~Waylon~
"I even called Dad but he said our parents had talked and thought it was best for us to separate. How could they do this to us? How are you going to survive without me?"
Juniper whines as she reapplies her dark red lipstick and smacks her lips. I curled up on my bed with my knees to my chest as I color coded my notes with little tabs. I don't mind being separated although it's kind of weird not having her as a partner in every class. Looking over my shoulder and copying all of my notes.
She pushed her brown curls back with added finesse in her perfection as she pulled slightly on her navy blue crop top and fixed her white cotton shorts. The outfit told me what she was up to before she said a word.
"I'm going to go see Alby tonight, what do you think?" She asks for my advice and I'm only impressed by her confidence.
"Isn't it a bad idea to be in a relationship this year? With the mating ceremony coming up?" I ask and she rolls her emerald green eyes at me.
"A relationship with Alby? No, never again. I'm just going there cause I'm bored and haven't gotten laid since last semester. Everyone knows all the hot people are in crimson and as much as I try to flirt with Alexei he plays hard to get and I got bored of the chase," Juni explains and my heart drops.
"Did you sleep with Alexei?" I asked her and she laughed before narrowing her sights on me.
"No, and you won't either. You suck at talking to people nevermind flirting, lack all confidence, and sorry to say it Wei but no one wants a dork like you. I'll be surprised if your mate accepts you which is why I told you to watch what you eat but you don't listen," She says as she checks her reflection in the mirror.
"But that's okay, just remember no matter what happens, you'll always be my Beta," She reminds me and I bite my lip to keep my true emotions from showing.
She turns the light off and leaves, abandoning me for the night.
I bury my head in my knees and try to stop the tears but it was too late. My knees get wet and shaking as I collapsed into bed. Juniper always finds some way to ruin all of my perfect days.
It's not her fault really. She was born an alpha and it's already been predicted that she'll be the most powerful alpha our island has ever seen. Her personality has to be stronger to match that and I'm nothing but inferior in comparison to her.
A loud knock on the door startles me and I'm quick to rush under my bed to my safe hiding space in case it was one of Juniper's friends.
Pressing myself against the back of my dresser as I hid in my secret hideaway, I pulled Mika to my mouth to hide my breathing as the door slowly creeks open. For a second, there's only silence but I know the doors open so someone must still be there.
Alone and without Juniper to protect me, I'm left vulnerable and defenseless.
Without so much as a hello, a pair of heavy footsteps creeks on the old wooden floor of our dorm, walking into the room as the door closes behind them. What if it's a thief or a robber? What if they're trying to take Juniper's things? She would kill me.
I look around the secret hideaway as the footsteps draw closer and I hold my breath. There's a rustle on my bed and I slowly reach my hand out to grab the thick hardcover of Les Miserables from under my pillow.
The footsteps turn and I squeeze my eyes shut in a quick prayer to the god of speed before quietly slipping out of my hideaway and catching sight of the thief slowly making their way out.
Since they're taller than me, I quickly clamber onto my bed and jump in one swift movement with the book above my head. Slamming it down mercilessly on my victim who falls forward and hits the door with a loud thud before landing on the floor.
Shaking, I stand over the thief in the night and try to exhale the fear, keeping Les Miserables close to my chest as I reach for the light switch. Turning on the light, I slowly turn back to the lifeless body.
"ALEXEI!"
I scream his name and drop to my knees when I see his body replaced the dark thief on the floor. He's still breathing but there's a small cut on the back of his head bleeding from the edge of the book and a lump on his forehead from when he hit the door.
"Ah! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you!" I panic as I rush to my dresser to grab my first aid kit, stopping in my tracks when I find the small wooden basket of fresh peaches on my bed.
"Alexei," I whisper his name under my breath and wipe the tears from my eyes.
"Focus Wei," I talk to myself as I yank out the drawer and grab the kit before going back to my fallen lab partner.
Addressing the cut first, I take out the healing salve I made in class last semester and pile it on top of the gauze. Cleaning the cut before applying it and wrapping it around his poor head, feeling his soft silky hair through my fingers. Proud of my nursing skills, I sit back and start panicking when I think of what could happen if Juniper was to walk in right now.
"Sorry," I quickly apologize as I try to pick him up by his feet, but he's too heavy. I go back to the front and held his shoulders, barely getting my arms around his chest as I try to pull him to the one place I could hide his body.
Using all of the strength I could muster out of my small body and nonexistent muscles, I grunt as I drag his heavy body across the floor. Thankfully the room isn't that big but the complicated part was actually putting him under the bed.
"Oh God," I scratch my chin in deep thought while standing over him and drag his body while shuffling my feet forward, getting him under. I manage it just fine until he's completely under and I trip, falling on top of his hard muscular chest.
The soft cotton of his burgundy t-shirt brushes across my cheek and I lie still, afraid of waking him. I can hear his strong heartbeat with my ear pressed to his chest and it's so comforting I could just fall asleep right here.
Alexei's slight movement has me sitting up quickly as I hover over his face. He groans slightly and I watch as the subtle glow of the yellow Christmas lights illuminate his handsome features. He slowly opens his coffee-colored eyes and I waste no time before apologizing.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, Alexei! I didn't know it was you! I thought you were an intruder trying to steal our things or a bad guy! If I would have known, I never-"
Alexei stops me when he presses a single finger to my lips, shutting me up instantly. He's so gentle as he slowly lowers his index finger from my pursed lips, his heated gaze watching my every move. I could feel his soft breaths just tickling my skin and there was something in his touch that I couldn't describe.
"I'm okay," He whispers and I nod as his hand runs through my hair.
Should I be this close? What if he thinks I'm trying to violate him? He did wake up with me on top of him. Why isn't he freaking out? What if I'm too heavy and slowly crushing him?
I'm lost in his gaze where there is no anger towards me or annoyance. I was slowly getting closer without trying to almost as if something was pushing us together and I was at a loss for words. He licks his lips and I watched unable to stop as our lips touched and my eyes closed.
And it was...awful.
A flash of bright light followed by an ear-piercing scream, an icy tomb, flames licking my skin, and a small blanket in my hands.
The images each flashed before my eyes and I lept back out of shock, banging my head against the bottom of my bed as I did so.
"Wei! Are you okay? I'm sorry! I thought you wanted to but I must have misread you!" Alexei sat up and watched me but I shook my head, covering my lips as they continued to tingle.
"I-I've never kissed anyone before," I told him, embarrassed by the fact and Alexei held his chest.
"Does it always feel like that?" I asked him and he bit his lip.
"You saw it too?" He asked and I nodded, thankful that I don't look too crazy in front of him. He lets out a small sigh of relief and I relax a bit.
"I don't know, it was my first kiss too," He says and if my little heart could melt in my chest it probably would.
"Wait Alexei, what about your head? You should probably lay back down. I think you have a concussion," I tell him and he wraps his arm around my waist.
Alexei pulls me close and kisses me again in one fast movement. But this time there are no flashes of light or scary images, only pure warmth and a strange tingle that sends shivers down my spine.
When he pulls away there's an all-knowing smirk and I feel my face heat up with embarrassment.
"The only thing making me dizzy here is you," he says and I roll my eyes, forcing him to lay back down.
"Juniper won't be back until tomorrow morning so you can stay here if you want," I offer and he closes his eyes, groaning softly.
"What did you hit me with?" He asks and I bite my lip.
"A book," I mumble, and he rubs the bump on his forehead.
"What book?" He continues and I get a little nervous.
"Le mis," I say its shortened name and his eyes open wide.
"Fucking hell, you should have just hit me with War and Peace too while you were at it," he whines with a smile so I know he's joking.
"I thought about it," I add and he laughs out loud which is unusual considering I never make anyone laugh.
"You know, I'll take the concussion just to see you smile," Alexei says with a serious look as he reaches up and touches the lights.
"Wait, where am I?" he asks and I touch my two index fingers together.
"Um, under my bed," I tell him and he looks around.
"This is pretty cool, I never even thought of doing this," he complements it even though everyone makes fun of it and calls me out on it.
"Thanks," I curl my knees up to my chest and there was just enough space for the two of us.
"I think I'm going to go back to my dorm. I'd hate to bother you more than I already have," Alexei says and rolls onto his side to leave which is disheartening.
"Okay," I don't stop him as I poke my socks and he stops.
"Where's Juniper?" He asks and I shrug.
"At her exes dorm, she won't be back til after 1st period tomorrow," I tell him because it's already been an hour meaning she's not coming back.
"Well in that case, do you have an extra blanket?" He asks and I nod quickly scurrying out from under the bed and grabbing the throw blanket off my bed before kneeling down and giving it to him.
"Good cause I'm really not in the position to move," He groans as I hand it to him and he catches my hand with his, bringing it to his soft lips.
"Goodnight peaches," he says before letting go and I position the softest pillow I have under his head.
I pause as I bring my hand back, running my hand over his defined cheekbones and soft skin.
"Goodnight Alexei," I whisper back before turning off the main lights, leaving the warm glow of the Christmas lights on as I crawl into my own bed nearly forgetting the peaches.
I take the small basket and tuck it into my top drawer, peeking underneath to find Alexei was already fast asleep. I could barely sleep myself as I keep peeking over and checking on him every now and then just to make sure this wasn't a dream, he was really still there, and breathing normally.
I'll be exhausted tomorrow but it's a small sacrifice I'm willing to make.
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AN: Cause its too cooooold for you here,
Oh, hi there! Four chapters in and this shit is really taking a piece of the love in my soul to write.
I love the commentary y'all write as you read and laugh when you guys band together against the evil Juniper.
I write these from 12 am (Pacific standard since I live on the west coast of the united states) and try to publish around 3 am in case you want a time frame. I'm an essential worker during these strange times (Military life) so I work strange hours which is why I can only write in the early mornin.
Also my pups Clementine (the golden) and Grayson (the corgi) say hi.