Chapter 7: The Wolfdog, Part 2

"Are you all right?" He asked again, this time resting both of his warm hands on my shoulders. He was so close now. His touch sent sharp tingles from my shoulders through my entire body, leaving those familiar bolts pulsing in my fingers, only sharper.

Way sharper.

I raised my eyes and found his lowered at the same level as mine, waiting. His chiseled looks were even more breathtaking this close, and the more I looked, the more stunning his features became. His eyes wide and tilted, framed with thick lashes, and his perfectly straight nose gave him the lovely, sharp beauty of a lynx. Or a wolf, I decided, looking at that heavenly gray-emerald in his eyes.

He was stunning.

"I-I-yes, I'm fine," I finally said. The electrical tingling in my hands was getting worse. I had to get away from him before my Duracell-like body decided to release an electric charge, so I twisted my shoulders and released them from his gentle hands.

He stepped back, putting a mitigating space between us. He looked down at his hands, confused, and stretched his fingers as if he was studying something in them. Then, he shoved his hands deep down into the pockets of his jeans.

A tortured silence filled the next several seconds. Neither of us spoke nor moved. We looked like human statues anchored to the floor. Well, I looked like a human statue. He was more like an ancient Greek god statue.

"What kind of dog was that?" I finally dared to ask.

He glanced at me with troubled eyes, lost in his thoughts. "She's a wolfdog."

"A wolfdog?" I asked puzzled. What did he mean? That she was both?

"Yes. She's a... hybrid," he explained, with a slight catch in his voice.

"A what?"

He smiled, breaking the stiffness in his face. I suddenly felt light in the head. "It's a canine resulting from the mating of a wolf and a dog. In this case a Siberian husky and a gray wolf."

"Oh...right." What were we talking about? Was it about his killer smile?

"But their official name is wolf-dog hybrids. It's easier to skip the last part of the name, makes it easier for people like you to understand," he added, flashing his eyes at me.

Before getting lost into those eyes, something hit me. "What do you mean 'people like you'?"

"Well, the word hybrid is not that obvious to some people."

To some people.

Did he mean I suffered from mental dullness? Bastard. "Thanks for the lovely explanation, then." I snapped annoyed and turned, walking straight forward and leaving him behind with rage pulsing through my veins. How dare he imply I was stupid? He didn't even know me!

"Where are you going?" he called with an amused voice.

It's none of your business, you cocky prick.

"To my car." That's when I realized I was going the opposite way.

"Your car is that way," he chuckled, pointing his eyes to the Escape.

So now I was lacking the sense of sight? First stupid and then blind? This was way too much. He'd crossed the line. "Do you think I don't see it?" I snapped loudly. I went back to walk down the same path frustrated, and I was almost getting to the car, when Tristan's strong hand grabbed my forearm.

"Did I do something?"

I turned and jerked my arm. "Just...just keep your wolfdog away from me!" I warned stupidly.

He drew back, as if uncomfortable. "I would, but I don't have the power over her," he said, avoiding my eyes.

"Then how did you calm her down so easily?" I asked. The enraged dog literally submitted to his voice like he was her master.

"Well...we could say she knows me."

"Do you think that's enough to calm down an incensed beast?" I said accusingly. "Just look at my jacket." Or what was left of it. "That was going to be me."

He looked away.

It seemed it was the only answer I was going to get. "Okay, since we can say 'she knows you,' why did she react like that? I only said hi. Is that an offense to wolfdogs?" I picked up my shredded jacket, now looking as if it belonged to one of the zombies in Michael Jackson's Thriller video.

He looked at me with heavy eyes, as if thoughts were weighing them down. "I don't know...It's hard to predict her behavior because she's...a genetic mixture. She's trapped between being a wolf and a-" He trailed off. "Anyway, don't worry. She's not going to do that again."

What? Now he's a wolfdog whisperer? "You can't be sure of that."

"Trust me, she won't."

"Right," I added, raising my eyebrows.

We paused for a moment and stared at each other-a long, long stare. He looked curious again, exploring something deep down into my eyes, as if watching something beyond my skin, as if watching my soul. I felt like I was standing naked in front of him, but instead of dashing away from his penetrating stare, I stayed, feeling how his eyes held me spellbound.

He looked down briefly and lifted his head again. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Tristan Winfield."

What did he say? "Kadis-um, Kalista Hamilton."

He ogled me with a smile. "I know who you are."

"You do?"

"Everyone does."

I forgot I was the newest gossip in town.

"Do you like being here?" he asked almost immediately, taking me by surprise.

"I...well...it's different from New York..."

"Meaning no," he said, a breathtaking smile brightening his flawless features once more.

I focused on breathing. "No...the town is nice, but it's really different over here. There aren't too many things to do." Not that I did a lot of things back in New York. Still, I had options. "And everything is so...natural."

"You don't like natural?"

"No, I like natural. The landscape here is beautiful, but I have to get used to it."

He studied my face again. "Have you been to the surroundings?

"The surroundings? You mean outside Ruidoso?"

He nodded.

"No. We just moved down one week ago, and my dad has been really busy so..."

"When you have the chance, do it. You're not giving this place too much credit. There are a lot of..." He trailed off and looked at me musingly, taking on that intense stare again. "There are a lot of beautiful things to see around here," he said, fixing his eyes on mine.

Was he still talking about the surroundings? I swallowed and said, "Okay," my voice shaky.

His lips twisted into that wonderful smile of his, spellbinding me for the third, or maybe the fourth time? I just knew that my face was burning and my heart galloping like a race horse.

My Tristan immunity was officially pathetic.

A squeaking door interrupted our silence. My dad looked up and saw both of us standing in front of him. Confusion hit his face. "Hi honey, I...didn't know you had company."

"No, he wasn't...it's just...we were...he's Tristan Winfield." I spluttered nervously. God, couldn't I speak like a normal person?

Tristan looked away from me with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," he said shaking my father's hand.

"Ah! Julian's son," my dad enthused. "I must tell you, your father's genius is quite impressive."

"It is, sir. I learn something new each day," he beamed, showing a perfect row of white teeth, the kind that dentists dream of.

"I bet you do. That man is Wikipedia on two legs." My dad shook his head in awe and both started laughing. The scene couldn't look more surreal. My dad with him, having a good time. Something about that made me feel all soft inside.

"You're in school with Kalista, right?" The word with made my stomach twirl.

"Yes, I am," he said, glancing at me with a heart-racing half smile.

"You look pretty big to be in high school," my dad added.

"I get that often," he said, still looking at me.

"Well, I'm glad you're both friends," my dad said, smiling.

"Dad, no." I shook my head, unlocking my eyes from Tristan's. "We're not...friends...he just popped in and...I was here, that's all."

"Oh, okay," he said with an odd expression on his face. Then, "We got to go, honey, it's getting late. I don't want to find some dumbstruck deer on the road." He turned to Tristan again. "It was really nice to meet you, Tristan. I guess we'll see you around."

Tristan nodded at him and looked back at me.

I paused for a moment, not knowing if to say goodbye or just smile at him. He knotted my mind like no one, and I didn't want him to be aware of it. I decided to give him a quick smile and rushed to the car. Once inside, I fastened my seat belt and dared to look aside. The spot on the sidewalk where he'd stood was now vacant. Part of me was comforted by the fact. The other half was unexpectedly saddened.

What was the matter with all these puzzling emotions?

My room felt like a sauna compared to the ice-cold night outside. Through the balcony doors, I could see the shadowy pines curving under the bitter breeze, their soft whisper brushing the house. The natural settings in this town were breathtaking. It made me realize how lucky my eyes were to witness something this beautiful each day.

Well, not just that.

I shook my head. You can't think about him. Stop. I grabbed my pajamas from the armoire and threw them on the bed. I pulled off my stretch jeans and tee, and put the fuchsia camisole and black silk pants on. They embraced my body smoothly. I turned off the lights, climbed into bed and opened my eyes to watch the painted stars on the ceiling. One corner was fairly glimmering compared to the rest. I lowered my eyes and saw a shadowy light seeping through the doors.

Ugh. I'd forgotten to close the curtains. There was nothing worse than getting up from your bed when you were already in bed.

I groaned and pushed my feet off the bed. An unveiled half moon was glowing in the dark sky, surrounded by foggy gray clouds that threatened to cover her. The enigmatic picture mesmerized me. It looked like a scene from a horror movie, shrouded in mystery and danger. But instead of feeling anxiety, I felt the most amazing peace and wonder. It was as if the moon was inviting me to watch her.

I opened the balcony doors and stepped outside. The icy breeze stroked my face, penetrating every pore. I held my arms around me and tried to capture the warmth left in my body. My long hair flew boundless in the wind, while the melodious dance of the pines murmured in my ears. I sat down on the wide chair and pulled my knees to my chest, seeking to feel warmer, but the frigid wood underneath made it difficult.

Still, the landscape amazed me. It reminded me of the painting I'd seen in the afternoon. The moon was the same, only this time it was me in the balcony, freezing to death with my skin sticking to my bones.

A dry crack caught my attention.

What was that? I stood up with a jerk. My eyes couldn't catch anything in the dark. The glow of the hoary moon only shed light on the pine tops. Everything beneath was buried under obliterating shadows. But I remembered loads of bears and deer wandered around, so I dropped my guard-like stance and went back to watch the sky. The phantom clouds had veiled the moon, muting her weak light to a dull glow.

I stepped back inside, closed the doors and pulled the turquoise curtains together. The room didn't feel as warm as before. The cold floor sent goose bumps all over my body. I ran to bed and curled into a fetal position, bringing my knees up to my chest. I shut my eyes and tried to sleep. But a few seconds later my eyes reopened. And on and on the battle went on until my eyes closed for real and I started dreaming.

I was walking down a trail in the heart of an emerald green forest. Diffused rays of light seeped through the lush canopies of towering trees. In the distance, the sound of a tranquil river soothed my ears, like soft cashmere. I followed the enchanting sound, stepping away from the trail, and searched in a dim place among branches and rocks. Fog lingered on the ground, becoming thicker and seemingly infinite as I walked. A sense of danger started wrapping around me, warning me to not go further. But then, the fog parted and a stream of serene blue water appeared in front of my eyes, hypnotizing me and leading me to its enigmatic source. The sound grew stronger, and soon, the forest transformed into a magical place, a perfect sheltered play land for nymphs, unicorns and fairies.

A magnificent crystal waterfall, falling like pixie dust on a midnight clear, rose above a swirling pond of sapphire water, its edges surrounded with clusters of clear quartz crystals and translucent stones of different colors and patterns. I reached a flattened rock and sat down on its smoky, see-through surface. I looked around mesmerized, the enchanting sound of the water coursing through me, playing upon my soul.

Then, in the depths of the sapphire crystal waters, a bright silver orb caught my attention.