Splendour In The Grass Ch. 01

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first story (long time reader, first time poster) and I intend to make it at least a few chapters long. Forgive me that there's no sex in this chapter, but there definitely will be in the future. I would really, really appreciate feedback, positive or negative, and that may determine how fast I post future chapters. Thank you for reading and enjoy!

*

The sun had long disappeared below the horizon before the girl noticed how late it was. She was suddenly alone amidst the sea of study tables, the sixth floor of the library now empty after the mass exodus that had occurred a few hours earlier. The fact that it was Saturday night had probably had something to do with the patrons slowly filing out until only she remained. She sighed slightly before snapping out of her thoughts and gathering the possessions that she had strewn across the table during her day spent camped out there.

The silence in the stacks was broken by her actions, a reminder of her absolute solitude. She supposed that there were librarians somewhere, patiently filing away the documents disturbed by kids eager to finish their papers. However they weren't anywhere near her now, lending a sinister air to the room which she rarely felt. The large room, with its walls lined by shelves filled with books, was usually a place of comfort to her. It was at once a haven from the outside world and a gateway to a connection with those she admired most: the brilliant minds whose words had inspired her all of her life. She sighed again, this time due to fatigue, and packed the remainder of her things into her bag. Her mind was starting to wander after having been in the same place for so long.

As she walked toward the exit the heels of her boots were the only sound echoing against the walls. She neared the exit and nudged the door open, slipping into the stairwell.

She walked down to the first floor and out of the building, nodding goodbye to the few faces that she encountered before she stepped into the cool evening air. The streetlamps were not yet all illuminated. Their floods of circular light peppered the sidewalk before her like stones in a stream, encouraging her to leap from one to the other so that she could cross the river of darkness and return to her cozy apartment. She was eager to crawl into bed and relax... with a book, of course.

As she progressed along the few blocks past the library, she neared the small pathway toward her complex. She wouldn't have stayed at the library so late if it weren't so close to her home. The ten minute walk was usually convenient, but at night... she shivered, pulling the light sweater that she wore closer to her body. She prepared to pass through the treed pathway, reminding herself that there was nothing to be afraid of, that this was only a patch of trees in an otherwise safe, urban environment. Regardless, she quickened her footsteps as the night thickened.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she felt a dead stillness settle around her. It was as though, for the moment, life had ceased in the small wood: no movement stirred the air, and little light penetrated the thick covering of trees overhead. The girl felt a sense of dread and realised that something awful was about to happen around her. She could feel it as though it were part of her own body. She felt that somewhere near her, death was present. The feeling intensified and she looked behind her, sure that she had sensed someone's presence in her immediate vicinity. She felt silly as she realised that no one was there, and scolded herself for being so skittish before turning back to the direction in which she was headed. When her building appeared beyond the trees, she unconsciously quickened her pace to a light jog until she was safely within reach of its doors.

Her return to civilisation after the brief encounter with the wilderness soothed her. I can't believe I fell for that, she thought. I felt like I was six years old again, afraid of the darkness in my basement. She hurried up the stairs and into her apartment, confident that there was nothing to be afraid of. She prepared to retire to bed, walking slowly through the dark rooms in her home, proving to herself that she was safe. That didn't stop her from making sure that the door was locked before she went to sleep.

--------------------------------

She woke the next morning with an uneasiness about her that she couldn't identify. Nevertheless, she went on with her morning routine, drawing solace from the common practices. She was a creature of habit, this much she had to admit. Maybe I'm too boring. The thought ran through her mind as she cooked herself an omelette, her favourite and only breakfast. With few friends and little excitement in her life, she often felt as though she were missing out on whatever it was that made life so grand for everyone else. She shrugged it off after little deliberation. What made life worth living for her were the things that she was passionate about: her studies. She thought back to something that John Cusack's character had said in High Fidelity: "It's what you like, not what you're like." While she would never consider it fair to judge someone's personality based on their tastes, she did consider it true in her case, if only because her tastes were all that she had.

She had immersed herself in literature in her teenage years when there was so little else in the world that had interested her. The adolescent ennui that she had felt was not reflected in her peers, and they seemed to prefer to attempt to meld their bodies together in every waking moment, a desire which she did not share. Instead, her best friends became characters like Hamlet, whose existential pondering gave her hope that somewhere out there were people to whom she could relate.

She sighed lightly. Friends were not her strong point. Instead, she had spent the past few years of her life studying toward a degree in English literature. She was now on the cusp of graduation and had no social experiences to show for it except for being a habitual patron of her University's library and maintaining a lowly part-time job in a local grocery store.

Her mind continued to reflect as she slid the now finished omelette onto a plate she had prepared on the counter. Twenty years old and I've never been to a club. No family, no friends... definitely no boyfriend. Not even any sexual experiences. God, I'm a twenty year old virgin. She took a bite of her omelette as she let the last realisation sink in. Rather than feeling regret, she felt indifference to the fact that she had long ago accepted. A relationship was simply not something that was going to be part of her life. She finished her breakfast and cleaned her plate, catching her reflection in the window above her kitchen sink and frowned. She wasn't unattractive, or at least she didn't think she was. She was confident with her body and didn't care very much about what others thought of her appearance, but that didn't mean that she didn't maintain a reasonable level of hygiene and grooming. Despite her shy nature and aloofness, there had been men who had tried to flirt with her and make advances. She simply did not return their affections.

Sometimes she thought that she was simply asexual, and that she didn't have the ability to feel lust or physical desire for another person. However, lately... lately that had changed. She thought of the episodes she had been having and shivered, vividly recalling their intensity. Each would last a few days. A few days of pure, unstoppable sexual frustration. It was not aimed at anyone in particular, or at least she didn't think that it was. In fact, during these times she was plagued with the feeling that there was only one way to relieve it and that whatever it was was not available to her. She blushed. Not that I don't try to relieve it anyway, she thought. A few days of locking herself in her apartment and lending pleasure to her body were all that these periods would allow. She couldn't work, she couldn't focus on any task, she could barely eat or sleep. And masturbation seemed to simply exacerbate her arousal, although it was all that she had. During these days she was filled with a very specific need, a desire to be...

To be what? she thought. To be fucked mercilessly until I collapse due to pleasure? She knew that even this did not do justice to the strength of her desire. She tilted her head back, stretching her neck out as she had unknowingly tensed her body while reliving the feeling. She had to get ready for work anyway. She stood, sighing again. Dwelling on it would do her no good.

--------------------------------

She hummed happily on her way back home after her shift. It had been a good day. Everyone in the store had been pleasant, and the sun shone brightly on her as she walked outside into the afternoon air. She almost wished that the grocery store were further from her apartment to give her an excuse to stay outside. It seems I hardly ever get more than a few blocks away from home anyway, she thought. As she prepared to pass once again through the small wooded area that led her home, she wondered why it had struck such fear in her last night. Probably just exhaustion, she reasoned. Her feet treaded lightly on the dirt path as she felt comfort within the trees, a far cry from yesterday's response to the area. She took in the foliage; the greens of the trees and the purples and yellows of the small flowers that dotted the ground along with the sparse grass. She breathed deeply, inhaling the fresh air, so different from the smoggy odour of the city. So untainted, so clean, so... rancid? she questioned, baffled as the stench of what she instinctually knew was rotting flesh assaulted her nostrils. She couldn't help herself, she had to investigate. What could be so close to me that smells so horrid?

She turned to her left, peering through the trees to where they thickened in the distance. Her feet led her through them, crunching on the soft shrubbery and dusty ground. Branches from the younger trees brushed her shoulders lightly, caressing her arms in welcome. She felt safe here, and almost forgot that her original intent had been to locate the foul smell. In her curiosity she failed to realise that she had been walking for more than ten minutes. She stopped suddenly, taking in her surroundings. How did I get here? I had no idea these trees were so thick and went on for so long. She was lost but felt comfortable that she was in no harm. She couldn't explain her absolute conviction that this was where she wanted to be, where she was supposed to be. As she once again sniffed the air, she located the smell of meat. It was stronger here, but smelled less rotten, and more... more what?

More appetising, she thought, and immediately shook her head and snorted in disgust. What am I thinking? It smells like raw meat. Definitely not something that I want to eat. However, she followed the scent, walking once again through the trees until they thinned, revealing a small clearing. She immediately halted in her tracks when she saw what lay at the center. A beautiful deer, its huge brown eyes staring straight at her, lay slaughtered on the ground, its insides torn apart. She was struck with grief for this poor animal: its life had been ripped from it, and obviously in a painful fashion. The aroma of its body hit her and she reeled, gasping for air. She needed relief from the smell, but couldn't tell whether she wanted to run or... to feast. Her mind finished the thought and she rejected it immediately. I do NOT want to eat this deer carcass. That's bloody ridiculous! And sickening to boot. Stifling the thought, she walked toward the deer, wanting to comfort it in some way, although her rational mind knew that it was beyond help. She kneeled before it and placed a hand on its soft neck. It was still warm and she felt tears brim her eyes as she turned away, intense sadness washing over her. Her eyes lifted toward the sun that was visible in the clearing, but were halted by what she saw as her body froze in fright.

The largest wolf that she had ever seen (the only wolf that she had ever seen, actually, although it definitely looked larger than those she had seen on nature programs) was standing at the treeline less than ten metres away, stock still, its eyes locked with hers. They glowed despite the bright sunlight and contrasted its dark brown fur, so dark that it was almost black. Its mouth opened slightly and the first sound that she had heard it make escaped its jaws: a low, menacing growl. Her fear almost overcame her and she racked her mind for what to do in case of a wolf attack: Play dead? No, that's for bears. Puff up? No, that's... mountain lions? When was she ever going to see a mountain lion? She quit considering the best method of defence and decided that her only option was to run. She slowly, so slowly, rose slightly out of her kneeling position and heard the wolf growl again, this time louder. She froze, and considered that maybe the sound was not meant in warning but in some kind of challenge. It probably thinks I want the deer! I bet it killed it and now it thinks I'm moving in on its dinner! she realised in fright. Shit! Why did I have to come out here anyway? She again moved to back off, but this time saw it step closer as she did so. Dread settled upon her. There's no way that I'm going to be able to outrun a freaking wolf, especially not this one. It continued to move toward her and she shut her eyes in fear, knowing as she did so that the approaching predator would probably be the last thing that she ever saw before it tore her to shreds.

--------------------------------

Jonah had returned to claim his hunt in the afternoon after killing it, confident that there were no other wolves in this part of the city who would dare try to take it from him. He had marked it liberally with his scent before leaving it the night before, and anyone foolish enough to try to steal a deer that reeked with the scent of a Beta of the Murphy pack was asking for trouble. As he approached it, however, he noticed the young girl kneeling beside it. She didn't seem intent on claiming it for herself, though, and rather seemed to be empathising with the dead animal in the way that so many bleeding heart humans often did. He sighed inwardly. He could scare her away, sure, but now he wouldn't be able to hunt here again. There was no way a frightened girl wasn't going to report a wolf sighting, for God's sake. He supposed that it was his fault for not hunting before they had left the compound. It was assumed that he would have, and a place to hunt was not accounted for when a group of high-ranking weres went on a diplomatic trip to the city. He reminded himself to punish the Omega who had planned this trip for their lack of foresight.

But back to the matter at hand, Jonah thought as he approached the edge of the clearing, making himself visible to her. As she turned away from the deer, she noticed him and froze. He didn't respond, wondering what she would do. Humans could often be a source of entertainment, especially when considering their various reactions to seeing a wolf right in front of their eyes. Being a Beta, Jonah knew that he was big, and although he could smell her fear, she didn't scream or run away. She simply stared. He could tell that she was thinking, and wondered what she would come up with. She finally started to get up, taking her time. She seemed less afraid now, as though she thought that he wouldn't move to attack her. Foolish assumption, as I could easily do just that. Jonah watched the creature calmly try to move away but as the smell of her fear dissipated, another scent revealed itself. He growled as he realised what it was. She smelled like a werewolf, but he couldn't scent another pack on her. There's no way that this girl's human, so what's she playing at? Can she not smell who I am? Why doesn't she just shift if she wants to challenge me for the deer? She seemed to have heard his growl and she froze again. He moved forward, intent on figuring out what in the hell was going on. He noticed that she shut her eyes tightly and seemed to refuse to acknowledge his presence. If this girl's trying to frustrate the hell out of me, she's doing a damn good job, he huffed to himself in his head.

He was almost in front of her now, and was about to shift and ask her what her damn problem was when she fell to a crumpled mass on the ground. She had fainted.

Jonah growled angrily. Great. He knew that he could take the deer and enjoy it somewhere else, but he needed to know for the safety of the pack what an unidentified were was doing out here, and why she was acting so strangely at that. He shifted finally and sighed, throwing her over his shoulder, beginning the walk back to the group.