Furry Humans | ✓

side story - Mason

I had to discover on my own that Samantha had left to go check out the college she would be attending, it wasn't until a week later did I also realize how much of a distance it was from here. During that time, I also did some reflection on myself since my talk with Abigail.

The separation between us cleared my head and made me focus on a few more things besides the battle of what goes on inside of me. I decided to get back into training with the other warriors, this was a slow start of me returning back to living life and catching up on what I missed out. This distraction keeps me from diving further into my thoughts but the conversation between Abigail and I lingers at the frontier.

Though my head clogs with decisions, with her so far away, it was hard to focus: when she was here, I could hear her heart beating around the pack and smell her scent encasing me in a shell of her presence without being close to her. Now, it was fading and leaving me a bit restless and antsy. I blink and return back to reality when a snap resonated close to me.

The small tree I was practicing on snapped in half.

"You okay there, captain?" One of the other warriors near me asked.

I turn to face him with a nod, "Lost focus for a moment," I tell him with a sigh.

He stares at me, then glances off at the sparring groups then back to me. "If you need to rest for a bit, we wouldn't—"

"No. I've been 'resting' long enough. I appreciate your concern."

Still, he stares at me with a look in his eye but smiles, not pressing any further. "No problem, take care."

With that, he backs away and joins the others with sparring practice, a few of them shifting into their wolf forms to practice further. The fresh chill breeze of the awakened season of winter rolls across the sky as leaves circulates amongst the ground, bringing forth the memories that drenched themselves in this season. My eyes find themselves gazing up at the light-colored sky, my mind once again wandering into the image of Samantha it has created to keep my sanity from boiling over. I think back to my options, encouraged by Abigail.

In my heart, it knew what my mind had decided before I could clearly acknowledge it. It was all set into stone, my heart trembling for the events that would soon unfold because of my decision, I knew it was for the best but not for me— but for Samantha.

~ • ~

Night began to transition the sky into a hue of dark and light colors of blue, the small twinkling of the stars popping into existence here and there. I wash away the days' events from my body in a seething shower, letting the water convert a barrier that drowns the conflicting thoughts within my head that formulates a damaging storm. It wasn't until after I dried and dressed that I felt her.

She was like a pressing weight on my chest, letting me know of her presence and just how much control she had actually had over me. I was out of my bedroom before I could even think about what I was doing, my longing for her fueling these actions. My feet brought me closer and closer to her, my body singing happily at the visual thought of bringing her within her arms. All thoughts and actions come to a halt when an unfamiliar smell wafts into my nostrils: a masculine odor. 

I'm finally aware of my surroundings as I stand in the hall that leads toward the entrance of the packhouse, where Abigail greets Samantha—the unknown smell strongly comes off of Samantha. The chains of my control snapped like a twig beneath the pressure of a boot while my mind raced with undesirable thoughts and questions, blaring in my ears and overtaking any rational thought.

Soon enough, I was approaching the pair with alarming speed and all in one motion I grip her wrist and tug her back outside, letting the delicious sizzle of our contact seep into my veins, startling me.