SPRING

"Good Sansa. Tell me now what herbs I would use for stomach pains?"

Sansa looked at the table before her, the different plants spread in front. She pulled several plants from the table, showing them to Doctor Nox as he patiently waited.

"Correct again."

They continued their training. Sansa's grin grew with each new praise she received.

"Have you considered doing the pack's training program? I think you would benefit greatly from it."

Sansa shook her head, "no, I don't want to leave this pack."

Doctor Nox frowned, "you would only be gone for two or three years while you traveled to the other packs and learned medicine from them...it's a good opportunity. And with your lineage and grades, you would definitely make a good candidate."

Sansa laughed, "a forgotten pup makes a good candidate?"

Doctor Nox shook his head, "that's not what I meant."

Sansa only smiled, her hand going to idly rearrange the plants in front of her.

"Thank you but... I will have to decline."

"You haven't even really considered it."

"No."

His eyes widened at the sudden hardness that came into her tone. He leaned back to take the determined look glared his way. With a sigh he shook his head, accepting her answer.

Sansa and he both turned at the sound of a knock on the window. Three young males laughed at the attention they now were receiving, their eyes eagerly watching for Sansa's reaction as they pushed one male in particular forward. He shyly waved to her, earning a round of laughter from his peers.

A noise of displeasure left Doctor Nox as he rose to close the blinds upon their show. Groans and sounds of complaints could be heard on the other side. Sansa giggled at their pleas. She stopped at the look of disapproval cast from Doctor Nox.

"This is the time to work. Not play. I hope you understand that Sansa."

She sighed, "Yes, I do."

He reclaimed his seat beside her, a hard edge coming over his face as he glanced down at Sansa from the corner of his eyes.

"Do you know what the pack says about you?"

Sansa rolled her eyes, "I know what they say. You don't have to worry."

"I don't worry but...I just wonder why you would choose to keep staying in such a hostile environment."

"It's not hostile," she argued.

"Sansa, how many friends do you have?"

"One."

"The name?"

She opened her mouth, about to say the name she should never say out loud. She caught herself in time, withdrawing her words.

"Warren."

Doctor Nox shook his head, "Warren?" Even Sansa could hear the edge of doubt in his voice as he glanced at her.

She shrugged, trying to roll off his questions. It was true that she did not have many friends. She didn't need them. She found them all boring and dull compared to Night.

"That was Jacob, the Alpha's youngest son..." Doctor Nox mused out loud his thoughts, staring at the window thoughtfully.

"Yes. Alpha is convinced that I'm mated to at least one of his sons."

Doctor Nox stared at her in alarm, "do you think you are?"

Sansa looked up, an uneven edge of uncertainty lining her voice, "They think that because of who my father is but...I don't know..."

"You would know," the doctor said, a sudden fierceness in his voice.

Sansa eyed him curiously. He noticed her expression, raising his head in defeat as he admitted, "I was mated but...she passed away many years ago. So believe me when I say you will know what it feels like when you meet your mate."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sansa whispered.

A bitter laugh left the doctor as he closed his eyes, "death waits for no one Sansa. The more you see of medicine, the more you understand that cruel fact."

*   *   *

Jacob was nice enough, Sansa thought.

He quickly scrambled forward to open the door for her, a smile on his face as he let her through.

"See you tomorrow Sansa."

"Thank you Jacob."

He nodded, closing the door behind him before running back down the road. She watched him, her eyes traveling to see as he turned left. To the training grounds then.

Jacob was the same age as her. Unlike her though, he had chosen to become a warrior. His time did not consist of training the mind, but instead his body. She could see the change that was starting to come over his figure. The growth of muscle within his appearance as the fat of his youth shed away. His body was becoming more of a man.

The strength of his appearance did nothing to impress her though. She knew what true power looked like. It came to her easily as she closed her eyes and pictured the image of him. Night. The darkness of skin flexing against each other. How the smooth contrast rippled down his body. The unusual dark clothes he wore still showed a hint of what lay underneath. She wondered sometimes what he would look without it.

She stepped outside, walking into the woods. She needed to get away from the encasement of the house. The smell of her desire and want perfumed from her skin. They would claim that it was that time for her to go through this. It was this time of age for her to feel such emotions.

But she didn't want them to claim such things.

She didn't think these feelings were one of lust. Yet she had no one to explain the difference too.

Instead, she walked slowly through the woods.

Not to the lake. There was no point in her traveling there. He would not be waiting for her. It wasn't time and the season still had not yet shifted.

She heard running in the distance. Turning she spied three wolfs- large creatures that reached up to her waist. They were animals fully emerged in the wild of the wilderness that surrounded them.

She wondered who they were. What members of the pack chose to run through the woods at this time?

They most likely noticed her but paid no attention to her watchful gaze as they continued their playful actions. She could see that the three were females, probably newly shifted from the uncoordinated movements that traveled down their uncertain limbs.

They did nothing more but play as if they were pups. She stayed there for several hours, the only audience to their show.

Soon night fell, and Sansa knew it was time to go back. Warren would not be concerned at her missing. He placed too much independence in her. She could not blame him though.

Just as she thought, there was no surprise or worry in his voice as he greeted her in welcome.

Sansa went straight to her room, looking up at the blank walls and ceiling.

She had tried on several attempts to paint the stranger in the woods. Warren stopped her however when he found out what she was doing. It had been in the early stages of her youth when whispers of her oddness first started to spread among the pack.

There had already been whispers about her thanks to her father and his departure.

Warren had done his best to protect her. She could see that now as she reflected to that time in her life.

Drawing Night had been a disaster. She was a terrible artist, unable to fully create the beauty of his skin or features.

There did not seem to be a color right enough for his skin. Nothing beautiful enough to really capture him.

She left the job up to her mind now. It was the only thing to hold the image of her stranger.

The only thing to remind her of his looks, his smile and those silver eyes that shone brightly against such contrasting features of the night.