Arrow Inferno
Chapter 12: Stanley ‘STAN’ Norris vs. Ian ‘WILL’ Williams ~ Danger and charm… Shaken!

***

Will didn't even notice when he leaned into the wolf. The wolf did though and gave a little purr of contentment. He listened to his mate talk about his mother's illness, how close he was with his mother and sister, the pranks he used to play on his sister when they were kids. He'd laugh as he talked about some of the pranks. He talked briefly about his father and how they all missed him. The wolf didn't think Will even noticed when his fingers began to stroke his fur. His mate must really love wolves, he thought with an inner thrill. He was loving every minute of the one-sided conversation until his human growled at him again to let Will go.

'Why? You spend all the time with him. I don't get to have him to myself.' The wolf snapped.

'He needs to go back and eat.' It was obvious that Stan was trying to curb his anger. 'Please.' 'He hasn't said he's hungry.' The wolf protested.

'And you expect him to tell you, why?' Stan retorted. 'So that you feed him a squirrel?'

'Alright, jeez calm down.' The wolf stood, careful not to let Will who was leaning against him fall.

It was only when Will's hands fell from around the wolf that he realized he'd been cuddling the beast. He got on his knees and watched the wolf. Surprisingly he wasn't as afraid of the animal as he'd been when he first saw him.

Will watched as the wolf walked gracefully to where his holster lay and picked it up in his mouth. Then it walked back to where he knelt and dropped it in front of him. Then with a final lick, the wolf turned around and ran off. For some seconds, Will didn't move. Had that wolf just...

"I'll be damned..." He breathed, grabbing his holster. Then he was up and running with just one thought on his mind: Get to camp and check whether Stan was back from his run. If not, organize a search party for a breathing Stan or his mauled body and a very fine wolf.

Will ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

***

No matter how fast Will could run, however, he was no match for a werewolf's speed. Stan reached their suite and took a shower before Will got back to the camp. Just as he finished pulling on sweatpants and a t-shirt, he heard the main door burst open. Then he heard Will scream his name. With his fingers combing back his wet hair, Stan left his room and went to meet his mate.

"Thank God," Will gasped when he saw Stan. He was so relieved he fell to his knees, panting harshly.

"You alright?" Stan asked, looking down at Will.

"You're not going to believe what I've been through in that jungle. Hell, I don't believe it myself."

"Try me." Stan folded his arms across his chest and looked at his mate. He was so ready for the story.

"I saw a wolf, Stan." Will breathed, getting to his feet shakily. "A fucking wolf. In Achiase jungle. They're not even supposed to have wolves here." He pointed a shaky finger at nothing.

"Is that so?" Stan's face was blank.

"You don't believe me." It wasn't a question.

"I didn't say that."

"I saw it. It attacked me. Wanted to bite me. But it...stopped." Will looked surprised all over again.

"Really? I'm sure it must have realized you're a...kin or friend?" Stan grinned.

"Wolves don't make friends with humans. They kill us." Will breathed.

"And yet you're alive to tell the story. They're not that wicked obviously."

"You have no idea what I've been through. You were not there." He moved closer to Stan with each statement. "You didn't see the intent in those eyes. You didn't hear and see those huge teeth snapping, ready to bite me. You saw nothing." His voice had raised.

"Hey, calm down." Stan's hands fell by his sides as his brow furrowed with concern. Will was actually shaking.

"Don't tell me to calm down. Have you ever come face to face with a wolf before?"

"Well, I..."

"I didn't think so." Will cut him off. "You haven't. So when I'm talking about my brush with death, shut the fuck up!"

Without a word, Stan enveloped Will in an embrace. The soldier was shaking so hard he was beginning to get worried. Will didn't even attempt to struggle out of his embrace...he simply stood there and allowed himself to be hugged. "Shhh... you're safe now," Stan murmured soothingly. He had to suppress the urge to growl when his wolf snapped, he was never in any danger for fuck's sake.

Stan held Will tighter, wishing that encounter with his wolf hadn't happened. Again he began to wonder what Will had been doing in the jungle in the first place. He'd wanted to ask him that in the jungle but they weren't exactly speaking the same lingo. Will usually went for his runs in the mornings and not at that time. Had he been following him? When Stan felt Will trying to move away from him, he allowed him and watched as he moved back till he was leaning against his door. "What were you doing in the jungle at that time?" Stan asked quietly.

"Looking for you." Will's voice was barely above a whisper.

"What for?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I... I don't know... Nothing." And he looked like he really didn't know what he wanted to talk to him about too. That left Stan confused.

"You just said you wanted to talk to me, Will."

"I know." He took in a deep breath. "I just wanted us to talk. About nothing and everything, you know..."

"I see." So his mate just wanted to chat with him. "Hungry?"

"No." Will rubbed his forehead with the heel of his palm. "I have a headache." He whispered.

Stan went closer and reached out to gently move Will's rubbing hand out of the way. Then he placed the pads of his thumbs on each of Will's temples and began to rub gently. As he did that, he searched Will's gaze with his own. Apart from the fact that he loved looking into those lovely eyes, he wanted to know whether he was causing him any pain.

"Just relax." He breathed.