(Carter)
Blinking a few times to clear away the drowsiness, I frowned as I stared up at the beige coloured ceiling. The sunlight was filtering into the room through the window, the curtains drawn back slightly but not nearly enough to reach the bed and disturb my sleep.
Strange. I hadn't drawn the curtains, last night nor had I awoken at any point to do so.
The air-conditioning was so silent, had it not been for the coolness that pinched at my cheeks and arms, I'd have never known it was on.
I had slept comfortably last night, and it was probably one of the best naps I'd ever had. There were no nightmares, and no thoughts of doubt to keep me awake.
Yawning widely, I stretched and sat up at the centre of the bed, sticking my hand under my t-shirt and beginning the usual morning routine of scratching. Ruffling my hair as I continued, I then rubbed at my eyes and glanced around the room smacking my lips together to rid away the extra sleepiness.
By the sunlight coming in through the window and illuminating the space, I could guess that it was around nine in the morning. The multiple gift boxes, balloons, and gift bags were still untouched and a faint scent that reminded me of my mate, lingered in the air. Probably because all the gifts had been in the same room with him and this was the suite, he used during each visit to Ivy Rose.
Remembering that he was downstairs, I knew I had to get out of bed and find out if there'd been any changes in his condition while I slept. However, as I made a move to roll off the bed, kicking off the blanket, the toilet in the adjoining bathroom suddenly flushed.
I came to an immediate halt, my hand still clutching the duvet as the sound of running tap water followed.
Don't tell me that...
There was the light shuffle of bare feet hitting the tiled floor and the door swung open.
The person walked out of the bathroom and suddenly slowed catching sight of me wide awake and sitting up. I could say nothing as my eyes danced over his form dressed in black joggers and a loose muscle shirt of the same colour.
It hadn't been a lingering scent.
At least, I'm hoping it wasn't and that he's really stood before me. After the torturous hours I'd spent feeling my mind slowly splitting in half, I need to reach out and touch him just to confirm that he wasn't a figment of my imagination. That this wasn't some cruel, twisted dream.
He stopped and turned his body to face me, a coy smile curling at his lips, but the confidence in those icy blue eyes betrayed those coy mannerisms. He looked the perfect combination of confident, sly, and bashful. Very different than how he'd been for most of the time we'd been together.
"Beehive-"
"Well?" he said, his voice sweet like honey and music to my ears.
My heart skipped a beat, his voice doing things to me and tugging at the mate bond that roared to life.
I watched as he clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels for a moment. Then, he glanced at me and tilted his head in the sweetest possible manner.
"Are you going to sit there and stare or are you going to come hold me?"
Tossing the duvet, I practically sprinted toward him loving how his face lit up so brightly at my approach. Hell! He was already throwing his arms around me as I stepped into his embrace, clearly as elated for our reunion. Without wasting a moment, I swept him up into my arms as he wrapped his legs around my waist.
Though I hated how small he felt in my arms, the explosion of fireworks that went off as soon as I touched him was unparalleled to anything I'd ever felt before. Not even when we consummated the bond the first time. Not when he kissed me for the first time. Not even when he held my hand for the first time.
I hugged him tightly like my life depended on breathing in his very scent, and maybe it did. After the hell I had gone through, I was never going to be so careless again. Walking with him to the bed, I savoured the warmth his body gave me, and I heard him laugh as I gently placed him down at the centre of it and then clambered in to hug him again.
I had taken note of the absence of scars on his neck and face which meant that my healing enzymes had worked magic in his recovery. And even though he was here in my arms, awake and soothingly running his fingers through my hair while I laid nestled between his legs, I was still having a hard time wrapping my head around it.
"It's okay." he whispered soothingly as tears stung my eyes and fell. I felt like an idiot for crying when I should be taking him in my arms and kissing him senselessly.
I should be simultaneously holding him and scolding him for his recklessness. For his stubbornness and leaving me without even saying a proper goodbye. I should be angry at him for foolishly taking a knife meant for me. Stupidly risking his life for mine when he should've known he was one thousand times more valued than a pampered beta from Marcana.
Why? Why would he continue to be so damn careless with his life?
"Love?" he called gently when my sobbing and heaving had died away, and my face lay on a notably wet spot on his shirt. "Carter?" he called again, clearly not at all fazed by the mess that lay on his shoulder. I felt him shift as if trying to get me to raise my head so that he could see my face.
Sniffling, I finally gained the courage to do as he wanted, but he was instantly greeted by a fierce glare. He frowned.
"You're fucking stupid."
Those pretty blue eyes glazed over with confusion and he pouted, averting his gaze as if he believed the insult. I scoffed and shook my head.
"What the hell were you thinking? When are you going to stop being so careless? Do you have any idea the hell I went through these last two days? I probably could've survived getting attacked but you..." I growled in frustration, letting my words fall away.
He made me so angry that sometimes I had to remind myself of why I loved him so fucking much, mate bond be damned. The fact that he was fated to me simply wasn't reason enough anymore. I don't think I'd ever forgive him for carelessly taking that knife for me especially when he had no idea how terrified I'd been watching him die.
Fear like that...I'd never felt it before.
At one point, I used to think Kelly's rejection was the most fearful I had been. When she had come to my parents' house that day, I knew right away that something wasn't right by the crestfallen expression she carried and that she had barely even looked at me. Then she'd said those four words nobody wanted to hear.
'We need to talk.'
She'd gone on to tell me how we weren't working out, and that I wasn't the problem. She told me that I was a great guy, and anyone would be lucky to have me, but being the mate to a future beta, especially of a pack like Marcana, wasn't something she wanted. She wanted a life away from the aristocracy that came with being part of the circle of Jasper Falls' founding families and she couldn't have that with a mate of my status.
I should've seen the signs though. Even when we'd been together, she played the part well just to keep me happy. But she hated being the centre of attention, and she despised how people she didn't know kept getting into her business. Unlike me who enjoyed the perks of popularity that no doubt, fed my ego from time to time.
I remembered thinking that she was going to reject me, and not more than a few moments later, she told me I deserved better and shouldn't settle for less. That I shouldn't waste time chasing after someone who could never make me happy. And then, she rejected me. I remembered falling to my knees from the fractured bond and begging her to stay. I was willing to give up my rank and status just to be with her, but she didn't want to hear it. She'd shut down my pleas saying that it wasn't fair for me to give up the things I love just to stay with someone especially if it'd make me miserable.
I had refused to accept her rejection, and in a state of anger, heartbreak, and denial, I'd tossed question after question. Basically, I had cornered her, interrogated her, and carefully gaged every subtle change in her expression. Her reactions stayed the same save for one question.
I'd asked her if there was someone else.
She'd looked away and her heartbeat jumped telling me that she'd been thinking about the bastard who was somehow better than me. She never gave a name and in a fit of anger and frustration, I accepted her rejection. I'd repeated her words, and she accepted, effectively severing our bond.
The next day at school, I saw them talking and I knew right away that it was him. Angered like never before and still heartbroken, I'd proceeded to do the one thing I regretted as much as spreading those lies and rumours. I'd put my hands on him, and what's worse is that he didn't fight back. He kept throwing taunt after taunt at me almost like he wanted to me to go ballistic and kill him.
Lo and behold, a few months later, I find out that it had been his intention. If somebody had told me that in a few short months, I'd be fated to the same guy my ex left me for, and not just elated over getting a second mate, but whipped for him, I'd have laughed.
Or gone batshit crazy.
Now, I couldn't imagine being with anyone else. And the reminder of things I'd rather forget that I'd dared to put my hands on him and direct my anger toward him brought a fresh trickle of tears running down my cheeks.
"I am fed up with you getting hurt all the time."
Beehive stared up at me, brushing away the stray tears with his fingertips. A small smile played at his lips and his eyes carried a soft gleam. The love I saw there was enough to stop the world from turning round because he was looking at me as though I were his entire universe.
The light in his life. Like I was the sun, and he was the only planet in my orbit. Or maybe it was the other way around.
Suddenly, the softness in his eyes disappeared and he giggled, pulling me down on top of him and kissing me passionately. I didn't hesitate to return the kiss with just as much fervour, scooping him up into my arms and deepening the kiss, practically smothering him. He moaned softly, lightly scraping his fingernails against my scalp, moaning again when I tugged on his hair.
He pulled away, much to my disappointment before we got too carried away.
"You're stupid." he teased, brushing his nose against mine before kissing me lightly on the lips. His playfulness made me chuckle, sending a light flutter coursing through me. "I keep telling you, you won't get rid of me so easily." he continued with that same playful tone.
I shook my head. "Your heart stopped, Beehive. I thought I'd lost you for good." My words became muffled when I leaned into his touch, turning my lips to brushing against his palm in a light kiss.
He shrugged. "Death said I was annoying. So, he sent me back to annoy you forever, and honestly, I could think of nothing better."
I laughed again, loving his playfulness and light-heartedness. It was obvious that he didn't want to dwell on the depressing topic and decided to look past it, and onto the smaller, finer things in life now that he'd survived death...
How many times has it been?
I'm beginning to think he really is Kryptonian or something.
Brushing my nose against his, I kissed his lips. "I love you, stupid." He made a soft sound of delight, grinning widely.
"Back at you, pervert."
We'd ended up rolling around in the sheets. Not having sex but kissing in between playful jabs of cheesy pickup lines and light-hearted flirting. I wasn't sure how long we'd spent wrapped up in each other until he suddenly rocked back, straddling my waist, demanding that we get out of bed.
I took a moment to wander over his form that was straddling mine. His clothing was a little rumpled from all our messing around, and his chestnut hair was a mess. One or two hickeys could be seen already forming along his neck, and his lips were a little swollen from being so abused. He was so fucking stunning; and he didn't realize it.
"Five more minutes, baby." I pleaded, gripping his wrists, and leading him back down until his hands were on either side of my head. He laughed, then made a sound of protest as he shook his head, turning away so that I ended up kissing his cheek.
"Nope! We have a full day ahead of us, so, we have to get up or else nothing will get done."
Moving my hands up over his arms and shoulder blades, I pulled him closer.
"Oh?" I mused, a low rumble resonating in my chest while I made a trail of butterfly kisses along his jaw and up to his earlobe, gently grazing the sensitive spot with my teeth. I smirked, hearing him shudder lightly with pleasure. "What's happening?"
Teasing his neck with my teeth and lips, I slipped a hand under the muscle tee, skilfully skimming my palm up to grab hold of his neck. He mewled softly when I grabbed his ass with my other hand, giving it a good squeeze, prompting him to grind his hips down on me.
Holy hell!
"No. We have to get up. Carter-" his words fell away in a sharp gasp as I slipped my hand into his joggers and under his boxers, gripping and massaging his bare ass. Involuntarily, his hips jerked, and he rotated them, moaning softly when his ass brushed against the steadily rising bulge in my pants.
Beehive brought his lips to mine, suddenly kissing me with such intensity that it stole my breath. Upon my own accord, my hands moved to cup his face as I returned the kiss, however, it seemed as though he'd gotten me right where he had wanted.
The kiss changed pace. From intense and needy yet sweet and bashful, to straight up hot and dominating. The next thing I knew, he'd pinned down both my wrists and broken the kiss' momentum, giving me a few playful licks, and nibbling at my lips.
Holy fuck! Where had this sexy, little devil been hiding the entirety of our relationship up until now?
Beehive then leaned back and stared down at me with a smug gleam in those icy blue eyes. My breathing was laboured, and it dawned on me in that moment that I didn't mind this dominating side of him. The side that knew what he wanted and how to get it.
"I've decided to make you wait a while before I give you a taste." he taunted, running his fingers over my abs and up my chest. He licked his lips in a seductive manner. It was enough to drive me crazy with lust as the bulge in my pants grew. While the idea of flipping roles and ravishing him for hours sounded appealing, I didn't want to do that.
I was having too much fun playing his little game.
Come tease me some more, baby. Maybe I'll make you squeal when I finally get my hands on that sexy body.
"Is that so? You're a little sex devil, you know that, right? The things I'll do to that tight body." I groaned, moving my hands, and reaching out to touch him as if to demonstrate and live out the dirty thoughts running through my mind.
He caught my wrists, pinning them down again as he hummed in amusement, leaning down to brush his lips against mine. "Really?" He tilted his head, pressing his lips to my jaw, kissing a pathway to my earlobe that he gently bit.
My eyes rolled to a close. Holy shit!
"Tell me. What kind of things would you do?" he teased.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Beehive suddenly jolted, letting out a startled squeak before laughing at himself.
"Yo! B! The hell are you two doing in there? Jasmine's looking for you!" Jaxon's voice boomed from the other side of the door.
"Go away, you giant ass cockblocker!" I snapped, irritation dripping from every syllable. I swear, I'd had it up to here with that idiot.
"Oh?" came Jaxon's amused reply, making me roll my eyes. Beehive shook his head, bringing a hand to his face. "You're getting freaky in there, aren't ya? Ha! Ha! Don't break the bed!"
"Jax! Go away or I'll kill you!" Beehive suddenly shouted in irritation.
Jaxon's laughter bubbled and rumbled through the door. "Goddamn, B! Don't rip my head off. Didn't know dying had turned you into a horny bunny."
"Jax!"
My mate's dumbass best friend laughed, and I imagined him doubling over in a fit of hysteria. "Okay, okay." he said after a moment and his laughter sobered. "Hurry up, though. We need help downstairs and also, tell Carter his mother's here."
Beehive sighed, running a hand over his face in frustration as I reached out and took hold of his waist. He rocked back. "Well, so much for a little sexy foreplay." He leaned forward again, resting his hands on either side of my head, and lowering himself to kiss me. "But we really should get up."
"What was Jaxon talking about, anyway? They need help downstairs?"
"Since you and I are both here, your mom, and mine, decided to have Nathaniel's birthday party here since the beach houses are occupied right now. You know, the pool, the artificial waterfall, and the huge garden. I think he'll enjoy the extravagance."
I chuckled at that, moving about to sit upright. Beehive shifted about as well but didn't move far away, coming to sit at my side. I took hold his hands and brought them to my lips, placing a kiss each on his palms.
"Hey, tomorrow after Nathaniel's party, how about we do something?"
Beehive tilted his head against my shoulder and hugged me around the waist. "Like a date?" he suggested, a bright smile creeping onto his face.
"Yes. We could go anywhere. We could see what Minerva has to offer on the weekends, or we could even stay here in Valley Heights. Hell! We could head to Starlight City like we'd done on our first date and go on the Ferris wheel again. Or go to the theme park since we didn't do that last time." I tilted my head so that our eyes locked onto each other's. "What'd you say?"
He hummed playfully, making like he had to think about it. He tapped his chin and pouted as if it was the most difficult decision. An affectionate smile curled my lips because it was like looking at and conversing with an entirely different person. I'd only gotten sneak peeks at his playful side a handful of times since we'd started dating and those moments were usually sort-lived. He didn't flirt as boldly and while he was playful at times, this was something else.
Pursing my lips, I took a really good look at him when he shifted around turning to face me so that he was straddling my hips again. There was a noticeable light in those icy blue eyes, and something was brighter about his entire aura. He seemed so full of life and energy.
"The theme park sounds fun. If that's the case, though, we'll have to go shopping. Most of my nice clothes were destroyed in the fires." he stated factually, tilting his head to kiss me again. This time, only a peck on the lips that was quite disappointing. I wanted a proper kiss.
But before I could pull him back for more, he skipped out and jumped off the bed, tottering closer to the door. "Come find me when you're done." He paused and turned around, shooting me a sly grin that made me frown. "By the way," he pointed to his cheek, "you've got some dried drool over there."
Gasping in horror, I dashed around to find my phone and check my reflection on the blank screen. Sure enough, there was a noticeable line of dried drool starting at the corner of my mouth fading away about halfway up my cheek.
Embarrassment and horror made me flush the colour of crimson as I let out a strangled huff and hid my face behind my palm. The feeling of embarrassment tripled when Beehive suddenly cackled, the sound washing over me like a breath of fresh air causing me to look up to find him laughing his ass off and tossing his head back.
He is so cute.
I saw a way to get revenge as I threw him a smirk. "Didn't stop you from kissing me or trying to hump me."
Beehive sobered his laughter, turning to look at me as he leaned against the wall that separated the bedroom from the mini foyer of the suite. "Only because you looked so miserable, I just couldn't help myself." he retorted, melodramatically sighing, and placing a hand to his chest.
I shook my head. "Hey." Beehive stopped and turned to look at me, patiently waiting to hear what I'd say. "I love you."
He smiled widely. "I love you, too."
**
I recalled every birthday I'd had up until I'd turned eighteen. Honestly, I was somewhat envious of the little shit because hell, my parents had gone all out with Nathaniel's birthday this year. And it didn't help that Jasmine and Colton had both pitched in to make my brother's birthday even more special.
It was practically a small carnival complete with face-painting done by an Ivy Rose wolf who was majoring in art, a damn petting zoo, a magic and puppet show, a candy bar, a bouncy castle that was the size of a small house, a secondary make-shift pool, and a slip and slide. The colour theme was blue and the choice for balloon colours and decorations were blue, silver, and white.
The scent of barbequed sausages, steak, chicken, and lamb floated through the air, mixing with the sweet scent of the various sweet treats that had been thrown together by Beehive's aunt. Zoe had baked so many cakes just to accommodate for the amount of party guests, and not just birthday cakes that came in two different flavours, but also four different flavours of cupcakes with six different frosting flavours, and an additional three more flavoured cupcakes with cream or jelly filling.
I truly thought Nathaniel would've disliked the fact that Beehive got so many gifts and would've seen it as competition but boy, was I wrong. There were enough gifts that the total cost would be enough to feed a small town for about half a year and still have additional cash left over. Some of Ivy Rose's, and Marcana's wolves indulged a little too much in gift shopping as they not only bought more than one gift, but each was quite expensive.
My brother was going to turn into a brat after this.
It was about after three in the afternoon and already, we had gotten a second round of complaints from Nathaniel, the friends he had invited from school, and those he made here at Ivy Rose. They were hungry and while they'd been snacking on whatever treats my mother, Zoe, and Jasmine had pulled together with some assistance from my mate, and a few of the omegas of Ivy Rose, the kids wanted solid food.
Who am I kidding? Not only the kids. Everyone was starving!
Beehive and I were sat with our friends around one of the many tables set out on the expanse of lawn, chatting, and playing a card game while we watched all the commotion unfold around us. Though, not in relative peace.
Apparently, a group of teenage boys from another pack, minding their own business, was quite the spectacle because within the last hour, we'd been interrupted a total of three times by a bunch giggling little girls between the ages of nine and twelve.
They were adorable especially since they all apparently had a crush on Jace, West, and Sky. They'd approach and stop at a distance, nudge one another forward, call out to us, and when we looked their way, they'd run away giggling.
Kids splashed around the pool, some parents in the water with them to ensure none of the kids accidentally drowned or got injured. Some others were on the slip and slide. Other kids dashed in and out of the bouncy castle.
And the backdrop to all of this birthday party chaos was a sweet music mix comprised of songs that each generation present could appreciate and indulge in.
Ash and Jace had gotten their faces painted for the sole purpose of trying to freak the kids out. Ash went for a Jack Skellington design, while Jace went full grim reaper on 'Día de Los Muertos' and both had succeeded in scaring a small bunch of kids. Most others found their ideas to look cool, so now every kid who wasn't near water, ran around with some kind grim reaper themed face paint. Even some of the girls, only, theirs incorporated a little more colour.
Of all the girls, JJ and Daisy had the two best ideas. JJ had gone for a black moth design slapped over her eyes, nose, and cheek. When she closed her eyes, her lids were painted a ghoulish yellow-white. Daisy on the other hand, decided on a very cool-looking, half-rotted lady reaper using the colours of black, gray, white, blue, purple, and red. It was pretty sick.
My brother, on the other hand, had opted for a ghost-like face paint, with white as the base colour, and black around his eyes, mouth, and cheeks, made to look like a demonic figure with a literal face-splitting grin.
Let's just say, mom almost had a heart attack when he snuck up on her. And dad, like an asshole, laughed and high-fived my brother.
In a fit of frustration brought on by hunger, Nathaniel had successfully swayed his comrades and they'd launched an all-out water-gun attack on the five unsuspecting dominant males gathered around the grill, drinking beer, and talking. My dad, Beckett, Colton, Commander Rick, and Alpha Isaiah.
"Nate! You'll get water all over the food!" I heard my dad bellow which was followed by a snort and a sound of frustration as he tried to protect the meat on the grill.
"You're starving us! We're protesting!" my brother shouted, then thrusted a fist in the air. "Hose them down!" A group of about eight boys and four girls around the ages of six and nine with their faces painted from tribal to grim reaper designs all screamed a symphonic battle cry before taking aim.
The group of dominants dispersed almost immediately, ducking for cover.
"You're grounded for a week!" I heard dad say, assuming he'd been scolding Nathaniel who quite clearly did not give a shit.
"Feed me and then I'll behave!"
"The food's cooking-"
"Excuses, excuses." I heard Sky mumble in irritation. "Maybe we should've ordered pizza. That'll be quite a sale." He had a point there. We'd probably buy out the nearest pizza shop with the amount of orders to go through.
We jumped from topic-to-topic for the next couple of minutes, mini debates and arguments bursting out among the group. As per usual, Ash and I bickered back and forth about nonsense until he growled in frustration and slammed his palms down on the table.
"Boy! Piss me off again and I'll personally stuff a pineapple down your throat!" Ash yelled making me grimace as a few of the others burst out laughing, save for Beehive, his sister, Daisy who sat with us, and West. They didn't understand how much I disliked pineapples, so they didn't get the joke, nor did they know that Asher Stone was evil enough to make good on that threat.
Personally, I preferred pineapples by itself, chilled, but I wouldn't eat many slices.
Beehive frowned. "I know you don't like pineapples but..."
Jace chuckled. "There was this one time Ash pulled a practical joke on him." he started to explain, nodding his head toward me. "He ordered him a pizza and covered it with pineapples. I mean, I didn't know you could put that much on any pizza. Let's just say, there were some tears, and a lot of heaving and gagging."
"Actually, I think I still have the video." Sky piped up, grinning something quite deviously. It earned him a shrivelling glare, one that dared him to betray me like so, but the asshole only clucked and laughed before scrolling through his phone.
"Sky, don't."
"Well, it's either this or we sneak it into your wedding video. I mean, you're still thinking of proposing, right?" Jace fired, sending a smirk my way. Gods! Sometimes I forget that those two could be a pain in the ass once they started thinking alike.
"I hate all of you."
"But I kind of wanted to see the video." Beehive mumbled from next to me and almost instantly, I deflated. There was simply no winning against him. If he wanted to see every single embarrassing photo and video of me growing up until now, I'd gladly show him all my secrets. Even the ones that really made me want to dig a grave and lie in it.
"Fine."
It ate at me, but I said nothing as Sky eventually stumbled across the video that was almost a year old and slid his phone across the table. Beehive watched the video with an amused grin curling his lips, and a devious little gleam in his eyes. Once the video ended and Sky took back his phone, Beehive turned to me, his grin turning into a smug-as-shit smirk.
"My poor mate. You're a weak-willed individual." he teased, patting my shoulder to boot. I shook my head and snorted.
"Sure, babe." Let's see, by the end of the night, who's weak-willed.
We fell into another round of conversation as we played two more card games before a few of them got up- Beehive, Jace, West, and Laken- and started gravitating toward the buffet spread. Finally, after so long of waiting, the food was done cooking and Nathaniel and those little beastly friends of his sat around a picnic table stuffing their faces. With the little gremlins stuffed and satisfied, it left everyone else in the clear to approach the buffet-style spread.
When they returned, a plate piled with food was set down in front of me and I raised an eyebrow, carefully assessing the monstrosity of food that stood before me. Not that I couldn't eat it all, but did he really have to get me one of everything on the table? Besides, I could've walked over there and fixed myself something to eat.
Glancing over to Beehive, I was met with an unwavering, icy blue stare. His gaze flickered back and forth between the plate and my face; his order perfectly clear.
"I know you haven't been eating properly since the raid."
Raising an eyebrow in question, I glanced to each of the others one by one. Some of them were amused, Ash didn't give a damn as he shovelled food into his mouth, Jaxon appeared uneasy, and Sky wore this expression that said, 'Oh shit! He's in trouble, now.'
I wonder...
"They didn't tell me anything." Beehive tacked on, bringing my attention back to him. Now, I was truly confused. So, if my friends hadn't snitched, did one of the adults, do it? Or one of the kids, because kids my brother's age don't ever shut up.
"Then how did you-"
"I noticed it. You've been fussing over me ever since you woke up yesterday and found out that I was up and about. Don't think I didn't notice how you rarely ate, let alone touched your food even if I was eating with you. Plus, you've lost a few a pounds, typical when someone isn't eating right. If this is how you've been because you're too afraid to let me out of your sight, I can only imagine what you've done to yourself those two days."
Oh crap! There my heart goes again fluttering about like a butterfly. I swear, this boy had no idea the effect he had on me because I literally just fell in love with him, all over again. And I'm sure it showed on my face, in the way I was looking at him because he frowned for a moment then smiled, his gaze softening considerably as he pushed the plate of food closer to me.
"Please eat."
How could I ever deny him?
Without another sound of protest, I picked up the disposable, plastic fork and started eating when Ash suddenly scoffed.
"I swear it, you two are like diabetes. I'm so fucking jealous!" he exclaimed, shooting a glare over to Jaxon who only frowned. Beehive's cheeks reddened slightly at the compliment and a tiny smirk tugged at my lips, my ego inflating considerably.
But truly, I actually felt sorry for West knowing that he'd gotten Ash as his mate. While I'm sure they both loved one another to bits, Ash would never allow Jaxon the time of day to do nice things for him because he'd end up jumping the guy's bones. I've seen the way Ash looks at his mate whenever West did something nice, complimented him, or exhibited behaviours that were even remotely protective.
It was absolutely predatory, and I would often find myself scared for Jaxon and that's saying something.
Within half an hour, all the food was gone save for the pieces of meat bone left behind. I was in public, so I had to exercise some form of etiquette and civility. Also, though Beehive conversed with West and my friends, he would sneak a glance in my direction ever so often as if to make sure I was actually eating.
By six that evening, the party was beginning to die down as most of the adults were starting to retire having been stuffed of food, cake, and ice cream, and running around behind their misbehaving pups. Nate and his friends, though, were still up and about, playing games of hide and seek, and whatever else to occupy themselves until their parents were ready to leave. Most parents of Nate's friends had stayed back to help clean up somewhat even though most of the cleaning would take place the following day.
Jaxon and Ash had gone back to Jasper Falls, along with the rest of the guys, and some of the others from Marcana who had driven over for Nate's birthday party. The only people who stayed back were my parents and brother. Most of Beehive's family had also left as well. Black Rock Canyon may no longer have home territory for the time being, but it hadn't meant their lives were put on pause. Kosta was still a functioning member of the Council despite being disabled. Luke was still a police officer. Billy still had his auto shop to open and run, and Aunt Zoe's restaurant still needed to service hungry customers. It was business as usual despite the grave losses.
Beehive had already made mention of heading back to Jasper Falls at some point tomorrow to visit the hospital where Hunter was still in a coma. He'd spoken with his grandfather who was all too happy to ease his grandson's worry. Kosta, if his therapy went smoothly, would regain feeling in his legs by the end of the year, possibly, by next year. By the doctor's estimate- who was also a werewolf himself and taking into consideration our advanced healing abilities- Kosta would regain full mobility with two years at best.
With the evening winding down to an end, it gave Beehive and me the chance to slip away and get ready for our date night. To say I was excited was a gross understatement because for once, I had a great feeling about this date.
He was the last between us to get ready for the date and when he finally left the suite and came downstairs to where I was in the secondary lounge snacking on a few cookies and cupcakes left over from my brother's party, I swear, I choked on a cookie.
"Ready?" he asked, waltzing into the lounge like he owned it. Leaning back into the couch, I covered the lower half of my face hoping to hide away the embarrassing blush that was no doubt colouring my cheeks, nose, and ears. I had to remind myself that both our families were currently seated in the lounge with us. I couldn't make an ass of myself like I had done on our very first, official date.
Drooling everywhere and salivating over the fact that my mate looked like he'd stepped off a runway.
Gods! That felt like a lifetime ago.
"What's wrong with you?" he prodded further when I hadn't responded. He sat down next to me, giving me quizzical stare that carried a tiny gleam of amusement.
The little shit! He knew what he was doing.
My mother laughed then, drawing Beehive's attention to her. "It seems as though your attire is having quite the effect." she stated, winking at my mate, and nodding her head over to me. Beehive pursed his lips and looked down at his own body.
He wore, for our date, black ripped jeans, an army green tank top on the inside and a stylish, fashionable black jacket with a Chinese collar thrown over it. His chestnut hair was combed and quaffed but not to the point where he looked like he was about to attend some important business meeting. It was just enough to look presentable but still gave him a boyish appeal.
Now everybody is going to be looking at my mate. Is tonight the night I get arrested for beating up some idiot for ogling my mate? I wonder.
Beehive cracked a smug grin. "Good."
Oof! Just you wait, Bennett Reid. I hope that suite is soundproof.
"We should go. There isn't a lot of time left if we want to catch the theme park open." I announced, having finally found my voice and surprised that it sounded quite normal.
No indication that my pheromone levels had skyrocketed when he'd walked into the room dressed so sexily, or that I was having the motherload of dirty imagery flashing through my mind. Imagery of all the different positions I wanted to put him in.
Beehive nodded and soon, we were on our way, the drive not nearly as long as the first time we'd driven to Starlight City's coastal area. Since we were in Valley Heights, we'd crossed town boundaries within a matter of minutes, the driving slowing down just a bit as we approached traffic at the heart of the city heading further due east to the coast.
When we finally arrived at our date's destination, Beehive did something I hadn't expected him to. He'd met me at the front of the Silverado and all too gladly, linked his arms with mine.
"You're unusually happy tonight." I pointed out, gesturing to the large, bright grin he wore. There was a sparkle in his blue eyes too that I hadn't noticed before, this one different to the one from yesterday. It was warmer in a way that I couldn't quite describe.
"I am. I'm alive, and I'm on a date with my favourite person. That's plenty to be happy about, don't you think?"
Placing a hand to my heart, I scoffed playfully despite the flutter my heart did upon hearing his little statement. "Gosh, babe. Don't inflate my ego so much."
"Asshole!" he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he flicked my forehead. "Just take the compliment and shut up."
Laughing, I pulled him closer and peppered his lips, cheeks, and nose with light kisses as we headed past the entrance of the theme park. It was still very lively but there were less smaller children this time around. It was mainly pre-teens between the ages of eleven and thirteen, teenagers, young adults and college kids, and a few older couples in their late twenties. Carnival and arcade music was playing through megaphones in the distance and could be heard throughout most of the park. Most of the rides, other than the child-friendly ones were still open. The Ferris wheel was still going.
We paid our entry fee to collect the fluorescent green bands all the visitors needed to wear. Something about security and this being a relatively new protocol the park's manager implemented after one kid ended up getting lost, and then about a year prior, some sicko decided to use the park as a hunting ground in broad daylight for his next victim. He was a paedophile and eventually, they caught the guy after he tried snatching a three-year-old boy, but he didn't get away because the kid's sister who was about six at the time, noticed and started screaming and chasing after them like something out of a horror movie.
The park was shut down for a while. Security protocol was revamped, and the park's staff actually went through a training session with the police department in Starlight City on how to identify child predators. Now, nobody received access to the park unless they'd been given a green band, and a ticket with their names printed on it. If you were even remotely suspicious, park security would be on your ass like white on rice.
"Can we go in there?"
Beehive's voice drew me out of the confines of my mind, and I found him looking over to where there was a building painted in dark, crimson red. Outside, there were decorations of pumpkins, haystacks, ghoulish figures, and fake cobwebs strewn about. The windows were glass but dimmed had it not been for the orange lightbulb shining through the window from the inside.
Over the top of the entryway were the words, '13 Depraved Souls'.
Frowning, I glanced back to my mate who was bursting at the seams with excitement. It was almost a crime against nature to deny him, but I swear, there was a whole other side to my mate that just loved the finer, ghoulish things in life.
I mean, the guy didn't even bat an eyelash on our first date when we'd visited the graves of his ex and his brother in Black Rock's old territory. The cemetery wasn't far from the pack's former residential area and was actually an acre or two of land shared between them and when Blackwater used to reside there.
In the darkness where there was no light whatsoever, overgrown grass, and aged tombstones which had clearly gone a while without seeing a lick of maintenance, my mate had been as cool as breeze. As if walking through a cemetery in the dead of night was a walk in the park. Meanwhile, I had been close to passing out over a stray dog's butt poking out of some overgrown grass.
"Sure."
His smile was second to none! My gods! How could he look so adorable without trying? The things I endure for this boy.
I'd only ever been inside 13 Depraved Souls one other time in my lifetime and that was about a year ago, maybe more. Right around the time Kelly and I had first felt the manifestation of our bond, we had come down to the theme park over a weekend with some of the popular crowd which was slightly different then than how it was now. Back then, Blake and Brent were your typical assholes who everyone hated to love and loved to hate, as well as anyone else who was a part of that exclusive group. Jace was part of the popular crowd back then too, and he was with Sasha at that time.
The inside of the building comprised of four rooms. The first one was set up like a haunted asylum. The second was a haunted garden. The third and fourth were a jailhouse massacre theme, and a mirror room.
Gods! Out of all four rooms, I particularly hated the mirror room because it was dark, and the neon lights were only draped around the mirrors, so you never really saw where the jump scare was coming from, and you'd get to see how ridiculous you looked when you were close to shitting yourself.
I'd told Kelly that never in my life, would I ever set foot through those doors again. Yet, here I was, being dragged along by my Beehive to the inevitable shit-show awaiting me.
As we walked closer, the echoing screams of people already inside could be heard from the outside coupled with the maniacal, ghostly laughter of an electronically generated voice.
"Do we really have to, love?"
Beehive chuckled, hearing the uncertainty in my voice. "I know you're a wuss when it comes to these things but don't worry. I'll hold your hand and stick by you!"
Excuse me? A wuss?
"Let's see how much of a wuss I am when you're screaming my name later tonight."
He stopped and turned to look at me with the most deadpan stare of supreme disgust. "I hate you."
"And I'll love you enough for both of us." His face turned a shade of pink and he quickly looked away. Sending him a wink and blowing him a kiss, I internally did a celebratory dance when his face turned a shade of red.
Making a sound of frustration, he scoffed and stomped toward the building, disappearing through the darkness of where thirteen depraved souls lay in waiting to scare my soul into their collection.
Stepping inside, I crossed the three-foot distance of a small walkway and moved the large, heavy black curtains that marked the start of this forbidden journey. Crossing the threshold, I inhaled deeply praying to every god I believed in and knew of, to let me get through this without coming close to having a panic attack. I hated jump scares because you never knew what sound would come out of your mouth and there were levels of embarrassment that came with it. The trouble was how you were going to bounce back after screaming your dignity away.
Isn't that funny? The trauma victim enjoys jump scares, while I, the big, bad, future beta of Marcana is just a ginormous wuss.
The room ahead of me was designed and decorated to look like an abandoned, haunted asylum somewhere in the 1800s where something really terrible happened. Papers were strewn about, the curtains that were hung haphazardly to block away upturned mattresses and rusted bedframes were somewhat shredded and stained in grease or something black, and fake blood.
Yellow lightbulbs blinked on and off, concealed behind a wire-like frame casting a dim glow throughout the room, and there were not many bulbs in the first place. Mannequin dolls were dressed up and painted on to look like victims of suicide or like a patient had gone completely insane and had embarked on a killing spree.
As I walked, I stepped to the side to avoid hitting the mannequin dangling from the roof like a victim of suicide by noose and rope.
"Beehive?" I whispered in the dark, stopping as my breathing hitched when screams echoed through the room coming from the set up almost two rooms away in another part of the make-believe haunted building. Electronically generated laughter echoed throughout the room followed by the scandalous, maniacal laughter of a deranged psychopath.
"Beehive? Where are you?"
I got nothing. Where was my mate hiding amongst all this crap? Don't tell me he's decided to have a go at me too.
Well, joke's on you, baby. I've read your game plan.
Shaking my head lightly, I tuned into my heightening senses, sharpening my sense of smell, sight, and hearing, and tugging at the strings of the mate bond that would lead me directly to him.
A screeching sound emanated from my left and something landed on my shoulder making me move forward and curse lightly. As I approached an open door on my right, I slowed and sniffed the air, counting one scent inside there. It wasn't my mate's, and no sooner had I concluded that, someone came rushing out dressed in rags, her hair done up crazily and her makeup, eerie. She launched out, grabbing hold of my arm for no longer than a second before letting go and tumbling to the ground. As all part of her act, she drew up against the wall, screeching and reaching her hands out to me in grasping motions, giving me the space, I needed to move forward.
Shaking my head, I moved forward, making it only a few steps away before I suddenly stopped, bringing a hand to my chest, a nervous laugh tumbling out when the second ghost jumped out from behind a cupboard jammed against the wall. He flopped to the ground, wriggling and squirming, screeching, and grasping at my ankles. Stepping over his outstretched arms, I moved along, heading toward the end of the corridor that curved right, the entry point blocked off by a shredded old curtain.
Expelling a deep breath, I moved the curtain and stepped forward, jumping slightly when a clinking sound came from my right which was followed by the rusted, old, wheeled gurney shuffling forward a few inches as if something had pushed it forward. Letting out a puff of air, I mentally scolded myself for behind a scaredy cat when I knew that my mate was somewhere in here, waiting to jump out at me.
Tingles began to erupt along my shoulder, back, and neck on my left side. And it was not the pleasurable bursts of electricity that came from the mate bond. This one was different, and I hoped to ignore it, thinking that maybe it was one of the workers dressed as ghosts walking up behind me. Turning around, I frowned when I saw nothing, and shook my head once again.
"Motherfucker!"
The scream flew out of my mouth as soon as I turned back around only to come face-to-face with a female ghost, all pale makeup and contact lens to make her eyes glow ever so eerily. The ghost's lips stretched into a grin to expose half-rotted teeth. She didn't launch out at me though, stepping aside as a laugh erupted from her and she was quite clearly caught between channelling her amusement-filled laughter to fit the theme of a ghoulish, depraved, deranged one.
Storming forward, I shook my head, determined to find Beehive. That was three ghosts and by the name of the building, we still had ten more of these assholes to meet and my mate decided he would be number fourteen. The curtains to my left fluttered then, and I stopped, catching a faint whiff of Beehive's scent and that I saw the silhouetted figure of a leg dashing across the view of the threshold.
This little...
I got you, Beehive.
"Beehive." I called, making like I was the one doing the haunting and he was my little plaything. "I know you're in here, love."
I heard a bump, and then something crashed to the floor, clinking once, and then twice. Three times before rolling to stop as it bumped into an old, dusty desk. Glancing around the room, I noticed that this part of the 'haunted asylum' was set up to look like this had been the doctor's study with bookshelves lining one wall, some of the shelves dilapidated and books having toppled to the ground with a broken chair lying nearby. There was another table with two chairs upturned and placed on top of it. The drapery was shredded and haphazardly hung, and there was little light in this particular part of the set up.
Walking further into the room, I approached a frail, translucent light blue curtain. And like most of the other drapery, this one was also somewhat shredded and stained with fake blood. It fluttered again and behind it, I could make out a rather odd shape of a gurney but there was definitely the silhouette of someone there too, probably standing behind it.
The silhouette moved rather quickly, and I followed, shoving the curtain aside and dashing around the gurney to trap the person between it and a table situated nearby. Beehive burst out laughing, crashing against me for support as I gripped both his wrists together.
"Playing games, are we, Beehive?"
"You were scared." he laughed, trying his best to sober up.
"So what? I still caught you. Some ghost you made." I teased, releasing my grip, and bringing my hands to rest on his waist, drawing him closer and flush to my body.
"I could've waited at the exit for you and then..." he retorted, fiddling with the neckline of my tee, "I'd jump out at you."
"Hmm...I should punish you."
He blinked up at me. "In the spooky, haunted house?"
"Most people might not be able to tell the difference between screams of fright and pleasure." I retorted, dipping my head to place a kiss on the side of his neck, one he gladly welcomed by tipping his head and holding onto me as his arousal heightened.
"What if someone walks in?"
"We'll keep quiet and move behind the desk." I gestured to the dusty, old desk I had seen earlier on my way in here. Dipping my head again, I kissed him on the mouth, lowering my hands around to his ass, palming him through the fabric of his jeans.
"Mmh..." he moaned, pushing on my chest as he frowned up at me. "What're you doing? Stop."
It was my turn to frown now, and I moved my hands, holding them up for him to see that I wasn't doing anything. Beehive's face quickly paled, and his eyes went wide as he looked down, prompting me to do the same.
I only glanced it. A frail figure with a pale hand resting on Beehive's calf.
"Mother of God! Why?" Beehive yelled, shuffling forward, and shoving me back in the process.
"No babies!" came a screeching, croaky voice. "No making babies!" Chills swept over me as I finally caught better sight of what had Beehive running around the gurney and me toppling over it. Another ghost, this one smaller in build than the rest, dressed in rags with scraggily, unkempt hair, eerie eyes and pale skin, half-rotted teeth and crouched near the table, walking on all fours. It sneered and cackled and snorted and hissed.
"No babies!"
"What the fuck!" I shouted as the ghost lunged forward, screeching, and screaming, and running toward us on all fours.
"Carter! Just run!" Beehive yelled as I toppled to the floor and crawled a ways. I managed to get on my feet and dashed out of the room, hot on Beehive's trail. We ran down the corridor and out through the door that exited the asylum part of the haunted house, coming to a halt, gasping for air as we entered the second room. The haunted garden.
Beehive started laughing as he stood upright, a hand pressed to his chest. A laugh rumbled up my throat as I joined him.
"That last one was good!"
"That ghost's got jokes." I replied. "No babies!" I imitated making him laughing more.
"I didn't even see her there- Oh my god!" Beehive screamed, gripping onto me as a person dressed up all ghostly jumped out at us. Laughing, I pulled him along and we moved through the haunted garden and the rest of the building, our adrenaline pumping ever since that ghost in the asylum section.
Then there came the mirror room where Beehive absolutely could not control his laughter at my expense. Because of the mild trauma I'd experienced the last time I was here; I'd clung to him like my life depended on it. There, we'd run into the last two ghosts, the first jumping out at us while we walked through the maze of mirrors and the second ghost met us just before we made it to the door.
We'd stumbled out in a fit of hysterical laughter, high on adrenaline and our moods the best it had been in such a long time. For once, things were normal, and we were able to be like any other couple doing normal things. We'd gone on a couple rides, jumped on the Ferris wheel for the second time since we've been together, stopped by the gaming arcade and bought some snacks and junk food while we took a lengthy stroll along the pier.
"That was fun!" Beehive exclaimed from beside when we'd started heading back to the theme park. The crowd was thinning out even more with people beginning to leave, but there were a few stragglers left. Mostly teenagers and young adults.
Some of the game booths were still open and we had some time left to kill before security started ushering people out to pull the gates by eleven.
"What else do you want to do?"
Beehive scrunched his face and glanced around, taking in all the booths that were still open until he finally settled on one. He pointed over to it, a cocky grin of sorts plastered to his face.
"I'm gonna kick your ass."
"I'd like to see you try." I challenged.
Accepting his challenge, we marched over to the game booth. It was one of those games where you had to pay, shoot about five or six ducks or whatever in a row in order to win a prize. At this late hour, there weren't many nice prizes left but I don't think Beehive, much like me, cared for the prizes.
This was a competition between mates.
"Two rounds, please." he said to the girl at the booth who nodded. She frowned when she saw me come up behind him, taking close notice of our proximity, and then, out of nowhere, as if a light had flickered on in her head, her eyes widened. Her cheeks reddened and she fought tooth and nail to hide her smile.
You have got to be kidding me.
Couldn't two guys go out on a date without being on the receiving end of disgusted glares or fangirl behaviour?
"Sure." she replied meekly, accepting the cash Beehive held out to her for our games.
"You go first." he encouraged, patting me on the shoulder. I eyed him, finding his grin and that shoulder pat rather patronizing. Accepting the pellet gun from the girl, she did what she needed, and glanced to me for my signal. The goal was seven ducks in a row to win a prize.
"Hey, good luck. Don't hurt yourself." Beehive tacked on, rather condescendingly, might I add. I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm good at this."
Beehive smirked. "We'll see."
What was he up to?
Nodding my head as I stepped back to get a better vantage point, the girl pushed a button and the ducks started moving along. I took aim and fired, shooting down the first four with ease. That was when Beehive decided to come closer and stand at my side.
"You're better than I thought." he commented, making me frown, knowing that he was going to pull some stunt to make me miss. I tried ignoring him especially when he ran his fingers through my hair. I managed to knock down the fifth duck.
He moved behind me now, sliding his hands up my back and to my shoulders. I knocked down the sixth duck. He remained still, but just as I was about to pull the trigger on the last duck, he tipped his head and gently bit down on my earlobe.
I almost missed the seventh duck.
Smirking in victory, I cleared my throat and turned to face him, grinning widely at the disgruntled expression he wore. "Your turn, babe."
He grunted and rolled his eyes, snatching the pellet gun from my grasp and walking up to the booth so that the girl could refill the shots.
"Your turn, babe." Beehive mocked, muttering under his breath as the girl handed back the pellet gun with fresh shots. "I'll show you, babe." I gestured for him to go ahead, clasping my hands behind my back as the ducks started to move.
Got to say, I'm quite entertained by this childish, yet seductive side of my mate.
I bided my time, watching as he knocked down rubber duck after rubber duck, and by the time he reached number five, he was glancing at me in paranoia. By duck five, when it had been my turn, he had already made physical contact with the aim of throwing me off my game and the fact that I was only standing inches away, touching him in no way, was unnerving him.
Good.
I waited until my moment arrived and duck six went down.
Just when he was about to pull the trigger to knock down the last one, I reached out and grabbed his butt giving him a good squeeze. A sharp gasp left him as he jumped, the pellet bullet went bouncing off the booth's back wall, and he clumsily grasped at the gun to prevent it from hitting the ground.
He caught it and set it down on the counter, then turned to me with the fury of the gods.
"Pervert! I had that last one!" he exclaimed, wildly gesturing to the booth.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I squared my shoulders like the proud, dominant male I was raised to be. "Take what you dish, love." Beehive grunted in annoyance. "That's right, baby. Vent all of your pent-up sexual frustrations onto me, your loving boyfriend." I smirked then, remembering that he no longer wore the promise ring on a black beaded chain around his neck.
When I had shifted in the Valley Heights slum, the beaded chain of my own promise ring burst but I'm guessing that Jaxon or someone had managed to find the ring and put it together with Beehive's. Of course, since he'd woken up, I'd given him back his ring with the chain, opting to wear the promise ring on my finger until we could buy another chain.
Tonight, he wore that necklace his mother had bought him a while back with the four three-dimensional animal heads carved from stainless steel. His right ear where he'd gotten his piercings was littered with small, silver hoops. And on his left ring finger, the silver and obsidian promise ring with the word 'Anchor' engraved onto it, was nicely displayed for everyone to see.
I raised an eyebrow. "Or should I say...your loving fiancé?" Even though by our culture's standards, we were actually married having mated and exchanged the mating vows.
"I'll show you loving fiancé!" he cried, chuckling as he lunged forward, catching me in a headlock. Laughing along, I pried his arms away when he suddenly stepped up to me for a kiss. "Just wait until later." he whispered against my lips with soft, predatory growl. And with that, he winked before flouncing over to the booth like nothing happened.
Oh, my gods! This boy! My face was probably hotter than an oven by now.
Shaking my head to clear away the fog of dirty images, and that my head was still slightly reeling from his playfulness and that quick, but sweet kiss, I joined him by the booth where he was talking to the girl about which prizes to get.
"Which one do you want?" he asked, glancing over to me. I didn't particularly want anything seeing as I already had the best prize anyone could ask for, but I decided to humour him.
There was an array of items to call prizes, from small trinkets, to toys, and candy, to moderately-sized stuffed animals and teddy bears. My eyes settled on a set of boards that carried small trinkets like chains, bracelets, key rings, and keychains. Looking over the keychains, I spotted one I thought was rather fitting. It was a neatly cut slate of stainless steel that would easily fit in my palm, with a black overlay. The word 'King' was engraved onto the centre of it. Above the word was a crown, and below was a spade, the King of Spades.
"That one." I told the girl, pointing it out and she handed it over.
"How did I know you'd get that one?" Beehive commented, rolling his eyes. "You're so full of it."
"Well, I am the king of Jasper Falls High." His irritation with me went through the roof with that one. "You know, if you'd won your turn, you could've gotten the one with the queen and then we'd be a pair-"
"Shut up." he snapped, lightly shoving my shoulder. Laughing, I draped an arm around his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his lips. We said our goodbyes to the girl at the booth and left the theme park after making one more pit stop because Beehive had spied one of those claw machines on our way out.
I'd spent at least ten dollars on that stupid machine trying to get one freaking toy from there. I swear, it was like the machine was designed in hell.
"Carter," Beehive drawled, "it's okay if you can't get it. The park's about to close."
"Hold on! I'm getting you that damn Pikachu toy even if I have to break the stupid box open and pay for it later- wait!" Carefully, I moved the control and easily brought the claw over to the slot having successfully grabbed up the Pikachu toy. "Yes!" The toy fell through to the slot and I kneeled down to get it out, holding out the toy to him.
"My love, your Pikachu."
"You're a dork." he fired, snatching the toy out of my hand, and scrunching his nose. I stood, brushing off whatever stray dust from my pants.
"Yeah, but I'm your dork. And I have the mark and the ring to prove it."
"Egh! So cheesy! The cholesterol!" he cried, hugging the Pikachu to his chest as he faked gagging noises, hunching over to prove his point. The security guard we passed by shot us a look of concern, then confusion when he realized nothing was wrong with Beehive.
"Alright, alright! Come here, doofus. The security guard is looking at us like we're crazy."
We left the theme park and were two of the last few people to leave the place since the guards were already pulling the gates as we walked out to the parking lot. Instead of ending our date right away, we ended up driving about the city for a while, chatting about random things and recalling moments from our first date, and how things hadn't been normal for quite some time. All in all, Beehive was finally glad to catch a break.
Even with Vince somewhere out there, there was no immediate threat to his life because I'm pretty sure the bastard thought he'd actually succeeded in killing my mate. I'd love nothing more than to witness the shock on his face when he realized that his biggest threat yet was still walking around the county, alive and kicking, and probably better than ever now that Beehive had my beta hormones and healing enzymes zipping around inside him coupled with his unique blend of two higher-up bloodlines.
Okay...it wasn't all that unique, but it was rare that two higher-up wolves of different rankings were fated together. It was kind of like Sky. His bloodline could be considered unique since his father had been born into the third-in-command rank, but his mother, was a beta female by blood. And there was also Ash and his bond to Jaxon, an alpha by blood. Unlike my parents, both of them had been born into beta bloodlines, so the beta genes were particularly strong in me.
Most times, a higher-up was fated to a lower-ranked wolf like Alpha Isaiah and Luna Nicole. Or even Dale and Laken. Luna Nicole came from a family of elite warriors in Marcana, and it was how she'd proven herself worthy of being luna. Laken's family wasn't known for hailing from a warrior bloodline but most of his older brothers were slowly making their mark as emerging elite warriors in Marcana, except Laken's eldest brother who was already established as one of Marcana's top warriors.
But despite all of the amazing things that Beehive naturally seemed to possess, a small part of me wondered if he really was in the safe zone for now. Vince had a bounty on his head, and unlike Tobias who been apprehended with the sole purpose of answering to his crimes before his execution, Vince had a 'Kill-on-Sight' order issued against him.
It had been four days now since the raid on the Valley Heights slum, and four days since he'd 'killed' my mate. He had to know I'd come after him, assuming he knew about my hard-to-control animal side. If Pike knew about it, and Vince, Cheryl, and Mandy had been working with them all along, he'd know killing Beehive meant slowly spiralling insanity for me, and bloodshed for anyone or anything in my path.
He'd have known I'd come after him. And since I didn't, he could be thinking two things. Either I'd offed myself by now, or Beehive had somehow survived.
But knowing the ego on that guy, he would never think his kill to be inefficient. So, even though things were just a tiny bit normal, and Beehive might be in the clear, it didn't mean I was about to let my guard down.
"What're you thinking so hard about?"
Beehive was slumped in the passenger's seat, his head tilted my way, and eyes carefully scanning my face. I offered him a small smile.
"Nothing too serious."
"Is it about Vince?" he asked, shifting a little so that he had a better view of my face. I frowned, glancing over to him for a split second before looking back to the road.
"How'd you know?"
He chuckled. "Well, for one. You're strangling the steering wheel." Looking to my hand on the wheel, I let out a puff of air and loosened the death grip that was turning my knuckles white. I flexed my fingers and palm to get rid of some of the tension.
Beehive shook his head. "You also have this particular look of disgust whenever anything related to Vince comes up, or you happen to be thinking about something related to him. So, what are you thinking about?"
My eyes went to rear view mirror then back to the road. I shook my head.
"It's nothing. I just don't like that we weren't able to catch him."
He slipped his hand onto my thigh. "We'll get him, Carter. He can only run so far for so long." His expression was tight but reassuring and his tone was full of determination, indicating the confidence he had in our collective ability to catch the bastard once and for all.
He was right, of course, but it was for how long Vince could evade our pursuit that worried me. And within that time, what could he do to create more problems for us?
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The Fandom now that they're on a date...finally and it's fluff all around!
Me now that they can catch a break: