Were's the Love?

Chapter 15: Freezing Time and Teasing a Bull

I hum as I follow one of the servers to the table where my parents are sitting, guiding Allison with my hand on the small of her back. It feels so nice to touch her like this. And she hasn't told me to stop, so she must like it too.

It was so nice to see Allison talking with my sister. She's so amazing. My other mates never liked spending time with any of my family except for my grandpa. They liked talking to him about different things and laughing a lot. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that they were trying to flirt with him. It was a little weird to watch. But I get it. My grandpa's pretty great and he's been the chief for a long time, so he has a lot of really interesting stories.

I wonder if Allison has heard any of his stories. I bet she'd love them. She teaches English, so she must like books and stuff, right? People don't usually teach a subject that they hate. I mean, I love running around and playing games with my students. I was so happy when I didn't have to be a warrior like the other wolves.

Don't get me wrong. I loved being a warrior too. I got to wrestle with the other warriors in the village, hunt every night, and protect the people I care about. It was great! But being a teacher is better. I don't have to hurt anyone and I get to meet a lot of amazing kids. Plus, Allison is there. How could I not love working someplace where I get to see her every day?

"Jason! Tammy! Over here!" I hear my dad call out. I forget for a moment where I am and run over to him, trapping him a big hug.

I love my dad so much.

He's always been there for me. Even when the other wolves teased me about being weird or stupid when I was younger, he was always there to cheer me up. We'd play ball together or toss a frisbee. It was a blast! Then we'd sit and he'd tell me that some kids are mean and there was nothing wrong with me. I am exactly who I should be and if they didn't like me, then they didn't deserve to be my friends.

I'm not sure I agree about kids being mean. My students are pretty great. Maybe there were just a few bullies when I was in school? Who knows?

I move over to my mom and give her a hug before making my way to my grandparents. I'm in the middle of hugging my grandpa, when I hear my mom chuckle.

"This must be Allison."

Shit! I got so excited to see my parents that I forgot to introduce her to everyone!

"Yes. Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Smith," she says quietly with a smile. Good. She doesn't look upset. And that smile. She's so beautiful. It's like she's glowing.

Still, I'm going to have to make it up to her later. A gentleman never neglects his date for someone else. Even his parents.

"Of course!" my dad answers, "We wouldn't leave you out. You're Jason's mate! My boy talks about you every time he calls home! You're just as beautiful as he said you were. He's really lucky to be paired with a lovely girl like you. Though, my Catherine is still the most enchanting woman in the village, if you ask me. So, can I get a hug? After all, we're practically family!"

"Brian," my mom shakes her head, her cheeks turning a pale shade of red. It's nice that my dad can still make my mom blush. I hope I can do that to Allison when we're that old. She looks so cute when she blushes. "Don't scare the poor girl off. She's probably already feeling a little overwhelmed being paired with our Jason. You don't need to throw your enthusiasm into the mix."

"Let him be, Cathy," my grandpa laughs. "He's just being himself. The girl seems to be handling Jason just fine, so I'm sure a couple hours with Brian won't convince her to run."