Unfamiliar Territory - Chapter 16 (Early Access) (Patreon)

The jug wasn't such a simple carry filled to the brim with spring water, and after lugging it over roots and squeezing it between trees until her arms burned, Chloe started tipping out a splash here and there to lighten the load. One jug of water wasn’t worth not making it back to the werewolves’ city.

The main problem… was Chloe didn’t know which direction the city was. Where was the wall? The enormous, grey sign that warded off the wild from the pack’s home somehow ghosted the tops of all the trees in all directions. Chloe had adjusted her glasses a few hundred times trying to work out which grey smudge was the right one. The answer never came through her lenses.

All too soon, the sky had gone dark, and the moon wasn't enough to illuminate her path. Her ‘path’ being the random directions that felt right in the moment... until they didn't. On a couple of occasions it felt like she was following the tie to Tove, a weak pulling from her chest, but then it disappeared again and she resigned to the reality of wishful thinking. Either way, she had to keep walking. Tiny steps, careful toeing of the ground-

Something caught her foot and ripped her balance from her. Chloe slammed into the ground, smashing the jug beneath her chest. Pain sprayed over her front along with the remains of the water. The jug had mostly crumbled to dust on impact, but rough chunks dug into her torso, promising bruises by morning.

For a few moments, she laid in her puddle of brittle clay and untreated water... and did her very best not to cry. Her best wasn't enough, and a pathetic sniffle escaped her. If any predator nearby needed a sign that she was ready to be swallowed whole - that was it. That terrible thought preceded a growl that halted Chloe's hunger. Her stomach stilled, fear filling it with a cold, watery feeling. She lifted her head, but could barely see the roots she was laid over, let alone anything else.

Deep in the wild parts of the woods, creatures roamed that would gladly drag her home for dinner. With Tove at her side, they had sat at the top of the food chain. Now, Chloe was among the mice and the worms.

Pounding thuds of feet shook the ground, rousing Chloe up to her feet. Was there any point? What could she do against a bear or a griffin or-

A wolf skidded through dry leaves, heard by Chloe rather than seen, and just as Chloe began to think her happiest final thoughts, one of her happy thoughts burst from the fur. Tove landed on two human-like feet and slammed into Chloe, rushing her off her feet with a kiss that stole her breath.

The embrace was so tight, so secure, Chloe's fingers scrabbled to cling even closer, wrapping her knees over Tove's hips and locking her ankles against her butt. For once, she didn't care about Tove's nakedness. It let them be closer. Tove squeezed her back, understanding exactly what she needed. A moment to feel safe again. To metaphorically catch her breath. Literally, that was a little harder since Tove's tongue was blocking the entrance. The kiss felt ferocious, as though Chloe was being scolded. Maybe she was, but it didn't stop her kissing back, albeit much more gently. Their tongues tugged together, lips mashing, and tiny stolen breaths passing between them.

They broke apart with a loud gasp from Chloe and a guttural sound from Tove. They were both panting, although only one had a good reason. The arms clasping her back slid down to support her bottom, a cheeky squeeze burned her face over the blush she'd already accumulated.

“How did you find me?” The question almost came out like a sob.

Tove’s head flopped to the side, concern written in her features. “I could feel the string.”

“The what?”

“The connection, I followed it.”

Chloe blinked. She had felt the bond, but hadn’t been able to track it well enough. Trust Tove to take to magic like a duck to water while Chloe was struggling to paddle.

"But I don’t understand what happened,” Tove said, frown pulling her pretty face down. Chloe hoped she wasn’t angry with her. “Why are you not inside?"

"Um-"

"How did you get out here?"

"Well, I-"

"Why are you covered in powder?"

"It's a jug tha-"

"Are you hurt?"

"Tove!" Chloe yelled. They both leant back a little in surprise, still joined at Tove's hips. "Please can you give me a moment to explain?"

"You scared my soul out of my body when I felt you were gone." Almost whispered, the words filled Chloe with queasy guilt.

"I'm so sorry." She stroked Tove's arms lightly. "And so happy to see you, you have no idea.” She sighed. “I'm not hurt, just a bit bumped and bruised and soggy." Her skin was smarting from clavicle to belly button. "I was stupid and let myself be led out of the walls."

Tove's expression darkened. Whatever she had been feeling before, it wasn’t anger. Now, though… "Led by who?"

Chloe swallowed and began her story, explaining the entire day's mishaps from her perch in Tove's arms. At no point did Tove’s wonderful grin return.

They took the same tunnel as they had on their arrival into the pack originally, and Tove let Chloe lead this time. The city was quiet on the other side of the hatch; the inhabitants winding down for the night with slow tidying and mumbled conversation. The peace was disturbed immediately at Tove's return.

"KAJSA!" she bellowed.

Chloe jumped halfway out of her skin, as did every werewolf in a three building radius. Tove wasn't content to shout only from the front door, however, she took off through the city calling her cousin's name like a threat. Chloe could only follow, mortified. Others did, too. Curious and with nothing else to do with their evening before supper, she supposed. A small crowd began to form a few steps back from Tove's march. Rounding a corner, bare-butt-naked, Tove reached her aunts' workshop and began thumping the front door with her fist, calling for Kajsa.

Aunt Maja answered. Kajsa peered out from under her elbow. And Tove launched into accusations, recounting everything that had happened. Kajsa didn't deny anything, only offering that magic folk didn't belong in the pack. Tove lunged at her, restrained by Aunt Maja's stone-like arms. Kajsa was held back by a well-placed foot following all of her attempts to claw Tove's face. Chloe hovered further back, hugging herself without a clue what to do to help.

"What is the meaning of this disgraceful behaviour?" roared a voice from the back of the crowd. The onlookers parted, quickly and fearfully, and Aunt Vilde stalked down the newly-formed path. Her eyes were red and her steps mildly sluggish.

"Now they've done it," murmured a man at Chloe's side.

Another concurred with a sigh, "Waking up Vilde is bad news for everyone."

Others hummed or grunted their agreement. A few scarpered into the night. Chloe learned quickly what they were so afraid of.

The small group of women all began shouting over one another to explain what had happened, silenced eventually by Vilde launching into a string of cussing and cursing directed at everyone in her eye-line. Aunt Maja's free arm was now containing Vilde (just) who was flailing and hollering in every direction.

Something about Vilde's wild cuss-slinging triggered the rest of the pack, gathered in a semi-circle around the workshop in all states of dress (and undress), to fall into their own opinionated debates over the situation.

Well, it was magic folk - so where was the harm? If Alpha said she could stay, what right did Kajsa have to override his authority? Did they even need water? What kind of child was Vilde raising? Why didn't Maja just let the two young ones resolve this between themselves?

A howl shook the ground and caught every wolf's words in their throats. Chloe slapped her hands over her ears, fearing for her eardrums.

The alpha loomed over the crowd, a low growl emanating from him and forcing back the pack. He gave Chloe a scathing look as he passed, and halted in front of the workshop. Tove, Kajsa and Vilde were all hanging from Aunt Maja's frame like decorations. Alpha spoke to her directly, looking for the testimony of the only woman not looking to beat another.

When she explained what she understood of the situation to their alpha, the three women finally fell quiet.

"Kajsa, is this true?" he asked.

"No, I lost her,” Kajsa sniffed. She gave Chloe a hard look from the corner of her eye. “Tove is acting as though I tried to kill her little witch."

Tove went to argue, but the alpha spoke swifter. "But you took her outside?"

"She wanted to help."

"She was not to leave the walls."

"I know that now."

"You knew that then," Tove hissed.

"Tove, you are young yet." The alpha gave her a stern look. "Watch yourself around your elders."

Kajsa smiled, victorious. Apparently, she was older.

"You have caused a great deal of trouble to your aunts. You owe them an apology. I will not have this ridiculous fighting amongst our own.” The alpha folded his arms over his enormous chest and tipped his chin down. “Especially in front of an outsider."

"An outsider who is a guest in our home,” Tove reasoned. “A guest that Kajsa tried to leave for dead in the woods. If anything was going to allow the magic folk to think badly of us - it would be the poor hospitality she has received!"

Alpha huffed. "I agree, but it does not sound as though she was forced."

Before anyone could argue the point, Chloe pried herself from the crowd to speak for herself. "You are correct, Alpha, and I'm sorry I was so stupid as to follow her.” She gave Kajsa a disappointed look of her own. “I genuinely thought I was being given a chance to help the pack. I understand now that I shouldn't have left regardless."

"Thank you, Witch,” said the alpha. “These young ones could learn some manners from you." He turned to Tove and paused for so long Chloe started to anxiously wonder if she had missed a question. "Still, my rules were broken and I warned you what would happen if they were."

"I understand, Alpha.” And yet, it sounded as though Tove still intended to defend her stance to the end. “But if she leaves I must go with her. We are bound together, it’s not physically possible to separate us. If she leaves, my body will be dragged to hers like a chain." She shrugged. "I respect your authority as the alpha of our pack, but this is a bond no one can break. Not even you." She bent a little at the waist to smile in Chloe's direction around his hulking body. "She is stuck with me, and I get to stick with her. For as long as we both live."

In the moments after her words, the pack members were staring between them. The air was heavy with insinuation. It felt... like a love declaration.

Alpha broke the tension that Tove’s words had caused. Straight and to-the-point. "Does this mean that you are mates?"

"It's magic, not mating," Tove answered with a wry smile.

Aunt Maja lowered her captives to the ground. "Could it be mating... in the future?" she asked. There was an implication, something being suggested in her tone, that had the whole audience glancing between each other and hanging on Tove's response with baited breath.

Something told Chloe they were being offered an out. And Tove seemed to take the same conclusion. She looked to her, as though for permission, and Chloe smiled her support. Whatever would get them  out of trouble, do it. All she knew of the word 'mating' was the meaning found in a dictionary - sex between animals. They probably weren't being asked if they were sexually active... she hoped not.

"Yes," Tove said. A breath was collectively released around them. Kajsa scowled at the back of Tove's head. "And when it does, you will have to allow Chloe into the pack anyway." Aunt Maja had the tiniest upturn to her lips, and it told Chloe that Tove had made the right choice.

Alpha nodded. "That is true, but until that time she will stay above ground."

"Then I shall, too. It's only right."

Chloe got the feeling from Aunt Maja's jaw twitch that Tove was now pushing her luck.

"Fine, but this is your-" he gave Chloe a nod over his shoulder, "-and the witch's FINAL chance to blend into the pack. QUIETLY."

Tove's grin finally returned. "Understood, Alpha!"

"Thank you, Alpha," Chloe added. It was unclear if he heard her through her tight throat. When Tove crashed into her, pulling her in for a hug, a release came with it. She sighed against Tove's shoulder.

A pair fought their way through the crowd as the alpha turned to leave.

"Wait!" It was Tove's mother. "Tove cannot live up here."

Tove groaned into the crown of Chloe's head.

"If Tove wishes to sleep at her mate's side, she should be able to," Alpha replied. He barely slowed to speak. "There is no rule being broken."

"But Alpha, this is not in the best interest of her health," her mother continued. "Please, she is a member of your pack-"

Tove snorted. "I have slept outside plenty and it has never done me any harm."

Alpha didn’t look at any of them when he announced, "Tove is an adult, I will not enforce your will on her if no laws are being broken."

"But-"

"Good night." Alpha left the crowd in his wake and took himself back down into the tunnels. The majority of the crowd followed him.