Creatures

TWENTY-TWO

Sprawled out on the mattress, Ryn was feeling wonderfully sated. Jasper was attempting dinner in the other room. She wasn't sure how well he could cook.

She finally decided to get up to use the restroom and freshen up.

Upon looking in the mirror, she was surprised that there was not a damn thing to be fixed. The bed-head was finally working today, and there was no tiredness in her eyes. Ryn decided to wash her face with cold water anyway, if nothing else than to wake herself up.

She had a feeling that like the night before, dinner would never actually be finished. Ryn reminded herself that she had to drag both of them into the shower later, and try to update her father while leaving out as many details as possible. Her friends thought she was in Texas to deal with family. Though, she was fully contemplating Jasper's offer to fake her school records for the rest of senior year. She was just worried about how that might affect her ability to complete college courses.

From whispers... It sounded like people bet Chrissy dropped out. Not that Christine really needed to attend school. She knew most concepts better than the teachers did.

Ryn went to go hang out with Jasper. He looked ever moody, steeping in thought over the seafood he had cooking. Carefully, she reached over his head for more seasonings. He noticed her staring. "What's up with you?" He asked, ignoring the spices she was adding to the food.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Thinking about school, Christine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Christine? Why?"

Ryn frowned deeply. "Even if I originally didn't know about this world, I would still be so... Enamored with you. I just feel it, constantly." She laughed. "Especially after all this, being intimate with you and... she just fights it? I don't understand. Why would you want to? Like, congrats you have a literal soulmate. Here he is. Bonus: he's sexy as sin, has millions to his name and runs about twenty percent of the Mythics."

Jasper looked at her and proceeded with caution. "I think you of all people would know that love, power, and money sometimes ain't all it's cracked up to be."

She sighed and leaned into him, resting her head on his arm while he placed a hand on her opposite hip. He hummed. "You tired, beautiful?"

Ryn shook her head. "Nah. Though your arms never seem to make cushy enough pillows."

Jasper laughed deeply, his body moving with his voice. "You got tall, dark, and mysterious, darlin, not barrel chested and broad shouldered. I'm still a damn good catch, babygirl. You're lucky."

Ryn laughed delicately. "Virgin." She accused him gently. "It's not like that persona was working for you." Tall and lean... A lot nerdy, funny yet so serious. Dark and mysterious? Maybe. That's not how she'd immediately describe him.

He chuckled. "The reason I didn't kiss or touch people isn't from lack of people wanting to." Jasper found that the longer he was with Ryn, the more visions he got of them together. He loved living inside her head, picking her apart.

Ryn jumped up on the island counter behind him, admiring his pack tattoos. Jasper only had them on his upper arms and shoulders, and Jas said he was fairly thankful for that. - Tristan has the tattoos of a king, which take up his whole back.

Tattoos were how status was determined. Jasper's tattoos established that he was born a part of the Old Gray pack in North Carolina and is part of the king's advisors.

If someone not of rank is found with tattoos that don't apply they would be burned off. For that reason, it's a sensitive topic for changed. They're not allowed any rank, nor any pack.