Chapter 278

Chapter 23 – Oakley POV I had taken less than ten steps when I heard Ben shouting behind me, spinning to face him, “Bumblebee-” he shouted freely, and three others whispered the name in question, “What’s wrong?” Ben asked when he stopped in front of me, glancing over at Tera and Kiley. “Nothing – uh – Chelsea called me,” I whispered, tapping my head lying but I couldn’t explain it to him, or myself. The scent was distracting me, pulling my attention, which was normally focused and capable. He nodded slowly and I thought he was done, but in a low voice Ben said, “No one knows us here Bee, and what they do know, they know what you’ve believed all along about Mom. You didn’t have friends in Middleburg but,” he shrugged, “you can have them here you know? You don’t have to be all alone…” he whispered. Sighing I stepped closer to him, wrapping my hands around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. “See you at Chelsea’s?” he asked when we let each other go, I nodded smiling, watching him run backwards before turning I entered the umbrella of trees, not aware of what I was doing per se but I started using my senses, specifically my sense of smell, which immediately led me off the trail. Putting the ipad in the little sack I had, I began just following my nose, climbing albeit very slowly. The different animals, bird chirping loudly above me, singing a song that the trees rustling, carried down to me after a while I stopped at a fallen trunk, preventing passage easily. Sweaty and thoroughly dirty, I leaned against it, the scent of sandalwood and citrus stronger the further I continued, listening I could no long hear the river, and the sky above me that had been bright on the beach, but the canopy of trees and lush leaves hid was starting to clear. I glanced down at my feet, the thin sandals I had chosen to wear, my toes, covered in mud, but I was deterred, taking them off I held them in my hand, climbing over the large fallen stalk that graced the forest floors, persistent I trekked over large boulders, ferns cutting at my ankles until I reached a plateau. A steep edge that had been warn, the sky no longer clear and bright above me, the scent I had followed all the way here, I had climbed a mountain, hidden well, the birds around me cried heading over, and I spun to a menacing growl behind me, that stilled my movement. Unafraid, I was face to face with a large, beautiful black wolf, silky shiny coat on the tops of its back, legs muddied much like mine were I suspected and for the same reason. The wolf neared, growling, but I leaned forward sniffing, a smile gracing my face, it was at it’s strongest, which I couldn’t understand. The black wolf growled, inching towards me, standing tall, proud on the mountaintop, “Hi…” I whispered the wolf continued growling, large grey eyes, almost silver against the black coat. “Uhm… I – I’m Oakley,” I said over the growling, holding my ground, instead of stepping back. I glanced over my shoulder, the steep climb up seeming worse as I looked down upon it, I turned back to the wolf, the snarling halted but the fury in it’s eyes remained. The air cooler around me, a squaring behind the wolf catching my attention for a moment, “I – I was – you were at the beach. I followed your scent up here,” I said confused having this one-way conversation. I peered back into the cave like space, sidestepping the black wolf and the guttural snarling, flinching only twice, but I sat just at the edge, “I’m in your space I know that – I’m sorry. I just couldn’t concentrate and I kept smelling you, it was – so I came looking, took me a while since there isn’t a path or anything.” I watched the wolf, gazing into grey eyes, it tense, and me stiff, my back against the large rock. Sliding past me, it went to the entrance of its cave or maybe home, “I was on the beach with the others and my little brother. We uhm – we just got here. He – Ben – that’s my brother,” I explained, “he heard them playing on the beach and asked if we could go play. I – I didn’t want to play, I’m not very good with people my own age,” I said finally putting the sandals in my hand down, and picking at the dried mud on my feet and I noticed that the wolf was sniffing, not away but in my direction. “I’m happy the kids here are nice, they let him play right away,” I glanced back at the way I came, then peered in the opposite direction not seeing a path there either, “I guess you like to be alone huh, there aren’t any paths leading up here to your home. It’s kinda like you’re the king of this mountain, up here.” I sighed, “I’m sorry though-” I said abruptly, “I’m barging into your place aren’t I?” my lips twisted as I compared us, “I guess I was distracted I didn’t realize I was doing what Sarah did. She came in my home when I didn’t want her there and just took right over, I – I mean won’t do that though. This is probably your safe place isn’t it? I know you come down near the beach but no one really comes up here, I could smell that,” I giggled, “you’ve done a good job at making sure they stayed away too. I went in a circle lower down there, before I realized that’s what you did, throwing your scent off near the stream.” “You look soft, you’re fur,” I blurted out, it was on my mind, “You smell nice too. Like sandalwood and fruit, like oranges, no-” I shook my head, “It’s not exactly like oranges, but definitely citrusy,” I nodded to myself, just as the wolf sniffed again near me. “I bet I smell new to you though, it’s only been like two days… hmm-” I tilted my head looking at the wolf, “Are you Kieran?” I asked expecting an answer, receiving one in the form a low grunt… maybe… “It’s like I was saying before, the kids here aren’t like what I’m used too. Kiley and Tera, they sat with me on the beach, Tera said that she had a brother; Kieran and that he shifted and hasn’t changed back in a long while.” Pulling my legs up, I wrap my arms around me, placing my chin on my knee, examining the wolf, I snort. It was probably my imagination but it seemed like the wolf was curious, eyeing me. “I probably should have asked more questions; like what color wolf you were? I mean maybe there are more wolves that won’t shift back on the island and you aren’t Kieran after all,” a wave of sadness rippled from me, around me.