Fifteen Mark

It wasn't exactly warm outside, but when your werewolf mate tells you that he needs to go for a walk in the woods, you listen. I didn't know much about dogs, but I knew one thing. You didn't turn down walkies.

So that's what we did. It might have been late October in the Appalachian Mountains, but that wasn't going to stop us from exploring the woods outside the academy. Besides, I was a witch. Self-warming spells were easy to weave into clothing and shoes in a matter of minutes. By the time we reached the barrier of the academy, we were already plenty warm and close to needing to shed our jackets.

"Got your ring on?" I asked, holding up my own.

"Yep," he replied, fist-bumping me.

"Good," I muttered. "The last thing I want to do is get stranded in bum-fuck nowhere with more cold weather on the way."

"It's nice out!"

"Maybe for people brought up in the worst state in the union, but us indoor city kids are used to consistent temperatures."

"Don't worry," he smiled, holding out his hand. "I'll teach you to love the woods. It's beautiful out here."

"I already like the woods." I glanced around, making sure there was nobody watching before I took his hand. "I just don't understand why it can't be heated."

"Well, good thing you're a witch then, or else today might get a little uncomfortable."

Hand in hand, we stepped through the barrier. The sensation was strange, like cold jelly wrapping around your body. Then, with a sudden pop, it was gone. When I glanced back, the academy was completely gone, and all I could see was the soft shimmering of the barrier in the sunlight. Humans wouldn't be able to see it, but our rings gave us the ability.

"Come on," Dustin urged, pulling me along into the forest. "There's a spot that I just know you're going to love."

I followed willingly, letting him lead the way. I wanted to be right up beside him, holding his hand the entire way, but it was easier if he was in the lead. There were places where we had to squeeze between trees or follow a thin game trail. It wasn't exactly a paved park path. However, I was content to catch glimpses of his muscular ass when he shifted his backpack higher on his shoulders. The man was wearing shorts too, for some ungodly reason. He was probably one of those Midwesterners who only put on jeans if it was below freezing.

The woods around us were absolutely incredible. I found myself unable to pull my attention away from them as we headed deeper into the valley. Here, the trees were still green, only the very tops of them tinged with the oranges and yellows of autumn. The scent of damp earth and leaf rot met my nose, and I breathed it in hungrily. It was such a drastic difference from what I was used to in Chicago and probably the thing I'd miss most about school after I graduated.

"Is this what home is like for you?" I asked, gesturing to the woods. "Does your pack have a big piece of land they run around on?"

"You haven't been to Ohio, have you?"

"Uh… no?"

"Well, everything north of Cincinnati is nothing but flat, wide-open farmland. And that's what my hometown looks like." He glanced back for a moment. "The pack has some land, but it's mostly farmland. During the summer it's great for running around. You can just get lost in the rows of corn for hours. But during the winter, there's only one small patch of woods in the middle, and it's not nearly as vibrant as all this." He held his arms wide, turning his head up toward the sky. "This place is magical."

"Literally, actually."

"What?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" I asked with genuine surprise. "That stone circle at the academy is a leyline conjunction. That's why we're able to teleport in and out so easily. It's like a giant magical tether."

"I had no idea." He shook his head, starting back down the trail again. "They don't teach that in my classes."

"That was the first semester for me. I'm surprised they don't tell everyone. You'd think they'd want people to know how the school worked."

"We don't talk about magic at all. Not in my classes and not at home either. It's seen as more of a mysterious danger that should be avoided at all costs."

"I mean, it can be dangerous. But if you know what you're doing, it's fine. It's not like witches go out of their way to attack people." I paused for a moment. "Honestly, most witches hardly even talk to anyone. If they're powerful, they are either studying or doing important things with privileged people. And if they're mediocre… well, they usually end up in small towns running a shop of some kind."

"And you're the powerful kind, right?"

I shook my head. "My father is. Mother is a somewhat famous seer. So yeah… I guess that's what I'll end up being."

He stopped, looking back at me. "Is that what you want?"

It took me a few seconds to answer as I tried to decide what I was comfortable revealing. However, I eventually settled on the truth. If Dustin wanted to be my mate, he needed to know what he was in for.

"I'd just like my father to know I exist," I replied solemnly. "So far, all I am is a disappointment to him."

"Fuck…" Dustin sighed, placing his hand on my shoulder. "That's rough. But I can't say it doesn't sound familiar."

"Your dad like that too?"

"Let's put it this way; he's trained me to be a pro footballer all my life. If I get into the NFL like he wants me to, he'll spend the rest of his life telling me what I should have done in the last game to be better."

"Ah." I laughed nervously. "Yeah. Sounds like our lives are less different than we thought."

"Then my mother will be bugging me every waking moment, trying to get me to settle down and have pups as soon as possible."

"I got one better," I smiled. "How about a mother who knows exactly what's going to happen every moment of everyone's lives?"

"Jesus… Does she really know all that?"

"Yep. Unless you learn to block yourself from her, which is nearly impossible unless you're a witch."

"That… sounds like a terrible existence. That takes all the fun out of life."

"I've never seen her without a drink in her hand. But she could suppress her power if she wanted to," I added. "However, she's in too high demand with clients to do that. It's not like a light switch. It would take months for her to turn it off and just as long to turn it back on. And honestly, she's gotten so used to knowing what's going to happen that I think she'd be an anxious mess if she suddenly didn't anymore."

"Being a witch sounds hard."

"Your life doesn't sound like a cakewalk either."

Dustin suddenly stopped and reached back to grab my hand. "Come look at this," he said, a smile replacing the look of weariness he'd worn the moment before. "We're here."

I allowed him to lead me forward. I found myself standing on the edge of a rocky outcropping. Below me was a sheer cliff dropping some thirty feet into a large circular gorge. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up at the cascading waterfall on the other side. The creek that fed it was small but wide enough to create a fantastic display as it crashed into a deep rocky pool below. The pool was surrounded by thick green moss, wildflowers, ferns, and all manner of lush green trees. It was like a tiny atrium in the middle of the forest, cut off from everything around it.

"Oh wow…" I muttered. "I didn't know there was a waterfall around here."

"Not many do," Dustin smiled. "It's my favorite place in the entire valley." He grabbed my hand again, pulling me along. "Come on! It's a great place to swim!"

"Swim?!" I scoffed as he pulled me around the edge of the gorge. "It's cold as hell out here! That water's gonna be freezing!"

"You're a witch, right?" he asked. "Warm it up."

Right. Just warm it up, as if that was a completely simple and logical thing for me to do. But, at the same time, he wasn't completely wrong. I could probably make the pool tolerable. It might annoy the fish for a few minutes, but the water would cool off quickly again with the creek feeding it so quickly.

Dustin led me down a spiraling path along the edge of the gorge. If not for the few times it almost gave away underneath our feet, I might've thought it was put there on purpose. However, we made it to the bottom of the gorge without injury, the pair of us sweating from the exertion. I was pleasantly surprised to find that while it was more humid at the base of the waterfall, it was also warmer. The sun streamed down into the gorge, but it was completely protected from the wind.

Taking one look at me, Dustin tossed his backpack to the side and began to strip off his clothing. I pulled off my hoodie for some relief but nothing else. Standing there in my tank top, I watched as he stripped himself down to his underwear, gave me a smirk, and then slipped those off as well. I couldn't help biting my lower lip as I watched that fat cock of his swing free.

"Goddamn, you're gorgeous," I said, looking him up and down. His skin was richly tanned, and the sunlight highlighted his muscles beautifully. I stepped up to him, running my fingers over his shoulders. "I never noticed these freckles before," I said, tracing my finger over his skin. "They're cute."

He blushed. "Thanks." Leaning close, he gave me a soft but passionate kiss before turning away. "Come on! Let's go swimming!"

"Swimming? In October?"

"Just warm up the water!"

"It's not that simple–"

But he didn't hear me. My words were cut off by the giant splash as he ran to the edge and did a cannonball into the deep pool. He came back up a moment later, gasping for air.

"FUCK! That's cold!"

"No shit, dummy," I laughed as I pulled off my shoes and rolled up my pants.

"I've got a better idea!"

Dustin clambered out of the water and ran a few feet back from the edge. He closed his eyes for a moment and rolled his shoulders back. I felt a strange surge of something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was an odd sensation. A moment later, I watched as Dustin's body shifted, his bones cracked, and black fur sprouted from his pores. Within a matter of seconds, a massive black wolf stood there, shaking out his fur. He took one look at me, gave a little yip, then ran full tilt and threw himself into the pool.

I couldn't help shaking my head. Of course he would think that having fur would keep him warmer. It was a hilarious bit of logic, even if it wasn't necessarily correct. Either way, I was entranced with his wolf form. Not only was he big, but his black fur was sleek and shiny. He paddled around the pool, kicking up water in every direction. It was adorable to see such a playful side of him. I found myself wondering if all werewolves were like this.

And it remained cute until he came barreling out of the water up to me and shook out his fur as soon as he was right next to me.

"You fucker!" I yelled, throwing up my hands to shield myself from the water.

Of course, I was soaked almost immediately. He gave a small yip, pawed me in the leg, and then took off toward the water again. Now that I was completely soaked, I figured I had no choice but to join him. I stripped off my shirt, pants, and eventually my underwear before heading to the water's edge. Dustin paddled his way over to the edge and climbed up the rocks to me. This time, he didn't shake out his fur. Instead, I watched as his body shifted again, the fur falling away.

He was still drenched when he stood up beside me, a big, goofy smile on his face.

"Ready?"

"Not yet," I replied. "Let me go in slow."

But I was already in his arms, and he was stepping into the water.

"Dustin," I said in a warning tone. "I will send one of your ears directly to hell if you throw me in this water."

He paused, a big grin pulling at his lips. "Oh no," he smiled, tilting his body to the side. "I tripped."

I didn't have time to yell at him before the cold water swallowed me up, sending a shockwave through my system.