Laurel

2:31 Brydel

"Ah Christ." I swore doubling over as we stepped out of the gateway into the protected shadowed sphere of a giant willow tree, my hands resting on my knee as I fought to reorient myself. Thankfully we were completely hidden from the outside; in a world shaded grey and green. I felt Laurel pat my back reassuringly. Perfect woman was of course unbothered by the gateway magic, if I could feel anything but burning love for her I might have felt jealous. But her touch was all I needed to soothe my body, taking a deep breath for the first time, scenting my surroundings. First Laurel, always searching for the traces of her in the air, then the damp mossy carpet at our feet, birds overhead. Then a strong gust blew, combing through the tangles of dropping willow branches letting in fresh air. Home my wolf said in the back of my mind.

"I've only been to Melody's once, but once I can see the mountain I think I'll be able to get us there." Laurel said beside me, starting to stride towards the larger world. Her world and time.

"This way" I told her, turning to move in the exact opposite direction she had started to walk.

"How do you know?" She asked? Golden eyes studying me. Shit, she knows I'm hiding something. I thought dealing with wolves smelling emotions and dragons reading your mind plus the odd empath running around was hard enough to deal with. A lover that knew every lie the moment it left your lips, who could feel every time you were holding back truth, was hard.

"Because this was my home." If I was my wolf right now, my ears would be drooping. The one place I didn't want to be on the mortal plane was exactly where we were. Worse, my mate was friends with the mate of the Alpha. Her hand found mine, and we walked through the curtain of branches together into the sunlight, directly into sight of a scouting party.

I could feel the alpha before I could make him out, he was giant, as large as Sky if not more, but where Sky was glorious and otherworldly, this was a basic looking modern pretty boy. I felt his power rolling over us, Laurel was unaffected, I had a choice, I was strong enough to resist, but manners dictated I should defer. I sighed and instead of making a choice stepped behind my mate after I saw her smile at the alpha in a familiar way. Deciding trusting Laurel was my best choice. Glad I hadn't fucked up the first meeting yet.

"Alexander, I'm looking for Melody? Or a cell phone if you happen to have one?" Laurel said, like this situation was perfectly normal, nothing out of the ordinary at all. Did she know most packs had a penalty of death for those caught trespassing?

"Laurel?" The man I was now assuming was Alexander asked. Clearly he had met her before. "Laurel is it really you? What happened?" He asked, looking at her like she was a dangerous puzzle. I didn't like the look at all. All the scouts behind him, both those in wolf form and those as humans were also tense. Laurel however was perfectly relaxed. If I didn't know how capable she was after her demonstrations I would be more on edge, and definitely fucking with the already delicate mood. But with Laurel holding steady and calm it was easy to fall under her lead.

"It's a very long story, I don't have a lot of time. Can you help us get to Melody or a cell phone. Please?" She added the please as an afterthought. I was close enough to feel her magic pricking along my skin, she was doing her best to hold everything close and tight, but Alexander wasn't moving quick enough. She was antsy, my Laurel, a lady of swift action. Goddess she was fucking perfect.

"It's been six months Laurel, everyone thought you were dead. I can't. I mean, Christ Melody is pregnant again, I can't just bring her friend back from the dead without warning." He looked at her and then me, "Her apparently now mated friend back from the dead."He blew out a breath from the very bottom of his lungs, inhaling just as deeply before speaking again." Laurel give me a minute ok. This is just unreal." While Laurel was keeping herself calm despite the burning anxious feelings overwhelming her, Alexander was starting to crumble under the stress.