Arrow Inferno
Chapter 10: Stanley ‘STAN’ Norris vs. Ian ‘WILL’ Williams ~ Danger and charm… The beast!

***

"I'm sure if not for the fact that he already has his eye on someone else, you two would have been perfect for each other," Will said softly. "I'm sorry." "Don't be." Rosanne chuckled. "It was obvious he wasn't interested in me."

"Really?"

"Uhuh." She nodded with an amused smile. "Our conversations are always about other things rather than us. He was an expert in steering our talks away from us. Hell, we talk more about you than even me." She laughed. "I didn't know that."

"He's a lovely person and I'm happy I got to know him. Some people are actually better to have as friends."

"That's true." Will nodded, relieved that Rosanne was taking it so well. "Where's he by the way?" He glanced around. They'd finished their training early as was usually done on Fridays. It was to enable the recruits relax and have some proper Friday night fun. It wasn't time for Stan's run so Will was expecting to see him around.

"He's already left for his run I think," Rosanne said.

"But it's only four p. m." He glanced at the Fitbit watch on his wrist.

Rosanne chuckled. "He's addicted to his runs. Does he seem a little distracted to you?" She frowned.

"I haven't noticed. Is he?"

"Uhuh. He doesn't seem his usual self."

Will tried to recall whether he'd noticed any such thing but couldn't recall anything past the hold those eyes had on him. "I need to talk to him anyway." He stood and signaled to one of the soldiers to bring him a pistol. "At least it's not night this time. Let me try and catch up with him."

"I'll arrange for your supper to be taken to the suite if you're not back by then." Rosanne stood too.

"Thanks, Jones. I'll call you when we get back." He fixed the cute holster the soldier brought him into his belt loops and slid in his Beretta PX4 Storm. "Thanks, buddy." He gave the soldier a pat on the shoulder and took off. "Don't stay out there for too long," Rosanne called after him. "Roger that."

Will thought running with Stan would be a good time to get to know the man. Due to their long schedules and Stan's long runs, he hadn't gotten the chance to have a good chat with him as he'd planned. The few times they talked, Stan always managed to either make him laugh uncontrollably or quiver within at the intensity of his gaze. It always blew his mind. He would usually feel eyes on him during training or group discussions and look his way only to find those intense blue eyes on him. He would, with great effort, manage to tear his eyes off Stan's and glance around to check whether anyone had noticed them. So far no one had taken notice of their eye locks to his relief.

There was something about the way the man gazed at him that always succeeded in making him lose his bearings. Those looks conveyed a raw unrelenting force of will mixed with a semblance of helplessness and such heat it sometimes left him...breathless. But rather than avoid Stan's captivating stares, Will was rather drawn to it which surprised and scared him. He knew he had to sit Stan down and ask him what all that was about but he wasn't doing that because subconsciously, he didn't want to give voice to it and cause it to cease.

Just the day before, he'd caught Stan's eyes on him whilst he smiled at something Rosanne had said. And he'd stupidly asked without thinking, "This affliction...have you always had it?"

"Which one?" Stan hadn't stopped staring, his posture relaxed and confident.

"Your obsession with dimples."

"He's obsessed with dimples?" Rosanne had asked with amusement.

"Just his." Stan had answered smoothly, shocking Will. Didn't he care at all that Rosanne was sitting right there Will thought. "I think they're damn sexy when he smiles like that, don't you think?" The question had been directed at Rosanne but those piercing blue eyes had remained on him.

"I agree." Rosanne had laughed. "They are hella sexy. And he knows it too." She'd added teasingly.

"See? It is what it is." That deep raspy voice held an almost seductive tilt that had made a strong soldier such as himself get flutters in his stomach.

He'd drawn in a slow and shaky breath and quickly left the table to their loud laughter, flipping them off as he went.

Stan had mastered the art of tying up his insides in knots with mere looks and utterances to his shocked annoyance. He wasn't a teenage girl for fuck's sake. He was beginning to get very worried because his thoughts were heading in a dangerous direction. To reassure himself that he had nothing to worry about, he'd resorted to spending all his evenings with Akua. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do...right?

Will was so lost in thought that he didn't notice how deep into the jungle he'd run. He heard the frightening growl right beside him but before he could pull out his pistol, he felt something furry and heavy smash into him.

"Oh fuck!" He breathed as he was slammed onto his back and pinned to the ground. He looked up at the huge growling brown wolf with big snapping teeth standing over him and saw his life flash before his eyes. "This is not happening," Will whispered to himself, careful not to make any sudden movements. "Not like this, God. Please..." He hoped his whispered prayer would be answered.

Getting killed by an animal was definitely not how he wished to go. He wasn't even going to get the chance to fight for his life from his current position. Will couldn't believe of all the animals on the planet it was a wolf that was going to send him into the afterlife. A wolf! The irony. And when did wolves start showing up in the Achiase jungle?

He tried to remember what he'd been taught in the face of such danger. Wolves were in the dog family so he had to treat the beast pinning him down like how he would treat an aggressive dog. The first rule was to cease movement. Well, from his current position, he had nowhere to go. One rule that made Will wish he could strangle his instructor was the one that said he must look angry and bold and not show the animal that he was terrified. How the fuck was he supposed to manage that when he was looking at those huge murderous teeth. If ghosts were real, his was going to haunt that silly instructor for two straight weeks after the beast standing over him finished making minced meat out of him! "Let it be a dream please." He muttered.

But Will knew it wasn't a dream.

His end had come!

***

Stan's wolf stared down at his mate and couldn't curb the excitement that coursed through him. As a beast, his first instinct upon seeing his mate was to turn him and give him his mark. When he smelt him in the jungle, he'd been pleasantly surprised and just knew it was time to make him his. He'd been patient enough. In fact, for a warrior wolf, that kind of patience deserved an award. He'd had to endure his silly human's stupid restraint. He needed his mate by his side, running by him. And his mate coming to him meant just one thing... Luna had given her blessing.

The wolf heard his human struggling within, telling him not to touch his mate, pleading that it wasn't the right time. But he pushed that voice aside. He wasn't ready to listen to that wuss of a human. The wolf just couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his human was hurting so much from constantly smelling someone else on their mate and still hadn't had the balls to turn him and put an end to that heartache. How dare that idiot tell him it wasn't the right time, the wolf fumed. There was no better time than that very moment!

The huge wolf threw his head back and let out a loud howl in thanks to the goddess. Then that mighty head dropped down towards his mate with teeth bared, ready for business.