THE TEKULA PROJECT

▪19▪

DAY 61

Veronica watches her lycan curiously. He has taken well to living in the modern world, well, with the exception of working the t.v. That was an interesting experience, to say the least. He is currently standing at the kitchen counter, sniffing an apple with his nose scrunched in distaste.

"Something wrong, Theseus?"

Theseus' gaze raises to meet that of his Mate's. "Not smell good," he mumbles before dropping the apple back into the bowl.

"It just smells like apple," Veronica shrugs.

"No, like c-chemical," Theseus responds, plopping down onto the couch next her.

The two are alone for the time being, since Morgan is at school, something Theseus is eternally grateful for. He longs for the times when it's just him and Veronica, especially since he finds the young Morgan quite... eccentric.

The girl has found him to be extremely fascinating. She follows him around like a lost puppy, asking him endless amounts of questions, when in reality, he is the lost puppy who should be asking all the questions. He finds the whole ordeal rather tiring.

"Well, I think it's about time we get you out of this house," Veronica says suddenly, Theseus instantly focusing all of his attention on her. "What do you say?"

There is a lot about this new world he doesn't know, and, frankly, it terrifies him, but he would do anything for her. If she wants to leave the apartment, then so be it.

"Al-alright," he responds shakily, trying his best not to alert her of his fear.

Apparently he doesn't do as good a job as he had hoped. Veronica holds his face gently in her hands, her soft touch sending a pleasurable feeling through his body, easing the fear in his mind.

"It won't be that bad, I promise."

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That was a lie.

No, no, he won't call her a liar, because that's mean and he could never be mean to his Mate, but she did lie. It's really, really bad.

She had said they were going to what she called the 'Supermarket'. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but this definitely wasn't it. All around him are strange noises and scents. Large, fast moving cars fly by, having him constantly on edge, his muscles taught with anxiety.

The stench of this place is disgusting. Old food, bird feces, and trash litter the 'parking lot'. All around him are voices and scents that overload his senses. Irritatingly strong perfume, sweat, tobacco, rubber, deodorant, whispers fifty meters away, a shout a hundred yards away, a car horn, even a child's cry.

Theseus focuses on his Mate. He inhales her scent as much as possible, hoping to drown out the other scents with her's. It isn't enough, however, as he catches a whiff of the most vile thing to smell around his mate.

Masculinity.

Theseus yanks Veronica to his side, his arm wrapping around her waist possesively. A low growl stirs in his throat. She's mine, his gaze says to the passing crowds.

"Hey, are you okay?" Veronica whispers quietly.

Suppressing his growl, Theseus nods. She knew he would have a hard time coping with all of this, she just didn't expect it to be so bad. Maybe bringing him here wasn't such a good idea...

The two quickly make their way inside the store, Theseus' eyes widening at the sight. The male's scent is blasted away with the smell of food. Everywhere there is food, rows and rows of it.

"This," Veronica gestures to their surroundings, "Is a grocery store. Everything you see is for sale. Over there," she points to the lines at the registers. "Is where you take your food to be scanned and paid for."

"H-how... How can much f-food be in one pl-place?" He asks.

"Well, most of it comes from other countries, though some of it is grown or packaged here in America. This is all thanks to importation and exportation of products around the world. Foreign trade."

This is amazing! Theseus thinks to himself. Imagine the wealth these people must have! To have the wealth and the luxury to afford imported foods... they don't realize how good they have it.

Veronica continues to give Theseus a tour around the store, buying him anything he finds fascinating, including rutabagas, a giant steak, and those popsicles that come room temperature in long tubes that you put in the freezer.

Theseus never let go of Veronica the entire trip through the store. Veronica wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid, or if he just really liked to touch her. In reality, it was both. She did find his constant nuzzling and brushing of lips to be quite distracting, in more ways than one.

Theseus quite enjoyed having permission to hold and touch his mate whenever he wanted. It was pure hell back at the lab, being able to see her through the glass and not being able to touch her. He remembers how his fingers had ached to feel her soft skin, how his lips longed to mark her soft flesh with his kisses, how his entire being shuddered at the thought of her body beneath his.

He had accomplished two-ish things on that list. He does touch her, even now his hand currently resides in her's, his fingers occasionally stroking up and down her forearm. He has also kissed her, though it was only once. He, unfortunately, has not completed the other things.

While their kiss was the best moment of Theseus' long life, it ended much too soon for his liking. He was not able to leave scalding kisses down her smooth neck, nor marks of passion across her collarbones like he had imagined he would. He did not have her below him, her body bare for his taking.

She was not ready, and he knew that.

He had been ready long before they met, imagining what it would be like to have her so closely tied to him, their bodies molded as one, but he knew there was more to a mate than the physical relations.

His Mate was more than just a beautiful body. She was smart, exceedingly so, and probably much smarter than he would ever be, despite how much more age and experience he might have on his side. She was kind, and passionate about the things she believed in. She broke the law for him!

And he loved her. More than anything, he loved her. She was, and always will be, his everything. That's why he will wait. He will wait an eternity for her if he must.

He will love her with his entire being--mind, body, and soul--even if she never loves him back.

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"I think you did pretty well," Veronica says with a smile that night. "Your first trip to the city and you didn't run away from me for another woman."

Theseus' head snaps around so quick he nearly got whip-lash. "What?"

Veronica chuckles, letting her hair loose from its bun. "I'm kidding, my dearest lycan, but that cashier was very pretty. Do you not think so, too?"

Theseus thinks back to their short shopping spree, trying to find the woman in question. He shakes his head.

"You know, the blonde girl with the nose ring? She called you 'Handsome'?" Veronica urges, her eyes shining with amusement. She rounds her side of the bed, slipping under the duvet.

Theseus shakes his head again. He does not remember being called Handsome, let alone noticing a pretty girl. He vaguely remembers purchasing their items, but he was too busy watching how Veronica's lips moved when she talked.