Disclaimer: IDNOT All original characters and plot lines of the Twilight Saga belong to Stephenie Meyer.
A/N: Ok. Back again, much sooner than expected. This is definitely thanks to you Taila! (I don't know why it won't allow your full pen name, but it won't!) Thank you for your many reviews and messages and encouragement. This chapter is dedicated to you! Thanks so much! :)
Chapter 6 - Rustlings
I trudged up the hill through the forest, the sun shining down lightly through the trees. It was days like this that being a wolf was the best. And here I was walking along on two feet instead of four. It sucked. But I couldn't just bound up to the girl as a wolf, phase back right in front of her and introduce myself. And not just because I would then be naked. So instead I was walking along the path that lead to her more frequented hideaways. I came to the fork in the path and had to choose between heading further uphill to the cliffs or turning off into the glade.
I sighed and listened hard, trying to tell where she was. I couldn't hear anything. Though that was unsurprising. It wasn't like painting was exactly a noisy activity. Well, if I walked up to the cliffs and she wasn't there and found I had hiked further uphill for nothing I would hate myself just a teensy bit. Why not take the lazy route and go to the glade first?
Decision made, I turned my feet and continued trudging on. Then a breeze blew up from the glade and I smelled flowers and the slightly acrid, clay-like smell of paint. Yes! That was her! And, bonus, I didn't have to climb the whole hill!
I moved as silently as I possibly could off of the path and into the brush along the outskirts of the clearing. I moved slowly, watching every step, trying not to startle her. And also, if truth be told, wanting to stay out of sight for just a little longer. It was ridiculous to be so anxious about this, but I was. Damn.
There she was. I stared at her from my perch in the bushes on the side. She was wearing a pair of faded wash jeans and a loose cream shirt with a light orange cardigan over top. Her hair was braided along the crown of her head before pulling back neatly into a ponytail. There was an adorable smear of light green paint by her chin, which made me smile. She was clearly focused on her work; her brows were knitted together and she held her head at an amusing angle as she analyzed what to do next.
I inched closer to get a better look at her painting and stepped on a twig. It snapped. Of course it would. She jerked her head in my direction, eyes searching. Shit. Just as I was about to step out there was a rustling across the clearing that drew both her attention and mine.
Then for some unfathomable reason, she giggled. I was stunned.
"You can come out now!" She called over the clearing to the underbrush.
It was now or never. I stepped out from the brush, sweeping a few branches out of my way.
"Ok, ok, you caught me," I said, with my hands raised above my head.
She swung around full circle to stare at me, jaw nearly hitting the forest floor.
"What the?!" She sputtered.
"I'm sorry!" I stammered quickly. "I didn't mean to scare you! I was just taking a walk and I stopped to watch you paint." I finished rather lamely. Boy was I ever screwing this up. She was definitely going to think I was a creeper and avoid me at all costs from now on. Brilliant, Leah.
She gave me a quizzical look before looking around the glade again. She heaved a bit of a sigh and then sat back down on her log. I walked up behind her to look at the painting better.
"Wow…" I breathed. I couldn't help it. This had to be the best painting yet. She was capturing the sunset over the treetops and how the fading light made the leaves turn gold. Everything in the painting just seemed to sparkle.
She turned to me and smiled. "You think so?" She asked softly. All I could do was nod and stare, open-mouthed at the painting. She chuckled. "You can close your mouth now, you know," she said turning back to the painting.
"I wish I could do something like this. It's incredible."
"Mmmhmm," she replied coldly, focusing back on the work. She picked up the bag at her feet and riffled through it, coming up with a paint tube.
"I mean, it isn't even sunset. How can you tell what it should look like right now? Have you been camping out here waiting for sunset over several days or do you-"
"Shh!" She cut me off mid sentence.
"What is it?" I asked, afraid I had offended her. Please say I hadn't!
"Just shut it!" she snapped.
I heard the rustling start again, from the same place as before on the other side of the clearing. Her eyes lit up as she stared intently at the trees on the edge of the glen, searching hopefully.
"Come on," she whispered tenderly. "Come on out." Then a squirrel skittered forward emerging from the bushes, stopping to grab a nut and gnaw on it. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. She looked so crestfallen and it almost hurt me to see her look so down.
"I'm guessing you weren't expecting little Thumper there?" I asked sarcastically.
She stared blankly at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. I smirked, happy to see her so happy, and happier still to be the cause of it.
"No. I wasn't," she said lightly. "And Thumper was a rabbit." She added pointedly, before laughing again. This time I joined her.
I held out my hand, "Leah," I said between laughs.
"Megan," She answered taking my hand.
A/N: Yay! So now we have officially met this mystery girl! What do you think of this glimpse of her? Please review! I love hearing from you all! Until next update! Kate