Chapter thirteen
“Hello?” I heard Alex say over the phone. “Grace, are you there?”
I didn’t reply though. I was too concentrated on the shadow I saw through my window. The real question is: how can that person even climb up here? I didn’t even have a balcony to stand on. Was he Spiderman or something?
I don’t know anybody crazy enough who would climb up to my window where everybody could see him/her. So being my curious self, I peeked through the curtains and found none other than my mate himself.
And he was wearing that stupid grin I always see.
“Oh my god…” I say in disbelief. “Alex I gotta go.”
“Why? What happened?” He asked. I didn’t answer him. I just hung up and tossed my phone to the side.
I quickly unlocked my window and opened it.
“What the hell, Ryder?” I whispered as I pulled him in by his shirt. “You seriously could’ve gotten injured in you fell!” If my parents heard him here, they would kill me.
“I’m a wolf. I’m pretty sure if I fell, nothing would happen,” He says, grinning wider. “But I’m glad to see you’re so worried about me cupcake.”
I rolled my eyes and shut my window. I shivered when he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. His firm torso was pressing onto my back.
“I thought you were going to be gone forever,” I murmured, closing the curtains. “I thought you already left.”
He sighed as he buried his face in the crook of my neck, breathing in my scent. “Princess, I would never leave anything that’s mine behind,” I hear him say softly. His grip on me tightened and I let out an involuntary groaned.
“How did you even escape from the plane anyway?”
“I have my ways,” I felt him smirk on my neck. “But the real question is-“
“How long did you think you could keep this as a secret?” He whispered to my ear, sending chills down my spine. He was probably referring about us being mates.
I didn't reply though. I was too caught up in enjoying his touch. He moved my hair to the side and started to kiss my neck. I moaned softly.
“Oh god,” He groaned, “I never knew I could love such a sound so much.” I could feel his hard member poke my back from behind. “You've been such a bad girl for keeping me waiting like this, Grace. I think I might have to punish you. The scent of your arousal is making me even more tempted.” He then turned me around so that my chest pressed against his and captured my lips in a kiss that filled with so much passion and love that it could send me weak to my knees if he weren't holding me.
What was I even thinking when I was trying to stay away from him? Having a mate felt so great, of course, that is when you’re not thinking that he’s the next alpha king and you’re going to be his queen.
I didn’t put a mind to it though. I only kissed him back, enjoying the fact that I had my mate with me and that’s all that matters.
The kiss was short, but it was enough to make my toes curl and my heart to beat rapidly. It was the perfect first kiss and I can’t help but smile. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me.
“Happy birthday,” I whisper, almost forgetting that today he turned 18.
“Despite what just happened,” He murmurs against my lips and smiles back, “This is still the best birthday ever.”
“So far it is,” I corrected for him. “Just wait till next year.”
“Can’t wait,” He says and kisses me again. It was harder this time, but better than the first one. I followed his movements, since I’m only just a beginner.
His hands cupped my butt and he easily lifts me up. I unconsciously wrapped my legs around his waist. He holds me up with both arms and I threaded my fingers in his soft hair. It was such an intimate position but I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. It made me feel like I was on cloud nine for being so close to him.
He soon deepened the kiss as he gently laid me down on my bed with him on top and me on bottom.
I knew where this was going but I didn’t have to willpower to stop it. But as soon as his hands grazed up my legs and under the t-shirt I wore, I immediately felt self-conscious. Obviously I wasn’t comfortable enough to show him my body yet. What if he didn’t like it?
I think he felt my distress because he ended up breaking off the kiss. It took him a moment of panting to regain his breath.
He got off of me and I almost whimper at the loss of his touch but then he climbs over next to me. He rests his head on my headboard and I pushed myself up to do the same. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and I lean on him as we stared at the TV I had in front of me that was currently not on.
I hear him sigh contently. “You know I’m not going to leave until you come with me, even if it means kidnapping you.”
“You can’t kidnap the willing,” I responded. I turned to face him and pecked his lip. He smiles at me and kisses me again.
After a few more minutes of making out, I hear his phone ring. I pulled back and breathed deeply, glad that he didn’t stick his tongue in there yet. I don’t know how I’d feel if that happened. What if I tasted bad?
“You should get that,” I tell him.
He made his way into his jeans and pulled out his iPhone.
“Hello?” He answered breathlessly as if we just French kissed, which we didn’t. We just placed simple open-mouthed kisses. He didn’t look at his collar ID.
I heard a surprised voice saying something like, “You actually picked up the phone.”
Ryder rolls his eyes and hangs up. Being me, I can’t help but let out a laugh.
“Who was that?”
“My dad,” He responds gruffly before leaning in to kiss me again. The phone rang and he deliberately chose to ignore it. I tried to pull away so he can answer but he only groans in protest.
I grin and forced myself to stop kissing him. “Answer it,” I murmured against his lip. I laugh when he kept pecking my lips.
“I don’t want to answer him though,” He pouts adorably. “He’s probably going to yell at me because I escaped from him.”
“Maybe if you talk to him, we can go back to making out sooner,” I coax.
“Well if that’s the case,” He grins and picks up his phone.
I rolled my eyes and threw my legs over his to get comfortable. “You’re so obsessed with kissing me. It hasn’t even been a day yet and you completely are.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault you were born with those divine lips.” His eyes grazed down to my bare legs and looked almost satisfied when he looks at his shirt on me.
“Just answer the damn phone.”
“Okay, sheesh,” He says and answers it. “What the hell do you want, old man?”
Somebody needs to remind me to teach him some manners.
“Excuse me?” I heard a woman yell. “Do I sound like an old man to you?!”
“Oh,” Ryder says casually. “Hi mom.”
I heard her sigh over the phone. “Where are you honey? You need to come back so we can get on the plane.”
“I told you I wasn’t leaving without my mate.”
“Well you better hurry up and get her. Your father is getting angry at you.”
“When is he never angry at me?” He sighs to himself. “Okay, mom. I gotta go now. Love you.”
“Bye dear,” She says. “And I want those grandchildren soon, okay?”
“Huh?” He says almost dumbly.
He didn’t get a reply because his mom already hung up.
He stares at him phone and then looks at me. He shrugs to himself and shoves his phone in his back pocket again before leaning in to kiss me some more.
I complied and kissed him back.
“You know,” I hear the door open and then shut, “When I let you in Ryder, I expected you to help pack up some of my sister’s stuff, not make out with her.”
This caused Ryder to stop kissing me.
Jason was standing there with a stern look on his face. He was holding two suitcases and dropped them down to my floor.
“You know, this is why I don’t want a mate,” Jason started to complain and trotted to my window. “Because you never stop wanting to be attached to them and you always want to goddamn make out.”
“You’re just jealous cause I found my mate first,” I say smugly.
“Am not,” He argues.
“You can deny it all you want, big brother.”
He turns to glare at me and then peers out my window.
“Are your parents gone?” Ryder asks, seemingly amused with our short conversation.
“Yeah man,” Jason says and shuts the curtain. “Hurry up and pack up your shit, Grace. I’m letting you go to California.” He tosses me my very own passport and a wallet. Weird, I never even knew I had one.
“What will mom and dad think though?”
“When I explain them what happened, they’ll probably want to kill you and me. But since they can’t leave the pack, they will get over it one day.”
“Alright,” I say and move out of Ryder’s arms. I had to pack now and then I had to go to Lily’s to pack her stuff too.
“That wallet has an emergency credit card if you ever need it,” He glances at Ryder, “Which I’m assuming you probably won’t cause you’re mated to a super-rich wolf. But keep it just in case.”
“Since when did you become such a responsible guy?” I asked in a joking way as I went to my closet to stuff some things in my suitcase.
“Ever since I found out my friend was bagging my sister,” He grumbled under his breath. This caused Ryder to shoot a lazy grin at him.
“Bagging?” I say questioningly at the new term. At least I thought that’s what he said. “Or banging?”
“I’d personally murder Ryder if I found out he already banged you, Grace. Bagging means going out, you know, be lovers.”
“Oh,” I say. Gee, I don’t get the slang these days. “You know, while I’m packing, you can always make me some cookies as a goodbye treat.” I turned to look at him and batted my eyelashes innocently. I really was in the mood for some of his cookies and also, I wanted some alone time with Ryder.
“You’re always trying to wheedle me with those eyes, goddammit,” Jason says and turns to leave my room. Before he leaves though, he turns to us and says, “Don’t do anything nasty, okay.”
We promised not to. I wouldn’t let him anyway. I walked over to get my suitcase and put them on the bed. I quickly shoved some of my favorite clothes, well aware of Ryder’s eyes watching me. I went over to the bathroom to get my hair products. When I came back, Ryder was rummaging through my closet.
He held out underwear I’ve never even worn or seen before. “These are cute. I suggest you take this.”
They looked unbelievably new. I don’t remember getting that. I ripped the underwear away from his hand, embarrassed that this is the only underwear that caught his eye. I’m not really the type who wears cute underwear. I just wear comfy, plain ones.
“Don’t look at my underwear,” I say to him.
He raised his arms in defense, “Just trying to help.”
I turned to glare at him and stuffed the underwear in my suitcase. He grins lazily at me when he saw this. I rolled my eyes and went inside my closet to get more stuff.
When I come out, he was holding out all my band t shirts.
“I didn’t know you were into bands,” He says while looking at my All Time Low shirt. “This makes me believe you really are one of those punk chicks.”
“I am not a punk chick,” I say to him and stuff more things inside my suitcase.
“If you say so,” He smirks at me.
After I was done, Ryder helps me carry my suitcases down the stairs. He set my luggage down next to the kitchen table. Jason already finished making his cookies.
“You guys are done already?” Jason asks as I stuffed one of his cookies in my mouth.
“Yeah, I don’t really have much stuff,” I reply.
“You guys better get out of here before mum and dad come back home.”
“Alright,” I say and grab a Ziploc bag, putting all the cookies in side of it. Ryder makes a move to grab my bags and Jason grabs his keys. “Can we go to Lily’s house? I’d promise I’ll pack some of her stuff.”
“Sure,” Jason says.
We put my luggage in Jason’s trunk and we drove to Lily’s house.
“You should stay in the car,” I say to Ryder. “The alpha will question why you’re still here.”
“Don’t you need somebody to help you carry her stuff?”
“I’m a wolf, Ryder. I’m pretty sure I can carry two suitcases all the way to the trunk.” I may be weak, but I am not weak enough to do that. I’m still stronger than an average human.
He sighs. “Alright, Grace. I just wanna make sure you’re okay with after all that happened.”
“I didn’t get hurt at all, don’t worry.”
What if he got hurt fighting those rogues though? What happened to the pack that saved me? I forgot all about them.
Jason looked extremely confused before a look of realization hit his face. “Did you guys really fuck each other?! Is that why you’re asking if my sister is okay?!”
“No!” Ryder and I say at the same time.
“I told you, I was kidnapped by rogues!” I defended.
“But doesn’t a female get extremely sore after they lost their virginity? Since it hurts, you know.”
“Why are you asking me? Shouldn’t you know yourself since you aren’t a virgin? And I am still a virgin!”
“Yeah, but I usually don’t stick around after I screwed a virgin so I wouldn’t know.”
I scrunched up my nose. “I’ll never understand why you screw around with so many girls when you have a mate.”
He defiantly crosses his arms and retorted, “I told you, I don’t want a mate.”
“That’s what I thought at first,” Ryder interjects, “Until I realized it’s the best feeling ever to even have her close to you.”
I almost aw’d at him.
Jason scoffs. “I don’t want to fall in love in just a few hours like you guys had. I want to get to know my mate before I can love her, not because of some hormonal wolf trying to tell me to bang her. My mate can be some whore for all I know.”
“For your information,” I say in a matter-of-fact tone, “We met a week ago but I ran away from him.” And then I changed into a confused tone, “But at first you’re saying you don’t want a mate, but now you’re saying that you do want one?”
“You make no sense, Jason.” Ryder shakes his head.
He growls in annoyance. “Forget it. I’m not good at explaining things.”
I smiled reassuringly at him, even though he couldn’t see it since he was driving. “Don’t worry, you’ll find a mate who you really like.”
I sense him roll his eyes, “Whatever you say.”
We parked in front of Lily’s house and I noticed her brother outside sitting on the patio.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Ryder says, narrowing his eyes on Luke.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Are you really?”
“Yes,” I say, a little annoyed now. Were you even supposed to get annoyed with your own mate? He seemed so jealous. Maybe that’s why I’m annoyed. “I’m just going to pack up her stuff and go, okay?”
Honestly, I probably won’t miss anybody in this place but my family and Dean.
I just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.