Awakening The Silver Wolf

RAVENNA POV 

Anticipation and excitement had me smiling as Mia and I packed. 

For over three weeks that I've been brought here, I haven't left the pack house—except to the woods, but that doesn't count. 

And now I was finally able to see the territory!

And all thanks to Mia. 

We were talking about the beautiful places we've visited, but since I haven't traveled much and neither has Mia, we mostly shared stories about our packs. I told her about the two packs I've been to, and she began describing hers. 

She spoke of how the water was so clear you could almost see the bottom, how the trees bore the sweetest fruits, how the grass was lush and green, and how the breeze was always light and refreshing.

And that was when I knew I wanted to explore this land that had been my prison for close to a month.

I didn't think Darius would agree so easily. I was ready to give him hell if he hadn't.

And the way he had looked at me… like I was his favorite snack and he wanted to devour me, it still made my skin tingle and warmth pool in my lower belly. 

I was never crazy about sex but now… now I wanted to try it, to give my body to Darius and let him give me pleasure in return. 

My fingers no longer do it for me, I need more. 

"Why is your face so red?" Mia's voice pulled me out of my daze and I snapped my head to her and felt my face heat even more. 

"I'm, uhm, I'm hot," I stammered. "Yeah, so goddamned hot."

Mia narrowed her eyes. "It's almost winter."

"Yeah, you said almost. We're not in winter, yet." I avoided looking at her as I packed the things we'd need to camp. 

"And your smell, Ravenna," Mia said. "You're aroused."

I choked on air. Damn wolves with their damn nose. I glowered at her and emptied the bottle of water beside me. 

I should learn to control my emotions, especially when I was with Darius. 

"You're thinking about the alpha, ain't you?" 

The heat spread to my neck. "No!" I burst out. "No, I'm not thinking of him. Why the hell would I think of him? I have no idea what to think of him. I'm not thinking of him."

Mia sighed as she tucked a sleeping bag into her big camping bag. "He's going to kill me for this, but if it makes you stop babbling like a fool and turning more red than a tomato I'm willing to take the risk." She breathed in. "He was, ah, thinking the same about you."

My heart kicked up. "Thinking what?"

Mia glared at me. "Do I seriously need to spell it out loud?" I nodded and she sighed. "The smell of arousal was coming off him back there at the office. I couldn't possibly be me he was lusting over, so there you have it." 

I ducked my head to hide my crazed smile. 

When I had seen that look on Darius' face I had guessed what he was thinking. Now Mia had confirmed it and I couldn't get my heart to slow down.

It was good to know this attraction wasn't one-sided. 

***

Mia and I stood in front of the load we had packed. We looked at each other before we looked back at the bags that were heavily loaded.

"Don't you think we're overpacked?" I asked. "It's just a day."

"I do know we're overpacked," she replied, nodding. "But we're going camping and a day can be long. So we need to be comfortable, not complaining of hunger or sleeping on the ground. And it's also cold at night with winter so near." 

I hummed. "So how will we carry all this?"

I saw Mia shrug from the corner of my eye. "Have no idea. We'll just have to make it work."

"Alright then. Let's get going, shall we?"

Mia walked to the bag and lifted one with little ease. I eyed her, envious of her wolf strength. 

"Come on, don't stand and stare all day, Ravenna," Mia teased as she walked to the door. "A day is all we have here."

I sighed deeply and then walked to the bag, eyeing it before I finally bent down and picked it up with no smaller ease. I grunted like an old woman dying before I finally managed to lift it off the ground. 

I blew out a breath as I finally lifted it to my chest held it there with both hands and moved to the door. I had to look over the bag so I could see where I was going and not trip over my feet and probably die. 

And then I got to the stairs and knew I was really going to die. I was already breathing like I've got a rock on my chest and I haven't even climbed down the damn stairs! 

I would need to have a word with Darius about this fucking stairs before they killed me. 

I gently set my foot on the first step and began my slow step-down, all through cursing the stairs and their damn maker. 

After a million steps later, I got to the bottom, sweating despite the cold air. I had to drop the bag for me to be able to catch my breath. 

If Darius wasn't going to fix elevators in this damn castle I was going to tell that fucker to give me a room on the first floor. Beg if I must. 

Once I felt like I wasn't going to drop dead if I took another step, I picked up the bag and walked outside where Mia was waiting for me, signing in relief when the cool air hit me in the face. 

I got to the field and saw Mia standing with Darius, both leaning on a car. Well, Darius was the one doing the leaning. Mia was too busy bouncing on her foot.

When Darius saw me he walked to me and took the bag from me with ease, shooting me a small smile. My heart did a somersault at that sight and when his fingers brushed my hand. 

"How were the both of you planning to carry all this?" he asked as he threw the bag into the booth of the car.

I looked at Mia in confusion.

"We would have managed," she replied with a small smile.

"Ravenna looked like the bag was the one doing the managing," Darius said, all big smiles. 

I glared at him. "Thank you, Darius. Such kind words."

He chuckled softly and threw a key to Mia. Before I could ask, she burst out, "Alpha Darius is giving us his car!"

"Borrow, Mia. Borrow," he corrected, patting the hood of the car like it was a lover who he didn't want out of his sight. Why was I jealous of a car? Goddammit, Ravenna. "This car was my first baby. If you even give her the tiniest scratch don't return to this pack. Go live your life somewhere else." 

"Yes, Alpha," Mia said, her lips pressed together like she was trying not to smile. 

I turned to Darius. "If the car is so special to you, why are you giving it to us? Borrow, I mean."

Darius stared at me for a while before he smiled. "You're more special," he admitted softly. 

I looked away as my face burned and Mia mumbled something that sounded a whole hell like "aww." And because he was a bastard, he added, "And I wouldn't want you to die from carrying that bag."

I ignored both of them and walked to the car, entering the passenger seat. 

Mia slid into the driver's seat and rolled down the windows. Darius leaned in, sticking his head through the opening, and whispered in my ear, "See you in a day, Silver Wisp." He then placed a gentle kiss on my cheek before pulling back and turning to walk toward the pack house.

I watched his retreating form before I turned to Mia. "I do hope you can drive."

She only smiled and then turned on the car.