Soren

Chapter Ten

Sunk into the cushions as far back as she could be, Soren was grateful for the warm head of fur placed in her lap. She knew that her wolf would calm her if Matt crossed any boundaries. Nodding she signalled to Matt to start her interrogation, better to get it over with, stalling would do no good.

"Alright then, James tells me your name is Soren, but you go by Ren?" He was starting off easy, Soren nodded her head in response.

"Okay good, you already know my name, Matt. I'm the Alpha of Colorado Pack, and James over here is my Beta. Do you know what that means?" Enjoying the yes or no questions, and also eager to hear more about the protective beast she had shared her home with, Soren shook her head in the negative.

"We're a pack of wolves, more specifically werewolves as your people call them, lycanthropy. As such, we live in a tight knit community, and that community needs leadership, order. Understand?" This felt less to Soren like an interrogation, and more like a lecture on their lifestyle, but she wasn't about to complain.

"As the Alpha I am responsible for all the lives of the people and wolves living on pack lands. This now includes you. James is my Beta, essentially my second in command, he takes care of everything relating to pack life, making sure the people are happy and living their best lives. That's why I had to drag him away, you see he couldn't spend all his time galivanting in the woods with you, although I'm sure he would've wanted to."

Looking down at the head in her lap Soren felt he heart swell at the thought of James foregoing his duties to look after her. Although the independent side of her rebelled at the idea of need a man to take care of her, her brain knew that he didn't take care of her because he felt he had to, but that he wanted to. She understood the need to prove yourself, the feeling of wanting to provide for another, and though she didn't know where her connection with James came from, she knew it bonded them together.

"Now, I have to ask you some questions, mainly where you're from and how long you've been living in the woods."

Closing her eyes, Soren pictured the home she had grown up in, the place she had long since left in her past.

"I'm from here, I think." Curiosity lit itself in the depths of Matt's eyes,

"Father and I walked less than a day. I know I wandered further myself, but I'm not sure exactly." She wasn't sure how much James had divulged of her past, of her history with the forest and her abandonment. The look on Matt's face was one of confusion, telling Soren that Matt had no idea what she was referring to. The sense of betrayal that still lingered from earlier that day began to vanish, it seemed James had kept her sob story all to himself, and that meant more to her than she could put into words.

"My family had no money," she began to explain, her voice soft and meek, unlike the fierce tones she had used when she had first met Matt,

"I was an unexpected surprise, and although I was a burden and another mouth to feed, my parents loved me as well as they were able. They doted on me and I was always happy, even when hunger pains kept me up at night. When I was twelve my father left me in the forest." a low growl came from the chocolate bundle beside her and she could feel the vibrations up her body, her wolf was not happy that she had to relive it all over again.

"It's okay," she whispered down at him, "I'm okay."

The wolf calmed as she soothed him, not stopping her slow strokes of his fur, kneading her arms between his ears and down his neck, forcing his eyes closed at the blissful feeling.

Looking up at Matt whose face was still intrigued, both at her story and the interaction between girl and wolf.

"I have been outdoors ever since." She finished, waiting for his reaction.