Behold, the longest chapter I have done thus far
(Also I've updated character mood boards for Olwen, Landon, Stela and Cael so do check those out)
Twelve dates.
That was how many Alpha Landon had taken Olwen on by the time another month had passed.
Each one varied in time and location - after all, it depended heavily on both their availability. Alpha Landon was still rather preoccupied with pack matters, and Olwen was juggling training and spending some time with her friends. But they shared a common feature, that both Landon and Olwen made it work, and they were both enjoying everything they'd done together so far.
They'd gone for a picnic near the river, had lunch together at the Alpha's home, and gone for a tea break at the bakery, which also meant having to have Elijah's parents third wheeling their date. The pair had even sparred again in the training centre, and Olwen was proud to recount to Stela that she'd been able to catch the Alpha off guard and knock him face down onto the mat.
Speaking of which, Stela and Cael had begun their training with Cassidy as well. Despite Cael's previous lack of interest in training to fight, Alpha Landon and Beta Elijah had assured him that the training was necessary for every member of the pack, and that he would not be judged based on his skill level.
The higher ups made it clear anyways that programming and tech was what they needed Cael's assistance in over anything else: there were a number of menial processes the Moon River Pack undertook which could use streamlining.
So if Cael wasn't on dates with Gamma Josh - they'd made their relationship public a few days after Olwen's first date with Landon - or training, he would be working on programs that the pack would be able to use in the future, much to his pleasure.
Since Stela had practically scared the omega away from her mate, Elise hadn't been giving them any problems. She was still around the Moon River Pack, if not examining the various dresses and accessories at the boutique, then she was speaking with some of the unmated wolves. Olwen hoped that the she-wolf would find her footing one day and not spend the rest of her life chasing after others.
......
Olwen awoke with a start, yawning as her alarm went off. She glanced at her phone on the bedside table, seeing a message come in just minutes later.
Happy one month anniversary,
I told you I would be taking you on a much more interesting date since it's one of the longest openings I have, right? So that meant leaving both today and tomorrow open.
Get dressed, eat your breakfast, do whatever you need to do before you come and meet me. I'll be outside your home waiting in about an hour.
I hope this isn't too bold of me to ask, but Stela will be dropping by your home soon with a dress. I had her help in picking it out, and I hope it's to your liking.
Olwen blushed deeply, and with Opal howling excitedly and wagging her tail, she climbed out of bed and began to get ready.
She had no idea what Alpha Landon had planned, but a few days before the only hint he had given her was to pack a small suitcase for a one night stay elsewhere.
The doorbell rang about ten minutes later, to Stela and surprisingly, Beta Elijah both there.
"Good morning, Olwen." Stela waggled her eyebrows at her friend teasingly, handing over a soft, pastel coloured floral dress. "Just to pre-empt, if the dress isn't your thing then that's my fault-"
"No, the dress looks great, I love it." Olwen assured her, accepting the outfit with a smile. "I'm just surprised that you and your mate - Good morning, Beta," She nodded at Elijah. "Came here together. Are you two going somewhere?"
"Actually, since I came here to pass you this dress, I also wanted to tell you that Eli and I were talking, and..." Stela rubbed the back of her neck and smiled shyly. "I'm going to move in with him by the end of the month."
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Olwen reached over to hug her friend, spying both her and Elijah's necks before the realisation hit her.
"Holy sh-you two marked each other?"
Stela's smile turned sheepish as she nodded.
"...Yeah. Just last night actually. We had the talk with each of our parents about us moving in together, and I guess after we came to our decision, one thing led to another at his house. But rest assured, the marking was also a mutual decision."
Olwen wasn't one to judge her friend's choice, and Beta Elijah was a good man. Stela was fortunate indeed to have him as her mate.
"Well, congratulations on making it official." Olwen grinned, and then turned to shake hands with Elijah.
"You both must be really happy."
Elijah nodded as well with a similar blush that nearly covered all his freckles. It was almost surreal to think that he had still been waiting for his mate when Olwen first arrived at the pack.
"Yes...we'll slowly move her things to my home. I'm currently setting up her room. I want everything to be in place by the time she starts living with me."
"But you have a date to prepare for." Stela said warmly, lightly grabbing Olwen by the shoulders and walking her back into her house. "Go get dressed, Landon did say he would come and pick you up!"
"Okay, okay!" Olwen laughed. "See you guys later!"
"All the best for your date!" Elijah called out.
Olwen went back into her home and changed into the dress Alpha Landon and Stela had gotten her, accessorising it with a pair of small flower earrings and some light makeup. She did her hair into a French braid, and carried a stylish sling bag before wearing a pair of brown boots at the front porch, her suitcase by her side.
The sound of a car engine startled her as it rumbled closer to the house, and she looked up to see Alpha Landon step out a sleek black sports car. He was dressed in a polo T shirt and jeans, and his hair was in its natural messy form.
She'd mentioned previously that she liked seeing his hair as it normally was, and Olwen was flattered that he had taken her words to heart. It was the same reason she had chosen to braid her hair - it was the same hairstyle she now recalled she had worn the night of the function when they met.
It seemed Alpha Landon noticed too, and he approached her with a soft smile on his face.
"You brought your car here." Olwen observed.
The blonde nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.
"I don't usually have days off in my schedule, but there's nothing happening this week that requires my immediate attention, and my Beta, Delta and Gamma have agreed to help me out if anything happens while we're away. So..."
He watched her face carefully for a reaction.
"I've decided we take a drive into the nearest human town. The last time I had a clear opening in my duties it was a nice change of pace."
Olwen's eyes widened and she thought this over for a while.
As an omega, she had never ventured beyond the main territory of the wilds. She had heard that humans were basically what would be left if she had Opal somehow taken away from her. Some wolves thought humans were weak, pathetic and simpleminded creatures because of this, but Olwen had always been curious.
What was it like not to live in packs? With no voice in their head guiding or talking to them, no shifting, and no fated mates?
Humans could choose whoever they wanted to end up with, and she supposed there was good and bad. Relationships for them sounded more like trial and error processes - whereas as a wolf, the moment you met your fated you had that lifelong partner. But it also meant that in some way, humans could form connections again and again, with varying depth - once a wolf lost their fated, usually no connection could ever come close.
At that gloomy thought, Olwen decided not to think about it for now.
"I've never been to a human town before. I don't mind going."
Landon grinned, clearly excited as he jerked his head in the direction of his car.
"Hop in."
Once Olwen had piled in her small suitcase in the back of the car, the blonde walked over and opened the door for the passenger's side.
"Oh uh, thanks."
She sat inside, taking a moment to marvel at the interior of the vehicle as Landon got back into the driver's seat and slowly reversed the car out from the residential area.
"The drive to the town will take us about half a day with some side stops to refuel and rest, so sit tight." Landon spoke, his eyes focusing ahead as he drove out of the Moon River Pack.
Olwen nodded absently, her mind still bursting with a thousand questions.
"Is there...anything I need to look out for when in the human town? I mean I've heard of them before but I've never thought I'd actually go see one of them. Since it's important not to let humans know about the presence of wolves."
"Hmm..." Landon pondered for a moment as the car headed down the dirt path through the forest. "Firstly, don't let your wolf take control. Since humans don't have wolves, seeing someone's eyes change colour or someone shift will probably make them question their sanity. Secondly, avoid using words that only we would know. So...for instance, instead of 'mate', we just have to use the words 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend."
"Right...so I'm your girlfriend, and you're my boyfriend?"
"Exactly." Landon's cheeks tinted slightly pink at how candid her words sounded. He secretly still couldn't believe it himself that he was dating Olwen now.
"I think off the top of my head that's about it. We can be ourselves other than that. I'll tell you if I think of anything else."
"Hm. Okay."
Olwen nodded slowly, trying to calm the nerves in her body as she stared out at the window. The car eventually turned out of the forest and onto a proper tarred road.
......
After a few side stops to go to the bathroom, refill gas and whatnot, Landon and Olwen arrived at their destination. The place seemed about half the size of the Moon River Pack and a third the size of the Silver Arrow Pack.
Olwen had learnt as a child that when wolves settled around the world all those years ago, they made a mass prayer to the Moon Goddess to protect them from being discovered by nearby humans, some whom had taken an interest in exploring their territory, whether for adventure or hunting. In return, the Moon Goddess placed protective wards that stood until this day. The moment any human got curious about the woods, they'd be compelled to turn around and go right back where they came from. From an aerial point of view, it also ensured that the mass areas where wolves lived looked uninhabited.
Even if, by some miracle humans did find the Evergreen Wilds Packs though, they probably wouldn't have stood a chance against all the wolves.
After parking the car and checking them both in to a nice looking motel, Alpha Landon brought Olwen to a cafe to eat some dessert before they began to explore the town together.
A young woman with the nametag 'Zoe' came over to serve them.
"Hello and welcome to the Angel's Brew. May I take your orders?"
Olwen immediately noticed the way her eyes were looking Landon up and down with undisguised admiration.
Immediately, Opal growled in her mind, but remembering what Landon had told her in the car, Olwen controlled herself. Humans had no concept of mates, so the waitress probably wasn't thinking much of what she was doing now. Still didn't make her much more comfortable though.
"I haven't decided yet." Landon spoke, smiling politely at the young woman before nodding to Olwen. "If you've made your choice, you can order first."
"Alright. In that case I'll get...a slice of key lime pie and an earl grey tea."
"Hm." The waitress didn't even look at her as she took down her order, still smiling flirtatiously at Landon.
"And what about you, handsome?"
If this girl wasn't a human, Olwen would have gladly allowed Opal to take over right about now.
Landon's smile remained polite, his expression calm. He took a look at the menu and then at Olwen.
"You know what? I'll let my girlfriend decide for me."
The waitress blinked before she took a proper look at Olwen and then at Landon.
"O-oh, girlfriend. Okay." She smiled nervously, looking very embarrassed. Olwen kept her face neutral as well, but had to hide the smugness and thej joy at Landon acknowledging their developed relationship.
Glancing at the menu, Olwen spoke to the waitress.
"He'll get the Black Forest cake and a chamomile tea."
As the waitress scurried out of sight, Landon couldn't help softly chuckling at Olwen.
"Jealousy is almost cute on you."
"Ugh. Don't start." Olwen sighed and covered her eyes.
Landon gently slipped a finger beneath her chin and directed her face back up to his.
"I said almost. You don't have a reason to be jealous of her. She's not you after all."
If Olwen wasn't shooting heart eyes at the blonde Alpha right now, then she didn't know what she was doing. Those brilliants blues were similarly fixed right back on hers, and the emotions swirling within them made her heart melt.
Their moment was broken minutes later when a small airplane folded from a copy of the cafe menu sailed onto the table in between them.
"Huh?" Landon held up the airplane as a high, adorable voice reached their ears.
"Sorry, mister, that's mine!"
A young girl came over to their table, her hair tied into two ponytails with pink ribbons. She looked about nine or ten.
"Oh, no harm done just...be careful, okay kid?" Landon spoke gently, letting the girl take back her airplane.
"I will, thanks mister!"
As the kid scampered off with her handiwork, Olwen's mind had ground to a halt.
If she didn't know any better, judging from the dark brown hair and green eyes, she would've thought the kid was Aaron's daughter. While it was true that it could be a coincidence, even in terms of skin tone and facial structure there were similarities.
"Are...you okay?"
Olwen's eyes snapped back to Landon, who was now watching her with some amount of concern.
"Oh uh...I'm fine."
Landon looked as if he might say something else, but the subject was soon diverted as the waitress returned with their food. Deciding it was probably nothing, Olwen didn't think about it for the rest of the day.
......
"So...how exactly does reading these labels work?" The Alpha frowned, turning over a ball of cotton and acrylic yarn in his hands.
The sight of the taller and more built figure holding a yarn ball was almost comical, but Olwen held back a snicker to speak.
"That number represents the yarn size. Like there's light, worsted, bulky, and all that. They correspond to a size of a knitting needle or a crochet hook which the manufacturer recommends you use if you make something with their yarn."
"Uh huh." Landon nodded slowly as if she'd just spoken to him in another language.
Olwen couldn't blame him. He'd tried to explain how soccer worked to her a few dates ago and she hadn't really understood either. She did appreciate how much he seemed to enjoy it though, and right now, accompanying her to a craft store and helping her choose some yarn was all she could ask for. Considering anything like crafting or flower arranging or sewing was sometimes stereotyped to be solely omega hobbies in the Silver Arrow Pack.
She was fortunate that the Moon River Pack didn't encourage - and in some cases even broke - that sort of image.
"What about that bright pink yarn over there? It looks nice and vibrant." Landon gestured to a shelf.
Olwen went over to check the label.
"Hm. Good eye." She grinned and showed him the printed text. "But it's official colour is Fuchsia."
"They like naming their yarn really fancy words, huh?"
"Sometimes. Here, guess what the colour of this yarn is called." Olwen held up another yarn ball.
Landon studied the shade for a moment before he spoke.
"Coral?"
"Nope, label says blush pink."
"Dammit!" Landon exclaimed as Olwen finally started to laugh.
......
When they returned to the motel after exploring the various locations in town, it was eleven. Both Landon and Olwen were looking forward to a good night's sleep - they would only have a few more hours the following day before they would have to return back to the Moon River Pack, after all.
As they entered their motel room, Olwen finally noticed the two king sized beds that were separated by a dresser. To her embarrassment, a brief feeling of disappointment flashed through her before she turned back to Alpha Landon.
"Wouldn't single beds have been more affordable?"
"Too cramped." Landon chuckled, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at her. "You haven't seen the way I sleep. I used to fall off the bed a lot when I was a kid."
Giving the blonde an amused smile, Olwen headed over to unpack her suitcase and find the clothes she would change into after showering. As she headed past Alpha Landon, her arm brushed against his, and suddenly his scent flooded her brain.
By the Moon Goddess...
Olwen had to pause as she felt a light shudder go through her body. And from the way Landon had stiffened up with his breath quietly hitching, she wasn't the only one who felt it.
With her heart thudding in her ears, she didn't say a word and hurried over to retrieve her clothes from the suitcase, along with her toiletries.
"Uh...do you want to shower first?" Landon asked, his voice awkward and quiet. "I'm in no hurry. You can go ahead and use the bathroom now."
"Oh uh...sure. Thanks. I shouldn't take too long." Olwen managed, trying to hide how her voice was shaking. She was about to carry everything to the bathroom before she paused in her tracks, contemplating her choice before she spoke again.
"Maybe...it would be faster if you joined me?" She asked softly, not turning around to face him.
There was a long period of silence in the room, and for a moment Olwen thought she had gone too far. She was on the verge of trying to come up with an excuse or joke to laugh it off when Landon's voice came from behind her.
"If you want me to...then sure. Uh...give me five minutes." His voice was gruff.
Olwen managed a small nod and then walked the rest of the way into the bathroom. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears as she quietly laid down what she'd brought into their proper places. Her toothbrush and toothpaste above the sink, the clothes on the rack, and the shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in the small shelf in the corner of the shower.
Quietly pushing the door so that only a gap was left - she didn't want Landon to think she'd changed her mind after all - Olwen undressed and stepped into the shower, her heart still hammering at an insane pace. Acting on autopilot, her hand stretched out to turn on the shower, adjusting the temperature until it was nice and warm.
Stepping back beneath the water as it poured down, Olwen took a moment to slowly inhale and then exhale.
It had been almost six months since she'd last been intimate with anyone, and she wondered how out of practice she was. Even then, she had only been with Aaron. They were each other's firsts for everything, he had said; but Olwen wondered, with a grimace of disgust, how true that had actually been.
Why are you thinking of your ex mate at a time like this? Opal said. He means nothing to us.
Olwen sighed, tilting her head back beneath the shower so that the warm water was able to reach her face.
It can't be helped, Opal, he was the last and only wolf I've ever been with. What if...I mess this up?
Opal would have responded, but Olwen was then brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the shower door opening and then shutting again behind her.
Less than a moment later, the scent of forest after rain filled the air around her as a pair of strong hands gently gripped her waist.
Olwen's breath caught in her throat as she felt the Alpha's body lightly press against hers from behind, Landon leaning his head down to whisper into her ear.
"You're beautiful."
"Th...thanks." Olwen replied, her eyelashes fluttering as she sensed Opal purring and whining. Hearing Landon speak like that made her body burn with need, her wolf desperately trying to claw her way out.
Landon turned her head back slightly and leaned down to press his lips to Olwen's. It was brief and just lips upon lips, but it held back all of the desire he'd been harbouring for her and sent a rush of warmth through both their bodies.
"Last chance, Olwen..." He murmured, his blue eyes ablaze as they rested on her. "...If you don't actually want this or have changed your mind you have to tell me now."
Olwen met his eyes and nodded slowly but firmly.
"I do want this, Alpha Landon. I...I want to be with you."
She saw the heat flare in the blonde's gaze before he swallowed thickly.
"...Then hang tight, because once we start...I can't promise I'll be able to stop..."
"I don't think I'll need you to stop." Olwen murmured, reaching up to slide a hand around the back of his neck.
With that, Landon let out a groan and crashed their mouths together, sending the rest of the night into a complete blur.
They did not do any sleeping for another three hours, and as she came down from her final peak of the night and collapsed in one of the beds, Olwen found her throat hoarse from crying out her Alpha's name. The culprit rolled off to lie beside her and then wrapped his arms around her, catching his own breath as well. She could feel his heartbeat as they lay together, bodies covered in sweat that were gradually evaporating into the cool air.
"Get some sleep." Landon murmured, kissing the back of her ear. Olwen sighed softly as she breathed in his scent again, reaching out to switch off the lamp. "Good night, Alpha Landon."
"Good night, Olwen."
In the darkness, illuminated only by the streetlights outside the motel window, Olwen closed her eyes and slowly allowed the cradle of dreams to take her. As she drifted into slumber, a satiated Opal stirred just slightly within, the soft murmur of a single word.
Mate...