Chapter 20
An adventure
Leanne’s POV
Last night was so… so magical.
The stars were up and I had so much food to eat. I was literally in heaven. The best of all was that I had Tom’s full attention the whole evening. I didn’t think twice before I ran over to kindly help him eat his delicious dessert. Oh dear Spirits, that chocolaty sweet gives me the chills just thinking about it. How it melts on my tongue…
Well I wish I had patience to actually enjoy it before I devour it. I tried many times to hold back with no luck. My birthdays are the best ones since Mamma always make me my own cake. Don’t expect me to share because I won’t. I even eat from the cake she makes to serve everyone else.
Pappa made the most awesome grilled steak over the fire yesterday. My mouth waters as the tasty steak materialises inside me head. It’s not only the meat, I love vegetables too! I just want to drown it all in a sauce. Carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, peas, potatoes…
I and eatable things have a very passionate relationship. It’s not because I’m hungrier than others, because I’m not. I feel pure bliss by eating. There is actually only one thing I like more and that’s Tom. He held my hand in the dark last night and it felt so amazing, too amazing actually. It made me greedy for more.
I kind of feel sorry for Tom because he has three sisters and a dad who loves his girls. Don’t forget to add an overprotective mother to that cue. No wonder why he is like he is. Mary is my best friend but she can be so mean at times. Tom is just as mean back to her and my emotions are like a rollercoaster between them two. Kate is just a really sweet and mature person compared to them. She also seems to share my view on violence. I think we will become good friends in the future.
I’ll need a friend to lean on when Mary isn’t here anymore. It breaks my heart to think of the day when she won’t be with us anymore. I’ll try to stay positive. She’s not that sick yet and we should find a lot of time to do memorable things. There isn’t a day when I’m not with her. We are almost attached to each other.
I am sitting on my tree swing in the garden when Tom stops outside my house in his new red sports car. Our toys are quite different, but he’s a guy. My heart turns all warm when he steps out of the vehicle. His brown hair is shining in the morning sun and he walks up to me determinedly. My throat feels dry suddenly and I wonder if his family went on his nerves this particular morning.
His muscles are flexing under his shirt and he just looks too good. It’s hard to imagine that the Spirits gave him to me. He’s never even kissed me! Even a hug would probably make me faint. He’s strong and more than capable to protect me against the world if it ever falls down on me.
“Do you want to come for a drive?” he asks me out of the blue without a smile or saying hi.
“Sure!” I agree glad over the offer.
Tom and I have never really had any alone time before. Pack members are always lurking around the corner. It’s annoying because the whole Pack thinks it is cute when mates grow up together. It’s a huge turn off.
I follow him over to his car and he opens the passenger door like a real gentleman. It smells like leather in there and I smoothly take my place in the two seated car. I sink down into the comfortable seat and soon I’m stuck in the small space with my mate next to me as he steers us away from our small village.
Tom is still in an annoyed mood so I enjoy the speed and the view of the landscape in silence. I usually join Pappa when he drives to the nearby villages. Tom just got his car and I know he only drove it a few times before. I feel honoured that he wants to take me out for a little while.
I can’t hide the smile on my lips. I’m really happy to have my mate for myself. I look over at him with a sigh. He really is gorgeous. He’s quite sexy when he’s in deep thought. The heat rises inside of me and I blush involuntarily at my own thoughts. I’m allowed to want my mate! I just wish he would do something about it. Maybe he’s not sexually interested yet but I’m starving for his touch.
I’ve been so very patient. It feels so good to finally be old enough that we can do whatever we want without anyone’s approval.
He stops outside a small grocery shop and he finally looks at me hesitantly. We’ve been driving for one hour but it felt rather nice than awkward. We’re in a small village and there are cute houses with small gardens and a gas station in sight.
“Let’s get something to drink and maybe a picnic. You will get hungry in the Wildlife Park.”
I squeal loudly at the mention; not at food this time but the Park. I always wanted to go there but didn’t despite the fact that it’s only three hours away from home. I throw myself around his neck and he laughs at my reaction. Tingles shoot out through my body and I don’t want to let go. The lure of food makes me draw back and I look excitedly at the building.
We don’t have a grocery store in the Ninjan Pack, but Pappa and I usually visit the neighbouring Pack’s. My role is actually to collect lists of what people need and help Pappa collect it. It’s not a hard task, but it is something I love doing; especially when they want food.
I step out of the car and unfamiliar smells hits my nostrils. I scan the area and decide that this is a peaceful place. Everyone who lives here seems to be outdoors in the nice weather and an older lady smile at me as she walks out of the shop with a magazine in her hand.
Tom takes my hand and I blush in happiness. He’s the sweetest guy I ever met. I know he’s scanning the area and I like this protective side of him. I think he finds joy to be my knight in shining armour this far from home. I’m pretty sure that I’m still not as defenceless as any other Pack’s members because I’m a Ninjan and I did take classes that other wolves didn’t. They just didn’t contain any violence.
I walk into the store, holding Tom’s hand like a lovesick puppy. He picks up a basket that is conveniently for sale and I place my arm on his elbow to free both his hands. There are four other customers and two shop workers in here and they look at us curiously. We are still wearing our Ninjan uniforms and I smile sweetly at them because Tom doesn’t care to show any sign of kindness to make them feel easy.
“Just pick anything you want,” Tom says with a dazzling smile that makes my knees go weak.
“I’m already holding what I want,” I tell him bravely and press myself closer towards him. “Food will be awesome too though,” I add and start eating the food products in my head as I see them.
His ears turn red and it’s so cute. Maybe I should flirt with him more seeing how he reacts. I start filling the basket and my mate looks at me with a hint of a smile as I drag him around the shelves. I still can’t believe he’s taking me to the Wildlife Park!
The Park itself is huge. A lot of wild animals live in that area so it’s a kind of a no-man’s-land. It doesn’t belong to any Pack and there aren’t many places like this in the world. People travel far to experience how it feels to be back in the nature. Tom really couldn’t have picked anywhere better to take me.
He pays for our picnic and a guy around our age comes up to me. He’s good looking but seems to be a ladies man who thinks he owns the world. He isn’t as gorgeous as Tom and not even close to as well built. He looks me up and down in a way that is very uncomfortable. My uniform covers me well but his stare makes me feel naked.
“Welcome to the Fallon Territory,” he grins at me and leans in. I have to fight back an urge to take a step back and I give Tom a nervous glance. He’s still not finished at the counter. “What is a pretty girl like you doing here?”
“We are just passing through,” I answer him shortly.
“Don’t be in such a hurry,” he begs with a silky voice and lets his fingers trail over my chin. I quickly knock his hand away and he chuckles lightly. “I’m sure we could have a few hours of fun. My house is nearby. Why don’t you join me?”
“My mate is not going anywhere with you,” Tom speaks up with an ice cold voice. He takes my hand and I calm down instantly. He then smoothly escorts me out of the store with the other guy following.
“Hey!” the stranger calls to us offended. “She didn’t say no.”
He closes in to us and is about to grab me when Tom shoves him away. I grab the basket from Tom and get into my seat quickly. I hold onto the basket tightly as I watch them worriedly.
“You should take her retreat as a no,” Tom says strongly. “We don’t want a fight. We are leaving now and won’t come back here again.”
The guy backs away pissed and Tom gets in to the driver seat. The engine roars into life and the stranger looks jealously after us as we disappear down the road.
“Some jerk,” he mutters. “Are you alright?”
“Well I never had a guy hitting on me before,” I say thoughtfully. “It felt kind of gross to be seen like that.” I look at him nervously. “Well unless it is you of course.”
“We should drive far from here before we stop to eat,” he decides and speeds up the car when we get out on the main road again.
I’m just glad that we will be far away from here when we stop next time. The random guy did ruin some of the fun of the trip and Tom is still muttering to himself what he will do with him if he sees him again. It’s cute, but not the nicest thing to say. I’ll gladly let Tom protect me. He’s my knight in shining armour.
We drive for another hour talking about different things before I see a road lead into a couple of fields with a river passing through. I point at it excitedly because I’m starving.
“Let’s have a picnic down that road!”
He chuckles at me and slows down before he turns. We drive for about fifteen minutes before he find a good enough place to stop the car. It’s right next to the river and I jump out of the car, happy to stretch my limbs again. I catch Tom checking me out and he blushes deeply.
He brings a blanket from the trunk and I unpack our picnic on it. Birds are chirping in the trees and cows are mooing nearby. I sigh deeply, one hundred percent content with the situation. We eat and it’s really hard to act normal around him without other people around. As I said; they are a huge turn off. I’m getting quite turned on and Tom is really nervous to take this step with me.
I don’t want to live in agony anymore. I want more than what he has given me so far. I want him and I want him to want me. I waited long enough.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?” he asks me interestedly as he packs down the picnic. We ate all food so there’s just waste left.
“Is there something you want to ask me?” I wonder openly and admire his pretty frame in the afternoon sunlight. “At least there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Just ask away, Leanne.”
The way he speaks my name sounds so delicious. I don’t know if it’s the magical environment that makes me brave so suddenly or if it is the Wolf Spirits who deem this to be the perfect moment for us. I just need to ask because I can’t wait another year until he finds his words.
“Will you marry me?” The words leave my mouth and they feel so right. Tom’s eyes gets warmer and I melt at the sight. He puts his arms around me and drags me close to his body.
“Yes, I’d love to,” he answers me huskily and covers my mouth with his warm lips.
The world turns into a blur around me and I actually faint out of pure bliss. I wake up a few moments later when he shakes me roughly to wake me up. I’m still dazed and my lips are burning from his touch. My heart is beating badly and it takes a few moments before I realize that he’s trying to talk to me.
“I love you Tom,” I whisper and attack him with a new kiss that I try to not faint from.
It’s not possible to let him go. I want to kiss him and never stop. It’s like a fire in my veins and there’s no water to drench it in. The pressure is only building up and no one else is around to disturb us.
This is completely new to both of us, but we are eagerly exploring each other without any shame. I’m not sure why we waited so long to do this. It feels so amazing. I want Tom’s hands everywhere.
I guess our kiss is quite innocent for anyone who might see us, but it is more passionate than I ever felt before. We gently break free from the delicious kiss and were both smiling lost in each other.
“Wow,” he says and kisses my cheek. “You’re a great kisser.”
His compliment makes me shy and I blush. “You’re pretty good too.”
We rest on the blanket for a few hours, too absorbed in our new feelings to care about going to the Wild Life Park yet. I like cuddling with Tom and I feel secure in his arms. We also practise kissing a bit more, but nothing that crosses over to anything naughty.
I’m getting a bit hungry again and we pack ourselves into the car because we ate all food earlier.
“I hope there is a town nearby or a pub along the way so we can eat dinner.” Tom hopes and I find it exciting to look for a place to eat.
I have never been to a restaurant before. I hug Tom’s arm and my heart acts funny in my chest when I touch him. I put my hand over my chest at the funny feeling and wonder if he feels like this too. I sigh happily when I think back at how it feels to kiss him. Tom turns stiff under me and I look up wondering why.
“Are you okay?” I ask nervously, hoping I don’t make him uncomfortable with my touching.
He blushes so his face turns into a deep red and my heart just stops beating at the sight of his adorable embarrassment.
“I was fine until we got into the car,” he tells me slowly. “The tension in here makes me excited in a way I shouldn’t while I’m driving.”
“Oh,” I comment stupidly and let go of him and lean back into my own seat. I blush at his words but can’t help feel more excited at the fact that he wants me in that way. “Do you want me Tom?”
“Wanting is an understatement,” he mutters. “You have always been my number one.”
“Let’s do it then.”
Tom hits the breaks so we almost fall off the road. It should have scared me, but the tension in the car has taken overhand and my heart is beating excitedly at the thought of what I want to do with him.
“What, here?”
“Maybe the tension rose because I want you. Now.”
He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. He then gets the car on the road again and I lean back in my seat, waiting for his reply. I better not distract him while he’s driving and we can’t just stop in the middle of a road where everyone can see us.
Okay. We haven’t seen a car for the last thirty minutes or so, but I don’t want to lose my virginity while someone else is watching. That’s just gross. Oh dear Spirits! What if Tom actually took my request and mated with me right there and then? I wouldn’t have been able to say no.
I feel like slapping myself. I wasn’t this turned on at our picnic. That would have been a better place to do it. I’m just… confused.
“Do you want me first or the food?” Tom suddenly asks and my mood rises when I see an inn with a huge restaurant sign.
I clap my hands loudly and cheer when I already smell the meat being grilled out on the terrace.
“How about dinner first so we can be wild animals later?” I suggest.
The inn is really cosy and I spend almost two hours eating almost everything on the menu. That’s including desserts and appetizers. I’m in food heaven. Tom just lets me have it without complain. I give him a taste of everything, but he seems to be happy just by watching me eat. I’m no lady. I know I eat like a pig and I’m not ashamed of it. He’s my mate, I’m allowed to act embarrassing in front of him.
The restaurant is quite popular for the middle aged couples so we’re standing out by being so young. I’m relived because I don’t want another player running after me.
I laugh shyly when I see what time it is. “We were supposed to go to the Wild Life Park today, but I didn’t expect a detour around it!”
“At least we can stay here for the night and enter it tomorrow,” Tom says nervously and I take his hand over the table. The poor guy is suddenly cold-sweating in his seat.
“It’s alright Tom,” I say to ease his mood. “We can wait until we are married. You shouldn’t be so scared of your mother though.”
“I’m not scared!” he quickly defends himself. “I always spoke my mind but that doesn’t stop her from speaking her mind. She’s very sensitive when it comes to the whole mate issue.”
“I guess we will sleep under the stars tonight then,” I add with a smile. All the previous lust I had is now gone and the familiar feeling of comfort sets in. I’m very excited about visiting the park.
Tom pay’s for our food and we leave the car at the parking lot to run the last mile. We are running side by side without any trouble, spite my huge dinner. I barely understand myself where it all goes down in my small body. Tom is much bigger than me but he doesn’t eat nearly as much. All that muscle…
Oh dear, oh no!
“Tom!” I whine. “You are too sexy. I’m drooling by watching you run.”
I never spoke like this to him before. I want to speak my mind so he gets used to it. He better get used to me wanting to jump him. What was I even thinking by suggesting waiting until our wedding night? Starley Ray should stay out of her children’s love life instead. She even threatened a Wolf Spirit!
Sadness rips my heart again when I think of my best friend. We share everything. There has never been a secret between us and she told me everything she’s going through. She’s going to die, she has a mate who is a Spirit and no one is allowed to know of his existence. I wonder how they will solve it.
Princess met Vincent when she was visiting another Pack and he rejected her to begin with. She slowly forced herself into his life and Starley was furious when she left our pack with Vincent to sort out the Northwall Pack instead. They got married later on, but the Ray Mother is still licking her wounds from that one.
Kate is the miracle who returned after fourteen years. She had to live through so much pain and suffering before she could break free. Yes she’s lucky to have found her very accepting mate, but the past made deep scars into her soul that never will heal.
Then there’s me and Tom who grew up together. We always felt secure in ourselves and our mates even if we didn’t play it out until today. I had it easy when I think of the mate stories of the other Ray children. Tom is the lucky one.
We finally reach the short wooden fence that marks the beginning of the Wild Life Park. It’s short enough to jump over and I throw myself into Tom’s arms. The sun is about to set and I know that this is going to be a killer experience.
“Finally!” I gasp and shift into my wolf as I take a leap over into the wilderness.
-
Twenty-four hours later we are finally driving into the Ninjan Territory again. I feel sorry for Tom who had to drive all the way home while I was asleep. He looks pretty happy for having me for himself for almost two days.
The Park was more amazing than I expected. There was so much to explore and the scenery was magical with different kinds of settings. I am used to the forest from home, but there were also valleys and open fields with millions of flowers. Kate would like to go there.
We got a few hours of sleep before dawn and kept playing around the huge area. We met other wolves there but no one is interested in breaking the non-violence restriction. The penalty is quite high for breaking the peaceful haven. I should know, a lot of wolves have been executed for that by my own mate.
I smile sleepily at my mate who deserves a long night’s sleep. He rolls his eyes as we reach the entrance of the city. I look out through the windshield and have to cover my eyes from the sunset that is taking place in that direction. Starley is waiting for us and Tom stops the car beside her.
“Hi Mom!” he greets her cheerfully.
“Oh Tom!” she says close to tears and rips his door open to crash down into his arms. This takes us both by surprise. “I was afraid that you were going to do what I and your Father did. I didn’t believe you to be so reckless, but I was still worried. I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Tom took me to the Wild Life Park, as a date,” I tell her shyly and feel my cheeks heat up at the word date. It wasn’t an official date, but still a very accurate one. “We had a nice time.”
She wipes her eyes and I can see the pure worry inside of her. She rarely lets her ice cold mask fall off, but behind it I notice a very insecure woman.
“Leanne tried to steal my innocence, but she didn’t succeed,” Tom teases me and that makes Mrs Ray smile slightly. “Let’s go home, I’m starving!”
His mother glares me down and I sink back into my seat in shame. Maybe I didn’t let Tom eat very much. Maybe I’m not all that great for her Little Boy.
“Thanks for everything. I guess I should go home to my parents and to tell them the great news,” I suggest.
Not that I want to part from Tom ever again. We’re not parted though; we just live a few houses away from each other. I sigh happily at the thought of having my own house to tend for. Me and Tom and the zillion babies we will make. Oh holy Spirits, I can’t wait!