Six

I woke up and heard quite a bit of noise coming from, I think the dining hall. But I didn't want to walk over there to find out if I was right.

I wanted to get changed but didn't want to chance walking into Caden's room with him still there.

I cursed my father about a million times in my head before opening the door.

"Oh hey! I was just coming to see if you were doing anything," Daniel said and I shook my head.

"Nope. Not like I have any plans anymore."

"I can help you find a bike if you want."

"That sounds great." My stomach rumbled and I nervously laughed.

"After we find you some food of course."

I nodded and smiled a bit before he led me to the kitchen.

"Any preferences?" He asked and I shook my head, "We just had pizza."

"I'm good with pizza."

He put four slices in the microwave and I looked at him questioningly, "I'm not going to eat four pieces."

"Thank goodness, I was planning on eating two of those."

"Oh, okay, sorry."

"No, that's fine. I'm just messin' with ya." He shoved my shoulder playfully and a little bit of a laugh escaped, "Don't hold it in," he joked again.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not, you're just not that funny."

"Really?" he challenged me, "I bet I can make you laugh."

"I would like to see you try."

"Fine. You and me bike for two hours and if I get you to laugh, I win. If you don't laugh, you win."

"And what do I get when I win?" Ever since I came here even smiling sucked, I know it's only been a day, but it feels like months.

"If you win, you get to decide the activity tomorrow."

"What activity tomorrow?"

"Well, I chose biking, you choose tomorrow."

"What if I don't want to hang out with you tomorrow?" Indecision and almost sadness came to his face before he covered it up, like Caden does. Must be genetic, I thought.

"Then I guess that's an option, if you win."

"When I win."

"I think you underestimate my jokes."

I rolled my eyes, "I think you overestimate them."

"I guess we'll see." He said as the microwave beeped.

We ate our pizza and he talked about some of the things the pack always does. It was already after dinner so the bike ride wouldn't be too long, hopefully I'll win. If it was anyone else here I know I would win without a doubt, but Daniel is always smiling and laughing, and unfortunately, his laugh is contagious. It makes you want to laugh too, even if nothing was funny.

He put our plates in the sink and threw his arm around my shoulders in a friendly way, "Okay, let's find a winner." He said with a smirk and I rolled my eyes but gave a half smile.

"What's going on here?" Caden said as he came in the kitchen, scowling when he saw Daniels arm. Daniel dropped his arm and I crossed my arms in front of my chest, "Dan, care to explain?"

I spoke up before he could, "He was showing hospitality, unlike some people. I was hungry so he warmed up some pizza for me. Sorry, should he have let me starve?"

His eyes went to the floor before he looked back up and Daniel looked a bit shocked and worried on my behalf.

"No, sorry. You should've came and found me, I would've fed you."

"I don't need your help." I left the room and Daniel started to follow me but Caden grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going?"

I turned around, "He's helping me find a bike. Or am I not allowed to leave the house?"

"Of course you are." He let Daniel go but gave him a warning glare, "She's mine."

"No, I most definitely am not."

I left before he could reply. I have never liked arguing, and I've always avoided it. I would be no different here. I would say what I want to say and leave, just like with my father. Or the perverts in high school.

An hour and a half later Daniel and I were riding through the woods. There were old paths but grass had grown over them, they weren't used much.

Daniel had said some lame jokes in an attempt to get me to laugh, but the most I did was smile.

He actually was a funny guy, even his off the cuff comments were funny, but I would think of my father, mother, sister, brother, and pack and never let a laugh leave.

"So, do you like movies?"

I shrugged, "Not really. I don't like just sitting there."

"Ooh, a busy body."

"Not busy, just easily bored."

"Caden is like that. I don't remember seeing him watch any type of show or movie. He doesn't like to sit still."

I didn't respond, I was really hoping he would change the subject.

"But me, on the other hand, I like TV just not a lot of it at once. You know, I can't sit too long, I have to keep up my sexy as the devil body."

"Okay, if I were going to laugh, I would've right then."

"Really?" He faked hurt as he turned to me on his bike and I smirked as he almost tripped over a twig. I nodded and kept biking.

"Sexy as the devil? You aren't even close."

"You ain't seen nothing yet cupcake."

"Thank goodness. You might turn me off of all men."

"You don't mean that," he faked hurt. "I have muscles in all the right places darling, just you wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Until you see all the girls wanting this guy, right here, when they open up the pool for summer."

"I doubt that will ever happen. Wait, you have a pool?"

"Yeah, the pack pool."

"Why do you have a pool if there's the lake?"

He shrugged, "I told you, nobody likes the woods."

I shook my head, "Your pack is crazy. That's the nicest lake I've ever seen in my life."

"Your? Your pack? And we are named after it."

The Bluelake pack, why didn't I think of that? I didn't say anything.

"You know this is your pack too."

"Again, if only I could laugh."

We were nearing the pack house and he hopped off his bike at the end of the trail. I followed suit and walked my bike beside him.

"Seriously, this is your pack too."

"Okay I lied, you're funny. But I won."

He scowled at me, "I'm going to get you to laugh."

"Maybe when I'm delusional."

Caden walked up and I walked my bike to the shed as he talked to Daniel, I blocked out their conversation and listened to the birds tuck in for the night.

"Okay later Dan." Caden said as Daniel started walking to the house.

I jogged up beside Daniel hoping I could sneak away with him and avoid Caden.

"Blake?"

"Damn," I said under my breath and Daniel whispered in my ear.

"Under that shell, he's really not a bad guy. You just have to sneak under."

"I don't want to. I have no plan to ever find out what's under his shell. This was forced, don't forget that."

He nodded sadly and walked to the house.

Caden and I stood about three metres apart in an awkward silence.

A couple minutes later he spoke, "How was your bike ride?"

"Fine."

He looked down again, and when he looked back up he had a blank face, "Look I know-"

"Save it. I'm going to bed." I turned on my heel and walked into the house, if only I knew where my room was.

I set off to find the living room again so I could ask Sam where I slept but decided I would grab clothes before that. I started on the stairs.

He sighed but it sounded like relief, I don't know what he was relieved about though.

"Blake we need to talk."

"No we don't."

I made it to his floor and walked through his doorway.

"Yeah we do. You came here-"

"To form an alliance and in order to do that we have to mate. I know. But we don't need to talk." I opened the closet door and started rifling through my boxes of clothes.

I found pjs and closed the door in his face to get changed into loose shorts and a baggy shirt. I grabbed clothes for tomorrow and a bathing suit and opened the door back up to find him still standing there.

"Yes, we do."

"No, we don't," I mocked him.

"We have to mate Blake-"

"Trust me, I know that." I threw my clothes on a nightstand and turned to him, "What? You want to do it now? Fine."

"No, I didn't mean now."

"Thank god. I get another day of peace in my head before you invade it." I grabbed my clothes and opened the door to his room.

"Where are you going?" He had anger in his voice.

"To sleep."

"This is our bed."

"No, that is your bed. Mine is downstairs." I closed the door and jogged down the stairs to find the room I used earlier.

I leaned against the wall, put my head back and closed my eyes. I heard him coming and slipped under the covers and shut my eyes, pretending to sleep.

I heard him knock gently and it got quiet. Then he slowly opened the door and I heard him sigh, he must have been in the room, he sounded pretty close.

"I wanted to apologize Blake." I wasn't sure if I should open my eyes or not, if I opened them he would probably stop and I was too curious to let that happen. He was whispering so quietly it was almost as if he was thinking it or speaking to himself.

I actually felt guilty for him talking to me as if I couldn't hear him so I slowly rolled over and opened my eyes.

"Sorry, I thought you were asleep. I'll leave." He stood there awkwardly and I thought he was going to leave but instead he sat on the bench, "Can we talk?"

"We are."

He sighed and a hint of a smile came out, "I mean, can we pretend like we aren't in the situation we are in?" His tone was still business and I just wanted to smack him. Is he really going to treat me like property?

"No. I don't act and I don't pretend."

It got quiet and he sighed multiple times quietly as he started to pace.

"I will act like this wasn't forced though, if the pack doesn't know. I will keep up appearances."

He looked at me and a bizarre emotion crossed his face, almost like hope except sadness and desperation was mixed with it.

"They don't know."

I nodded.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked.

I shrugged, I thought swimming but wasn't sure if I would like it with someone else I didn't really know.

"I thought maybe we could do something together." Why? He acted all businesslike and now he wants to be friends?

"I'm hanging out with Daniel. I just haven't decided what we're doing yet." I'm pretty sure he didn't like that I liked his brother more than him.

"Why are you deciding?"

"I won the bet."

"Bet? Well, congratulations."

I shrugged and looked out the window.

"What about tomorrow night?"

I shrugged, "Depends how long we hang out for." He definitely didn't like that. Oh well.

"Do you think maybe you could finish before dinner?"

"Why?"

"So I can introduce you to the pack, formally." He actually sounded nervous and I shrugged.

"Thanks."

"I'm not guaranteeing it."

He smiled a bit, "That's fine." He actually had a nice smile, not that he lets it show often.

I yawned and he moved the chair back and stood near the door.

"Thank you for this."

I shrugged, "Whatever."

He frowned before covering it up and leaving with a wave, "Goodnight Blake."

I nodded.

I called my family but only for a few short minutes before I just kept yawning and mom said to call back soon.

I laid in bed for hours staring at the ceiling. Would I be able to keep up appearances? Would he hold me in public? Kiss me? I definitely wasn't up for that. Not with him.

I couldn't stop my brain from flooding with questions about his pack.