Krey lingered in the shower. so the cold water streamed over him. Every time he thought about Pip's lips and his large blue eyes, he dipped his head under the water.
Taking things slow was hard for a werewolf. Krey's instincts were to mate. Pip's instincts were not the same. Krey respected Pip enough to move with him, not drag him along.
Still, Krey was hot in his cold shower, and now had memories of kissing his mate, not just fantasies. He could still feel the way Pip's lips moved with his, and the taste, and the heat of his breath.
Krey shuddered and dunked his head back under the water.
He soon left the shower when he was satisfied that Pip's scent wasn't on him. He had been careless about mixing scents, and Francis had to tackle him in their wolf forms to mix her scent too, so Pip's wasn't so obvious.
Krey began to understand why his mother was so adamant that Francis was his mate.
He reached for a towel and slipped on some black cotton pyjama bottoms, just as his phone made a noise from the bedroom. Krey never had his phone on loud, though he hoped to have a text from Pip before the night was over.
Krey stepped from the cold tiles to the cold wood of his bedroom floor and shut the bathroom door behind him. He only noticed his mother when she spoke.
"Who's Pip?" Makena asked, leaning over Krey's phone that he had thrown on the bed before his shower.
"What?" Krey's body tensed, and the blood drained from his face.
"Is there a Pip in the institute? I've never heard that name before."
"It's uh... a nickname," Krey said, rubbing his black hair with a towel. The short back and sides had started to dry, but the black mop on top stuck in all different directions. Krey turned back to the mirror, staring at the grey patch of hair at the front of his head.
Krey was about three years old when a small tuft of his hair turned grey among the black, just like his mothers.
"For who? Francis?" Makena asked.
Krey glared at himself in the mirror. He looked terrifying with thick black brows pressing into his already dark eyes. Krey approved. "Why are you here?"
"Just to remind you about the annual gathering. It's a week late because of your bloody uncle."
"What's he done now?" Krey grumbled. All he could think about was the text from Pip. He didn't want to open the message with his mother watching his every move.
"He doesn't approve of your cousin's mate. Do you remember me mentioning that your cousin Victoria had the dream last week? Well, her mate turned out to be human. Her father's furious."
Krey turned towards his mother, resting against the headboard of his double bed. Her long grey hair was in a large French plait, though the tip still hung by her waist as the plait curled over her shoulder. She was also in her pyjamas, black like Krey's.
"Why?" Krey asked.
"Exactly my response," Makena said, throwing her hands up in the air. "It's not like the poor girl had a choice."
Krey narrowed his eyes. Would she approve of Pip, then?
"Also," Makena continued, "it's not like she'll be the Alpha of a powerful pack like this one. She's the descended of an Alpha, but the youngest sibling, so why should it matter?"
Ah, there it is. Krey hung his towel over the radiator and crossed arms over his bare chest. "Get out of my room. I'm tired."
"Tired from spending all day with Francis?"
Krey rolled his eyes and stormed to the door. He opened it and stared hard at his mother. "Get, out."
"My gosh, Krey, how did I raise such a charming young man? How was your day, mum? It was nice, thank you, Krey. I went for a walk in the woods and spoke to your cousin's new mate on the FaceTime and-"
"I said I'm tired," Krey interrupted.
They stared at each other; brown eyes clashed hard.
"When did you get so rude?" Makena asked, slowly getting up from his bed.
"And when did you think it's acceptable to spread lies in front of my pack?" Krey challenged. He was tired, now grumpy, and eager to see what Pip had said. The night was getting late. He didn't want Pip to think that he didn't care.
"You and Francis are-"
"Nothing!" Krey snapped. "It's a lie you created."
"If it's a lie, then why are you always out with her on runs and going to Crescent town with her? I tried asking Francis about what you both get up to, she lied right to my face and couldn't get away fast enough. An omega, lying to me! I should have booted her out of the pack there and then."
"Don't you dare," Krey warned. "It's my pack now."
"Oh, is it?" Makena asked. "Well, how about you start treating it like your pack."
Krey squeezed the door handle until his knuckles turned white. "Get out."
"Krey-"
"I said, get out!" Krey yelled. "Or I'll kick you out of this fucking institute."
Makena slowly stepped closer. Her brown eyes warped with a glaze of tears. She didn't blink, fearing the tears would spill over. "Why do we always have to argue like this?"
"Because you never listen to what I want, which is for you to get the fuck out of my bedroom." Krey pointed down the corridor, seething. His eyes glued to the floor. The last time his mother had cried on him was the day his father died.
Krey convinced himself that he saw the blame in his mother's eyes that day. He didn't want to see it again.
Makena walked past him with arms around herself and her head down. A pang of guilt flicked at Krey's heart. He turned and opened his mouth to say something, but no words formed in his mouth.
Krey watched his mother as she walked away. Well done, Krey thought. Push the ones who love you away. Don't complain when she stops caring.
Krey slammed his door and marched to his bed. He slid under the covers and finally opened his messages. Even Pip's name on his screen was enough to simmer his bubbling anger.
Krey waited until he was calmer, then read Pip's message.
"Hi Krey, I'm working tomorrow until seven. Do you want to meet after?"
"Yes." Krey typed, though he didn't hit send. He didn't want to be blunt, so added, "I had a good time today."
Krey sent the message and held his phone to his chest. He barely had time to take a breath before his phone made a noise again.
"Great! I had a good time too."
Krey stared at the screen. One day, hopefully soon, Pip would be in bed next to him, and not miles away in Crescent Town.
Krey didn't know what else to say, so decided not to say anything at all. He slipped his phone under his pillow and pulled the duvet from over his head.
He stared at the ceiling until he fell asleep, wishing that he would dream of Pip again, but werewolves only ever had one dream, the dream.
At least Krey would see Pip tomorrow.
* * * * *
Pip glanced at the clock above the café door for the millionth time. He had lived through the slowest Tuesday in history. Well, that was how the day felt. Pip was so eager to see Krey that he couldn't think about anything else.
"What's up with you today? That's the second order you've got wrong," Lola, the step-in manager asked. Debra couldn't make the shift.
"Sorry," Pip said and focused on what he was doing. The café wasn't exactly busy, though it wasn't quiet. The weather had brought everyone out to play and drink hot drinks after a day in the snow.
Pip had been at the café all day. College was shut because of the snow.
Pip would have gone to the library and asked if Krey was free too, but he also needed money and Lola didn't like running the café on her own.
Pip still had two hours left of his shift. He suppressed a groan and turned back towards the till when he saw a shadow of someone standing there.
"Hello," Pip said and quickly put some glasses away under the counter. "What can I get you?"
"Black coffee, no sugar."
Pip knew that deep voice, and he knew that order. Pip looked up to chocolate eyes of the person he had thought about all day. "Krey!" he beamed, a little too excitedly.
"Hi Pip."
They stared at each other like they had been apart for years. Pip had oddly missed him a lot despite only seeing Krey last night. He had never been so attached to someone before, especially not someone he knew very little about.
"Y-You're early," Pip said while opening the till.
"I thought I could wait for you to finish."
"I don't finish for another two hours." Pip watched Krey count his coins, then hold out his hand.
As Pip reached out to take the money, Krey's other hand covered his and turned it. Slowly, Krey transferred the change, then curled Pip's fingers around the money, cupping his small hand in his large ones.
Krey's hot skin tingled Pip all over.
Krey leaned over the counter, staring intensely into Pip's blue eyes. "I'll be sitting over there," he whispered lowly.
Pip was a little breathless when Krey walked to a booth on his right. He didn't know how he would get through the next two hours with someone so good-looking watching his every move.
Pip's eyes subconsciously travelled over Krey as he sat down. He looked good in black jeans, his black boots and a black knitted jumper with the wolf's head embroidered into the left chest.
A wolf's head, Pip thought as he made Krey's drink. His life seems to revolve around wolves and their terms. Pip found that odd, as much as he tried to tell himself that Alpha and Beta terminology was probably just a system of paid jobs, based on authority.
Krey said those who lived in the institute were better than the secret service. But Pip didn't know what made them so much better. There was only so much that humans were capable of, so how much better could Krey and the institute be from the best?