Ariadne: Almost an Alpha | ✓

Chapter 24 - Wondering

Chapter 24 - Wondering 

"I put some aspirin in a baggie in the center console if you feel like you need it during the ride over," Mateus mentions to me as I stow my suitcase (perfectly packed, may I add) in the trunk.

"I didn't drink enough to get hungover," I tell him for the billionth time, but, genuinely impressed by his thoughtfulness, I add a sincere, "thank you."

"There's also a couple of water bottles up there if you're feeling dehydrated."

Although I had been feeling a little parched all morning, I wasn't going to admit it, so I thanked him again before closing the trunk.

I go inside to grab my phone and say goodbye to the boys, who are eating breakfast. Dylan is staying behind to watch over the pack with Carter, and Nathan and Sterling are staying to lead patrols.

"Dylan, I'm leaving" I say, leaning down to hug him in his chair.

"This is not a good enough hug," he comments, standing up. "Come on guys, a group hug is in order."

Before I know it, Carter, Nathan, and Sterling have come at me from all sides, arms stretched out wide. They awkwardly smush me, the short person in the middle, for a minute, and I try to let it last for as long as I can.

"Guys, this is adorable and everything, but I need air," I voice my struggle, and they let go, instead each giving me an individual hug.

"Nora," I address the girl, who, finally able to walk comfortably, joined us for breakfast this morning. I told Dylan and Carter to help set her up in the main house today. "Don't be afraid to ask for anything, okay?"

She nods in response.

"Bye, you all!" I say to the rest of the room of warriors, and many smile and say goodbye in response. I've learned all their names but have only gotten to really know a few of them.

Mateus stands silently off to the side, and I stop by him on my way to the front door, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Stop being so distant," I whisper, nudging him again. "Tell your men bye."

He looks down at me with a blank face, and I give him my best "I'm being serious" look.

"Bye," he announces gruffly.

Well, at least he tried, but we're going to have to work on a friendlier tone.

The men respond positively, and I smile, shrugging my shoulders at Mateus as if to say, "See? Not that hard."

We get in the car, heading towards California, and I immediately grab and drink from a bottle of water, causing Mateus to let out a teasing "hmm."

I look over, noticing his small smirk. "My breakfast made my mouth dry," I defend myself.

"Of course," he responds succinctly, looking straight at the road.

For a minute or so, I move around a bit, trying to get comfortable, and then I freeze, finally realizing It'll just be me and Mateus in this car for six hours. Just me and Mateus. Alone.

'Alright,' I tell myself, 'just play it cool.'

And play it cool I did... for the first hour. It eventually became too much of a challenge. Whenever I looked to my left, Mateus was there. It's not like I can just make him disappear, so I can't help but sneak glances at him. He's so close, how could I not? And boy does he make quite the picture too. His eyes stay on the road, giving me a constant profile. With every glance, I notice something different - his straight nose and the slope of his jaw, the natural wave to his hair, his full eyebrows, and even the evenness of his skin.