Krey tilted his head.
Francis held two paint recommendations in front of him for the corridors. One colour was a piercing green, and the other... "Looks like puke," Krey grumbled. "Do you think I want puke green on my walls?"
"Um... what about for communal toilets?" Francis suggested.
"No offence Francis but you've got awful taste," Sid said with a daft grin.
"I take every offence to that." Francis nudged him when he tried to squeeze past her to look at more colours. Sid's arm casts were off, and he was healing well, but he wasn't allowed to shift to his wolf until the weekend.
"I'm surprised you're looking at anything other than black and grey," Sid said smiling politely at his Alpha.
Krey crossed arms over his strong chest. The long sleeves of his black top hugged the curves of his muscles. "They're my walls, but I'm not the only one who lives here." Krey mulled over a few colours until he gave up. "We'll paint the walls white and have art in black frames along the corridors. I want the floors a dark wood. No carpets, you got that?"
Francis and Sid shared a quick glance before nodding.
"I want more furniture ordered for my bedroom, and a new bathroom door. Order some plants too, I don't care which ones. Order Pip a good pair of running shoes. He's a size seven. Order him proper running clothes and a new winter coat." Krey's face was emotionless. He had wanted to take Pip to Crescent Town to shop, but despite the town being their territory, Krey didn't want to risk being away from the Packhouse where they were safe.
Francis scrambled to type Krey's orders on her phone. "Is there a preference on furniture?"
"Just get wooden ones. Pip wants to paint them." He narrowed his eyes when Francis smiled wide. "And order a new couch. A black one."
"Should I let Pip pick what trainers he wants?" Francis asked, sweating at the thought of getting any of the orders wrong. She unzipped her purple denim jacket.
"If you want." Krey turned his back to her and looked through the catalogue for dining tables. By the time he had organised the entire building, Krey's head was fried, though he had a knack for designing things and them turning out to look pretty good, so the wolves trusted his judgement.
He later found his mate in the bedroom, hunched over one of his father's books, wrapped tightly in his black duvet. Occasionally, Pip stared out of the window like he was processing information.
"Anything interesting in there?" he asked.
Pip jumped and dropped the book. "Krey!" he squeaked. "You scared me."
Krey sat with him on the floor, lifting the book to see that Pip had been reading about werewolf myths. "Interesting. Are there any stupid ones?" Krey read about the moon making them shift. "Hm, as if we'd allow that to control us."
Pip laughed and unravelled himself from the duvet to feel Krey's warmth instead. He climbed onto him and sat in between Krey's crossed legs, resting his back to Krey's chest. Pip looked up and Krey softly kissed his head, then kissed down his nose, only just reaching his top lip. Pip let the feeling of his lips tickle his skin.
Being with Krey set the world right, even if everything was falling apart around them. "Do you think these myths have truth?" he asked, feeling Krey's hands on his thighs. His heat seeped through his jeans.
"Depends which myths you're talking about."
"There's ones about humans who are mated with werewolves. Some theories are that humans get more spiritual strengths."
"Oh yeah?" Krey looked down. The outside world reflected in Pip's blue eyes. "Feeling any different?"
"Yes." Pip didn't have to think twice about answering. "You're in my head all the time. I'm convinced I can feel a strain when you're away from me. I can't stop thinking about you. I want to be with you all the time, um, basically I just feel so good when you're right here. That's probably what it feels like for humans to be in love, but this just... this is more." Pip looked up, blushing when Krey's nose skimmed his cheek. "I feel less confused about my life now. I no longer worry about the future. Meeting you has somehow clicked everything into place. I can't explain it well, b-but It's like I'm looking at my life through clearer eyes."
"Do you feel more spiritual?" Krey asked, staring at Pip's parted lips. His wolf stirred within, wanting to be with him.
"Maybe. I'm not sure. Should I-"
Pip was interrupted by the door opening.
Krey's head snapped in the direction of whoever dared to walk in unannounced. "Mother," he growled. "What the fuck do you want?"
Makena ignored him, tilting her head at the way Pip tucked cutely against Krey. Her son held the human as though they had been apart from years, not just a few hours. She smiled. "I was told to tell you it's ready- whatever that means."
Krey got up immediately, lifting Pip with him.
"What's ready?" Pip asked.
Makena double glanced at Krey's sudden cheeky grin, not remembering the last time she saw him smile. It suited his face and made him seem far more approachable. Krey quickly turned away, so she couldn't gawk. The smile was gone as fast as it arrived.
"You'll see, come on." Krey engulfed Pip's small hand with his large one and pulled him down the corridor. Makena followed curiously as Krey passed the stairwell, continuing to the end of the corridor, then turning left.
They stopped outside a crooked wooden door with a rusted handle. An Omega hovered by the door, grinning wide.
Words saying 'the attic' had been carved into the wood.
"Open the door," Krey commanded. The door creaked painfully on old hinges. Pip's eyes rounded with wonder when light streamed from the other side. The door revealed a small narrow wooden staircase. Fairy lights had been wrapped around the banister, lighting the stairs with a delicate creamy glow.
"I have to cover your eyes," Krey said, looming behind Pip. He placed hands over his eyes and bent down to whisper. "Don't worry. It's a nice surprise."
Pip trusted Krey completely and allowed him to guide him to the first step. Of course, pip tripped. If it weren't for Krey holding onto him, he would've face-planted the wood.
"Careful," Krey warned, helping him up the stairs, one step at a time. The space was not only thin, but narrow, Krey's hair skimmed the slanted ceiling and his shoulders brushed the walls. The stairs were not accommodating for werewolves, but they were perfect for little Pippor Monty.
Each step creaked louder than the previous one until they reached the top.
Pip couldn't see anything; he could only feel Krey's warmth all around him. He's excited, I don't know how I know that. Pip was starting to separate Krey's feelings from his own.
Someone then gasped behind them. Pip guessed it was Makena. His curiosity spiked through the roof until his heart pounded anxiously in his chest.
"Are you ready," Pip heard Krey breathe into his ear.
"I-I think so." Krey then removed his hands from Pip's eyes. They took a moment to adjust to the light of the setting sun streaming through the skylights, and the lamps dotted around the attic. No, pip thought. This isn't an attic. He shared a gasp of his own. Looking at the beanbags, couches, a little table with a kettle and teabags, and most importantly, the rows and rows of bookshelves. "It's a library!"
Pip pulled away from Krey, taking extra care to stare at the wonderful sight of so many books.
"It's not just a library, it's your library," Krey said, and Pip spun to face him with watery eyes.
"Mine?" Krey nodded. His features were relaxed, and his brown eyes had an innocence to them, like Pip's reaction really mattered to him. "You built a-a-" Pip gestured to the attic. "you built a library for me?"
Krey nodded, and Pip covered his mouth in shock. "You needed somewhere familiar, and somewhere to go when this place gets too much."
"So you... built me a library?" Krey was the first person to buy him tea, the first person to kiss him, the first person in a long time to tell him he loved him and the first person to care enough about him to build him a library. "This is-" Pip was near speechless.
When Pip couldn't find his words because his gratitude clogged his throat, he showed Krey how much he loved the surprise by jumping on him and clinging tightly.
Krey, once again, found himself smiling. This time he smiled into Pip's neck, though some Omegas saw and nudged each other.
Pip's tears touched Krey's face. "Thank you so much," Pip whispered as Krey hugged him tightly. "This was so thoughtful of you."
"I love you," Krey whispered so quietly, only Pip heard him. When they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, those who stood awkwardly decided to leave, wanting to give them their privacy, and Pip some alone-time to explore the newly decorated attic.
Pip was first to the bookshelves, glancing down the thin aisles the shelves made. The further back they went, Pip noticed the emptier they got.
"There's room for you to fill it with your own books too. It'll take years, obviously, but you'll fill it I'm sure."
"You underestimate how fast I read," Pip grinned. He couldn't stop beaming from ear to ear. Fairy lights twisted around the top of the shelves, lighting the attic up all the way to the end. "I'm going to live in here."
"I thought you might say that." Krey sat on a worn in couch they had moved from the games room, though it was soft and comfortable. Krey sank right into it.
Pip soon emerged from the long row of bookshelves with arms full of books. He dropped them onto the table, then plopped down next to Krey. "Wow, I just got sudden flashbacks to when we first properly met in the library." Their eyes clashed. Krey was happy. Well, his face was blank, but he wasn't scowling.
Krey shook his head, sitting back against the cushions and sinking further into the couch. "Look how far we've come since then. We barely had a word to say to each other."
"Now you won't shut up."
Krey stared intensely. His lips curled at the edges. "Now confident Pippor won't fuck off."
Pip grinned, staring just as intensely. He knew certain looks Krey expressed. He now looked mischievous, like he was ready to pounce.
Krey did.
His hands dove on Pip in seconds. He lifted him from the couch and dumped him on the nearest beanbag. Pip lay there in defeat, so Krey tossed him a book. "Read," he demanded. "I'll make the tea."
Pip opened the book and nestled into the beanbag. That's when he realised, he wasn't cold. The attic was a normal temperature compared to the rest of the freezing institute. He then spotted heaters plugged in near the door.
Pip looked to Krey who crouched by a miniature fridge full of milk. His eyes started to water again. Krey had transformed a full attic just so he would have a safe space in case his new life got too overwhelming.
He couldn't believe that someone would do all that just for him. After year of thinking nobody really liked him, and nobody would ever care enough to even hold a conversation, Krey had swept Pip off his feet before he even saw Krey coming.
His new life had been a fast change, a drastic change, but a good change.
Pip couldn't imagine a life without Krey. Now, he never had to. Pip would never be alone, not with his werewolf by his side.
The end.
The sequel:
Mate Mysteries
(it's on my profile)
AHHHHHHH we reached the end of this story SO fast! Crazy! I know I gained a few new readers and I still see old ones following me from book to book. You guys know how grateful I am, and you guys know how much I appreciate each one of you! So thank you, thank you a million times for finishing another story, though this isn't the end for Krey and Pip, their adventure is only just beginning!
Your author –
Sian