#i like to imagine werewolves do love words

[thegnomelord]

I REALLY LOVE THE STRAIGHTFOWARD WEREWOLVES SOAP. OMG. Its just really funny in my head, imagine the way soap would act so shameless around the reader, uncaring about the stare he got because thats just how they are! The werewolves race with their no-shit and unfiltered attitude, and oh if they take interest in you, prepare your heart especially if you has a weak one; because surely they'll cling their every waking moment with you, sniffing every spots of you that they can reach. Absurd yet endearing flirtiratios compliments would hurled at you, catching you off guard cause they just come out of nowhere. Baring their fangs at potential rivals, worst case scenario if its their own race, because they can and will get violent, best calmed the werewolves down before anything awful happened. Just a thing between werewolves to prove which one is the stronger and more qualified, whose more worthy of your love, in their point of view.

If you have the time can you make a short fic, it would be the highlight of my life for weeks!!

Okay yes but also because I love needy clingy pathetic Soap too much lol

CW: NSFW, gn reader, grinding, somnophillia, quick and rough.

You've noticed that Soap has started to act. . . strange.

He's started trying to feed you all types of stuff, mostly meat, seeking you out at all times of the day. You'll see him go out to the woods and come back with some large animal, and an hour later he'll be coming to you with a plate of food and a 'Kiss the cook' apron on (every time you have to bite back from drawing attention to the fact the arrows point down to his dick). "Hey, need that wonderful mouth of yer's to try this out." He says, watching with rapt attention as you try his food, taking every critique with a wagging tail.

And if you like his food, oh, there's a giant grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, ye like that?" He comes closer, the plate in your hands forcing distance between you two. "Reckon this cook should get a reward." He's already stepping around to press his chest flush with your back before he can finish his sentence, and you don't have the heart to stop him because the food is mouth watering and he's just scenting you, even if the occasional flick of his tongue against your nape makes you shiver. (You, again, try not to draw attention to a hard bulge grinding into your ass)

That's the other thing. He's gotten really clingy.

He's always been clingy with all the team members, nuzzling his cheek against Gaz, whining like a kicked puppy when pushes him away with a hand on his face, tail wagging as he scents Price. Usually he's satisfied after he's done scenting the lads in your team, happy to continue with his business.

But with you. . .

You can't even sit on the couch for five seconds before his burly body is snuggling up to you, taking his seat in your lap like he owns it, like he's a lap dog. Doesn't even excuse himself before his hands are groping your biceps as he nuzzles your neck. "Aye, yer so hoht," He purrs, full body rubbing against you. "Could use ye fer a blanket on cold nights." You don't know how to feel about that, his words causing your mind to stutter long enough for him to replace the scents lingering on you with his own.

And when someone enters to find you like this, he doesn't even throw them a glance, gripping onto you like a koala and all you can do is mouth a 'help me'. Doesn't work though, as the second he senses someone is getting near he's growling like a monster truck's engine, glaring at the poor sod with his face still stuck in your neck.

Or, if you're busy with something, he'll saddle up to you, ears perked up. "Oi, bonnie, hold som'ting fer me." He'll whine, tugging on your arm until you sigh.

"Fine, just give it here." You growl, holding out your arm, still concentrated on what you're doing.

Next thing you know you're cupping his jaw, his head resting on your hand. "Anyone ever tell ye, yer got perfect hands te grope with?" Johnny grins at you, that one snaggletooth fang pinching his lip, using your confusion to rub the scent glands in his cheeks against your palm, making sure you smell like him.

You shake out of your stupor and pull your hand back, resisting giving in when he gives you such a heartbroken whine. "No, Johnny." You growl and shoo him away, but he still manages to brush his tail against your leg.

You make the mistake to fall asleep on the communal couch after a grueling day of training recruits. When Johnny finds you, his nose immediately trying to get a whiff of your scent, he growls when he can barely get traces of it beneath the smell of dirt and sweat and way too many people when the only scent you should have on you is his. His inner wolf growls along with him, his ears pricking up straight, staring at your sleeping form.

He's more than happy to rectify your mistake.

He lays on top of you, purring happily to himself when you don't even shift. "Good mate," He hums to himself, wrapping around you like a blanket, face buried in your neck once again. His hands slide beneath your shirt, making him pant into your skin from the sensation of your muscles beneath his hands. He moves his body slowly, seeking to have as much skin contact as he can, mouth watering and angel bells ringing in his skull at how he can taste his scent replacing everyone else's on your skin.

He doesn't notice when he starts to nibble on your neck, but it's the sensible next move, what better way to keep competition away than let everyone know you're taken? Johnny's marks bloom across your throat as he sucks hickeys into your skin, his wolf and himself standing on common ground to make sure you're covered in his marks.

He pulls back his head to look at his work and groans, cock immediately hardening in his pants from you covered in his marks. His hips gain a life of their own, thighs gripping your own as he grinds down, already half drunk on your scent.

You wake up to find his hot breath fanning over your face, the sensation of something hard grinding against your leg dissipating any residual drowsiness. "Johnny, what the fuck?" You ask, voice rough from sleep, only now registering his weight on top of you.

"'m sorry bonnie," Johnny whines, burying his face into your neck to muffle his whining. "Just- hah- needed ye."

You grumble, but you can't hide the way heat burns through your veins at the sight of him, his face flushed, claws gripping you like you'll disappear, desperately humping against your leg.

"I can see that." You say, tensing your thigh to give aid him in his grinding, your eyes growing wide at the loud moan that escapes him, like he's a whore on camera.

"Oh, shite, thank ye, thank ye, thank ye-" He whines, his humping growing faster, butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the way you hadn't pushed him away, that you're accepting his advances, muttering 'mate' under his breath as he chases after his orgasm.

He cums before either one of you knows it, a dark stain forming in his pants as he bites down and groans into your neck. You grunt, but Soap's quick to release your skin and lap at the aching spots with his tongue, soothing the pain.

"'m sorry bonnie." He mumbles, cock still hard in his pants, his wolfish eyes settling on you. Shame nibbles on his stomach for cumming so fast when he can't smell a lot of arousal on you, his wolf growling at him to show you how good he can be.

You jump when his hand slides down to grip your crotch roughly, his pupils dilating at the way a small moan slips past your lips. "Lemme make it up fer ye yeah?"

[kitchenisking]

Sterek Fic Rec

Thrid Night of Chunnuka

It's Been A Long Time by voidnogitsune - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 3,524, sterek)

It’s just after his eighteenth birthday when Stiles comes to him, hot and hard and practically begging. His hands are white-knuckled, gripping the steering wheel too tight and Derek doesn’t have to be a werewolf to know what this is about.

Stiles stumbles out of the jeep, wiping his palms on his jeans and catching Derek’s eye in the moonlight. He flails backwards, like he hadn’t known Derek would be there the entire drive up, and Derek just smirks back at him, watches the way his pale skin catches in the light, watches the way he bites his lips until they are dark-pink.

“D-Derek. Fancy seeing you out here tonight.”

Mine by Nival_Vixen - (Rating: Mature, Words: 1,046, sterek)

Stiles can't quite believe what's happening. Werewolves, he's fine with. Werewolf rules and obligations, their social hierarchy and rankings, whatever, he can deal. But this? This is something completely foreign to him, and he has no idea how to handle it. Not when someone else is hugging Derek - his Derek - like they mean something to each other.

Long Overdue by tangowhiskey - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 5,147, sterek)

Stiles is pregnant with Derek's pups. However, he's now overdue, making him tired and irritable. He wants nothing more than for Derek to have sex with him in the hope that it will induce labour. Derek may or may not love the idea.

Weave Soft Spells Over My Sight by AgnesBlue - (Rating: Mature, Words: 51,424, sterek)

Derek had blossomed steadily over the past year, growing into his ears and turning even more handsome, if that were possible. But instead of going out and melting the panties off the girls, suddenly he was coming to Stiles all bashed in, demanding that he patch him up like Stiles was some freelance nurse. It was a familiar pattern by now. 

AU in which Stiles has been living with the Hales for a few years as their assistant and friend. He needs to deal with Derek, who keeps coming to Stiles with bruises and cuts to be treated, while trying to figure out what the elderly alpha of the Hale pack is up to.

Derek May Or May Not Be A Sugar Daddy by LadyDrace - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 604, sterek)

Derek buys Stiles things, and Stiles is very appreciative. VERY appreciative.

Ironing out the Kinks by astrugglingstoic - (Rating: Explicitly, Words: 3,870, sterek)

The guy’s leaning against the side wall of the club, neither flaunting himself nor trying to blend into the background. He's fiercely beautiful and unforgiving as he turns down the dozenth man and woman to proposition him for a dance or a drink. Stiles must have him.

all i know since yesterday (is everything has changed) by EvanesDust - (Rating: T, Words: 5,005, sterek)

When Derek wakes from a bad dream, he stares up at the cutest guy he's ever met. The scent of home washes over him and he has no idea what it means. But after the guy walks away, all Derek wants is to find him again.

based on the prompt: "I was looking up a guy's info on a college computer. Heard his voice from behind me telling me how to correctly spell his last name. #IGotCaught"

Just My Type by thedevilyousay - (Rating: G, Words: 1,170, sterek)

Laura and her brother are not so patiently waiting in line at the coffee shop one morning when a cute stranger grabs her hand by mistake.

or

The one where Stiles doesn't pay attention and Laura gets to witness her brother and his new dumb boyfriend's love at first sight.

Like Real People Do by DefNotForWork - (Rating: T, Words: 4,697, sterek)

“We’re going on a date. You and me, romantically,” Stiles said again, imagining the eyebrow magic currently working on Derek’s forehead. “Why would I want to do that?” Derek asked, gracing Stiles with a little inflection, something the man never took for granted. “Because secretly you’re just a pretty girl who wants a date to the ball.”

spoilers by To_fill_the_sea - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 9,896, sterek)

Derek is confronted with a girl who accidentally traveled back in time and it throws him a bit for a loop as certain future events get revealed and he struggles how to handle these revelations.

[kirain]

what do you think of this post about Gale? I saw it today and idk how to feel about it. h t t p s : // www. tumblr. com / galahadwilder / 741497332636467200

I couldn't disagree with it more, to be honest.

First of all, and I can't stress this enough, Mystra doesn't care about her followers. She cares about the state of the Weave and nothing more. If her followers don't worship her, if they're not useful to her, if they don't serve her purpose, they mean nothing to her. After she abandoned Gale, she had no interest in him until she realised she could use him to stop the Absolute—and she only wanted to stop the Absolute because it threatened the Weave. In general, Mystra doesn't care what people use magic for either, be it the most admirable heroics or the most depraved insanity you can imagine.

Case and point: Lorroakan. He is an arrogant wizard, far worse than Gale could ever hope to be, who uses magic for pure evil. When he beat Rolan, he undoubtedly used magic to do it. Do you think Mystra cared? Nope. You can help that nutjob achieve his goals, kill a demigod, turn him immortal, and give him free reign to abuse magic any way he wishes, but do you think Mystra cares? Nope. She doesn't. She doesn't care about people unless they benefit her. In fact, all three iterations of Mystra have a vast history of grooming, flat out 🍇, and the forced impregnation of unsuspecting mortal women. Despite being neutral good, Mystra is and has always been extremely vain, selfish, jealous, and problematic.

With that in mind, I'd like to break this post down piece by piece. Also, please be aware that when I use the word "you", I don't mean you specifically, anon. I'm more so addressing anyone who might be reading.

PS: Please no one harass this person's post. Their opinion is their own, and it's very respectful. At the end of the day, we're just talking about a video game.

Mystra didn't tell Gale not to juggle the torches. She didn't even tell him it was a torch. She let him go on believing it was a part of her missing Weave. Had she told him the truth, he would've stayed away. That's why he's so shocked in Act 3, when she finally reveals it's the Karsite Weave. He had no idea, and she likely never intended to tell him. She didn't before he went off in search of it, and she didn't the entire time he was locked away in his tower, scared and suffering. I can't for the life of me figure out why she wouldn't warn him, but I can only assume it's because she expected absolute obedience, or because she was getting bored of him and wanted him to mess up.

Whatever her reasons, she didn't tell Gale to leave the orb alone because he was "worthy" already. He clearly wasn't in her eyes, because he wanted her to see him as an equal. He wanted her to share her knowledge with him, which is perfectly fair in a healthy relationship. If you're dating a god and they treat you like a worshipper—that's all you are to them. A worshipper. A plaything. You're beneath them. You're unworthy. She told Gale to leave the orb alone because she wanted him to be complacent. She wanted to keep him in servitude. That's what she wants from all of her followers, though it's even worse when it's her lover.

In almost every story where a mortal loves a god, the mortal is either ascended into the heavens or the god gives up their divinity. And this isn't even specific to gods, but also vampires, werewolves, elves, and so on. Arwen, for example, gives up her immortality to be with Aragorn. Bella becomes a vampire to be with Edward. Hercules gives up his divinity to be with Meg. Elisa Esposito becomes aquatic to be with the creature. These are common tropes because it makes the couples equal.

Mystra contradicts herself by saying Gale was "always worthy", because her actions don't reflect it. He was a worthy distraction from her job, sure, but not worthy enough for her to treat him like an equal. So in order to prove it to her, to prove his love and devotion, he went after the one thing he knew she wanted—her missing Weave. Yes, she told him not to, and I agree he should've respected that, but this is on par with a woman telling her husband not to buy a bracelet she really, really wants because it's too expensive. If your husband worked extra hours and saved up enough to buy you that bracelet, would you divorce him?

Gale was completely unaware of the danger. He basically thought he was getting Mystra a bracelet. Had she taken the time to explain it to him, the whole catastrophe could have been avoided. He was just a hopeless romantic who wanted to surprise his girlfriend and prove he belonged at her side. The same girlfriend who very well could have made him her equal and shared her knowledge, but chose not to. Why? Because she's selfish. She didn't want an equal, she wanted a servant. We know this because, if you romance and ascend Gale, he will ascend you alongside him and give you your own domain! Mystra had the power to do this, or at least the ability to slowly ease him into it, but she refused. No matter how much he pleaded and proved his devotion to her, she refused.

Mystra did not save Gale when the orb embedded itself in his chest. He survived only because it fed on his gifts. He says as much, and so does she when you go to see her at the Temple. That's why, when we first meet him, he admits he used to be better at magic. He was once exceedingly powerful, but the orb basically knocked him down to level one. Mystra was perfectly happy to let him scramble to find items to absorb, knowing that he would inevitably run out and erupt. When we give him his third item in Act 1, the orb is becoming quenchless, and he knows his time is nigh. Mystra has nothing to do with satiating the orb until Act 2 and 3, and only because he becomes her wild card.

Gale: Mystra will consider forgiveness?

Elminster: She will consider ... what she considers to be forgiveness.

Even Elminster, her most faithful Chosen, knows her "forgiveness" isn't really forgiveness. It's an ultimatum. Do this for me and be welcomed into my hall, or die and literally go to hell. Why would Mystra make this offer? Well, because why else would Gale agree to kill himself only to end up in the Wall of the Faithless? How would that motivate him? Mystra didn't make this offer out of the kindness of her heart, she made it because she was desperate. Had the opportunity never presented itself, she would've let him die and suffer for all eternity, and possibly take hundreds of innocent people with him in the blast. She. Doesn't. Care. 🤷‍♀️

Now, one could argue Gale was asking for too much, but I'm going to have to call bullshit on that. First of all, Mystra showed him things no mortal has ever seen. It's only fair he'd want to share her world and learn as much as possible. Imagine if the Doctor from Doctor Who picked up some random people and took them on breathtaking adventures, but the audience got mad at them for wanting to see as much as they could. Amy, Clara, Rose, etc.—none of them could live a normal life after meeting him, and they wanted to learn as much about the universe as possible. But everyone loves those characters. They don't get mad. There's even several episodes where the companions call the Doctor out for not treating them as equals, and he admits he's wrong for doing that and adjusts his way of thinking.

I would argue that the only real divide between Mystra and Shar/Vlaakith is that Mystra doesn't inflict physical pain ... most of the time. That's it. Vlaakith and Shar only care about themselves and the effectiveness of their followers, but the exact same applies to Mystra. She is the Weave, and she only cares about the Weave; therefore, she only cares about herself. She had ample opportunity to help Gale or tell him the truth, but she didn't until it was convenient for her. The gods of D&D are basically the Greek Pantheon gods—a bunch of assholes toying with mortals, regardless of their alignment. The odd one is decent, but most are only out for themselves and their rule. Now, I will concur that Mystra is hardly the worst deity (in fact, she's unfortunately one of the better ones), but she's still not great and Gale is her victim.

To get a little controversial, I think the writers made a mistake. I know what they were going for, but I think they lost it along the way. At first, I was ready to stand with everyone and admit he belonged in the quintessential "overreaching wizard full of hubris" category, but upon researching the lore, getting to know Gale better, and doing several different playthroughs, I've come to vehemently disagree. First of all, before 5E (the current D&D edition), becoming a god was the ultimate goal for a lot of players, and that was perfectly acceptable, with many DMs providing celestial paths to make it possible. Moreover, many of the current gods were once human themselves, including Mystra!

Second, it's only hubris if you fail. Gale can ascend. He can succeed. Although it's not the canon outcome I would choose for him, he is right about the crown. He does his research and figures out how to reforge it. And he doesn't seek godhood to be worshipped, he seeks it to either free himself (and all mortals) from Mystra's chains, or for her to acknowledge and love him as an equal. His arrogance stems from insecurity; an insecurity Mystra herself planted and cultivated, and in the end he's not really arrogant atfter all. Does him wanting to be Mystra's equal make him selfish? Well, I suppose that depends on how you answer these questions:

Is your partner equal to you? If you don't think so, why are you leading them on? Why wouldn't you take steps to help them become your equal? Why are you holding them back instead of propping them up? If they show interest in your life, in your world, in the things you can do, why would you keep it to yourself, especially when you have the time and resources to share it?

Just some ambrosia for thought. 😉

[writersmess]

Hello, how are you? I hope you're doing okey so I see that you are taking request again I wanted to know if you could do a Derek Hale x reader when they have Eli and he is at the stage where he's learning how to talks and he only knows how to say his last name so when Derek and reader leave Eli on peter's watch and at one moment Eli is missing his parents so he goes to Peter and says his last name and Peter just don't understand why he is saying that and Eli ends up crying so Peter calls Derek because poor uncle Peter don't know what to do, just something funny and chaotic please ( sorry if this long and if you don't understand everything it's because english is not my first language so I might have confused everything ).

MISSING YOU | DEREK HALE

Pairing: Derek Hale x fem!reader

Summary: While under Peter’s care, baby Eli wouldn’t stop crying. Until everyone found out why.

Warning: none

Word count: 1.4k

a/n: hey sweeties! Thanks for the request! I loved it so much! I hope you enjoy it!!! I apologize for any mistakes, English is not my first language.

Masterlist

................................

“did you get this on tape?” you asked excitedly and Derek agreed in a murmur. You looked at him and your eyes automatically filled with tears as you saw him with a few tears streaming down his face. he was completely dazzled.

Hale.

It was baby Eli’s first word.

You were playing with the child when he randomly dropped the word. Derek was filming the moment unpretentiously as he always did to keep all possible memories of his little family, and he got to record this moment. It was magical.

“of all the words, he had to chose Hale” Derek said as he hugged you from the side and looked fondly at the baby carefully positioned on the floor with his toys.

“what can I say? He is just like his mama” you joked, hugging him back while laying your head on his shoulder.

You knew exactly why Eli chose that word.

You were Scott and Stiles’ classmate and when the supernatural world began to take over the town, you found yourself in a pack full of scared and inexperienced teenagers. Scott and Stiles took you in and explained what was going on, after you were caught in the middle of the crossfire between hunters and werewolves. Suddenly this bunch of teenagers were best friends and together they were fighting supernatural and human threats.

And there was Derek Hale.

A sourwolf who after so many losses, had to deal with these teenagers full of doubts and fears.

The moment you laid your eyes on Derek you knew your heart was his. And he knew that too, he wanted to love you. But you were too young, it was totally against his morals. And then you went away to study in another state, all of you did. Derek would never admit it but he missed you, missed your irony, missed your passionate glances, your contagious laugh.

He didn’t expect that after a few years you would come back to the city, but your father was sick, he needed you. And it was supposed to be for a while, until you decided to stay. You got a job, got your own apartment, and settled in.

You never imagined that your story with Derek would unfold, indeed you never thought that he would even look at you with second thoughts. The way you looked at him. But you decided to give each other a chance. And it worked, you were perfect for each other. Until a few months after you started to get involved, you found out that Derek’s one-night stand had resulted in a baby. It happened way before you moved back to the city, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It did.

But you learned to deal with it and you were willing to help in Eli’s upbringing. You loved him as if he were your own.

Since your school days you have never been able to call Derek by his name. He never really understood why, but you were too embarrassed to address him by his first name so you chose to call him by his last one. Hale. And everyone got used to it, at one point it even became cute. And even after you were together, you didn’t lose that habit, what you didn’t expect is that your son would use that as his first word.

“morning sunshine. the party is about to begin” you exclaimed excitedly as soon as Peter opened the door and he let out a grunt. He had just woken up.

“jesus, i don’t remember arranging that so early”

“what better way to start the day if not with your adorable nephew”

You said, passing the baby into Peter’s arms, and you could see how his face lit up with the baby’s presence. A smile immediately broke out on his face.

“this is not the first time, so I don’t need to remind you of the rules, also I am very eager to enjoy the day with my boyfriend, so I’m gonna get going” You let out a mischievous smile and Peter rolled his eyes.

“first of all, gross. Second, the Hale’s men are ready to take over the town” you laughed leaving them alone.

***

“okay pal, it’s just you and me and a whole day ahead of us. You have to help me” Peter talked to the baby as if he was understanding. It was comic.

He was preparing breakfast when Malia and Parish arrived at the house.

“check it out, looks like we have company today”

Malia said, changing her voice tone and moving towards the baby. She absolutely hated pda, but when there’s a baby as cute as Eli in the house, she couldn’t help herself.

“thank God you arrived. He is here for like an hour and has cried at least three times” Peter spoke and the couple could see the desperation in his eyes, making them laugh.

“he’s a Hale, it’s not like he’s easy to deal with” Parish said and both Hale’s looked at him with deadly eyes. He laughed and went into the kitchen, trying to get out of they sight “Sorry”

***

“did he just say Hale?” Parish asked as the three looked stunned at the baby playing on the floor.

“i guess so” Malia replied and they could see how Peter was smiling. “look at this, uncle Peter is getting emotional”

“shut up” Malia and Parish couldn’t hold their laugh.

What they could not imagine, was that from that moment on baby Eli would not stop crying and repeating his last name for the rest of the afternoon.

“I think he’s broken” Malia said as she shook some toys in front of the baby on Parish’s arms, trying to get him to stop crying.

“dont be stupid, Malia” Peter said with his hands on his head, he couldn’t stand to hear the child’s crying anymore “okay I’m gonna call Derek”

“he’s gonna get crazy, I don’t think it’s a good idea” Malia warned.

“well I don’t know what else to do” Peter said desperately as Eli continued to mumble the word Hale non-stop. “then I’ll call y/n I’m sure she won’t want to kill me”

You and Derek were in the middle of a make-out session when the phone started ringing. You declined the first time, but the fourth time it was impossible.

“jesus christ Peter, what happened? Is everything okay?” You answered preoccupied and you could see Derek’s watchful eyes. He was listening to the conversation.

“Ok don’t go crazy about it, the baby is fine, I’m the one who isn’t” This only made you even more worried. Derek was already starting to get out of bed and look for his clothes.

“why? What happened?”

“there’s the thing! I don’t know! Eli started to cry and hasn’t stopped for at least a couple of hours”

“did you try-“

“yes I did” he cut you.

“but the-“ you tried to say and he cut you off again.

“i tried absolutely everything that you can imagine”

You could sense the tiredness in Peter’s voice and the baby crying in the background.

“he’s not in pain. I tried that too”

“okay we’re coming to rescue you” you said as you finished getting dressed and noticed Derek grabbing the car keys.

“thanks” he mumbled and you laughed.

“he’s okay baby, don’t worry” you said comforting Derek already in the car and he sighed.

“yeah I know”

As soon as you opened the door, you could see what a mess the house was. Toys everywhere, Malia and Parish sitting on the couch and Peter pacing up and down with a crying baby on his arms. Peter was defeated. Eli had swollen eyes from crying and you could see that he was desolated.

“Hale” Eli muttered and stretched his arms out the second Derek entered his field of vision.

“oh hi baby boy” Derek said walking towards him.

The moment Derek held him in his arms, the crying ceased. His little head rested against Derek’s big shoulders and he was now letting out little sighs.

Your heart melted watching that scene and the urge to cry was huge.

“really?” Peter said and the three of them watched the scene in disbelief.

“so hale is Derek? He kept saying that all afternoon” Parish commented and you nodded.

“I can imagine why” Malia said sarcastically looking at you and you felt your face turn red.

“Well what can I say if he’s just like his mama” You joked and let out a laugh.

All this time the baby was just missing you guys, especially Derek.

He really was just like you.

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

A Danish Werewolf in The City:

The First Sight.

Note: follow up to The First Shift. I have read this over and over and over again, and I just had to let it go and post it. May have missed some mistakes as my eyes literally hurt by now :') 

Warnings: 18+! horror/gore described, mention of (child) death/murder. once again, it's a dark werewolf fic...

pairing: Werewolf!Sihtric x you (f)

summary: You had fallen in love with a werewolf. 

wordcount: 3,6k

Masterlist

Chapter 1.

That something had been different about Sihtric became evident during the first few months of your relationship. 

You had first met at work, for you were both veterinarians, and you were transferred for a day to Sihtric's location as they were short staffed, and you both knew it was love at first sight. His hair was of shoulder length and braided, the sides were shaved freshly and his facial hair was well kept too. Sihtric was simply a breathtaking man, and he treated you with the utmost respect once you began dating, even asking permission before he first kissed you.

The first weeks of dating were like a dream, but then Sihtric suddenly started to disappear every few weeks for about three days. He had just gone without a word, but then showed up at your door again as if nothing had happened after those three seemingly random days. It was almost as if he died every few weeks, only to suddenly rise from the grave again and return to you, looking as beautiful and charming as ever, so you couldn't help but continue to fall for him and ignore your suspicions. Sihtric promised you that his disappearances had nothing to do with you, but that he sometimes struggled "with his own being", whatever that meant. But he soon felt inclined to open up to you and tell you about his wolf problem, as he sensed you began to doubt his loyalty due to his recurring strange behaviour.

And werewolves were not unheard of, nor were other creatures of the night, as you had treated numerous animals who had clearly been at the claws of those beings. You had just never met one and you surely never thought you'd fall in love with one, so you had a hard time accepting his honesty for a little while. You couldn't possibly imagine this was a curse he had lived with his whole life and only exposed itself during his late teens. And you, like any other regular human being, only knew of the fairytales which described werewolves as hideous monsters, and yet Sihtric wasn't a monster, for all you knew at least.

And he also wasn't the young and frightened boy anymore which he had told you about, yet it still saddened you gravely that he had lived such a tragic and lonely life, before he changed into the confident man he was now. Sihtric was clearly in full control of his other being too, only shifting when the Moon was full or when a situation called for it, so you chose to believe and trust him completely after you had taken a few days to yourself to let it all sink in. And you slowly began to understand him more and more.

The scars on his face had been something you used to ponder about at night, as he never gave you a clear answer to how he had gotten those. It was only after you found out about his beast-like nature that the scars, which graced his face as well as the rest of his impressive and muscular body, were claw markings he had earned in territorial brawls and violent fights over time, earning him the true alpha status he held now.

Sihtric's short temper, impatience and hunger for violence were also things you had been wary of at first, but it was already clear that he would never be aggressive towards you or those he cared for. He was only incredibly protective and possessive of you, both traits you didn't really mind as it made you feel safe and desired by a beautiful man. The way he always held you close in public or how he refused to let you walk home on your own once it was dark, it all made your heart beat faster for him. But you also never suspected Sihtric did those things out of a fear which was deeply rooted inside of him and every other werewolf; terrified of losing a loved one to a werewolf's natural enemy.

But the most peculiar thing about Sihtric were probably his sexual urges, and the fact that he seemed to have an insatiable sex drive. You could make love for an entire rainy day, and he still wouldn't be completely satisfied or even remotely tired, like a normal human would be. And for some reason he always insisted on being intimate in the dark, with the lights off and the curtains closed, which struck you as odd too, for his physical appearance was not one to be ashamed of.

Another thing was that Sihtric has a tendency to suddenly sink his teeth in your skin whenever you were intimate, never drawing blood or piercing your flesh, but hard enough to leave a mark behind on your body that was more serious than a simple love bite. You also swore you saw his eyes glow every time you had sex, one a bright red and the other a piercing blue. It seemed so inhuman, but you told yourself it had to be a reflection of some sort which simply enhanced his heterochromia. And it often felt as if his nails became sharper during intercourse, leaving scratches all over your skin and tearing up the sheets as well, and he loved to drag his tongue over your body, which felt pleasantly smooth but sometimes larger than a human tongue could possibly be. Sihtric also loves to chase you around his house whenever you'd stay over, before capturing you and throwing you on his bed, where he'd fuck you like a feral beast for hours on end. 

He couldn't explain his needs and desires to you at the time, as he did not want to frighten you with the truth that he truly was a beast, and you just figured he was an intense lover. But once you knew the truth about him, everything just made sense. And as you were in love, you weren't necessarily frightened or worried, or even fully grasping the extent of what him being a werewolf meant. 

And you couldn't even begin to imagine the horrific sights you were to witness, or the terrible stories you would hear…

You walked hand in hand with Sihtric, over a lonely path that led through darkened woods you both knew all too well. The moon was waning, barely visible as she was almost renewed again. It was a quiet and late summer night, the air was mellow and you were dressed in a loose shirt and some shorts, while Sihtric wore a sleeveless top and long dark jeans. Most people were long asleep already, but you and Sihtric were a match made in heaven as you both enjoyed the dark and quietness after sunset, and with your werewolf lover by your side you felt as if you had nothing left to fear for.

Several weeks had passed since you had fully accepted your werewolf boyfriend, and you had never been more in love. But the horrors you were to face soon, as you strolled through the woods while stealing kisses and murmuring sweet nothings to each other in the dead of night as your hands were intertwined, were horrors you would never forget for as long as your heart would beat.

'You don't dare to say it,' you giggled as you moved swiftly between the thick trees, playfully running and hiding from your beloved, who would always find you with ease due to his werewolf senses. But that didn't make it any less fun for either of you.

'Yes, I do,' Sihtric laughed as he caught you in his strong arms, and he brought you down to the ground without flexing a single muscle.

He quickly climbed on top of you and leaned in, cupping your cheeks and softly nuzzling your nose lovingly, while his low chuckle made you lightheaded and your lips curled into a smitten smile. You smelled the earthy scent of the ground beneath you as you were pinned down by a man so much stronger than you, but Sihtric had you so enchanted that you didn't even care your clothes would become dirty or your hair messy, and you had never felt more safe than you did whenever your body was pressed against his.

'Then say it,' you quietly dared him again as your hands moved up in his long loose hair, and slowly raked through it to which he closed his eyes and smiled.

'I love you,' Sihtric whispered, lips faintly touching yours, 'I really do.'

Your breath hitched when you finally heard those words you had so dared him to speak, and you pulled him in, closing the last small distance that was left and your lips locked in the sweetest, yet most needy kiss possible.

'Say you love me,' Sihtric growled softly, smiling, and he gently headbutted you.

'I love you too,' you smiled and trailed your hands down his chest.

Sihtric dropped his head with a shy smile upon hearing you say it, overwhelmed with his feelings for you, which were of such force that it almost made it hard for him to breathe. But his bliss was only short lasting when he suddenly caught a scent, and he snapped his head up while his face was set serious and his mismatched eyes wide. He sat completely still, and you could see his ears wiggly faintly at something you couldn't hear.

'What?' you asked, confused while running your hands over his arms as you looked up at him, 'what is it?'

'The undead,' Sihtric said monotonically and perked up further.

'What?' you half laughed.

'The undead. I smell them.'

'Wait,' you chuckled nervously, 'you mean like… zombies?'

Sihtric scoffed lightly and shook his head.

'I wish it was zombies,' he said and pulled you up with him, 'but I mean vampires, love.'

Sihtric placed his hand on the small of your back, politely urging you to walk with him as he gradually increased his speed, wanting to bring you back home safely and far away from the scent that lingered in the air for him. But before you could make it out of the woods, you were already surrounded.

Sihtric's eyes darted over the pale and heartbeat-lacking creatures, his jaw clenched tightly while he held you in his arms and pressed firmly against him. You weren't all that up-to-date about werewolves and their rivals, but you knew like most people that vampires and lycanthropes never got along, and you clung onto your still human shaped boyfriend while one vampire stepped forward.

'Well, well,' the pale man laughed, 'a dog and it's human, and what an endearing pup you are!'

'What is it you want?' Sihtric cut to the point, 'because this is neutral ground, so there is no need for anyone to get harmed.'

'Well,' the master vampire scoffed, who looked old and ugly, 'your father killed my wife on neutral ground. So it is only fair if I return the favour and kill,' he paused and gestured at you, 'whatever she is to you.'

'I have nothing to do with what my father-'

'Ah!' the vampire exclaimed as he sniffed the air, ignoring Sihtric, 'such fresh human blood running through her veins, but sadly… not a virgin anymore. Oh, well,' the old vampire shrugged while the others grinned, 'I'll take her anyway. And sure, you may have nothing to do with your father, but you are still a werewolf of his tribe.'

'I'm not part of his tribe!' Sihtric hissed, 'I created my own.'

'But you're all the same, are you not?' the vampire spoke slowly as he crept closer, 'sneaking into houses at night… waking up defenceless mothers… asking if you can take their child away… and in their hazy and disorientated state they might just give their permission, and that's another snack earned easily, no? And, oh, how you wolves hypnotise those children, as well as the cattle of the same poor family, with just your gazes. And for what? For thinking the curse could be broken? Such foolish dogs you are…'

You listened carefully and shivered at the ideas the ancient one bestowed. You looked up at Sihtric, whose face did all but ease your fright that he could be a monster such as described. Sihtric looked away from you, as if ashamed, and he only swallowed hard in response to your gaze while he looked down at his feet. The vampire became aware of your horror, and was entertained at the idea that you would most likely be disgusted with your partner now, and he laughed.

'Oh, does she not know?' he asked Sihtric, darkly amused, 'does she also not know how you attacked the very first human you encountered in your wolf form, after your first transition? Or the other thing you have done to try and break your curse, hm? Because I know all about you, Sihtric Kjartansson, and I could tell your lovely lady here all about you.'

Sihtric suddenly snarled, and you flinched at the guttural sound as he held you protectively in his arms.

'Don't!' Sihtric bared his teeth at the vampire, 'don't you dare-'

'This beast,' the vampire mocked Sihtric and looked at you, 'has attacked numerous pregnant women in his life, yes, yes. For those silly Danish werewolves all believe that if they were to eat a fresh male foetus, thus slicing open a poor lady's womb with a single scratch of their claw to obtain the unborn child, their curse would be broken.'

You felt dizzy and sick to your stomach while the vampire snickered. You had no response, you only stared intently and quietly at the master, wishing that his words were all just lies and that Sihtric would never do such a monstrous thing or believe such a horrible superstition. And you felt Sihtric's chest heave up and down as he fought his urge to shift, while a roaring anger boiled inside of him and his arms around you became tighter, almost suffocating.

Sihtric never meant to hide his blooddrenched past from you, but it was something he was deeply ashamed of and knew it would most likely scare you away from him. He wanted to tell you everything about him, but in time. You had only just gotten used to the fact that he was a werewolf, and he intended on easing you into the awful secrets of his past, but now a truly dark page of his life was suddenly exposed to you. His early days as a young werewolf had been confusing, violent and bloody, as he had tried everything he possibly could to undo his first transformation. No matter how horrific it was, Sihtric tried everything, he even tried to undo his werewolf being by converting to Christianity at some point.

'And… did it work, wolf boy?' the elder snickered, 'killing those harmless women and eating their children?'

'Would you like to find out? You filthy fucking bloodsucker!' Sihtric threatened, and the vampires began to close in rapidly.

Sihtric shoved you behind him, and he bared his teeth at the vampires before he told you to run.

'Run and don't look back, whatever you hear,' he urged and gave you a light push, 'run home, and don't invite anyone in who might show up at your door.'

'I… I-,' you stammered, visibly shaking and still in shock after everything that had just happened, but Sihtric cut you off before you could say anything else.

'Run! Now!' he growled, and you did as you were told.

You turned and ran as fast as you possibly could to exit the woods, but when you heard the sudden sound of clothes being ripped at the seams and the awful sound of bones snapping, you stopped running. You turned to face Sihtric again while you were at a distance, and what you then witnessed couldn't be anything other than a nightmare. You saw how your boyfriend grew and ripped out of his clothes, and you heard his bones snap as he deformed and fell down on all fours. You watched and heard him grunt and growl, while every muscle in his body contracted until a sudden thick coat of fur appeared on his bare back and his face changed into that of a monstrous being. Your eyes grew wide at the horrific sight of the half man-half wolf, who had told you he loved you only moments ago. And you felt sick at the sight of his blooded claws and those sharp teeth, remembering how he had used those to devour humans and cattle with. Those same hands that had caressed you and those same teeth he had dragged over your naked body, only so carefully and full of love, unlike what he had used them for on others.

You saw how Sihtric got up on his back legs, being twice his human size and towering over the vampires like an optical illusion. His muscular torso was still recognisable, even with the thin layer of black fur covering it now. And he was a… a beast. A foul creature of the night! And yet he still had enough human traits that you recognised your boyfriend in the murderous animal in the distance. You opened your mouth as you wanted to scream at the terrifying sight, but no sound ever left your throat as you watched the horror unfold while you were nailed to the ground.

The vampires had long forgotten about you, they'd rather slaughter a werewolf than drink the blood of a polluted human who had slept with their enemy. And you then heard Sihtric's deafening and bone chilling howl echoing through the dark night as he threw his head back, and he raised his massive arms and began to swing at the vampires who dared to take their chance. You heard the nauseating sound of claws ripping through flesh and the splattering of blood against the thick trees, and the sight of limbs being ripped and torn off was a terror you would never forget, while the bone crunching sound of it made you fall to your knees, and you retched as you began to cry.

And after you had witnessed half of the vampire massacre, which seemed to happen in slow motion while in reality it all went so fast, Sihtric snapped his head towards you, and he snarled loudly at you before he was jumped by the remaining vampires. His snarl was so heavy and frightening that it rumbled through the air and made you jump up, and you began to run again as fast as your legs allowed. And as the tears rolled down your face while you ran, you covered your ears upon hearing what sounded like a dog wince and cry in pain. You knew the heartbreaking noise came from Sihtric, but you were too afraid to look back, so you ran home…

You weren't sure how much time had passed after you had reached your home and locked the doors behind you with blind panic. You only remembered running upstairs, to your bedroom, where you threw up and fainted once you sat down on your bed, not having closed your bedroom window.

You were woken up sometime later, the sky outside still dark while the streets were quiet, and you slightly raised your head up when a sudden sense of dread alarmed you. You held your breath once you caught a foul whiff of the smell of blood and flesh, and you slowly turned to face the nightmare that stood in your room, which had climbed in through your window and had shredded your curtains. You cowered at the shadowy sight of your werewolf boyfriend towering over you as he stood at the end of your bed, and you began to cry for help. Sihtric then whined and backed off, throwing his large, hairy and clawed hands up to show you he meant no harm, but he also understood you were terrified of him as you hid your face behind your hands while you muttered something that sounded like a prayer.

Sihtric was too ashamed to shift back to his human form, he couldn't possibly face you as himself, but he knew he also couldn't keep his current shape. So he crouched down and, out of your sight, shifted from his horrible werewolf figure into that of a large black coated wolf. He then carefully moved closer and climbed on your bed. You yelped and flinched at his first touch; a light headbutt to your shoulder to gain your attention, and you then slowly lowered your hands and saw the monster was no longer there anymore. Instead, there was a beautiful big black wolf staring at you, with the big and recognisable mismatched puppy dog eyes of the man you loved, and a calming sensation seemed to wash over you.

You sniffled and backed away at first when you felt his tongue wipe away your tears, but you believed he meant well and allowed him to come closer again. Sihtric headbutted you once more, lovingly, and he then wrapped his front legs around you and pushed you to lay down. You turned to face him, and you couldn't stop yourself from grabbing onto his thick fur and burying your face in it as you began to cry again. 'Sihtric,' was all you could whisper, to which he whined softly. Sihtric was heartbroken to see you like this and knowing he was the cause of it all, and he pulled you in closer with his paws. He used his big, soft and bushy black tail as a security blanket, enveloping you whole while he held you tightly wrapped in his front legs, with his big fluffy wolf head resting on top of yours.

You were safe.

taglist: @foxyanon @alexagirlie @sihtricsafin @neonhairspray @gemini-mama

@lexwolfhale @sigtryggrswifey @skyofficialxx @djarinsgirl27 @m-a-s-h-k-a

@verenahx @mrsarnasdelicious @diiickbrainn @little-diable @maii777

@urmomsgirlfriend1 @dixie-elocin @elle4404 @bubblyabs @ylvie50

@succnfuccubus @hb8301 @willowbrookesblog @apolloanddaphnis @jennifer0305

@carnationworld @justanother-sihtricgirlie @stark-head @reidsbookstore @thenameswinter99

@deathbluestar113 @ladyinred2248 @zaldritzosrose @maryelle-cats @penumbrie

if you want to be added to/deleted from the taglist, message me 🖤

[guilty-pleasures21]

I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA ABOUT JASON

IMAGINE JASON DATING AN S/O WHO'S ALSO A WEREWOLF OR SMTHN SIMILAR--- I'M THINKING OF BITING RN. BITING JASON. WITH CANINES. OR FANGS. GROWLING WHEN YOU REALISE HE'S BLAMING HIMSELF FOR SMTHN. MORE BITING AND HIM LIKING IT.

(ughh some days i just wanna top that man and see him trying and failing to not be submissive as hell)

I LOVE YOUR WRITING SM BTW!!!

~ 🐺anon

Ahh! @🐺anon thank you so much!

Okay, so I'm actually a HUGE vampire nerd (I've never seen/read Twilight, but I have other recommendations if people are interested!) and funnily enough, I only realised when one of my friends pointed out to me my suspiciously extensive knowledge of vampires once back in school. (And I also found out my best friend was secretly OBSESSED with werewolves - she used to read all the Patricia Briggs books and I called her out on it one day? 🤣)

BUT ANYWAY! I really love wolf-coded guys? Like, the fangs and the claws and the pure masculine dominance and need to protect their mate (I FELL IN LOVE WITH MIGUEL BEFORE KNOWING ANY OF THIS ABOUT HIM THOUGH OKAY?!! 🥺).

P.S. I was actually working on a Dick Grayson fanfic loosely based off of Red Riding/Beauty and the Beast once, so ... 😳😅

The monster

Jason's already told you all his secrets. Are you ready to tell him yours?

Warnings: mentions of trauma, descriptions of sex including blowjob (f & m receiving), fisting (m receiving) and penetration (p in v).

----------------------------------------------------------

She rang the doorbell, then knocked on his door when he still hadn’t answered.

“Jay!” X yelled through the door. “You know I'm gonna find some other way to come in!”

She waited patiently for a few moments, then finally, he opened the door. “What?!”

X reflected his expression back at him, her eyebrows scrunching together in irritation. “Rude!”

Jason clenched his jaw at her response and tightened his grip on the edge of the door. “Not tonight, X.”

X folded her arms across her chest. “I came all this way and you're just going to turn me away at the door?! At least let me use your bathroom first!”

Jason rolled his eyes and sighed before heading back into his apartment. He left the door open behind him, but didn’t speak a word to her as he trudged back into his bedroom. It must have been really bad then. But was it because of a mission or another nightmare? She shouldn't have left him alone last night, but she'd had no choice! It was the full moon, after all, and her parents would have killed her if she’d missed it.

She took her bag off and set it down on the kitchen island before tiptoeing into Jason's bedroom. He was lying on his side of the bed, even when she wasn't there to take up the empty space beside him, and her heart cracked at the sight. She slid onto her stomach next to him, taking care to keep that bit of distance between them. Then she turned to face him. “You don't have to talk about it, but you don't have to take it out on me.”

Jason sighed, knowing she was right - wanting to believe that she was right. But it was difficult to undo years of damage in just a few months. And even though she always encouraged him about the progress she saw him making, some days, he felt like life hadn't moved at all; like he was still trapped in that abandoned warehouse, waiting for someone to want him enough to come rescue him. He removed his arm from over his face, but continued to avoid her gaze. X watched him quietly, giving him the time he needed. Then finally, he glanced over at her - her thick hair trailing across her pillow, her long limbs sprawled out over his bed. He shuffled closer to her and she turned onto her side so he could snuggle against her, his arm coming around her waist as he buried his face in her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair, still waiting patiently.

“How-” He broke off as his voice cracked and took a moment to compose himself. “Why do you love me?” ‘Why do love me? What do you love about me? What in me is worth loving?’. That was what he was really asking her to tell him. She continued to stroke his hair, trying to find the right words to comfort him.

“Hmm,” she contemplated. “You're really sweet, Jay. I know you think that everyone thinks you're this big, bad, tough guy who just hates everything, but you care so much about the things that are important to you.” Jason tightened his grip on her, wanting so badly to believe what she was saying, to believe that he was good, so she continued.

“You always fight so hard to give everyone the opportunity to be good; to give them a choice and teach them all the different reasons they should make the right decision. You put everything into what you believe in, even at the cost of yourself.” She paused to press a kiss to the top of his head and he finally relaxed a little. “You're gentle and attentive and so caring; so deserving of all the love in the entire world and I will fight everyone to give it to you!”

Jason let out a soft snicker at the thought of his tiny little girlfriend beating people up for him. Then he tensed up again. “But … But I've hurt people. I've done bad things.”

Her response was immediate.

“We've all done bad things, Jay - we're only human.” Mostly. “But you've never hurt anyone … You've only hurt those who have hurt hundreds of other people! And in doing that, you've given all those other people a chance at life. At a better life. You basically do what everyone complains about God not doing.”

He pulled back slightly to raise an eyebrow at her in disbelief: had she just compared him to God? X shuffled closer to him and cupped his cheek in her hand, her fingers brushing along the stubble sprinkled around his jaw.

“You serve justice - even if it doesn't look so pretty sometimes,” she added. “Like karma.” Her eyes lit up at the thought.

“Ooh! Should we change your vigilante name to that?” she suggested excitedly. “That's such a cool name: Karma. And you'd have such cool catchphrases too!”

Jason couldn’t stop the smile that creeped across his face at her enthusiasm. He'd revealed his identity to her a few weeks before they'd started dating, secretly thrilled that the cute friend he'd made at the library months ago was already so enamoured with his alter ego. She liked how firm he was, she'd always say; how he wasn't afraid to make sure that everyone got what they deserved. She'd scare Dick and Steph sometimes, with how intense she could be, but he loved it - he loved her. Even though he still hadn't found the courage to say it just yet. He stroked her back gently, delighting in how soft she was. “I'm not changing my name, X.”

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him - like a little puppy. She'd remind him of one sometimes, bouncing around with her infectious enthusiasm, rambling on about something interesting she'd found without stopping taking a breath. He could practically see her wagging her imaginary little tail whenever she got excited. “Then can I do it? Can I become a vigilante like you?”

She held her fists close to her mouth, almost whimpering as she begged him for it - just like a little puppy. Jason ruffled her hair fondly and tugged her a little closer to him. “I don't want you to ever be in danger because of me.”

“Then keep me safe!” she responded quickly, grinning like it was that easy, that simple.

Jason snuck his hand beneath the hem of her shirt and scratched her skin lightly as he studied her. Then he pulled her into his chest and pressed his lips into her hair.

“I'll keep you safe,” he promised her. “I'll keep you safe, sweetheart.” He hesitated after saying it, thinking about it. If he was being honest, he didn't want her to get involved in that part of his life because he never wanted her to see that side of him: to see him for the monster he really was. And maybe it was selfish of him, but … what other choice did he have?

“X …” he began slowly.

“Hmm?” She tilted her head back to look up at him.

“Do you … Do you ever get scared of me?” he asked her quietly. “Do you ever think … I could be a monster?”

He looked so sad as he said it, his voice all soft and terrified. And she wanted to beat up whoever had ever made him feel that way. She frowned.

“Why would I ever get scared of you, Jay? You keep me safe, remember?” Her brows remained creased as she watched him consider her response. Then her heart leapt into her throat as she realised that this was the best opening she was ever going to get. “But Jay … Even if … Even if you thought you were a monster … I'd say that we can be monsters together.” She curled into herself and peeked up at him nervously, then let her eyes glow gold in the dim light of the moon streaming in through the windows.

He did a double take, unsure if he’d just seen what he thought he saw. Had her eyes just … flashed gold?! Or had it just been a reflection of something? “What?”

X bit her lip and sat up, avoiding his gaze.

“What if … What if I told you I was a monster?” she asked him carefully. “Would you still love me then?” Sure, he'd never said it, but she knew that he loved her - how could she not when he was always looking after her and buying her little gifts, planning small surprises for her and showering her with all his affection whenever they were together? But she'd been selfish - she'd fallen in love with the poetic boy with the white streak in his hair from their first conversation in the library and ever since then, she hadn't been able to stomach the thought of ever losing him.

Jason sat up, bewildered. Why was she suddenly acting so strangely?

“Of course!” he assured her firmly. He reached out to cup her cheeks. “Of course I'd …”

“I'd still want you,” he finished lamely. “Even then.”

X turned her face away from his, her stomach roiling with nerves. But she had to tell him - she couldn’t keep lying to him forever. “I'd never hurt you, Jay! You know that, right?”

“Of course I know that,” he assured her, turning her face back to his. “Of course I know you'd never hurt me, princess. But why are you talking like this? What happened?”

X dug her fingers into the mattress, wincing in anticipation of his response.

“I belong to a family that …” Ugh, it was like pulling teeth! Or fangs. Maybe she should just come out and say it. “I can turn into a wolf! Sometimes. But I don't hurt anyone! I'd never hurt anyone, Jay! Especially not you!” She looked up at him with wide eyes, the fear scrawled all over her face, and his breath caught in his throat: he'd never had anyone afraid to lose him. Not him, never him.

“W-What … What are you talking about?” He rubbed his thumb along her cheek, waiting for a better explanation.

X whimpered nervously as she curled into herself. “I can … I can show you?”

A wolf?! She could turn into a wolf?! What the f*ck?! What the hell was he supposed to say to that?! He let his hand fall from her face and shrugged, wanting to put her at ease. “Okay.”

She stood up and went over to the window to pull the curtains open. She took a moment to soak in the moonlight, letting its power wash over her, then she turned back to him, allowing him to see her for who she really was.

Jason’s jaw dropped at the sight of her golden eyes, her elongated canines, her sharp claws. What the actual f*ck?!

“I'm not … I can turn into a full wolf, if I wanted to, but I'd be too big.” She glanced around the room after saying it, imagining her large wolf form trying to squeeze into the space between his bed and his window. Then she lowered her head and waited for his response.

She still seemed the same: still spoke the same, still acted the same, still curled into herself with fear in anticipation of his response in the same way. He narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully. “How?”

“It runs in my family,” X admitted, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I've been able to do it since I was young.”

“Does it hurt?” Jason asked her. X shook her head quickly, still keeping her distance from him so she wouldn't scare him.

“No!” Jason sat in silence for a moment, thinking. Then he waved her over to him.

“Come here,” he commanded. X walked forward, but then stopped at the foot of the bed, still avoiding his gaze.

She was out of the moonlight now, but she wasn't changing back. “You don't need to be in the moonlight to do that?”

“Only for the first transformation of the night,” she explained. “Then I can do it whenever I want. It only lasts for about twelve hours though. Then I'd need the moonlight again.”

She didn't seem to have a problem speaking around her fangs. Would he have trouble kissing her though? He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and gestured for her to get on his lap. “Come here.”

She curled her fingers around his shoulders nervously and straddled his lap. Jason placed his hands on her waist and took a moment to study her body. She was still as soft as she always was, still as warm. But wait. Was that a tail? His lips twitched as he ran his fingers along her silky fur. “You have a tail?”

“Mmhmm!” She nodded enthusiastically in agreement, but her eyes were still wide with fear. And Jason could help but let out a huff of amusement at the irony of the situation: there he'd been, terrified that she wouldn't accept him once she knew the truth about him, and now here she was, asking him to do the same. He glided the hand that wasn’t stroking her tail up her back and around her waist, checking to see if everything else was still the same. He reached up to cup her cheek in his hand when he was satisfied, then he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. He kissed her slowly, cautiously, taking care to not cut his tongue on her fangs.

He was kissing her! He was really kissing her! But did that mean that he was okay with it? Or was he just testing it out? She pulled back slowly, then squeezed her arms to her chest, avoiding his gaze as she did so. “Are you … Are you okay with it? With me being a monster?”

Her voice was just a whisper as she said it, and she glanced up at him nervously. He tilted her face up to his and smiled. “We can be monsters together.”

X grinned as he repeated her words, and she started kissing him again, her movements a little hungrier, a little less careful this time. She pushed him down onto the bed and Jason chuckled at her eagerness. She looked so cute like this, her tail wagging with joy at his acceptance of her, her lips curled into that happy smile as she looked at him. She bent over to nip at his earlobe and Jason sucked in a breath as she began trailing her teeth down his skin, a delighted growl escaping her throat everytime her fangs pricked his skin. He slid his hands beneath the hem of her shirt and crawled his fingers up her skin cautiously, and she sat up to let him take her shirt off.

Her skin almost seemed to glow beneath the moonlight, and he sucked in a breath at the sight before looking up at her in question. They’d had sex before, of course, but this was … different. This time, they'd expose all of themselves to each other, every ugly piece of them they both thought should be locked away forever. X curled her fingers around the hem of his shirt, taking care to not scratch him with her claws. Then she nodded.

He kept his eyes fixed on her chest as he took her bra off, then he licked his lips hungrily when she was bare before him. She was so f*cking beautiful; more now than she’d ever been before, so completely herself, so utterly unafraid. He turned them over so she was lying beneath him, then slowly slid off her jeans and underwear. Shit, she was hot: her smooth skin, her soft curves, her silky curls. He stood up to take his own clothes off, then knelt down on the floor, settling himself between her legs. He tugged her to him, pulling her knees onto her shoulders, then began pressing soft kisses to the insides of her thighs, his teeth closing around her flesh occasionally to tug on her skin.

She pushed herself to her hands, wanting to look at him, but then he was dragging his tongue up her length and closing his lips around her clit and her head was falling back in pleasure. Jason continued licking and sucking on her like he was trying to make out with her p*ssy and she shuddered as she felt herself getting wetter and wetter.

“Hngrh … J-Jay …” X twisted her claws into the bedsheet, her body trembling as he continued to arouse her.

F*ck, she was cute, the helpless little whimpers that kept escaping from her lips as he continued to eat her out slowly? It drove him crazy. “I guess the transformation doesn't affect your sensitivity, huh, sweetheart?”

He chuckled against her pulsing p*ssy and X let out a surprised yelp as her leg twitched in response. Jason ran his fingers up and down her thighs as he gave a low moan of satisfaction. “Mmm. You gonna come for me, princess? Already?”

He closed his lips around her folds and gently pulled them into his mouth before lazily dribbling his tongue along her length. F*ck, she tasted sweet.

He was so good, so gentle and slow, her Jason, always taking his time to appreciate the taste of her on his tongue. She shuddered as he let out another low moan and started moving her hips against his mouth to get him to go faster. But Jason pulled back instead and chuckled at her impatience. X growled at the sudden absence of his mouth and bared her teeth at him in a snarl. Jason flashed her a smug smirk in response as he stood up and leaned over her.

“You think I'm scared of you, princess?” He asked, gripping her chin tightly and turning her face up to his. “With those cute little puppy dog eyes of yours?” He snickered as she continued to glare at him, then he bent over to press a kiss to her lips.

X loosened her grip on the bed sheets when she felt his tongue brushing across hers. She'd always been a bit of an outcast within her pack: the male wolves would always go for someone bigger, stronger - a mate who would be able to give them many children and help them hunt for and look after the rest of the pack. It wasn't their fault - just a part of their DNA - but it didn't make it hurt any less. She gasped as Jason reached up to cup her breast, his mouth moving to trail along her neck and shoulder instead. But here was a man, big and strong and always ready to defend his pack, worshipping her body like she was some kind of angel he was blessed to be able to lay his hands upon. If only he could see himself in the same way; in the way she saw him. She steeled herself so her voice wouldn't shake when she next spoke. “Jason.”

“Hmm?” he grunted, continuing to trail his lips and hands all over her body. F*ck, she tasted so sweet.

He wasn't listening to her and she was starting to get a little frustrated at the smugness in his voice. So she grabbed him by the waist and flung him onto the bed.

“Whoa!” Jason exclaimed, caught off guard. Then he turned to grin at her. “How'd you do that?!”

X kept her face scrunched into a frown as she climbed on top of him and pinned his wrists against the bed. “It's my wolf strength. Now shut up!”

He stopped talking, but continued to smile at her, amused by how cute she still looked despite her wickedly sharp canines; she looked more like a puppy than a wolf, glaring down at him with her beautiful, round eyes. X huffed in irritation when she saw that he still wasn't taking her seriously.

“Tell me where it hurts, Jay,” she demanded. Jason shut his mouth and raised an eyebrow at her, his lips curling at the ends in teasing. X shoved him into the mattress in warning. “Jason!”

Jason lets out a little snicker. She was so powerful - a full-on wolf when she wanted to be! - and yet, she was still so vulnerable before him.

“What?” he finally relented. “What do you want me to tell you, princess?”

X began to hesitate, her resolve weakening as she contemplated what she wanted to ask of him. “I want … I want you to tell me … all the parts of you that you think aren't worth loving.”

His breath caught in his throat at that and he felt his heart skip a beat. “W-What?”

X let go his wrists and sat back, taking a moment to assess his body. Her fingers trailed over all of his scars and bruises and she repeated herself, her tone more firm this time. “Tell me all the parts of you that you think aren't worth loving.”

Jason swallowed hard, his heart resuming its beats, but much faster this time. He shifted uncomfortably in position, so she curled up on his chest, her big dark eyes looking up at him as she held him down. He clenched and unclenched his fists, then turned away from her, ashamed.

“My mouth.” Something easy, he'd start with something easy. “Someone always gets hurt whenever I open it. I've always been told that I have a big mouth.” X smiled and crawled up over him to trace the curve of his lips with her finger.

“All the better to kiss with,” she joked. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him slowly, pouring all her affection into him. Then she pulled back. “What else?”

Jason's chest started heaving with shallow breaths as the anxiety began to creep in. He was going to do this, he was really going to do this: tear himself open and let her see all the vulnerable bits he tried so hard to hide. “M-My … My hands. All they do is take and take and take.”

X lifted his hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss to his palm. Then she began listing all the things he'd taken from her, stopping to nip each of his fingers in between.

“They take my sadness. They take my pain. They take my loneliness. They take my tears. They take my hunger.” She placed his hand on her waist when she was done, then she took hold of his other one to do the same. “They take my sorrow. They take my fear. They take my nightmares. They take my ignorance. They take my insecurities.”

She placed his hand on the other side of her waist and continued. “What else?”

Jason swallowed hard, the pressure beginning to build up behind his eyes as he digested her words. How could she do that? How could she take all of his self-loathing, all of his hurt and his pain … and turn it into something so beautiful?

“My shoulders,” he choked out helplessly. “They're not strong enough to carry the weight of … of his expectations.” She lowered herself back on top of him and rubbed his shoulder gently, knowing exactly who he was talking about. She scratched his skin lightly with her claw, leaving a faint red line, then she smiled down at him, her eyes glowing in the dark again as she did so.

“They carry mine perfectly fine.” She bent over and sank her fangs into his shoulder, just enough to draw a surprised hiss out of him, but not enough to hurt him - he'd already had enough pain to last a lifetime. Longer, even. She bit him softly, then pulled back and began reciting all the expectations he'd taught her she was allowed to have of someone. “Brave.”

X moved her mouth higher up his shoulder and nipped at his brawny muscle again.

“Sweet.” Nip. “Patient.” She moved to his other shoulder when she ran out of space.

“Thoughtful. Attentive. Generous.” She sat up again and fixed him with a challenging look. “Is there anything else?”

Jason tightened his grip on her waist and, this time, his voice cracked with pain when he spoke. “I'm broken. I'm so broken, X.”

X gave him a soft smile and traced one of the scars on his shoulder.

“You're not broken, Jace. You're all stitched up! Here.” She brushed her fingers down his scar, then moved on to another. “And here.”

She repeated the phrase, her fingers sliding along his skin, her claws outlining each of his hideous scars. Then when she was done, she bent over and nipped at each of them, her fangs pricking his skin delightfully. She took hold of his cock when she reached his abdomen, curling her fingers around it and moving it aside. But then she began stroking him gently, her thumb rubbing across his slit as she dragged her fangs along the inside of his thighs.

“X …” Jason breathed, clutching onto the bed sheets as his arousal began to intensify. X raised her head to grin at him, her tail wagging happily behind her. Jason pushed himself up to his elbows, glancing down at his body to see what she'd done, and his heart squeezed in his chest. Where before he'd had scars, now he was showered with little bite marks, the imprint of her fangs scattered across his body as she'd claimed him as her own. X sat up, her fingers still stroking his cock carefully, and smiled down at his body.

“They're not scars anymore, Jay,” she told him, brushing her fingers across his rough skin tenderly. “They're all the places I've marked you.”

She looked up at him, eyes glinting gold with mischief and glee. “You don't belong to Death anymore, Jason Todd - you belong to me.”

Jason reached up to cup her cheek and pull her closer to him so he could start kissing her. He kissed her hard, aggressive, licking into her mouth thirstily like she was the only thing that could soothe the aching emptiness inside of him. X giggled as she kissed him back, then she yelped in surprise when he pushed her down onto the bed beneath him. She gasped and twisted her fingers in his hair as he began pressing his lips and teeth all over her body, marking her like she'd marked him.

“I belong to you,” Jason recited feverishly, like the words were a prayer on his lips. “I'm yours. All yours, baby. All yours, X.” He squeezed her breast in his hand, then growled and nipped at the other before dragging his tongue across her nipple. X whimpered and curled her toes as her legs twitched with arousal. Then she let out a helpless moan when Jason sucked hard on her breast before releasing her with a wet ‘pop’.

“You like that?” he teased her, making his way down her abdomen, nibbling on her soft skin and leaving small bruises all over her body. “You like it when I mark you like this, princess? When I …” He trailed off as he reached her centre, her sweet little p*ssy all blushing and dripping just for him. He growled again at the sight, then pushed his mouth into her folds and groaned at the taste of her before drinking her up.

“You're all mine,” he declared. “You're all mine, X, all mine, princess.”

She whimpered and moaned again as her walls began to throb with arousal, the intensity of it causing her body to contract hard. “J-Jason!”

“F*ck,” he breathed. He flipped her over and started licking her up from behind, his fingers digging into her ass to spread her apart as he dragged his tongue along her length. X twisted her fingers into the bedsheets, her claws ripping the soft fabric as she did so.

“Jay!” she squealed helplessly. Jason bit down on her ass, his teeth sinking into her skin delightfully, then he held her tail down so he could start making his way up her body.

“You're so perfect,” he murmured, his words slurred with desire. “So perfect, baby. So pretty, so f*cking pretty.”

She shuddered as he trailed his lips up her spine, her entire body so sensitive from how badly he'd stimulated her already. Then finally, he reached her neck and she found the strength to push herself up to shrug him off of her. He rolled over onto his back and she pounced on him quickly before he could get up.

He looked up at her, his eyes glazed over with lust, a dazed expression on his rugged features. He was so handsome when he was confused, when he was completely at her mercy like this.

“W-What?” he stammered out, puzzled. X placed her hands on his shoulders, then dragged them down his chest, her claws leaving a faint trail of pink down his torso. Jason sucked in a breath at the pleasant sting of it, then she turned around on top of him and settled her p*ssy over his mouth. Her tail flicked playfully at his nose as she took hold of his cock and began licking the insides of his thighs and he grabbed onto her ass instinctively, digging his fingers into her skin.

“F*ck!” He tried to continue eating her out again, to suck on her and lick her up and please her, but he was just too distracted by the feeling of her fingers teasing his tip to do anything besides pressing soft kisses along her length.

X fisted his cock as he suckled on her clit, her body giving a hard contraction that had her curling her back involuntarily. “Hngrh …”

She pushed her hips against his mouth and Jason let out a satisfied groan at the feeling. He started lapping at her folds, picking up the pace of his movements, and she whined.

“J-Jay … Stop …” He didn't listen, so she started running her tail across his face, stroking his cheeks and tickling him softly. Finally, he released her, his head falling back onto the mattress against his own will.

“F*ck!” he exclaimed. X continued to run her tail across his neck and shoulders as she began licking his cock, her silky fur brushing against his skin teasingly. Jason held his breath, overwhelmed by the feeling of her all over him; her tail around his neck, her c*m leaking onto his chest, her breasts pressing into his abdomen. He bucked his hips as she lowered her mouth onto his cock, pushing it deeper in so that his tip hit the back of her throat. X growled at the feeling and he muttered another curse when he felt the vibrations racing down his length to his core. X trailed her tongue up his length, tracing the veins in his shaft. Then she shook her head like he was a toy she was playing with and his hips lifted off the bed again as his dick slapped against the insides of her cheeks.

“F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck!” Jason swore, his brain turning completely numb with pleasure. “X … Stop … Princess, I want …” She refused to listen to him, happily sucking on his cock as he dug his fingers into the soft flesh of her ass. He groaned and pulled her back, settling her hips back over his face. X yelped in surprise, then flopped over him and started whining again when he shoved his tongue straight into her hole.

“J-Jay!” He groaned against her and she shivered as his low voice sank into her skin and danced along her bones. Then she ripped herself away from him and turned around so that their centres were perfectly aligned. The both of them paused for a second, chests panting with shallow breaths as they took each other in. Then Jason took hold of himself and tugged her down onto him. She sucked in a breath when she felt all of him filling up all of her, then she threw her head back with pleasure and started riding him.

“H-Hold … Hold on, princess …” Jason's voice shook as he bounced against the bed with the force of her movements. But he eventually managed to push himself up and grabbed her by the waist to lift her up slightly. She growled and snapped at him with her fangs, but he just chuckled and held her in position.

“Calm down, princess,” he reassured her lazily. “Just tryna get comfortable.” He shuffled up the mattress to lean back against the headboard, then loosened his hold on her, to allow her to continue.

X began rolling her hips against him again, her movements hard and fast. Shit! He felt so good! His thick cock stuffing her completely, his swollen tip hitting that one spot that had her entire body relaxing with pleasure. She could feel a howl starting to build up deep inside of her, a call to her mate, a warning to mark her territory. But there were still some parts of her she was too ashamed to share with him, so she did her best to swallow it back down.

She kept whining and whimpering, like she was trying hard to silence herself. But he didn't want her to silence herself - he wanted her to let him in, to feel safe enough with him to let him see all of her. “What's wrong … princess?”

“H-H-Hooowl …” X winced as the urge continued to press against her throat.

“Y-You … You wanna howl?” Jason asked, another wave of desire hitting him as she made her eyes all round and sweet.

She nodded eagerly, her features still scrunched up in embarrassment. Jason tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You can howl if you want, princess.”

His voice was low and gravelly as he said it and she found herself unable to hold back anymore. She pushed him against the headboard and finally let out a shy and adorable little howl.

“F*ck.” How the f*ck was she so cute?! Jason buried his face in her breasts and glided his hands along her sides and up her back. He tugged on her nipple with his teeth then circled it with his tongue before sucking on her. X whined at the sensation and let out another soft howl as she continued to bounce on his cock. “Shit.”

Jason released her breast and his head fell back against the headboard as she slammed him against it again. X yipped happily when she saw the dazed look on his face, then she curled herself around him to nip at his ear. Jason winced and tightened his grip on her before letting out another curse. “F*ck!”

X giggled against his neck and slowed down a little, rolling her hips slower, but harder, against him. God, he felt good, thick and warm and filling her up so very nicely. She gripped onto his hair as her body shuddered, her p*ssy pulsing around him desperately as she came for him.

“F*ck.” Jason kept his arms around her as his entire body tightened, and then he was coming too, his c*m shooting into her cervix and coating her walls with his seed. X slumped over against him, her entire body relaxing at the feeling of his warm semen inside of her. Then she closed her eyes and took a moment to listen to his heartbeat, the steady sound of it soothing her. They stayed like that for a while, the both of them holding each other in silence. Then finally, “I love you.”

It was so soft that she almost didn't hear it at first. She transformed her ears and angled them towards him in question. Did he … Had he really said it? After months of her being the only one who would? Jason let out a small laugh, then pressed a kiss to the top of her head before repeating himself. “I love you, X.”

X sat up to grin at him, her tail wagging furiously behind her. “I love you too, Jay.”

[klausysworld]

(I had so many requests for this and they all went in such different directions so I decided to just do what I could imagine instead of trying to combine them all or make multiple desperate alternate endings. Obviously peoples requests have influenced what i had written to an extent.)

A life I do not deserve part 2

Part 1

I hadn’t exactly thought it through when I drove away. 7 month’s pregnant with minimal money and low battery on my phone. It wasn’t ideal.

I was sat in a shitty motel, heavily pregnant while trying not to let my emotions overtake me. Having to lay beneath the cold thin sheets was awful, the baby kicked nonstop without Klaus being there to sooth her into calmness. Even the baby knew something was wrong and it was exhausting.

By morning my phone was dead and i was just sat in my car trying to think of anywhere i could go.

Moving in with the Mikaelsons in New Orleans, a city i do not know, was a terrible idea. A supernatural city at that. Vampires and witches were everywhere, werewolves were beginning to get more comfortable as well.

That night I slept in my car.

The next morning I scraped together the last of my money to buy an overpriced beignet. Klaus used to buy them for me, it was something i had craved remembered since the pregnancy. I wasn’t aware of how stupidly expensive they were in this town. At least the glass of water was complimentary.

I managed to dodge any supernatural beings on my way back to the car. Once back in and safe i went over my options

Steal money, fill the car and drive as far as i can

Steal money to buy a charger to call Rebekah to help me without telling Klaus

Steal a charger to call Rebekah to help me without telling Klaus

Go by foot with a lack of food and water and possibly pass out and yet eaten by A)wolves or B)Vampires

Go back to the abattoir and hope i don’t bump into Klaus before making it to A)Rebekah B)Elijah C)Marcel

Only issue is: there’s a higher possibility that Elijah or Marcel would tell Klaus out of their weird undying loyalty together.

So basically in any situation where I live, I need Rebekah.

And so there I was, silently sat beside the door inside Rebekah’s bedroom waiting for her to walk in.

I could hear Klaus and Elijah talking int hallway outside.

“She can’t be far, she only left three days ago, she’s probably just processing” Elijah persuaded. Klaus was pacing up and down, i could tell that much

“No, we need to get her as soon as possible. I can’t let her think I don’t love her and our child. That’s another thing, she’s with child! Anything could happen to her! What if she fell Elijah? We should check the hospital again” he rambled

“We still have people waiting there. Someone will call if they see her. Just sit and wait, she’ll come home soon” Elijah continued to convince

“She won’t. Not willingly. You didn’t see her face, it was like someone had witnessed a massacre” he muttered and i brought my lips into a tight lip smile, tears burning my eyes

“Can you blame her, Niklaus?” Elijah murmured and i fought against sniffing

“I had to use Cami, it gives our enemies someone else to go after instead of Y/n.” He whisper yelled.

I wasn’t able to believe that. And even if it was true, he didn’t have to sleep with her in a room where we’d been together too. He didn’t have to paint her in the room next to what would be our baby’s bedroom.

“Still. You certainly could have gone about it better, you already hurt her before” he reminded and i heard Klaus growl

“That was different. How on earth was I supposed to believe a bunch of witches that I could create a child!?”

“You didn’t have to call her such…drastic words”

My eyes dropped knowing exactly what he was referring to.

“I didn’t mean a word of it” he murmured back

“But you said it and you watched her cry on the floor and still walked out. You cannot expect her to come flying back with open arms. Give her time” Elijah coaxed

“She doesn’t need time! She needs to listen!” He hissed

“You need to leave her be”

“I do not care how far she thinks she can get, i will hunt her down and drag both her and my child back until she is back in my house, in my arms and not able to go anyplace other” he snarled and I felt the fear bubbling inside me. A lone tear dropping from my eye as I pressed my back to the wall

“You sound like Mikael” Elijah breathed and i covered my mouth.

An immediate flow of yells and smashing was followed. Both of them arguing endlessly as each of them were shoved and thrown.

Slowly i moved to lay in Bekah’s bed. I doubt she would rat me out, but it was clear she wasn’t coming back for a little while and neither the motel or the car had provided me with any rest.

I stayed as quiet and as still as I could despite the aggressive kicks from within me and the urge to throw up at the back of my throat. Silent tears streamed down my cheeks as i kept my eyes closed, welcoming the darkness to overcome me.

A hand on my shoulder had be jolting awake. My arms quickly moving to push myself up but the hands were keeping me down

“Sh love, sh just go back to sleep” he whispered. Klaus.

I froze in place keeping still. His hand rubbed up and down my arm lightly. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness and i came to the realisation that i was in our his room. I could feel and hear my heart pounding in my chest and ears as my breathing picked up.

His arm draped over me, his hand on my stomach keeping the kicking child at bay.

“Klaus…what are you doing?” I asked hesitantly as his lips pressed to my shoulder

“I’m keeping you safe. Both of you.” He murmured

“I don’t want you to” i whispered and he hummed

“Just go back to sleep” he muttered

It was only when the cloudiness of the situation wore of that i realised exactly where i was. I was in his bed? I felt the sick rising in my throat as i forced myself to sit up despite his protests

“Oh god” i mumbled repeatedly, disbelief spreading through me. I could see his worried face as I scrambled off the bed

“Love-“

“You- oh my god Klaus. You put me in the bed you fucked her in?” I yelled and his eyes went wide

“Sweetheart- I’ve washed everything” he began but my choked sob cut him off

“No. No. I wouldn’t care if you had bought a new bed, how could you do this?” I cried and he stood up making his way toward me

“You’re right- I’m sorry, okay? We’ll go to a different room, just take my hand” he persuades, his hand outstretched for me to take

“I’m gonna be sick” i whispered feeling a chill go through me before i turned and bolted for the conjoined bathroom.

Immediately i was gagging and throwing up in the toilet, i could feel his hands holding my hair like he had done so many mornings before. His hand rubbing my back soothingly though it didn’t have the same affect now. If anything only made me more sick.

“I’m sorry” he whispered but i only sobbed louder, my forehead rested against my arms as I continued to vomit.

Once i sat back up he was wiping my mouth with a tissue gently before a little cup of mouthwash was offered to me which i used before slowly standing up.

My eyes found his as his adams apples bobbed. His eyes big and sad as he took a small step back so I could walk out the door. I immediately headed down the stairs toward the front door, my hand reaching for the door handle but before i could open it his hand was over mine.

I sighed as i kept my eyes trained on the exit in-front of me

“At least go in the morning, it’s the middle of the night” he uttered

“I’m not sleeping next to you” i told him seriously

“I know” he whispered

Slowly i made my way back upstairs, turning off to a spare room with Klaus’ eyes on me the whole time.

———————————————————————

It had been another month since everything. I had my own room down the hall, furthest away from Klaus and very rarely spoke to him.

Elijah had attempted to talk to me on behalf of Klaus but I ignored him until he left.

Rebekah had learnt not mention him and Marcel found it fun to flirt with me loud enough for him to hear.

Even Kol liked to how far he could get before Klaus would pull the daggers out for him trying to ‘feel me up’

I found great satisfaction in seeing Klaus sat with a clenched jaw watching as Kol pressed his ear to my bump, giggling when the baby kicked against him.

“Okay Kol that’s enough it’s starting to hurt” i said with a laugh as the baby kicked where his head was

“But it’s fun” he muttered

“Kol get off.” Klaus warned watching us from the doorway

“But i like it, i reckon the babys gonna be a boy” he mumbled poking my stomach. I winced when i was kicked harder from the inside and immediately Klaus had a hold of Kol’s arm, pulling him and out of the room.

“Klaus! Klaus it’s fine” i yelled as i tried to push myself up only to sink back into the seat with a groan. My hand gripped the sofa tightly as i felt my body contracting.

I let out a gasp as i felt my water break, fluid going all down my legs and onto the couch. My eyes went wide as I began to panic

“Klaus!?” I shouted and I heard his footsteps

“Yes, yes, I know! I didn’t bloody hurt him!” He yelled before pausing in step and staring with a wide mouth. I let out another long groan of pain making him snap back to reality, nearly flying forward to get a hold of me. He instantly pulled me into a bridal carry, running to the car

“It’s okay- hospital is just round the corner” he thought aloud while strapping me in. I grabbed his hand tightly as i felt the pain again and his face twisted into a pained expression

“Love- you’re hurting me” he breathed but i only squeezed tighter as the agony ran through me

“Would you just drive Klaus before I have to have your stupid baby in a car!?” I yelled, more aggressively than i had originally intended but made him start the car all that much quicker.

Once in the hospital and given out private room his hand was on the verge of breaking.

“You have- no idea- how much- I hate you” i told him through breaths like the doctor instructed and he winced with a nod

“Yep- I’m aware, I’m glad that you’re finally talking to me though” he said with that stupid grin on his face making me squeeze his hand enough for him to let out a yelp

“Okay! Okay! I’m sorry!” He apologised

“For getting me pregnant or cheating on me?” I yelled as i began to push

“The- second one! I’m sorry! Oh fuck, can we have this conversation after? Please??” He asked looking at me desperately

“Thought you really wanted to talk about it!” I yelled as i strained myself

“God, after! Just after!” He shouted as a tear left his eye.

“Really you wanna cry Klaus!? Try pushing a fucking baby out of your-“ i was cut off with my own scream as i pushed harder.

After way too long, I was lead with our daughter. Holding her closely in my arms as my eyes slowly found Klaus’. He was looking longingly at our child, hands fiddling as he leaned forward in his chair to get a better look.

I don’t think I could ever fully hate him, even after he broke my heart, when i look at him, I can’t help but see the soft side of him. The brighter parts of him, that shimmer in his eyes when he smiles.

I could’ve forgive him though, he was only kind when he had to be, he always did something to ruin the love i held for him. I wouldn’t be able to trust him again, i’ve only recently tolerated him being in the same room. Me being a labour and screaming is the most we’ve communicated in months.

“Do you want to hold her?” I asked, his face lit up as I passed her to him carefully. His mouth pulled into a grin as he looked down at her,his eyes shining in astonishment when her tiny hands grabbed his little finger.

Despite the beautiful moment, I couldn’t help the rush of sadness going through me. If he just hadn’t been so stupid and inconsiderate, we could have done this completely differently. We could go back to our home as a happy little family.

But I knew I couldn’t live with them much longer, now that i had the baby, I wasn’t really anything to them. A friend to Rebekah and Kol at most. My presence was merely an inconvenience at this point. Both Klaus and myself were uncomfortable in each others company, it was best that I left. But i knew I wouldn’t be able to take my daughter with me, he loves her too much.

I hate to admit that I thought of leaving without her. While she was still so young that she would just forget me, Klaus would keep her safe and the Mikaelsons would love her forever. She would be much better off without me really.

I thought it over many times, through the ride back home and over the next week. I was still at their house. Each day I felt more out of place, almost as though I wasn’t really there. Klaus always had our daughter-Hope. So I rarely even held her, Rebekah had gone out and bought baby formula without even asking if I had wanted to breastfeed. She was quickly drifting away from our friendship. I had nothing left.

I didn’t even have my own baby.

So there i was, sat on the bed i had been staying in with a suitcase fully packed. My train wasn’t for nearly two hours so i didn’t need to leave yet but I had nothing else to do but wait.

Klaus had taken Hope out somewhere, Elijah was communicating with the witches, Kol was off with Davina and Rebekah with Marcel.

After a little while longer I headed out, this time I made sure to bring enough money, and a charger.

I cried the whole journey, I felt awful, I had done the worst possible thing someone could do as a parent, I left. I left like Klaus had done to me.

But at least he came back, I had no idea what i was doing. It was like i was on autopilot.

My tears came to stop once lead in the hotel bed, my hands tightly clutching Hope’s onesie as I stared straight ahead of me aimlessly.

My phone rang beside me for nearly the 50th time. An endless flow of messages from Klaus going back for hours. It was well into the night, i was surprised he was still awake if I’m honest, normally he’s knock out as soon as Hope is down. If I’m entire truthful I didn’t think he would notice I was gone at all.

Over the next few days I managed to get all the way to New York through non-stop travel.

I was silently debating answering his call. He should probably know that I’m not dead. Though it may be better if he thinks I’m dead. But he might look for me, and that wouldn’t do any of us any good.

Hesitantly i pressed accept and put it on loud speaker. It was silent for a beat before he spoke

“Y/n?” He questioned, uncertainty in his tone. I couldn’t find it in myself to say anything, the guilt eating me from the inside out knowing what i had done and having to face it

“Love…would you come home please? Hope misses you…I miss you” his words grew quieter towards the end and i felt my eyes burn with tears, that familiar nauseous feeling rising through me

“Y/n? Do you want me to come get you?” He asked in a soft tone that had my heart aching, my hand covered my mouth as a sob broke through me but he still heard me

“It’s okay love, just- just tell me where exactly you are, i have a map in front of me, i know you’re in New York but i need you to tell me precisely, I’ll come bring you home” i could hear him walking as he spoke, the rustling of him pulling his jacket on

“I don’t want to go back” i whispered with a hiccup “I can’t do it Klaus”

“We need you y/n, Hope needs her mother” he reminded

“I’m sorry” i breathed, as a wave of nausea hit me

“Don’t be sorry, don’t be sorry” he murmured “Just stay on the phone with me”

And so throughout his drive over to New York I eventually told him where I was. He was quick to burst through the door, his hands quickly grabbing me and pulling me to his chest, his hand holding the back of my head as he sighed

“I thought you were gone” he whispered, I said nothing as my hands clung to the back of his henley and let my tears soak his henley

“I can’t live with you, any of you” i told him quietly

“I’ll get you a house” he promised “whatever you like just please never do this again”

“I want my baby” i whispered, his hand stroked my hair gently

“Of course, we’ll get her moved in immediately”

And when he said immediately, he really meant it. As soon as we were back in New Orleans he was driving us to a different house. Hope there in Elijah’s arms who quickly gave Klaus the baby and left with no more than a respectful head nod to me in acknowledgment.

Klaus turned back to me with our daughter in his arms, slowly approaching me and giving me my child. Her eyes sparkled like his did when she looked at me, she made small incoherent sounds as her arms waved about in the air.

I felt my eyes gloss over as i looked at her, she was so beautiful, like a little angel. I took her inside, the house already fully furnished and decorated. Klaus followed swiftly behind me, following me as I got into the kingsized bed, keeping Hope close to me as I held her like she were the most valuable jewel in the world.

Klaus pulled the blanket up over my body, leaning down to kiss the top of Hopes head and then my cheek

“I’ll come back tomorrow? We can talk a little?” He asked softly, kneeling down beside the bed to be eye level with me

“Can’t we just pretend nothing happened?” I breathed, keeping my eyes closed “just pretend that you never slept with someone else and I didn’t run away, can we just pretend for a little while” i whispered

“Love…”

“Please, just for a little while, just pretend” i pleaded “just lay with us”

Slowly, hesitantly, he did. Our faces in-front of each others as we curled around Hope, keeping her safe and between us.

“I wish we could be a family” i whispered

“We still can be” he murmured, his hand on my cheek as a lone tear strayed down my face

“No…I don’t think we can.”

People who commented for a part 2

@niklausmikaelsonsproperty @hyperactivewhore @reggiegyal @nataliewalker93 @elijahmikaelsonbitch @secretdreamlandmentality @susannahmikaelson

Plus some others but the users weren’t coming up when i types them in :(

Sorry for such the long wait and if it had disappointed you in any way, I’ve literally made it up as I’ve gone along. Not sure why it took so long or why certain things happened

[kasagia]

Heyyy! So I was wondering if it was possible for you to write something where klaus forces the reader to marry him and they have a daughter hope(she can be a baby or a kid) and the reader can kind of tolerate klaus for the sake of her daughter but actually hates him and over time she falls in love with elijah's nobility and confesses to him at a party or something and klaus overhears ending is up to you<3

Loved by them two

Pairing: Klaus Mikaelson x reader, Elijah Mikaelson x reader, Summary: After your parents (pack leaders) arranged your marriage to Klaus (with whom you accidentally had a one-night stand earlier), you tied your fate irrevocably to the Mikaelsons. Problem? 1. You hate your husband for tricking you into this marriage. 2. His noble brother is too alluring. 3. You find out the hard way that hate, love, and lust are a very explosive mixture. Especially when you add the two Mikaelsons to it. Warning(s): argument, fight, blood, love triangle, smut, the first time I wrote something bordering on smut, angst, fluff, the reader kisses Elijah and then goes to bed with Klaus; generally, the reader doesn't know what to do; but she has two hot brothers on her call; three in total because Kol is her best friend; I really like this one after all Nonsense from me: I combined these two requests because they seem to go together. Also sorry if I didn't include enough Elijah x reader (despite my huge crush for all the Mikaelsons, Klaus will always get somehow a girl 😅). I also took a gif from here, because... well it's good. Word count: 8,3k (it's pretty long, I admit, but I don't regret any minute of writing it.)

You hated Klaus Mikaelson with all your heart. Your abhorrent, psychotic husband. A man who somehow was the father (even though you've tried to disprove it many times) of your precious, sweet little daughter Hope.

If the devil could take human form, no doubt it would be your husband.

You met him by accident. You and your friends went out into the city to have fun. You met a hot, handsome blond guy in a bar, went to bed with him, and left his house the next day without a word, expecting never to see him again. You wouldn't think that when you get back to your pack of wolves, your parents - the alphas of the pack - will tell you that you're getting married in a month. And not just anyone. Klaus Mikaelson was going to be your husband. A 1,000-year-old werewolf and vampire hybrid.

You will remember for the rest of your life what they told you when they were destroying your chance for happiness.

"The pack must be strong. This marriage and your assumption of power will guarantee us a secure position in New Orleans. No witches, vampires, or other werewolves will stand in our way. This alliance with the originals will guarantee us power beyond our ancestors' imagination. The crescent wolf and other packs will succumb to our strength. It is your duty to do this for your people."

Of course, you objected to the idea as soon as they told you. But you weren't a leader yet, so your opinion didn't matter much. Especially when your first meeting with your fiancé was only a few minutes away. At least the first official meeting.

You thought the guy must look like a walking fossil. You were surprised when you met that hottie from last night.

And from then on, your whole life became hell.

You tried everything to back out of that engagement. Really everything. Even a fake pregnancy with another, which turned out not to be so fake after all. And unfortunately for you, the father of your child was HE. The curse of your existence.

So he sped up the wedding, and you became the wife of the most dangerous vampire in the world. Cool! At least you got lots of presents and access to his bank accounts all over the world. The pros of being an incubator for a miracle baby.

Then you met your guardian angel. Elijah Mikaelson - the older brother of your awful husband. Your only consolation (other than Hope) in this terrible situation. Your friend, soul mate, and the man of your dreams.

Fate liked to make fun of you, it forced you to marry the wrong brother.

Elijah was everything any woman could ask for. A tactful gentleman, respecting and supporting female feminism, always keeping his word, a walking ideal. The complete opposite of your cruel husband.

You were completely in love with him. So much so that when he held your beautiful one-year-old daughter in his arms, you imagined that he was her father. Your fantasy was almost always spoiled by your husband stepping on the three of you and taking the baby out of his hands.

You had no idea why Klaus had even chosen to make your life a nightmare. There were other ways he could have taken control of the city; he didn't have to become the leader of your pack and marry you.

But he always did and took what he wanted. You found out after being stuck in this happy swamp of being married to Klaus for a year. So you took great satisfaction in denying him the one thing he could never have and so desired - your love and affection.

It was another big mystery for you when it came to Klaus and his complicated personality. Yes, you had a child together, and you were stuck with him, but before that, you didn't know each other. So why did the mighty hybrid decide to find a mate and lead his own pack with them? And why was he strangely obsessed with creating a happy, loving family with you and Hope?

Worse, he turned out to be a good alpha to your pack and an even better father. You couldn't say a bad thing. You two ruled the werewolves, enhanced by your fusion, as equals. And Hope loved it when he sang her lullabies and tucked her in to sleep. Ironically, she calmed down better in the murderous original's arms than in yours.

Even your own child was against you.

Fortunately, in this cold, dark Mikaelson mansion, there was one soul who stood by your side no matter what. The only one you could trust implicitly without fear of ending up with a stake in your back.

Elijah was a gift from heaven to you.

During your pregnancy with Hope, he helped you in every possible way. He was always there for you, whether it was holding your hair as you returned all the breakfast he had prepared for you earlier or reading aloud to you as he massaged your aching ankles.

And when did you become a hybrid? He was the one who taught you self-control for the most part (while Klaus was busy doing something else and couldn't see the two of you, of course).

There was only one problem. Your terribly possessive husband.

As soon as Klaus came into your sight, Elijah had to move two meters away from you, or all hell would break loose.

And you're not exaggerating at all.

One day, when you were watching a movie and lying on the couch, leaning against each other and covered with one blanket, you didn't notice the hybrid enter the living room. You didn't even blink when your companion was dragged from his place and thrown to the other end of the house. A second later, a very angry and jealous vampire took his place, hugging you much closer than his brother and placing his hands on your growing belly.

You didn't react to his show of strength then.

Elijah and Rebekah taught you long ago to choose your battles with Niklaus. It wasn't worth arguing with him about everything he'd done. Especially since you were pregnant at that time - you didn't always have the strength to get into fights with him.

But now as a hybrid, queen of your pack and whole New Orleans? Oh no, you wouldn't let that man fucking rule you.

You tried to make his life hell. You defied him every step of the way, overthrowing his dark plans and bringing your own to life. Of course, you did it all with a sweet, stupid smile, occasionally showing him small acts of tenderness, such as hugging or kissing on the cheek or forehead (on exceptional, life-threatening occasions, you even sacrificed and kissed him), to lull his vigilance.

But Klaus wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what you were doing and was happy to let you change a couple of his plans if it meant a kiss from you.

And you thought it was what made him fall for you.

You were stubborn, always getting your way, going over the dead to achieve your goal if it was to protect your loved ones.

And Klaus loved it. You don't know if it was his weird fetish - the guy always got what he wanted and no one dared stand up to him, so he felt for the girl who didn't want to succumb to him. You were probably one of the few survivors of the rebellion against him. And the one who could do literally anything without any fear of the hybrid hurting you.

You get used to this life. Secret meetings with Elijah in the library, discussions in the living room while Hope played with her toys on the carpet and watched cartoons on TV, occasional shopping and girls' nights with Bekah and Freya, and even to Kol's pranks and tricks.

Even your relationship with Klaus has been better lately. You tried so openly not to show your hostility towards the hybrid. After all, he was your daughter's father and Hope deserved at least a semblance of normalcy - parents who don't want to kill each other every 5 minutes.

But tonight, everything was about to change.

~•♤♤♤•~

"So you want me to go with you to some weird party organized by your current archenemy Tristan, and Klaus gave you his permission to take me out of the house?" you asked the original who made the pancakes for you as you discussed another plan to outsmart the de Martel siblings while cradling Hope in your arms.

"I wouldn't call him an archenemy... just a minor inconvenience."

"Is that why you and Klaus tremble with anger every time I say his name?"

"No, it's because a beautiful lips as yours shouldn't be tainted by such a terrible name."

"So whose name should I keep saying, Elijah?" you asked with a teasing smirk, licking your lips.

The original leaned slightly towards you. The tension in the room was palpable between the two of you. You looked down from his captivating, mesmerizing eyes to those alluring lips you've dreamed of kissing ever since he turned out to be more than your asshole husband's brother to you. You were only a few centimeters apart... so little...

Hope's squirming in your arms reminded you of the baby's presence. And that you were standing so close to your husband's brother in broad daylight and in a place where anyone could easily walk in and see you two. Against your darkest, most hidden desire, you have moved away from the noble original. Elijah cleared his throat, going back to continuing your breakfast.

"I'll be ready at 8 p.m."

"The party starts at 7."

"So? Don't you think being fashionably late will be the perfect combination for the act of surprise when they see me hanging on your arm? We'll get their attention, so Klaus and Kol will do what they do the best."

"You know ladies don't usually talk about such… bloody things while holding babies in their arms?"

"Ladies, Elijah, but my wife is everything but that." the hybrid came out of nowhere with that arrogant smirk on his lips. "Hello, my queen. My little princess." Klaus smiled fondly and took Hope from you, making funny faces at the baby. The traitor started to giggle. You rolled your eyes but also smiled slightly upon hearing your daughter's cute laugh.

"Dada!" she screamed, grabbing his nose with her hands.

Yeah, this little traitor could already talk. No, the first word she said wasn't dad; it was mom. The problem is that her happy "dada" came out of her mouth too often compared to mama. Klaus was too pleased with this fact than you would have liked.

"Well, maybe if my loving husband was an exemplary gentleman, I could act like a lady."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

"How is Aurora? Did she let you out of her arms so quickly?" you asked sarcastically, trying to throw him off balance. You weren't in the mood to put up with that annoying asshole today.

"Did I just hear jealousy in your voice, love?"

"Haha, you wish. You have my full blessing to spend time with whoever wants you."

"Niklaus. I believe we were supposed to have a meeting before we put this grand plan into action. Will you forgive us, Y/N?" Elijah interrupted you before you two broke the incredible peace between you that had lasted for 4 months and started to jump at each other's throats.

"Just take him wherever you want."

"Brother, shall we?"

Klaus muttered something under his breath. He handed our daughter over to me and planted a quick, wet kiss on my neck before stepping out of my personal space. I growled at him, showing my golden eyes. The man merely laughed, waving to the little one before leaving the kitchen.

"Enjoy your meal, Y/N."

"You can try to lose him on the way back!" you screamed after the retreating man in the suit.

"WON'T HAPPEN, LOVE!" your husband shouted back, ruining (as usual) all your dreams.

"It's always worth giving a shot." you murmured, knowing full well that he would be able to hear you. You smiled victoriously, hearing his irritable, grumpy voice as he snapped back at one of his vampire errands.

~•♤♤♤•~

"You look amazing, Y/N." Elijah greeted you with a delighted smile as he watched you descend the stairs in a long, tight black dress with gold embellishments at the waist and the ends of the sleeves.

With your little tiara in your hair and a gold snake necklace entwined around your neck, you felt like a fucking queen.

You're not going to lie—you went all out with your preparations, and Rebekah made sure she did your makeup for your first big, official outing since Hope was born.

It wasn't until you came downstairs that you noticed that Elijah wasn't the only person sitting in the candlelit room. Klaus was sitting right next to him, looking at you with the same fascination and admiration as his brother. You felt a little uncomfortable being watched by two originals with heart-shaped eyes.

"Maybe I should choose a dress with a higher neckline after all?" you wondered as you watched them almost drool over your looks. They were both 1,000 years old but acted like horny teenagers.

"So I guess I'm dressed well enough to be a distraction for tonight?" you asked, bringing their attention back to your face. They both decided to act nonchalant, as if they hadn't been staring at your ass a few seconds ago.

"Maybe even to well, love." Klaus' heavy, watchful gaze didn't let you down an inch. You felt an involuntary shiver run through you with each step you took closer to the originals.

"My brother may be right. No one will be able to take their eyes off you."

"Thank you, Elijah."

Klaus cleared his throat as he got up from his chair and faced you. He took your hand gently, and after softly caressing the wedding band and engagement ring from him, he shifted his attention to your wrist, suddenly stopping his movements.

You looked up at his eyes, catching his gaze. You felt enchanted by these calm, blue eyes, their beauty mostly made you went to bed with him a year ago. You felt like any little move could break that strange spell between you two.

At one point, you felt cold metal settling on your wrist. You turned your gaze to the charming bracelet that, surprisingly, matched your outfit.

"It's for protection. In case you need help and no one can find you."

"So you've always known where I am? What is this, some kind of dog collar with a tracker?"

"No. Freya enchanted it for me. It's supposed to sense when you're in danger and let me know." he rolled up his sleeve, showing you a new bracelet on his wrist. "I have a similar one."

"Oh." you groaned in shock, completely not expecting something like this from him.

"Exactly. Oh. I guess I'm not the bad guy all the time."

"I didn't mean..."

"Of course you didn't. Have fun with my brother, love."

For the first time since you've known Klaus, you felt sorry for him. Due to the growing guilt you were feeling, you kept an eye on his receding shape until he passed through the door. You sighed, turning to face Elijah, who had already approached you from behind in a moment of your inattention.

"Don't worry. He'll get over it. Niklaus can't blame you for being careful with him." he tried to comfort you, but deep down you knew it was your fault this time.

And you weren't going to act like your husband, so you decided to apologize to him at the next opportunity. Unlike some, you were able to admit when you were wrong. However, Elijah didn't need to know about your plan.

"Maybe you are right. Let's go to this party."

~•♤♤♤•~

You were talking to Elijah at the bar while sipping your drink. You entered as planned—late, attracting the attention of most people. Rumors quickly spread throughout the supernatural community. Your favorite was that during that year of your "absence," you divorced Klaus and married his brother, now parading proudly with him around the salons. Elijah seemed to like it too.

You were enjoying the party until one of the de Martel siblings showed up. Tristan.

"Famous Y/N Y/L/N Mikaelson. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"And you sir are…?"

"Tristan de Martel. You must have heard about me from dear Elijah."

"To be honest, not so much. I only know that you're the one who invited us, for which I want to thank you." you played a stupid, naive girl with joy while watching the frown on his forehead. To remember: He does not like to be diminished or underestimated in any way. Mr. big ego.

"So perhaps you would do me the honor and dance with me? We could get to know each other better."

"Actually, this lady promised me her first dance. If you'll excuse us, Tristan."

"Of course. Enjoy yourselves."

Elijah grabbed your hand and led you to the dance floor. He pulled you closer to him, rocking you to the beat of the song. The original wanted to cause even more rumors... you wonder if Klaus agreed to his actions.

"He's a slippery guy. Now I know why you wanted me to stay away from him and his sister."

"You just spoke to him, how do you know..."

"Well, starting with the extravagant look of the room, the fact that his suit and watch literally scream I'm rich, and ending with the fact that he carries himself as if he were the master of this world, I've noticed other manic behaviors as well. Besides, it's obvious at first glance that he's desperately trying to imitate you. I don't like him."

"Should I assume that you don't like me as well?"

"No! No. I like you. More than you know. I don't know how I would have dealt with vampirism and all of this without you. Thank you for being there for me. Always." you murmured, resting your head on his shoulder, inhaling the scent of his cologne.

"And forever." he said, placing a tender kiss on top of your head. "You're more to me than I could ever admit."

"Do we have to? Pretend and hide the truth?" during your conversation, you didn't even notice when he led you to a more desolate place. Nobody was looking at you. There was only him and you.

"Niklaus..."

"Have you ever, in your entire, very long life, done something just for yourself, without thinking about your brother or sibling? Have you ever acted selfishly?"

"I can't be selfish with you." he said, resting his forehead against yours. You were so close to each other, so close to getting what you both wanted.

"Why?"

"It will destroy us all."

"Then let the world burn... just for a moment."

Elijah, after a moment's hesitation, leaned closer to you, embracing your slightly trembling figure with anticipation even tighter. He cupped your right cheek with his hand and finally brought your lips together in the long-awaited kiss.

Your first kiss with the original was… completely different from what you imagined. His soft lips didn't match up with yours as well as they did with…

You froze in complete shock as you realized your subconscious was comparing Elijah to Klaus. And surprisingly, it was more sympathetic to your hated husband, from whom you wanted so much to be free. In spite of this strange feeling of guilt that you somehow betrayed Klaus, you returned the kiss with more passion than before, trying to feel that wonderful tingling and buzzing in your head.

But it never came.

Something was missing in this perfect, fabulous setting for the first kiss with the love of your life. And you had no idea what was wrong.

Maybe first kisses with someone new were so… awkward?

Your treacherous mind reminded you that there was NEVER such an awkwardness between you and Klaus. Only pure passion and desire.

What the fuck happened to you? Why didn't you feel anything special when all your wet dreams were coming true?

You moved away first under the pretense of taking a breath. Staring into Elijah's eyes, you could feel the same attraction that accompanied you every time you stole those furtive glances from each other.

"I love you, Y/N. I've loved you since the first day you gave me a lecture on how Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's best book; how cliché it wasn't." you hit him on the shoulder, making him giggle. "And if the circumstances were completely different, if it were someone completely different, I wouldn't hesitate to be selfish just this once and take something from my brother. But I will not allow any harm to come to you or Hope through my actions."

Before you could say anything, you two heard a howl.

Klaus and Kol.

Elijah nodded at you. You disentangled yourself from his arms and ran upstairs to fulfill your role in the Mikaelsons' plan. You just hoped the guys would distract them long enough for you to find what you were looking for.

You searched their house, wondering how Elijah's confession would affect your relationship now.

But little do you know that you weren't the only one who heard it.

~•♤♤♤•~

It was a really fucked up night.

The peaceful surveillance of the de Martel house turned into a bloody battle between the originals and the first vampires they turned. Klaus' therapist, Cami, barely escaped a jealous attack by Klaus' ex-Aurora. You wonder how Klaus managed to reach Cami in time and why the red-haired psycho didn't target you and your child. Klaus must have put on quite a show for her.

In all the chaos, you didn't get a second chance for a moment alone with Elijah. The subject of your feelings still remained the elephant in the room. And frankly, you've had enough of it all. All you wanted now was a warm bath and playing with Hope. No more family drama.

Without Klaus, everything would have gone to hell. And as much as you hated that he forgot to include you in his plans for today, you couldn't help but be grateful to him for helping you protect your pack from vampires today. He didn't have to. He could watch the de Martel vampires kill your people and attack them when they get tired of fighting werewolves. Another demonstration of him being more than a villain to you.

It amazed you how one minute he was an irritating, ignorant, disrespectful asshole and the next your savior, protector, and equal partner in crime you could rely on.

You guess that's what your husband was like. Full of contradictions and surprises. Your private pet of nature.

You sighed in relief as you finally walked to your home. You took another step towards the mansion when you saw Klaus and Elijah getting out of the car and heading for the entrance.

You were about to join the originals, but you stopped dead at the sound of Klaus' pretentious voice.

"So we're just going to pretend you didn't kiss my wife and confess your feelings to her, or maybe you have an explanation?" you hid, eavesdropping on their conversation. "Don't think that after all that's happened, I've forgotten that you went a little too far in distracting the de Martels. You may get Aurora away from her that way, but it was superfluous, and I know you enjoyed every bloody second too much for me to just walk away from this."

"I don't have to explain myself to you. If she wants me, it's none of your business, Niklaus. You only married her because you made up a plan - Y/N has never wanted to be your wife and you have never cared about her." Klaus stopped, watching his brother blankly. He looked like something had broken inside him.

The hybrid suddenly lunged at the other man with his fists.

They started punching each other and throwing things at each other within reach. At one point, they both pushed off each other, landing on opposite walls. (Creating another dent to patch.)

"SHE IS MY WIFE! My mate! My queen! MOTHER OF MY CHILD! You have no right to her, brother! So I'm warning you… If I ever hear the littlest rumours about her having the smallest crush on you, I'll put you back in that bloody coffin, and I will release you after our eighth child comes into this world. She will be so madly in love with me that she won't even spare you a second glance when you meet again."

"I didn't know you loved plans that take over a thousand years to complete, brother. I never thought you could be so patient."

Klaus growled, throwing himself at his brother with a scream. From your hiding place, you could hear the sounds of a fight and shattered furniture.

You decided to wait a little longer before stepping in and heroically separating the two combatants. You didn't want it to seem like you overheard their argument.

Only when there was a sudden outburst followed by a suspicious silence did you decide to run into the house. You wouldn't expect them to demolish the entire living room in minutes, and Klaus would be bleeding out dangerously while trying to patch up the wound and drive the dagger into his brother's heart. 

The men didn't notice you as they tried to disable each other. You weren't going to come between them or stand on either side until Elijah, out of nowhere, pulled out Pappa Tunde's blade.

Your body reacted faster than your brain. You instinctively threw yourself between them, shielding Klaus from the blade.

They both froze when they saw you.

Time seemed to stop as both shocked and incredulous looks from the originals fell on you. To be honest, even you were surprised which side you were on. You blamed your stupid tendency to act instead of think in difficult situations. But you weren't going to show them that you were insecure about your actions. Not when they were both holding weapons harmful to the other one.

"Put it down." you said, looking straight at Elijah. "You too." you added, glancing over your shoulder at your husband, who was staring at you with a strange, unidentifiable look. Amazingly, he dropped the dagger to the ground first. Soon after, Elijah did the same. You quickly bent down to grab both weapons, putting them in your pockets. "Good. Are you calm now?" they nodded silently, waiting for your next move. "Great. So, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL YOU TWO WERE DOING?!"

Elijah took a breath, probably intending to give you some clever answer, but stopped as soon as you felt an unexpected weight fall down your back. You caught Klaus just in time before he slid to the floor. Holding him up, you noticed a wound on his right side. You reached out to touch his wound, but the hybrid's strong grip on your wrist stopped your hand.

"Don't. You'll get burned. Verbena and the wolfbane. Grenade."

"What the hell?! Elijah how could you throw a grenade at him?! Do you throw one back?!" you asked the man in your arms.

"I wanted. You stopped me."

"God, from now on, you're both grounded from being with Hope. Hell knows if that rage won't attack you in front of her! Come Klaus. I'll help you clean it up. Elijah, you can clean up here before Rebekah or Freya come." you said, casting a disappointed look at Elijah's outfit before helping the hybrid up the stairs.

"I would never..." Klaus tried to explain himself as you dragged him to his bedroom.

"Just shut up and sit down." you growled at him, pushing him onto the bed. You took the first aid kit from the bathroom and went back to him to disinfect his wound. "It'll hurt."

"Will you kiss it later? To ease the pain and speed up the healing process, of course."

"Don't try your luck any more today." you warned, rolling your eyes at his mischievous smirk.

He snorted, offended. He looked like a child who had been grounded for snacking on sweets. You sighed, trying not to laugh at his scowl. Unwittingly, you began to wonder what Hope would look like when she went through her rebellious period. Probably like her father when he did something wrong and got caught doing it. Well, at least you'll have some practice before she grows up.

"Do you love my brother?" he burst out suddenly while you were cleaning his wound made by verbena and wolfsbane. Why they had pomegranates from these plants shouldn't shock you as much as it did.

"What?" you asked, shoving a water-soaked cotton ball into his wound, which made him groan in pain. You gave him an apologetic look as you continued working on his side.

"Don't act stupid, it's not like you at all. Do you love my brother?"

"Of course I do, he's my friend and Hope's uncle." you replied unfazed, continuing your work.

"Let me rephrase that. Are you IN LOVE with my nobel brother?"

You tried to pretend that his question had no effect on you. You put down the cotton balls and tried to avoid his gaze to give some answer, but Klaus grabbed your chin, forcing you to look into his eyes. Fuck. You couldn't lie now. He always knew when you were lying, and now that you were exposed to his watchful gaze, you only knew one way out of this fucked-up situation.

So you pulled him closer to you, kissing him passionately.

He moaned, surprised by the feeling of your soft, enticing lips on his own. He wasted no more time. He put you on his lap, wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you as close to him as possible.

The feeling of his warm skin against your clothed body reluctantly brought back memories of the night it all began.

Intoxicated by the feeling of his captivating lips on yours again (after so long), you didn't even notice when he threw you onto the bed, only momentarily breaking your kiss to let your hair down. He melted back into your mouth, hovering over you. The hybrid tangled his hand in your hair, tilting your head so he had better access to your equally eager mouth and tongue.

He moved to your neck, leaving wet kisses and gentle bites and rubbing every inch of your skin, effectively ruining any thought process in your head.

It was just you and him.

And after a very long time, you felt extraordinary pleasure and much-needed relief from the tension that your body had gone through today.

"Nik!" you moaned when he started sucking on the most sensitive spot on your neck, which he knew damn well existed and used every time to tease you.

But this time you moaned for him like a whore, too overwhelmed by the sensations his skilled hands and lips were giving you.

And this time, Klaus didn't hold back. His amber irises and possessive growl were the only warnings he gave you before he ripped your dress in half, revealing your dressed-in-lace-underwear body to him.

His wolf howled inside him.

He pressed his lips to yours greedily, caressing every inch of your newly exposed skin. You growled into his mouth as he bit your lip harder and dug your nails into his back. He reciprocated by squeezing your thigh tightly as he wrapped your leg around his waist, rubbing your most sensitive parts against each other. You both moaned in unison, pulling your lips apart for a moment. You decided to repay him and slid your fangs out to dig into his neck, drinking his sweet blood greedily. You've been dreaming about it since you became a hybrid. Only in your darkest, wildest dreams, after which you were ashamed to look into the eyes of the hated hybrid who probably drove you to Stockholm syndrome because you wanted him more every day—the man who was the cause of your misery.

It was impossible for you to love him. To love the man who tricked you into this marriage; who lied and killed and tortured so many people; who made you fall head over heels for him. Maybe that's why you fell in love with Elijah? He was his complete opposite. He was self-possessed, calm, reasonable, and kept his word.

But there you were, rubbing against him and moaning as his blood ran down your throat. Wanting him more than his brother—the man of every woman's dreams.

Maybe you were as fucked up as your husband.

Moments later, he copied your idea and dug himself into your neck. The moan coming from him sent shivers through your body all the way THERE. How could a man make you so desperate for him with just some kisses and the slightest touch?

You'd probably go all out and lose yourselves in each other's touch for the rest of the night (and possibly part of the morning) if Hope's cries hadn't come from the baby monitor on his nightstand. You broke apart, breathing heavily. Klaus licked off the rest of the blood dripping from your wound until it closed. He rested his head against your chest, inhaling your scent.

You unknowingly ran your hand through his curly hair, also closing your eyes and getting lost in this special, unique moment of tenderness between you two.

"I love you, Y/N." his soft whisper, combined with the gentle movement of his lips against the skin of your breasts, sent shivers down your spine. The realization of his confession left you completely still, holding his arms in a gentle embrace. "I know you don't feel the same way about me, but I promise you that one day you will. I will be worthy of your affection, my brave, wise, beautiful, merciful queen." he said, placing one last longing kiss on your lips before climbing off of you. He got dressed and left the room to soothe the crying Hope.

You closed your eyes, taking shaky breaths. You covered your mouth with your hand to drown out your silent sobs as you heard the familiar lullaby that Nik usually sings to Hope.

Klaus has really changed for the better since the first time you two met. And any other woman in your situation would surely fall in love with him in a heartbeat. But you've already given your heart to someone you'll never have. Or so you thought.

You felt an inexplicable attraction to Elijah, but with Klaus... everything just felt right - even though the hybrid drove you crazy and was the complete opposite of your dream prince on a white horse, in which Elijah fit perfectly. So maybe your Mr. Right wasn't someone you'd imagined in your head a long time ago…

And now, crying silently on your husband's bed, you realize what you should have done ages ago. But before you did the right thing, you could afford to pay a little attention to your troubled, lost heart.

So you cried until you got tired enough that all you did before falling asleep in Klaus' bedroom was to cover up any traces of your tears. You promised yourself a long time ago that no matter what, you would be the only witness to your tragedies. You'd rather be seen as a cold bitch than a weak, lost girl thrown into the fights the originals always fought.

Because in the end, it was only you (and Hope) against the whole world. Just like always.

~•♤♤♤•~

"I need you to do me a favor, Kol." you said as you walked into his room without knocking. The original was on the bed, flipping through something on his phone. He lazily shifted his gaze to you. You groaned internally. Bored Kol is a Kol who is very hard to work with. But—shame to admit it—he was your last and only resort.

"Hello to you too, Y/N. Thank you for knocking before storming into someone's room. How am I? I'm very glad you're asking; I'm fine. That's a very beautiful day, don't you think? Yes, indeed. Did marriage with my brother completely make you lose any manners and tact?" he teased as he drank the blood from the bag.

"I want you to compel me." he spat out his drink, choking and staining another carpet. "Rebekah will be mad at him." you thought as you watched how the original was coughing.

"What?!" he shouted, finally coming to himself. "Why?!" he asked, reaching for his half-full bag again.

"I want you to compel me to love Klaus." he spat out his drunken blood again, suffocating. He tossed the bag on the nightstand, deciding not to reach for it again in the face of new revelations. He probably thought you were completely out of your mind.

"What the bloody hell?! But I thought you and Lijah…" he began, confused, jumping out of bed to face you.

"We never gonna happen, Kol. I realized it very clearly yesterday. And I don't want to feel these stupid things around Elijah any more. He will never be mine, and I will never be his. I have Hope. I had to think about her future and happiness. And she deserves… everything. So if I can give her a happy, normal, loving family, I will do it. Even if it means falling for Klaus by your compel."

"Are you sure, darling? Do you even know what you're asking me for? Do you really want me to erase your memories of you and Elijah?"

"No. I don't want to forget. I want to remember all those stupid moments that led me to this fucking rollercoaster of emotions. I need you to convince me that... it was always meant to be Klaus. That my love for Elijah is just a fleeting fascination, and that Klaus is my fucking soulmate and partner, someone who will treat me as an equal and put me and our daughter above everything else. And that seeing him so close with Aurora and Camille made me realize that I only want to be with him."

"You know that these things aren't far from the truth, do you? My brothers love you. Both equally strong. Are you sure that…"

"Yes. I made my decision. I'm just asking you to help me sort out my emotions properly. I can't be the girl who sails between two brothers. I will not let Hope grow up in this mess my feelings have caused. My fate was sealed the day I met Klaus. Now it's time for me to finally accept it."

"I'll help you, darling. On one condition. I'm not going to keep you under my compel forever. I'll take it off someday. Are you then ready to face the consequences of your actions? Organize your feelings on your own? What if you really fall in love with Nik? What if you somehow fall in love with both of them? If Elijah finds someone else? Do you even think about what it will mean to you? You'll be living a lie, Y/N. Are you ready for it?"

"I'll do everything to give Hope the family she deserves. Besides, I'm Y/N Y/L/N-Mikaelson. I always know what to do. And for now, this is the perfect solution. I think I could be happy with Klaus after all. And after everything that happened recently... I just want to finally be happy, Kol. Without all the extra problems that being a Mikalson brings anyway."

"I only hope you're not going to regret this... Look at me, darling. Today you will feel something more than hostility or a little friendliness toward my brother Klaus. After seeing him, being a hero for your pack, and rescuing that human Camille from getting killed, you realized that you'd always had some feelings for him, but before today they were weaker than what you feel for Elijah. You realized that Klaus could be the man of your dreams, someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. You will never forget what you experienced with Elijah, but now you see him more like a brother and an uncle to your child than a life partner. You like Klaus; he's the only man you could be romantically interested in until Hope comes of age. After this time, my compulsion will cease to work. You will forget that I compel you. I told you to get that stupid idea out of your head and told you not to ask anyone else for such a favor. You will follow my command." you snapped out of your stupor, blinking as you tried to remember what the hell had just happened.

"Well, at least promise me you won't tell Klaus, Elijah, or anyone else."

"I hate to say it, but you have my word. Everything will stay between us."

"Good." you nodded your head and left his room. Kol's concerned gaze led you all the way to the door.

At least he circumvented your request and didn't force you to love Klaus directly, he just dulled your infatuation with Elijah. If you started to feel anything for his hybrid brother, it would be real. He only hoped that when Davina, Rebekah, or Nik found out, they wouldn't castrate him for it.

~•♤♤♤•~

You were pissed off. Incredible furious with your stupid husband and his older brother.

These two morons went with Kol on a solo quest against Lucien and Tristan, locking you (Freya, Davina, Rebekah and you) in the house.

You don't need to tell anyone that they came back with nothing and narrowly escaped death. As soon as the boundary spell was lifted by your witches, you ran out of the house with Hope and went straight to your pack. You left your daughter with your cousin Lily and her witch girlfriend while you went to get wood. You must have landed your rage on something. Trees were better than innocent people or your very guilty and stupid husband, whose face you didn't want to see right now because you knew you'd use it as a dartboard.

However, you forgot that your husband had no self-preservation instinct.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" you growled as you sensed his presence, continuing to chop wood. He really was asking to die today.

"You took our daughter and left the house, you think I won't follow you? Besides, we need to talk, love."

"Well, it's too fucking late now. Fuck off before I shove a branch up your ass."

"Where does such an aggression of yours come from, love?"

"You dare to fucking ask me?! After what you did?! You could all die or get caught! I know you don't care what happens to me, but have you thought about Hope? Your fucking daughter! What would happen if they came for us, for her, when we were closed in the cage, you made?! Tell me, honey, was it your brilliant idea? Or maybe Kol's?"

"It's fascinating that you have such faith in my noble elder brother that you don't even entertain the slightest possibility that it was his plan."

"Elijah wouldn't do something so stupid. He's better than you. Do you even know how it could..."

"Of course our dear Elijah would be a better husband for you!" his brain apparently focused only on that damn part, not the one where you scolded him for being so careless because you were worried about him.

"Don't you dare fucking bring him into this! He was the only goddamn person who cared about my fate after my transformation! He cares enough about me to let me know about his plans, Klaus!"

"I saw perfectly well how he cares for you - by shoving his tongue down your throat!"

"Maybe if you weren't acting like a fucking, arrogant, condescending dick who knows everything best, you'd be in his place!"

"Well, I went further with you than he did last night. You didn't even moan against his mouth as you did against mine. I guess being a dick pays off after all." he replied with a feisty, smug smile.

"You! Fucking! Disgusting! Pervent!" you growled, punching him in the chest each time, causing him to back away from you until you pinned him to a tree. "I fucking hate you. Every time I see the shadow of a man worth loving in you, you always screw it up! I hate you and despise both you and myself that despite all the damn things you've done against me, somehow I still fucking want to see in you someone worth my love!" you screamed, taking out your anger on him with every blow you landed on him.

It shocked you that he didn't do anything to stop you. He just took your punches, standing still in complete silence, until you got tired.

"Better?" he whispered, staring at your panting, disheveled figure as you both tried to calm down.

"A little."

"You tremble." he noticed, carefully touching your cold shoulder. "Let's go back to the camp. We need to warm you up." he said as he took off his leather jacket and tossed it over your shoulders. He grabbed your hand and started leading you through the dark forest.

You don't even remember when you got this far in your anger. It took you a good half silient hour of walking to get back to the sleeping pack.

You sat by the still-burning fire. Klaus added a few logs of wood to make sure it wouldn't go out. He then sat next to you and unrolled the blanket, draping it over your back, creating a warm cocoon around the two of you.

You sighed, leaning your head against his shoulder and staring into the fire. You blissfully absorbed the silence between the two of you, losing yourself in Klaus' warmth and scent.

"I'm sorry." he broke the long silence between you. "I should have let you know about my plans or not locked you in the house. You're right. You deserve someone better, love." he said, his voice slightly trembling as he spoke the last words.

"I could love you, you know?" you felt his piercing, surprised look as you played with one of the sticks, staring stubbornly at the fire to avoid his gaze. "A long time ago. If you hadn't acted like a condescending asshole and tried your best to lock me up in that damn house with Hope. If you'd let me in, help me get past that evil, cruel hybrid facade and see the real you, you would have what you so secretly desire."

"And what is that?"

"Unconditional love from someone who isn't forced to give it to you. Unlimited trust and devotion-something you have not experienced in your very long life. You know one day you'll get it from our daughter, but it won't be the same. She will love you because you are her father, her love is conditioned by the bond you have shared since she was born. That's why you want me to love you so much. You want someone who cares about you for no reason."

"And could you? Love me just because you want to? After everything I have done?" he asked, pulling you away from him, not too far away, just enough to look you in the eye.

"You were never quite the villain in my story. I have to admit, I've hated you since I met you... but over time, I've seen that you've made me more than I could have imagined, someone much more powerful, someone whose opinion really matters. You always helped me, even when I thought it was some kind of sabotage against me and when I disagreed with your plan, like when you decided to stop Dalhia alone or play partners in crime with your bloodthirsty father. You take care of my pack like it's your own, and you're such a good father to Hope that sometimes I envy her. Maybe our beginnings weren't the best, and maybe along the way we'll start arguing and fighting like bitter enemies again, but I couldn't imagine anyone else to do it with."

"Even after I forced you into this marriage?"

"Well, if it weren't for you, my parents would've arranged one with a possibly stupid, self-centered werewolf anyway, so I didn't get the worst of it."

"Good to know I'm not the worst option."

"At least you're hot and handsome." you replied, nudging him with your arm. He did the same, making you both laugh.

You stared into his eyes as the firelight reflected in his beautiful irises, emphasizing sparks of amusement and... tenderness.

"I want to be the man who deserves your love."

"Can you let me in then?"

He did not answer. Instead, he pressed his lips to yours. If it had been any other man, you would have insisted on answering this important question. But you knew Klaus too well to know that this passionate, sultry, tender kiss is a silent promise he makes to you. A promise he intends to keep.

Klaus wasn't the perfect man of your dreams, and he often made hasty, sudden decisions without considering the opinions of others. But deep down, you knew there was no other man in the world who made you feel the way you did with Nik. Even Elijah couldn't make you feel half the way you did with his brother. His kiss, his touch, his smile, and his scent made you feel insane. And that (desire, passion, tenderness, warmth, and thristing for his little affection) was the type of love you want to lose yourself in.

Maybe it was Klaus who was supposed to be your Mr. Right after all.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

Love is Easy (M) ~Bang Chan

Pairing: Werewolf!Chan x Human!F.Reader Themes: Supernatural/Fantasy AU | Smut | Fluff | Established Relationship Warnings: Christopher is Intense™ but so is the MC so i guess they’re even, pet names, graphic depictions of intercourse (smut warnings under the cut), sickly sweet i think you might get cavities if you’re a hopeless romantic. gentle reminder that Chris’ girl is curvy/chubby/thick/however you wanna call it :) Word Count: ~10k | AO3 Summary: After two years of living among werewolves, of being an important member of their pack, you finally get to partake in one of their most important activities: their ‘monthly camping trip’. [This story is an instalment of my WereRoomies series].

Author’s Note: when i think i’m over them, i just circle back to Chris and his girl. i wanted to give some depth to their relationship, so i guess here this is ! the title of this piece comes from McFly’s Love is Easy, a song i feel could’ve had this werewolf!Chris having an epiphany.

Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.

Chris’ WereRoomies Instalments:  It’s Cold Out · Rut · Alpha Dog · It’s Warm In · Love is Easy · Afraid to Lose You. For extra drabbles, check out the series masterlist.

Smut Warnings: possessiveness · intercrural (four fics later i realise i’ve inadvertently given this man a thigh kink, oops) · oral [F.Rec] · unprotected penetration [piv. no barrier method, but the reader is presumed to be on birth control] · creampie · typical roughness that comes with having intercourse with a full alpha werewolf I GUESS

Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.

Becoming one of the main pillars of a pack of werewolves was something you never truly expected to happen in your life.

Two years ago you didn’t even know werewolves existed, you thought it was all a mix of myths and legends, all part of the supernatural and fantasy genres in books and media. Which was why, when you moved to this building, you would’ve never guessed you were moving into a werewolf den. You couldn’t have even imagined that the warm, welcoming man looking for a roommate was a werewolf himself.

As soon as you found out of their condition, though, it was as if a switch flipped, and suddenly you were helping all these people living in this place, providing emotional support when needed, giving advice, or simply being there for them when they needed you. Hell, you even started coordinating the communal finances of the entire pack. All of a sudden these seven neighbours of yours started calling you mother–mostly in what you thought was a joking manner–and when you asked your roommate about it at the time, he had simply blushed a bit and explained to you that they started to see you as the ‘Pack Parent’, mostly because of the support you always gave them, because you were always there for them.

Your roommate, Chris, obviously failed to mention that the other reason for them to start calling you that was because he, the alpha of their pack, was harbouring a crush on you, so his packmates liked to tease him for it, alluding to the fact that, if you were to become romantically involved with him, you would indeed be in the position of being their pack’s ‘mum’. 

Although you were well aware of the role you were filling in, and what it typically meant, you fell naturally into the position due to your own personality traits–your need to help those close to you, your emotional maturity, to name a couple–you never really thought of what that could or would mean for Chris and you. Even if you were great at helping others with their problems, you were a bit dense with things that involved you directly, like Chris’ crush on you, which, looking in retrospect, was really obvious–just like your crush on him was, but he also didn’t seem to pick up on it at the time.

It took around a year of you living with him, of you being an important member of his pack of werewolves, for you both to finally become A Thing. And even then, the way you got together wasn’t exactly… Conventional. One ovulation cycle had unexpectedly sent your dear roommate into his rut, and in the process, you somehow ended up helping him through it by, essentially, letting him fuck you silly for days on end. You certainly skipped a few steps at the beginning, but your relationship with Chris was smooth sailing after that.

Sure, he still got on your nerves sometimes, just like he used to do when you were just roommates; silly things like the way he left the spice containers misplaced after cooking, or the fact that he couldn’t leave the goddamn toilet lid closed, or how he would often forget to lock the door at night–just how you knew he just couldn’t stand the way you loaded laundry. In fact, your only major disagreement since your relationship started happened because you just couldn’t stand the fact that he wouldn’t take care of himself as much as he should.

Chris was a grown man, he led his pack of misfits almost flawlessly, and he had a stable job as a software engineer that he was dedicated to. Maybe a bit too much. Chris was so good at his job and at taking care of the people around him that he would often forget to fulfil his basic needs, like keeping hydrated and eating proper meals at appropriate times, something that you couldn’t help but worry about constantly.

Contrary to what your place within the pack might lead people to believe, you weren’t there to mother your grown-ass werewolf boyfriend, so after one too many texts of ‘oh yea forgot to have lunch lol’ you just exploded–maybe a bit too dramatically, you’d admit, considering it wasn’t something he was doing on purpose–the entire thing leading to that only major argument you’d had with him as of yet.

At the time, once both of you had calmed down, you simply apologised for the way in which you delivered your message, and Chris did acknowledge the fact that, yes, he wasn’t taking care of himself as he should, but he had stressed the fact that he really didn’t expect you to mother him in any way. And to his credit, he did get a bit better with his self-sabotaging habits–emphasis on a bit, but he was certainly trying his best.

Other than that, though, everything was great. You’d never truly had such a balanced, healthy relationship before, which was kind of funny, considering your boyfriend was, in essence, a supernatural being. A fact that somehow didn’t bother you in the slightest, but it did bring some challenges, mostly because, since you were but a mere human, there were many behaviours or traditions you simply didn’t understand from the get-go, so you had to educate yourself as much as you could. Which was something you had already been doing since you were only roommates, something that you were sure you would have to continue doing for as long as you lived among his kind, and, by the time you neared your two year mark living at their den, you honestly didn’t think you’d ever leave.

Sometimes, though, you did worry about the fact that you weren’t exactly like Chris and his friends. That worry grew a bit the more you realised how important you had become to them, and how important they had become to you. There was nothing that you wanted more than to do well at the role that you had taken in the pack, and since you became the pack apha’s partner, there was something you hadn’t gotten around to do, and it was bothering you–even when the rest never really said anything on the matter.

“You think I can go with you guys this time?” The entire time you had been lying on this sofa with your boyfriend you had been building up the courage to ask that question, and now that it was out, you certainly felt a bit relieved.

“To Disney?” Chris chuckled, looking away from the TV currently playing an ad for Disneyland to look at you instead.

“No”, you couldn’t help but chuckle. Removing yourself from Chris’ embrace, you sat straighter, straddling him as you settled your hands on his chest, looking down at him. “Wanna join you on your monthly trip”.

Once a month, when there was going to be a full moon, Chris and his pack went on a trip to the woods–it was their ‘monthly camping trip’, as they called it. They would usually be gone for a couple of days, a few at most, and whenever they came back they always looked refreshed, invigorated. Chris had explained to you that basically all they did was go for a run through the woods, they’d simply shift into their wolf forms and run for a few hours.

‘It helps greatly to relieve stress, especially the stress induced by just… You know, existing as both a human and a wolf. That’s why we always come back looking so relaxed. Plus, the moon’s just… Can’t explain it but running under the moonlight feels just so freeing. Especially when it’s full’, Chris had told you once when you were still just roommates, and you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

“Baby…” Chris’ hands sneaked under the hem of your pyjama shorts to softly caress the skin of your thighs. “You know it can be… Dangerous. We can get very, uh… Animalistic. Which is why we’ve never taken a human to one of our trips”.

“I know…” Your fingers lightly tapped on Chris’ chest, and your eyes moved away from his to stare at the movement. “But… Don’t you think it’s weird that I’ve never gone on one of your trips?”

Removing his hands from under your shorts, Chris cupped your rear, lifting you up just enough so he could sit up and place you back on his lap, settling his hands on your lower back as he looked at you. “Why would I think it’s weird?”

“I mean… We’ve been together for a while now, and I’ve been living here with you guys for even more than that”, placing your arms around Chris’ neck, you wiggled a bit, crossing your ankles behind him once you found a more comfortable position to sit on his lap. “Kinda feels like… Like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing, you know?”

“What do you think you’re supposed to be doing, pretty?” The confusion was clear in Chris’ eyes, and honestly, you couldn’t blame him.

“Helping you out”, you replied simply, and you literally saw the moment your words started to really make sense in Chris’ brain with the shift in his eyes, that look of confusion turning to a glint of concern almost immediately.

“Baby, it’s not something you have to do. You know that, right? You… Always help out in many other ways”, Chris pulled you further into his lap, almost pressing his chest to yours. “In many, many, less dangerous ways. Hell, you already practically plan the entire thing beforehand…”

“But I want to go. Want to be there for you guys”, moving your hand away from where it was resting on his shoulder, you reached to push his fringe out of his eyes. “Besides, I trust you guys. You know that”.

“Babe…” Chris sighed, taking a hold of your hand, moving it away from his face for his thumb to softly caress your knuckles. “I know you trust us, but… This is… We’re a bit different from our day to day selves”.

“At least think about it”, you squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him. “Besides, no offence, babe, but I’ve literally let you fuck me like an animal when you’re deep into your rut, how can it be any different?”

Chris laughed at that, a bit incredulous, and you couldn’t help but smile as you took in the sight of his dimples showing up. “Fair point, I guess”, leaning in, Chris pressed a soft kiss on your lips, pulling away after, just enough to look you in the eyes as he spoke, but keeping his chest pressed to yours. “Alright, pretty baby. Let me think about it, okay? Need to… Consider some logistics. Make sure it’s safe for you, yeah?”

You just gave him a smile in response before you leaned in to kiss him, mumbling a soft ‘okay’ against his lips.

“No”, Chris said firmly, leaning on the backrest of the dining chair as he crossed his arms and looked Minho dead in the eyes.

“Yes”, Minho replied simply, leaning back on his chair as well, matching Chris’ stance.

“Minho, no”, Chris repeated, slightly exasperated.

“Guys–” Changbin tried to speak, but Chris cut him off.

“Changbin, no”.

“Love, it’s only fair…” You couldn’t help but chime in, giving him an apologetic smile when he shot you a pained look.

Chris, Changbin, Minho, and you were sitting on your dining table, planning the upcoming trip to the woods, just like you did every month. Typically, you’d simply plan out the basics–fresh changes of clothes, clean bedsheets, whether they’d take groceries or fully prepared meals, anything and everything they might need… Today, part of the topic of discussion was your attendance to the trip.

“But it’s not the same”, Chris looked at the three of you with his brows furrowed in concern. “You going there is already enough human presence, adding another–”

“It’s only fair, she said it herself”, Minho interrupted, pointing at you. “I’ve asked a million times and you’ve never let me bring my friend because she’s human”, he turned to you then. “If we’re taking you, then we’re taking her, too. Both humans or none. No offence”.

Bringing your hands up, you simply added a, “none taken. I do think it’s only fair”.

Chris groaned, dragging his hands down his face. Crossing his arms again he looked at Changbin, almost pleading, to which Changbin just gave him an apologetic smile and a shrug.

It wasn’t like Chris needed you all to agree. In fact, if he put his foot down for real you’d probably have to comply, but that wasn’t how Chris led his pack. He liked to make things fair, to take his packmate’s opinions into consideration, even when they went against what he himself wanted to do, and that was especially true when it came to Changbin, Minho, and you.

Chris was quiet for a while, the rest of you as well, just waiting for the Pack Alpha to make his decision. Staring at the table, Chris drummed his fingers on the surface as he pondered, but ultimately, he heaved a sigh, looking straight at Minho. “If she comes, you do know she’s your full responsibility, right?”

“I do know. Never have I not thought that”.

“If anything happens to her–”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to her”, Minho was really confident in his statement, and you honestly didn’t doubt for one second that Minho would do his best to protect his friend. He always did, she’d been coming to the den since even before you moved in, and based on what you knew about their friendship, you were sure Minho would do his best to take care of her.

Chris looked at Minho for a few moments, until finally, he took a deep breath, sitting straighter on his chair only to exhale, leaning his elbows on the table. “Fine. She can come”.

Minho simply gave Chris a smile, a genuine one. Funnily enough, Chris didn’t sound particularly defeated or annoyed at all, he hardly ever did with these things, you knew he was probably just concerned for her safety, just like he was concerned for yours. Prior to your ‘meeting’ today, he’d finally told you you could come, and honestly you couldn’t have been more excited when the words came out of his mouth, but he did tell you of his ‘contingency plan’, as he called it.

‘Checked the blueprints of the house. Apparently my grandparents had added reinforced doors to the basement, so if anything doesn’t go as planned, that’s where you’ll go, okay?’ Chris had told you earlier, and he was now just telling the same thing to Changbin and Minho.

“We’ll get some wolfsbane, too. Just in case”, Chris finished, and your eyes almost bulged out of your skull.

“Christopher, we’re not getting wolfsbane!” 

“Just a bit! And as a last resource”, Chris laid his hand on top of yours, trying to soothe your worries–a low tactic, knowing that having his hands on you in one way or another could certainly help persuade you.

So you turned to Changbin and Minho. Minho just shrugged, “I’m not fond of the idea. I wouldn’t like to die from wolfsbane poisoning if I’m honest…”

Changbin looked at the three of you, and then sighed. “Honestly? Chris, I think you’re being a bit dramatic… But if it makes you feel better I’m not opposed to it. Trust you enough to not kill our entire pack with it”.

So Chris turned back to look at you, giving you his best puppy eyes, adding a pout for good measure, and you couldn’t help but scoff a chuckle, slightly incredulous. “Fine, if that makes you feel better, baby, bring the deadly plant…”

“It’d be just a bit, promise. Just enough to knock us out, but not kill us in the process”.

And the smile he gave you after that honestly made you trust him completely.

With Chris’, Changbin’s, and Minho’s cars filled to the brim with your supplies, and distributing the rest of the pack members between the three vehicles, you all made your way to the woods, to the property Chris’ grandparents left him in their will. When you found out about that house, and how big it was, you had asked Chris why they decided to move to their current den instead of going to live there, out of curiosity more than anything.

‘It’s too far away from the city. We’ve got our lives out here already, you know? Plus, back when we started the pack the place wasn’t even mine, and the rooms are too close together, we’d hardly get any privacy’, he’d told you back then, and it sounded fairly reasonable to you. Especially the privacy part… Even though they were all essentially family and they loved each other deeply, each member of the pack had distinct personalities of their own, each one with their own oddities that could clash with one another when having to share their space for long periods of time, and if it happened to Chris and you sometimes, you figured it would be the same between them as well.

Jeongin and Jisung had taken the back seat of Chris’ car, so they kept the conversation flowing with you as Chris kept his concentration on the road, since he didn’t like to talk much while he was driving. Occasionally, though, Chris would move his hand from the gear lever to your thigh, mindlessly caressing your skin or squeezing the flesh lightly, only removing it whenever he had to change gears. Eventually, Jisung noticed, and, in good Jisung fashion, he just couldn’t keep quiet about it.

“Damn it, Christopher. You never hold my thigh when I’m your co-pilot”, the pout was audible in his voice, and it made you laugh.

Chris just chuckled as he looked at Jisung through the rearview mirror, offering a “missed your chance, sweetcheeks. Got my baby here now just for that”, which had you chuckling.

“Want me to hold your thigh?” Jeongin had a devilish smile on his lips, reaching for Jisung only for him to swat his hand away.

“Don’t you dare touch me with your death grip, Yang Jeongin!”

“C’mon! Just a squeeze!” 

“Get off!”

Jeongin and Jisung kept jostling for what was left of the road trip, Jeongin would try to get his hands on Jisung, and Jisung would immediately push his hand away. ‘But I thought you wanted to be touched, Jisung!’ Jeongin would tease, and Jisung would swear loudly and allege ‘I don’t want to lose circulation on my thigh, Jeongin! You’ve gotten way too strong, you might kill me one of these days…’ just for Jeongin to reply ‘I’m not strong, babes, you’re just fucking weak’, all as you laughed at their antics and Chris smiled fondly any time he looked at them through the rearview mirror.

As soon as you all made it to the house in the woods, it all became a blur of unpacking and settling things in their place, making sure everything was ready for the evening when the moon would rise and the pack would go on their run. You knew the schedule better than you knew the back of your hand, considering you prepared the entire thing with Chris, Changbin, and Minho every month. 

So, with enough water and food for an army set in the kitchen for when they came back, and nine robes neatly stacked on a table in the back porch of the house, the pack finally made their way to the backyard–now with the addition of Minho’s best friend and you–and they started stretching and getting naked just as the sun finally set. 

“We’ll be gone for a few hours…” Chris cradled your face in his hands, softly running his thumbs on your cheeks as you rested your hands on his bare–and incredibly warm–chest. “Remember, if anything weird happens when we’re back–”

“I’ll take Minho’s friend and go to the basement. I know, baby”, you pressed a brief kiss on Chris’ lips. Earlier, he had shown you the way to the basement, and how to close the reinforced doors securely in place just in case, but you could still see the worry in his eyes as he looked at you right now. “It’ll be fine, babe. I’m sure”.

Taking in a deep breath, Chris just looked into your eyes, you were going to reassure him again, to tell him nothing would happen, but suddenly you saw how his eyes started to change colour, from that brown you knew so well to a bright golden. They were essentially glowing, and you blinked a few times, feeling all your attention pulled to them as he continued to look at you.

Chris noticed your reaction, and he simply gave you a small smile. “It’s time, pretty baby…” Letting go of your face, Chris took a few steps back away from you, putting enough distance between you two as he started to shift. You’d seen Chris shift a handful of times, but you didn’t think you’d ever get used to the unpleasant pops and cracks coming from his body as he did. In less than a minute, where your boyfriend used to be, there was the biggest wolf you’d ever seen, almost as big as you, and even though logically you should’ve felt intimidated by the sight, you couldn’t bring yourself to, not when you felt so safe with this beast in front of you just looking at you.

As soon as Chris had fully shifted, you walked closer, bringing your hand to his head so you could pet him, and Chris simply nuzzled your hand as you did. Leaning in, you pressed a kiss to his forehead, booping his nose immediately after–almost as if he wasn’t the biggest predator you’d ever encountered. “Be safe out there, my big bad wolf, hm?”

Chris just huffed in response, in what you assumed was his way to reassure you as well. After giving your wrist one final affectionate lick, he turned around, walking past Minho’s friend to make his way towards the edge of the woods, where the rest of his pack were already waiting for him.

You walked forward so you could stand next to Minho’s friend, just watching Chris pace a bit as he took in the sight of the other wolves. Once he seemed to be satisfied with their positions, he howled, and the sound had you shivering, even more so as the rest of the pack started to howl as well. It was imposing, really, hearing all of them in their most primal state. But even though you were just a human, it all sounded so familiar to you, not really that different from when they were talking extra loud to each other, which was honestly kind of weird–and amusing–considering they weren’t talking at all, at least not in human language.

Finally, Chris turned back towards the woods and took off, the other eight wolves following right after. As soon as they were gone, you turned to Minho’s friend, regarding her with a smile on your face. “Well, just you and me for a few hours, then. Wanna hang out here, or you prefer chilling on your own?”

She smiled back at you, offering a simple “let’s hang out”.

Minho’s friend was always really enjoyable to talk to, she was Minho’s closest friend, she’d seen the pack grow since Minho joined it years ago, and she seemed to care deeply for him. You could still remember how happy she was when she met you when you’d just moved in with Chris, offering a ‘it’s nice to finally have another woman around! And a human one at that’. She’d helped you feel welcomed–not like the kids didn’t, she was just the most vocal about it–so you always liked to sit down and talk with her about everything and nothing over some tea just as you did now while you waited for your friends to come back.

You sat there on the back porch for hours, until the rustle of leaves from the edge of the forest brought your attention to the area, just as the shapes of Changbin and his girlfriend came into view. You sprung into action as soon as you saw them, Minho’s friend following soon after, taking a couple of robes and handing them to Changbin as soon as he turned back to his human form.

He was panting slightly and a bit sweaty, but he gave you a big smile, murmuring a ‘thanks’ and easing himself into the robe, tying it securely around his waist just as his girlfriend wrapped her arms around him from behind and gave him a squeeze, resting her chin on his shoulder, also giving you a smile. “The rest will be here in a few minutes…”

You couldn’t help but notice that Changbin’s eyes, as well as his girlfriend’s, were also glowing, just like Chris’ were before, and you realised then that you hadn’t really paid attention to anyone else while you sent Chris off, but now that you saw them, you assumed their eyes had been glowing since then as well.

Soon enough, wolves started to filter from between the trees, starting with Felix, who joined you at the back porch a handful of minutes after. Between the five of you, you helped the rest also get themselves comfortable into their silky robes, the material helping them cool off a bit after their run for them to finally make their way into the house to start getting refreshed.

Minho was the last one to come back, meaning only your boyfriend was still left in the woods.

“Where’s Chris?” You couldn’t help but ask as soon as Minho was in front of you and had shifted back into his human form, handing him a robe.

“He’s checking the perimeter”, Minho’s eyes were glowing golden as well. Taking the robe from your hands he draped it over his frame. “He always does that after a run. Will probably be here in a few minutes”.

A low howl resonated in the distance, the sound had the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end and a shiver running down your spine, dragging warmth and heat to pool in the pit of your stomach. A smirk crept on Minho’s face at your reaction, clearly amused. “That’s him. It’s all fine”, he patted you on the back, offering a ‘let’s go, kitten’ to his friend as he slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her along so they could make their way into the house, Changbin and his girlfriend following right after.

So you sat on the steps of the back porch, just waiting for your boyfriend to come back from his run. From his run as a wolf, a thought that you couldn’t help but chuckle about. 

Soon enough, there was a rustle among the trees far in front of you, and after a few moments, the dark shape of your boyfriend’s wolf form came into view, with his glowing golden eyes, somehow brighter than the rest of his packmates–a Pack Alpha thing, you supposed.

Taking down the few steps that were left, you leisurely walked towards Chris just as he trotted your way. When he was almost in front of you, he started to shift, the unpleasant cracks and pops giving way to human groans as he finally turned back to his human form. You had the full intent of handing him the robe in your hands as soon as he turned back, but, before you could even register it, he had already cupped your cheeks and pulled you to him, sealing your mouths in a heated kiss.

It took you by surprise, your breath hitching in your throat as Chris’ kiss stole the air right out of your lungs, but that didn’t stop you from kissing him back. With your arms around his shoulders and a hand in his curls, you tugged him even closer to you, pressing yourself flush to his body, the robe still in your free hand, now hanging over his back.

The way Chris was kissing you was almost as if he couldn’t get enough of the taste of you on his tongue, hungry, desperate. It felt similar to how he kissed you when he was on his rut. Maybe not with the same intensity as those times, but it was certainly close to it, and it almost made you feel dizzy in the best ways possible. 

Before you could even realise it, Chris had scooped you into his arms with ease–once again showing you that supernatural strength he possessed–and your legs wrapped around his torso for stability as he pushed you to the side of the house, the sudden contact of the concrete behind your back eliciting a small yelp from your lips.

“Chris?” You called for him the moment his mouth moved away from your lips to trail kisses all the way to your neck, licking and sucking your skin with such fervour you knew you were going to see marks later.

Chris hummed against your skin, further pressing you against the wall and his grip on your rear tightening every so slightly. It was then that you felt him, hard and warm against your heat, and the feeling had your head spinning. “Want you”, was all he mumbled between kisses, making your inner walls clench with need.

“Now?” You were already breathless with just a few minutes of kissing, and the hum of confirmation against your skin had goosebumps rising all over your arms. “Shouldn’t you… Eat something first?”

Chris shook his head. “Later. Just want you”.

“Let’s…” You couldn’t help but sigh at the feel of his tongue on your skin, taking a deep breath right after. “Let’s at least get to our room”.

Chris detached his mouth from your neck, only to bring it back to your lips so he could kiss you again. After a few moments, he gently placed you on your feet, taking the robe from your hand. “Okay”, he mumbled before he pressed a brief kiss on your lips, taking your hand and tugging you towards the back door and into the house, holding the robe over his crotch.

Everyone had seen each other naked more times than anyone could count. Hell, even you had seen more cock in your couple of years living with them than you had in your entire life–a mental image you admittedly always tried to suppress, the lack of shame and judgement around being naked something that you found to be quite endearing but also hard to get used to. Even then, you figured they all might get a bit more reserved when sporting a raging erection, your boyfriend included.

The rest of the pack was huddled in the kitchen, causing a ruckus in just the way they knew how to, so they didn’t even register Chris and you making your way upstairs towards the bedrooms, and if they did, they were clearly smart enough not to come close to you both. You could feel anticipation building within you all the way to your shared room, with your eyes focusing on the toned muscles of your boyfriend’s back as he tugged you along the corridor, admiring the way light caught on each dip and curve, highlighted by a thin sheen of sweat, admiring the flush spreading on his skin from all the blood that was encouraged to pump through his body with the run.

As soon as you were inside your room, as soon as the door closed behind you, Chris had already pinned you to it, pressing his body to yours as much as he could as he claimed your mouth while simultaneously turning the lock, the click barely even registering in your ears among the sounds of your wet kiss.

“Take this off, all of it”, he mumbled against your mouth, tugging on your oversized t-shirt–his t-shirt–and your shorts. “Wanna feel you”.

“Babe–” He just wouldn’t stop kissing you, and it had you giggling as his hands found their way under your tee to palm your breasts, kneading them gently. “Baby, I can’t–Can’t take it off if you’re this close to me”.

Chris chuckled softly, pressing one final, loud kiss on your lips before detaching himself from you a bit, enough for him to tug the garment over your head. As soon as that was gone, he dropped to his knees, tugging your shorts and your underwear down with him for you to finally step out of them.

Interesting thing, how even when he was the one on his knees for you, there was absolutely no doubt on who was taking the lead. It never mattered in what position you were, whenever the sparks of lust started to fly around you two, you were always at his mercy, and it always made you weak in the knees, made your head spin, made you want to let him enjoy you however he pleased, because you trusted Chris. You really did. You trusted him with your heart, with your body, because, in a way, you knew he’d be able to make you feel good in every possible way he could, you knew he’d always take good care of you. 

“Fuck, look at these… Look at you…” His hands greedily fondled your thighs, your hips, your rear, Chris tried his best to touch you anywhere and everywhere he could just as his lips pressed kisses all over your soft belly, occasionally nipping the flesh for good measure. “Have I ever told you how much I love your thighs?” Propping one of your legs over his shoulder, he settled to suck purple marks on your thigh, tracing a clear path towards your centre.

“Once or–or twice–Oh!” Chris’ mouth suddenly attached to your clit, your hand immediately moving to thread your fingers in his hair to try and steady yourself as he lapped you up.

Chris’ brows furrowed, and he groaned as soon as he got his tongue on your sensitive skin, tasting you, licking you, building your pleasure at an alarming pace. All you could do was hold onto him, trying to keep as quiet as you could and looking at his golden eyes as they stared back at you from between your legs.

Soon enough, Chris had two of his fingers stuffed into you, curling them against that sensitive spot within your walls that had you trembling under his touch, and when he added a third finger you couldn’t help but tighten your grip on his hair and lean your head back against the door, closing your eyes and biting your lower lip to try to maintain your volume to a minimum.

You felt as his mouth moved away from your clit, quickly replaced with his thumb as he attached his lips to your thigh again, sucking harshly on the skin. “Look at me”, Chris’ voice was so low, so level, as if he wasn’t fucking you open with his fingers, as if he wasn’t turning you into putty with just his fingers and his mouth.

You really wanted to comply, but it was hard for your brain to send signals to your body when you felt just so overcome with all the different sensations coursing through your body, and it was just as Chris was easing his fourth finger into you that he spoke again. “Look at me, love”.

Swallowing, you finally opened your eyes and turned your gaze down, finding Chris’ piercing golden eyes looking at you, holding your gaze as his fingers sped up, as his thumb kept rubbing your clit. It was no secret that Chris’ warm brown eyes were one of your biggest weaknesses, they were one of his physical features you loved most, but there was something about this look of his, about this supernatural glow of his eyes… It felt so raw, it made you feel exposed, almost as if he was stripping layers of your soul when he looked at you.

Two years ago, a look like this would’ve surely sent you into fight or flight, your brain would’ve urged you to turn around and run as far away from him as you could. Now, though, that look only fed the fire burning in the pit of your stomach, it made you crave him with such intensity you thought your heart would leap out of your chest as you held his gaze.

“You’re so fucking pretty”, you couldn’t help but whimper as the words left his mouth, as you felt his fingers moving harder within you, as you held that dangerous eye contact with your boyfriend, at the feel of his other hand tightly gripping your thigh. “So fucking pretty and sweet and perfect and mine, yeah? All mine?”

You nodded, biting your lip to dampen the sounds that desperately wanted to escape your mouth. “All–All yours, Chris… Baby, please… Wanna…”

Chris simply hummed, seemingly satisfied by your reassurance, immediately removing his thumb to return his mouth to your clit. He held your gaze, looking determined, almost greedy. You knew that look. How could you not know it when it was that look that always had you throbbing with need, it was the look he always gave you when he wanted to have you come undone for him. Usually, when he wasn’t driven by his rut-induced urges, Chris would take much longer than this to give you your release, but right now he clearly was just as needy to give it to you as you were to get it.

You could feel your lower belly tighten with each flick of his tongue, with each thrust of his fingers, and it wasn’t long until he finally sent you over the edge. Bringing a knuckle to your mouth, you took it between your lips to bite into it to help muffle the sounds that threatened to come out of your mouth louder than they should when you were staying in a house full of people with enhanced hearing, all as you kept your other hand in his hair, holding the strands between your fingers as if to not lose your sense of reality. It wasn’t until Chris was absolutely sure you had enjoyed every single wave of pleasure from your orgasm that he removed his fingers from you, pressing a couple more kisses on your clit only to finally bring his fingers to his mouth, licking them clean with an appreciative hum.

Removing your leg from his shoulder, Chris carefully placed it back on the floor as he stood up. You were panting, breathless, and a little unsteady from the entire thing, but that didn’t stop you from kissing your boyfriend as soon as he was eye level with you again, holding onto his shoulders for dear life as he held your hips tightly in place.

When he removed his mouth from yours, Chris spat on his hand, wrapping it around his length after to generously coat himself in his saliva, and before you could even wonder what he was going to do next, he was already easing his cock between your thighs, right where they met with your core, brushing your sensitive folds with each thrust. Chris’ eyes rolled to the back of his head in bliss and he let out a sigh of relief, pleasuring himself with your thighs so shamelessly you couldn’t help but whimper at the sight, at the feel of his warm length on your skin, and the feel of his tight grip on your hips.

“So good…” Chris truly looked like he was starting to get lost in the feeling, and it had you dripping, had you feeling desired and wanted in that utterly primal way only Chris ever made you feel. “Always so soft and good for me, aren’t you?” When he opened his eyes again, his gaze found yours, almost stealing the air out of your lungs at the sheer intensity of his stare.

With a hand on his nape you pulled him to you, relishing the groan that escaped him only to get lost in your mouth as you kissed him, relishing the way his hold on your hips tightened and the way he thrusted harder, just as his hands moved you back and forth to have you meet his thrusts.

With one final grunt he brought your hips flush to his, stopping his movements. “Bed, love”, Chris mumbled against your lips, grabbing a handful of your bum. “Hands and knees”.

“Hands and knees?” Draping an arm over Chris’ shoulders and hiking one of your legs on his hip, you pulled him closer to you, kissing him briefly. “My alpha wants to mount me?”

Chris loved to mark you, to call you his, but he also loved when you called him yours, my baby, my dear, my boyfriend, my darling, my, my, my… It didn’t matter what term of endearment you used, whenever you added ‘my’ before it, you knew it would drive him up the wall, and when he was in this type of mood, in his more dominant, borderline animalistic mood, ‘my alpha’ would always get him incredibly worked up, and you loved how it simply worked every single time.

“Fuck!” Chris kissed you eagerly, grunting against your mouth, and his hand flew to your thigh, gripping it tightly to keep your leg around his torso. “So, so much. You’ve got no idea. Come here”, with his arm securely wrapped around your waist he moved, letting your leg drop to the floor to walk you backwards towards the bed.

Removing yourself from his arms after one final kiss, you moved, climbing onto the bed, and setting yourself as requested. Chris simply looked at you, with that look in his eyes that made you feel like you were the first meal he’d had in a long time, almost as if he was deciding which part of the plate to devour first, that look now heightened tenfold by his glowing eyes.

He brought a hand to his length, stroking himself leisurely, licking his lips absentmindedly and slightly tipping his head to the side as his eyes raked your form. You had to bring him back to you, you felt yourself aching for his touch, so you called for him, lacing his name with that breathy tone you knew would snap him out of his trance. “Chris…”

“Shit, baby, can’t help it”, climbing behind you, Chris placed a hand on your lower back, his thumb caressing the skin softly as he dragged the tip of his length up and down your folds, coating himself in your juices, making you shudder with the contact. “You’re so fucking beautiful, can’t help but get distracted”, you felt yourself flush, not only because of the things he was saying, but also because he stuffed you full of his cock as he did, eliciting a shared groan of relief once he was buried snugly within your walls. 

“Fuck… How did I get so lucky, huh?” You could feel Chris’ hands on your back, on your hips, your belly, your breasts, caressing you softly, tenderly, as if he hadn’t pumped his cock between your thighs a handful of minutes ago, and you could also feel his lips, pressing soft kisses on your shoulder, all as he let you adjust to him. “Mmm… Lucky… My pretty baby, all mine…”

When you felt comfortable enough you pushed back against him. You barely moved, only a tiny push, but it was enough to make Chris grunt, to make him bring his hands to your waist and start ramming into you immediately, with absolutely no build up. The movement was so sudden you couldn’t help the moan that left your mouth, completely forgetting your setting for a second.

“Want the whole house to hear you, pretty?” The sheer force of his thrusts had you feeling dizzy, had your mind hazy with nothing but Chris and his motions, had you gripping the bed sheets tightly. “It’s okay, babe. Not like they don’t know exactly what I’m doing to you up here, huh?”

Lowering yourself on your elbows you arched your back, letting Chris fuck you deeper as a shared groan left your lips. In an instant, Chris’ hand was on your clit, rubbing tight circles on your sensitive nub, making your legs twitch and your teeth sink on your bottom lip to try and muffle all your moans and whines and whimpers. It was so much and so, so good, and very quickly you realised how desperate you were for your release again. 

“Chris…” With the feel of his cock reaching so deep within your walls you could hardly speak, but you also knew you didn’t need to say anything, as soon as his name left your lips you knew he’d know exactly what you needed. 

“Fuck, I know, baby. I know, don’t worry. I’ll give you what you want”, his fingers on your clit sped up, you could feel your rear bounce with every single one of his merciless thrusts, and even if you didn’t look at him, you knew he was looking, so you made it a point to push back just as he pushed forward to enhance that movement, immensely enjoying the groan that left his lips as soon as you started doing just that. “What a fucking sight, shit… Lucky… Mine…”

Moving his hand from your waist to your neck, Chris pressed down, effectively pushing your upper body flush to the bed as he kept thrusting in and out of you, as he kept rubbing circles on your clit, the motions turning you into a whiny, whimpering mess. The weight of his hand on the base of your neck, the feel of his cock deliciously stretching you open, and his fingers working you up were the only things you could register, and you could feel your release building and building the more Chris moved, the more Chris touched you.

“You’re doing so good for me, love. You always do, fuck… Are you enjoying yourself? Enjoying your alpha’s cock, huh pretty?”

You weakly nodded in response, mostly because you didn’t trust yourself to open your mouth and speak, fearing all that would come out would be a cacophony of desperate sounds and cries under Chris’ quickening movements. There was a low growl, almost inaudible, but Chris was so close to you there was no way you could’ve missed it, and your body reacted immediately, a shiver running down your spine and your walls clenching tightly around his length. “Tell me, love. Say it”.

“I–” Your lower belly was tightening harshly, and you felt warmth rushing through you every second Chris kept rubbing your clit, the motions had you almost speechless, but you tried, gripping the bed sheets tightly in your fists to ground yourself. “I am–”

Thrusting harder, Chris’ hold on the base of your neck tightened. “You’re what?”

Swallowing thickly, you felt your mind clouding, now filled with nothing but pure need and desperation, with nothing but your boyfriend and his ruthless thrusts. “Enjoying your cock, Chris–Fuck!” As soon as the words left your mouth you felt heat spreading everywhere within you, your release dragging pleasuring warmth from your core to every single one of your limbs, weakening your grip on the sheets, weakening your legs, and your knees would’ve given out had Chris not moved his hand away from your clit to instead wrap his arm around your waist to keep you steady in place, further leaning into you, almost pressing his chest to your back as his other hand found its way to hold one of yours, pressing it to the mattress.

“Mmm, good girl”, Chris’ breath fanned your neck, raising goosebumps on your flesh, that, coupled with his unfaltering pace had you whimpering softly, leaving you on the brink of oversensitivity. “Good, good girl. My girl. Perfect, yeah? Perfect when you come for me…”

Chris was running his mouth a bit, just like he often did when he was close to his peak, mumbling mindless words of praise as he kept working himself up. And finally, with a few more thrusts, he came, groaning lowly in your ear and pressing his hips flush to your rear to pump you full of his seed, just how he loved to do. He pressed kisses on your shoulder, mumbling softly, ‘so, so perfect for me. My perfect girl’. You just hummed, still panting a bit, but undoubtedly satisfied, enjoying the feel of him all over you, enjoying the gratifying tiredness only a good fuck with your boyfriend could leave on your body.

You didn’t move for a while, you hadn’t changed positions at all since Chris came, and you couldn’t help but notice he was still rock hard within your walls. “Chris, baby?” Before you could comment on it, he started to move again, slowly, in and out of your cunt as he continued to press kisses on your nape, eventually settling on the junction of your neck and your shoulder, mindlessly kissing and licking your skin.

While Chris kissed and licked the area, a low rumble resonated in his chest as he kept moving within your walls. You obviously didn’t mind, you loved to feel him in you, fucking you, the feel of his rumble on your back, but Chris didn’t rumble often…

‘Alphas don’t rumble frequently. It mostly happens when we’re really, really, reeeeaaaally lost in a state of bliss, which is typically when we’re on our rut. Rumbling out of happiness is more an omega thing, I’d say’, he’d explained to you once, and you truly had only ever heard–and felt–him rumble during his rut or when he came home really tired and got to hug you close when he finally tucked himself to bed, just right before he fell asleep. This behaviour of his was odd, you knew he wasn’t on his rut, he was being too coherent for that, but by now he would’ve pulled out and tugged you into his arms to relax for a bit.

The moment he grazed his teeth against your skin, you gasped softly, both from the feeling of his mouth on you and the angle in which he was fucking you, but suddenly, his warmth was gone. The sudden change in temperature around you and the sudden feeling of emptiness in your core almost gave you whiplash. You just caught sight of him stumbling back from the bed, pressing his back to the wall as he took in deep breaths.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked you, panting.

You just turned fully, sitting on the bed with your legs folded under you, blinking slightly. “‘Course I am. Are you okay?”

Chris simply nodded in response, and now you were starting to get worried. “Chris…”

“I am! Just… Just need a moment, yeah?” He further slouched against the wall, closing his eyes as he kept taking deep breaths.

You just looked at him, with your brows furrowed in concern, completely uncaring of his cum trickling down your legs. It went on like this for a few minutes, until Chris finally heaved a sigh, opening his eyes again, which were now back to their usual warm brown.

“I’m sorry, pretty. The full moon and the adrenaline from the run have me a bit… A bit feral”, Chris chuckled softly, but he didn’t move away from the wall.

Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, you looked at him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. Just… Need to control myself a bit”.

“Is that why your eyes were glowing so bright? Because of you ‘being feral’?” You emphasised the two words with air quotes, genuinely curious about it.

“I mean, it’s just the… The entire thing. The full moon, the run, you… There’s a lot going on inside of me right now with all those things combined”.

“Me?” You couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “What do I have to do with anything?”

Chris simply smiled at you, walking over to sit next to you on the bed. “A lot of things! When… When the full moon hits and we go on our runs we don’t… Think much. We act. At the end of the day, I’m an animal, too. You know that, right?”

You just nodded, because of course you knew. There was no way you weren’t aware of the fact that your boyfriend wasn’t exactly like you, he was very close, but not the same. Chris reached for your hand, turning it so he could place a soft kiss on your palm. You could almost see the cogs turning in his head, the way he was trying to make sense of his thoughts, or at least, of what he was going to tell you about them. So you decided to ask directly. “Chris, baby… What’s bothering you?”

Chris looked at you for a moment, taking in the features of your face until he finally heaved a sigh. “Just realised that I always… Always get these urges during the full moon, just that, since you’ve never been here, it’s never progressed further than… Just urges. Now you are here, though, and it’s throwing my hormones more out of whack than usual”, you were slightly taken aback by the comment, and it must’ve shown on your face, because he quickly added. “Not in a bad way! It’s just… Primal instincts and shit”.

“Wanna… Tell me more about it or…?” You took his hand between yours, squeezing gently.

Chris looked at you for a few moments, only to drop his gaze to your joined hands right after. “I’m… Uh… A bit embarrassed, I guess. It’s not something… I mean…”

He was rambling a bit, just as he often did when he was trying to make sense of his thoughts, so you gave his hand another squeeze, the motion bringing his attention back to you. “Babe, you know I won’t judge you”.

He looked back at your face, his gaze jumping from one of your eyes to the other, until his eyes moved lower, settling on your neck, and his free hand, the one that wasn’t holding yours, came to softly caress the skin of your neck, just as a soft blush settled on his cheeks. “I feel like… Like claiming you, biting you…”

Ah, claiming. Essentially the act of mating. Something you’ve read about, but that Chris had never brought up, so you hadn’t either. It was common practice for werewolves, especially alphas, to mark their partners by biting them in a very specific way, in a very specific place. Suddenly, where he was kissing and licking you before he jumped away from you made sense. “Don’t you… Want to do it?”

Chris chuckled softly, almost incredulous. “Babe, if I do that I might as well get down on one knee and ask you to marry me, while simultaneously getting married”.

You blinked slightly, looking him in the eyes just as you felt the tiniest twinge in your heart. You and Chris had been together for more than a year now, and although there had been no talks of the future of your relationship, now that the talk was happening, his hesitancy made you feel… Uneasy. “So you wouldn’t like to…”

Again, it must’ve shown on your face, because Chris’ expression shifted, slightly alarmed. “Wait, no, no. I’m not saying I wouldn’t like that. Love, listen, come here”, Chris motioned for you to sit on his lap, and you did, sitting sideways so you could drape an arm over his shoulder, relishing the way his arms wrapped around your hips and the way his eyes were almost sparkling when he looked at you.

“I love you”.

Chris said it so confidently, so sure of it there was no doubt in your mind that he meant it, but it still took you by surprise. He’d never said it before, he really didn’t need to, you knew it already, because he had shown that to you in many different ways. But you still felt your face flush and your heart stammering in your chest. “I love you so much. I want it all, and when I say all I mean all all, but I’m… I’m wired differently. Claiming you, mating… For us… For me, it’s pretty much a lifelong commitment, and you’ve already given so much of yourself to keep up with the dynamic of my family, to keep up with me, I don’t want to take this away from you, too. Not because of… My stupid horny alpha urges, not like this”.

“Chris”, cupping his cheeks, you softly caressed his skin with your thumbs. “You’ve not taken anything away from me. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done because I wanted to. I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier than I do right now with you, with the kids, too”.

Chris looked at you for a few moments, completely silent, just scanning your face, until he finally spoke again, his tone a bit quieter than usual. “How do you know it’s not just… You know, my alpha pheromones and shit…” He sounded genuinely distressed about it, and it pulled at your heartstrings unpleasantly.

“Christopher, have you been worried about this the entire time?” You couldn’t help the combination of concern and incredulousness that clung to your voice at his question. “That you’ve somehow coaxed me into all of this?” 

Chris averted his gaze, looking anywhere but your face. “I… I do worry about it sometimes. Wouldn’t want for you to–”

“Baby, listen. Look at me”, you put some pressure on his cheeks, making him pout a bit with the motion, bringing his eyes back to yours. “Remember a couple of months ago when I went abroad with my mum for like, three weeks?” Chris nodded, so you continued. “I was kilometres away from you, and I still wanted you, still loved you. Because I do, I love you, and I love your family, too. You guys took me in, made me feel at home, and I feel like… Like they’re my family, too. And every day I hope they all feel the same way about me… I hope you feel the same way”.

Chris looked at you for a bit, digesting your words, until finally, with a hand on the back of your head and the other caressing your thigh, he pulled you in for a brief kiss. “I do feel that way. Every day. I’m so grateful you came into our lives, into my life. Since I met you, since I got to know you, it’s like… Like I can finally breathe, I’ve never… Honestly, I don’t think there are words to express how I feel, but I seriously can’t imagine anyone else by my side”.

You could feel warmth spread in your chest, your heart threatening to burst with all the love it harboured for this man in front of you, and you couldn’t help the blush that came to your cheeks along with the splitting smile that made its way onto your face. Leaning in, you pressed a kiss on Chris’ lips, enjoying the way his arms pulled you tighter against him with the action.

“I know it’s not… Not ideal”, you shuffled a bit within Chris’ arms, moving instead to straddle him, resting your weight on his thighs and your arms around his shoulders as he traced patterns on your back. “You are what you are and I am what I am, we can’t change that. But I do love you. Every part of you. Lycanthropy and all. Truly”.

“Truly?” Chris’ arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you tighter against him.

You hummed, nodding. “Truly. As for you claiming me… If that’s what you want, we can… We can wait. Let’s… Have this conversation again a couple of years down the road. There’s no hurry, is there?”

Chris shook his head, and you continued. “Just, please don’t… Don’t keep these worries to yourself, yeah? Just because you’re Mr Alpha of the Pack doesn’t mean you have to deal with everything on your own, that’s what I’m here for, to help ease that burden. I love being a part of your pack, babe, I really do, don’t ever doubt it, or worry that you have somehow supernaturally influenced me to do these things. There’s a reason for me to have fallen into the position I did when I moved in with you… Because I like it. Makes me feel… Just so full. To be there for the kids, for you, to help out… It kinda feels like I was meant to do it”.

“You do it so well, too”, Chris tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, looking at you as if you held his world in your hands. “Much better than me sometimes”.

“Hey, don’t be like that. We’re a team here, huh? No bringing yourself down nonsense”, you swatted his arm playfully, making him laugh, but you still gave him a smile, blushing a bit. “As for our relationship… We can always just… Talk, hm?”

Chris simply regarded you with a smile, one of those genuine smiles of his that had your heart doing somersaults in your chest, until finally, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the apple of your cheek, mumbling an ‘okay’ against your skin.

“Okay”, you repeated, sealing your statement with a kiss.

You stayed like that for a bit, just kissing, hugging each other tightly, enjoying each other’s warmth. Until you just couldn’t ignore the obvious anymore, so you reached for Chris’ length between your bodies, stroking him leisurely, eliciting a soft hum from him. “Can’t believe you’re still hard”, you mumbled against his lips, pecking him softly.

Chris chuckled, moving away from your lips to look you in the eyes. “Told you, pretty baby. My hormones are a bit out of whack because of the moon. Besides, you just told me you love me, I don’t think it’s going down any time soon”.

You regarded him with a smile, shuffling a bit to prop yourself on your knees and line him with your entrance. “Let’s make the most of it, then”.

Chris brought his hands to your hips, pushing you down his length as you cupped his cheeks and kissed him, moaning at the sudden feeling of fullness that only Chris could bring you–both physically and emotionally. “Mm, shouldn’t we eat first?” Chris’ teasing tone was hard to miss, and it had you chuckling.

“Later. Want you now”, you mimicked his words from earlier, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“Later, then”, sneaking his hands to your bum, he gripped your rear tightly, starting to slowly move you up and down his cock with ease. “Mmm… Love you, pretty…”

“Love you more, baby”, you couldn’t help but smile as you said it, as you saw the way he took your challenge, and you knew Chris was just going to try and spend the rest of the night trying to convince you he loved you more, just like you were going to do the same.

Author’s Notex2: i didn’t proof read this as many times as i usually do, so sorry if there are any weirdly constructed sentences, might go back and tweak things later. also, if you’re reading this, do you think these are getting too long? 👉👈 i fear they might be, i just have a lot to say i guess hahah. anyway, hope you enjoyed !

Tagging: @raspbinniecreme @staaa96 @oiminho @dundullresident @honey-lemon-goose @straylightdream @carefully325 If you want to be removed from the list just PM me. If you want to be added fill in this form~

© therhythmafterthesummer 2022-2023. all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my stories.

Constructive feedback (or even keysmashes, really) is always welcome :)

Chris’ WereRoomies Instalments:  It’s Cold Out · Rut · Alpha Dog · It’s Warm In · Love is Easy · Afraid to Lose You. For extra drabbles, check out the series masterlist.

[lewmagoo]

a curse i cannot lift | rhett abbott

description: in which everything he holds dear is ripped from his grasp

warnings: 18+ only, werewolf au, pregnancy, allusions to sex, perry abbott assaulting people (idk how else to word that lol), murder, violence, blood, kidnapping, angst, werewolves are unfairly targeted in this world

pairing: werewolf!rhett abott x f!werewolf!reader

listen to the playlist here

notes: this is part of 'the wolf' series! you technically don't have to read the first part but it'll make more sense if you do. access the first part here. access the series masterlist here

dedication: to @lovinglyeternal, without you this series wouldn't have been born. also dedicated to @bro-ooke ; thanks for beta reading this for me!

From a young age, Rhett Abbott had been taught that there was no greater honor in life than to obtain a mate. In wolf culture, finding one’s mate was a fateful, sacred occurrence. It was the joining together of two souls as one entity.

And he had found that oneness when he found you. The moment you walked into his life, his entire world changed. His fierce loyalty had always been dedicated to his family, but when the two of you joined your bloodlines, his loyalties changed. 

It wasn’t that he’d turned his back on his family. Far from it, in fact. But they no longer came first. It was you that came first, above all others. Together, you were responsible for loving and protecting each other. You had made that pledge to one another on your wedding day, a blood oath that was unbreakable and would withstand the test of time. 

Rhett had heard stories of the sacrifices mates were willing to make just to protect one another. But he’d never fully understood the magnitude of such a thing until he had a mate of his own. Sometimes it scared him, and made him feel a little wild, knowing the lengths he would go to to protect you. 

But he wasn’t alone, because you were just as territorial over him as he was of you. You had one another’s backs, and swore to each other that you would keep the other safe. However, he would one day find himself unable to fulfill his part of that promise to you, all because of the foolish actions of one man. And those actions would result in Rhett losing you. 

But hell hath no fury like a wolf whose mate is stolen from him. And when Rhett Abbott’s fury was unleashed, no one would walk away unscathed. 

Neither of you could have ever imagined your lives would be turned upside down. You had only just begun your mateship together. You had made a home for yourselves on Abbott land - an old barn at the edge of the property that Rhett had converted into a living space for the two of you and the family you would soon create together.

Life together was sweeter than you ever could have imagined. From the moment you met him, you felt an all-consuming sense of peace, knowing this was who you were meant to spend the rest of your life with. He was the one that had been formed for you by the cosmos before either of you was even born. A collection of burning, blinding, brilliant stars all forged together into one beautiful man with ocean-blue eyes. 

But, even for mated werewolves, life still had its difficulties. One’s hardships didn’t miraculously disappear once one found their mate. In fact, the joining together of both of your packs posed its fair share of brand-new issues. 

Particularly, the issue of keeping secrets. 

The Abbott family was very secretive. There were things weaved through the fabric of their family history that Royal had done his best to bury. Chief of those secrets was the fact that the land they lived upon was not their own. 

Historically, werewolves were not treated like high-class individuals. In fact, they were often treated like the scum of the earth. The bottom of the barrel. Humans were afraid of their wild tendencies, and this resulted in irrational, widespread fear. 

The wolf community had fought long and hard to obtain equal rights, and after a seemingly never-ending battle, they had finally made some headway. Laws had been put in place, protecting werewolves and their families from discrimination and inhumane treatment. 

Laws had also been put in place against hunting werewolves. These laws had been passed in all fifty states before you or Rhett were even born. The werewolf hunting business had once been very successful, but these days, hunters were almost non-existent. Hunting and killing werewolves was now considered a federal crime. 

You were of the belief that hunting for sport had been eradicated. The elders in your pack had lived through the days of the hunters, and had seen the laws passed forbidding hunting. They all believed the worst of it was behind them. 

But little did you, or your pack, know that there was a family of hunters right in the very town you were living in. A prestigious family at that, one whose money was tainted by the blood of hundreds of innocent wolves.

The Tillerson family had been hunting for centuries. The only reason they decided to stop was all thanks to a little truce made with Royal Abbott.

Long before either of his boys was born, Royal had struck up a deal with Wayne and Patricia Tillerson. The Abbotts were to remain on a specified plot of land. As long as they held up their end of the bargain, the Tillersons would not harm a single hair on any of their heads. But if the Abbotts or their future offspring tried to move to unapproved plots of land, they were fair game. 

The reason for this was that they didn’t want werewolves sullying the reputation of Wabang. It was a beautiful town with rich land and even richer oil wells. Werewolves would only drive away tourists and potential buyers that might come through seeking land and agricultural gain. 

So, Royal and his wife settled on that specified plot of land, and it became known as the Northeast Wyoming Wolf Reservation. After that, all was seemingly fine and dandy for decades. until your pack came along. 

Your pack originally left your hometown because tensions were rising with a neighboring pack. Your family had every right to live there, but the other pack harbored animosity against all of you, and instead of enduring an all-out war, your family, namely your alpha, decided it best to move elsewhere for the safety and well-being of the pack. 

So, you found yourselves in Wabang, Wyoming. You joined forces with the Abbott pack, and in a twist of wonderful fate, you met Rhett, the son of Royal, which proved to you that you were always meant to come here, because in any lifetime, in any universe, you would always find him. 

Royal was the alpha of the Northeast Wyoming Pack, which wasn’t much to speak of, as it was only him and his family. Royal was old and tired. When your pack came along, and it became clear that you and Rhett were to be mates, Royal willingly gave up his alpha status, because there could only be one alpha over a pack.

He allowed your uncle, Malakai, who was already the alpha of your own pack, to take leadership of the now-conjoined pack. Royal was willing to wash his hands of all of it, and it struck you as odd at first. What wolf willingly gave up their statues like that? But It would all make sense when you eventually learned of his motives. He didn’t want to be the one held responsible if anything happened to the pack. He knew if the Tillersons ever targeted the pack, the responsibility of protecting them would no longer fall upon himself. It would fall upon Malakai. And any wolf who was incapable of protecting their pack would face consequences from the National Werewolf League.

But there was, of course, the fact that Royal hadn’t been honest with your family from the beginning. He had welcomed you into the reservation, allowing you to settle there and make homes for yourselves. He had given over his alpha status. For all intents and purposes, he seemed genuinely happy to welcome your ragtag group into the fold. But he never bothered to warn you that if any of you decided to live elsewhere, outside of the reservation, you might just encounter some hunters. 

Rhett hated that his father refused to tell the truth. Royal had even made his family swear they wouldn’t say anything. His reasoning was that it might cause a full-blown massacre if word got back to the Tillersons that the wolves were trying to rebel against the guidelines put in place. 

While other state governments recognized werewolf hunting as illegal, the Tillersons had a particularly close relationship with the governor of Wyoming, and the leader of the state had essentially promised that he would look the other way if the wolves violated this agreement and ended up dead. He was just as money hungry as the Tillersons, and he harbored a hatred for werewolves. He was in agreement that the wolves were bad for business and was perfectly content to get rid of them if it meant protecting the state. 

While Rhett understood his father’s fear, he believed it was wrong and dangerous not to tell your pack the truth. So, in the early days of your marriage, he finally decided that he could no longer sit on this secret and potentially allow it to put a rift in your marriage, or result in your family being harmed. He wanted to reveal everything to you.

So, one night, he called for a family meeting with just your pack. He had already revealed the truth to you privately, and together, you had agreed that it was only fair to inform the others. So he stood before your family that night and explained to them that they were not as safe as they thought they were. 

It took guts for Rhett to go against his father like that. In your eyes, by putting the good of the pack before everything else, he displayed true alpha qualities, and something in you made you believe that someday in the future, he had what it took to take on the role as the new alpha of your pack.

But until then, there were things that needed to be sorted through. Such as the fact that there were hunters in your midst. Your family took the news better than you were expecting, but they were, of course, angry about being lied to. 

“But hunting is illegal. How the hell are there even still hunters around?” One of your cousins, Jace, asked. 

Rhett sighed. “The Wyoming government doesn’t give a shit about us. The Tillersons have the governor by the balls, he’ll look the other way if wolves end up dead.”

“We could report it to the League.”

“Y’ could,” Rhett replied, “I don’t know how much good it’ll do ya. They’d need proof that the Tillersons were actively hunting wolves. And so far, they aren’t. They’ve kept their noses clean for years. Without proof, the League won’t do anythin’.”

Finally, Malakai, the alpha, spoke up. “This is why your dad gave up his alpha status and let me keep mine when we joined packs, isn’t it? So none of the responsibility would fall on him.”

Rhett grimaced, nodding slowly. “I think so. But you’ll have to talk to him about that. Like I said, he didn’t want me t’ tell any of you. He was tryin’ to avoid a war with the Tillersons. If we start violatin’ our agreement with them, they might get trigger-happy.”

A murmur went through the pack. They didn’t like this situation, but at the moment, there was nothing that could be done. As long as everyone followed the contract put in place, there would be no trouble. And for the time being, it seemed as if nobody had a choice in the matter. Until another course of action could be figured out, things would remain exactly the way they were. 

Rhett felt awful to have to break such news to the family. But in the end, you quietly assured him that he’d done the right thing. “I know going against your dad wasn’t easy. But I’m proud of you for making the right decision.”

“How come I still feel lousy about it?” He grumbled. 

“It’ll pass,” you assured him. 

And it did. 

After that moment of honesty, his relationship with your family deepened. They all respected him for what he’d done. He felt loved and accepted in a way he never had before. He found a family that loved him for him. Not for what he could do for them. Not under any conditions. They just loved him. And he could hardly fathom why, but he was grateful. 

But above all else, the purest of loves he’d ever felt was your love. Undying, withstanding the rest of time. You adored him, you would lay down your life for him, and he, you. Sometimes the realization stole the very breath from his lungs. Being with you just felt right. He was no longer held down by the binding loyalty he had to his own family. While he still remained loyal to them, you came first, before anyone else. 

He made a pledge in his heart, determining that when the two of you had children of your own, he would never put them through what he’d had to endure as a child. A ‘tough love’ father who thought men displaying emotion was weak, and a mother who ultimately loved her children, but her loyalty to her husband overshadowed them, and made them feel like they were not as important. 

Rhett would love his child unconditionally and allow them to express their emotions without fear of judgment or consequence. He would be gentle and forgiving and kind, because children deserved such mercies.

As fate would have it, he would one day receive that opportunity.

After your marriage, it didn’t take long for you to fall pregnant. With the way you went at it together during your first heat, there was no doubt in your mind that it would result in conceiving a child. And sure enough, a little while after that initial heat cycle, it happened. 

Funnily enough, it was Rhett who figured it out before you even came to the conclusion yourself. And it was all because your scent had changed. 

Between werewolves, one’s mate was attracted to them by scent. A mate’s scent was unique and intoxicating to the other. Neither of you would ever forget the first time you caught the eachother’s scent, when you initially met. It was overwhelming and all-consuming. 

But now, something was different. 

Your scent had changed. That intoxicating, spicy, sweet scent you emitted, for his senses only, had changed into something lighter. Sweeter. Almost like cotton candy. It caught his attention one morning as you were getting ready for the day.

“Stop,” he spoke, his tone low and even. He’d caught you by the arm, his large hand gentle against you.

You smiled curiously as he tugged you closer. “What?” You asked, a breathless giggle on your lips at his behavior.

“Y’ smell different.” He buried his nose against the side of your neck and inhaled deeply. It tickled, but you remained still, watching curiously as he trailed his nose lower, intent on finding the source. He froze for a moment, only to quickly drop to his knees before you. There, he nuzzled your abdomen, breathing in again. 

A look of tender amazement softened his features, and he gasped, lifting his hand to press over your tummy. Then his gaze flickered up to meet your own. There were tears in those bright eyes. “You’re carryin’ my pup,” he whispered. 

Your own eyes widened, and you lifted your hand, covering your mouth in surprise. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, because you had been hoping this would happen. But you were still overcome with wonderful, all-encompassing elation. 

You laughed for joy, kneeling on the floor with Rhett and throwing your arms around his neck. “A baby! We’re having a baby!” You cried happily.

But he leaned back, a strange sense of wonder illuminating his features. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards into a sweet smile. “We’re havin’ a daughter,” he whispered in response, throat tight as tears glimmered in his eyes. 

You stared at him in amazement. “H-how…?”

“Your scent. When Rebecca was pregnant with Amy she had that same kinda scent. Like pink cotton candy. Or maybe bubble gum. You smell the same.”

That revelation pulled a musical laugh from you, and you threw your arms around your husband again, bubbling with an excitement that warmed your belly like fizzy champagne. 

“

Laughing with you, Rhett leaned back, nuzzling his nose against your own before he kissed you fervently. You melted into him, bodies fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. 

“I knew it wouldn’t be long before I put a pup inside ya,” he murmured against your lips, mouth hot on yours. 

You smiled into the kiss. “I knew it, too.”

He pulled back to fully admire you. “My beautiful mate,” he murmured in adoration, splaying his palm over your abdomen. “Mother of my child.”

He spoke with such reverence, but beneath it was a possessive air that made you shiver. You were his. He was yours. Your hearts belonged to each other, intertwined by the Fates themselves. 

“Love you,” you sighed, eyes fluttering shut as you let yourself lean into his warm touch. 

“I love you too, little wolf.”

You relished in that quiet, intimate moment together, overjoyed that you were finally starting your own family. 

There were a few select moments in your lifetime that you would consider the best moments of your entire life. Discovering that Rhett was your mate was one of them. Your marriage to him was another. And finally, learning you were expecting a baby was the cherry on top. 

You couldn’t hide your happiness if you tried. As mates, it was your shared dream to further your bloodline. It was considered the highest honor in werewolf culture. You were teeming with excitement, eager to reveal the news to the rest of the pack. 

It wasn’t easy to hide, as it was. They would be able to sniff it out no matter how much you tried to hide it. So you didn’t bother hiding it at all. That very day, you shared the news with your families, receiving an emphatic “I knew it!” From your mother, and an excited “I can’t wait to have a baby cousin to play with!” From Rhett’s niece Amy.

That night, a grand celebration followed, and you swore that you didn’t stop smiling once . Oh, how your life had changed. After you announced it to your loved ones, you were happily thrust into the process of making preparations to welcome your little one into the world.

This, of course, included visits to your pack doctor, Rose Tenpenny. You had known Rose your entire life. She was a skilled pack healer and midwife who subscribed to ancient remedies and medicines, the knowledge of which had been passed down to her from her mother, and her mother’s mother before her. There was no one else you’d rather have look after your and your baby’s health than her. 

You were on cloud nine as baby preparations followed. The women of the pack got together to make a memory quilt for your baby. All the men set to work building furniture for the nursery. And, best of all, Rhett took it upon himself to build a cradle for the babe. He was skilled with his hands, and he considered it the greatest honor to build this little bed for your child. He put so much love into the creation of that bed, and it touched your heart. 

Everything seemed so perfect. Too good to be true. It felt as if nothing could ever take this joy away from you. That is, until it all came crashing down like a mountain avalanche. 

Ever since your union with Rhett, you had had a rocky relationship with his brother, Perry. Rhett himself had a complicated past with the man, and since your marriage, he had distanced himself from his brother. He didn’t like the way Perry behaved toward you. Both of you knew it was because Perry harbored jealousy against Rhett. 

He was jealous of what you had. Jealous that his little brother had a mate and he didn’t. But the reason Perry didn’t have a mate was because of his own stupidity. He had tried to force it to happen on his own rather than waiting for fate. He fell for a girl named Rebecca. She wasn’t his mate, but he insisted she was. Claimed everyone else didn’t know what they were talking about. 

Perry had somehow manipulated Rebecca into believing they were mates. Or, at least, from what Rhett could see, she just went along with it to keep Perry happy. If she wanted to leave, the intention was dashed when she fell pregnant with his child. 

She made the decision to stick it out and see if a baby would change Perry’s demeanor. But it didn’t. In fact, it seemed that he only got worse after Amy was born. Rebecca put up with it for the first seven years of Amy’s life, and finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She disappeared into the night, seemingly without a trace. 

Perry insisted something had happened. That she would never leave of her own free will. Someone had to have taken her. Rhett, however, believed that she did leave on her own. 

You knew things had to be bad for her to leave her own child behind. That went against every instinct of a mother wolf. It made you wonder if there was more to the story. If she’d left with the intention of coming back for her child, but she had met an untimely demise in the process. You supposed you would never receive an answer to that question. 

Perry delusionally claimed that he could still feel her out there. Between mates, it was a natural occurrence to be able to feel the other’s presence. And many times, when one was in danger, the other could sense it. Perry insisted he had this with Rebecca, but you knew he didn’t. He had no idea where she was because she wasn’t his to begin with. 

In the meantime, his jealousy against his brother only continued to fester. Their relationship had already been strained as it was, but since Rhett had brought you into the picture, it was even worse. The only good thing to come out of it was your relationship with young Amy. 

She was sweet as pie and even at her age, she knew the way her father behaved was wrong. It broke your heart that she had to deal with such things, but she didn’t let it slow her down, or change the way she felt about you and Uncle Rhett. 

Perry attempted to remain civil while Amy was around, but there were times when he just couldn’t help but run his mouth and get himself in trouble. It had happened on numerous occasions, to the point where Rhett didn’t like bringing you around him 

And after you found out you were expecting, your mate grew all the more protective of you. This primal need to keep you safe burned in his belly, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to harm or disrespect you. 

But no matter how protective of you he became, Rhett always had full control over his wolf at all times. He could shift at will, and even when he was intensely angry or upset, he could still control the shift and keep himself from going off the rails. But Perry did not have that same control, and because of this, Rhett was always on guard when he was present around you. 

His older brother was notorious for losing his temper. Rhett had seen it time and time again. Perry had always been like this. Even as a young boy. 

When werewolf pups are born, they are born entirely human, and do not yet possess the ability to shift. That ability usually comes at around ten years of age. 

And Perry gained that ability like clockwork on his tenth birthday. Teaching him how to control the shift was a beast in and of itself for Royal and Cecilia. They struggled like hell to help him learn how to shift at will rather than involuntarily. 

Around that time, Rhett was still very small. It proved incredibly difficult to raise a little one and train a brand-new wolf. Some things fell by the wayside. Rhett did not receive the love and attention he so desperately needed during that moment in time. It was hard for him to get acclimated as he grew older. 

But he saw the way Perry was, how wild his wolf was, and he decided that when his own wolf came in, he would be nothing like his brother. He would learn control. 

And he did. Royal and Cecilia hoped Rhett’s ability would rub off on Perry. But, unfortunately, it did not. Instead, Perry got into trouble, and Rhett was always lumped in because he followed his brother around everywhere. 

But the worst moment of all was the day Perry lost control at school. 

There had always been high tensions between the Tillersons and the Abbott brothers. The three boys had an innate hatred of wolves, a prejudice ingrained within them thanks to their parents. Luke and Billy weren’t particularly aggressive toward Perry and Rhett. But Trevor? He and Perry especially hated each other. 

Trevor was known for mouthing off. He’d mouth off at his parents, at his teachers, at innocent passersby in the school hallways. He was a loose canon, and it was only a matter of time before he went off on the wrong person. 

Trevor foolishly decided he was going to mess with Perry that day. He caught him in the empty hallway as Perry and Rhett were leaving school. He started jeering Perry, daring him to “go werewolf” on him. Rhett, who was only twelve at the time, and significantly younger and smaller than Trevor and Perry, tried his best to pull Perry away. 

But it was no use. The situation escalated until Perry was lunging, and suddenly, there was screaming, and Trevor was on the floor, clutching at his throat as blood poured from a slash wound caused by Perry’s claws. 

“What did you do?!” Luke shouted as he knelt beside his wounded big brother. “You’re dead, Abbott! You hear me?! Dead!” 

A teacher heard the commotion and came out, only to realize in horror what had happened. 911 was called, as were the Abbott and Tillerson parents. Perry was kept locked in a classroom, alone, until further help could arrive. 

In the end, Trevor’s wound was only superficial, and he would go on to make a full recovery. However, he would walk away with a permanent scar on his neck. Four claw marks, acting as a permanent reminder that he’d been attacked by a wolf. 

The offense should have garnered a heavier punishment. Patricia Tillerson was out for blood. She wanted to kill Perry for what he’d done to her son. But Wayne had a different approach. As money hungry as he was, he was fine to settle on a payment for what had happened. 

Royal paid the Tillersons a hefty sum of money, which nearly drove his own family into financial ruin. They were already struggling to stay afloat as it was, and giving away that big of a sum of money set them back severely. But if he paid the sum, the hunters would leave the Abbotts alone. 

So he gave them the money, and after that, the Tillerson boys were enrolled in a private school the next town over, and the instance was swept under the rug. 

Angry over how it was handled, and the lack of justice for her son’s pain, Patricia threatened to leave Wayne. He told her to go, but his condition was that she couldn’t take her boys with her. He refused to let his sons go, and he threatened blackmail if she went ahead and took them anyway. So she left, alone and angry, determining that one day, she would gain the retribution she sought. 

It took many years, but that opportunity finally presented itself when Wayne Tillerson dropped dead. 

You’d heard about his death. The whole town had. But you didn’t care in the least. As far as you were concerned, one less werewolf hunter in the world, the better. But that still left three of his sons. 

When Wayne was alive, he refused to let anyone but his lawyer and his accountant read any legal or financial papers. He didn’t let his sons get involved. But when his health started failing him, it became necessary for the boys to step in. As the eldest, Trevor took that mantle upon himself. 

But it wasn’t until his father died that he really started doing a deep dive into the seemingly endless paperwork. Financial statements, property deeds, the whole nine. For Trevor, it was the property deeds that caught his attention. Specifically the deed for the land on which the Abbotts lived. 

He noticed an interesting little tidbit. It appeared that the property line had been mistakenly marked, and needed to be moved back a significant distance. But it just so happened that that specific plot of land was where you and Rhett lived. 

Driven by greed, Trevor took the deed to the family lawyer, insistent upon getting the go-ahead to deliver the news himself. It wasn’t difficult, and soon, he was headed right for the reservation, smug as could be, ready to deliver the blow to your family. 

However, when he came lumbering up to your house and knocked loudly on the door, he received no answer. “Abbott!” He shouted, banging a little louder. But the house was empty. You and Rhett had left earlier that morning so you could go in for your monthly prenatal checkup with the pack doctor. You were both blissfully unaware that your lives were about to be turned upside down. 

Back at your house, Trevor was tempted to shove the legal paper he held in his hand in your mailbox, but his heart was set on delivering it in person. However, he saw the next best person to deliver it to when he caught a glimpse of Perry just down the way, saddling up his horse. 

A smirk tugged at the eldest Tillerson’s mouth. He brushed his fingers over the claw marks that scarred his neck. Maybe this could be his way of getting back at Perry for what he’d done to him all those years ago. 

So he marched right toward the stables, and when Perry saw him coming, he visibly tensed. He hadn’t seen Trevor in a long time. As volatile as Perry was, even he himself had no desire to get into it with the man. He knew he’d end up killing him if given the chance, so he kept his distance. 

Now, however, Trevor was coming right at him, and there was no way of keeping his distance any longer. 

“Hey, Abbott!” He called. 

Perry sighed. “What?”

“Any idea where that brother a’ yours is?”

Perry shrugged as he tightened the cinch on the saddle. “Fuck if I know,” he mumbled. 

“Well, I have a little somethin’ for him.”

“Huh, guess you’ll have t’ wait ‘til he gets back.”

“I figured I’d just give it to you instead, an’ you can pass the word along.”

Perry rolled his eyes, stepping back toward the stable when he realized he’d set his hat down inside. “I ain’t your messenger, Trevor. Just leave it at his doorstep or somethin’.”

“Thing is, I really wanted to deliver it in person,” Trevor continued, following Perry into the stable. “I want you to read it, too.”

Again, the Abbott brother rolled his eyes, whirling around to snatch the paper from Trevor. “Fine! I’ll give it to ‘im, if that’ll get you off our fuckin’ property.”

At those words, Trevor’s smirk turned into a wicked grin. “Actually, it ain’t your property.”

That caught Perry’s attention. “What?”

“Read it.”

With furrowed brow, Perry quickly unfolded the paper and his eyes skimmed over its contents. Heat flared in his chest. “This is fuckin’ bullshit.”

“You wish. It’s legit. Either you all move that fence of yours back, or you’ll get fined by the state. And you and I both know you ain’t got the money to pay that fine, since your daddy gave it all away to get us to keep our mouths shut about what you did to me when we were kids.”

That struck a chord. The heat in Perry’s chest grew hotter. “You’re just lucky it wasn’t worse,” he grumbled. 

Trevor scoffed. “So you’re saying I should be thankin’ you for not ripping out my throat?” He laughed heartily, though it was fake. “Fuck you, Abbott.” His first mistake was reaching out to shove at Perry. 

The wolf growled, his eyes flashing yellow. “Get your goddamn hands off me.”

“What are y’gonna do, hm? Kill me? Maim me?”

Perry got in his face. His body trembled as he fought to control his shift. But he had no control, because he’d never learned it. “You got five seconds to get the fuck outta here.”

But Trevor wasn’t afraid. He stood chest to chest, hunter to wolf. “Do it. I dare you. Then they’ll come lookin’ for me, and when they find out you killed me it’s over for you wolves. Is that what you want? To destroy all that civil rights shit your kind fought for?”

Perry seemed to consider his words, and Trevor nodded in satisfaction. “That’s what I thought. You don’t have the balls.” And then, as he was prone to do, he had to add one last blow to his monologue. “Bet that’s why your wife left you. She realized you were a spineless fuckin’ co-”

He never did finish those words. In mere seconds, Perry was lunging, growling, out of control. And then, Trevor was on the hay-scattered floor, bleeding out, his throat slashed like it had been so many years ago. Except, this time, he wasn’t walking away alive. 

Perry stood over his body, his chest heaving, growling like a wild animal. The paper he’d been holding had fluttered to the floor, and the breeze blew it into a corner to be forgotten. 

Just like that, Trevor Tillerson was dead, and as the blinding red rage cleared from Perry’s vision, he realized what he’d done. He stood there, staring at the blood on his hands, and the blood on the floor, and he felt as if he was frozen in place, his feet fastened to the floor with concrete.

What should he do? He’d just killed a goddamn human. If news got out about this, it would be very, very bad, not just for the Abbott pack, but for the entire werewolf community. But Perry was very quickly beginning to panic, unsure of how to fix the egregious crime he had just committed. 

So he did the only thing he knew how. He scrambled out of that barn, climbed onto the back of his horse, and set off at a gallop to his father’s house just down the way. It was nearly lunchtime, so he knew that Royal would likely be home, in the kitchen, waiting as Cecilia prepared his lunch for him.

The kitchen was quiet, save for the sound of Cecilia humming as she readied the food. Until, suddenly, Perry came bursting through the door like a bat out of hell. She dropped the knife she was holding. “Good Lord, Perry!” She exclaimed.

Royal looked up, brows raised. And that’s when he saw the blood. Cecilia also noticed, and she put a hand to her mouth. “What on earth happened?!”

Perry looked at Royal, entirely ignoring his mother. “Dad, I need help.”

Just by looking at his son, Royal seemed to know what ‘help’ entailed. He stood from his seat, already moving to grab his hat from the peg near the door. 

“Royal, what-”

“I’ll be back soon, save me a plate,” he simply said as he followed his son out the door. 

Cecilia fought the urge to chase after them. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what that blood meant. And she’d picked up on a specific scent when Perry came in. A scent she knew, but was too afraid to admit it. The less she knew, the better. But she had a feeling she was going to find out what had happened sooner than later. 

Outside, Royal had a plan. “C’mere,” he said to his son, motioning him toward the garden hose. “First of all you need to wash this shit off so you don’t get it everywhere.”

Perry proceeded to scrub the blood from his hands, and then Royal led him to the truck. “You mind tellin’ me what the fuck happened?” He asked, voice low. 

Perry sighed, lowering his head. “Trevor Tillerson came snoopin’ around.”

“Yeah, I know that, I can fuckin’ smell him on you. How did it end with you covered in his goddamn blood?!”

So, Perry recounted what had happened. Every last detail. And as he spoke, Royal paced back and forth, his boots kicking up gravel as he did so. Once his son finished, he stopped, turning to look at him. “Alright then. Let’s fix this. Before your brother gets back. The less people are involved in this, the better.”

“You…you ain’t callin’ the sheriff?” Perry asked in disbelief. 

“I call the sheriff, not only do you go to jail, but it puts this whole fuckin’ pack in danger. I ain’t gonna let a group of humans run us outta our home. So we’re takin’ care of this ourselves.” He jabbed his thumb toward Perry’s horse. “Go take the tack off that horse and toss it in the back of the truck. You probably got blood all over it and that’s just gonna act as evidence if anyone comes snoopin’ around here.”

And so, the two Abbott men set about covering up the crime. They placed Trevor’s body in the back of the truck, they scrubbed the stables clean, and then, Royal instructed Perry to get into Trevor’s truck and follow after him. Royal drove his own truck and Perry followed him deep into the west pasture and as far up into the woods that the vehicles would allow them to. Then they carried Trevor the rest of the way until they came upon a good spot to bury him. 

All of this took quite some time, and by the time the body was in the ground, Royal breathlessly turned to Perry. “Drive the truck up to Lover’s Lake and let it sink.”

And so, Perry did what he was told. 

Just like that, the crime was covered up. Trevor Tillerson was six feet under, and the only two people in the world who knew about it were Royal and Perry. But it wouldn’t stay that way for long. 

In the meantime, you and Rhett were just arriving home from your midwife appointment, blissfully unaware of what had just taken place. You were purely, incandescently happy. Doctor Tenpenny had given you a gleaming bill of health. The tiny babe within you was growing just as she should. 

You were still quite early on, so you hadn’t begun to show yet. But that didn’t stop Rhett from resting his large hand against your belly from where he sat beside you in the rickety old GMC Sierra he drove. He was so very excited to be a father. The excitement sparkled in his eyes and you swore that blue had gotten impossibly brighter.

“I am so fuckin’ in love with you, little wolf,” he murmured once he’d thrown the truck into park. He leaned across the seat to kiss you sweetly. 

You smiled against his mouth before you replied. “I’m so fuckin’ in love with you too.”

“M’ sweet wife.” His thumb ran circles over your abdomen. “Can’t wait to see you all round with my pup.”

You hummed, eyes fluttering shut as you relished in his warm touch. “Soon,” you assured him. 

“I know. It’ll happen quicker than we can blink. Then we’ll be holdin’ our brand new baby girl.”

You kissed him again, unable to voice your feelings, because the words got caught in your throat. But that was okay, because no other words were needed. 

Soon, Rhett slipped away and rounded the truck to open your door for you, which you gratefully accepted. “I was thinkin’,” he said, his arm slung around you as you walked up to the house. “Maybe I’d stop in town and grab us some lunch? I gotta bring the horses in from pasture first but after that I’ll get goin’.”

“Oh, would you?! I’ve been craving fries from Lucinda’s!” You exclaimed. 

He smirked. “I know. As if you didn’t give me enough hints by sayin’ ‘I could really go for some fries!’ all mornin’,” he teased. 

“Sorry, I’m just starving,” you said with a laugh. 

“I’ll get ya your fries,” he assured you, “an’ a milkshake, too.”

Happily, you leaned in to kiss his cheek. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” he said right back with a knowing glint in his eyes. 

You pushed at his chest as you shook your head at him. “Go tend to the horses, wolf boy.”

He stole another kiss from you, playfully swatting at your ass before he finally slipped away, allowing you to head back inside, your heart warm as you did so. 

He headed over to the stables, and when the grazing horses saw him they immediately perked up. Particularly his mare, Esmeralda. She trotted up to the fence, letting out an excited whinny. 

“Hey t’ you too, girl,” he said, reaching out to scratch her chin, her favorite place to receive pets. She eagerly searched his flannel pocket for treats, but came up with nothing. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Got tied up takin’ mama to the doc. I’ll bring ya somethin’ next time.” He kissed her muzzle, and then he pulled back to saunter over to the stable so he could pull the doors open. 

On his way up the lane, he caught sight of Perry approaching on horseback. But he noticed something a little off. The horse wasn’t saddled, nor was he wearing a bridle. 

“The fuck you ridin’ bareback for?” Rhett asked with a slight laugh, raising a brow at his brother as he got closer. 

“Cause I felt like it,” Perry mumbled as he slowed the horse and finally slid to the ground, boots kicking up gravel. 

“I’ve never seen you ride without a saddle in my life,” Rhett continued. 

“There’s a first time for everythin’,” Perry dismissed. 

Rhett eyed him. He seemed a little…off. Not like himself. “Per, you feelin’ alright?”

“‘m fine,” he snapped. 

Rhett sighed, shaking his head at his brother’s antics. He wasn’t sure what had gotten up his craw, but he decided it best not to ask questions. 

Until he stepped into the stable as Perry led his horse to his stall. A strange scent hit Rhett as soon as he crossed the threshold. Strong and chemical, like bleach. But there was something else, something underlying. He breathed in deep, his face comforting in confusion. 

“You smell that?” He called to Perry. 

His first clue as to something being wrong should’ve been that Perry froze. “I don’t smell anythin’,” he said as he opened the stall door. 

“Bullshit, it’s strong as hell,” Rhett countered. He stepped further into the building and breathed in. “I smell blood.”

Perry didn’t say a word, but just from his posture, Rhett knew he was lying. He never was good at hiding his guilt. As soon as he pulled away from the stall and moved to leave the stable, Rhett stepped into his path, blocking him. 

“Why the fuck does it smell like blood and bleach in my stable?” He demanded, voice low, gaze hard. 

Perry’s wide, brown eyes flickered away, looking everywhere but his brother’s face. He didn’t say a word, and it sent a flash of sizzling anger through Rhett, like a bolt of lightning. “Perry!” He barked. 

“Get outta my way, Rhett.”

“No! What did you do, huh?! Hurt one of my horses?!” Rhett wouldn’t stand for harm to come to any of his animals. He’d beat Perry to a pulp if he found out he’d hurt one. 

“I didn’t touch y’re fuckin horses!” Perry snapped. 

Rhett could hear how fast Perry’s heart was beating, pounding erratically against his rib cage. He was lying. “If it ain’t horse blood, then whose is it?”

A beat of hesitation. Then another. And soon, it became clear that Perry wasn’t going to say a word. Rhett growled angrily and finally stepped aside. “Get the fuck out.”

And he did. Perry hightailed it out of that stable, guilt weight at his shoulders. Rhett was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another. But for now, he had a group of restless horses to tend to. 

With a deep sigh, he rolled his head to loosen the tension in his neck, and then proceeded to get the horses gathered and into the stable. Just to be safe, he checked each one over for any potential injuries. But they were all unharmed, as he’d expected. 

Rhett wasn’t stupid. He knew that the scent he’d caught wasn’t horse. It was human. This was someone he knew, because he recognized the underlying scent. But he didn’t want to say it out loud, didn’t want to admit who it was because then that would mean… surely his brother hadn’t killed someone, right? Perry was volatile at times but he’d never killed anyone. However, Rhett knew perfectly well what the man was capable of. 

He’d seen him lose his temper. He’d seen the way Perry couldn’t control his wolf. He was capable of killing. He was one step closer to going rogue and that thought made Rhett’s stomach turn. 

He hoped it wouldn’t come to that point. 

In the meantime, there were other things to tend to. Rhett decided he didn’t want to go snooping. He was afraid he would find something that he wished he never knew. So, he shook the thoughts out of his head and proceeded to get the horses situated. 

A little while later, he was finally making his way back to the truck, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. A shower sounded appealing, but his first order of business was, of course, picking up lunch for you. 

It was a thirty-minute drive into town, so by the time he returned, it had been over an hour that he’d been gone. In that time he’d tried to push the incident with Perry out of his mind. He knew that you would notice something was wrong, and he didn’t want to potentially drag you into whatever mess his brother had just made. You were meant to be enjoying this time as you prepared to welcome your little one, he didn’t want to put any undue stress on your shoulders. 

So he put his best face forward and sauntered into the house with milkshakes and bags of French fries in hand. You’d heard him pull up, and you eagerly hopped up off the couch, where you’d been reading a book that your midwife had given you. 

“I was about to start gnawing on the couch,” you remarked with a smile as you scurried up to kiss him on the cheek. “Thanks for picking this up. You’re so good to me.”

“Anythin’ for you, little wolf,” he hummed. He never thought he’d turn into such a sap, but having a pregnant mate will do that to a guy. Not that he minded. You were worth getting sappy over. 

“You still gonna call me little wolf once our little is born?” You asked him as you settled at the kitchen table, eager to tear open your bag of fries. 

Rhett smiled as he sat across from you. “You’ll always be m’ little wolf. Even when we’ve got a little wolf of our own.”

His words warmed your chest. He made you feel so loved. You couldn’t wait to see that love translate into the way he handled your daughter. He was going to be a wonderful father, you just knew it. 

Your meal progressed with comfortable conversation, the two of you discussing your plans for the rest of the day, and what the schedule looked like tomorrow. It was a sort of domesticity that you loved. 

After lunch, it was back to business as usual. The day continued like any other, with nothing seemingly out of the ordinary. Rhett had even sort of forgotten about his encounter with Perry in the stable, and went about his work day like normal. 

By the time evening rolled around, everything seemed perfectly fine. Rhett came inside to shower, and you got dinner on the table like you usually did, one of your favorite records playing on the antique record player you kept in the living room. 

Rhett was still in the shower as you began setting the table, and you were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up. Then there were hurried footsteps, and seconds later, the sound of pounding on your door. 

Brow furrowed, you set the plate you’d been holding onto the table, tuning in to the agitated voices of two men on your porch. Something was wrong. Wiping your hands on your apron, you strolled over to the door, rolling your eyes when the pounding came again. 

You pulled the door open to reveal Luke and Billy Tillerson. You stared at them in surprise. You’d heard of them plenty of times. You knew what the Tillerson name meant. But you’d never met them. Now here they were, standing right in front of you, and you could tell something was wrong. 

“Can I help you?”

“Beggin’ your pardon, Mrs. Abbott. Is your man home?” Luke spoke. He offered a charming smile, as if it fixed everything. 

“He’s busy. Why do you ask?”

The man shrugged. “Just need to ask him a couple questions, is all. We can wait right here for him.”

“We’re about to sit down to dinner. Can you come back tomorrow?” You offered. You got the sense that they suspected your husband of something. It made your heart quicken in your chest. 

Luke narrowed his eyes, still fighting to be polite. “Now would be preferable. Really gotta talk to him.”

“Well, like I said, we’re about to—”

Suddenly, there was a strong hand on your shoulder, and Rhett was gently pulling you back, placing you safely behind him as he stepped into the doorway. “Hope you ain’t botherin’ my wife,” he said. 

Luke raised a brow. “Botherin’ her? I was askin’ where you were. Mind steppin’ outside so we can talk?”

Rhett had a sneaking suspicion as to what this was about. So he turned to you. “Stay inside. I’ll be back in a minute.” He left no room for debate. 

Quickly, he stepped outside, pulling the door shut. He motioned for both men to follow him off the porch, leading them a little ways away from the house, hoping your enhanced hearing wouldn’t pick up on the conversation. 

 “What do ya want?”

“Trevor came up here earlier today. He hasn’t been home since.”

Rhett remained neutral in expression, but the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. “Really? I didn’t see him. You sure he was here?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Came here himself to give you papers about the land you’re on.”

Rhett’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Papers? What papers?”

Behind his brother, Billy huffed. “Oh, come on. Don’t play dumb with us.”

“No, I’m bein’ serious! What papers?!”

Luke folded his arms over his chest, shifting his weight to one foot. “He came up here around 9 o’clock this mornin’ to give you papers tellin’ you that you have to move the property line back. The land you’re on right now isn’t yours.”

Rhett felt his chest tightening. “I don’t know anything about any fuckin’ papers. But I do know this land belongs to my pack and you ain’t takin’ it.”

“Look, I’m not the one who wanted to kick you off the land. If it was up to me I wouldn’t really give a shit, as long as you all keep to yourselves. But Trev cares. He talked to the lawyer. Got him to put some papers together tellin’ you to move. You’re really tellin’ the truth when you say you never got the papers?”

“I didn’t get the damn papers. I never saw Trev. I was gone this mornin’ with my wife. Didn’t come back ‘til around 10:45. Then I brought m’ horses in from pasture and went into town. I didn’t see hide nor hair of Trevor the whole time and that’s the God-honest truth.”

Luke sighed deeply, nodding his head. “Alright, alright. I believe ya. Thing is, we haven’t been able to get ahold of Trevor all day. Somethin’ happened.”

Rhett could take a pretty good guess as to what had really happened. He was putting the puzzle pieces together in his head, and his blood was beginning to boil with rage. He was tempted to tell them to go ask Perry, but he held his tongue. Part of him feared what might happen if he blew the whistle. What would it mean for the pack? Even so, he kept himself calm and steady and refused to give away 

“Listen, if I hear or see anythin’, I’ll let you boys know. Until then, I’d like t’ have a nice dinner with my wife.”

It didn’t seem like Luke wanted to let it go, but he finally relented. “Fine. But this isn’t over.”

He nodded at Billy, and the two brothers turned and walked back toward their shiny new truck. Rhett remained fixed upon the driveway, his arms crossed over his chest, making sure that they actually left. 

As soon as they were out of sight, he sighed deeply, bowing his head. He was torn. Should he confront Perry and try to get him to confess? Or should he just leave it? After all, the less he knew, the better. 

Rhett thought of you, and the daughter you were expecting. He didn’t want anything to endanger your future. What would happen if it got out that a wolf had killed a human? All eyes in America would be on their community. Years of rights that had been fought for could be threatened. 

Of course, that was the worst-case scenario. In reality, it could only end up being Perry who would pay for the crime. Maybe justice would be served fairly. But in his heart, Rhett knew that wasn’t the case. Trevor Tillerson had been looking for an excuse to run the wolves into the ground. Maybe he’d get his wish from beyond the grave. 

“Rhett?” Your soft voice pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to find you standing in the doorway of your home, a look of concern on your face. “What’s going on?” You’d only caught bits and pieces of the conversation. Your heightened hearing was very useful, but you had to really focus to be able to utilize it. You had thought it best not to listen to what the men were saying, even if you were curious. If Rhett told you to stay inside, you knew he must have sensed some sort of danger. 

He didn’t want to involve you in this any more than he had to. He worried that he might get pulled into it, and he didn’t want to take you down with him. He shook his head, letting out a sigh as he sauntered back to the porch. “Just…just don’t worry about it, alright? Let’s eat supper.”

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” You asked in fear. The prospect of hunters on your property made you uneasy. 

“Nah, nothin’ like that. It’s better if we don’t talk about it for now. Let’s just eat supper.”

So you dropped it, even though you didn’t want to. The way his features had gone tense told you not to keep pushing. If he wanted you to know more, he would tell you. 

Dinner continued as normal that night, but Rhett was quieter than he usually was, very clearly troubled by something. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” You reiterated as you stood at the sink washing dishes, with Rhett beside you drying them. 

“Darlin’, I’m askin’ you right now not to bring it up. I…I don’t like keepin’ things from you but I’ve gotta think this one over before I say anythin’. Understand?”

You nodded, turning your body to face him. “Okay. You’re just worrying me, is all.”

Rhett sighed softly and tossed his dish towel aside before he reached out, large hands resting on your hips and pulling you close. “I’ve gotta do what I have to to protect you and our pup. And that’s what I’m doin’ right now. Protectin’ you. And askin’ you to trust me.”

You placed your hands on his chest, meeting his gaze. “I do trust you.”

That was all he needed to hear. 

Over the next few days, he was still waging a war in his mind, trying to decide what to do. It was almost as if he was in denial. If he didn’t acknowledge Perry, if he didn’t confront him about the crime, it didn’t happen. Everything was fine. 

But as he was cleaning out the stalls in the stable one morning while the horses were out to pasture, he came across something very incriminating. A crumpled piece of paper shoved away in a corner of a stall, forgotten.

Curious, Rhett bent to grab it, straightening up and letting his pitchfork rest against his side as he opened the paper. He scanned the words printed across the page, and his stomach dropped. So this was what Luke had been talking about. 

Rhett stared at the paper, trembling in his grasp because his hand was beginning to shake from the anger bubbling up within him. This only confirmed what he suspected. But before he flew off the handle, he needed to get to the bottom of this. He needed to ask Perry what had really happened. 

So Rhett tucked the paper in the pocket of his jeans, set his pitchfork aside, put his hat back on his head, and set off toward the Abbott house up the lane. He walked with purpose, his eyes set hard ahead of him. 

He could see his brother and his father up ahead, both working on a repair in the corral fence that stood in front of the house. Royal was the first to catch sight of Rhett, and he nodded in silent greeting, curious as to why his son was in such a hurry. 

“Rhett,” he called out to acknowledge the younger man’s presence. 

But Rhett wasn’t there for Royal. “Can I borrow Perry for a sec?” He asked. His tone was urgent. He didn’t miss the way Perry went tense. 

“Can it wait?” Royal asked. “Gotta get this fence done, we got a new horse comin’ in today and it needs to be ready.”

“It’ll only take a few minutes,” Rhett countered. 

Perry sighed, but relented, setting down the crowbar in his hands before he turned and stepped out from under the fence. Rhett was already moving, encouraging his brother to follow him as he walked away from the corral. 

When Rhett finally stopped, he pulled the piece of paper he’d found in the stable from his pocket. “Mind tellin’ me what this is?” He needed to hear it from his brother’s mouth. 

Perry went still as a statue, his face pale. That reaction sent fire through Rhett, and his grip tightened on the paper, crumpling the end. “What the fuck did you do?” He hissed. 

“N-nothin’!” Perry tried. 

“Bullshit! I want you to say it! What happened in my stable, huh?! The blood I smelled? Now this paper? I know Trevor Tillerson was up here the other day. Luke came lookin’ for him that same night. I didn’t wanna believe that you were capable of somethin’ like this, but maybe you are.”

Perry was hesitating. He’d gone dead silent, as if he was frozen in place. He didn’t know what to say. And that only served to piss Rhett off. 

“Talk to me, goddammit!” 

“He wouldn’t shut up,” Perry finally relented. “Kept runnin’ his mouth off and I just…I snapped.”

Rhett stared at him. Eyes wide. Chest heaving. He let those words wash over him, and they felt like searing acid on his skin. “You…snapped?”

“He said somethin’ about Rebecca and I just saw red! Next thing I knew he was on the ground covered in blood!” Perry was trembling. Tears were shining in his eyes. 

Rhett was vibrating. “You fucking killed him. In my stable.”

“Like I said, I just snapped!”

The younger Abbott could hardly bear to look at his brother. His head was spinning. Deep down he’d known Perry was guilty. That he’d killed Trevor. But now that he’d actually admitted it? It felt like a gut punch. 

“I can’t believe you…” Rhett trailed off, hands clenching at his sides. “No, I can believe it. You’re out of fuckin’ control, Per. This is serious, you hear me? You just put the whole pack in danger!” 

“I–” Perry started, but Rhett held up his hand. 

“No, y’know what? You’re gon’ make this right. You’ve got two days to clean up the mess you made. Either you go to the sheriff, or I will. And if I have to do it, it ain’t gon’ be pretty.”

He shoved the paper into Perry’s hands. Then he got in his face, chest to chest. “If they start goin’ after this pack, there ain’t gonna be a place safe in heaven and earth for you. And if you think I’ll protect you when they do, you’ve got another thing comin’.”

Then, Rhett turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving Perry standing there in the driveway, staring down at the paper that had started it all. For the first time since he’d killed Trevor, the severity of the situation seemed to set in. He thought of Amy, his young daughter, and how this would affect her. If he lost her, he had nothing left. Could he really go through with confessing to this crime? Even if it meant losing what was left of his family? 

Rhett was a man of his word. If Perry didn’t confess, he would do it for him, just as he said he would. But Perry felt lost. Uncertain. His judgment was clouded by his own guilt. So he turned to his father again, asking for help, because he didn’t know what to do. Royal would have an answer. Surely he would. 

“I’ll talk to Rhett,” the Abbott patriarch assured his eldest son. “See if I can talk him off the ledge. I ain’t gonna let Amy lose you like she lost her ma, alright? She needs her daddy now more ‘an ever. I’ll fix this, son.”

But this was not something that could easily be fixed like a downed corral fence. It was a sinking ship with a cracked hull that no amount of sealant could repair. And whoever remained left on board would surely drown in the depths of the ocean.

In the meantime, Rhett was reeling. Now that he knew the truth, he worried that the Tillersons might show up on his doorstep again. And this time, he wasn't sure if he could lie. He was worried that they had begun to suspect him of having something to do with Trevor’s disappearance. He might soon be faced with the choice of staying quiet, or exposing his brother's nefarious deed just to save himself from being accused of it. He would not go to jail for something he didn’t do. He had a wife and a child to think about. 

And when faced with a choice between his mate and his brother, Rhett would always choose you. 

He hoped that Perry would do the right thing and confess to his wrongdoing. But if he made no move to fix the mess he made in two days’ time, Rhett would have no choice but to intervene. It was necessary for the good of the pack. 

However, things were already spiraling out of control quicker than he even realized. 

Just across town, on the Tillerson ranch, a sleek, black limousine was just pulling into the expansive driveway. Luke and Billy stood outside the house, waiting for the lone passenger to step out of the car. 

The driver came around and opened the door, and moments later, Patricia Tillerson gracefully emerged from the back of the limousine, her heeled boots kicking up dust as she did so. 

She stood there for a moment, reaching up to remove her sunglasses as she eyed her sons. “First your father. Now this?” She finally spoke. She had been in town a few short months ago for Wayne’s funeral. Now, here she was again, under an entirely different circumstance. “Have you made any headway into finding your brother?”

Luke shook his head. “We were waitin’ for you before we did anything else.”

Patricia sighed. “This whole time you could’ve been– you know what? Nevermind. Let’s talk inside.” She stepped past the two boys and made her way up to the large house, walking with purpose as she did so. 

Luke and Billy dutifully followed her. 

Patricia’s first stop was the liquor cabinet, where she poured herself a glass of brandy. Then she turned to her sons. “Tell me again what you’ve been doing to find Trevor?” Her gaze was hard. She didn’t think they’d been doing enough. 

“We…we went to the reservation the other day to ask around about him. Rhett Abbott claims he never saw him. I believe him, he’s an honest man, and–”

His mother scoffed. “Man? Luke, honey, he’s an animal. A savage beast, if you will. There’s no telling the lengths he’d go to throw you off his trail.”

“But Ma, I don’t think he was trying to throw us off,” Billy echoed, shaking his head. 

“Shows what you boys know about wolves. They’ll say anything to get off the hook. That fuckin’ pack had something to do with Trevor disappearing. And I pray to God it’s not the case, but they’ve more than likely killed him. Or worse, turned him into one of them. Either way, he’s dead. No son of mine will succumb to the werewolf curse. I’d sooner kill him than let him be turned.”

“So what do you want to do, then? You told me not to call the sheriff, so I didn’t. I’ve stayed silent about this, waiting for you to get here. The more time we waste, the less chance of finding him alive,” Luke pressed, motioning his arms impatiently. 

Patricia downed her brandy in one go. “If they have Trevor, they aren’t going to give him up easily. So we give them a little…incentive.”

Billy and Luke shared a look. “What kind of incentive?” Asked Billy. 

Their mother folded her arms over her chest, squaring her shoulders. “They took one of ours? We’re going to take one of theirs. We’ll interrogate ‘em while we’re at it, try to get some answers as to what really happened to Trevor.”

They were hunters. And Patricia the best of the best. It would be easy to get back at the Abbott pack. They just had to find the most vulnerable member. 

There were plenty to choose from. Between the little ones in your own family, and Amy on Rhett’s side, any number of those pups would be a good target. But Patricia Tillerson had done her research. 

It was Rhett’s portion of land they were after. And Rhett just so happened to have a mate. What better way to find his ultimate weakness than to steal the one he loved above all others? 

So, she instructed her boys to stake out the property. To track yours and Rhett’s whereabouts so they could discreetly step in and carry out their intended mission without him intervening. Because they knew, if he caught them, he would not let them go without a fight. And it was very likely that they would have to put him down if he came at them. 

How fortuitous it was that the very next day after they began their stakeout, you left the property to head into town, without Rhett. The only other person you had in tow was Amy, and she wasn’t a threat whatsoever. 

Luke shared a look with Billy. “Guess that’s our chance,” he remarked, and his younger brother nodded in agreement. 

So they followed you into town, sure to stay a good distance back so you didn’t suspect anything right off the bat. 

In the cab of Rhett’s truck, you and Amy were entirely unaware of the impending danger. You had a few errands to run in town, and Amy was always up for going on excursions with you. Although she had packmates her own age now, she had spent her whole life surrounded by adults, and had essentially been raised by her grandparents and Uncle Rhett, so it was a little difficult for her to integrate herself in with kids her own age. Even if those kids were also wolves like her. 

Besides, she’d had to grow up fast because of what had happened with losing her mother. Your heart ached for the part of her childhood that she’d lost, but she seemed to have adapted okay. Even so, you always made sure to include her whenever you had plans by yourself. She was always eager to spend time with you because she loved you for the way you loved her Uncle Rhett. 

“I’ve never seen him smile so much,” she’d told you, early on in your relationship with Rhett. “You make him so happy. I’m glad he found you.”

And from then on, a bond was formed between you and the little blonde girl. She didn’t have a mother, and it made your heart ache. So, in a way, you took on that role. You couldn’t fully raise her in the way her mother would, but you reached out to her and spent time with her as much as possible, in hopes of providing some sort of nurturing. 

And now there was a new baby on the way, and Amy was teeming with excitement at the prospect of welcoming a little cousin. You could tell she was going to be a big help to you once the baby finally came. She was already asking to babysit, when she got a little older, of course. 

Today, you were doing a little shopping to pick up some groceries for Cecilia for the family dinner that you were all having that night, and to buy odds and ends for the baby’s nursery. Amy was just bouncing with eagerness to help you pick things out. You also planned to take her out to lunch at the little diner in town, and you were going to try out the brand new cafe that had just opened. Wabang had little to no coffee shops at all, so a new one was the talk of the town. 

Amy didn’t drink coffee yet, even though Uncle Rhett once let her try some of the black coffee he always drank. She said it tasted like dirt water, and it turned her against coffee altogether. Instead, she was looking forward to having a strawberry banana smoothie as a treat to drink on the way home. 

Little did you know that you’d never make it home that day. 

You set about your errands without a care in the world, listening to Amy rattle off facts and highlights about the book she’d been reading lately. She talked your ear off, but you were perfectly happy to listen. 

You were unaware of the eyes watching you as you eventually crossed the street to stop at the butcher’s shop. Or when you finally ended the day by stopping at Half Moon Coffee. 

You didn’t notice anything until you were finally back on the road, headed for home. And this time, Luke didn’t bother trying to be inconspicuous. He followed you closely, and when you glanced in your rearview, you realized who was in that shiny new F150. 

Your stomach dropped, and you let your eyes flicker back to the road. Without saying a word to alarm Amy, you pressed the gas down, speeding up. Luke sped up as well. Your heart quickened in your chest. A feeling of ice cold dread settled in your gut, spreading throughout your extremities. 

“What’s wrong?” Amy asked beside you. She could sense your discomfort and hear your pounding heart. Although she had not yet developed the ability to shift into her wolf, her heightened senses had begun coming in clear and sharp. She picked up on things a lot quicker than she used to. 

“Nothing,” you lied.

“Are you sure? You’re scared.”

You knew you couldn’t lie to her. You glanced at her from the corner of your eye. “We’re being followed. I want you to grab my phone and call Uncle Rhett, okay?”

You knew Rhett would be able to sense that you were in danger. That was how it worked with mates. But you wanted Amy to call him so he was immediately aware of the situation and knew exactly where to find you. However, she never got the chance to call him, because in a split second, your assailant sped up, shot around you, and then, several feet ahead of you, slammed on his brakes. 

You shrieked in surprise, jamming your foot down onto your own brake. Amy let out a yelp, and your phone flew out of her hands and onto the floorboards. Instinctively, your arm shot out in front of her, protecting her from going forward. 

As you skidded to a stop, narrowly avoiding colliding with the other truck, your first thought was to back up and go the way you’d come. If you got close enough to town you might be able to ask for help. But something told you that it wasn’t going to be that easy. Even so, you tried it anyway, throwing the truck in reverse and frantically turning the wheel. You almost had it, too. If it wasn’t for Billy jumping out of the Ford and easily firing two arrows from a crossbow into the tires. 

You heard the hissing before you realized what it was. Then the truck shuddered, and you realized the tires were going flat. “No!” You cried. You hit the brakes again, and soon, the truck slid to a rough, jarring halt.  You could see the brothers quickly approaching through your side view mirror. 

“What do they want?!” Amy cried, trembling with fear beside you. 

You knew you had to protect her. So you turned to her, eyes locked into hers. “Get down on the floor. Stay in this truck and do not get out. See if you can call Uncle Rhett. I-I’ll get out and talk to them.”

But you never got the chance. Suddenly, your door was yanked open, and you gasped in surprise, coming face to face with Luke. 

“Get out of the truck,” he said. 

“Please, this isn’t–”

Billy lifted the crossbow, pointing it right at you. “Get out!” 

With trembling hands, you fumbled to unbuckle your seatbelt, chest tight with fear as you scrambled out of the truck. Behind you, you could hear Amy crying, scared out of her mind. 

“No!” She wailed, grabbing onto your arm in a futile attempt to keep you from going with them. 

“Amy, baby, let go of me!” You exclaimed, afraid they’d hurt her if she didn’t settle. But when you glanced back at her, you saw a wildness in her eyes. She’d already lost her mother, she was terrified of losing you, too. 

But in the blink of an eye, you were hauled out of the truck, kicking and screaming. Luke was strong, but you were a wolf, and you were stronger than him. It wasn’t that difficult to pull yourself out of his grasp, and you growled threateningly, whirling around to face both men, daring them to come closer.

But one had a crossbow fitted with silver arrows. You could tell by the way they glinted in the sun. If Billy shot you with one of them, it would not end well. Silver was was like poison for werewolves. And you thought of the babe inside you, and how it might harm her. You didn’t want to risk getting shot. 

But it was still your instinct to fight. “What do you want with me?!” You cried, baring your fangs, your eyes flashing gold. 

But both of them grabbed you at once, wrestling you against the side of the truck, even as you snarled and snapped and struggled. You managed to catch Luke by the face with your claws and leave a considerable slash in his cheek, at which he growled in pain. But it only angered him and his adrenaline made him even stronger. 

Amidst the scuffle, you felt something sharp against the side of your neck, like a pinprick, and then, a thick, metallic collar was fastened crudely around your throat just as your body began to betray you. 

You gasped, and suddenly, you had no control of your limbs. Your brain screamed at you to fight, to flee, to preserve yourself. But you couldn’t move. Before you even realized, you were plummeting toward the ground, and your vision swam with black spots until, finally, you succumbed to unconsciousness entirely. 

Billy looked at Luke as they stood over your crumpled form. “What should we do about the kid? Wanna take her with us too?” Billy asked. 

Luke sighed, reaching into his back pocket to grab a handkerchief to dab at the wound on his cheek. “Ma wouldn’t want us just to leave her. I’ll grab her, she could be useful. You get this one into the truck,” he motioned toward you before he sauntered around to the passenger side of your GMC. 

However, when he opened the door, expecting to find a distraught Amy, he came up with nothing. The cab was empty, and Amy was nowhere to be found. 

“What the fuck?” Luke whispered to himself. “Goddammit!” 

Where on earth could she have gone? All that surrounded the was open plains. In the amount of time it took to get you down, there was no way she could’ve found a hiding place that quickly. 

Hurriedly, Luke ducked to check beneath the truck, and the truck bed, only to come up empty-handed. He cursed again, kicking at one of the slashed tires. 

“She’s gone!” He exclaimed to his brother. 

Billy’s eyes went wide. “How?!” He asked as he shoved the bed cover closed on the F150, effectively covering up the fact that you were currently laying inside it. 

“I don’t know! I thought they couldn’t shift that young but maybe she did and that’s how she got the slip. I guess it’s not that big of a deal, but Ma will still be pissed we let her get away.”

Billy shrugged it off. “Whatever. We don’t even have to tell her the kid got away since she doesn’t know she was here to begin with. ‘sides, Rhett’s mate was who we were after anyway. We got what we came for. Let’s go.”

And so, the Tillerson boys climbed back into their truck and headed off toward their ranch, your unconscious body hidden in the back. 

Meanwhile, in that old, rickety GMC, a furry little wolf pup was just squeezing out from under the front seat, where she’d hidden herself from the view of the hunters. She crept toward the door, where she stuck her head out and sniffed at the air. She smelled the remnants of gasoline and exhaust, and she whimpered. 

Amy wasn’t sure how she’d ended up in this predicament. One moment, she was watching in terror as you were ripped away from her, and the next, she was shrinking, and when she looked down, her hands were little black paws. 

Driven by her fear, she managed to wedge herself beneath the bench and hide there until the Tillersons left. Now, she had no idea how to shift back to human, but she knew she had to get help. So she launched herself onto the dusty ground, and took off in the direction of home. 

Meanwhile, at the Abbott ranch, things were in upheaval. 

Rhett had been out with his father and brother, searching for a lost steer that had somehow gotten away from the herd. Rhett claimed a coyote probably got to it. Royal insisted the animal was simply lost. 

Halfway out into the south pasture, Rhett was hit with a sudden shock of anxiety, as if someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water on him. 

“Whoa,” he gently spoke to his mare Esmeralda, tugging on her reins to bring her to a stop. He gasped sharply as, all at once, this horrible, consuming wave of dread began spreading within his chest. 

“No,” he croaked, and just like that, his entire world began to spin off its axis. He clutched at his chest as his heart began to pound. It felt almost like a heart attack, except he knew it was nothing of the sort. 

You were in danger. 

“Somethin’s wrong!” He desperately shouted ahead to Royal and Perry. He hardly recognized his own voice. It was a guttural, anguished cry. 

He urged Esmeralda into a gallop, hurtling toward the other two men. “Gotta go back!” Rhett cried. He spoke your and Amy’s names, and that immediately got their attention. Together, the three of them set off for the house, with Rhett urging Esmeralda as fast as she could go. 

As soon as he made it to the house, he eased the horse to a stop and, quick as lightning, jumped to the ground. Although he had the ability to sense when you were in danger, that ability did not allow him to pinpoint your exact location. He had to follow you by sense alone, and the closer he got to you, the stronger that terrible ache in his chest would get, letting him know he was on the right track to find you. 

He’d never felt this before. Not to this magnitude. He had always been told that it was an intense feeling, indescribable in every sense. And it was. It was the strongest sensation he’d ever felt. Like his heart was outside of his body, pulling him toward you. 

The second his feet hit the ground, he was running, sprinting into the house in search of Royal’s truck keys. He startled his mother, who was in the kitchen making preparations for the dinner that night. 

“Goodness gracious, what’s happened?!” She asked her son. He shouted over his shoulder that you and Amy were in danger, and Cecilia gasped, her heart dropping at the thought of her granddaughter and daughter-in-law being harmed. 

Keys in hand, Rhett threw himself toward the old Ford Ranger, flinging open the door, ignoring the voices of his family members shouting after him. His vision was tunneled. The only thing that mattered was getting to you. He was just about to turn and tell Cecilia to inform your parents of what was happening, but then, altogether, he froze.

A chill ran down his spine, and he sucked in a ragged breath. “No,” he wheezed. “No, no, no.”

“I-I can’t feel her,” he whispered. He wrenched the truck door back open, and he locked eyes with his mother, who was waiting concernedly nearby. His knees nearly buckled as his feet hit the ground. He stumbled forward, and Cecilia caught him. “Mama, I can’t…I can’t feel her!”

“What do you mean you can’t feel her?” She asked her son. But she knew. 

“She’s…she’s just gone! I can’t…I don’t…” Rhett could hardly speak. His throat felt like it was constricting, cutting off his airflow. A harrowing sense of dread washed over him. He knew what this meant. All of them did. If a werewolf could no longer feel its mate’s presence, it could only mean one thing. 

That mate was dead. 

And that realization drove Rhett to his knees. Cecilia caught him so he wouldn’t hit the ground hard. He clutched at his mother’s shirt, his face buried against her abdomen, and he wailed out his pain, the agony of which was too great for him to bear. 

Perry was demanding something above him. Shouting about finding Amy. But Rhett couldn’t hear him. He was deafened by the rush of blood in his ears. Deafened by the ringing sound. He thought of you, and the baby you carried, and he wept. 

Just like that, in the blink of an eye, he’d lost everything. 

To be continued…

-

tagging: (a mix of those already on my taglist/those who were tagged in the first part)

@cdauni @gothamrots @happyrebelruins @bobfloydsbabe @myfandomchangesalot @mikpieboo @petersunderoos96 @eighthwvnder @yanna-banana @bradshawsbaby @bradshawsbitch @sebsxphia @rhettabbotts @milesmillergf @briseisgone @laluneveillesureux @gohnspants @hangmanapologist @wkndwlff @damrlova @withahappyrefrain @michaego @whisperofsong @kmc1989

taglist form

[jackiehicks]

Written In The Stars

Wyatt Lykensen x Reader

request: wyatt x werewolf!reader and them finding out they're each other's mates (maybe they both have matching markings??)

A/N: this one was kinda fun!! i was stumped at first bc i’m not big on soulmate au’s and i’ve never written a werewolf reader before, but i made it there in the end. i attached a pic of what i imagined the mark to look like when i was writing at the end teehee. i also took some creative liberty with this one, i decided to go for a soulmate thing instead of them being typical wolf mates or whatever, plus the reader is gender neutral so you can read this however you want to perceive it! i hope you guys enjoy <3

words: 1.3k

content warnings: very light mentions of sex

in old wolf legend, there was the story of soulmates. on the 18th birthday of a wolf, they would get a marking on their hand. if two marked wolves were to share genuine love for each other in an embrace, the mark would glow to signify their souls being intertwined. if no glowing occurs, they cannot be soulmates. however, soulmate markings are only for werewolves. if one’s soulmate is not a wolf, no mark will appear. in today’s society, a wolf with a soulmate mark was rare. especially in seabrook, a town where werewolves live in harmony with humans, zombies, and aliens.

so on the 18th birthday of the lykensen twins, when a soulmate mark appeared on the hand of wyatt lykensen, everything changed.

-

wyatt inspected the mark on his hand for the millionth time that day. he liked how it looked - the design was intricate with overlapping lines and little triangles hidden in it - but despite that, he hated everything about it. the mark was a burden. every wolf his age was suddenly trying to make some sort of love connection with him in hopes that he would be their soulmate. half of them didn’t even have their soulmate marks yet.

wyatt wouldn’t have minded if it was because they wanted to be with him, but he knew it wasn’t that. his sister was the alpha werewolf, making him second in command. they wanted his power and his position within the pack. he knew that if willa had received a mark then all of this attention would be on her, but willa had already found a soulmate in a-spen. that’s what wyatt wanted. not some sort of forced relationship because of a magical tattoo, he wanted the kind of love that you would travel galaxies to find.

he sighed, looking away from his mark for the first time in what felt like hours. he was sitting on the top of the wolf-den, under the stars. when he was little, he would sit up here and try to make words and shapes out of the stars. he looked up at the night sky, inspecting something new for the first time all day. soulmates were supposed to be written in the stars, right? maybe he could find a clue up there…

“BOO!” came a voice from behind him. wyatt jumped, startled, then let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was only y/n, his best friend since they were pups.

“what is it with you and scaring me?”

y/n shrugged, sitting down next to him, “it’s fun.”

“yeah, for you.”

“shut up, you know you love me.”

wyatt looked back up at the stars, raking an exasperated hand through his hair.

“you’ve got that look about you again.” y/n nudged him with their shoulder.

“yeah… it’s-“

“the mark? dude, it’ll be fine.”

“i know, but… why did it have to be me?”

“don’t complain so much, you’ve got 20 age-appropriate werewolves trying to jump your bones. even waverley is trying to get a piece of you, and waverley is hot. who wouldn’t want that?”

“me, y/n. also, gross - don’t talk about jumping bones. i’m having a crisis here.”

y/n leaned back on their elbows, “yeah, but you need to lighten up - what better way to do that than to be wildly inappropriate?”

wyatt chuckled and looked at the rocks below him.

“see, there’s a smile!” y/n nudged him again, “and hey, at least you know now that you have a soulmate. i’m 18 in like… a month. i’m still in the process of wondering if my soulmate even exists.”

-

the weeks passed quickly. there weren’t many 18th birthdays so soon after wyatt and willa, only waverley - the really good-looking it-wolf of the pack. no mark appeared on waverley’s hand, to wyatt’s secret delight. waverley was cute and all, but he wasn’t interested. the werewolves that had tried to make a love connection with wyatt had all given up, deciding that it was a whole lot of work for something that wasn’t even that important. he was relieved in the end; he had started to get real sick of hugging.

it felt like no time had passed until it was the night before y/n’s birthday. wyatt was looking all over the wolf den for his friend, nowhere to be found. it was late, everyone else was asleep. he stepped outside of the cave when he heard a frustrated sigh from above him. he didn’t even have to look before he knew that he had found y/n. wyatt climbed up the front of the cave, hoping to scare the birthday wolf. he was met with a pebble to the head as he jumped up.

“ow?? why are you throwing stones??”

“sorry wy, i’m not having a great time up here and there are a bunch of loose rocks.”

wyatt clambered up and sat himself next to y/n. “every year, i forget just how much you hate birthdays.”

“why do birthdays have to be so weird? i don’t want all the attention on me. it’s gonna be so much worse this year with these stupid soulmate marks…”

“it’s really not that bad. plus, there’s like 6 of us with markings, so it’s not even a common thing.”

“i guess you’re right… i mean, i don’t know how i feel about even, like, the concept of soulmates. like, to be tied to one person for the rest of your life? i’ve never even been in a relationship. that’s terrifying.”

“yeah, i hear that. i don’t know, i hated it too when i first got it. i kinda find comfort in it now, though. like, there’s someone out there who is for me and will understand me and look out for me, and they’ll be there for the rest of our lives. something about that is reassuring, don’t you think?”

y/n scoffed at that. “it’s creepy! ‘ooh, we’re soulmates, i don’t know you and you don’t know me but i’m gonna love you and be there for you forever and ever and ever until we die’.” y/n shuddered, “super creepy.”

wyatt couldn’t help but laugh. “don’t be such a drama-wolf. it’ll be fine.”

y/n smiled, but the smile quickly faded into a melancholy sadness.

“hey,” wyatt started, “don’t be worried. soulmate or no soulmate, you got me. i’m here for you. nothing’s gonna change that.”

he could hear y/n’s silent tears in the night-time silence. wyatt put his arm around his dear friend, and y/n’s head sank into the crook of his neck. they sat like that for a while, until wyatt noticed a glowing golden light out of the corner of his eye.

“hey, what’s that?” he asked. y/n sat up, and the light moved. wyatt looked at his hand, and the delicate marking on his hand was shining a stunning ethereal gold. it looked beautiful. he heard y/n gasp gently, looking at the mark that had appeared on their own hand. y/n checked the time on her phone.

“12.02am. it’s my birthday.”

“you have a mark.”

“we didn’t even notice.”

“you have a mark.”

y/n tore their eyes away from the marking, which was now glittering a more subtle gold.

“it was-“

“i can’t believe-“

the two laughed lightly as they talked over eachother.

“this whole time,” wyatt began, “this whole time, i’ve been worrying who my soulmate could be. i didn’t even think… y/n…”

“we’ve been inseparable since, like, forever. god, it was the most obvious thing in the world! are we stupid?”

they laughed, revelling in this new and exciting feeling.

“we’re idiots.”

they looked up at the night sky once again, entangled in each other’s arms, and wyatt could swear he saw a glimmer of y/n’s smile gazing down at him.

[greenerteacups]

Hi! Just wanted to say the latest chapter is lovely & amazing & sweet & had me smiling the whole time! I absolutely love your characterisation of everyone, especially Draco, so it was so so lovely to return to this world & to his thoughts!! with his best friend and crush at malfoy manor no less! All the yearning is already off to a great start hehe I am so excited for the rest of book 5!

Wanted to ask you how has it been for you to write this new book and volume? Has your writing process changed since when you’d first begun taking on a long form project like this?

& also are there any moments or surprises in this book that you’re especially excited about?

sending so much love & gratitude for you and your incredible works 💓

Thank you so much! This is really encouraging, I so appreciate it.

Inasmuch as I can use this metaphor without having kids myself, I sort of see each of the books as a different child. The first one flew out in basically a few weeks of very intensive writing, and it was a total dream — plot, pacing, symbolism, major beats, all fell into place basically without effort. The character stuff was the hardest, as I've written about before, but even then, the glorious part of writing beginnings is it's the most energy you'll ever have for a project, so the lows were pretty soft lows. Book 2, in contrast, I had to drag kicking and screaming by its ankle from under the bottommost mattress of my brain. It's one of my least favorite books (tone problem; COS has killer plot/setting/ingredients for a YA novel, but it's stuck in the doldrums of Harry Potter's well-documented Early-Installment Weirdness, before Cedric Diggory slams the gas and upshifts the whole series into its correct age bracket). More specifically, once I'd gone through and picked out everything in the book that happened because of Lucius, I didn't have a plot — hey alexa how do you rewrite Chamber of Secrets when We Got No Fucking Chamber Of Secrets — and oh by the way, even if you want to do a moody tone/political setup book, remember that your protagonists are still twelve, so if you go too dark or too intense, you'll risk torpedoing your readers' suspension of disbelief. Good luck, Charlie.

Book 3 felt the most like its own novel, if that makes sense? It's the last truly feel-good book of the series; it's a great stand-alone mystery novel with relatively low stakes. Plus you get a bunch of the big series icons: patronuses, dementors, werewolves, Hogsmeade, the Marauders' Map, and time turners arithmancy. It just felt like a good old-fashioned motherfucking romp of a mystery/adventure story, before any of the complex character work and major stakes of the late books come in.

Book 4 was the most fun I've had writing anything maybe ever. I don't even know what it was. Maybe the tournament arc, honestly? Love me a tournament arc. But in any case, I opened every new chapter feeling a tingle of excitement for what I was gonna get to do. Oh, and the romance started, finally, Jesus God (if it feels like a slow burn reading, just imagine what it felt like writing it, when everything takes ten times as long, and you have to figure out how to word the fucker.)

Book 5, in contrast, has felt much less like that tingle of "here we go!" and more like "oh, man, this is gonna be cool." Because this is the arc of the story that composed the original idea for Lionheart, literally years ago, and to be honest, I didn't think I'd get this far! If you'd asked me "do you know that it's going to take you 500,000 words of backstory before you can start writing that concept you're thinking about, and you're going to do it anyway?" I would have said: "absolutely not, strange mind-reader!" But like... I'm here! Finally! And it's... real now? Like, this isn't just a bunch of clips of scenes in my head anymore! That's rad!

That being said, it's definitely been slower than Book 4, because I kept switching back to my outline document to make sure that certain things were set up properly, and that I hadn't lost any of the plot threads or forgotten a minor beat that was vitally important for the story three chapters later. And I had a minor crisis about three months ago when I ripped out about 8 chapters in the first third of the book — basically everything from September to December — because I'd done a readthrough to check pacing (big mistake! never edit while drafting, that's satan talking) and realized I had a missing storyline. Like, there was a whole layer of the story that was just. Missing. Not there. And the existing text really couldn't fit another thread, so instead of taking weeks to pore through and try to sift out what I could save, I needed to factory reset and start over. And I didn't want to! I vividly remember sitting there with my head in my hands, trying not to weep, because I'd decimated 90,000 words of work in a single edit. But it had to be done. Because the story wasn't going to work. And now (hopefully) it will.

And of course, there's still that sense of excitement and exhilaration from before. Always. But whereas Book 4 felt like a delicious chocolate pudding, Book 5 is a medium-rare steak.

(Book 6, so far, is four shots of espresso and a whiskey chaser. FWIW.)

[zqmbiescorpse]

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗘..

kaitlyn ka x female reader

a/n: i've been dying for kaitlyn fics, and just the quarry fics in general, because there's hardly any and that makes me want to cry. anyways, first thing i'm hopefully posting so no bullying pls. no werewolves! also sorry if the ending feels like it could be improved, i just really wanted to be finished with this <3

warnings: nothing serious, some making out

word count: 2.4k

(masterlist)

The joyous, fun atmosphere surrounding the gentle flicker of the campfire quickly disappeared, leaving the mood somewhat awkward as everyone who had remained (being Dylan, Ryan and yourself) turned towards Kaitlyn with a disappointed look.

"What?" questioned the small ravenette, sensing the glares from the three of you while she feigned innocence at the situation she, may have, intentionally, created.

"You totally ruined the party man," Dylan absentmindedly responded, taking a sip of whatever beer was left. All of you were a little tipsy, sober enough that thinking clearly wasn't an issue but drunk enough to feel a warm woozy sensation floating around your bodies.

In all truth, you weren't bothered in the slightest by the absence of Jacob, Abi, Emma or Nick. You did like them, sure, though being with them throughout the summer was often challenging - you typically found yourself enjoying the company of the others instead.

The four of you had stuck together for a large portion of the time, and you felt you'd become pretty close; so close that, naturally, you formed a humongous crush on the confident, very attractive, super cool dark-haired girl that was sometimes a little mean to you.

With Kaitlyn, you could never be quite sure about how she felt about you, there had been a few occasions where you doubted if she even liked as a friend. She was hard to read and you were a bit sensitive so, as you can imagine, things got tricky - having a ton of feelings for her only made you suffer greatly.

Then again, when these times occurred where you were miserable, Kaitlyn would periodically open up to you and let you know that, yes, she did appreciate you. Small moments of affirmation after so much doubt made you feel so unbelievably fuzzy inside. Unfortunately, the pair of you were tremendously insecure, because of this, there was a lot of dancing around each other the entire summer, similarly to Nick and Abi.

Suddenly desperate to relish in what could be the last evening with her, a rapid demand to continue the entertainment of 'truth or dare' came spilling from your mouth.

'Someone's...eager," Ryan chuckled slowly, glancing over at you and then at Dylan with a knowing glint in his eye.

Following this, Dylan offered, "Y/N's just disappointed she didn't get to smooch anyone this evening."

"You and me both, Y/N."

It was such a quiet array of words yet everyone heard Kaitlyn mutter them - nobody said anything back.

You were so hopelessly in love with her, that you couldn't help but hang onto anything Kaitlyn said that remotely resembled a reciprocation of feelings.

Shyly, you lifted your gaze from the muddy floor to your friends around you, careful not to stare directly at her gorgeous face. Whatever you were about to say next needed to be calm, one hundred percent normal and definitely not suggestive of anything.

With a brief amount of consideration and overthinking, you said, "Well, I don't know, what else is there to do right now? We can keep playing without the others."

You needed to stop working yourself up over such minuscule things; with Kaitlyn anywhere near you, you couldn't control yourself. Not being a fumbling mess was incredibly difficult.

"Yeah sure, why the fuck not?" Dylan chimed back in with a sense of glee, intrigued to see what would happen next.

"Cool alright, Kaitlyn?"

Deep down, it was clear to you that she would join back in, but part of you still inwardly thanked Ryan for ensuring that she was interested in continuing.

"I'm in, of course," A short pause. "You're a bit far away from us Y/N, you should get a bit closer, come here..."

Watching as Kaitlyn patted the empty space on the rough log impatiently, indicating you join her, an eruption of warmth covered your cheeks at her attention being on you; her wanting you next to her.

"Yeah, come on over here Y/N!"

Obviously, it didn't feel as special when Dylan said it, though, you appreciated how it got rid of some of the tension.

"Okay okay, yes, I'm coming," You spoke up, giggling, absolutely infected with giddiness that was bursting to show. You're sure it did, a big goofy smile plastered to your face as you made your way to the opposite side of the campfire. Apparently, the delight spread to Kaitlyn since you could've sworn she was attempting to mask an excited grin too.

Immediately, a soft scent of honey mixed with something floral was all you could smell, each and every time you inhaled. It made you feel very comfortable.

"Who wants to start it off this time?" inquired Ryan, yet your attention was instantly torn away from him due to the sensation of a soft, smaller hand brushing over your slightly sweaty one.

There was not a doubt in your mind. You had already jumped to the conclusion that it was intentional. From doing an action so small as turning away from you to face Ryan, how could Kaitlyn's hand touch yours in the process if it were on accident? There was no time to think rationally, you were already freaking out like mad. And she loved it.

"I'll go."

Leaving no room for arguments, Kaitlyn's head whipped back round to face you once more, this time with a playful theme prominent within her features.

"Y/N. Truth or dare," she asked, intently, her pretty eyes trained on your very nervous self.

You couldn't pick a place to focus your line of sight, eyes darting from her straight to the floor and back at your two shaky hands resting in your lap. Not in a million years were you prepared to answer 'dare'. In what world did you have the confidence.

Telling yourself it was the sensible response, you requested 'truth' like the jittery coward you are - to nobody's surprise but to Kaitlyn's disappointment.

"Tryna play it safe, are we, Y/N? I'm not letting you off that easily," was all she said as you sat there, patiently awaiting for whatever abomination that was heading your way.

Finally, you observed as her eyes lit up with a sudden delight; her full attention, once again, solely focused on you, not quite prepared for what was coming next.

"Out of everyone here, meaning me, Dylan or Ryan, who would you be the most interested in dating...and you have to answer otherwise it's no fun."

The situation wouldn't have felt awfully suffocating if it weren't for your stupid crush, which you were starting to suspect Kaitlyn was fully aware of. Her plump lips contorted mischievously into something smug - a perfectly arched eyebrow raised while she continued staring you down.

Because of the intense stare and immense amount of pressure you felt you were under, you missed a faint flash of worry flicker in her eye at your hesitation; uncertain whether or not her question had backfired on her.

Words couldn't describe the newfound urge tugging at your stomach to let her know that you so badly wanted to date her, to be with her, to kiss her. You couldn't handle rejection in the slightest but also couldn't bare the thought of letting this go on much longer - missing your chance when you had it.

You felt yourself tearing apart because of a silly crush on a girl who was way too good for you; evidently taking this unimportant game way too seriously. This time, you locked eyes with Kaitlyn, your heart racing, making an effort to bring any remnants of confidence together to prepare an answer.

"Uhhhh, I'd probably wanna date you, Kaitlyn?"

You had never experienced something simultaneously this underwhelming and overwhelming. Really, your response was very simple, basic, and not that huge. If, by chance, the beautiful ravenette was utterly disgusted by your answer it could be put down to merely a game and everyone would move on. You would be devastated but you'd get over it.

Having said that, repulsion was the last thing Kaitlyn felt regarding your answer, instead, a frantic fuel ignited within her. For a moment, she kind of just gawked at you, a bashful awkwardness radiating from your features.

"Truth or dare," she asked once more, this time the question coming across as more demanding, and a slight shake was apparent in her voice. Desperation spurred over her yet she seemed to be concealing it quite well, aside from the little chew on her lip while she awaited your answer, the nervous habit being the only indication of how Kaitlyn felt.

"Hey, what!" Dylan interjected, "Why are you going again, Kaitlyn? It's Y/N's turn."

Though you had to admit that Dylan's disapproval was amusing, you were too engulfed in whatever was happening between you and her. Nothing but you and her. Bathing in her alluring nature, you really did not mean to take this long to respond, you shouldn't be keeping someone that exquisite waiting.

"Dare..."

To outsiders, the atmosphere didn't appear tense at all. The luminous blaze of the golden camp, flickered and your chest tightened by the second.

"I dare you," Kaitlyn breathed out, her words trailing off implying a wane in confidence. Again, she was doubting herself, even when, at this point, the both of you had been as open as you could about your intense romantic interest for each other without explicitly saying anything.

You observed her complexion closely, each insecurity conveyed on her face made your heart rate increase consequently. You yearned for her to give in and do something to relieve all the built up anxiety, yet couldn't blame her too much since you found yourself incapable of initiating the first move.

An abrupt change conjured. Kaitlyn ostensibly bolder.

"I dare you to kiss me."

Silence. You inched forward but couldn't quite make it all the way. You didn't know what it was, something was holding you back. Also, with the audience of the two boys, you couldn't help your sheepish nature.

As though she couldn't handle it anymore, impatient because of your hesitancy, Kaitlyn took matters into her own hands and closed the gap, her soft lips meeting yours. Certain she would tease you about your failure to for fill the dare, you decided it was best to concern yourself with it later - a highly insignificant worry, really.

The kiss didn't last too long. The bliss you felt quickly overpowered by insecurity, and maybe disappointment too. You had hoped the moment you had been chasing for months would at least be longer than a few seconds. Grateful you got to kiss her, yet, you needed more.

"That was...terrible. I'm sorry," You mumbled bashfully, barely audible for Dylan and Ryan.

"Nu-uh baby, it was good," She whispered back, then tugging your face toward her once more.

Whereas the first peck was delicate, shy and over in a few seconds, in this instance, the kiss was deepened almost immediately. Her gentle hands cupped your flushed cheeks, promoting you to tightly grasp at her clothes. It took all of your power to not let any whimpers or whines escape you, making out with someone while other people were around was embarrassing enough as is.

"Okay...guys..." Ryan, being the first to speak up, broke the immersion, the two of you reluctantly pulling away from each other.

"Totally digging how happy you are right now, but, you know, lodge is empty..." Dylan chimed in, somewhat less awkward than Ryan.

You shared a look with Kaitlyn, your shortness of breath mirrored after your lips had been pressed against one another's for an extended period of time.

"Sounds great, thanks Dylan," Kaitlyn rose from her place seated on the log, enthusiasm oozing from her. "Let's get going huh, Y/N?" She proposed, laced with sultry.

You stayed seated, a little dumbfounded about the kiss and relishing in the electric sensation circulating in your body. Kaitlyn gripped your wrist, gaining your attention as her request caught up with you.

"Uh, yeah...yes we should go," Stumbling over your words, you got up, waved to Dylan and Ryan and began your journey back to the lodge. Incoherent mumbling could be heard from the pair left behind. You ignored it, giggling slightly and walked beside Kaitlyn.

When you arrived, you opened up the wooden door and stepped inside, Kaitlyn not giving you an opportunity to voice your opinion on anything; her mouth soon latched onto yours.

It was hungry, and you returned the passion. Although she may have been smaller than you, she still forced you up against one of the aging walls of the building; her tongue buried in your mouth. There was no fight for dominance, Kaitlyn was in control, not that you minded. It was such a rush, her lips all over your cool skin, your trembling hands in her dark hair, the occasional raspy chuckles from her, and the whines from you. Anything either one of you did spurred the other on wildly.

Eventually, distances had to be created since you couldn't keep going without catching your breath.

"I can't believe it took us that long to do this. We could've been having hot make-out sessions all summer" Kaitlyn beamed with genuine delight, her hands retreating from being all over you to placed on her hips, taking her usual sassy stance.

"I know," You agreed, laughing," I was so scared about being rejected"

"It's okay, I was equally terrified. Better late than never I suppose. At least we know now." The ravenette smirked, gazing into your eyes, entertained by how dishevelled you looked, encouraging her to admit, "I seriously am so fucking attracted to you."

Again, you let out a giggle, a noise that Kaitlyn thought was endearing. "Well, I've been fawning over you for like ages now." You blushed, the confession sparking a wave of heat to pass over you. Even though your actions had already said enough, disclosing the information made your shoulders feel externally lighter.

"It does really suck that it's the end of camp, going our separate ways and all" You continued, dejectedly. You were overjoyed that you were finally sharing these movements with Kaitlyn but hated yourself for holding off this long.

She examined your rapidly declining mood, likewise, she was regretful for waiting, however, not an ounce of uncertainty clouded her mind.

"What is there to worry about? Of course, we can stay in touch, I'm serious about this and...I do want to be with you." She reassured you, offering a loving smile filled with comfort. "Just give me your number, baby."

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

Natural Woman

Summary: Dean catches Y/N dancing and singing in their bedroom, and loves the show.

Warnings/Explicit 18+: Smut and fluff - smuff. Fingering, slight edging, unprotected P in V sex, brief oral mentioned (m receiving), Tiny smidge of angst if you squint. Lots of fluff, lip-syncing and singing.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Y/N

Word Count: 1,401

A/N: The other day I was listening to "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin, and it made me imagine this little scenario, and the idea seemed to fit with Dean and Y/N from:

An Unreliable Reflection

and

Show and Tell

So, I wrote it as a little conclusion for them. (For now, anyway.) You don't have to have read the other two parts, but it will make this part more enjoyable and make the fluff more meaningful, so I encourage you to read them first.

The beautiful dividers below and at the bottom were created by @talesmaniac89.

Main Masterlist || Tag Lists

Dean closed the thick, three hundred year old book, and slumped back in the library chair. He'd definitely read all he wanted to read for right now about the long history of pure blood werewolves in America. 

He rubbed his hand across his eyes and then over his scruffy cheeks, his rough fingers making a scratchy sound against his day's growth of whiskers. He looked around and wondered where Y/N had gotten to. She'd tired of their study session before he had (an incredibly rare occurrence) and had left an hour ago. She’d leaned over the back of his chair to wrap her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek as she left. 

"I'm gonna go do some laundry cause if I don't we'll both be going commando by tomorrow." She said as she stood up straight.

Dean had growled slightly and pulled her back down to kiss her more thoroughly and contemplate the fun torture he'd go through tomorrow if he knew the only thing beneath Y/N’s skirt was soft skin, and tantalizing, wet, heat. 

But Y/N had pulled away from him, laughing, and rushed away before he could deter her from her task any longer.

Now, Dean pushed out of the chair and set out to find her and complete his mission to completely derail her chores. 

She was no longer in the laundry room, so he set out for their bedroom. Y/N had officially moved into his bedroom a few months before, but in reality, she hadn't slept in her old room in over a year, since the night they finally admitted to each other how they felt, and Dean was able to make her understand just how hot she truly was, how desperately he wanted her, and how deeply he loved her. 

The last fourteen months he’d been with Y/N, Dean had felt happier and more satisfied with his life than he had in decades. Granted there were whole portions of his brain dedicated to the fear of losing her and he'd spent the equivalent of months of time worrying that he was going to get her hurt somehow, or that someone or something was going to rip her away from him.

But he fought against all of it. He loved Y/N too much to be a coward. So, he forced himself to believe they had all of forever ahead of them and tried to just allow himself to revel in her love. 

As he neared their bedroom door he could hear music pouring out. After listening for a moment, he recognized Aretha Franklin's full, slightly raspy vocals. The Queen of Soul was singing the virtues of feeling like a Natural Woman. With a wide smile, Dean pushed open the bedroom door and felt his heart lift and his body harden at the sight that greeted him.

Their bed was covered in half-folded laundry, and standing in the middle of the room was Y/N, lip-syncing into a hairbrush, clad only in a pair of pink-striped, boy cut panties and a white tank top. She was turned slightly away from him, so she didn’t see him immediately, but he could still make out every curve of her body, still see that her full breasts were obviously unencumbered by a bra, the dark outline of her nipple visible through the thin material. 

Every inch of her was a mouth-watering temptation as she mouthed the lyrics.

I didn't know just what was wrong with me

Till your kiss helped me name it

Now I'm no longer doubtful

Of what I'm livin' for

And if I make you happy

I don't need to do more

As the verse ended, something alerted her to his presence, and she gave a small start, her hands flying to her chest for a moment, before the chorus hit, and she tossed her brush aside and, pointing at Dean, sang to him in full voice while her hips swayed mesmerizingly.

'Cause you make me feel

You make me feel

You make me feel

Like a natural woman

Dean's grin was wide and happy as he walked towards Y/N and pulled her into his arms to sway with her as Aretha's voice smoothed out into the slightly slower bridge. Y/N continued to sing the lyrics to him, her eyes shining up at him with the truth of the words.

Oh baby, what ya done to me

Made me feel so good inside

And I just wanna be close to you

You make me feel so alive

As Y/N sang to him, Dean slipped his hands down over her ass and pushed her tightly against the hard ridge of his cock through his jeans, making her gasp in the middle of a lyric. Which in turn, made Dean grin wickedly.

As the final choruses of the song played, Dean walked Y/N backwards to the bed, and then, with his hands on the backs of her thighs, he pulled her legs out from under her and tumbled her back onto the bed, making a mess out of the pile of clean laundry.

Y/N ended her singing with a squeal and a full-throated laugh. "You idiot!" She chastised breathlessly as Dean immediately moved his mouth to her breast, wetting her nipple through the thin cotton and feeling it pucker in his mouth. 

"I'm gonna have to refold everything." She ended her complaint on a soft moan as Dean eased his hand under the waistband of her panties and dipped a finger into her folds to press perfectly against the button hidden there.

Dean ignored her concern and raised himself back up to her lips, kissing her deeply, sucking away her oxygen as he moved his thumb to take over the teasing circles against her clit, so he could push two fingers inside her slowly. The way her body responded, clenching around him and soaking his hand as he pumped in and out of her, had him moaning along with her.

Her flushed face and the little whimpers that were escaping her lips as he pressed on the soft, spongy spot inside her, drove him mad, and his body was aching to slam into hers and find his release.

But he was enjoying her pleasure too much, so he continued to tease her, repeatedly bringing her to the brink and then easing off. He watched her writhing beneath his hand, head pressed into the mattress, hands flailing slightly, and knocking clothes onto the floor, as she tried to grab onto something and tether herself to reality. 

But Dean wanted her to lose that grip on the earth, and fall into the abyss. So finally, he pushed against her sweet spot over and over, sending her tumbling over the edge at last. As he watched her face spasm with electric pleasure, he couldn't stop himself from bucking against her hip.

And suddenly the need to bury himself to the hilt inside her was too overpowering and he ripped her panties off and wrenched his jeans and underwear down his hips.

He slammed into her as the last waves of her orgasm were rippling through her, hitting her g-spot with the head of his cock and pulling a scream from her lungs as she fell again, clenching like a vice around his cock and causing him to spill into her, hot and thick, after barely a half dozen thrusts. 

Dean fell on top of her, loving the feel of her soft, supple body giving way beneath him. 

When he could breathe again, he finally found the energy to roll off of her, but she just rolled with him, so that she ended up sitting astride him, their bodies still joined. His soft cock hardened slightly inside her as she rolled her hips against him. 

Y/N dug her rounded fingernails into the muscles of his chest and made him harden further, and buck up into her. 

He groaned desperately and bit into his bottom lip as his heart hammered against his ribs. "Jesus woman," he warned, gripping her hips tightly, "you tryna kill me?"

As Dean shouted out his pleasure, Y/N pulled off of him with a pop and licked her lips.

Y/N's smile was wicked and calculating as she climbed off him so she could slide down his body and take his cock into her mouth.

"Naturally."

1 - Jensen RPF + Any/All characters Jensen plays.

@lyarr24

@deans-spinster-witch

@impalaslytherin

@maggiegirl17

@akshi8278

@candy-coated-misery0731

@nt-multi-fandom

@deanswaywardgirl

@slytherinlyn314

@globetrotter28

@jensensgirl

@perpetualabsurdity

@tristanrosspada-ackles

@djs8891

@muhahaha303

@kayyay1219

@emily-winchester

@recoveringpastaaddict

@maximumkillshot

@mimaria420

@sacriceria

@envyaurora95

@lacilou

2 - Dean Winchester Fics Only.

@saikosheadcanons

@lgranger67

@carryonwaywardgirl

3 - Any/All Fics (regardless of fandom/character.)

@sunshineandwings86

@kazsrm67

@sexyvixen7

@alexxavicry

@nancymcl

@spalady26

4 - Everything (includes fan vid/DOOL edits as well)

@unabashed-lover-of-fictional-men

@awkward-and-indecisive

@maliburenee

@supernatural4life2022

@spn730015

@b3autyfuldisast3r

@kickingitwithkirk

@waywardbaby

@foxyjwls007

@deanwanddamons

@deandreamernp

@deanwithscissors

@myloversgone

@snowlovespie

@leigh70

@all-alone-he-turns-to-stone

@charred-angelwings

@hopefuldreamers-world

@mysherlock221b

@jensensgotyoudean

@stixnstripesworld

@thoughts-and-funnies

@magssteenkamp

@norman1967

@princessmisery666

@eevvvaa

@mishkatelwarriorgoddess

@deepsketchsupernaturalcowboy

@b-i-t-c-h-i-e

@twirpbunwarrior

@mysweetlittledesire

@waynes-multiverse

@mrsjenniferwinchester

@bernasaurus

@jensenslady79

@courtn92

@avanatural

@ellie-andthemachine

@this-is-me19

@roseblue373

@katbratsupernaturalwhore

@fanfic-n-tabulous

[all-the-things-2020]

Late Night Talking

A Dieter Bravo x OFC fic

Notes: Title comes from the Harry Styles song. I heard it on the radio one day and the line “Now you’re in my life, I can’t get you off my mind” just screamed Dieter to me.

My Dieter is (mostly) sober and trying to put his life and career back together after hitting the bottom during the filming of Cliff Beasts 6. He is still a menace but he’s working on it. There will be comedy, angst, fluff and possibly some smut (not sure how explicit my narrator will get).

Narrator is an original female character loosely based on myself. She is around Dieter’s age, not thin, and introverted. He turns her life upside down and she’s not quite prepared for it.

Tagging @rhoorl because her Dieter in “Working Title” inspired me to start this fic!

Chapter One below the cut

I met him in a bookshop, of all places. Not exactly the environment you’d expect, but sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. Bookshops are one of the few places I frequented where it’s even remotely possible to meet a man. I’ve never liked bars or clubs; too noisy, too many creeps trying to be charming and getting too hands. As an introvert, I prefer quieter surroundings, like bookshops, museums, and botanical gardens. Not exactly hot spots for single guys, but I wasn’t trying to meet anyone. I was always open to whatever might happen, though.

I was in The Last Bookstore in downtown L.A. It was the first day of my summer break and I’d challenged myself to get out of my box a little and do things I’d never done before. I’d taken the train into the city, which I’d never done by myself. Of course, once I got into L.A., I ended up in my preferred habitat, surrounded by books.

I had spotted a book on my to-be-read list on the top shelf. Being petite (the polite way of saying I was short), I couldn’t quite reach it. I was debating whether the shelves were structurally sound enough for me to try standing on the bottom shelf to reach it when I heard a low, warm voice behind me say, “Let me.”

An arm reached up, easily plucking the book off the shelf and handing it to me. “Good choice,” the voice said. “That’s one of my favorites.”

I knew that voice. Turning to see the man who stood next to me, my suspicions were confirmed. It was Dieter Bravo. He was wearing a baggy gray t-shirt, a well-worn pair of jeans and some god-awful Crocs that had seen better days. His hair looked like he’d forgotten to comb it that morning and his scruffy beard and mustache could use a trim. But he was wearing glasses and his deep brown eyes were looking directly into mine, so that was all I saw.

“Thanks,” I managed to say, hoping I wasn’t blushing or anything ridiculous like that.

“No worries,” he said with a smile. He indicated the small stack of books in my hands with his chin. “You’ve got good taste.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks,” I said. Real smooth, doofus, I told myself. I tried to start over. “I read a ton of YA for work, so I’m trying to read more ‘grown-up’ stuff during the summer.”

He leaned against the bookshelf, his broad shoulders blocking the aisle. “YA?,” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Young Adult,” I explained. “I work in a high school library. A lot of it is really good, but after nine or ten months of dystopian love triangles and hot werewolves and teenagers with weird diseases falling in love, I find myself craving something more substantial.”

He smiled again. “I can imagine,” he said. “So, a librarian, huh? Oh, I’m Dieter, by the way.” He held out his hand and I shook it. It was huge and warm and made my knees melt.

“Um, yeah, I know,” I stammered. “I recognized you. I’m, ha, a big fan of your work.” I felt like a complete idiot as I stumbled over my words. “I’m Emily.”

“Well, Emily, this might be a dumb question, considering your line of work, but do you come here often?” He chuckled as he seemed to realize how cliched his questions was.

“Actually, this is my first time here,” I said. “I’ve always wanted to visit this shop, I never got around to it. I live out in the boondocks, so I don’t get into L.A. very often.”

“It’s great,” he said. “I don’t get here very often, though. Always too busy, it seems.”

We chatted for a bit, about the books we were buying, and favorites we’d both read (and made a few recommendations to each other when we mentioned titles the other hadn’t read). Then the conversation turned back to bookshops.

“I usually end up at Barnes & Noble,” I admitted. “There’s a good indie bookseller in Riverside, but it’s kind of small. My absolute favorite bookshop is Vroman’s in Pasadena. I don’t get there as often as I’d like, though.”

“Vroman’s,” he said, wrinkling his forehead. “I think I’ve heard of it but I’ve never been there.”

“Oh, you should go!” I said. I loved talking about my favorite bookshop and started rattling on. “They have all kinds of great stuff besides books. Plus a wine bar.”

“Whoa, books and booze? Sign me up.” He smiled that radiant smile I’d seen in a million photos, the one that always made me feel funny inside.

“Then you should definitely go.”

“Is that an invitation?”

I was stunned, but managed to speak without stumbling too much over the words. “Sure, why not?” Holy crap, he’s flirting with me!

Dieter pulled out his phone. “Let’s see,” he said, scrolling through the phone. “Um, I’m free Friday evening. I have a meeting at two, but I should be out of there by four at the latest. It’s in Burbank, I can probably make it to Pasadena by five, if that works for you?”

My tongue felt like it was swollen to twice its normal size. Was he actually asking me out? Or had I accidentally asked him? “Um, yeah,” I stammered. “Friday’s good, yeah.”

“Okay, then.” He tapped away at his phone and then slipped it back into his pocket. “It’s a date. Friday, five o’clock, Vroman’s.” He winked and now I knew I was blushing like a fool. He glanced at his wristwatch. “I have a meeting with my agent in an hour, so I’d better go pay for these and get going.” He pulled his phone back out and opened up the Contacts app. “Here,” he said, handing the phone to me. “Put in your number.”

I did and handed the phone back to him. He put it back in his pocket (oh, how I tried not to look too closely at that pocket, afraid he’d think I was checking out his crotch), then held out his hand again, wiggling his fingers. “Your phone?”

“Oh, yeah.” I pulled my own phone out of my purse and handed it to him. He opened my Contacts app and typed in his name and number. As he handed it back to me, our fingers brushed against each other and he smiled.

“See you Friday.” He turned and walked away, heading for the cash registers on the ground floor. I stood in the aisle for several minutes, staring at my phone. I had a date with Dieter fucking Bravo, and he’d given me his phone number.

I waited until he’d left the store, then went to the register myself. “Hey, you just missed Dieter Bravo,” the clerk said. “I got his autograph.”

I got his phone number, I wanted to say, but I didn’t. The kid behind the counter was thrilled to have had an encounter with a celebrity; he didn’t need me rubbing his nose in my good fortune. That didn’t keep me from texting my best friend Sam once I was back on the train headed for the IE. We’d been friends in elementary school before her family moved back East the summer before junior high. We’d kept in touch over the years, first by letters and now by text and Facebook.

<Went to downtown L.A. today. You’ll never guess who I ran into>

&lt;somebody I know?>

<Dieter Bravo>

&lt;Get out! Where were you?>

<The Last Bookstore, really cool shop.>

&lt;Were you cool about it? Please tell me you were cool about it>

<As cool as I could be, lol. Must have done okay. We have a date Friday night>

Sam replied with a string of emojis and punctuation marks. &lt;Don’t fuck with me, Em. It’s not funny>

<Totally serious. I have his phone number and everything.>

I clicked over to my Contacts and stared at the screen. The name “DB❤️” stared back at me. It was real.

<I want details!>

I sketched out the encounter for her.

&lt;You’re living in a rom com, I swear. But be careful. Heard he’s a bit of a wild child. Make him wear a condom. You don’t know where he’s been>

<Shut up. I’m not going to sleep with him on the first date. Eww.>

&lt;I know, you’re Miss Sensible Shoes. LOL>

It was joke between us that Sam had grown up to love wearing stiletto heels and clubbing while I preferred flats and quiet evenings. We always said it was a good thing we lived so far apart or we’d never have remained friends. And yet Sam was the one who was married with three kids and a job in finance, while I was still unattached and basically living paycheck to paycheck.

<I’ll tell you all about the date, I promise. Luv u>

I put away my phone and stared out the window, watching the backyards and alleys of Southern California flash by. What a world, where I woke up in my tiny condo thinking the highlight of my day would be a new book and lunch at Olvera Strett, and now I had a date with a famous actor. Only in L.A. I mused. It really is La La Land.