Inevitably Yours

QUINN

Movement stirred me awake. I started to move but froze when the person next to me stopped. Sleep cleared from my head, and I remembered falling asleep with Michael in my bed. After a long pause, he started to move again, extricating himself carefully from our position. He quietly got off the bed and lingered for a moment. I stayed still, keeping my eyes closed. He was leaving, and if I woke up, he would stay and get us both in trouble.

After a drawn moment, he crept around the bed. There was shuffling of paper and a scratching sound from the other end of the room where my desk was. When it stopped, I heard his careful steps move towards my door. His steps paused, and then I heard them coming closer again. His scent was strong as he bent over and pressed his lips to the outer corner of my eye. The sweet gesture set my heart pounding, and I had to remember to breathe evenly. Before I was ready, he was gone. I held still, waiting for the inevitable sound of my front door opening and closing.

I strained my ears to hear it, the sound of him leaving. I sat up slowly and peeked out the window. He walked down the driveway and turned onto the street. His pace was slow, and his hands were in his pockets while his head hung down. It was late; the moon was shining brightly above. When I couldn’t see him anymore, I climbed out of my bed and went to my desk, my fingers lingering where he’d kissed me a moment ago.

Blue

Being in your room with you tonight felt more like home than any night I’ve spent in my own, probably because you’re in it.

Thank you for dinner. I needed tonight, and I’m glad you asked me to spend it with you.

Call you soon.

M xo

PS Your k**s was a sweeter dessert than I deserved.

That was it. The whole night had been like an unofficial date. An actual date, too; not one of the awkward ones where your parents take you to the movies with a group of friends. We spent a whole night in our bubble, and he left me three sentences. Three lovely sentences, but the words seemed like an awkward fair well.

Something uneasy settled inside me, and my mind flashed with all the little moments where he went somewhere else right in front of me. I ached to know what was hurting him; I wanted to help him fix it. Every time I asked, he always said he was fine, or it was just family stuff. I had family stuff, we all did, but it didn’t go that deep.

I sighed and went to my dresser to change. I hoped calling soon meant tomorrow. Suddenly, staying home alone all weekend felt less fun than before. Now, my room seemed empty without Michael in it.

After changing, I climbed back into my bed and plugged my phone into its charger. I laid there, hugging my pillow tightly but sleep evaded me.

“Saph?” I tried. She had been silent since I drifted off with Michael, and it didn’t occur to me. “Saph, please don’t be gone.”

No answer from my wolf came. I buried my face into my pillow, squeezing my eyes shut tightly, willing my mind to blacken away. When I finally gave up on that, I snatched my pillow and headed downstairs to the living room. I settled into my dad’s recliner, hugging the pillow with my arms and legs. I flicked the TV on and changed it to one of the movie channels.

–

The night slowly ticked away. As one movie ended, another began. The comforting feeling of Michael had long since ebbed away, and I was just tired. When the colors of the sky started to morph outside the window, illuminating with hues of pink and purple, I got up to make some tea.

I put the clean dishes away while I waited for the teapot. Once I had my steaming mug, I went back to the chair and started another movie. Halfway through, my cup was empty, and my stomach was grumbling. I wondered if Michael was awake and eating with his family.

I knew the day was going to drag on. I decided to keep myself busy to avoid my mind dwelling on Michael all day. First, I made some toast and smothered it in peanut butter to munch on before I collected the cleaning supplies and got to work.

MICHAEL

I wasn’t able to sleep for a second after leaving Quinn’s. I wanted to tell her so many things, but I just couldn’t. I was as honest as I could be in my note to her. My mom caught me sneaking back into the packhouse. She tried to question me all the way to my room, but I just ignored her, shutting the door in her face. I collapsed on my bed and stared at the ceiling, dreading that I had stayed away from Quinn until everything was sorted out.

Eventually, my mother stopped trying to get into my room and left me be. I didn’t go down for breakfast; I just didn’t feel hungry. When I closed my eyes, all I could see was her. The gentle smile she offered, the scrunch of her brow when she was thinking hard, the light in her eye when I complimented her.

I no longer accepted a reality where she wasn’t my mate. The Moon Goddess could not be so cruel as to stick me with Lawrence of all people and make Quinn belong to anyone else. I simply didn’t accept it. In a month, I would know.

It was past breakfast when someone knocked on my door. “What?” I called.

“Mom said get ready. She wants to take us to get things for school. She said you own too many shorts and need at least one decent pair of pants!” Tyler called from the hall. I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t want to go,” I linked my mom.

“I am letting last night slide. Get dressed and be downstairs in fifteen, Michael,” she demanded.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” I called to my brother so he wouldn’t be held hostage outside my door.

I sat up and ran my hands through my hair, willing the hole in my chest to close. My eyes fell onto the top drawer of my desk. The file on my father lay inside of it. I couldn’t bring myself to actually read. I was so curious, but I was also scared. I was scared to be chasing a ghost, or worse, someone who didn’t want me. Thinking about the latter put me on edge, the feeling of panic always looming behind it.

I got up and changed my clothes, frowning as I put my shirt in the hamper with Quinn’s scent lingering on it. She was so cute when she slept. Her face relaxed, and her lips were always slightly parted. Her long eyelashes rested on the smattering of freckles across her cheeks. She looked carefree and made me ache to feel the same.

When I stepped out into the hall, Tyler was leaning against the wall, waiting for me. He looked up, and I could tell he wanted to talk. “What is going on with you and mom?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I said.

“Liar,” he accused.

“Grown-up stuff,” I told him dismissively.

“Don’t treat me like a kid,” he puffed.

“Then don’t act like one,” I countered.

“How am I acting like a kid?” he whined. I raised an eyebrow, but he continued to stare me down.

“How about your ‘girlfriend’?” I asked, using finger quotes for the last word. “You have met Quinn once, through her little brother, and you acted like a creep when she came to return my stuff.”

“She could be my girlfriend,” he defended.

I shook my head. “Tyler, you’ve never actually spoken to her. How is she supposed to be your girlfriend? Plus, she’s three years older than you.”

“I need a girlfriend if I want to be cool,” he snapped. “Quinn is nice and pretty and different, so all my friends will think I have a cool girlfriend.”

My shoulders slumped. “Why do you think you need a girlfriend? Do you even like girls?”

He spluttered for a moment but found his words. “You have lots of girlfriends, and you are the coolest guy in the pack!”

I hung my head and pinched my nose. This was partially my fault. “Look, Tyler, you don’t need a girlfriend to be cool. And you don’t need to pick one because you think other people will think she’s cool. Dating tons of girls isn’t cool. You don’t need to be like me.”

“But Dad says-”

“No!” I said too loudly. He shrunk a little. “No one tells you what is cool or not. No one gets to tell you how to be Tyler, understood? You be the person you think is right, and as long as you don’t go around hurting other people on purpose, that is who you are supposed to be. You don’t need to be me or Dad or Mom or anyone else. You be Tyler, got it?”

Tyler looked frightened, but he nodded his head. My mom called from the stairs, and he bolted away.

“Bit harsh on the little brat,” Eros said.

“I only told the truth,” I said. “He doesn’t need to be like me. He’s fine how he is, whether he likes girls or boys or both. And Lawrence doesn’t get to f**k him up about it.”

“Protecting him from Lawrence’s influence won’t be easy, even if you are to find Melvin. Lawrence is his father,” Eros said.

“And Tyler is my brother,” I replied as I stormed down the hall.

–

My mom dragged us through the mall, getting new clothes to update our wardrobes for the new school year. She focused on Tyler first but kept trying to get me to try things on. I declined everything or simply went to wait for them outside the store.

While waiting for my mother and Tyler outside probably the tenth store we had gone into, I noticed a small kiosk selling necklaces. Once caught my eye in particular.

My mom came out of the store with a determined look on her face. “Alright, we are going to find you pants. All you wear are those athletic clothes and shirts with holes or ones you cut up. People are going to think I can’t dress you.”

“Mom, give me your credit card,” I linked her, not wanting to involve Tyler.

“Michael, what are you talking about,” she said. “Why would I do that?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Give me your credit card, and I’ll wear f*****g pants,” I bartered. We stared each other down while continuing our silent conversation. I knew I was pushing my luck with her, but I didn’t care.

“Why on earth do you need my credit card?” she questioned.

“I’ll give you what you want; just give me your credit card,” I insisted.

“I will not unless you tell me what for!”

“It won’t be long until I get my wolf and can have these secret conversations,” Tyler complained.

“I am getting Quinn a birthday present. I’ll wear your stupid pants,” I said. My mom’s eyes widened, and her posture slackened.

“The girl you brought to the packhouse?” she asked. “You’ve never asked me to get one of your girlfriends a birthday present before.”

“I’ll wear the pants, damn it,” I said. “Just… let me.”

My mom slipped her hand into her purse and pulled out one of her credit cards. She handed it to me. “Tyler and I will be in the food court. Meet us there in the next hour. I expect a pair of nice pants in your hands,” she said. Her words were stern, but her face held something else. She ushered my brother away, and I relaxed.

I hated pants and never wore them, even in the snow. My mom hounded me about it all the time, hating my proclivity for relaxed clothing. What she overlooked was half of my shirts had holes in them thanks to Lawrence, not my own doing. I wore dress clothes when deemed necessary but never liked it.

I went over to the jewelry kiosk and picked out the perfect gift for Quinn’s birthday.