The Woods ✔

Settling In

Caden seemed to make a habit out of waking up in unfamiliar rooms.

However this time his head didn't hurt like a bitch and he was warm and comfortable. There was even the delicious aroma of breakfast in the air, prompting him to open his eyes and find the source.

He was stretched out on the sofa he had fallen asleep on yesterday and the blanket was tangled between his legs. Although his face was squashed against the back rest and the arm which was jammed between his body and the sofa tingled unpleasantly when he moved off it and blood rushed back into his hand, he was as relaxed as he hadn't been for quite some time.

There hadn't been any disturbing noises caused by nocturnal animals nor any nightmares.

The last night he had slept so damn good had to date back centuries.

Now his stomach voiced its desires with a loud grumble and Caden sighed obediently. Breakfast sounded indeed like a good idea.

Still half asleep he peeled off the blanket and put his feet on the floor. Carefully he pushed himself up and took a moment to test his footing. He didn't feel safe yet on only two legs but he was confident that he would be able to walk at least short distances without planting his face on the floor.

It was only logical to search for food in the kitchen so he slowly trudged into the adjacent room, the blanket wrapped around his otherwise naked body.

Robin and the woman sat at the table and looked simultaneously up upon noticing him.

"Good morning, honey," the woman greeted him with a smile and he lowered shyly his head. Robin gave him one of his dimpled smiles and Caden nervously rubbed the scar on the palm of his hand.

"How do you feel?" the woman asked gently and he shrugged his shoulders. He felt ten times better than yesterday, nevertheless he was still pissed due to his unintended relocation.

"You must be hungry, aren't you? I'll fix you a plate," she said and rose from her seat.

Attentively he shuffled over to the table and sat down on a chair which was the furthest away from the two strangers. They may seem be nice at first sight but he didn't trust them.

Robin resumed eating his pancakes and the woman - Caden still had to find out her name - rummaged through the fridge. He waited patiently while playing with a corner of the blanket under the table so they couldn't see how nervous he was. The big, bad cougar was fucking nervous. He really had to get a grip on himself.

Bright sunlight flooded in through two windows and lit up the whole room which was decorated with fresh flowers and smelled faintly of dried herbs. Pain bloomed in his chest when he realized that the kitchen - in fact, everything he had seen so far of the house - felt welcoming and homey. However, this wasn't his home and he wouldn't stay long enough for it to become his home.

The woman set down a plate in front of him and he nodded a silent thanks.

"We don't know how long you lived as a cougar so I didn't cook you a lot of carbs because your stomach probably isn't used to them," she explained after she was seated again, and Robin reached affectionately for her hand.

Caden didn't dwell on her words too long and dug in. It was mainly cooked or roasted meat with some fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and half a pancake. After three years of simply tearing into his prey it was strange to use cutlery again and the fork slipped more than once from his grasp. However Robin and the woman - he seriously had to find out her name - didn't make fun of him and talked among themselves.

Caden watched them curiously. He was pretty sure that the two of them were a couple, judging by the random touches all the time, their happy faces when they looked each other in the eyes and this certain voice they used now, too.

Lost in thought he nibbled on a slice of apple. The woman was obviously human whereas Robin was most likely some sort of shifter. How did that relationship work? Obviously the woman knew about shifters but Caden still found it to be odd. Humans and shifters commonly didn't mix.

Which shifter was Robin then? Caden had the impression that he was a mammal and surely not a predator. He was just too calm and submissive and always tried to avoid being the center of the attention.

On the other hand there had a lioness accompanied them yesterday and he hadn't seemed to be overly afraid of her. Lions lived in groups, so, was he a lion? Caden frowned but couldn't imagine Robin as a big cat.

As soundlessly as possible he placed the cutlery on his empty plate and licked his dry lips to catch even the last morsel.

"So," The woman looked at him with a serious expression. "I'm sorry for hunting you like that but it was to your own best."

He had to refrain from scoffing at that.

"The people in town were alarmed because of your visits. You dug through the diner's garbage and killed a pet. It was the mayor's daughter's rabbit and that made the whole affair ten times worse," the woman told him matter-of-factly.

"It was a stupid rabbit," Caden rasped out and earned surprised stares. Had they thought he would just sit here and let them scold him? No thanks.

"I suppose it's dead, isn't it?" Robin remarked after clearing his throat and Caden nodded.

They remained silent after that and Caden got up and placed the plate in the sink before he returned to the living room. He longed to be back in the woods but he worried that they wouldn't let him stay there just like that. Damn, why had they to make such a big deal out of a tiny rabbit?

Half an hour later they joined him again but luckily kept their distance.

"What's your name? I'm Kaliska and this sugarplum" - Said sugarplum blushed profusely - "is Robin."

"Caden," he answered tightly.

"Welcome to Willow Creek, Caden. Hopefully all the four-legged inhabitants survive your stay," Kaliska remarked and this time he didn't make an effort to suppress the bitter scoff.

Caden spent the day mainly on the sofa or wandering around the living room to get acquainted to his new body. There wasn't anything to do and Kaliska hovered over him like he was about to run out of the door and kill more rabbits.

She told him also that she had shot him only with a dart which was filled with an anaesthetic; it explained why there weren't any injuries on his body. And she was a vet so she definitely knew how to handle anaesthetics. He thanked her politely for not killing him.

"The man with," Caden started but paused to search for the right words. "This man who forced me to shift, who is he?"

"He's the alpha male of our lion pride and Robin's brother, too."

Caden blinked at her like she had grown two heads sometime during the last few seconds. This male was Robin's brother? But they had nothing in common! They were the very reverse of each other!

"Yes, I know, it's unbelievable," Kaliska agreed with an amused shake of her head. "He's so brooding and grumpy all the time and Robin is just so sweet and caring."

A shiver ran down his spine upon remembering the painful shift and those emotionless eyes watching him until the end. Now he knew why the man had been able to force him into changing with nothing more than a single word. The man was a lion and an alpha male at that.

"W-What's his name?" he inquired and gripped the blanket tighter.

"Ajax."