I'm really annoyed because the second half of this chapter like disappeared while I was in the middle of writing it and it was seriously so cute and I'm really hoping I can recreate it. Like seriously I had almost 4000 words written and it only saved the first 1000. So sorry if this chapter takes a bit longer to get out. I have to try and rewrite half of it.
Warning you though, it's full of fluffy nauseating cuteness because I'm feeling particularly single today and I'm living vicariously through my characters. Aight cool. Enjoy the chapter <3
Gill
"Uggghhhh I don't wanna goooooo." I pouted in the passenger seat of Toby's truck. He just chuckled and shut off the engine.
"I know, love. Trust me, I would much rather spend the whole day with you, but what would your dad think if we skipped school every day?" I groaned, knowing he was right. He shook his head and climbed out of the truck, grabbing his backpack from the backseat. I opened my door and sat sideways as he made his way over to me, picking me up with ease.
"At least we're almost done though. Just a few more months and we're graduated and out of there!" He nodded and pecked my nose before setting me gently on the pavement. He got my backpack from the backseat as well and handed it to me.
"True. Are you still going to the Rosewood Institute?" I frowned and shrugged.
"I'm not sure. The deadline to apply for the fall semester is coming up, and I've thought about it a lot. But I wasn't sure if I could. I mean, I'm supposed to help you with the pack, right? And Rosewood isn't on our pack's territory, but it's also kinda far." Tobias suddenly smiled widely, causing me to give him a questioning look.
"You said 'our pack'. It just made me happy is all. And don't worry about the distance or what pack territory it's on. If that's what you want to do, love, then you should do it. You had hopes and dreams when you came here, and I pulled you into my world, and believe me, I am unbelievably happy you are here and so accepting, but you shouldn't have to give it up. I love you, and I want you to do what you want. We will figure it out." I smiled and nodded.
"Hey, Gilly! You ready to learn some shit?" Ajax asked as he approached us.
"Of course." I laughed and gave Toby another soft kiss.
"I'll see you later!" He smiled and kissed me again before letting me follow Ajax into the building.
"Soooo." Jax said with a teasing tone.
"What?" He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Are you gonna mate with him soon?" I blushed and laughed nervously.
"I-I don't know...probably?" I shrugged, looking down at my shoes as we walked down the hallway.
"Well, do you think you're ready?" I shrugged again.
"I think so...I'm just scared."
"Of what?" I sighed and stopped walking, nearly causing someone to walk right into me.
"Can we talk somewhere else?" Jax gave me an odd look, but nodded.
"Of course. Ms. Peters doesn't have a first period class so she doesn't come in for another hour. We could sneak into her classroom?" I nodded and quickly followed him down the hall again, passing our usual destination. We stopped in a fairly empty part of the hallway and Jax opened the door to a classroom at the end of the hall. I didn't have Ms. Peters, but judging by the numerous bookshelves and grammar posters, I assumed she taught English.
"Alright, I linked Toby so he doesn't freak out when he finds out we skipped first period. Don't worry, I convinced him to not rush over here." I thanked him and hesitantly sat on a desk near the front.
"Soooo...what's up?" I looked back down at my shoes.
"I want to...mate with Toby... I'm just afraid." Jax sat on top of the desk next to mine and nodded.
"Alright, and why are you afraid? You know Tobias is crazy about you. I've known him my entire life and I've never seen him this happy." I smiled and nodded.
"I know. There are a lot of insecurities I haven't quite dealt with, and there's also the whole baby thing and-"
"I'm sorry, baby thing? What the hell are you talking about?" My eyes widened and I coughed anxiously. I had forgotten Jax didn't know yet.
"Well uh...you know how me and Toby and his dad went to visit the council about us being mates?" Jax nodded.
"Yeah, because you were worried about the alpha title."
"Yeah. We were scared that because we're both guys we wouldn't be able to pass on the title. Well, the council told us that your kind is meant to reproduce in order to keep the packs strong, so same sex mates can still have babies... So even though I know we'd be...safe...there's still always a chance, and it's terrifying." Ajax was silent for a moment before responding.
"That's...uh...wow...that's actually really cool! For the record, I think you two would make awesome parents. But I understand how scary that can be. The first time Kayla and I mated, we were anxious about that too. But eventually we came to the conclusion that we loved each other, and we were ready. We did everything we could to be safe, and accepted that if something were to not work, we'd get through it together if the time came." I smiled a little and nodded.
"That actually makes me feel a little better, thank you."
"Of course. Now what else are you afraid of? You said you felt insecure?" I sighed again and went back to looking at my shoes.
"I know Tobias loves me and I know he'd never hurt me, but there's still a little part of me that thinks this is all too good to be true...that any second he's just gonna turn around and realize I'm not good enough for him or that he's gonna tell me it was all just a massive prank..." Ajax sighed and pushed himself off the desk, stepping toward me.
"Hey, look at me." I hesitantly lifted my head and stared at Jax's face. "You're right, Gill. Toby would never hurt you, and he loves you more than anything in the entire world. I know the people at your old school said and did things that made you feel like you weren't good enough, but I promise, you are more than good enough, alright? He looks at you like you're the only other person in the room. Even when you're not paying attention, he's always smiling at you. You aren't just good enough, Gill. You two are literally made for each other, and I understand how sometimes you might be afraid because of what you've been through, but I've known Tobias my entire life, and I can tell he is totally crazy about you."
"Pinky promise?" He gave me a serious look as he lifted his right pinky in the air.
"Absolutely." He replied, linking our little fingers together for just a second.
"Thanks, Jax. You're really easy to talk to." He shrugged.
"No need to thank me, Gill. I'm always here for you. Now, any other fears about mating I can try and squash?"
"What if I suck at it?" Jax snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Gill, everyone's first time is a bit awkward. You don't really know what you're doing and everything is new and a bit nerve wracking. Just let it come naturally, alright? Don't over think it. If it ever gets a bit overwhelming, just stop and think about what you want to do in that moment. If you want to kiss him, kiss him. If it feels like too much and you want to slow down, tell him you want to slow down. Just be honest, both with yourself, and him. And remember, it's his first time too, so he's going to be just as nervous. Just wait for the right moment, and follow your gut." I nodded.
"Follow my gut...I can do that." Jax smiled and sat back down on the desk.
"Good. There's one more thing...I know Toby won't bring it up, but I think it's something you should consider when deciding if you're ready." I furrowed my brow.
"Okay...what is it?"
"Well...I'm assuming Tobias already told you about the wolf perks you'll get after you mate?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I can talk to him through the link and I can tell when he's hurt." Jax nodded.
"You'll also be able to become alphas, and when that happens, you'll be an official member of the pack, so you'll be able to link anyone else in the pack. Don't let this be the only reason you decide to mate, but consider it at least. Every time something has happened with the hunters, we've been caught off guard. We do our best to track them and make sure they can't get to you, but you never know what could happen to either of you. Just in case something does happen, it might be beneficial to have an easy way to contact anyone in the pack, and if you two do get separated and something happens, he can tell if you're hurt, and vice versa." I thought about it for a moment.
"Why wouldn't Toby tell me this himself?"
"He doesn't want you to think you have to mate with him just to keep you safe. He wants you to make the decision when you're one hundred percent sure you're ready for it."
"I...I am ready. I'm scared as hell, but I'm ready." Jax smiled.
"I'm happy for you, Gill." I blushed and smiled back.
"How do I tell him that I'm ready?" He shrugged.
"I mean, you could just say 'hey Toby, I wanna have sex'. I'm pretty sure that would get the message across clearly." My eyes widened and I shook my head in protest.
"Jax! I can't say it like that!" He just laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Chill, I was just kidding. I know you're too innocent to be that blunt. Just remember what I said. When the moment is right, follow your gut. The important thing is to be honest, not only with him, but with yourself also." I bit my lip and thought about it.
"Thanks, Jax." He shrugged.
"No problem. Happy to help. Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk about before we head to class?"
"Could we just wait out the rest of the period here? I hang out with Holly and Drew a lot, but I feel like we never get to hang out, just the two of us." Jax smiled and nodded.
"Sure thing, Squirt. What did you wanna talk about?"
"How are things with Kayla?" Ajax's face instantly lit up at the mention of his mate.
"Things are going so great! She's gonna be joining our pack soon, and we've been talking about moving into one of the empty houses on the pack territory after the whole hunter issue is over. I really really love her, Gill. I mean, I sorta always had a big crush on her growing up, but I didn't get to see her that often. That's why it took me so long to realize she was my mate." His eyes drifted to the side, as if he were replaying a memory in his head.
"Tell me about when you realized?" His cheeks grew slightly pink, but he began telling the story.
"It was the day of the ally meeting. Every couple years, the alphas of all our ally packs get together just to go over the terms of the treaties, any issues with rogues or hunters. All boring stuff. This time Kayla came with her uncle. Toby and I were outside sparring when her car pulled in. I instantly froze...I was hit with this amazing scent of like...roses and chocolate. And she stepped out of the car and I just stood there...I couldn't move. Her face was all red, as I'm sure mine was too. She looked so cute. She was staring right back at me, clearly just as shocked as I was. And then Tobias tackled me. I spaced out so bad I literally forgot we were in the middle of training." He laughed and shook his head. "It was the best day of my whole life." I smiled at his happy, lovestruck face.
"When I first saw Toby I was like that too. I was following Holly to the cafeteria and ended up losing her. I was wandering around looking for her, when I bumped into a tall figure. My body instantly lit up...like I was hit with an electric current. I looked up at him and it was like I forgot how to speak. I didn't know why at the time, obviously, but I felt drawn to him in a way I'd never felt before. Like, I'd obviously liked guys in the past, but as soon as I saw him, I just felt...whole. Like I'd been holding my breath for a really long time, and I was finally able to let it out. To be honest, it terrified me at the time. I promised myself that moving here was gonna be my fresh start. I wasn't going to tell anyone about my sexuality or anything, and then there I was on the very first day drooling over a guy I thought was way out of my league." Jax chuckled and nodded.
"I remember talking to him that day at our table, and he just froze. He could tell you were in the room, so he got up to find you, and then he came back with a blushing little human and he was so clearly smitten already. Honestly, I felt really stupid not realizing it was you right away. You two were not subtle, like at all." I laughed.
"Yeah, that's how I felt when he finally told me he liked me. I just denied it for a while, but I should've known. He was constantly kissing my cheek and calling me cute."
Ajax and I spent the rest of first period just talking. I told him about Rosewood, and he told me about growing up with Toby and Holly. I told him how happy, yet nervous I was to become alpha with Toby, and he reassured me we'd both be great at it. The rest of the day went by fairly quickly. Tobias questioned me about skipping, but I just told him I wanted to talk to Jax, and he dropped the subject, though he clearly wanted to know more. Jax and Holly argued at lunch about which version of Spiderman was the best, while I sneakily stole french fries from their trays while they were distracted. I nearly died tripping over my own shoelace at the top of the bleachers during PE. Thankfully, Tobias caught me before I face planted. Basically, it was a fairly normal day. I felt kind of sad having to go back to the pack house, actually.
"Soooo...you skipped first period..." Toby stated as he started the engine of his truck.
"I just needed to talk to Ajax about something. I'm okay, Toby. I promise." He sighed and nodded.
"Alright. I'm sorry I'm a bit overprotective right now. I just hate leaving your side." I smiled and took his right hand in my left as he drove.
"I know, and I love you and I love that you're doing all this to protect me." He shot me a small smile before turning his attention back to the road ahead of us.
"I'd do anything to keep you safe, you know that." I smiled, remembering what Ajax had told me earlier.
"Hey, Toby? Can we go somewhere?" He wrinkled his brow.
"What did you have in mind?" I shrugged.
"I don't know...don't take this the wrong way, because I am extremely grateful for you protecting me, but I'm getting super stir crazy being in that apartment. I just think it'd be nice to hang out somewhere." He didn't respond for a little bit, but he eventually squeezed my hand and nodded.
"Okay, I'll tell you what. As long as it's on pack territory, I will take you anywhere you want to go. I'll link a few warriors and have them meet us there just in case, but they'll be far enough away that we can still have our privacy." I nodded and thought about it for a second.
"Ooh, is there anywhere to shop, other than the mall? Like little antique stores or bookstores or something." Toby nodded.
"Yeah, downtown they have a bunch of shops like that. There used to be an art store down there too. It's been a few years since I've been there, so I have no clue if it's still open, but from what I can remember, half of it is like a gallery where you can buy artwork, and the other half sells supplies." My eyes widened.
"Tobias, why haven't you told me about this magical place until now? I've been buying all my art stuff online like a fool!" Toby chuckled and suddenly changed lanes, passing the road we'd normally turn on.
"Things have been so crazy lately, I haven't really been able to show you around the town of Crimson Lake. I've just been scared about who might be there." I nodded and watched out the window as we passed numerous old buildings. Some of the walls were covered by beautiful murals, but one caught my eye right away.
"Woah...that's huge!" Right on the side of one of the older buildings was a massive painting of a gray wolf. Its eyes were a deep green, and looked as if they were glowing. The whole painting took up nearly the whole building. "Can we go look at it?" I asked Toby without looking away from the wall.
"Of course. That's the art store, anyway." Toby pulled to the side of the street and parked in front of a meter. I waited impatiently as he made his way over to me to help me out, and put a few coins in the meter. The second the last coin dropped into the slot, I grabbed his hand and dragged him to the mural.
"Wow...this must've taken forever! Do you know who made it? Or how long it's been here?" Toby wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his head on my shoulder.
"Nobody knows who made it, but we know it was a human. They weren't part of the pack though, and nobody recognizes the wolf. I remember they always wore a face mask and hooded sweatshirt, so nobody could see their face." I hesitantly reached out and brushed my fingers across the rough brick, along the ashy fur of the wolf.
"It looks a bit like you, actually. You're more silver though." Toby kissed my shoulder.
"If you were a wolf, what do you think you'd look like?" I thought about it for a moment.
"Probably like bright red. And abnormally small." Toby chuckled in my ear.
"You know our wolves aren't always the same color as our hair. I'm too young to have silver hair already."
"Yeah, but my hair and my freckles are literally the most distinguishing feature about me. How could my wolf not be a ginger?" I tilted my head back to look at his face.
"You would be a beautiful wolf. I mean, you're a beautiful human, so it makes sense." I blushed and smiled up at him.
"You're cheesy."
"And you're hot." I turned around in his arms so I was facing him. I wrapped my arms around his neck. I let my fingers trail down his slightly stubbly chin.
"And I love you."
"I love you too." I stood on my tip toes and kissed him. His grip on my waist tightened as our lips moved together. My stomach was doing flips and my heart fluttered. I pulled away, slightly out of breath, suddenly remembering that we were in public.
"T-the art shop...we should go." Tobias laughed, also a bit out of breath.
"Yeah, sorry. It's just really easy to get distracted when I'm with you." I smiled and pecked his slightly swollen lips before pulling out of his embrace. I laced our fingers together and let him lead the way to the shop.
While this story does take place in present day, there is no COVID-19 in this story, hence the lack of face masks. So consider this a friendly PSA. Wear a damn mask in public.
Also sorry if this chapter is kinda boring. We're getting to the exciting bits, I swear ð also I got really excited about a certain scene (no it's not a sex scene, I don't write those) that I already wrote it and I'm just waiting until I get to the right spot to put it in ð