Waindale
twenty-four. our place

I walk to Lycanthropy class with Vivianne. When I told her that there was no ceremony, she was surprised. Apparently there’s always been some sort of celebration, small or large. From what Adam supposedly told me last night, I can tell that he isn’t on the best terms with his family right now, and I can’t help but feel it’s because of me. The last thing I want is to tear him away from his family, but I also don’t want to start hating myself again for being human. I’ve just begun to get over it, and as usual, something has to try and drag me back. I’m scared of a situation where Adam may have to choose me or his parents, yet I feel like he’s already made his decision. Would I ever risk my relationship with my mother for him? Now that I think about it, my immediate dedication to Adam scares me.

How could I trade in an eighteen-year relationship with my mom for someone I have known for not even a few months?

“Wrenley?”

I glance at Vivianne with a blank look.

“I said I’ll see you later,” she says. “Everything okay? Is it about Adam canceling his ceremony?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m fine. I’ll see you later.”

Entering the classroom, I take my seat as my mind continues to contemplate. I bring my bag to the floor beside me and jump a little as I’m suddenly faced with Caitlyn and Penny. They stand in front of my desk and stare down with black-rimmed eyes. I can nearly smell Penny’s watermelon-flavored gum. “So,” she says, “We heard there’s no ceremony today.”

I say nothing.

“Some of these shifters we talk to were talking about it. They said that it might be because of you,” Caitlyn says, replaceing some pleasure in the idea. “Are they right?”

“No. That’s not the reason. I don’t know anything about it,” I say and sink in my chair.

“So much for being mated to the Alpha,” Penny mutters.

The two walk on and sit down. I peer at them as they settle in the back where I sat on the first day. It was smart of me to move seats, but it looks like the extra distance won’t stop them from bothering me. Eli was supposed to be with me in this class. I wish I didn’t have to sit here alone. I wish I had someone to help fend off the questions.

Throughout the rest of my classes, I’m busy wondering whether Adam will be here to pick me up at the end of the day. I told my mom briefly that I would be out with my friends after school, so she should expect me to be home later. If he isn’t there, I’ll be very disappointed as I’ve been coming up with scenarios in my head of what we’re going to do. He said we’ll have the rest of the day; that’s the longest we’ve been together. All of that time was probably for the ceremony but now it’s for me. Are people really so bothered that it isn’t happening? I want to feel bad, but now I’m too excited to spend time with him.

Imogen and Vivianne walk with me to the main doors after our last class, one that we all have together. “He’s going to be there,” Vivianne assures me.

“Yeah, there’s no way you dreamt all of that,” Imogen chimes in while eating a granola bar. “I’ve had realistic dreams,” she bites, “but that—that would be next-level.”

“I can’t stop thinking about what we’re going to do together.”

Vivianne nudges me. “I’m sure you’ll do a lot.”

“What haven’t you done?” Imogen asks.

“Um, pretty much everything, I guess. We haven’t done anything like that. We almost kissed that one time, but he shifted and I ran away.”

Imogen gives me a look and Vivianne takes my attention from her. “That’s fine. There’s no pressure.”

“There’s pressure?” I blurt.

“No. I said no pressure. It’s just—usually when people replace their mates, well—”

“They’re all over each other,” Imogen says.

“Yeah, but, Adam and I aren’t like that,” I explain. “We’re taking this slow. I mean, all of this is new to me. He understands.”

Imogen walks ahead and stands in front of the doors. “Just because you haven’t done anything, doesn’t mean you don’t think about doing things. Trust me. From what I’ve heard, your mated mind can’t stop imagining it. Adam might be sitting there silent, but his head is in your skirt.”

"Imogen,” Vivianne scolds. “Don’t freak her out.”

Imogen peaks through the door window and smiles. “Yup. He’s out there. Leaning against his car, waiting for sweet little Wrenley to walk out these doors.”

I roll my eyes and peer out the window as well. A group of students is talking to him. “So all of it was real,” I murmur.

“Isn’t it a bit backward that you two were in bed together before even having one little kiss?” Vivianne asks and comes beside me. She looks out and then faces me. “I know nothing happened, but still.”

“There are a lot of emotions and feelings between us and we’re just trying to figure it all out. He doesn’t want to scare me away.”

“Will he?” Imogen asks. “Could you be scared away?”

I lean against the doors. “I don’t think so, but I appreciate the steady pace. This is the first real relationship I’ve been in.”

“And the last,” Vivianne comments.

Her words stick in my head.

“You ready?” Vivianne asks. “We’ll walk down with you.”

I nod and the two girls push the doors open. The chilled outside air blows against us as we descend the front steps. The group of students he was talking to moves along and our gazes connect. My heart flutters and threatens to burst free from my chest. The corners of his lips turn up at the sight of me and Imogen breathes, ”Would ya look at that.”

Vivianne grabs a hold of her and stays a step or two behind me as I reach him.

“So all of that embarrassing stuff I said last night really happened,” I say to him lightly.

“I thought you might wake up confused,” Adam says. He looks to the girls. “They make sure no one bothered you today?”

“Threatened every last one of them!” Imogen reports and I can’t help but let a small laugh slip.

“Yeah. They’re great friends,” I tell him. “I hardly even noticed the staring today.”

“You ready to go, then?”

I nod. As he walks around to the driver’s side, I turn to the girls. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Have fun,” Vivianne says. “And don’t be afraid to have too much fun.”

Imogen winks.

I let out a breath. “Yeah, yeah. Bye.”

The two turn and walk away with their arms linked. I shake my head and get in the truck, placing my bag at my feet. He starts to drive, and I don’t ask where we’re going. Like most days, it looks like it’s going to rain. I rest my head against the seat and watch the trees go by.

“People are wondering why your ceremony was canceled,” I tell him, rolling my head toward him.

“I know. I’ve been getting plenty of questions.”

“Why did you cancel it?”

He glances at me. “I told you last night.”

“I know, but—people think it’s because of me.”

He nods a little. “It’s not.”

I take in a breath and fail to move on. “If it’s because your parents don’t approve of me—I can handle that.”

“Don’t worry about it. The ceremony doesn’t mean anything. I’m Alpha now and not having a ceremony won’t change that.”

“Y-You are? You’re the Alpha?”

“Everything was finalized this morning.”

I look forward to the road. “Oh. Wow. Now what?”

“Well, I’ll be busier. There are things that you don’t know about yet, but I have a lot to take on, especially these next few weeks as the pack transitions to new leadership.”

My face falls.

“On a more positive note, my family won’t be around as much to bother you. You should feel accepted because under my leadership you are. No one in my control will pester you or judge you, okay?”

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” I say, trying to be happy for him and all he’s doing for me. I don’t want him to have to shun his parents, though. How can I be happy about that?

“We’re going to the house. Now that it’s ours I—”

"Huh?” I interrupt. ”Ours?”

I sit up and turn my body to him. Adam looks over. “Technically it is completely mine now. It is for me to live while I’m Alpha. It is for my mate and I. It is for my family.”

I’m sure he sees the overwhelmed look on my face. He called the house ours. Vivianne said that this is my one and only relationship. Is Adam my husband? Is that what this is? It’s like we’re already married! H-He’s bringing me home—to our home.

“It doesn’t have to be like that right now, Wrenley. Just think of it as a place where we can be alone. That’s what you wanted, right? This is just a place for the two of us to be together, to spend time together.”

Suddenly Adam is turning onto the driveway. I look up at the familiar, white house. Before I was busy taking in all of its intricate details and beauty, but now all I can do is stare at it.

“You didn’t get to see all of it before, so I thought you might like to walk through. I want this to be a safe space for you. I want you to feel like you can be here whenever you like because you can.”

“I, um, don’t really know what to say.”

Adam opens his door and gets out of the truck. I watch as he walks around the car and to my side. He opens my door and unbuckles my seatbelt as I fail to move on my own. “You have to admit,” he says as he brings the strap over me, “this is a little dramatic. It really is just a house.”

"Just a house?” I question him. “It isn’t just a house.”

He ignores me and motions for me to come out. I sigh and do so, hopping down onto the ground.

“No one is here,” Adam says while talking me up the front steps. He has a key in his hand and opens the door with it. Thankfully, unlike last time, when the door opens there’s no evil mother looking me over and beckoning me in. I walk into the empty house and see the same elegant furniture.

“I thought your parents moved out?”

“They did,” he says. “Most everything here belongs to the family. It will never leave this house.”

My eyes wash over everything inside with a new appreciation. This stuff is ours now? It’s all too nice—what if I ruin it or break it or... “Oh. So everything is passed down to the next Alpha?”

Adam nods. “Come. See the rest of the house.”

He takes me around, down hallways, into room after room. The kitchen is three times the size of grandma’s and must have enough food stored away to last one whole apocalypse and then some. I’m not sure how much werewolves eat, but from peeking inside the fridge, it sure looks like a lot. The house seems endless at one point. We leave the family room and head upstairs. The railing lined along the steps has metal posts curved in all sorts of pretty ways, and my eyes trail up until the top is in sight. There’s a small library tucked into a space on the right, and to the left is a hall. At the end, I can see large, delicately carved doors. There are about three bedrooms leading up to it. I already saw two other bedrooms downstairs. Why must there be so many bedrooms? Will there be visitors?

When Adam opens the doors to what I know is the master bedroom, I ask, “What are you going to do with all this space? There’s enough room in this house for the entire town. Who cleans all of this?”

“Tony and Yuke take care of the house. I’m sure you’ll see them around,” he says, leading me in.

“Wow,” I say casually, “really nice bedroom. I feel like I’m in one of those home décoré magazines my grandma likes to read. Very regal. Very, um, I-I like it.”

Adam turns to me and I start walking the other way, toward a door that opens to a bathroom. Large tub. Large shower—space for more than one person in there. Is that two shower heads? I shut the door and rest my back against it. “Nice, uh, bathroom. Looks very clean.”

One of his brows raise a little. He watches as I wander to the plush bed. I jump up on it and run my hands along the bedding as it puffs up beside me. It feels so very comfortable—so cozy that I’m tempted to climb in and fall asleep. Something about this house feels personal to me, and that feeling frightens me. All I can think about while sitting on this bed is the fact that it’s ours. All of this is ours. We’re going to live together in this house one day and wake up together and brush our teeth together and eat together and supposedly shower together too. He looks at me now and he knows all of this. I look back and pretend that I don’t.

“So what are you going to do now that you’re living all alone?”

He moves closer to me and says, “I’ll have to convince you to stay here with me.”