Graysons POV
"I can't believe you made me do that," Jason complained, lying on the ground. Taylor shrugged and smirked.
"Oh, deal with it, Stone," she waved her hand. "You're a Beta."
"So?" He argued, pushing himself off the floor of the kitchen. "That means you shouldn't have made me run! And you made us stay after school for an hour just to finish!"
"Hey! It's not my fault you guys are slow!"
"You made us run over a hundred laps! In human form!"
"I never said you couldn't shift!"
"Well--"
Taylor interrupted Jason. "I'm hungry." She turned on her heel and stomped towards the cabinet, searching for food. Pre-made, of course. I crossed my arms and glared at the floor.
What are you sulking about? My wolf teased.
I'm not sulking.
He snorted. Yeah, and I don't have four paws and a tail. What's wrong?
I just don't know why she made me run, I grumbled. I'm fit, aren't I? Hella fit. I've got abs for days.
And a modesty to match, my wolf remarked scathingly.
Speaking of Taylor, Jason invaded my thoughts. When are you gonna tell Taylor she's your mate?
I watched Taylor begin playing with Archer, picking him up and spinning him around, laughing.
Soon, I promised.
Jason scoffed. Whatever loser, have fun with your messed up love life. I've got my own to worry about. He ran out of the living room to the second floor.
"HAS ANYONE SEEN MY MIKEY BOO?" Jason's voice called from upstairs.
At that moment, Michael walked through the front entrance, freezing as he heard Jason.
"Down here!" Taylor called like the traitor she was.
Michael groaned and rubbed a hand down his face, mumbling something that sounded a lot like, "Fuck my life." He gave Taylor the finger before he ran off to the living room, Jason following closely behind.
I didn't have time for whatever that was though. Someone had to move our shit in and it obviously wasn't gonna be those two.
~
"Crap," I swore and dropped the box I was holding. I wiped the sweat off my brow before picking up the last box and heading in--towards my new home. When I entered, I saw Taylor lounging on the new couch in the living room. She was discussing Spider-Man with Archer who was visiting for the day.
"What are you two up to?" I asked, heading towards them. Their eyes snapped up to me and they started laughing.
"Nothing." Archer shrugged, hiding his smile. Taylor's silver eyes sparkled with amusement and she smirked. I playfully narrowed my eyes and came closer, standing over them.
"Well," I spoke slowly. "if you guys won't tell me, then I guess I'll just have to....tickle it out of you!" Like lightning, I struck, grabbing both of them and tickling their sides. Archer laughed like a maniac while Taylor evaded my attack.
"You're gonna have to do better than that, Blondie," she smirked and got off the couch. I threw Archer over one of my shoulders and stood up.
I smiled. "Oh, I will." I wrapped my free arm around her waist and pulled her against me. Plopping back down on the couch, I laid Archer on my chest while I pulled Taylor next to me. I smirked at her. "How's that?"
"Again! Again!" Archer squealed in delight. Taylor grinned her breath-taking smile and my eyes were drawn to her lips. I inhaled her sweet, mocha scent and I'm pretty sure I had a stupid, goofy expression on my face.
"Come on, Archie, let's go and get food," she said. She stood up, taking the warmth with her. Taylor took Archer off me and walked to the kitchen. I followed them in. Leaning against the door frame, I watched as Taylor rested Archer on her hip and proceeded to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for them.
"Want one?" She offered, knife in mid-air. I smiled and shook my head.
"I thought you didn't belong anywhere near a kitchen?" I mimicked her words from our first date, smile turning coy."
"Heh, PB & J's are the limit of my cooking abilities." Taylor continued and started talking with Archer about Batman. When she finished, Archer ran off and we were alone.
Tell her now, my wolf said.
Okay, I am.
"You okay, Blondie?" Taylor asked. "You look like you're thinking hard right now--never a good sign."
I chuckled and nervously ran a hand through my hair. "Y-yeah, Taylor, I need to tell you something. It-it's kind of important." Taylor raised an eyebrow at my stuttering and nodded.
"You see, the thing is, I'm-I'm your ma--" My confession was cut short.
"Hey thotties are we planning my birthday bash, or what?" Michael cut in, walking into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry, Gray, but can this wait for later?" Her eyes were pleading and I gave in.
"Of course," I smiled.
Glowering at Michael, I slinked away to find Jason decorating our new living room with a variety of pictures. Moving closer, I saw that all of the pictures, each and every single frame, featured the one and only: Jason fucking Stone.
"Jason, what the fuck are these," I deadpanned, giving him a stare that, as an Alphas, should have had him cowering behind the couch. However, since this is Jason we're talking about, all he did was grin back at me.
"I'm just adding a few tasteful mementos to cozy this place up, of course."
"And why the fuck would we want to see your face from every fucking corner in this house?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
We bickered for the next half hour, the majority of the time I was trying to take his pictures down while Jason merely replaced it with a different picture of himself. I finally snapped and lunged at him and his stupid box (which still had a shit ton of photos).
Michael and Taylor decided to walk in right as I was about to pummel the idiot into the floor.
"Grayson!" Taylor cried, running over and pulling Jason out of my grip. The fucker had the nerve to smirk at me and stick out his tongue from his place behind my mate.
I growled, attempting to grab him, but pouted when Taylor smacked my hands away.
"That is no way to treat your beta and my best friend," she admonished, hands-on hips.
I grinned wolfishly, placing my own hands on top of her's; Jason's demise momentarily forgotten. Leaning down to peck her lips, I whispered hoarsely, "I'm sorry, babe, forgive me?"
Her face brightened to a deep red and she hastily pushed me away. I chuckled but remained stubbornly in place. I drank in the sight of her, like a man dying of thirst. As I was bending down to kiss her again, that filthy cockblocker (McFucking Michael) coughed aggressively.
"What?" I snapped, pulling Taylor into a hug, causing my wold to purr with contentment.
What are you, a cat? I snarked.
Like you're any better, Lover Boy, my wolf answered back, not the least bit ashamed of how over the moon he was with his mate.
"I hate to break this love fest -"
"You sure don't seem like it -"
"BUT we have more important things to focus on." He gestured to himself and grinned brightly. "Me. Specifically, my eighteenth birthday party that we're throwing. Here. Tomorrow."
"You're not eighteen?" Three heads turned to look at Jason, who suddenly seemed a lot paler than before. He stepped out from behind Taylor, taking an almost unconscious step toward the other blond in this room.
Michael seemed confused at his interest and nodded mutely.
"Oh," Jason commented, his face slowly lighting up. "Well, that explains it."
"Explains what?" Michael seemed to grow even more baffled, and, by the looks of it, so was Taylor. Understanding dawned upon me and I reached out to Jason through the mind link.
Jason, wait, are you two -
YES. His answer was loud and immediate, his obvious joy leaking through the link and improving my own mood.
Jason spoke out loud, mouth racing, his face tinged pink, and hands going through as much as a roller coaster as his words. "I-I thought it was me, you don't understand, when you first meet your mate - the one Luna herself chose for you - and they don't react -- well, I mean you did react, but not in the way I thought you would, definitely not in the way I wanted to, God, you don't know how much I wanted - "
"What the hell are you talking about?" Michael's eyes were narrowed, his mouth set in a grim line.
Jason faltered at the sight, but earnestly admitted, "Michael, I'm your mate." His hands were outstretched, reaching toward the boy, but Michael automatically stepped back.
The vulnerability in his voice was the only thing stopping me from attacking him as Michael snapped, "What? No, no. I'm not— you're, no. Look, Stone, I'm-I'm not gay, I'm not - I -" Michael abruptly stopped, turned, and raced out of the room, leaving me seething on behalf of my best friend.
"Michael!" Taylor was stunned, glancing apologetically at Jason, me, and the exit, before making her choice and chasing after her beta.
I turned to look over at Jason and my heart sank at the sight of the usually hyperactive man. He had collapsed to the floor, hands in his face, between his knees.
As I approached him, I could hear him murmuring to himself, "You stupid ass, you've gone and fucked it all up, again! Not surprising, considering who the hell you are, but now you've lost your mate and he'll never want you, who would want you - " He seemed to choke at the end, shoulders shaking and I gently placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Jason, you're crazy if you think you're not the best person to have as a mate, " I started uncertainly.
Jason's more ... direct flirtations we're starting to make a whole lot more sense now, I thought to myself.
He remained silent at my words, but his shoulder was tense under my hold. Plopping down next to him, I nudged his body with my own shoulder and went on. "Michael will come around, dude, don't worry."
Lifting his head, he scoffed. His eyes were red-rimmed as if he had been crying for longer than the few minutes he actually had. "Yeah, right, don't fucking lie to me, Gray, you saw him, he-he doesn't even think he's gay! I didn't think I was either, but I sure as hell am for him!"
I watched him, carefully choosing my next few words. "Why didn't you tell him sooner? When you first met him?"
"You don't get to judge me, Grayson, when you still haven't told - "
"Okay, okay," I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "But I'm trying to. Just now it looked like you weren't even planning to tell him until he mentioned his birthday party."
"I thought he was eighteen!" Jason whined, hugging himself. "When we first met I thought he was already of age and that he didn't want me - you weren't there, Gray, he was kind of mean, but still really hot, so I was hurt bad, but that didn't stop me from wanting to be close to him - mates could still be friends, right? Just friends? Those kinds of relationships work out!"
"No, they don't. Mates are soulmates, in every sense of the word. They're your best friend, your lover, your protector, never just a single one."
"Well, it's too late." The redhead sounded defeated. "It's too fucking late. He hates me, did you see his face - "
"I don't hate you."
Our heads shot up, only to see Michael standing in the middle of the entrance, a remorseful look on his face.
Taylor was standing by his side, and when he looked helplessly at her, she prompted her to go on. Michael swallowed and hesitantly took a step toward the bundling mess of red on the floor.
Jason shot to his feet, eyes wild, roaming everywhere in the room except for Michael's face. "It's okay, you don't have to be with me because Taylor made you or something, I don't wanna force you to - "
"Jason." By now, Michael was right in front of him. I awkwardly stood as well, glancing at Taylor to surreptitiously let her know our presence was not needed here.
Walking quietly toward her, I grabbed her hand and we left the two to themselves.
As we left the room, we met Archer trying to get in. "What y'all doing?" He whispered, seeing us tip-toeing.
Taylor held up her index finger to her mouth, telling him, in the universal sign to be quiet. She grabbed him and we continued upstairs.
"Taylor?" I asked. She looked up and my breath was stolen away from me as when I took her in with little Archer in her arms.
Think about how'll she'll look with our own pups in her arms, my wolf dreamily murmured. I cheered up at the thought.
"Can I talk with you?" Taylor nodded and excused herself. We walked upstairs and laid Archer on Jason's bed, who was all pooped out from playing the whole day and demanded a nap. We left for her room and she perched on the edge of her brand new bed, waiting for me to continue.
Now or never, I thought. The whole ordeal with Michael and Jason had made me realize that I had to seize the moment, or Taylor would never forgive me. I would
"Remember how I told you I had something to tell you earlier today, Tay?" She nodded, recognition in her eyes. "Well, the thing I wanted to tell you was that...Taylor, I'm your--"
Author's Note
PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! I'VE NEVER HAD A CLIFFHANGER BEFORE AND I REALLY WANTED ONE!!!!!!
By the way, sorry for so many POVs in this chapter, just had to do it.
Because of school, I will be updating once every week on Saturday or Sunday.
Dedicated to @Ari_forev for her AWESOME TRAILER! THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!
Vote and DEFINITELY COMMENT!
With lots and lots of love, 4everAloneAnAwkward.
P.S. Please don't murder me.
P.P.S. If I wrote another werewolf book, would you guys check it out?
P.P.P.S. Type taco if you actually read my Author's Note before commenting.
P.P.P.P.S. Sorry for the long Author's Note.
P.P.P.P.P.S. What does P.S. stand for anyway?