Temper, Temper: Chapter Ten: Eye Of The Tiger
"Sam?" Alex cooed out, sidling up to the alpha's side deciding that after he had breakfast and had several kisses from his fiancé, now would be the best time to ask. It was important to catch Sam at the peak of his good mood so that the answer to her question would have the best chance of being a yes.
He looked down at her to see what it was the girl wanted, "Seeing as there are more than enough of us to cover patrol, and you wouldn't even know I was gone, can I go back to Wales?"
When Sam's eyes narrowed she garbled out a quick, "Only for a day, then straight back"
Again when Sam tried to open his mouth to answer Alex interrupted, "And" She stressed, "Know that I could of just left without running it past you first…just saying" Finally finishing her inquisition, Alex hopped up onto the counter to wait for Sam's answer.
"Just for one day?" She nodded, "Then straight back?" Alex nodded again, more vigorously this time at the chance of her visiting her homeland for another time.
"Okay then" Emily rubbed her soon to be husband's arm reassuringly. Before Alex could leap from the surface with glee, he paused her, "Take two of the boys with you though"
Although Sam trusted Alex, he didn't want her to lose focus of the test and her responsibilities during the two months she was staying with them. Alex wasn't stupid either; this was the best deal she was going to get from her Alpha.
"Yes!" The familiar surge of positive emanated from Alex as she leapt from the camera, dancing around the group of people that were in the Uley house with her. She wiggled her hips and shook her shoulders, shuffling her feet around the boys, even Leah was absent heightening her Alex's mood even more.
"I'm going back to Wales yeah! Going back to Wales woo! Gonna' see the sheep yeah! And the daffo-dils yeah!" Paul watched her, her happiness radiating through him and stretching his smile out before shaking into laugh.
"So who's gonna' go with Socks then?" Jared piped up, not wanting to leave Kim despite the short amount of time it would be for. Jacob, Quil, Seth, Embry and Paul all shot their hands in the air in perfect unison once more; Sam deduced the number of volunteers with one reason after another.
"Well Leah definitely isn't going" Sam laughed as Alex's face crumpled with disgust at the idea, "Quil, Embry, Jacob you're the most experienced after Paul, you're staying" The best friends expression both looked disheartened as they slowly removed their hands from the air.
"Seth, Paul you two can keep Alex in check"
Sam chose the two chaperones carefully, he knew as soon as Alex was back in Wales, if she wanted to stay the others would have a lot more trouble bringing her back rather than Paul or Seth. Paul, for obvious reasons and he was one of the stronger, larger wolves, and Seth because Alex had taken a shine to the newest and youngest pack member.
The three wolves had made the start of their journey faced paced, racing over the terrain covering a lot of distance in one swoop.
Now they had slowed to a gently trot and Paul was beginning to wish that Seth had been one of the wolves to stay behind. Alex and Seth bounced off each other, Paul joining in with the banter fully to start with, but now they had moved on to singing.
The pair had decided to soundtrack their journey. Paul's groans of complaint went unnoticed as the wolves tailing him amplified their voices mentally,
'Rising up! Back on my feet, did my time took my chances! Went the distance now I'm back on my feet' Alex, sped on a little, keeping to Paul's shoulder. Her muzzle lifted in the air proudly, giving him a wolf grin as and Seth continued, 'Just a man! And his will to survive!'
Seth's voice doubled in volume as he took over the chorus, earning silence from Alex as she let him have his moment.
'It's the eye of the tiger it's the thrill of the fight! Rising up to the challenge of our rivals!' When Seth realised he was singing alone, he gave a little chuckle while looking at the two and then sped quickly ahead.
As Alex chased him her voice piped up again,' And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night, and he's watching us all in the eye...' When Paul drew level with her, she jutted to the left a little barging his shoulder, he side,
'Of the tiger' He finished, choosing to say it rather than sing it.
'Meh, it'll do' Alex commented, rubbing her nose into his fur a little before nudging him away from her teasing him and racing away, nudging Seth as she launched past him as well. The two boys collected themselves before giving chase,
'ALEX!' Both of them complained at being pushed aside, yelling at her figure which got further and further away.
When they got to Wales, it was cold and a light mist fog blanketed the green forest the wolves made their way through, dispersing the fog as they passed.
'What made you want to visit again?' Paul questioned, looking around him defensively, the close together tress made him nervous in a country he had never been before. He felt venerable.
'I needed to pay someone a visit' Alex said vaguely, keeping an eye around herself as well, checking for any threats. Suddenly she ran forward eager to be at her destination and out of the shaded, cold woods. Out of the shade, Alex and the others felt a lot better.
A large building was close on the other side, only surrounded by a handful of other smaller houses, spread widely in the small little valley. Alex changed behind a little hedge, and once she finished, Paul and Seth did the same.
The boys, followed Alex as she ran into what became clear was a stone yard, with two rows of stables embedded into the walls, paralleling on either side of them as they entered.
From one of the corner buildings, a woman led a large grey horse into the yard, its metal shoes clacking loudly on the stone. The woman couldn't have been older than thirty, but her face was weathered. No doubt from the hardship of her job which was emphasized by her wind whipped red cheeks, and mud smeared trousers. Never the less, her lips stretched into a wide smile when she saw Alex, who had run from the boys and flown over to her.
"Ahh, I was wondering when you would show up trouble. I expected you sooner" The tone in the woman's voice faded from friendly into a more business like tone, Alex was too busy caressing the horse to take much notice.
"Hey boy! Have you missed me?" She cooed, laughing merrily when the stallion brayed out loudly, making its leader duck from the noise, "…Yeah I know, I'm being held up" Alex added as an afterthought, but it was unclear who the comment was meant for.
When a tapping foot pulled her attention away from the animal Alex sighed exasperated, "The William's will take care of it for another month, that's all I need to repay, and they owe me a favour"
The woman seemed satisfied with that and handed Alex the rope before trooping away to another building, obviously to chase up the Williams. "Besides you can't say that having this beautiful boy here doesn't bring up business" She called after the woman, before leading the horse back over to Seth and Paul who had waited politely at the gate.
"Paul, Seth…This is Chief, or Prif if you want to be Welsh for the day"
Seth eagerly stroked the proud horse's muzzle, in awe of its stature. Chief seemed more interested in Paul though. His neck craned up, and blew out hot air while sniffing him, starting at his hair and down to Paul's chest.
The boys jumped backwards suddenly as the stallion started to paw at the floor angrily with its ears flat against his head. Chief started to pull away from Alex, but instead of panicking Alex easily held onto the rope and spoke to him softly.
When the horse calmed down she hushed him even more,
"I think he likes you" Alex commented, clicking her tongue and giving Chief's ears a scratch when he lowered his head into her chest.
"He kinda reminds me of you Al" Seth commented, comparing Alex's angry outburst with the animal behaviour of Chief.
The red halter freed Alex's horse, when she unhooked the buckle,
"Alex be careful!" Paul warned her, not wanting to intervene but couldn't help protectively cautioning Alex, worried in case she was too laid back with him.
"He's fine, nobody takes him out of the fields if I'm not here, he wants a bit of freedom" Alex stated, patting the horse's strong neck and walking over to the gate. Paul walked over with her and lifted the heavy gate open for her, not needing Seth who ran over to aid them. Both boys, stood back at Alex's side as Chief trotted over, but they were shocked when the animal paused at the gate, looking at Alex for permission. A delicate hand ran over the horse's head as Alex rewarded him,
"Rhedeg" She whispered delicately at him, stepping back as the tough animal flew away from the stable yard and into the green forest distance.
"That will really piss her off" Seth commented, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the one building the surly woman had fled into, Alex nodded her head with a smile, hugging herself with one arm as the other dangled at her side. "Yes, yes it will" Alex said, satisfied.
"So what's next on the agenda?" Paul asked her, taking the hand which was attached to the arm that kept at her side and leading her out of the way of the big wooden gate, closing it himself, locking in the woman.
"I don't know, I just wanted to sort that out really"
"Pub?" Seth piped up, making Alex clap her hands, lacing them together at the sound of that idea; she made her two forefinger point forward.
"Pub" Alex agreed.
"Pub" Paul confirmed.
"Further out though, no doubt Mrs Gaudy has phoned half the Valleys with her gossip of that Alexandria Llewellyn returning after God knows how long, with two mysterious tan strangers" Alex imitated the woman's voice dramatically, changing into a nasal, shallow tone.
"I can't deal with an interrogation"
Paul nodded, and they all left in a content silence.