adjective ~ arousing one's curiosity or interest

POLLUX

Charlie was going to lose it.

I could feel his nerves growing. It made me uncomfortable; the emotion becoming so strong that it felt like my own.

Why did he feel nervous? Was it the twins?

I cocked my head, narrowing my eyes as I studied him. He was hardly nervous.

He was often elated when around others, or sad and longing when he would look at Calida. I could practically feel his wolf in his soul crying out for the bond. The closer I grew to Charlie, the more I understood his mind. His mate was harder to read; her mind often closed off. I wasn't sure how she had such a sturdy lock down on her emotions, but she was almost impenetrable.

Leaning back on the sofa, I crossed my leg over my knee and tried to act like I wasn't tuning into his mind.

Emotions were like a haze, and instead of seeing auras or colours, I felt the emotion like it was my own. I spent a lot of my life growing up pushing it away, confused why I felt so many emotions. It made it easier to play with Raven, but when she was angry and I was just a small child, it made me angry, too. It caused for a lot of arguments.

But now, I could feel the warmth of Charlie's anxiety swirling in my throat. My temple always ached when I focused my mind and even now, the dull ache pulled me toward him.

"Are you okay?" I wondered softly.

His brown eyes darted to me, a brief flicker of shock before he smoothed it over with a lazy smile and a joke.

"No, I'm Charlie."

Rolling my eyes, I shifted my gaze back to the arm of the sofa I leaned against. I saw him shift from the other end of the sofa, nervously wringing his hands.

Charlie was a complicated individual, and it was no wonder it drew me to his mind. I liked the complicated and the confusing.

When I realised I could go anywhere, and be anything I wanted to be, I left my childhood home. Gaia gave me full support. The woman never restricted me as an adult. So, at seventeen years old, with a freshly developed wolf and mouldable mind, I left.

I went to many human villages, trying to blend in, and found that I did, successfully. I even made some people that were close to me, and honestly thought I would stay there for the rest of my life...

***

FOUR YEARS AGO

My eighteenth birthday, a day of adulthood and independence, and here I was, in a café.

Not exactly the wildest of birthdays.

The past year has been wild enough. I have spent most of it travelling. I never stayed in one place for more than a week.

Today was day three of this place, and I was in a small town called Arleybay. It was a seaside village around three hundred miles east of where I grew up. Its name came from its often over-population of rabbits in the spring-time, its meadows plentiful of the little furry creatures.

I had stumbled here out of curiosity. When I first went travelling, it was to explore, but the longer I spent out of here alone, the more I found I seemed to look for something. I wasn't sure what it was, but it drew me to keep moving. That's why I never stayed so long. Nothing piqued my curiosity.

My mind, often full of thoughts, was clear today. Mostly when I found a village I liked, I would sleep in the forest in my beast form and wash in a stream. This village had no dense trees, which meant I had to stay in an inn. The local people were friendly and so far, I have met no creature other than human, which was nice. They were simple creatures.

It was a chilly March evening as I entered a café over-looking the bay and ocean. There was only one person before me, a tall male who seemed to not feel the cold in his shorts and t-shirt. I stared blankly at the back of his shoulders, patiently waiting for him to take his coffee.

Finally, he took a step forward, taking his coffee and turning without another word. The human at the till had already turned around to mutter to a colleague.

"I cannot wait for this day to be over. The last hour always drags like hell." They muttered, crossing their arms.

The long-haired co-worker snorted, busy cleaning a coffee pipe with a cloth. "I know right, who drinks coffee in a café at five o'clock anyway?"

I cleared my throat, causing the two to jump. "That would be someone like me."

The person behind the till turned around, a light flush to their cheeks. "I am so sorry. I didn't see you there."

I shrugged indifferently. The other customer had been a large male, and it hid my slighter form, so I didn't blame the oversight.

"What can I get you?" They smiled softly.

I stepped up to the counter, eying the menu once more. "I'll take a regular cappuccino with a shot of caramel."

Their eyes ran along the length of me as they spoke. "Sure, we also have honey, maple, butterscotch..."

"Just caramel." I smiled tightly.

They nodded, flushing again before writing it through the till and reciting off my price. I paid with the credit card that Gaia took care of for me. Her endless source of money had always been a curiosity of mine, but I ignored it.

"I can bring it to your table," they muttered.

Thanking them, I nodded, turning to leave.

I chose a window seat overlooking the bay better. There was the rich aroma of coffee and leftover cake and sweet breads coming from nearby and I sighed softly, inhaling the scent.

The water was calm today, but dark and murky. It was only the first of March, so there was plenty of time left for spring to make its comeback. I didn't like the cold, my body not adjusting well to the temperature as well as normal werewolves did. I suppose that's what comes with being an original blood line, you couldn't be that amazing in Goddess Luna's mind.

After only three days here, I found the town charming. People were kind but left you alone. Nobody was in your business, but everyone was curious. I tried to avoid the stares and the strange feelings I was noticing. I really did.

It wasn't normal to feel emotions. I wasn't a witch, so why did I feel these strange things?

I didn't help that I enjoyed their curiosity a little too much.

"Hi," a soft voice interrupted my thoughts. "I wasn't sure if you wanted a biscuit with it, but they come with every coffee so..."

I spun, facing the till clerk once more. I took in the soft features of their face. Round, dimpled cheeks that were rosy red from how hard they blushed. Their hair was short and choppy in a pixie-like cut, a soft, light brown like demerara sugar. Bright brown eyes blinked through large round glasses, and a faint dotting of freckles coated their nose.

I wondered if they got darker in the sunshine...

Something swirled in my gut and pulled me into the strange human.

My nostrils flared, taking in the sweet scent of caramel and coffee. They smelt feminine, but their appearance caused me to hesitate. Blue dungarees, a yellow jumper that was rolled to the elbows and large black doc-martins on their feet.

"Thank you..." I murmured, leaning back to allow them to place my coffee down.

"No problem," they squeaked.

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering what had them so flustered. I tried hard no concentrate on emotions, tried to block that part of myself away, but this person was... interesting. A strange attraction drew me to them, and my lips quirked in the corner of my mouth.

"Is having coffee at this time of day a strange thing?" I mused as they stepped back.

They seemed to choke, shaking their head. "No-no! It's great! Coffee is great! It's just... bed time."

"You sleep at five o'clock?" I bit back a smile.

Flustered still, their hands waved at their face, shaking their head. They were cute, and I found my lips peeling back into a larger smile.

"No-I just, coffee is usually a morning drink." They exhaled.

"Is it?" I cocked my head. "Does that mean orange juice is too? What about milk? Is that a night time drink?"

The human was flustered, and I couldn't help but laugh at their defeated expression.

"I am just teasing you." I chuckled and their shoulders sagged. "What time do you close?"

"Half five," they answered, scratching the back of their neck. "Is there anything else I can get you? Perhaps a cookie since it is night-time?"

I grinned, unable to stop the laugh that fell from my lips. Raising my coffee, I nodded my head in defeat.

"Touché..." I drawled.

"Clover."

"Nice to meet you, Clover. I have met no one named after that plant," I mused. "Are you lucky?"

"Not as lucky as I'd like." They smiled, flustered. "And you?"

"Pollux." I leaned back in the armchair.

"Now I have never heard that name before." They wrung their hands together.

Shrugging, I sipped at my coffee. "It's a unique name, I know."

"Named after the Gemini constellation." They hesitated. "Do you have a twin?"

"Not unless they have been in hiding all of my life." I laughed.

"Are you even a Gemini?" They teased, and I felt elated that they could bite back a little.

"I am not." I shook my head. "In fact, my birthday is today."

"Ah, so a Pisces." They nodded.

"You know your astrology."

I watched the blush erupt on their cheeks again. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you."

I laughed, shaking my head. "It's okay, it's refreshing, Clover."

Their blush deepened. "I'm going to go back to work."

I didn't get to speak again, their short frame turning and running away. I watched as they left, even as they turned around and ran behind the counter out of sight.

It amused me. Humans were so funny. They were so easy to fall for wolf antics, and this one was especially flustered. I found myself attracted to them. Something about their quirky appearance had me intrigued. I was leaving in four days, so I may just have to visit here again tomorrow just to pique my interest.

This human may just be worth it.

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