Survival [MxM]

Chapter XVII

Dinner had gone surprisingly well. If you didn’t include Danielle’s occasional death glare across the table.

I wasn’t too worried about her though. For now, at least. I was perfectly content to sit next to Fenix at the table, ignoring the fact that our shoulders brushed whenever either of us moved as Chancelor spoke animatedly about school.

“...And of course, the woman that teaches Greek mythology is named Persephone. I swear to God, you can’t make this shit up.” he said. I didn’t know what Greek mythology was, but I supposed that there was something ironic to it, because a few older wolves chuckled.

“I think I like Field Training the best though.” Chancelor added with a nod. Danielle looked over to him and frowned.

“Field Training?”

“Oh yeah. It’s awesome. They just let you loose outside to run around.” Chancelor explained, waving his hands for emphasis. “Sometimes we play games. Sometimes we do drills.”

Danielle hummed, seeming to like the sound of that. “Maybe I should have gone to school.” she muttered to herself. Chancelor chuckled.

“I’m just happy it’s almost over. I want to be back here.” he said, sighing wistfully. “I hate that I can only be here on breaks.”

“Don’t worry about it, we’ve got it covered. Nothing’s fallen apart yet, has it?” Danielle said, gesturing around the room. Chancelor snorted, raising an eyebrow.

“Not yet. But you’re biased, and Fenix is the embodiment of a moving statue.”

I could feel Fenix tense beside me, but his expression gave nothing away. Danielle, on the other hand, scoffed and frowned. “I am not biased. I just don’t think we should invite every fucking person in the world to join our pack just because they were kicked out or abandoned it.”

“There’s a reason for everything, Dani.” Chancelor spoke. “You can’t judge someone based on their mistakes.”

Danielle rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat and clearly looking done with the conversation. Chancelor had a triumphant smile before he glanced over to the clock on the wall and hummed. “It’s getting late.” he mumbled, then looked back to the table and cleared his throat before speaking loudly. “Okay, as fun as this is, some of us need sleep!”

A few wolves chuckled, and Chancelor smiled as they all began moving, heading for the door and saying goodnight to each other. I stood up and was about to follow when a hand on my shoulder made me pause and look back, seeing Chancelor. “Oh no, you’re staying here and helping us clean up.” he said, still smiling. “You can help Fenix in the kitchen.”

Why did he keep putting me with Fenix? Not that I minded, but still. Danielle was going to massacre me. But, Chancelor was the Alpha. My Alpha. I couldn’t go against him. So I nodded, glancing behind him to see Fenix getting up from his seat. Chancelor patted my shoulder before gently pushing me away, and I followed Fenix into the kitchen, where he started washing some of the dishes that were already in the sink.

I walked over to the side of him and started slowly drying the dishes he cleaned, moving stiffly and awkwardly. It was the first time I’d actually been alone with him, and I was ridiculously nervous.

I could hear Danielle and Chancelor moving out in the dining room, and wanted to sink into the floor when I realized what they were talking about.

“You’re trying to set the little fucker up with Fenix. My brother. Chance, come on! I’m not an idiot, and neither is Fenix.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m putting him with Fenix because you scare him shitless.”

“Oh please, he was practically undressing him in his head when they first met!”

“Would you rather it be in his head, or in reality?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling my face heat up at their conversation. I wasn’t even going to try looking at Fenix. It was too embarrassing.

I wasn’t sure how long I was standing still, but a hand covering mine suddenly made me open my eyes and look down, seeing Fenix taking the plate that I’d been drying from me and drying it himself. “I-I’m sorry, I-I wasn’t, uh…” I stuttered and winced a little, keeping my eyes down as he either ignored me, or didn’t feel the need to grace my less-than-intelligent response with a comment.

God I was stupid sometimes.

“You’ll have to excuse Danielle. She can be rather ignorant, at times.”

I frowned at that. Did…did he just talk? To me? ...Again?

Glancing up a little, I saw him drying all the dishes I’d neglected, looking like he hadn’t said a word.

“... It’s fine. I guess she just doesn’t like strangers.” I mumbled. Fenix hummed quietly.

“She doesn’t like anyone. She tolerates some, like Chancelor.” he said. I watched him as he finished drying everything and moved to put it away, stepping around me and practically ignoring my existence.

Chancelor and Danielle came into the kitchen with more plates and trays, Chancelor looking rather proud of himself as Danielle wore an irritated expression. “Thanks guys, we’ve got these. Fenix, do you mind taking Raine home? I have this weird fear that he’ll get lost or something.”

“Weird fear my ass.” Danielle muttered, and Chancelor snorted, but didn’t change his order as Fenix nodded a little.

“Goodnight, Raine.” Chancelor said, smiling to me. I nodded back, moving to follow Fenix out of the kitchen and toward the door. I paused before leaving though, hearing Danielle yelling again and shaking my head as I walked out.

It was well past dark, and the air held a little chill to it as we walked through the village, toward the boundaries where my house was. Fenix walked fluidly, and I briefly wondered what he looked like in wolf form. If he was as graceful as he is. You wouldn’t expect someone of his height and size to be graceful.

We reached my house rather quickly, and I had a feeling that Chancelor used me getting lost as an excuse to annoy Danielle further. I stepped up to the door and went to open it, but hesitated, glancing back to Fenix, who stood behind me. He seemed to look anywhere and everywhere, but not at me, which I found odd. I assumed he didn’t dislike me-- unless he was like Danielle and only ‘tolerated’ everyone.

Just as I was about to go inside, he glanced down at me, and I held his gaze. He really did have amazing eyes. I’d never seen eyes so bright.

I was so caught up in them that I didn’t even notice what was happening. Fenix took a small step closer, forcing me to tilt my head back to look up at him properly. He leaned down carefully, bringing one hand up to rest against my cheek lightly. He had really soft hands…

Fenix closed any remaining distance between us and pressed his lips to mine gently, still watching me as I slowly responded to the kiss.

I’d never really been kissed before, aside from the brief one I'd had with Haven. Granted, that was my first kiss, but still.

We stayed like that for a minute until he pulled back a little, and I exhaled shakily. Something flickered in his eyes that I couldn’t place, and he pulled away from me, standing up straight and looking at me for a second before turning and heading back to the center house. I watched him until he disappeared, and even then I couldn’t bring myself to go in.

I'd just been kissed. By Fenix.

… Whoa.