Chapter 14 The Morning Bloom
The dream was different this time.
There was no fear. There was no shadow chasing her. There was only sun--warm and golden on her face--and the rhythmic thud of paws on soft earth.
She was running through a meadow of knee-high grass, her body light and powerful. To her right, the large gray wolf ran with her, his tongue lolling out in a wolfish grin. He wasn't guarding her; he was racing her.
She felt a burst of pure, unadulterated joy in her chest. It was a feeling she hadn't touched in years--lightness, freedom, and the absolute certainty that she belonged right here, running side-by-side with him.
Knock. Knock.
The sound rippled through the dream like a stone dropped in water.
"Leela?"
Fennigan's voice pulled her up from the depths of sleep.
"Time to get up and get moving, Sparky. We've got a schedule to keep."
Leela groaned, stretching her arms over her head. Her body felt rested--actually rested--for the first time since she could remember. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her hair a messy halo around her head.
"Coming," she croaked, her voice raspy with sleep.
"Mom sent you some clothes." Fennigan called through the wood. "She dug around in her closet for something she thought you could wear until we get to the store. She didn't want you walking around in...well, she called them 'rags,' but I think she meant your hoodie."
Leela smiled. "You can come in."
The door handle turned, and Fennigan stepped inside, a pile of folded clothes in his arms.
"So, I think these might be a liitle big, but they're better than--"
He stopped dead in his tracks. The clothes almost slipped from is hands.
"Wow," Fennigan breathed.
Leela blinked, confused by his expression. He wasn't looking at her; he was looking at the bed she was sitting in.
She looked down.
"Oh," she whispered.
The rough pine logs that made up the four poster bed weren't just wood anymore. Over the course of the night, fueled by her happy dreams, the bed had come alive as she slept.
Thick green vines had spiraled up the four corner posts, weaving intricate patterns into the wood. They stretched across the canopy frame, creating a living roof of leaves above her head.
And the flowers.
It was an explosion of color. Vibrant red roses, delicate white lillies and sprays of pink wildflowers were blooming directly out of the wood. The headboard was tapestry petals . Leela was literally sitting in a garden.
"I did it again, didn't I?" she asked looking at him with a grin on her face.
"I'm guessing you dreamed happily," he said, looking at her with a soft amazed smile. "Didn't you?"
"I was running with you," Leela admitted, pulling her knees to her chest. "It was ...really nice."
Fennigan gave her a huge smile.
Leela grabbed her pillow and launched it at him.
"Get out," she laughed. "Let me change before I turn this room into a jungle."
Fennigan caught the pillow easily with one hand, grinning. He set it back down on the bed.
He placed the stack of clothes Elana had sent for her to wear--a pair of black leggings and a thick, oatmeal-colored cable knit sweater--on the bench.
He placed a kiss on her top of sleep tossseled hair.
"Get ready, my dear," he whispered against her temple.
He pulled back, his amber eyes warm and promising.
"Time to face the breakfast table. And trust me--if you thought dinner was intense, you haven't seen this family around bacon and pancakes."
He walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the knob.
"I'll be waiting in the hall. Don't take too long, or Jax will eat your share of the pancakes. He has no honor.
With a wink, he slipped out, closing the door behind him.
Leela sat there for a moment in her garden room, touching the spot on her head where he had kissed her. The vines and flowers seemed to glow around her.
She scrambled out of bed. She washed up quickly in the adjoiniing bathroom, then pulled on the clothes. The leggings were high quality and stretchy, fitting perfectly. The sweater was oversized and cozy, swallowing her hands just like Fennigans hoodie had, but it felt like armor. Soft, warm armor.
She looked in the mirror. She looked rested. She looked clean. She looked....happy.
"Okay," Leela told her reflection. "It's just breakfast. You can do this." She shook her head. "It's a family of werewolves, Leela. They could kill you." Buf she wasn't scared. She was nervous, but not scared.
She opened the door. Fennigan was leaning against the wall opposite, scrolling on his phone. He looked up immediately, his eyes lighting up as he took in her appearance.
"Much better," he nodded in approval. "You look less like a fugitive and more like a Blackwood."
He offered his arm.
"Shall we?"
"Lead the way," Leela smiled, taking his arm. "I think I'm ready for round two."
"Good," Fennigan chuckled, leading her toward the stairs. "Because I smell cinnamon rolls. And for those, I will fight all of you for them."
"Maybe, I'll fight you for them," Leela countered, lifting her chin with a newfound playfullness.
Fennigan stopped on the landing, looking down at her. His amber eyes didn't just gleam; they danced with delight. He looked at her like she was the most fascinating puzzle he had ever solved.
"Is that a threat, Sparky?" he teased, his voice dropping low.
"It's not a threat, it's a promise," she grinned. "I'm hungry."
Fennigan laughed--a warm, rich sound that vibrated through the arm she was holding. "Challenge accepted. But fair warning: I bite." He winked at her.
Leela smiled, squeezing his arm as they continued down the staircase.