing Sophia to relax a bit, but she still wondered why her father was so laid back about everything lately.
"Sophia, your dad and I have an understanding. I except you into the Pack, and Matt excepts Luke." Vivian responded hearing Sophia's thoughts. "Just so you know, your dad spilled the beans." Vivian said and immediately Sophia's heart rate climbed the charts.
"Dad?" Sophia asked panicking as she nearly choked on the one syllable word with such alarm. Vivian knew everything. Sophia began to worry about what else her father and Vivian had an understanding over. Like her lifetime membership to the confines of Wolf Lake. She wasn't about to become another prisoner to this town. She had dreams and goals. Living in Wolf Lake was not one of them.
"It's okay Sophia." Matt said reassuringly, letting her blood pressure drop a little bit, but she was still worried about how much Vivian was going to control her life now. Especially when it came to making sure her son became Alpha. Sophia really wasn't sure if she wanted to be any part of that equation at the moment.
"Sherman filled us in on what happened last night. Liking the attention yet?" Matt asked his daughter knowing how much she had been in the spotlight amongst the small group in Sherman's cabin lately.
"No." Sophia responded quietly. She hated drawing attention to herself even in front of a few people. "So what exactly happened last night?" Sophia asked wondering what caused her to have so much power within her.
"I think that's a question better asked for Sherman." Matt said raising his voice a little louder to get Sherman's attention even though he had been listening to the entire conversation since it started.
Sherman slowly stood and made his way over towards the bed Sophia was still in. He sat down in a chair on the other side of Matt and took a deep breath trying to find a way to break the news to Sophia. Making sure that Luke was asleep, Sherman started his explanation of what happened.
"Every white wolf has special powers. You know that by your visions. Because you and Ruby are like two halves, it was only fitting that both of you receive your powers at the same time. She received hers when you contacted her about a week ago. As you know Ruby has special healing powers and was able to use her power on John after his flip to get rid of her power. But you my dear were a little different with your power surge." Sherman took a break to breathe and clear his throat before moving on. "You're a stronger white wolf than Ruby is or will every be. I haven't figured out why, but I do know that your power surge affected you more. There was more power in that surge and it could only be taken away from a person you really trusted."
"So I don't trust Ruby? How could that be?" Sophia asked wondering why that had happened.
"I'm not exactly sure on that one. You think that two white wolves would trust each other, but something went wrong. I think it might have been the fact that Ruby was also scared of what would happen. She didn't entirely trust herself let alone you last night. You were pretty scary if I must say so myself." Sherman said remembering the light show that Luke and Sophia had displayed.
"But what about Luke? I don't entirely trust him." Sophia said looking at Vivian to see the scowl form then fade, knowing the truth behind Sophia's white lie.
"Your head doesn't trust him, but your heart does. Last night you didn't have control over your head. The wolf inside of you was in control." Sherman said which finally made sense.
Sophia actually only contradicted herself when she was constantly thinking about what could go wrong. She concentrated only on the 'what ifs' and not on striving towards what she really wanted. She always regretted things she hadn't done or said. Now she was back and ready to face all her fears, threats, and torments she had endured. Sherman was right. She was strong, stronger than she knew. She was a white wolf which meant that she ultimately outranked others. She therefore belonged to the Alpha of her generation, Luke. Everything was going to fit into place like it should always have. She was so confident, but yet why was her gut telling her it wasn't going to be as easy as she thought?
"C'mon, Matt. Let's leave Sophia alone. She's had a rough couple of days." Vivian said breaking up Sophia's thoughts for the moment. "Sides we could all use some rest." Vivian finished as she got up for her seat, quickly followed by Matt and then Sherman. Watching them all leave, Sophia noticed that Ruby and John had already caught Vivian's drift and left the room so Sophia could have some peace and quiet.
Sophia's eyelids felt heavy and it was taking all her effort to stay awake even with so many questions going through her mind. She disregarded the fact that Luke was still tentatively holding onto her and used him as a pillow as she fell asleep once again. Exhaustion from the night before was still beating at her, and she let all her worries and problems be left for another time. Right now all she needed was sleep, and she gladly welcomed it.
*********************
John and Ruby had moved out to the sofa in the living room while Sherman made Matt and Vivian breakfast in the kitchen. They were all talking seriously about the Pack and what each of their children's roles would be while Sherman informed them more about Sophia and Ruby's abilities as a white wolf.
"I hope Sherman knows what he's talking about." John said to Ruby who was trying not to listen in on the conversation in the kitchen, but no matter how hard she tried she kept getting sucked back in.
"Why do you say that?" Ruby asked, not clear on why John brought up that subject of all of them to bring up.
"Well if what he says about white wolves being the sign of danger to come to the Pack, then what does it mean for two of them?" John asked. Ruby couldn't help but applaud John inside. He had only been a wolf for a couple days and already he was learning and giving his opinion on various Pack issues.
"Yeah, but he also said how we're two halves of a whole." Ruby said trying to understand it herself. "Maybe the danger coming requires two white wolves because it requires so much power and two different abilities to defeat the power." Ruby said hoping that was the case instead of two dangers for two white wolves.
"Maybe." John said hoping that Ruby was right too.
"We won't really know what is supposed to happen until it does because like Sherman said, this has never happened before." Ruby said knowing too that Sherman's predictions weren't always correct either. Mistakes and flaws are always there.
***********************
"Well I'm not exactly sure what the danger is either." Sherman said as he poured Vivian and Matt more coffee. "See it has never been written that two white wolves would appear in the same century let alone the same generation."
"Could we be optimistic and say that two wrongs make a right?" Vivian asked already knowing the answer to her question.
"I don't think we have that kind of luck in our Pack." Sherman responded putting Vivian's hopes down.
"The only thing I am sure of is that everyone in this house is going to have a vital role in this danger." Sherman said stating what all of them knew. "I mean we have how many past, present, and future Alphas in this house? Two white wolves, and a black wolf in the mix too. C'mon, what else would join all of the strongest wolves in the Pack together like this? One way or another we're all related or connected to each other in some way. Either in blood or other relationships." Sherman added as Matt and Vivian began to see how bad it was going to get. Their luck had never been good, but when you knew all of the strongest wolves were together and bound together somehow, they knew that those ties would be tested. If that didn't spell out danger, then what did?
"You're forgetting one thing Sherman." Matt added, making Sherman think about what he possibly could have forgotten. "Yes we have three Alphas, two white wolves, and a black wolf, but we also have a keeper who is supposed to know what is going to happen to the Pack." Matt said half joking and half serious. Matt knew the danger was coming, he could feel it. It hung heavy in the air, enough so that he could smell it.
"So what do we do now?" Vivian asked seeing that they were walking in the dark with this danger coming.
"Pray for a miracle." Sherman said as he picked up the frying pan and began to deposit the sausage links onto five plates.
********************
Luke took a deep breath and was reassured with the scent of vanilla hanging heavy in the air. God she smelled good. He thought as he took another breath with her sent reassuring him as he buried his head in her hair. That was when he noticed how close they were. They were lying there basically skin next to skin, flush bodies up against one another. Sorry, naked, flush bodies up against one another. A small grin appear on Luke's face, knowing that if she woke up, she'd be out of that bed like a bat out of hell.
Taking advantage of the moment, Luke tried to see how far he could go before she woke up. Loosening his grip around her stomach and sitting up a little bit so that he could see her face, Luke saw just how angelic she looked when she slept. He had watched her countless times from her locked bedroom window, but under this new pretense of being closer up, he couldn't help but stare at her for several moments.
His eyes drifted from the smooth skin of her forehead, down to her long lashes, to her rosy cheeks, and finally those lips he burned to feel upon his skin. To him, she had no flaws; she was absolutely perfect. Seizing the moment, Luke slowly inched his head closer to the crook of Sophia's neck. Hovering his mouth above her skin for a few moments, Sophia felt chills run down her spine in her sleep. Licking his lips, Luke slowly let his head fall closer towards Sophia's neck, until his lips touched her skin sending shockwaves through both of their bodies. Luke, loving the ability to kiss her without any other distractions continued his own pleasure, but what he didn't know was how much Sophia was enjoying the moment as well.
Knowing that she wouldn't object to his ministrations, Luke decided to further his emotions by placing the claim, he had wished he had done so many times before, on her now. Sophia's eyes sparked to live, opening with the shock with the realization of what Luke was doing. He wasn't just kissing her, he was claiming her for himself. She now belonged to him and it was an unwritten testament that he would only mate with her for the rest of his life. He swore his loyalty to her now. He had bared his soul and still marked her not even knowing all the answers to his questions. He accepted her fully even though he had yet to learn about her true color.
"Luke, wait." She said turning around to now face him. Big mistake. One look into his brightly glowing amber eyes showed just how much he cared for her. His love for her now only showed in his actions but yet in his eyes. She tried to look away, but she knew that wasn't possible. He held her gaze, loving the fact that he could hypnotize her with just his eyes. If he only knew what his lips did to her.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked sensing the guilt planted on Sophia's face. What could she possibly be guilty about? He was the one who had screwed up so many times. Then it clicked. She wanted to tell him something, but she was scared to. "Baby, what is it?" Luke asked sensing the Sophia close her eyes when he called her 'baby'. He didn't know how that one word made her pulse jump. "I've already laid the claim. It's there forever now, not that there's anything that would make me want to take it back." Luke said and although Sophia loved how much he was trying to be romantic, she wondered just how long she was going to be able to keep Luke in her sights this time before he moved onto someone else because of her secret.
"We need to talk first." Sophia said trying to sound like it was okay, but Luke knew her all too well. She always tried to make everything sound like it was nothing. Something he wished she wouldn't do because he wanted to be the one she told everything to whether good or bad.
"Okay, let's go for a walk." Luke said as he threw back the covers and walked towards the door. Sophia couldn't help but crack a smile at his acceptance of his nudity. He was so secure with himself, Sophia wondered if she was ever going to get used to his ability to walk around naked so carelessly. Placing a hand over her eyes, Luke looked back sensing her insecurity and walked over towards the dresser to pull out a pair of jeans. One of the many pairs so many Skinwalkers left at Sherman's in case of emergency. While in the drawer Luke grabbed a pair of smaller jeans and a t- shirt for Sophia. Flinging them at her, he smiled at her, wondering how long she was going to put on that charade of being so human. It was going to be up to him to get the more wolven side of her out. Somehow, he'd work that in his schedule.
***********************
Walking out of the bedroom side by side, Luke and Sophia were still laughing about the incident in the bedroom when they noticed five pairs of eyes staring at them. Stopping to a halt and becoming silent, they quickly scanned the room wondering what the five of them were staring at when it clicked. Their attention was on Luke and Sophia.
"Sophia, may I see you for a minute." Matt said to his daughter not even asking as his tone became serious.
"Yeah." Sophia nodded a little nervously as she followed her father onto the front porch.
"Luke, let's talk in the bedroom." Vivian said ushering her son into the bedroom so that Matt and Sophia would have their privacy.
"What do you want to talk about?" Luke asked rather annoyed by the subject of talking to his mother, especially after yesterday's events.
"You and Sophia primarily." Vivian answered and was about to further her introduction until her son cut her off.
"Mom, we've been over this before, Sophia and I are-" Luke tried to explain, but his mother was the one to cut him off this time.
"I don't want to argue with you Lucas." she said calmly as he backed off and took a deep breath trying to control his rage. Vivian noticed how protective he got when Sophia's honor or their relationship was questioned. She quietly grinned and patted herself on the back for raising such a dominant male leader for the Pack. Sophia brought out his strong side, she had changed him, perhaps for the better. "I wanted to tell you that I've accepted Sophia into the Pack."
********************
"What did you want to talk to me about Dad?" Sophia asked after she closed the front door of Sherman's house. "Cause I wanted to talk to you as well. You've been acting kind of strange lately."
"Strange." Matt repeated surprised by his daughter's word for describing his behavior lately.
"Well yeah, you've been really laid back lately that's all. The Matt Donner I know would have killed Luke the second he even laid eyes on me." Sophia explained wondering what happened to the real Matt Donner the week she left.
"Since coming back to my old pelt, I have such a feeling of safety and security again. It's amazing what becoming a wolf does for you." Matt said as Sophia raised her eyebrows in surprise at her father's new vocabulary. "However, this does not mean that I have fully accepted Luke. If he does anything to upset me or you in any way or starts with that cocky attitude again, he will find himself six feet under." Matt warned as Sophia smiled, thankful that the protective side of her father was still there just under a different pretense.
"So now that you tried to cover it up, what's really going on Dad?" Sophia asked seeing right through him.
*********************
"You've done what?" Luke asked his mother wondering if he heard right or if he was only imaging the words coming out of her mouth.
"You heard me, I've accepted Sophia into the Pack. And as I can tell, she's accepted you as your mate. Congratulations Luke." his mother replied scaring the hell out of Luke right now. Her mood had done a complete 180 in only 24 hours.
"What did Matt Donner do to you yesterday?" Luke asked wondering if the sheriff had slipped her some illegal substances from the evidence locker. God knows he was definetely acting different. "That's what this is about. You're trying to get on Matt's good side, but why?" Luke asked trying to pry and Vivian shut her mind off to her son, hoping he would see the biggest secret of Wolf Lake in her mind.
"Matt and I have come to an understanding that's all. I accept Sophia and he accepts you. That's the deal. End of discussion." Vivian recovered and Luke luckily bought it for the time being.
"Sure." Luke answered walking out of the room in search for Sophia.
**********************
"Nothing. It's just that for Vivian to accept you I had to accept Luke and that's what we decided on." Matt answered but Sophia knew better.
"Vivian would have been thrilled to find out what I am so why would she expect so much more out of that bargain. She's the one who's winning, not you, so I ask again why are you acting this way?" Sophia asked and Matt smiled at his daughter for knowing him so well. He always had a hidden agenda. Then again, so did Vivian.
"Let's just say I'm trying to get on Vivian's good side." Matt said trying to settle the matter before Sophia saw more about him than he was willing to let out. Before she could ask anymore, Luke walked out the front door.
"Ready?" Luke asked coming up next to Sophia, his hand finding the small of her back as he began massaging the tension increasing there from stress. Luke inwardly wondered what stress she would have, but his thoughts were broken with her voice.
"Yeah. Let's go." Sophia replied monotone, displaying no emotion to her father, not wanting him to see her curiosity and relentless for believing him at the moment.
*********************
"Where do you think Luke and Sophia are going?" John asked Ruby knowing she had been listening in on their conversations, ready to step in if needed, but just like Sophia and Luke, she had also been surprised by Vivian and Matt's new judgment of the two. What had happened yesterday when Matt went to find Vivian? Ruby made a mental note to ask Matt about that one later.
"I don't know, but I could tell Sophia was nervous about something." Ruby responded to John's question wondering about it herself when it clicked. "She must have wanted to get out the house to talk to Luke about something important." She continued as she turned around to look at John, watching his reaction as the information sunk in and light bulb went off.
"Speaking of getting out of the house, I've got to get out of here." John said as he stood up after Ruby got up off of John's chest. "Feel like a run?"
John watched as a smile quickly spread across Ruby's face as she stood next to him, before they both started walking towards the door.
*****************
"Sorry about the steep hill." Luke said as he reached the top of a cliff, bending back down to reach for Sophia's hand. "But this place is has the best scenic view in Wolf Lake."
"It's okay. Really." Sophia said lying plainly through her teeth, knowing that every step caused a piercing pain to strike her leg with enough energy to make her want to double over. Luckily, her power was quickly returning and she was successfully on her way to recovery. Regardless, she had to tell Luke the truth and she wasn't about to tell him at Sherman's with multiple witnesses around to hear the conversation about to take place. No, she needed some time away with Luke, and this was perfect.
"It would have just been easier if you would have let me carry you." Luke said smiling as he reached down and clasped Sophia's hand, pulling her up onto the ledge.
Luke underestimated his strength as did Sophia by helping Luke pull herself up by pushing off with her feet. The result, ended with Sophia being pulled into Luke's rock hard form with a jolt almost causing her to fall back. Almost. Thankfully, Luke had planted his arm around Sophia's waist, keeping her at his side.
"Thanks." Sophia said as she pulled away, slightly blushing. Taking a seat on a nearby rock, Sophia sensed the smile spread across Luke's face, flattered by her nervousness around him still. "So why is this your favorite place?" Sophia asked wanting to know Luke's opinion on the view before them.
The sun had already risen, it's rays beating down on them heavily yet comfortingly. The variation of blues, pinks, and golden yellows streaked their way across the sky making the painting perfect without the flaw of jet lines covering the canvas. Sophia wondered what it would look like at night with the luminescent moon shining down on her form. How the shadows appeared to be more than they were, creating the effect and adventure of her wanting to find out if those shadows were more than they seemed.
"The silence is what I love." Luke said as it finally clicked with Sophia. "Up here, I don't hear the constant talking on the mental paths. It's just nice to come up here and hear your own thoughts rather than half the town's." Luke said cracking a smile at his own joke.
"I know what you mean. When I was away I could barely even pick up on my father's let alone anyone else's links. Now that I'm back everyone is constantly chatting in my head. No wonder information gets out so quickly." Sophia answered as Luke remembered how she had contacted him when she was away. He thought he had been hallucinating, but now he knew different.
"Speaking of which, where were you exactly?" Luke asked. Sophia knew she would have to get on the topic sooner of later, she was glad that Luke was the one to bring it up rather than her.
"In Alaska, right on the border with Canada." Sophia answered remembering the difference and similarity of Alaska and Wolf Lake and yet the distinct differences as well.
"What was it like? On the outside?" Luke asked curious to know what it was like to be outside of Wolf Lake.
"Adventurous, but weird." Sophia answered surprising him. "I wanted out so bad, and then I had to come back because I only knew of one place that I called home. I had nowhere else to turn to, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away for long." Sophia confessed as she once again sensed a smile on Luke's face.
"God I would have done anything to be in your shoes." Luke confessed as Sophia tried to hide the tears from coming down her cheeks knowing all the chaos that had started because of her trip away Wolf Lake. The visions, the deaths, the changes in people around her, everything had been turned upside down. Sophia half laughed and half snorted at Luke's remark as she stood and faced him.
"If you only knew." Sophia answered as she stared at Luke, her eyes flashing gold daringly at him for a few seconds. (A/N- Does the line that Sophia uses sound familiar? Like father like daughter.)
"What are you talking about Sophia? If I only knew what?" Luke asked clearly confused as he took a step closer towards her.
"If you only knew the truth about my disappearance. If you only knew what happened to me when I went away. If you only knew my pelt color." Sophia finished surprised at herself for saying the last bit. She had said it, not the wolf within, not some other force, just her. She definitely changed, and more changes were about to appear.
Suddenly everything sparked in Luke's mind. It became so clear in an instant, Luke just about kicked himself for not realizing it sooner. The power surge, the connection to Ruby, the chase seeing her in human form instead of wolven, her strength, why she came back to Wolf Lake, why his mother accepted her. It all made perfect sense.
"It's not possible." Luke said shaking his head in complete shock. "You can't be white." Luke was literally spellbound, trying to accept the inevitable. Sophia thought he would be the one person who would actually like and accept the fact that she was white. I guess it really was hard for a half-breed to become anything remotely significant.
"Sometimes you need to see something to believe it." Sophia said as she walked away from Luke and behind a nearby pine tree, still not as comfortable as Luke was with his body. Luke watched her movements, catching a glimpse of gold flashing behind the tree, and then silence. Deafening silence. Luke's patience and curiosity began to run low as he slowly began to step closer towards the tree. Seeing the it might be better if he changed as well, he discarded his pants within a matter of seconds before letting his body flow naturally to the skin nature called for. Paws hitting the soft dirt below, he slowly walked around the tree, careful not to scare Sophia, even though she could sense where he was.
As he turned the corner, his heart just about went into cardiac arrest with the sight before him. She had told him that she was white, but the degree of her pelt color was unbelievable. She was in fact the purest form of white there was. Not one hair on her pelt was the slightest shade of gray. Sophia finally sensed his presence in wolven form and slowly slid her glaze from the ground to his face, afraid for what lay there. Her heart and mind curiously working in overtime, Sophia feared what Luke would do, whether or not he accepted her, she would be stunned. Luke stood there looking at her for several moments in complete shock over the impossible and yet inevitable.
She realized that Luke had been the first one to see her in her true pelt. Of course Ruby and John had seen her with mud all over her, Matt had turned away when she flipped, and even Alice died before she saw Sophia in wolven form. This was the first time she was being judged from the person it mattered most of all. The only one who she truly wanted acceptance from. The Alpha, the rest of the pack, even her father, she didn't care. It really meant something for citizen-high to accept citizen-low.
Luke slowly walked up to Sophia, his eyes beginning to glow, growing more intense by the minute. His steps were slow yet confident and defiant, making her tremble and feel beneath him. The wolf within her repressed her fear and caused her to stand up straight, and challenge his authority with her own. She openly challenged him, her eyes glowing more amber than his ever have. She lifted her head high, meeting his gaze, mocking it somewhat. Luke continued to walk forward, not afraid of her defiance, yet embracing it. He loved her power, her need for supremacy. He savored and honored it. Sophia thought that she was making the biggest mistake of her life, daring Luke, so much that she received the biggest shock of her life when he bowed down to her. She almost stepped back, but she held her ground as Luke began to nuzzle Sophia's neck.
Luke sensed her guard slip and slowly vanish now that Luke had approved and even loved her true self. She slowly relaxed with his touch, letting all her worries vanish for the moment. It was amazing how he could control her stress with just the feel of his body next to hers. Taking a deep breath, Sophia slowly changed her pure white pelt into flesh, as Luke's did the same, their skin sliding against one another as they moved from their pelts. Standing together, Luke's arms circling around her back and Sophia's hands, one cupping the back of his head, and the other on his shoulder, they savored the moment, closing their eyes and breathing deeply. Sophia's forehead came to rest on Luke's throat, his chin on top of her head, deeply breathing in the scent of her hair. Their bodies became closer, needing comfort after so much worry and anxiety.
*******************
John and Ruby were currently playing a rather friendly game of hide-and- seek with John using his new wolven senses in tracking his mate. Hunkering down by a nearby bush Ruby waited for John to find her, as she looked at her surroundings. They were in a secluded part of the forest, one that even the highest authority of Skinwalkers rarely visited because of its proximity of it being close to the border of Wolf Lake. Ruby had come to this spot many times as a teenager and adult, hoping that one day she would be able to cross that line and never return. However, she knew what her fate would be. She would be kidnapped, rescued as others called it, and dragged back to the confines of Wolf Lake with tighter restrictions holding her there.
None of that mattered now. She was with John and that was the only thing that mattered or made sense at the moment. Lately things had gotten crazy and he was the only sane thing left in her world even if his new developments were quite a shock to her. She knew from the moment she met him that he was different from other humans, but maybe it was the badge that clouded her from thinking clearly or maybe the emotions she felt when she was with him. Whatever the case, it mystified her mind and led her to falling in love with him.
Shifting back into her human skin, Ruby let her headrest on the tree beside her wondering what was taking John so long to find her. She was about to go look for him, until she sensed the presence of someone coming her way. She smiled to herself, congratulating John for trying to surprise her. She sensed him closing in, getting warmer by the second. Hunkering even lower towards the tree, Ruby waited for him, seeing just how long it would take him to find her.
She almost jumped when she felt a warm and familiar hand clamp on her shoulder. After the shock went away, she prepared her best smile for looking up at John. Slowly turning her head up at him, she was met with an even greater shock. She locked eyes with the one person she did not want to see at the moment. Those cold eyes she had to see every day for months which seemed like years. Those eyes she had to look into the night she was married. Those eyes that belonged to the man she hated most in her life. The man she was married to.
"Hello Ruby." Tyler greeted as his hand came to grasp her upper arm, pulling her up to his level and closer towards him. "Long time, no see."
Ruby was about to punch Tyler in the face when she heard a light growl coming from behind Tyler. Both of them looking towards the noise, they discovered the origin of that growl. While Tyler was confused, Ruby was smiling, despite the fact that Tyler's hands were still on her, as they both looked at the black wolf defending his mate.
*******************
"There's something you need to know." Sophia said after a few minutes of silence, still within Luke's grasp around her body.
"What is it?" Luke asked picking up the hint of guilt hanging in her voice. He pulled back a little bit wanting a better look of her face. He needed to look her in the eye for this, he just knew it.
"With me being back and under a different pretense, with the ways of the pack and their opinions of my kind, I can't guarantee that I can protect you." Sophia said knowing first hand what it was like to be ridiculed, but now with someone else being dragged in on her life, he had to know what was going to happen. She knew she wouldn't be accepted. From some of her closest friends, her father, and even Luke they were all shocked and very submissive about her true identity. She couldn't wait to see how the rest of the pack was going to react to her being white and also being with Luke.
"No one will challenge my position nor yours when they find out who you are." Luke said knowing how forceful the Cates' could be when it came down to it.
"Luke, I'm a half-breed with a father who was disloyal when his pack needed him most." Sophia explained already hearing the discriminating remarks echoing in her head.
"They will accept you or have to deal with me." Luke growled out angrily already hearing the snide remarks and thinking of appropriate punishment for those guilty.
"Don't you see how my life effects the pack? It will split it into two between those of pure blood and those that aren't. Even us, opposites, are not meant to be together."
"But destined to be mates." Luke finished. "How else can you explain that we are the dominant Alphas of our generation, how we hold so many connections? We are meant to be together Sophia. I won't let anyone take our love away, and I will protect you." Luke said and will those last words echoing in Sophia's head, he sealed his promise with a kiss. One that started out slow and transformed into a heavily passionate and binding kiss of love, trust, and protection for each other.
*****************
"Let go of me Tyler." Ruby demanded her teeth grinding as she found strength in John's presence. She knew that even with white wolven blood coursing through his veins, she couldn't take Tyler on, but now being backed by a strong black wolf, even with his abilities still growing, she knew she could defeat Tyler then. Finally, payback was being justified. Finally, she could let Tyler know how she really felt about him although it wasn't a secret to him or anybody for that matter. His ego had gotten a hold of him years ago, corrupting his judgment since then. He had once been a gentle soul, but that memory almost seemed a fantasy as Ruby stared into his eyes filled with greed and power.
He only saw success in himself and cared very little about others unless it involved him. Once he received power, and knew he had it, nothing could take that authority away from him. He thrived on the power, loving the fact that he could control so many with just his position in the Pack. His authority was about to get some sense knocked into it cause Ruby was tired of him and all he stood for. It was time that Tyler saw what she really wanted. If only he knew that it was the black wolf that was starring him down at the moment.
John didn't know what had come over him at the moment, but he couldn't stand by and let Tyler take Ruby once again out of his life. He had just gotten her back, and nothing was going to take them apart this time. He promised himself that the day they were reunited. He promised never to leave her and protect her from those that had taken her away from him so many months ago. Now the same threat was here, once again trying to break them up. The only difference this time was that John was now one of them, and Tyler now had no say in the matter. John didn't know this, but technically his pelt had more authority than Tyler's and if John wanted Ruby as his mate, then Tyler would have no say in the matter.
Tyler knew this. He knew why the black wolf was standing there dominant, eyes glowing brightly, growling at him. He knew that in the laws of the Pack, he was supposed to back down to him, seeing that the black wolf outweighed all others except the Alpha, unless he was the Alpha. The only problem was that Tyler had never backed down to anyone and wasn't about to now. The black wolf had started the fight, but Tyler promised that he would be the one to finish it.
John received his threat and welcomed it, for he had prayed for a chance to take Tyler down the moment he met him. John smiled at Tyler's attempts to act cool and powerful even when he knew he was scared shitless inside. John let the wolf overpower him, only thinking about the fact that Tyler had touched Ruby. Tyler had touched his mate, something he would come to regret.
Ruby watched as Tyler's hands left her body and he stepped away from her. Shedding his skin for his light gray pelt, he slowly began walking his way towards John. Walking with pride and defiance, Tyler tried his best to stare John down, but as much effort he tried into that task, John could pull it off without even trying. His eyes told his emotions, told all of his feelings, and no matter how hard Tyler tried to become superior, he would always be inferior to the black wolf reflecting in his eyes.
**********************
Sophia was the first to pull away a little breathless not only from the kiss but also because of Luke's hands finding the deepest parts of her body to massage. Turning her head away from Luke's she rested her cheek on his shoulder, taking a moment to breathe while his kisses began to travel down her throat to her collarbone, finishing the claim he had started that morning. This time she embraced it, accepting every part of Luke now that he knew every aspect about her life, and he was willing to follow her knowing that things were going to worse before they got better. Never experiencing a claim before, Sophia saw a white light coming to her and she accepted it thinking it was part of the claim. The white light struck her like a bolt of lightning, and if it hadn't been for her wolven abilities and Luke's hold around her waist, she would have landed on the ground.
She suddenly became aware of what was happening to her, just like so many times before. She was having another vision, but this one was on a whole new level. The sound of growls were evident but all Sophia could see was red. The smell was familiar and then the realization came to her. Blood. Crimson blood just like when she received the visions of the murdered Skinwalkers and Tyler killing Alice. The scent was one she knew too well, something she wished she never experienced. Behind the pungent scent of blood, she could also smell the scents of other wolves. Advancing her senses, she tried to uncover their identities. When she discovered who the vision was about, she immediately snapped out of the vision, noticing the concerned look of Luke's face matching her own concern. However her concern was not about her but another.
"Sophia, could you please tell me what the hell just happened?" Luke asked bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, trying to keep her attention even though her mind was elsewhere. Luke just wanted to bring her closer to him, but he sensed her pulling away for some reason. His curiosity was boiling over and beginning to scare him with her weird behavior every time he tried to kiss her.
"I just had a vision." Sophia responded to inform him quickly.
"What?" Luke asked being completely blown away with this new information. She just kept piling more new facts about herself today.
"I don't have time to explain. We have to go Luke, now." Sophia said with such seriousness which left Luke speechless as Sophia took off into the forest, Luke charging after her, not about to let her out of his sights now.
In mid-run, Sophia changed back into her pure white pelt giving her the extra strength to get there faster, as Luke soon did the same, seeing his change as the only opportunity to keep up with Sophia. In the time it took for Sophia to get there, she began talking on her private links, informing others of her vision. First on her list was Ruby.
Ruby, don't fight Tyler. Sophia said to her mentally.
Why not? Wait, how did you know about Tyler. Ruby asked knowing that Sophia wasn't in her mind when Tyler showed.
Vision. Just trust me Ruby, don't fight him. Tell John the same. I'm on my way. Sophia said seeing that they were running out of time as she picked up the pace.
Next on her list was her father.
Dad, contact Vivian and Sherman and meet me by the Northeast corner of Wolf Lake. Sophia said her voice ringing out in Matt's head.
Sophia, what's going on? Her father asked, worry and fear evident.
Just do what I say and use the public path, not the private. Trust me. Sophia said smiling to herself, knowing that every wolf in the town would hear that call, and knowing what kind of town she was dealing with, every wolf would be there.
Breaking the link with her father, it was only a matter of seconds before his announcement came blaring over the public links. A small smile slowly slid across her face, knowing now she had Tyler exactly where she wanted him.
You must have some sort of death wish if you want every Skinwalker knowing about you today Sophia. Ruby said entering Sophia's mind. Sophia could tell they were getting close for it was easier to communicate with Ruby.
It's time for everyone to know. Sophia responded as she came leaping over a fallen tree trunk and through a clump of bushes into a large opening, perfect for her to be on display for the pack. Looking around she saw a familiar shocked face and two other faces, smiling along with her. Luke cleared the log just as perfectly as she did, coming to a halt a few inches in front of her. Taking his place beside her, he too watched the shocked eyes of Tyler grow wider and wider.
Coming from the opposite side of the clearing that Sophia had entered, two wolves and a human came walking closer to see the spectacle forming before them. Matt, taking the moment in stride like his daughter, came walking up to her along with Vivian, to stand beside her. Ruby, John, and Sherman soon joined the line that began to form. Ruby and Sophia were in the middle standing beside each other. Luke and John stood on either side of their mates, and Vivian and Matt stood next to Luke. Sherman sat down on the fallen log behind the line forming, with a wide, bright smile beaming across his face.
Tyler was soon joined by other wolves, and the numbers continued to grow until the whole pack was there, looking at the spectacle ahead. Once those six standing in the line saw that they had everyone's attention, they all looked towards Sophia and Ruby. The two white wolves looking at each other, both nodded before leaving their pelt for human skin. Gasps were heard all around and jaws were dropped, mouths wide open. The six standing in the line couldn't help but smile, but there was one holding doubt in the back of her head. Sophia refrained from looking towards the ground, knowing that would be a sign of weakness. Luke slid his gaze to hers, taking her hand in his. Entwining their fingers, Luke held on to her hand and to their future.
