I woke up with a green bruise on my jawbone, and for once, it wasn't from my mother. She was leaving tonight before I got home for her conference, reminding me that I was supposed to be going to see Taming of the Shrew with River this weekend.
To say I wasn't scared shitless would be a lie.
I made my way down the highway on my bike with the same wolves around me, following along the trails of the forest. I had to confront him today, especially since he was so reckless and careless regarding his wolves. I just had to hold in my wolf and witch and the bull shit that comes along with it.
I pulled into the parking lot and tried to hide how excited I got when I saw Rivers face visibly brighten at just the sound of my bike. I shut off the engine just as he reached me, my hair picking up with my helmet. I shook it out with my fingers, my green eyes looking up to meet Rivers guilty blue ones.
"God I'm such a dick." I shrugged slightly as I swung my leg over my bike, picking my bag out from the small compartment on the back.
"I'm okay." I brushed my thumb along his jaw, noting how his eyes darkened and shivers erupted under his skin.
He reached forward but I flinched out of reflex, but he took it a completely opposite way. His eyes fell and his shoulders slumped, his body turning as he muttered something to himself. I felt my world crash, I knew he felt guilty but it wasn't him who should be feeling it but me.
"River, wait!" He turned as I ran and closed the short distance, smashing my lips to his. He froze under my shirt kiss, my lips pulling away moments after they met his. "It's not your fault I flinched, I, I'm sorry."
He stared at me with his bright blue eyes, looking deep into mine like he was trying to get into my soul. He gave up searching for whatever it was and pressed his lips to mine, but instead of the rushed one I had given him, this one was full of the passion I had to hold back.
I felt his love pour through the bond as his lips moved with mine. I always heard about the first kiss between soul mates being described as extraordinary, but this was seriously the best thing I had ever felt. It made all the punches worth it. All the cuts and broken bottles full of alcohol, all the whips and the names, it made every single second I had spent in agony worth it.
Holy shit I was kissing River.
Holy shit holy shit holy shit.
He pulled away reluctantly, both of our chests heaving up and down as we tried to suck in air. His forehead leaned against mine as his eyes shut, his breath spraying across my face. I smelt his tooth paste and morning coffee, my wolf crying for another kiss.
'We could just whisk him away, and tie him up, and never let him leave the room!'
'Such a good idea Alicia, oh how did you come up with such a genius plan?!' I commented back sarcastically, my hands shockingly making their way through his hair. I felt him shiver under my touch, my lip rolling between my teeth to stop myself from pressing them to his skin.
'It is! I mean, we could just mark him, and make him ours, and never let any other she-bitch touch or even look at him!'
'I think you mean she-wolf?'
'I mean she-bitch.' She growled in my head, causing me to buckle just as the bell rang. His eyes opened at the sound, his ocean eyes staring at me like I was a shooting star.
"I, Alaska I," Andrew chose the perfect moment to walk up to River with a guilty expression, his eyes narrowing in on the bruise along my jaw.
"Andrew, its fine." His eyes flashed black a second before he shut them, taking a deep breath to calm his wolf.
"River, I'm sorry." River shook his head before mouthing off his own apology, my eyes rolling as everyone around us made their way into the school. It was a Thursday before the three day weekend, so almost everyone was on edge about leaving school.
River and I had planned on getting my things from my house tonight and just staying the night back at the pack house, although he called it his house instead of the pack house. We're planning on taking a flight tomorrow morning around 6 am, where I had at least bought my own plane ticket.
When I told him he almost blew up right then and there, spouting about how I 'was his to take care of' and how 'I was his regardless of what I said.'
Like I said, stupid wolves.
I made my way into the school through the crowd, not even bothering to turn and look to see if they were following me at all. I knew James was, it seemed he took up being my personal body guard without Rivers say.
I crashed into my seat in English, rolling my eyes at Paige's muttering and her incessant glaring. She had left me alone for the last week or two, but her little minions kept their eyes on me the entire time and would practically bulge their eyes out if I so much as touched River.
My body involuntarily straightened when River walked in the room, his smell washing over me like the best cologne. I peeked my head up to find him staring at me from his seat, sending him a small smile which he returned almost instantly.
The day flew by faster than I had thought it would, and before I knew it both River and I were making my way to my house. I cleaned it up so it looked better than it had in years and made it visible, changing it so there wasn't any scents of witches or any other supernatural creature my mom would bring home. I smiled at Rivers expression as we pulled up, my large cottage home screaming out 'happiness' when in reality it screamed to me 'danger.'
He followed me inside, his eyes studying almost everything on our walls. We had a few of my paintings up, which I had put up once my mother had left for her meeting, and that was honestly it. I'd never had any photos of myself besides the occasional school yearbook photo, and those never turned out good.
I saw him looking around for photos, my eyes turning sad before I shoved my wall up and forced myself to be happy. "You won't find any photos."
He looked at me with those damn cute puzzled eyebrows, his jaw clenching before he spoke. "Why not?"
"Mom doesn't really like photos, so I'd never have any taken." I said it so nonchalant that it startled me when River flinched, my body making its way up my stairs. "I'll be right back."
My cheeks heated up as I walked up the stairs, cursing myself for being so stupid. I grabbed my suitcases from my room before quickly shutting my door, my walls lines with sketches I had made the few days I hadn't aloud myself to speak with him.
He lined my walls, River reading or talking or just his eyes. I had tried shading them but never found a blue that was quite good enough, so all I had were incredibly details sketches of him. I know I probably looked like a stalker, hell I practically was one, but I didn't mind.
I walked into the hallway just as he made his way up the stairs, his eyes still wandering along the walls. "Do you mind if I use the restroom real fast, you can go put your suitcases in the car."
I nodded as he tossed me his car keys, the weight of them feeling heavy in my small hands. "Second door on your right."
I pointed to the door next to my room as I made my way down the hall. I turned just as I hit the stairs as my eyes widened in horror, watching as River began opening my bedroom door.
"River wait!"
But I was too late. His eyes widened as he took in my room, my face turning red so quickly. He took a step in and began to look around the perimeter of my room, leaving me to watch helplessly from the doorway.
"I'm sorry, I look like such a stalker oh god." I mumbled as I played my face in my hands. My face reddened and quickly heated up as my palms covered my cheeks.
I felt my hands pull reluctantly away from my face and Rivers chest directly in my line of sight. I looked back up to find him staring back at my with awe and love, my eyes widening.
"You're so talented, so beautiful." He practically whispered, leaning down so he could brush his lips against mine.
Instead of the one from this morning it was slow and filled with love. My eyes fluttered shut as he deepens our kiss, my hands wrapping themselves around his neck and pushing my body flush against his. I heard him growl deep within the back of his throats as I continued my assault on his skin, breaking our kiss to travel down his neck. I sucked right at the spot my mark would be, his breath hitching as he groaned out.
"Alaska, God Alaska." I rubbed my nose along the curve and took in his scent, my body relaxing even more as his arms wrapped around me. I looked back up to his now black eyes and placed one last kiss on him, before stepping out from his arms and walking back to my door.
"Come on, lets go back to your home."
***
I found myself sitting at the dinner table two hours later right next to River, my body tense at the fact Andrew and his father, my father, sat directly in front of us. Rivers parents sat a little farther down, showing off the fact that River was already the Alpha at only 18.
"So Alaska, tell me about your parents." I stiffened as Rivers mother spoke, my eyes catching as Andrew does exactly the same thing.
"Uh, well my mother is a Doctor of sorts, she loves working with herbs and stuff like that. She's currently at a convention this weekend, she actually is one of the bosses of everything." I have his mother a small smile, trying to avoid the question of my father.
"Yes, what about your father?" Andrew growled lowly at Rivers fathers question. I shot him a glare before turning back to Ezekiel, racking my brain for something that won't make me sound pathetic.
I really couldn't think of anything.
"My father left after he found out my mom was pregnant with me." Everette, my wonderful daddy dearest, stiffened under my words. He didn't dare look at me, but I could see the guilt covering his face.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have asked." I gave him a smile as Rivers hand rested on my thigh, his thumb rubbing small circles along my skin.
"It's okay, I got over it a long time ago." I went back to eating as small talk began taking back over the room. Rivers hand kept inching closer and closer to my core, as I cursed the facts I was wearing a thin pair of leggings.
His finger inched out and stroked along the seam in the middle of my pants, causing me to jump slightly. I glared at him as everyone continued talking, only getting a smirk in response.
"River." I hissed lowly, but I knew he heard me. He responded by pressing harder, causing my body to grow even more aroused and my face flushing bright red.
My hand gripped his wrist and moved it to my thigh, causing him to snicker in his seat next to me. I stood up slowly, giving his parents one last smile.
"I'm going to take a shower and go to bed since we have to be up early tomorrow morning, goodnight to you all." His father smiled and nodded at me while his mother actually stood up and made her way over to me.
I stiffened as her arms wrapped around me, my body involuntarily flinching slightly just as he pressed her torso to my own. I forced my body to relax as much as I could, but I could tell by her face when I pulled back she felt me flinch. I gave her a forced smile as I made my way up the stairs and into the guest room River had showed me beforehand.
I crawled into bed shortly after I showered, my thoughts on my mate merely a few yards away.