ZEKE
I haven't been working out in a few days. I've been busy being with Hope. I wake up early and decide to hit the gym before Hope wakes up. That way, I can spend the rest of the day with her. I mind-link Chris to join me and he tells me that Evelyn will gladly keep Hope company for a while so I don't have to rush back.
I go down to the gym, and Ryan and Ben are also there.
"So, how is she?" Ben asks.
"I think she's making some progress. I saw her smiling a little yesterday, but there's only been a few days. It's going to take time," I say, sighing. "She's coming with us to school tomorrow and Evelyn has been transferred too. Dad has talked to the principal and the teachers have been informed, but I don't know if or how much the students know about what happened."
"We didn't hear anything when we were there on Friday, so I don't think they know," Ryan says.
"Good. If you hear anyone talking, you shut them up."
"Yes, Alpha."
We end up training for almost three hours. It takes a lot for us to get tired or break a sweat. Ryan and Ben go back to their houses, and Chris and I head upstairs to our rooms to shower. When I enter my room, Hope's not there. I check the bathroom and the closet, then go back down to the kitchen, and she's not there or in the living room either.
I get worried and mind-link Chris, "I can't find Hope."
"Evelyn probably dragged her with her somewhere."
"She knows not to take her to the village, right?" I say sternly.
"Uhm, I think so."
"Fucking hell, Chris! What if she sees someone shift...or worse. She's an unmarked female for fucks sake. Being a Luna will draw any male to her without them knowing."
Now, I'm both worried and pissed. I check the whole damn house before I go berserk in the village. Her scent is everywhere in here now and it's making it harder to track her since I haven't marked her yet.
"Where is she?" I growl.
I hear some chuckling from the media room and storm in there. There she sits with Evelyn, watching a movie. Thank fucking God. I was about to lose it. I rub my hands over my face, trying to calm down and not let Hope see my eyes that're definitely glowing red by now.
I walk over to them and mind-link Evelyn, scolding her, "You should've told me where you were."
"I'm sorry, Alpha. We just wanted to watch a movie," she says, sinking down into the couch.
Chris has heard us and comes rushing in. He seems relieved too.
I walk to Hope, scoop her up in my arms and sit down with her on my lap. I don't care what she thinks right now, I just need to hold her for a while. She's snuggled into the blanket like a ball and I let her lean her head against my chest. I run my fingers through my hair and try to relax.
"So, what are we watching?" Chris asks and sits down next to Evelyn.
"Isn't it romantic," she says, smiling.
A romantic movie, great. But I can endure it as long as I'm with Hope.
***
HOPE
Zeke scoops me up in his arms and sits me down on his lap. I freeze a little, not prepared for his actions. He's wearing shorts and a tank top, and his muscular shoulders and arms seem even bigger after working out. I see his biceps flexing when he has his arms wrapped around me and I find myself watching them more than the movie. I watch his tattoos running from his hand up to his shoulder.
"So, what are we watching?" Chris asks, snapping me out of it. They don't seem to mind watching the movie with us.
"Shouldn't you guys shower?" Evelyn asks them, seeing that they still have their workout clothes on.
They aren't even sweaty. What did they do all those hours in the gym?
"When the movie is done," Zeke says.
I relax on his lap after a while.
A really funny scene comes up and they all laugh...even I let out a chuckle. I turn my head up to look at Zeke and he's got the biggest smile on his face and his eyes are glistening.
After the movie, Zeke grabs my hand and we walk toward his room.
Kate shouts from the kitchen. "Hope, would you like to help me prepare dinner?"
I look at Zeke and he reluctantly nods, like he doesn't really want to let me go.
"I have to shower. Please stay in the kitchen," he says with pleading eyes. He seemed really worried when he couldn't find me before, so I agree and nod.
He walks into his room and I walk down to help Kate.
"I'm making lasagna and bread rolls. I thought that you could help me with the bread if you'd like?"
"Okay, but I've never done it before," I say shyly.
"Don't worry, it's easy and I'll help," she says, smiling. She takes out all the ingredients and puts them on the island while I wash my hands. "See, this is the recipe. I will help you with the yeast, then you can just follow the recipe and ask me if there's anything you don't understand, okay?"
I nod and concentrate really hard on the recipe. I don't want to do anything wrong.
Kate starts with the lasagna while I mix everything up. It feels good to have something to do to take my mind off things, and the least I can do for them for letting me stay here is help out.
When I've mixed everything together, I let the mixer knead the dough.
"Is this okay?" I ask Kate.
She comes over and pokes the dough. "Perfect! Now it has to rest for about an hour before we make it into rolls."
I smile shyly, and then Zeke comes down the stairs, newly showered and smells so good. He runs his fingers through his damp hair and walks over to me.
"Then, we have time to go out for a bit," he says, smiling. "If you're not too tired?"
I shake my head.
He grabs my hand, makes sure that I dress warm, and then he leads me to a big, black pickup truck. He opens the passenger door for me, but I don't know if I can get in. It's so high.
Suddenly, he grabs me by the waist and hoist me up, making me gasp.
"Sorry," he says, smirking. "Thought you could use some help."
I nod and blush a little. I sit down and he closes the door for me. He walks around and steps in on the driver's side. He helps me buckle up, and then starts the truck.
"W-where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," he says, smiling.
I hate surprises. I want to know where I'm going to prepare myself for what's coming, but I trust Zeke to keep me safe. He's been nothing but overprotective.
We drive in on a smaller dirt road and drive until it ends. He stops, jumps out and goes around to open my door. He holds his arms out to lift me down, and I hesitate for a while, but I'm not going to be able to get down by myself without falling and making a fool of myself, so I let him.
I hold my hands on his shoulders while he lifts me down, but I'm too shy to look at him. I can feel him staring at me, though. He takes my hand and leads me to a waterfall. It's in a clearing, and the sun is peaking through the treetops.
"You see where the stream divides into two smaller ones?" he asks me, and I nod. "The smaller stream closest to us is the stream we went to yesterday. The bigger one also goes out to the lake, but further down. Behind that waterfall is a cave that Chris and I happened to stumble upon it a few years ago. I don't think many know that it exists."
The nature is beautiful here and it's not that many miles from my house. It must've been amazing growing up here. I wish I had grown up here and had a family like Zeke's. Helping my mom bake, cook and going on adventures in the woods. Having friends to do fun stuff with and watch movies late on the weekends. His home is warm and loving while mine is the exact opposite.
Zeke lifts my chin up and wipes away my tears that I didn't know were running down my cheeks. "Hey, why are you sad?" he asks with concern.
"I wish I had all this growing up," I say quietly and looking down again.
He sighs and wraps his arms around me in a big hug. "I wish you had too, but you have now and that's what matters. This is all yours too from now on."
We stand there hugging each other for a while until I feel better. He's so calming. I wish I could superglue myself to his warm chest and stay there forever.
We eventually let go and he helps me up in the truck again. He drives us back home and we walk into the kitchen to check on the dough. Kate is not there, but Zeke has been making bread rolls before, so he shows me how it's done.
"You just divide it like this, and then roll them into balls. Then, you place them in the pan next to each other."
We sit there rolling the dough when Kate and Richard come in, smiling at us.
"Oh, you've already started," Kate says, clapping her hands together.
"Where did you go?" Richards asks, sitting down.
"I showed Hope the waterfall and where the little stream, that we went to yesterday, starts."
"I love that place. Isn't it beautiful?" Kate asks me.
"Yes, it is," I say, smiling a little.
"So, no wolves today?" Richard asks, waiting eagerly for my answer.
I freeze up a bit. I didn't even think about there being wolves in the woods today.
"N-no."
"Good, good," he says, giving Zeke a smirk.
Later, when it's time for bed, I start getting nervous about school tomorrow. I've never liked going to school⸺apart from the fact that I didn't need to be at home, and the fact that I like studying⸺but the whole environment, I could do without. I always wished that I could have my own school without any other people in it.
Zeke can sense what I'm feeling⸺like he always seems to do⸺so he wraps his arms around me and holds me again.
"Would you mind if I shared the bed with you?" he asks me. "I will stay on my side, I promise. It's just that the couch is staring to take its toll on my back."
Of course he's uncomfortable on the couch. I feel bad for taking up his bed.
"I-I can stay in a guestroom if you'd like and want your space back?"
"No, that's not what I meant. You're staying with me. The bed is big enough for both of us," he says, smiling.
"Okay," I say nervously. I've never shared a bed with anyone before, especially not a boy...or should I say a man. It's only Zeke, though. We've slept in the same room for a few nights now, so I guess it makes no difference.
He gives me one of his t-shirts to sleep in again. I don't know why Kate and Evelyn didn't buy me something to sleep in, but I guess I'll buy something next weekend.
We go to bed and I stay as far as I can on my end with my back against him. Even if the t-shirt reaches down to my knees, it feels a little awkward being in just my panties under it. What if the shirt slides up? He's going to see my lace panties that Evelyn made me buy. It's a hipster model, so they cover most of my ass, but anyway.
"Good night, Hope," Zeke says.
"Good night."
I try not to think about Zeke seeing my panties and soon fall asleep.
When I start to wake up the next morning, I'm feeling so warm and comfortable that I don't want to get up. I wiggle a little and hear a growl behind me. Big, strong arms tighten around my stomach. I freeze and is suddenly wide awake. I realize that Zeke is lying with his chest against my back and it's his arms that are wrapped around me. I squeal a little and Zeke wakes up.
"What?" asks says worriedly.
"Y-you gr...I h-have to get up."
"Oh, sorry," he says, letting me go. "I did what?"
I stand up on the floor, making some space between us. "Y-you growled."
"Oh," he says rubbing his eyes. "I must've dreamt something."
"Yeah," I say a little freaked out. "I'm just going to..." I point to the bathroom, run inside it and close and lock the door.