Chapter 51

One kiss had the promise of leading to more, especially when the boys kissed on the bed, alone, and with the bedroom door permanently shut with a newly installed lock.

Krey was still on top of Pip with one hand in his brown wavy hair, and the other gripping Pip's chin. He kissed Pip tenderly at first, but each time their lips rubbed together, Krey kissed a little deeper, and a little hungrier.

Pip followed Krey's lead. The kissing made him hot underneath Krey, despite being cold only minutes earlier.

His hands, scared to explore at first, but the longer they kissed and the further he fell into a pit of affection, the more comfortable Pip felt, and his hands soon moved from Krey's broad shoulders and to his back, feeling muscles moving under the fabric of his t-shirt.

Soon, their kissing deepened until their noses squished together and their foreheads often gently clashed.

Pip was losing himself in Krey's warmth, his taste, his touch. When Krey moved to his neck, kissing deeply and softly nipping his skin, Pip gripped the fabric of Krey's t-shirt, falling further until lust engulfed him.

Then Krey growled.

Pip felt it vibrate through his chest, a low rumble from the back of Krey's throat. Amidst the passion, Pip couldn't stop a snort of amusement.

"What's- funny?" Krey mumbled between kisses.

Krey's lips were on him, but Pip couldn't stop thinking about the noise he made. "You just growled like an actual dog."

"You made me growl." Krey kissed along his neck, wanting Pip to get back in the zone, so he tried kissing Pip's lips again.

Pip laughed against him. "Sorry," he said with a smile when Krey pulled back to look at him. "It's the first time I've seen that- that wolfy-ness."

"Wolfy-ness," Krey repeated.

"It's easy to forget that you're a werewolf."

"You'll see my wolf again one day soon, then you won't think that."

"One day soon."

Krey pinched his round cheeks. "I don't want you to feel even more ill."

"Me neither. I -I just need a few more days."

* * * * *

Dinner times came soon, and Pip was not only anxious about sitting in a room full of werewolves, he was anxious about going to the annual meeting. More people would stare, and Krey's annoyance would grow.

Pip hoped Krey would keep his cool. From what he heard about the meeting from Makena, Krey had to keep his allies happy.

"We're leaving in an hour, so you boys better get changed after you've eaten," Makena said, sitting opposite Pip and Krey at the table. Makena was already changed. Her grey hair was curled into a neat bun, tied with a black ribbon. She wore a long black velvet dress with laced sleeves down to her wrist. She wore deep red lipstick and mascara. Makena had smile lines, small creases at the corners of her eyes, and an ageing neck, but her cheeks were as smooth as if she were only in her twenties. "You'll be pleased to know that I've assigned Francis as Pip's guard for tonight."

"I'll be his guard," Krey grunted.

"You might not always be with him. You'll have to speak to-"

"I will be with him," Krey interrupted, "but bring Francis too. The more people we have on our side, the better."

Pip suddenly lost his appetite. He couldn't wait to get the night over and done with. Socialising wasn't Pip's strong point, nor Krey's. He could foresee many awkward moments and just wanted to crawl into bed.

Pip glanced to Krey, chewing angrily on some chicken. Though Krey wasn't angry, because his glare was only a scowl, and his eyes weren't as sharp.

After dinner, Pip and Krey returned to the bedroom. Francis had left Pip's clothes on the bed. Makena had left Krey's clothes next to Pips.

Pip didn't have to look at the sizes to know which clothes were his. A burgundy blazer was among the rest of his outfit. I'm going to stand out, Pip thought. Though wearing all black wasn't his style. He liked colour and patterns, and Francis had done well to get him a colour that matched his bobble hat.

"I'm getting a shower." Krey eyed his own clothes and checked the sizes. "I won't be long." He brushed a hand through Pip's hair on his way past.

Pip changed into his clothes, pleasantly surprised by how well his dark blue jeans fit. He had a knitted black jumper to wear under the burgundy blazer, but both fitted well together. Pip traced a finger over the white wolf's head embroidered in the middle of his black jumper, so it could be seen even with his blazer on. Does this mean I'm part of the pack?

Pip wished he had smarter shoes than his yellow converse, but they would just have to do.

Krey didn't have a mirror in his room, only his bathroom. Pip couldn't see if he looked good. That doesn't matter, he thought. I'm human and going to a werewolf meeting. My clothes won't mean a thing.

Krey enjoyed his shower, for the second time that day. He contemplated using Pip's soap but decided against it. He would have plenty of opportunities to rub against Pip and cover himself in his sweet scent. Though right now, Pip was nervous. Krey could smell it over his own soap.

He quickly dressed in black jeans with no rips, a black t-shirt and a black blazer. He fixed his hair in the mirror, short on the side and longer on the top. He flicked the grey streak at the front of his hair and stared at himself.

He glared into the mirror to see how he looked. Krey wasn't sure how Pip wasn't terrified of his frown. Krey scared even the werewolves, but Pip was starting to trust him, and Krey was starting to trust Pip. Slowly, but surely, they were letting each other in.

Krey left the bathroom when there was ten minutes to spare.

Pip was pulling at the sleeve of his blazer, and Krey stopped dead in his tracks. He had never seen someone so cute. Pip, with his rosy cheeks and dimples, turned and scanned Krey up and down with his bright blue eyes. "You look nice," Pip said with a smile. He wanted to say Krey looked hot, because he did. His blazer curled the muscles in his arms. His black jeans sculpted his muscular legs.

"You look good too," Krey replied, looking him up and down in return. Pip's blazer fit him well with a black knitted jumper bulking him up. Francis had known Pip would be cold. "Are you ready?"

Pip nodded.

Krey knew Pip wasn't mentally ready. Neither was he. At least they would have each other. "Let's go. Mum will be waiting."

They took each other's hand and walked down to the ground floor. Makena sat with Sid who wore a blue suit to contrast with his red hair. He wore red converse, so Pip didn't feel quite so under-dressed wearing his.

Krey looked to Francis who wore black jeans and a black jumper with a wolf's head printed on the left chest. Only the Alpha, their mates, parents of the Alpha, the Beta and the Delta went to the annual meeting. Krey thought it was fitting that Francis was coming, even if she was only Pip's guard, not his Beta wolf, yet.

"Boys," Makena said, lifting her velvet dress when she walked. Pip saw her boots and the shimmer of a blade attached before she stopped in front of him.

What the hell is this meeting? Pip thought but kept a brave face and smiled at her.

"You both look great. The car is here, are you ready?" Makena asked.

"No," Krey grumbled. "You better have two cars. I'm only staying an hour."

Makena shook her head and lead them down a corridor Pip hadn't yet been down. The patterned wallpaper was half torn off. Pip tried not to look too amused, knowing that was the work of the wolves who Krey punished earlier that day.

As they reached two double doors, large and grand and wooden, Pip remembered that he had been in the corridor only once before, the day Krey brought him back. Pip had stared so hard at the floor he didn't get a chance to see how the entrance looked.

"Who's in charge when you leave this place?" Pip asked quietly as they stood in the cold, waiting for black cars to turn around in the moonlight.

"It would have been Sid," Krey said. "But because he's coming with us, I've assigned a group of Omega's with Delta blood to manage the place. We'll only be gone a few hours, so it's not like they'll have to do much."

Everyone decided to travel together in cars. Pip, Krey, and Francis went in one, and Makena and Sid went in the other. They had to travel on the roads together. They couldn't split up because only some people had wolves.

Pip took the middle seat because he was smaller than Krey and Francis, who both exceeded six foot, and were both bigger built than him. Even Makena was taller and bigger built, like the rest of the werewolves in the institute, regardless of gender.

Two guards sat in the front. The amount of protection they needed made Pip nervous.

He had entered a dangerous world, one that had been under his nose for years, but only now, Pip could lift the veil and take a good look at the real world.

Pip kept awkwardly tugging on his blazer or his jeans until Krey took his hand. Pip looked down, watching his small fingers slot between Krey's large ones. He curled his fingers over Krey's knuckles and held his hand tightly.

The journey was 30 minutes long, and Pip didn't let go of Krey the entire time. He made polite conversation with Francis about settling in, and what to do about college and work. Krey had sat silently the entire time and stared out of the window.

"When was the last time you travelled in a car?" Pip asked.

"Never," Krey mumbled.

"Oh." Krey said no more, so Pip turned to Francis. "Is this your first car ride too?"

"Um, no, actually."

Pip was about to ask about her other car journeys until he spotted a huge building emerging from the trees. The building was just as big as Krey's institute with huge long windows, many stories, gargoyles either side of metal gates, long fields swallowed by darkness. Unlike Krey's building, this one was red brick with green vines snaking up the left side, coiling under windows, over corners and up to the roof.

"Is that another pack house?" Pip asked.

"Yes. It used to be called the Graymer Pack when my grandfather was the Alpha. It was renamed the Shadow Pack a few years ago because the new Alpha's wolf is so black, you can't see her in any shadows. My father's sister is the Alpha. She's called Saphine, and she's a bit of a dick."

Pip could always count on Krey for being bluntly honest.

I will not remember that name, he thought as the car entered through the gates and drove down a long-pebbled path towards the front door. Unlike Krey's building, the Shadow Pack had rows and rows of plant pots full of purple hellebore flowers, also known as the winter rose.

Pip recognised them because his father always had a pot by the garden door when he was little. His father called them his Pippor miracles because they were strong and bloomed in the toughest climate.

Pip looked down to his lap to hide a sad smile. Be strong, he told himself. If flowers can bloom in the snow, then I can talk to a few werewolves.