SPRING

Sansa was stopped by the hand at the doorway.

She looked up to see Brock holding his arm out, a teasing expression on his face.

"Going to the lake again?"

She scowled at him, her face trying and failing to hide its displeasure of his sudden appearance.

"Yes. Move please."

The hand remained in place.

Brock sighed a long dramatic sound. "Sansa, when will you stop going there? It's no use to hide yourself away. You need to start training for your first shift."

"I'll do that later when I get back."

She made an attempt to push past the arm, but they both knew it was useless. Brock shook his head, amusement clear on his face.

"If you took more time to train and less to daydream, you might be able to get past me."

A panic began to rise in Sansa at the blocked accessway.

"Please Brock...I need to get through..."

She looked up to meet the startled gaze of the male. Her arm curled around him, fingers twisting onto his wrist. She remained unaware of the brush of her flesh, the soft stroke of her chest against his own or the way she had grown into a woman within these past few years. She didn't take any of this into account. Only the fact that she needed, must, had to- get to the lake.

The male sighed, "alright." He let her pass, lowering his arm. She smiled at him, passing through with a quick thank you before running into the woods.

Brock watched her go, examining the new curves along her body that had just started to show.

"How old is Sansa again?"

His voice carried into the home, drifting down a distant room. A reply was heard faint in the background, "fourteen now."

Brock shrugged his shoulders, a grin showing on his face.

"Maybe we're mates. You think it's possible?"

His question brought the appearance of another male. This one was older in age, with grey showing around the temples of his frame. He shook his head sadly at the young male.

"Don't get your hopes up, Brock...I don't think she's meant for you."

"Come on Warren- you have to admit there's a chance."

The old male only sighed, "she doesn't talk of other boys...I don't think her mate is here."

He winced at his words, an age-old wound pulled open from the sentence.

Brock examined the male, his eyes quick to detect the faint hurt that flashed through his body.

"Well... she needs to stop going into the woods alone every day."

Warren only laughed.

"The border patrol works around the clock. Nothing can get past them. Even if they did, they still have the lake to face."

The youth grinned, "true...I guess she likes the water?"

Warren only shrugged, "I don't understand the minds of young females..."

They both looked out at the forest, no longer able to see the running figure of the girl.

Warren made as if he was turning back around to go inside. His actions, however, were stopped by Brock's next words.

"Does she still talk about that stranger?"

"Who?"

"You know- her imaginary friend."

"Oh."

The males both stared at each other, an understanding passing between them.

"No- she's not ten anymore."

Brock held his hands up defensively, "That's on her record Warren. You and I both know the Alpha has it recorded that she hallucinated at an early age and fabricated lies for others to believe."

The male frowned, a trace of bitterness in his tone, "What does the Alpha know...it was the words of a child, not a villain."

Brock only smiled, a dangerous glint showing in his eye, "careful Warren...I wouldn't insult the Alpha in front of his son."

The older male glared back at the youth, no sign of fear within his gaze.

"Unless you find the truth insulting, pup, I suggest you get out of my house. Stop bothering Sansa also. She won't be your mate."

The young male only laughed, "she has a good future ahead of her Warren. I would hate to see it ruined so early."

Warren's hard gaze continued to follow the pup, his eyes making sure the male did not go into the woods in pursuit.

He watched him leave, muttering softly under his breath words that were better left unsaid.

*   *   *

He didn't come. That was okay. It was too soon- not yet the change of the season.

Sansa threw the stones into the lake, fighting against the darkness that threaten to invade her thoughts.

The last time she had seen him would be in Winter. He stuck with his words- he only came at the change of the season.

She had learned through the years exactly what this meant.

The Summer and winter solstice, and the Fall and spring equinox. The day those events fell upon were the days he came. Her beautiful stranger.

She debated going back to the house but shuddered at the thought of Brock still being there. She didn't want to see him. He had been hanging close to her lately. Others whispered that it was because of the upcoming shift. Brock would be coming to his first shift once he turned seventeen. The closeness of his presence these past few days could be a sign that they were mated. He would know before her.

She threw another rock at the lake, a sorrow growing in her at the idea of Brock being her mate.

The image of her beautiful stranger came into her mind, but she quickly shook it away. He was something of her imagination. Some days she even questioned if he was real or just a dream she had made. She wondered if they were right- the others who told her such things and whispered words like, hallucination, made up, fabrication.

The pack doctor had been quick to diagnose her. But she enjoyed the stranger too much to care what condition underlined it.

She only wished her mind could worsen to a state of her constantly seeing him. Though it might cause madness, at least it would be a madness with him.

The reality versus dream always blurred together for her.

Which was real, which was not.

But she knew, subconsciously in the back of her mind- that he was something more. Even if it was only the trick of her illusions- then at least her illusions had done a good enough job into tricking her of the realness to his soul.

She believed her stranger to be true. To be flesh and bone and solid. She had felt him. She had watched him breathed and taken in his sounds. How could she make this up? How could she create a vivid dream such as him?

No.

She watched the ripple of the lake, smiling at the traveling lines.

She would come the next day. And the day after that.

Until the next time, her beautiful illusion appeared before her eyes- becoming a beautiful reality.