Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Dec 12, 2007 16:13:41 GMT
"He does," Heidi agreed pleasantly. "I have a good feeling about him. I think he'll settle in quite nicely." She paused, thoughtful. "It must have taken quite a bit of courage for him to do this -- first to leave Rayne's pack, and second, to come here where he knew the reception was bound to be less than cordial, at least at first. Whatever else can be said of him, he's not lacking in bravery. That alone is likely to endear him to some of our members; I daresay his general disposition will do the rest. I really do think he'll do well with us."
She glanced across at her dreamy companion, and smiled. "So, my dear, how do you plan to spend your day?"
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Dec 30, 2007 17:13:25 GMT
(post timeskip)
The laptop was open, as usual, but the little Egyptian pyramid-builders were not in evidence. That sort of leisurely activity was reserved for full moon days. Heidi had a number of reference books open on the desk, and was making copious notes. The George Taylor project completed and on its way to the client, she had moved on to a different project of her own undertaking. Because so many people who researched their family histories hoped they would learn that they were descended from famous people or royalty, she was laboring over a massive family tree of all the European royal houses.
Genealogy software made this so much easier than it ever would have been in years past, and after Heidi had first learned to type, she had been amused to find that she could type much faster than she had ever been able to write with a pen. The program she was using was particularly helpful for this matter; it enabled one to mark entries as twins, illegitimate children, adopted children, and it even had a special indicator for when members of the same family married one another -- Queen Victoria and her husband, for instance, who had been first cousins. It was a lengthy project to be sure, but it wasn't like she didn't have a few centuries to fill. She was determined to include as much information about each individual as she possibly could, and even went so far as to entertain the notion of eventually publishing some of her research. It might be a little tricky to arrange, but her dear friend the attorney could no doubt help her with the legal aspects.
After an hour of continuous study and input, Heidi rose and stretched. The office was so quiet, but she never could get into the habit of playing music while she worked. She found it distracting on some inner level. She moved over to the window, eyeing the city thoughtfully, and one hand reached over absently to spin the nearby globe.
She was fond of her globe, the latest in a number of them; she had to replace them periodically as countries changed. Whichever was the most current model was kept in the splendid stand that Blake had carved for her a few years ago. A white marble Atlas, bent forward under his weight, supported the world on his shoulders. A hidden panel on his back allowed the globe to be affixed between his raised arms, which reached almost to Heidi's chest, and there it could spin freely.
Glancing toward the partially open door, she sniffed, trying to detect an approach. She half-wondered if anyone would interrupt her work, and half-wished someone might. Marion told her she spent too much time in solitude.
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Jan 14, 2008 14:40:43 GMT
Heidi had returned her attention to the window when she was interrupted by the tell-tale sounds of a rampaging rodent ball. Turning around, she watched the rat come careening toward her and with a laugh she bent and picked up the ball.
"Hello, Mortimer."
At that moment came the knock. "Come in, Jade; but I should warn you, if Mortimer came looking for a snack, he's in the wrong room." She chuckled, lifting her eyes to greet Jade as she entered.
|
|
Will
Pack Werewolf
Departed
Almost human, but I'll never be the same.
Posts: 85
|
Post by Will on Feb 18, 2008 0:53:23 GMT
Continued from: Hallways
"Oh, pardon me, ladies."
He came to stand in the doorway with Jade, smiling pleasantly when he regarded the younger female. She was a sweet young wolf, no matter how withdrawn she could be; Will typically found her company to be pleasant.
Of course, as soon as his gaze turned to the Beta female, it became a bit difficult to think straight. The Scottish fighter waited before he opened his mouth, lest something blurt forth without his permission, and he was glad that the smile he offered Heidi wasn't quite as lovesick as he felt. "Hedi," he greeted gently. "Am I interrupting? I can come back later."
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Feb 18, 2008 16:47:36 GMT
Will had appeared before she could respond to Jade's apologies, and she smiled a welcome to each of them in turn.
"You're fine, Jade, I promise," Heidi assured her, surrendering the rodent ball. "Mortimer's never unwelcome in here, and neither are you. Don't worry so much, all right?" She gave her another smile. "I'd give him something to eat, but I don't have anything in here for him."
To Will, she added, "And I don't think it would be possible for you to come at a bad time."
|
|
Will
Pack Werewolf
Departed
Almost human, but I'll never be the same.
Posts: 85
|
Post by Will on Feb 27, 2008 18:26:48 GMT
With an even smile and a small bow, Will moved away from the door briefly to let Jade pass with her furry companion in hand. It was with only some trepidation that he entered the Beta female's office; despite the new ties between them, Will was still quite careful not to overstep any boundaries. Mate or no, Heidi was still his superior.
Which was why it seemed to take him a bit longer than usual to greet her. "Heidi," was all he managed, with a slightly nervous cough to follow. The urge to fidget was almost too much, but Will held his ground and at least managed to smile, genuinely.
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Feb 27, 2008 19:25:30 GMT
Having bidden goodbye to Jade and Mortimer, Heidi crossed the room once they had vacated it and carefully closed the door. Will was nervous enough; at least he could say what it was he wanted to say without fear of being interrupted by someone else.
"That's better, I think." She smiled at him, the distance between them a short one now. "You look as though you have something on your mind, Will. I'm guessing you didn't only come here to petition for more chocolate cake at dinner." Her eyes twinkled.
She wondered if what he had to say was anything along the lines of what had been in her own mind recently. It was a conversation they should have had by this point, but they both had a lot of -- very different -- responsibilities in the pack, and it wasn't always easy to find time to be alone together. In fact, ever since the unexpected events of the last full moon, they hadn't been able to see each other very much at all.
Quantity did not dictate quality, however. And what time they had managed to find together had been very...high quality.
"I think you'd better say whatever it is, before you burst. You look as though you might."
|
|
Will
Pack Werewolf
Departed
Almost human, but I'll never be the same.
Posts: 85
|
Post by Will on Mar 10, 2008 17:28:01 GMT
He managed to laugh, briefly, but it was enough to release some of the tension that had built up in his body. Clearly, he was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. If there was truly anything wrong with their relationship, it would have come up; been discussed and dealt with. Everything was fine...
Apart from Will's unexplicable case of nerves.
"It's nothing, really," he assured his mate. With a lopsided smile, he stepped in to close the proximity between them completely. He chuckled to himself as he wrapped his arms loosely around Heidi's smaller form. "I'm just fumbling along, as per usual."
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Mar 12, 2008 17:33:39 GMT
"Fumble away, my dear Scot." Heidi smiled, almost playful, looping her own arms gently around him. "A visit from you is never an unwelcome interruption to anything I'm doing."
She looked up at him, her eyes hinting gold. "Now, if you did want to petition for chocolate cake at dinner, I'm willing to be persuaded. But I'm thinking this fumbling has some other purpose, so maybe we should get that out of the way first."
|
|
Will
Pack Werewolf
Departed
Almost human, but I'll never be the same.
Posts: 85
|
Post by Will on Apr 11, 2008 21:37:17 GMT
Will chuckled as he smiled down at his mate, the expression gentle and utterly affectionate. Now, this wasn't so difficult. They had dealt with their first obstacle, as it were, and had come out just fine. He was just going to ask a simple question that would, hopefully, have a simple answer.
"It's nothing serious, I assure you," he said, smiling once more. "Just...well, I was wondering if we needed to start pondering over...living arrangements."
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Apr 11, 2008 23:25:41 GMT
"Ah, is it time for 'that talk'?" Heidi asked, gently playful. She tightened her embrace just slightly. "I've been meaning to bring it up, actually, but I never could quite figure out how ot broach the subject. It's not one that either of us has ever really had occasion to discuss before," she pointed out. "Having said that...I think it would be good if we started sharing a room. Five hundred years of sleeping alone has grown pretty boring." She chuckled.
A sort of 'harrumph' sound in the back of her consciousness gave Heidi pause. Her wolf was slightly agitated. It wasn't disapproval; the wolf approved only too completely of the choice of mate. No, it was the fact that she hadn't been entirely honest with Will about her history. It was still the Deep Dark Secret of Heidi's psyche. True, of late it had begun to heal at last, thanks entirely to Will himself, but she still needed to come clean.
"If...if we're going to share quarters, Will," she began, "and make this well and truly final...then there's something I need to tell you. It's not easy to say and it probably won't be easy to hear, but you're my mate and you deserve to know about my past." She gestured for him to sit down.
|
|
Will
Pack Werewolf
Departed
Almost human, but I'll never be the same.
Posts: 85
|
Post by Will on Apr 16, 2008 21:50:05 GMT
The creature in the back of his mind perked up, sat at attention while a quiet and anxious sound issued from it. Obviously, Heidi had her secrets and he had respected that; she was his Beta, mate or no, and she deserved that respect. He hadn't tried to disect her psyche or pry into her past -- if she felt the need to share, she would. Obviously, this was one of those times.
Will nodded in reply, then, but he didn't release his mate right away. He held her close for a moment, tightening his embrace for just a fraction of a second before he kissed her forehead and finally took the seat that she had gestured to. "What is it, dear?" he prompted gently.
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on May 3, 2008 0:06:37 GMT
"I...well... it's like this," she said finally. The best way to get it out and over with was, well, to get it out and over with, so that's what she did. Taking her own seat, she began to narrate her past. Centuries had passed and given her the ability to speak of events with detachment, and her voice was somewhat passionless as she talked. For the better part of half an hour, she went on describing the situation to Will. Her husband's murder, her turning, her years of enslavement and violation.
It almost felt like she was talking about someone else, really.
"And that's...it, really. That's what I've been keeping to myself all this time. Cole knows, of course; I think Dia and Steven know at least part of it. No one else knows, except now you." She had kept her gaze on her desk while she spoke -- it helped with the detachment -- but now she lifted her eyes to his face. "You may remember that the first night we were together, I said I thought you'd healed something in me. This is what I meant. It was the first time anyone had touched me since...him...and it was the first time I was comfortable with even the idea of someone touching me like that. I...I hope this won't change things, I just...felt you deserved to know."
|
|
Will
Pack Werewolf
Departed
Almost human, but I'll never be the same.
Posts: 85
|
Post by Will on Jun 2, 2008 21:35:29 GMT
William listened. He listened intently, and as Heidi essentially gave him her life's story, Will did his best to keep his expression schooled. He wanted to snarl, rant and rave as he heard what the cruel bastard who had turned had done. It made his blood boil, and the fact that the creature was dead did little to settle to anger that threatened to overtake him. He wanted to see the monster resurrected, if only so he could make sure that animal met a slow and sticky end.
It was only after Heidi fell silent that Will realized he'd been clenching his fists. The joints were painfully tight when he finally released them, the knuckles cracking audibly. The Irish fighter forced himself to breathe slowly, evenly, and moved so he could embrace his mate.
"Never again," he finally murmured into the top of her head. "So long as I'm still living, I'll never let anyone hurt you like that again. I swear on my life."
|
|
Heidi
Rogue Werewolf
Departed
One step at a time; one hope, then another.
Posts: 300
|
Post by Heidi on Jun 22, 2008 1:14:52 GMT
In spite of herself, Heidi smiled. "I'm not worried," she murmured, letting one hand snake up into his hair. "That's just it...I feel so safe now, with the pack and with you in particular."
She tilted her head back and smiled up at him. "As long as I have you, Will, I'll be just fine. And you were worth the wait -- you were worth everything that I had to endure to reach this point. I promise."
|
|