#g1arc1

[polillastoryarchive]

Lying down beside each other, they enjoyed the sun filtering through the clouds.

Isidora knew too well how relationships could quickly lose balance, only one side taking responsibility, the other one cruising through everything without a thought.

She owed some truths, just as they were given to her.

The silence was comfortable, even though expectant, and when Rory straightened up Isi heard her breath change. She felt eyes on her face and slowly opened hers, giving Rory some time before she let her curious gaze reach her.

"If you don't want to answer, you can change the subject, or tell me to-"

"It'll be fine" Isi cut her off.

Frowning, Rory bit her lip. Then, tension in her voice, she said: "You'll tell me if I cross a line though."

"Promise."

Isi let her eyelids lower again, thinking it might make it easier. Rory opened up her hand and gently caressed her cheek.

Lifting Isi's head to rest it on her thighs, Rory let her head hang low, getting closer.

"You're so beautiful."

"And that means you can't find 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to ask me?"

"No, it means it's hard to focus."

Chuckling, Isi simply lifted a hand to pull Rory's face to hers, kissing her softly. 

When they parted, she let the corners of her mouth lift. "Come on, I'm not a baby deer, I'm not going to run away scared."

Rory returned her smile, a glint in her eye.

"Okay. Can you explain why the whole sweater incident pissed you off so badly? Heightened emotions aside."

Isi inhaled deeply. Of course Rory would have questions that hit the sore spots, the hard memories.

"When I was a kid, Idrina came to live with my mother and I for a bit. Our dad just dumped her on us without explanation. She was only 5 at the time, never been on land before."

"And although I was delighted to finally spend time with my sister outside of the water, we had no idea how long she was supposed to stay with us. So, just in case my father had decided to abandon her completely, like he had me, my mum decided to enroll her in pre-school."

"She was working extra hours at the time to support the three of us and I was in charge of getting Idrina dressed in the morning, walk her to school. A couple of days after she started going, she started getting bullied by the other little girls." Isidora felt her voice falter, but she kept going.

"I was letting her pick her outfits in the mornings... And she had no idea what was supposed to be worn when. I hadn't ever realised how mean children can be to each other. Anyway, she didn't tell me or my mum anything about what her classmates were saying."

"She argued with me every morning, tears in her eyes. I thought it was because she didn't like clothes, having been raised in the water. She just didn't want to be mocked. When I found out, I gave the little punks a talking to. And I started getting very involved in what Rin was wearing."

Isi let a breathy sigh come out of her. "Good thing too, cause when winter came, she didn't feel it and would often go out in shorts and open shoes if I didn't keep an eye on her."

Silence fell, Rory letting her head fall back, eyes to the sky. Maybe to give Isi a second to come back to the present.

"Thank you for sharing this. I understand better now."

Isidora gave her companion a long look, her gut twisting slightly. Who had led her to believe that her questions were a hindrance?

Rory booped her nose, trying to chase the seriousness from her expression.

Straightening up to cup Rory's cheek in her hand, Isidora let her back lie on her alpha's chest, making them almost one entity.

"Thank 𝘺𝘰𝘶 for asking. I like sharing things with you."

The strong body underneath Isi lifted as Rory took a long, deep breath.

[polillastoryarchive]

As the clouds rolled onto the seaside, they walked back under the protection of the trees, hand in hand. And as they followed one of the paths in silence, Isidora still waiting for Rory to ask her questions, they stumbled upon an old well.

They got closer and Isi took a peak inside, noticing that it was boarded off. No risk then. Turning around, she leaned against the stone and smiled innocently:

"Come on, you've got to have things to ask."

A predatory smirk appeared on Rory's face. "Oh, I do."

"I just want to make sure you've gotten all the answers 𝘺𝘰𝘶 need first."

Walking towards her, Rory settled at her side, focused on the silence inside the well.

"I doubt I'll be running out of questions any time soon, if I'm being honest. So maybe we should take turns?"

Only the lift of an eyebrow. So Isi waited. Until, finally, Rory decided to open her mouth again.

"It's a bit harder for me. I don't want to step over any limit. I am aware that I'm the alpha in the pack and I would hate myself if I abused of that position to get people's secrets..."

So many things went through Isi as she heard the confession. Respect. Admiration. Pride. Then she settled on the most acceptable emotion: desire. Chuckling softly, she hid her mouth behind her hand and whispered "You are so adorable."

"Hey!" Rory's lips turned up, her tone rebellious.

"Don't you dare see me as anything else than the hottie who takes your breath away!"

Isi squeezed Rory's arm, purposefully turning her gaze adoring.

"It's okay, I promise you it's cute! I like how considerate-"

Rory pushed herself off the stone: "Cute's good. Let's see what this gets me."

Then, without missing a beat, she put her hands around Isidora and took her lips captive. Their smiles met in a kiss, Isi trying not to break it in a laugh. She pulled away, stumbling back, suddenly on her feet.

"Careful, you're falling head over heels for me darling!" Rory laughed, steadying her with warm hands.

"Oh, silly me, I thought it was the other way around and you were the one completely whipped!" Isi answered, her voice light enough to make it clear she was joking.

Then, for good measure, she kissed Rory back. Whole body pressing against hers, Isi made a point to let her teeth scrape a little lip. When hands made it to her ass, she didn't hold back the moan forming in her throat.

The sound made Rory's body shift and Isi's feet left the ground.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" She asked, her whole weight resting on Rory's hands, cupped around her lower body.

"Making sure you won't go anywhere. You have a habit of slipping through my fingers, you know?"

Isi wondered for a second. What was that referring to?

Choosing to put that thought aside, she donned a sweet smile: "I'm not going anywhere today, I swear."

Something flashed in Rory's eyes before she shook her head and answered: "I'd hope not, you did promise me some naked time."

Isidora let the laughter run through her, tipping her head back.

Shuffling, she wrapped her legs around the wolf's body, ankles locking. Then, her gaze meeting Rory's again, she murmured, teasing: "You think this corner of the forest is private enough for that?"

Only a growl answered her and she couldn't help but smile again.

Then, they started moving and she decided to surrender entirely, head dropping to her shoulder. She knew Rory too well now to think she was going to undress her in the middle of the forest and she was sure she'd made her point earlier on. Now she just had to wait for the questions to start coming.

[polillastoryarchive]

Isidora went on about her training, the alpha rarely interrupting. Then, as she was running out of things to say, the path cleared up, weaving out of the forest too meet with the sea. And a beautiful, lonely gazebo on it's edge.

Stopping in her tracks, she felt a smile growing.

"Rory! This is such a cool place!"

She started running to the small wooden structure, didn't turn around to see if her companion followed. Taking a deep breath to fill her lungs of salty oxygen, she let it cleanse her.

Instinctively, she reached a hand out behind her, fingers instantly meeting hers.

Rory was the one to break the silence that followed: "Figured you'd need a break from all the dirt."

Isi turned around to look her in the eyes. She hadn't brought her here because it was pretty, but because she'd known that she missed the sea. Her heart squeezed uncomfortably.

Thankfully, before Isi made a fool of herself, Rory sat on the wooden floor of the gazebo and said: "I think it's about time I answer all your questions, so go ahead, feel free to ask everything and anything."

"When was Adelyn turned?" She said without hesitating, picking up where they'd left off.

Rory's face turned severe as her tone hardened: "She was born from a werewolf mother and a human who never knew of her existence. Never bitten. Her mother abused her because she wasn't showing signs of being occult. Ran away and was found by Marcel, then brought to me."

Isi's mouth had fallen open.

"She's usually quite open about too, so I'm surprised this didn't come up when you guys hung out." Rory added, finally looking at her, eyes slightly glossy. 

Isidora's throat was tight. So much for one girl to handle.

"Oh no, to me she only talked at length about her non-boyfriend and prom problems!"

Rory smiled at that. "I'm glad she feels she 𝘤𝘢𝘯 talk to you about these things. I never really managed to break that barrier with her..."

"She doesn't tell you about the 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 Jacob?"

"Nope. But that's maybe because she thinks I'd take his side."

"Why would you?!" Isi asked, outraged.

"Because he's my little brother!"

Isi threw her arms up in the air. "How did she miss out on telling me about 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?!"

Although she felt her cheeks redden, Rory's burst of laughter sent warmth all the way to her toes.

"Either way, I'm glad we cleared that up before you see him again tomorrow!"

Reminded of the poison training that was scheduled for both of the packs the next day, Isi asked, her eyes drifting on the horizon line:

"Are we getting anywhere in knowing who tried to kill me?"

Rory got back up, stepping closer to her back, her warmth bringing her some level of comfort.

"I've ruled out a couple of people. I know it's slow and I'm sorry. But I won't stop until I've figured it out, I promise."

Isi didn't turn around, too scared of what they'd both see on each other's faces. Instead she changed the subject, asking another question.

"What happens during the full moon?"

Rory's voice got closer: "You'll most likely be affected first and as soon as you're in wolf form, we'll all join you. You will never be left alone. It'll most likely be a blur the first time, as it is very intense. But usually, we just go running in the woods, howling, let it all out."

Turning around now, Isi found Rory's gaze on her, searching her face.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm scared. This new reality is so far from what I know... But I trust you." She felt her chest fill with air as she said it, the truth of the words hitting her in full.

And from that feeling, came an openness. A willingness to return the honesty that had been offered to her. So she took a deep breath and said:

"I realise I've been moody lately and therefore probably not very inviting to talk to. So, just to be fair, do you have any questions for me?"

[polillastoryarchive]

After they managed to stop touching each other long enough for Isi to eat her pancakes, she went to take a shower. Hanging out in your underwear had its appeal, especially when it earned you some fiery looks from a certain someone, but it was risky when anyone could walk into the house unannounced.

Coming out of the bathroom, she was a little surprised to see Rory was still there, reading a book. Clearly waiting for something.

"Where is Lou?"

Rory lifted her head to look at her, a hint of disappointment to see her fully dressed.

"Saturdays are check in days. You're with me."

Something inside Isi drew tight at the words. Pushing the feeling aside, she asked:

"And what are we gonna do?"

"First we go through all the things you've learned. You can show me or tell me about it, whatever you'd like. Then I answer the numerous questions I'm sure you have."

A full day with Rory? The idea was very enticing. Plus, she added:

"I thought we could get out of Moonwood for the day, since you've been stuck here for a while now."

Isidora couldn't help a squeal of excitement at the thought. "I'm in!"

They drove less than half an hour before Rory parked the car on a dirt road and gestured for her to get out. As soon as Isi was walking by her side, she asked:

"Alright, tell me about what you've been taught. What you like and dislike about your new reality."

"Oh, I..." Isi hesitated.

She had no idea of where whe should start. So instead of her brain, she used the one thing she'd been taught to rely on: her nose.

"Well, first thing I can tell you is I can smell a ton of animals around here. The sea not too far as well, but I think I might have been able to smell that before."

Rory kept silent, encouraging her with a smile.

"I can also tell Adelyn and Marcel have been here not too long ago. Maybe a few hours?"

"Adds up, she must have asked him to go run since I told her not to bother you this morning."

Isi turned around, surprised: "You did?"

The self-satisfied smile she got in answer made her laugh. "Of course you did. But how did they get this far? Didn't we drive 𝐮𝐩 a hill to get here too?"

This time, Rory laughed: "If she isn't running with you, she usually likes to do it in wolf form. Which is also why she picks Marc as a buddy."

"How old was she?" Isidora asked, curious.

But Rory shook her head, waving a hand. "Let's tay on topic, we can talk about Ade later."

"Mmmh. Fine. I can also tell you've been walking this path" she pointed at the dirt under their feet. "But that was... yesterday? Maybe the day before."

Isi's eyes widened as she noticed: "Wait. How come I can detect you so long after? Marcel said the average for scents to linger around outside was a few hours? Is it because you're my alpha?"

Rory cocked her head towards the sky as a bird flew by.

"Something like that, yeah. But I'm more interested in the fact that you can't tell either that Kiril has been here too."

 Seeing her confused look, Rory asked:

"When Marc taught you about the pack members' scents, did he list everyone?"

Isi thought back on it.

"He made me find everyone's trace..."

"... apart from Kiril's!"

Rory nodded, a flash of emotion on her face. "Because for some reason, he doesn't have a scent."

"None?"

"None" she confirmed. "I've asked everyone I can think of, no one knows why."

"Does he?"

"He says he doesn't."

"But you don't believe him?" Isi filled in the blanks.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm just cautious I guess. It's never been heard of, a wolf without a scent..."

Suddenly, Isi felt like she finally had something in common with one of the wolves: "Two unknowns in one pack then."

Rory winked at her. "Come on, let's walk and talk. I've got something to show you."

[polillastoryarchive]

The only thing Isidora was able to say before her eyes closed of their own accord was: "Can you take this off?" She tugged on Rory's shirt.

Later in the night, she shuffled towards the warm body next to hers. She felt happiness bloom in her chest when her fingers came in contact with bare skin.

The next morning came too quickly. Rory squeezed her before getting up, leaving Isi's back to shiver. She always slept above the covers, but for once, she slipped under them.

In and out of sleep, she heard the shower being turned on, activity in the kitchen, then steps coming back up the stairs.

Glad she hadn't put any clothes on, Isi made sure to put herself on display: "Here for round two? Are we finally taking care of you today?"

She couldn't help the huge yawn that came out of her straight as she finished her sentence, as Rory came up to the foot of the bed.

Chuckling, she asked Isi: "You really aren't a morning person, are you?"

"I am not! And you've had me up before dawn 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 this week." Isi made sure to look as genuine as possible as she added: "Don't you think you need to make up for it?"

"I am doing that, by making you breakfast."

"The pancakes will get cold if you don't get up soon."

Isidora couldn't help but make a little happy noise hearing that pancakes were awaiting her downstairs. The whole thing made even more enjoyable by the way Rory's eyes kept darting back to hers after detailing more of her exposed body.

Confident that the limit had only been traced so she could walk right over it, Isi mused:

"I wonder what's hotter right now though... Me, or breakfast?"

Rory let out the growl she'd visibly been holding back, climbing on the bed, honing in on her.

"Breakfast can be reheated" is all she answered.

One hand already between her thighs, Rory whispered, close to Isi's lips:

"But what I can smell on you right now? It makes me ten times hungrier than anything food related." A light touch from the tip of a finger, making them both suck in a breath.

Then, curiosity tickled Isi: "What 𝘥𝘰 you smell?"

Rory opened her mouth to answer, a smirk tugging at her lips already, but Isi thought better of it and shushed her with a finger.

"Wait. Let me try to figure it out."

Red eyes detailed her as she focused, her nose starting to pick up every scent around her. Sweat on the sheets. Pancakes downstairs.

Then... Sweetness. Something so close to what she'd always identified as arousal. And, not just coming from her. There were two distinct scents. Overjoyed, she reeled back, letting out a laugh pure as crystal.

Her finger left Rory's lips as she asked: "Have you been able to tell 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚?"

"Every time darling."

Rory smiled, canines showing, and bit down on her finger, softly. Tongue already reminding her of what she could do.

Yet, there was something else that Isi could smell. A little further away, tangling with the sugary scent emanating from breakfast...

"Is that... Coffee?!"

In the blink of an eye, Isi had gotten up and was barreling down the stairs, laughing at Rory's frustrated growl.

"You've just unlocked a new life goal for me baby." The alpha said in her ear after making her way to the kitchen and putting her arms around her, maybe to stop her running away again.

"Mmmh?" Isi turned around after taking a long sip.

"I'm not allowed to die before I've made you crave me as much as you crave coffee."

A laugh: "Well good luck on that one, you might have just made yourself immortal!"

Rory's eyes shone at the challenge, a promise in them.

Rory picked her up and pushed her onto the counter, careful to move the precious mug of coffee away as she did.

Then she gave her a kiss that made her toes curl. And Isi wondered how impossible that goal actually was.

[polillastoryarchive]

The sisters left the bunker behind, splitting up as they each headed to their sleeping arrangements. Entering the house again, Isidora could hear someone in the bathroom, recognized Rory's scent floating in the air. Yet, she headed straight up the stairs.

She hoped to get a few minutes to piece herself back together before having to interact with anyone again. Sitting on the bed, she took in a long and deep breath. She wasn't herself. Overstimulation made her petty, hung up on things that shouldn't even have made her blink.

Before she could fully gather her thoughts though, the bed shifted under someone else's weight.

"Oh, hey!" Isi forced the words out, her head still kilometers away.

Rory presence brought warmth, even though she stayed silent for a while, detailing her with concern.

Hand lightly squeezing Isi's shoulder, voice lower than usual, she asked: "How are you feeling?"

After an hesitation, Isi confessed: "Not like myself... It's as if I am constantly 150% of my usual self. And I don't know how to rein it back in." Then, voice breaking, she added: "I'm a complete mess."

Eyes soft, mouth upturned, Rory asked: "Would you say that what you feel right now is close to what you feel when you're in PMS?"

"It can't be-" Isi started, before taking in the suggestion fully. A pause. "Actually... It  makes no sense because it can't be that, but... yeah."

Isi readjusted her glasses as Rory's smile deepened and she explained: "It's part of your transformation. I have told Lou times and times again to warn women that it could feel a bit like that. Hormones are high, senses adjusting, body going through a lot."

Now that she said it, it made sense.

"But he thinks it'd come across as rude for him to say that. I thought I'd gotten through to him last time, but apprently not..." Rory finished.

Isi couldn't help but chuckle. The sound seemed to pull the alpha closer. "So you're saying this wolf thing is like periods, but on steroids?"

"Only the first time. It gets better after, I promise."

They were so close now, all Isi could do was hum. One of Rory's hands settled on her thigh, the pressure welcome. Grounding. When their lips grazed, neither of them hesitated. The kiss was gentle. Inviting.

Something deep inside Isidora tugged. Her heart missed a beat. And suddenly, she was pulling back. Getting up. She didn't know exactly why. To fill the silence, she asked: "Isn't Lou going to be back soon?"

In a blink, Rory was behind her, pushing her hair back.

Fingers grazing hers, Rory all but whispered: "No, I ensured he wouldn't be home until late tomorrow morning. And I saw Idrina walk towards the lake." She paused as a shiver went through Isi's body. A thumb played with her lip as their breaths quickened. "And I know one sure way to make you numb."

"Numb sounds good..." Isi admitted, already hoarse.

Framing her face with her hands, Rory smiled wider. Hungry.

The deep growl that she'd once say she liked resonated in the bedroom, originating from deep within Rory, reaching all the way into Isi's toes.

When they kissed again, it wasn't soft anymore. It was ravenous. As if they'd been waiting to be this close for years, a lifetime.

The silence surrounding them made it hard to pull apart, even to breathe. Their own bubble. The two of them, no care for the rest of the world.

The moment Isi thought she could get used to this, Rory broke the kiss and reached under her knees. As her feet left the floor, Isi started laughing, wholeheartedly. Her head was already clearer. That kiss had done wonders. But Rory wasn't ready to stop.

"Tell me exactly what you want darling."

[polillastoryarchive]

Her sister dragged her all the way into the adjacent training room, sweat and blood scents assaulting Isi's nose.

"What is wrong with you tonight? Why are you so rude to Lux, they've done 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to warrant such aggression!" Rin's voice was harsh, demanding.

Trying to keep her voice low enough not to be heard by the supernatural ears in the next room, Isi listed:

"Oh, you mean apart from making fun of me anytime they can, being rude as hell, trying to trick you into wearing shit that grandmas wouldn't even own?!"

Isi overheard the other room's occupants scurry away, Adelyn being told it was past her bedtime already. Rin took a deep breath.

"Who 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 about the sweater Dora! Point is, I know you can be feisty, but never unprovoked!"

"I actually kinda like Lux, you know!" Idrina's voice had lowered, as if she was sharing a secret. Something she hadn't yet thought out fully, let alone said out loud.

Isi paused, the arguments she had prepared stuck in her throat. Her little sister hadn't liked anyone in a long time.

"So please, can you stop being mean to them?"

Something deep down inside Isi pushed back. She hadn't been the one to start this whole thing. After all, Lux had been horrible to her ever since she'd stepped foot in Moonwood.

But if Rin liked them. Then she had to try.

"Okay, little one. I'm sorry about tonight." She said, trying her best to mean it.

"Good. And also, I have to tell you: your sweater is just as terrible as mine, you know?"

Unable to keep a smile from tugging at her lips, Isi nodded. "I know, I only like it because it's Rory's..."

Lifting and eyebrow and crossing her arms in front of her chest, Idrina let the silence drag on just long enough for Isi to appreciate the irony of what she'd just admitted.

Then, she opened her mouth again:

"Speaking of Rory, I think I'm just going to sleep at the lake every night from now on."

"The weather is getting warmer and I get such better sleep in the water... Is that alright with you? I figured you'd get more opportunities to explore what you have with her if you know for a fact there's not chance of me coming back in the middle of the night."

Isidora was left speechless for a moment. Her sister was usually very unaware of her love life. But she'd noticed. It was likely everyone else had too. Not knowing where it came from, a feeling of shame made its way up her stomach.

"Yeah, whatever works for you is best" she finally answered.

[polillastoryarchive]

The minutes stretched, Isi trying her best not to look like she was sulking. She'd made a mistake. It happened. Why she'd been so prompt to react, she didn't know, but it was done. So she tried her best to ignore Lux as they kept talking to her sister. To focus on what Rory and Lou were discussing.

Soon though, the two last members of the pack appeared and gave Isi a distraction. Kiril waved straight at her when he and Marcel came through the door and she couldn't help but give him a smile. Quickly, the atmosphere changed, loud conversations and laughter filling the room.

Isi thought about asking Kiril when she'd finally be able to train with him, but remembered that was a question in which Lux was involved. So she listened instead. To the day's reports to Rory, to Adelyn asking Lou if he could be her date at prom, to Rin's laugh at something Lux had said.

She couldn't understand how, Lux had never uttered anything remotely funny in her presence. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down. And heard Lou explain to the teenager how he was too old to go to prom. As Ade grumbled an answer, he checked his watch, looking worried.

"Something wrong?" Isidora asked, glad to have something else to think about.

"Not really... I was just thinking... Celene's not working tonight, and I kinda want to talk to her about what happened between us this morning. But it's getting late already" he explained.

"You can go Lou" Rory said from where she was sitting. "There's nothing we need to discuss tonight that can't wait. And we're gathering again the day after tomorrow for poison training anyway."

That last sentence brought back a disturbing memory. Someone in this room had tried to kill her.

They would have probably managed too, had Jak not intervened. And yet, here she was. Hanging out with them. Training and trying to figure out what her body was doing had taken up so much of her thoughts, she'd almost forgotten about the threat to her life. Who could she put her trust in?

Adelyn's laugh interrupted her downward spiral, reminding her that there were good people in this room too. And she started listening to the conversation again. Lou had left without a word and the teenager was apparently explaining something:

"I found them on the internet!"

"And what exactly is it?" Marcel asked, trying to understand.

"They're like templates. And you fill them in with the names of who you think would be most likely to act one way or another in a certain situation!" Her excitement was obvious. Idrina and Lux finally decided to join the conversation.

"I sent them over in the group chat!" The teen continued. "You'll see, they're so funny!"

What group chat? Isi wondered. Then, immediately, she realised. The only reason she'd never heard about it was because she wasn't invited to join it.

Marcel got up, clearly giving up.

"I'll have a look then" was all he said, before he walked back out, not having stayed more than 20 minutes. Isidora wondered if she should have just done the same thing and gone to bed. But suddenly, Idrina was calling her name, beckoning her to come sit on the couch next to her.

Unable to refuse such a clear invitation, she dragged herself to the couch, plastering an appropriate smile on her face.

Lux sat in the armchair she'd just vacated as Rory nipped out to get everyone a drink. And before she knew what happened, they were playing a collective truth or dare.

She decided it wasn't the worst thing ever when Adelyn asked how many relationships everyone had been in and Kiril lost himself in a description of how great his current girlfriend was. They were doing long distance and it couldn't be more obvious that he was absolutely smitten. Adorable.

As the anecdotes about his beloved dragged on, Isidora noticed that Lux hadn't been playing. They were moving their hands around but not actually participating. Simply observing, gaining knowledge on others without risking anything themselves.

Their attention actually seemed fully dedicated to Isi's left. To her little sister. Until they spotted her giving them a killer look, then they proceeded to study their nails.

Meanwhile, Adelyn was asking, her voice cracking:

"So you all believe that you can't stay with your first love forever?"

"No." Idrina's voice cut through the noise. "I think some people can. But you shouldn't stay with someone just for that reason."

Adelyn threw her hands up in the air.

"Then what should make you stay in a relationship?"

Behind her Lux said, tone full of irony:

"Not sure you should be asking us, really."

"Well she didn't, ask you, as you weren't even playing with us as far as I know."

The tension Isi had been feeling seemed to spread to everyone else in a matter of seconds and she heard Rin's low tone as she whispered: "𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡" before she grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch.

[polillastoryarchive]

"Is that grilled cheese I'm smelling?!" Lou asked eagerly, coming out of his bedroom, where he'd been studying for a couple of hours.

"Absolutely!" Isi smiled. It was one of the only things she could cook, even though she would have never admitted it.

"It's for tonight, you said we're having a pack gathering?"

Lou chuckled. "When you say it like that, it sounds so serious, but yes it's pack night! And thanks to you, I'm actually excited for it this time!"

Frowning, Isi tried to understand: "Why wouldn't you be?"

His tone shifted, half guilty, half scheming: "Well... Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful whenever anyone gives me food, but... Usually, Rory's the one cooking."

"And she's not very good at it?" Isi guessed, almost happy to find 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 that the alpha wasn't good at.

"Oh no, she's a great cook! But she makes everything 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 healthy for no reason. So we've not had grilled cheese in a looong time" Lou explained, lengthening his vowel.

He immediately proceeded to get closer to the plate she'd made and add some crispy bacon he'd snatched from the fridge.

When they arrived down in the bunker, Idrina and Adelyn were already sitting together, while Rory seemed focused on a small heater she'd disassembled.

Isidora put the plate of grilled cheese down on the table and sat next to her sister, easily integrating the conversation.

Then, as her eyes fell on her sister's sweater, she tried not to let her disgust show:

"Little one, what are you 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨?!"

"It's a sweater" Rin said, simply.

"Yes, I know that..." Isi didn't know if she needed to let out a laugh or a cry. "I mean where did it come from?! Is it Celene's?"

"Cel would never wear this!" Lou intervened from the chair he'd let himself fall in.

"What's wrong with it?" Idrina asked, suddenly anxious.

"Nothing, really, it's just not really... Trendy." Isi tried to reassure her.

"Lux gave it to me. They said I'd be cold without a sweater."

Isidora's blood boiled immediately. It was one thing to attack her. She didn't care about what Lux thought anyway. But taking advantage of Rin's naiveness to humiliate her? That was going way too far. It was disgusting, really.

And right as that thought crossed her mind, they came through the door.

Without hesitating, Isidora got up and marched straight to them, pulling them aside before they had time to say hi to anyone.

"Heads up, Lux. I don't care what you think of me. But you keep your mean girl streak far away from my sister. Understand?!"

"Huh?" Lux didn't seem to click straight away, turning to look at Rin, but Isi continued, pulling their attention back to her.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt her. I might not be good at sparring and still be unable to beat your ass, but believe me, I can make your life hell if I decide to!"

She could feel the anger closing her throat up. Still looking completely lost, Lux seemed to look for support anywhere else in the room. Isi felt more than she heard Rory approach, squaring up her shoulders, ready to be backed up.

Yet, it was her that the alpha addressed, voice gentle but firm.

"Let's not jump to conclusions here. I think I recognise the sweater, didn't your mum buy it for you Lux?"

"What swea-" the wolf started, finally able to turn around to take a look at Idrina. "Oh! She wore it!"

Isi couldn't believe her eyes as Lux seemed to start 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨?

Then, they seemed to catch on to what had been happening all along and whirled back on Isi.

"I gave her this sweater because she said she didn't have any and I knew Rory still hadn't fixed the heater down here, and you thought... What? That I was trying to play a trick on her?!"

Shame stinging her cheeks, Isi tried to save herself: "Well, yeah! I'm sorry but you've not really given me much reason to trust you so far."

"Right, let's leave it here, shall we?" Rory intervened, putting a hand on Lux's shoulder.

They huffed and turned away, going straight to Idrina and Adelyn.

Isidora felt even more embarrassed as she remembered getting the same advice from Rory about how it could get chilly underground sometimes in the evening.

Turning towards Lou, hoping for a quick escape, she felt Rory grab her hand and pull her back.

"Hey." Her voice was soft, as if she didn't want to sound aggressive but still needed her to pay attention. "I understand the need to protect your sister. Trust me. But if it can reassure you in the future, I've taken the time to speak to Lux and they promised they'd be better about all this."

Isi felt a chill of jealousy go up her spine. So she hadn't found any time to see her within the past couple of days, but she'd had plenty of time to have deep conversations with the one wolf who hated her guts.

She hummed a non-committal response before going to sit next to Lou without another word.

[polillastoryarchive]

It was the best kiss she'd ever had. Even previous kisses with Rory didn't compare. Their lips played together. Isi's new keen senses multiplying the intensity of every push and tug. Rory's hand grazed her lower back before going all the way up her arm, fingers tangling for a brief moment.

Soon, Isi's right hand was falling at her side as Rory's cradled her face, touch soft and gentle. Coherent thoughts were gone. All that mattered now was the pressure of their bodies against each other, the smiles neither of them could hide. The rapidly growing hunger to be even 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙧.

Everything else had become background noise. So much so that it took them a long time to notice that Lou had come out of the tunnels.

"-so I'm just gonna leave now!" he finished a monologue that could have started one or 10 minutes before for all Isi knew.

Putting distance between them was one of the hardest things Isidora ever had to do. Her whole body was screaming that she should just undress, right there, and get more. 𝘔𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

Rory whirled them around, positioning herself between Lou and Isi, inhaling shakily.

"I-" she started.

"Raincheck?" Isi cut her off.

"Yes, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦" she answered, her voice becoming a whisper on the second word.

A small, sincere laugh escaped Isidora's mouth and, as in answer, a deep appreciative growl came out of Rory.

As he was walking away, Lou's pace picked up. He might soon start running.

Leaving Rory's warmth, as horrible as it felt, and starting to run after Lou, Isi threw behind her shoulder: "You better mean it!"

It was Rory's turn to laugh now. And just like that, Isi's spirits were up. No more questions of 'mates' or anything of the like. Only butterflies.

She reached Lou as he turned towards the library instead of the house, asking him as she slowed down to adopt his rhythm: "Are we doing some research today?"

"You are" he nodded "I'm going to start studying, I want to be as ahead as possible."

Remembering what Rory had told her, Isi asked: "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired of having to prove myself constantly..." was all he said.

They entered the library and Isi was hit with a flashback of the last time she'd been in here. Blushing slightly, she tried to focus on something else than her lower abdomen pulsing.

"So what are you going to study? I saw the uni acceptance letter, congratulations!"

"Thanks..." Lou simply said, his voice less excited than it should have been. "I want to be a vet."

"Oh, that's amazing! Would it be easier or harder, being a werewolf?"

"Probably a bit of both" he admitted, a small smile forming on his lips.

Isi gave him an encouraging tap on the shoulder and sat down on the floor, near an interesting section about wolves. Maybe she didn't have to ask anyone about that new fated concept. Maybe she could just read about it!

A couple hours went by, Lou focusing on his uni work and Isi palming through every book she could. She learned a lot. About the phases of the moon and how they affected the occult. About how the werewolves were pretty much just big dogs who liked hanging out in groups. Packs.

She read a lot about packs too. How they'd been formed. How there were really 5 big packs in the world, plus the very recent WildFangs. Rory's pack. She'd have to ask more about that though, the information on that seemed thin. Maybe because all these books seemed to date back a decade or so.

Nothing about what Adelyn had talked about that morning though. Giving up, Isi just picked up a Peter Barker comic. A few minutes later, noticing what she was now reading, Lou chuckled:

"You know, if you're not serious about this, I'll have to give you a test at the end of the day!"

[polillastoryarchive]

Later that morning, Isidora got her ass kicked at training. On the other hand, Rin was apparently doing incredibly well, at least according to Lux. Which was one more opportunity for them to taunt Isi. So she got away quickly when her session was finished.

After the usual morning shower, she realised Lou wasn't at their usual meeting spot or anywhere in the house. Going outside again, she located his scent to start tracking him down. Mouth open, as Marcel had taught her just the day before, she noticed Rory's scent mixing with his early on the path.

Isi had only seen Rory once, very briefly, since the night they'd slept in the same bed. Feeling her steps get quicker, she tried to keep herself in check. Her mind was still stuck on the 'fated mates' concept that Adelyn had mentioned earlier. She hadn't been able to ask the teen about it.

However, if she was headed to find Lou and Rory, one of them would give her a good answer, she was sure of it. As their scent got stronger, a hint of blue caught her eye and headed towards it. By the side of the former motel, the alpha of the pack seemed to be waiting for something.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Isi as she got closer to her.

"Just keeping an eye on Lou while he has a meltdown. You know, the usual!" Rory answered, worry and irony tangling in her voice.

As Isi started searching her surroundings for their friend, she heard a faint noise coming from the ground.

At her confused face, Rory explained:

"He had another fight with Celene and insisted that he could still do his morning job, which was to check out the small in tunnel that runs underneath the motel. It caved in during the fire, but we needed to check how bad. Right now, he's having a fit."

Isi let her mouth form an O and asked: "Can I wait with you?"

"Sure."

Rory climbed up on the fence, facing the burnt down motel, so Isi sat down not too far. Then, looking at the building in front of her, she asked:

"Didn't the siding use to be white?"

"It was. The fire spread quickly and no one really knows how the walls are still standing."

"Wow... Thank you again for getting Idrina out."

Isi's voice had dropped as she thought of the damage and how close it had been. How Rory had come looking for her that night.

They fell silent, listening to the birds waking up with the spring and Lou's tantrum underground. After a few moments, Isi noticed the ants walking a little too close to her and decided to get up, leaning back on the fence.

"Looks better than when I last saw it" she said, still looking at the motel.

"Have the owners decided to fix it up?" Isi remembered someone saying they were looking to sell after the catastrophe.

"No, I purchased it from them and am cleaning up and renovating it myself..." Rory sighed.

"You are?!" She couldn't help the surprised tone.

"Yeah, i love the bunker, but I don't think it's the best place to welcome new wolves." Rory pointed at her as she answered and Isi felt her cheeks burn slightly. Then, she continued after a short pause: "Plus, not everyone enjoys being underground. Lou actually kinda hates it..."

Stepping down and looking away from the building, Rory lowered her voice slightly and added in a matter of fact tone: "And I don't know how much longer he and I can be housemates, it can become tricky sometimes!"

"I can understand!" Isi smiled. "The only door that closes is the one to the bathroom."

"Exactly, imagine the trouble if I ever wanted to bring someone home for a night, or longer" Rory smiled, eyes drifting towards her.

Isi felt herself getting a little hot and punched the alpha's arm softly, joking:

"I'm sure that's on your mind often, with all the women you meet these days!"

Using the momentum given by the punch, Rory turned back around to face the same way Isi did.

"I thought I'd been clear about this, I'm not interested in anyone else."

"You say that, yet you've been letting me sleep all alone!" Isidora teased.

Putting an arm around her, Rory lifted an eyebrow.

"I should fix that too, then?"

"Mmmh. Unless you want me to end up like Lou, so frustrated that I have to break some stuff" Isi smiled, snuggling under Rory's arm. "Why is he so mad anyway? I hope it's not something I said! I tried to give him advice two days ago..."

"No, it's not you. He actually said you did help. But this morning, he got confirmation that he could go back to uni for free. And Celene isn't exactly supportive..."

Isi remembered seeing some letters on the dining table that morning. Yet as Rory's lips got closer to hers, it mattered less and less.

Her heartbeat rose as Rory, clearly not too interested in Lou's romantic debacle either, bent down to kiss her. A deep, longing kiss.

One that instantly inflamed the entirety of her body. Left her breathless, completely overwhelmed. All her new senses letting her know how electrifying this was...

[polillastoryarchive]

A couple days went by, Isidora and Idrina training with the wolves. They'd learned a lot already. And Isi could now keep up with Adelyn's rhythm on their morning runs. The speed at which her body had adapted was unnatural. Trying to distract herself, she asked the teen:

"So you're a troublemaker?"

Stopping in her tracks, the redhead frowned: "What?"

"I heard you've got detention pretty much every night" Isi explained.

"Oh that."

"What is it for?"

"Nothing, I just..." hesitating, Adelyn shook her head as if to shake it off.

"I'm sorry, it's not my business, I shouldn't have asked..."

Suddenly, Isidora felt bad. She was used to be called nosy, but one thing she didn't want was to lose the relationship she'd started to build with Adelyn. The teen was pretty much the only wolf she felt really close to, apart from Rory. The one she could relate to, understand, laugh with.

She was about to start running again, trying to put her intrusive question behind them when Adelyn's eyes filled with tears. Her words started coming out fast, as if she was scared to be interrupted, told off. So Isi listened in silence.

"I stole money at school. Well, found it and didn't return it."

"I would have gotten away with it as well, I've got a little practice getting the things I need without getting noticed..."

Isi couldn't help but frown, asking in a gentle tone: "You needed money?"

"No, not me, I never 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 anything anymore, now that I have Rory."

"But my friend Zhaf couldn't afford her dream prom dress, and I knew that I would get a lecture on appreciating more modest things if I asked the wolves. But that's not how things go in school! And I felt guilty for having something she couldn't." Adelyn's voice shook and Isi reached a hand out.

The teen's brows lowered at the gesture and she squared off her shoulders, anger making its way through her tone.

"The wallet belonged to one of the biggest asshole at school anyway, so I don't regret it one bit! Which is what I told the principal. And that's why I got in so much trouble for it!"

Isi cringed at the swearing. Was she supposed to act like the adult in this situation and tell Adelyn not to use words like those? Or should she act like a 'cool adult' and approve of the use of that word? Deciding in between both options, she took the conversation somewhere else instead.

"Do you and Zhaf both have a date for prom night then, or are you going together?"

The silence that followed was a bit too long to be positive and Isi silently cursed herself. She'd thought it was a safe way to ask that question. Apparently not, since Adelyn seemed even closer to tears now.

Then, an uninterrupted flow of words came out of her.

"She has a date. And I had one too... Rory's little brother, Jake. But what I thought was a real date turned out to be just a 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 date according to him!! So I told him he could get fucked and I would go on my own before I went with him!"

Her voice had gotten louder and louder, the wound clearly still fresh. Isi opened her mouth to say something, even though she didn't know what yet. But Adelyn had decided otherwise, because she continued:

"How could he think I was okay with that?!"

"We're FATED MATES! The 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 he can do is ask me on a real date, right?!" She stomped a foot, anger and hurt mixing as the tears started falling.

Then, without warning, she threw herself into Isi's arms, head buried in her chest.

"I just want him to 𝘴𝘦𝘦 me. He's the worst!"

Staying silent, Isi gave the teen a long hug, trying to be there for her, when only one question was swirling in her mind: what did she mean by 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴?!

[polillastoryarchive]

Isidora didn't sleep much that night. Rory didn't come home and Idrina only briefly came to bed before getting up again to go finish her night at the lake. She lied in bed for hours. Her nose was still telling her all kinds of things she wasn't used to and her brain was too full to fall asleep.

As happy as she was to have discovered this new ability to detect scents, it was also proof that her body 𝘩𝘢𝘥 indeed started changing. No matter how much she wanted to believe that her mer genes had protected her from the bite, she was halfway to being a werewolf already.

And she did not know how she felt about that. Tossing and turning, she couldn't stop thinking of what that meant for her. Anxiety rising, she thought of all the gigs she'd have to cancel. Of how Del Sol Valley was one of the most polluted cities in the country and how her new nose would hate that.

She remembered her therapist saying she shouldn't add any more unnecessary stresses to her life at the moment as she had too much on her plate already. That was right when Lou, asleep downstairs, let out a questionable sound and she was hit with a disgusting smell.

Quickly, she got out of the bed and through the doors to the balcony, replacing the stench invading her nose with the soft breeze of an early spring night. She filled her lungs, taking a minute to appreciate it. She risked a look towards the burnt motel, still standing, at the edge of the forest.

Frowning, she wondered if the town had already started fixing the building, as it didn't look as destroyed as she'd last seen it. Then her eyes found the lake, and her thoughts drifted to Idrina. Would their bond fade, if Isi wasn't half merfolk anymore? And would her mother treat her differently?

She'd been subjected to long observation sessions as a child, as well as tests to try and define what made her different from the mer, and the humans. Would it start again? An uneasy idea came to Isi's mind: could she hide it from her mum? Would she be able to hide it from anyone?

The sky was starting to turn lighter and Isi decided it was time to start her day. She reached inside the house again to grab a yoga mat she'd spotted earlier and started stretching. Recentering.

Her life was changing. She'd always been good at adapting, this wouldn't be any different. Was it terrifying? Yes. Yet there was a small part of her, deep inside, that seemed excited not to be half of anything anymore. Now, she was a 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 werewolf. And there was no going back. Right?

[polillastoryarchive]

A little later, Lou took her to the middle of the woods. Marcel, the man she'd only met once, came out of the shadows, giving Lou a confirmation nod. And before Isi could say goodbye, he was gone. Probably to Celene, she thought, still a bit annoyed.

"Hello."

The wolf's tone was stern, focused.

"Hi, Marcel, is it?"

"Yes. Let's start."

He didn't seem to be one for small talk. 

"What exactly are we doing together?" Isidora asked, following him as he turned around to walk closer to the trees.

"I'm going to teach you to use your new senses. Mainly your nose."

Well that didn't sound as offensive as sparring or weapon-handling.

"And you're staying with me until tonight." He added, prompting a small frown on Isi's face.

"Wasn't I supposed to train with Kiril too?"

She'd been looking forward to it, mainly because he seemed more accepting of her, his demeanour was overall much warmer.

"You can't start with him until Lux gives the green light."

"Oh." Well that would take a while, considering how stiff she still felt after only one session with them.

Marcel sat down on a log and gestured for her to do the same.

"So how long have you been a wolf?" she asked, as she complied.

He shot her a look of... annoyance? Or maybe just wariness. Either way, he didn't seem happy about answering the random questions Isi was dying to throw at him.

"I was born like this." He still answered, before lowering his voice even more to order: "Now close your eyes."

She hesitated, thinking of how one of these people had tried to kill her before. Now she was alone, in the middle of nowhere, being asked to trust this stranger without question. He lifted an eyebrow, clearly about to ask her if she'd even heard him.

"How do I know you're not going to swiftly kill me, as soon as I do that?" she asked, looking away.

Marcel paused. Not like a human would, his body froze completely. She wasn't even sure he was breathing. Until a twitch in his lip betrayed him. He was trying not to laugh in her face.

She crossed her arms, not sure how he could find that question funny when she truly feared for her life, but he finally opened his mouth to answer:

"One: if I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't matter much if you had your eyes open or closed." Isi swallowed, a little too audibly for her taste.

"Two: what Rory said to Lux yesterday night applies to every other wolf too, none of us are foolish enough to think otherwise. So not a hair on your head will be touched, trust me." His voice was steady. Methodical. As if he'd 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 about hurting her and come to this conclusion before.

Still slightly unsettled, Isi inhaled sharply, before she plastered a fake smile on her face.

"And you've known Rory... how long?"

"Six years."

"Mmmh. And she's definitely stronger than you?" Seeing his face tense up, Isi promised herself it would be the last question she'd ask.

"Undoubtedly."

She nodded a few times, trying to convince herself this was alright. Then closed her eyes, straightening her spine, ready to run if anything strange happened. She felt him still again and understood that he was holding back from mocking her once more then clear his throat.

"Good. Now make sure you focus only on what your nose tells you." Marcel instructed. "As a human, you used mainly your eyes and ears. I want to train you out of that. Scents will tell you more than sights or sounds could ever do."

Isi couldn't help doubt creeping up. After all, she wasn't even sure she was becoming a werewolf anyway. If she focused, she could hear the ruffle of the leaves better. She could feel the creases in the wood on which she was sitting. But she couldn't smell- Oh! Something strange had reached her.

Something in her stirred and she opened her eyes, trying to locate the prey she'd just detected.

"I-" she started. But the look of disapproval on Marcel's face was all she needed to stop talking. He gestured for her to close her eyes again before he spoke again.

"I don't want you to react to the things you discover, simply name them."

"But I don't know what it is" she argued.

"Then describe it."

He was growing impatient, it seemed. No more stillness. Instead, she could hear his teeth grinding.

So she obeyed, starting to list everything she could smell. The small indistinct animal. Which way it was moving. Wild flowers. Tree sap. Running water. But also a small puddle of standing water. Marcel. Herself. Everyone who had walked these woods that day. It was incredible. Intoxicating.

[polillastoryarchive]

As soon as she came out of the bunker, she spotted Lou.

"Hey! Just need a shower and a coffee and I'm with you?" She couldn't remember exactly what Lou was supposed to teach her, but she knew he was the one who would spend most of the day with her.

She also took the time to text Wesley, checking on Amani, and to call her mother. It was hard not to tell them she'd be back in DelSol soon. Even though she didn't believe she would turn into a wolf, she also couldn't completely rule out the idea of spending more time in Moonwood.

Then she met Lou back outside. He was lying on the floor, feet to the sky, eyes closed. She sat next to him.

"How are you?" he asked without opening his eyes.

"Slightly sore, but it's not too bad. I'm guessing once we start actually sparring, it'll be worse."

"Yeah. Only advice I have is to stretch well before and after."

Isi hummed, the urge to ask about Lux and Rory's relationship again. But this wasn't the kind of subject that Lou should give her insight on.

"You weren't ready this morning, I heard Ade come get you!" He said to fill the silence.

"I'm not a morning person, sue me!" she replied, already annoyed at the thought of having to wake up at the same time the next day. "And why do Ade and I have to run so early anyway?"

"Because she's got school after and she's been in detention almost every day lately so she can't go after."

Lou suddenly decided to straighten up, almost hitting Isi in the face while doing so.

"Sorry!" he laughed, and once he was upside up again, asked "So what do you want to do today?"

"Aren't you supposed to tell me?" Isi wondered out loud.

"Well, really my main job is to keep you company and teach you about our 'werewolf' ways. But in practice, it very much depends on what you're interested in. Whether it be going through history books, chasing bunnies in the woods, or just sleeping through the day, I've done it all before!"

"And what's the best way to learn, according to you?" she asked, amused by the list of experiences he'd come up with.

"I like to watch shows where werewolves appear and debunk a whole lot of what's in there!"

"Then that's what we'll do!"

His smile was the one of a child at Christmas. "Really?"

They headed inside to watch some TV shows, some episode of Buffy, some of Supernatural, some of Charmed.

Then they just continued watching Charmed, both of them too eager to rewatch a show they'd loved for ever. A couple of hours in, after two characters kissed on screen, Lou let out a deep sigh.

"What is it?" Isi asked, curious to know why his mood had changed so drastically.

"I just don't think I'm a very good boyfriend... Cel has been mad at me lately for not spending enough time with her."

A pinch of annoyance as Isi's thoughts drifted to the last time Lou had mentioned his girlfriend.

He noticed and looked like he was going to apologise again, so Isi spoke first, eager to bury the feeling.

"What if you got her a nice gift? If you can't give her quality time, give her something else to let her know she's loved."

"Could do..." She could feel him hesitating. "I just don't want it to be seen like I'm buying her."

Now this, Isi could handle. She'd always been good at giving love advice.

"What is she into usually?"

"Really, what she loves is deciding things for other people."

"Like, for you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have some kind of even coming up? Maybe you could go out and buy outfits for it. If she gets to pick hers 𝘢𝘯𝘥 yours, she'll be over the moon!"

He looked at her again, a smile creeping up. She'd had a good idea, she could see it on his face.

"You're quite good at this, you know?"

[polillastoryarchive]

They fell asleep next to each other. Yet the voice that woke Isi up the next morning, way too early for her to even register the time, wasn't Rory's.

"Come on, you should already be dressed, Isidora!" It was Adelyn, wearing workout clothes. And the other side of the bed was cold.

"What do you mean dressed? Where are we going?"

"Remember what Rory said? We're on training schedule now."

"Which means?" Isi asked, her voice cracking with sleep-deprivation. She knew what it meant, she'd been told. Somehow, she hadn't expected waking up at 5am to be so hard.

Isi really was a creature of the night, had never been able to function while the sun was still on its way up. Yet, she quickly put on clothes and headed out for an early morning run with the teenager. She was grateful to Adelyn who seemed to pace herself to stay by her side the whole time.

They ran for longer than Isi had expected, the sun peaking out from behind the trees by the time they were back at the house. And Ade didn't stop at the door, continuing all the way to the bunker instead.

"Lux is waiting for you downstairs."

"Oh." Isi hesitated.

She hadn't realised Lux would be the second person she'd see in the morning. But she couldn't let herself overthink this. She wasn't scared. She couldn't afford to be. So she entered the bunker, chin high. And indeed, found Lux waiting.

"Hi. Are you warmed up enough or do you need to stretch?"

Unsure what the right answer was, Isi simply said: "I'm good."

Without another word, Lux turned around and walked through a glass paneled door, leaving it open. "Take the beanie off, it'll get in your way." They ordered, putting a yoga mat away. As she was obeying, Isi looked around.

The room was clearly a sparring space. Blood and scratches were covering pretty much all surfaces. A shelf in the back stored some towels and exercise equipment. Fear twisted Isi's stomach. How hard did they fight? How much was one allowed to hurt the other? And would Lux even respect Rory's orders?

She cleared her throat, ready to ask if anyone else was going to join them, hoping to get some backup in case things went awry. But before she'd said anything, Lux gestured for her to come closer. Then, tone neutral, said:

"We're not gonna be in contact today. You have to learn the basics first."

Isi couldn't help a relieved sigh, which seemed to make Lux smirk. She thought of asking if she could go make a coffee first, but didn't dare disturb the practice that had clearly already started, as Lux struck a pose, telling her how it would protect her from frontal attacks.

They spent over three hours learning defensive poses. Lux taught her how to block, trick someone to be off balance, stand your ground and when to give in. By the end, Isi could only think of how sweaty she was and coffee was now number two in her list of priorities. Shower would come first.

"Right. I think that'll do for today. Your sister is waiting for her turn anyway. Tomorrow, we'll start on offensives. Still no contact though, don't worry."

Isi didn't know if it was contempt or amusement painted on Lux's face, but she decided she didn't have enough energy to care either way.

She still stopped on the way out of the room though, something in her wanting to thank the wolf for their in-depth instructions, the lack of mockery and the overall patience they'd demonstrated. It was going against what Isi had known of them so far.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Why give them another occasion to sneer at her? It would probably just come off as rude to say out loud that she'd thought they'd be a bad teacher anyway. Shaking her head, she headed out, crossing paths with Idrina. The fierce look on her face instinctively made Isi feel like a proud sister.