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Eddie’s POV
This kiss was different from our first. It was just as tender and sweet but also possessive and eager. There was only a short hesitation on both our parts before we gave in to the feelings aroused, both physical and emotional.
I have been regretting ending our first kiss so early that night at the dance. I had been too conscious of the stares on us, too frightened of my reaction to her – her body, her scent, her warmth, her lips. She was too alluring and it had gotten to be too much for me. I actually left the dance shortly after, trying to run away from the feelings she had awakened, feelings that I wasn’t ready to admit to or understand. But not this time. This time I wanted to savor her, savor the experience. She was finally starting to warm up to me and I didn’t want to let her go. I wanted, needed to feel her close to me. She was stressed out, scared, tired. And I could ease some of that load for her.
My right hand was still cupping her face and I wrapped my left hand around her waist, drawing her in closer. Ceci shifted so that she was sitting practically in my lap, moving her arms so that they were around my neck. This was heaven. She was heaven. She fit so perfectly against my body and our lips moved in tune with one another.
I broke the kiss and she moaned in complaint. Her eyes were closed so I took the opportunity to lightly kiss both of her eyelids before moving down her face and neck, trailing kisses along the way. Both of us were breathing heavily and I could hear the rapid staccato of her heartbeat. She was beautiful.
I slowly tugged on the neck of her shirt to expose her shoulder and collarbone. I licked every crevice, every inch of skin, and lightly sucked once, twice. She tasted amazing – sweet with just a hint of tanginess. A low moan escaped from the back of my throat and I didn’t want to stop my exploration. Both of my hands found their way under her shirt. They skimmed her flat stomach before leisurely moving further up.
Ceci tensed up. I knew I was moving too fast but I couldn’t stop. I was too caught up in the scent and taste of her, the knowledge that she was my mate and she was here, with me. Ceci though unwound her arms from around my neck and gently pushed her hands against my chest. Startled out of my lust-filled fog, I opened my eyes to find her looking back at me, with just a hint of alarm and regret in her wide eyes.
I quickly pulled myself away from her and apologized. I had ruined it, ruined this perfect moment with her by demanding too much, too fast.
Ceci shook her head. “No, I should be the one apologizing. I just wasn’t expecting that. I’m not sure if it was too fast or if I’m just too slow, but yea, sorry.
She had mumbled the last bit and was now staring at her hands in her lap. She was embarrassed. I didn’t know what to say since I didn’t want to make her feel worse. I knew she didn’t have much dating experience so she probably thought I was frustrated with her. I didn’t have the best reputation after all.
“No worries. We can do this at whatever pace you’re comfortable with. I just want to be with you, even if we just sit here and talk.”
Ceci scoffed at that.
“I’m serious. I want to get to know you, all of you. I want to understand what makes you tick, what makes your eyes flare up in anger, what makes you smile. And we can take the physical knowing a step at a time. I’m not in a rush, Ceci.”
“Are you sure? Because I don’t think I can move at the speed you’re used to with other girls. It’s not that I don’t want to, necessarily.,” she said, as she looked up at me uncertainly before continuing, “It’s more that I’m just not comfortable with it for myself. I’m still too nervous around you. I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“It’s okay, really. I can teach you slowly. Although from that kiss just now, I don’t think you’re going to need much help.”
I grinned at her and she smiled sheepishly in return. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I was really thankful.
Ceci’s POV
Once again, I had to get all melodramatic about everything. It had been a kiss, a wonderful, soul-searing kiss, but I had to turn it into a point of argument. Why I couldn’t just accept that Eddie wanted me, flaws and all, I don’t know. It seemed to be too perfect, too unrealistic that I would end up with him. I knew I needed to just get over it, especially since I knew how my own opinion of him had changed so dramatically after finding out he was my mate, but as they say, old habits die hard. And I was too used to being in the shadow, to being on the fringe of things, that being around him was disconcerting. Not because of him per se, but because of what he represented. He was the leader of the MP – he was the popular guy, the player, the jock. I wasn’t any of those things and I never would be.
But that was in the past. He was still all of those things, but he was also now my mate. Mine. Just as I was his.
I blew out a long breath and sighed. I needed to accept that we were tied together, willingly and by fate. Eddie was looking at me, a concerned expression on his face, and I didn’t want him to worry about me anymore. I would resolve my doubts about our relationship and I would do it soon. I needed him by my side, not as a friend but as a mate.
After I calmed myself down, Eddie and I talked for a while longer about my ability and my worries. He understood. He didn’t laugh at me or tell me I was overreacting. But he did look like he was holding back. I didn’t question him because I knew he would tell me when he was ready, but I did wonder. There was something he wanted to say, something he felt guilty about, but he was hesitating. I let it go.
It was getting chilly. The sun had set long ago and the air was cool. We both got up, our fingers intertwined. He seemed reluctant to let me leave and I felt the same way. We had progressed so much in our relationship in just the past two days that it felt wrong to suddenly have to part ways. His presence was becoming more and more of a necessity for me.
As we slowly made our way back to my house, we talked lightly about school, our friends and the game. I told him that I would likely see him tomorrow at his house, although we would have to be cool towards each other if we didn’t want his dad to suspect anything. I think we both knew that it would be hard.
When we got to the edge of the woods, he lifted our still entwined hands and kissed the back of mine. In return, I stood up on tiptoe and brushed my mouth against his. He looked startled for a moment, since it was the first time I had ever initiated physical contact, but he quickly recovered by pulling my head back to his for another kiss. This one wasn’t as intense as the one by the stream, but it was definitely as magical.
After we slowly pulled away from one another, he gazed down at me.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yea, I guess so.”
“I’ll miss you until then,” he whispered before retreating into the shadow of the trees.
I watched him as he gradually disappeared deeper into the woods. Letting out a breath I didn’t know I had held, I turned around and walked back to my house. My lips still tingled from his touch – I could even still feel his lips on the back of my hand.
The rest of the evening passed by in a blur. All through dinner, I was only semi-conscious of what was happening around me. My parents looked at me curiously a couple of times, but I think they both attributed my state to everything that had been revealed yesterday. For that I was grateful. I didn’t want to have to lie to them about why I was so out of it.
I woke the next morning rested but anxious. I had had amazing dreams, hazy and surreal, but beautiful all the same. Eddie wasn’t in any of them, but I knew he had influenced their content. I had been by what I was now considering to be our stream. The water was a deep blue, the grasses the same green as his eyes. Flowers of every shape and color littered the landscape. Some began to float in the air and I watched them until they slowly came back to the ground, which was now a football field. A ball was coming towards me in a slow-motion arc and I caught it in my hands. I looked down at the football, only to find it had transformed into a bouquet of lilies. I was now standing in the middle of a field and I turned around to see the Alpha and Alpha female, Eddie’s parents, dressed in a tuxedo and gown respectively. They were smiling gently at me and I was suddenly filled with happiness.
That was how I woke up – a smile on my face and a sense of deep contentment in my bones. However, seeing the Alpha in my dream also made me remember my appointment with him later in the day. It would be strange going to his house knowing that I would become a part of his family. I had never interacted with him before, so I was curious to know what he was like, as both leader of the pack and family man.
I pushed myself out of bed and headed to the shower. While under the hot spray, I mentally catalogued the clothes I had in my closet, trying to pick an outfit that would be suitable. I ended up standing in the middle of my walk-in closet naked, pulling out hanger after hanger. Everything seemed to be either too casual or too dressy, too obvious or too trendy. After about forty-five minutes, I found what I hoped would be the perfect outfit. I wore a structured cropped black jacket over a black tank top that I tucked into olive green pants with tapered legs. I pulled out my black flats and a bag before finally heading downstairs for some breakfast.
My dad whistled just as I rounded the corner into the kitchen. He was sitting at the table with the Sunday paper, a half empty cup of coffee and the remnants of what looked like eggs, toast and sausage in front of him. My stomach grumbled loudly.
“As lovely as you look, Ceci, I really don’t think you needed to get dressed up for the Alpha. He’ll probably meet with you in a polo and pair of jeans.”
“I know. But it will be the first time I’m meeting him and I don’t want to make a bad impression. Besides, it’s a power outfit. I’m hoping it’ll make me less of a bumbling fool and more of a confident young woman.”
“Well, you look nice. And I’m sure the Alpha will love you.” My dad smiled at me gently before turning his attention back to the paper just as my mom came into the kitchen.
“Honey, you look so beautiful. Do you want me to make you some breakfast?”
“Thanks mom. I can get something for myself. It’ll probably be time for lunch soon anyway.”
I drove to Eddie’s right after lunch, with my dad sitting in the passenger seat giving directions. The butterflies in my stomach flitted around more and more aggressively the further away from home we got. I sat tensely in the car, my fingers digging into the leather of the steering wheel. My dad, noticing my nervousness, chuckled a bit, his eyes crinkling up at the corners.
“You know, Ceci, it’s not that big of a deal. He’s the Alpha, yes. But he’s also a good and normal guy. You’re not heading to the Inquisition so you can relax.”
“I keep telling myself that, but my body doesn’t seem to be getting it. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine once we get there. It’s more the anticipation that has me all wound up.”
My dad nodded but didn’t say anything. The rest of the ride went by in silence. We only lived about fifteen minutes away, so I didn’t really have much time to freak out, for which I was grateful. I just wanted to get it over with so I could move on. I figured the first meeting would be the most stressful because whether he knew it or not, the Alpha would eventually be my father-in-law. And first impressions mattered.
We soon pulled up to a large Victorian-style house, complete with wrap-around porch and turret. It was quaint and beautiful. Painted a soft white, the house gave off a distinctly feminine vibe, which was completely at odds with what I had expected of the Alpha’s, and Eddie’s, residence. It gave me just a bit of confidence as I stepped out of the car.
My dad ushered me up the steps until we were standing on the porch. A swing swayed gently in the breeze and I could imagine snuggling up with Eddie on it, a blanket covering us as we stared up at the stars. I smiled to myself at the thought. I hadn’t been here for even a minute before imagining a future with Eddie.
Before we had a chance to ring the doorbell, the front door was pulled open by the object of my porch swing fantasy. He stood there, staring at my happily, before he realized my dad was standing next to me.
“Hi Mr. Caden, Charlotte. My dad is out but he should be back soon. Please, come in.”
I could see the twinkle in his eyes as he said my full name. He was a much better actor than I was, even though it had taken him a few seconds to acclimate. As I stepped into his house, I felt him brush my hand with his in a seemingly innocent gesture. My hand immediately began to burn from his touch and I longed for more.
Eddie led us down the main hall towards the back of the house. It looked like they had kept the original floor plan, since rooms were separated by walls and elaborate entryways rather than the open floor plan favored in most modern homes. I loved it. An intricately carved winding wooden staircase led up to the second and third floors – floors that I would probably not see on this visit. I wondered what Eddie’s room looked like – what posters he hung on his walls, what knick-knacks he had laying around. Maybe I could convince him to give me a tour of the house later. Maybe we could somehow manage to spend some time in his room, alone. Maybe everyone else in the house would magically disappear.
I turned my attention back to my surroundings. Rugs were scattered across the wooden floors and framed pictures covered one wall next to what looked like the living room. I wanted to stop to look at the photographs of a younger Eddie, but figured I would have time to do it later, after people knew that we were mates. Before I realized, we were in the kitchen, which truly felt like the heart of the home.
It almost seemed like I had been pulled back in time. The kitchen was nothing like the granite and stainless steel version I had grown up with. It was painted a cheerful yellow, with white cabinets and black and white tiled floors. There was even the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the air.
When we first walked in, Eddie’s mom was hidden behind the open refrigerator door, which she quickly closed with her hip since one hand held a gallon of milk and the other, a pitcher of iced tea. She smiled when she saw me, a huge smile that showed the dimple in her cheek, one that Eddie had inherited. I could see where he got a lot of his looks. They had the same coloring, but while Eddie was more serious, a personality trait I had initially understood as arrogance, his mom was cheerful and friendly. She had a twinkle in her eye when she gazed at me, one that made me want to smile back at her for some reason.
“Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you, Charlotte.”
“You too, Mrs. DeForest. And you can call me Ceci.”
“Ceci. I like that. It suits you somehow,” she said as she set the drinks on the table, which already held a plate of cookies.
“Thank you.”
Eddie had already made his way to the table, where he snatched a cookie even as his mom slapped at his hand playfully.
“Eddie, it’s not polite to eat before your guests.” It would have sounded like she was scolding, expect she smiled and handed him a glass of milk.
“Sorry about that. You dad already knows how appalling my son’s manners are, but you’ll have to excuse him, Ceci. Why don’t we all sit down. Eddie’s dad should be in shortly.”
Eddie just leaned back in his chair, smiling smugly as he polished off another cookie. I tried not to stare, but he was making it difficult.
We all sat around the table and chatted. Eddie’s mom was curious about my work at the shelter and found it amazing that he and I had only met this year. She was obviously proud of him and the two of them clearly had a good relationship. That made me really happy for some reason, knowing that he was close to his family. However, it also made me feel even worse for asking him keep our status as mates a secret.
The Alpha soon made his appearance, coming in from the sliding door that led from the back porch to the kitchen. His face was ruddy and he was grinning. He was totally not what I was expecting. I must have only ever seen him acting serious the few times I remember him coming to our house growing up. Because I would have definitely remembered a man with a kind face and permanent laugh lines around his eyes.
“Hey John,” he said, nodding to my dad. “And you must be Charlotte all grown up.”
“Hello Alpha,” I responded, suddenly extremely nervous even though he was still smiling. I felt the urge to stand up, since it seemed to be the thing to do in front of the pack leader, but everyone else was still sitting at the table.
“Please, none of that Alpha stuff. You can call me Mr. DeForest.”
“Then you have to call me Ceci.” I could see Eddie’s eye twitch at my sudden burst of confidence, but he didn’t say anything.
“That sounds good to me,” Eddie’s dad replied, just before he bent to give his wife a kiss.
After he was seated, he talked easily with my dad about some minor pack affairs. Since my dad was Third in the pack, he was good friends with the Alpha and a trusted confidante. They had actually grown up together, which meant that they were quite casual with each other. My dad had an easygoing personality, but I was completely surprised at the Alpha’s laidback attitude.
However, his demeanor shifted once the topic of conversation came back to the purpose of my visit. He wasn’t hard or callous, but he was serious.
“Ceci, I know this can be intimidating, but I want you to feel comfortable telling me about your ability. Your dad didn’t tell me anything, so I need you to give me as much detail as you can, okay? It may be important.”
“Okay.”
“I can ask my wife and Eddie to leave if you’d like, or we can go into my office, but since they’re both integral to how the pack is run, I will have to share your gift with them later.”
I felt myself relaxing at his concern. “That’s alright. I don’t mind talking to them.”
After steadying myself with a few breaths and looking over to first my dad, who nodded at me reassuringly, and then Eddie, who gave me just the tiniest of smiles, I looked back at the Alpha and began my story. Both he and Eddie’s mom stared at me curiously when I got to the part about hearing Eddie’s thoughts in wolf form, but they didn’t say anything. I tried to play it down by saying we met in the woods coincidentally, which was true, on my part at least. I didn’t dare meet Eddie’s eyes for fear that I would give us away.
When I finished, Eddie’s dad was really somber. He and his wife had been shocked when they realized that I had the same exact ability as Lindy. My dad too, since I hadn’t told him or my mom about that. I felt a twinge of guilt when I saw my dad’s expression since he looked at me briefly, hurt that I had kept such a big secret from him. But I couldn’t worry about that now and I knew he would forgive me once I explained.
Eddie’s dad gave me much the same warnings as Lindy and my parents had, but they carried with them the additional weight of being the Alpha’s. He also looked as if something was bothering him, as if he couldn’t figure something out.
“Mr. DeForest, it’s not common for two weres to have the same ability, right? I’m not all that familiar with it, but it does seem strange to me.”
He didn’t say anything, but just nodded. The room, which had just a while ago been so cheerful, was now silent. Even Eddie’s mom had lost her jovial expression.
We continued to sit at the kitchen table for a few more minutes before my dad slowly stood up. That seemed to shake the rest of us out of whatever funk we were in, and I looked over quickly at Eddie, who was staring worriedly at his dad.
My dad and I said our goodbyes and the Alpha once again warned me not to tell anyone about my ability before leading us out the front door. While his abrupt manner, such a change from his earlier attitude, surprised me, I tried not to get too freaked out and instead attributed it to the shock of finding that two of his young weres had the same ability.
The car ride back to my house was quiet. Just as I turned onto our street, my dad said, “I don’t think we should tell your mom about what happened. The Alpha looked more worried than I expected and I don’t want to cause your mom unnecessary grief.”
“I know. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Lindy. I was sworn to secrecy and I couldn’t break her trust.”
“I understand. Don’t tell your mom about that either. She would fret about what it means that the two of you share a gift.”
“Is it really such a bad thing?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of it happening before, and I don’t think the Alpha has either, but I can’t see how it could be bad, unless the wrong people find out. But that risk is something you would face anyway if you alone had the ability.”
My dad sat frowning in his seat. I knew he was trying to rationalize the whole situation, just as I had been doing since I found out. I had been attempting not to think about it, but the reaction from Eddie’s parents only solidified the bad feeling in my gut. Shaking my head, I stepped out of the car and went into the house. My dad and I parted ways silently, both of us still too wrapped up with the thoughts in our head to do more than wave at each other.
I flopped down on my bed only to feel the hairs on my arms rise. Even though I was used to the feeling by now, I still sat up and scanned my room quickly. Finding nothing unusual, I laid back down on my back and once again thought about everything that had happened in just the space of a few hours. When had life gotten so complicated? It seemed like everyone was reacting badly to the news that I had an ability and it was making me more nervous. You would think I would eventually become immune to the shocked expressions on people’s faces when they found out, but no, it still bothered me.
Hearing my phone buzzing to indicate a new text message, I rolled off my bed to grab my bag.
“R u ok?”
“Yea, just thinking. Ur parents were surprised.”
“I know. But I don’t think it’s as bad as it seems right now. They just worry a lot.”
“I think that’s pretty much their job.”
“True. I’m getting called to dinner. I’ll see u tomorrow, ok?”
“Yep. Bye.”
After staring up at my stars for a few more minutes, I decided not to let everything bother me. Yes, I still had a bad feeling. But I didn’t want to let it take over my life. I wanted to be able to enjoy my junior year. I wanted to be able to have fun with Matt and Lindy as werewolves. I wanted to be able to talk to Eddie about more than my latest worries. I wanted to be able to spend my time with him laughing and joking around and kissing.
With that decision, I finally found some peace. I realized that if some major event were coming my way, there was little I could do right now to stop it, especially since I had no idea what it was. And I had time to mentally prepare myself for it. I would ask Lindy about our ability, learning how to use it properly. I would develop my bond with Eddie, since it would only make us stronger. I would grow into my wolf.