Chapter 74

Krey paused when his mother exited his bedroom at the end of the corridor. "What are you doing?" he asked, stomping towards her with Pip in his arms.

"Just making sure it's definitely clean. Francis and I knew your room would be trashed. Your laptop was trampled on, your bed frame was broken to pieces, and Pip's clothes were thrown out of the window. We're cleaning them now, don't worry Pip. We checked the room for any cameras or anything like that. It's all clear, just a bit of a... mess."

Krey peered into his room. The mattress was on the floor with a fresh black sheet and a thick black duvet for Pip. Krey glanced to the window, once again broken. His couch was torn like a feral wolf had chewed it through the night, and his dark grey floorboards were clawed to bits. Some boards in the corner of the room raised and snapped. "Rogue freaks," Krey muttered, and turned back to his mother who was almost at her own bedroom door. "Hey!" Krey yelled. She paused and glanced his way. "Thanks." Krey wanted to say thank you for trying to work with Francis too, but that would have been too much praise for Krey to dish out in one day.

Makena smiled, and Krey entered his room, noting the temperature drop because of the plastic sheet covering the window. He tucked Pip under the duvet and laid down beside him. They both stared around the room for a while, finally letting their mad weekend sink in. "At least we can now decorate the room to suit you more too," Krey mumbled, glaring at Pip's yellow puffer Jacket hanging on the back of the door. A big slit opened the back, clearly from a wolf's claw.

"We could maybe adventure to a different colour?" Pip suggested, glancing at Krey's black furniture and grey walls and grey floor.

"Perhaps."

Pip couldn't turn his head to look at him, so he smiled and tried reaching for his hand.

Krey brought Pip's knuckles to his mouth, kissing them tenderly.

"So you didn't find the Southern Alpha," Pip said, enjoying the feeling of his kisses.

"No, but we will, and I'll kill him."

Pip didn't need to see his face to know he meant it. "Do you think they have more wolves coming?"

"I don't know. Probably." Krey heard Pip's heart spike. "It's fine though. We know we have allies now, and they know that too." Krey sat up, so Pip could see him.

"Do you think Jordan's death kick started everything? I think their plan would've been a lot less chaotic of Jordan hadn't died. They might've even, um, gotten to us."

"I do think Jordan's death was a nasty shock, and the Alpha would have sent the wolves to Shadow Packhouse out of grief. The plan for the traitor Beta's didn't achieve anything because we found out that I'm not entirely to blame for everything. I think they secretly planned to take over each pack in the North and surprise me if I tried to reach out to allies. That would've been more like one of their plans." Krey crossed his arms, scowling. "I don't want to talk about them anyway. I want to talk about you."

"Me?"

"Yes. You missed college today, and you no longer live with your aunt and uncle, and you no longer work at the café, and you no longer spend evenings in the library. People will think I abducted you or something."

"Maybe I can become another institute conspiracy," Pip grinned, and his dimples deepened.

"The boy stolen by wolves." Krey's brown eyes melted into Pip's smile.

"And with what happened with my parents, people will really believe it."

Krey's face froze. "We can ask human authorities to plant a different rumour."

"No, it's fine Krey. I would prefer the wolf rumour. There will be one about Mark too."

"I'll definitely ask authorities to plant one about him, something embarrassing." Krey sighed. "Victoria and Mark are still here. I thought they went back to Sea Claw Packhouse, but I guess Victoria is family. Mark though, he can sleep outside for all I care."

Pip tried to shake his head, but his neck brace stopped him. He tugged lightly on the soft material around his chin. "How will I sleep with this?"

"It'll be uncomfortable, but worth it to make sure you're okay. How's your head?"

"A bit better. Am I healing faster than humans?"

"Yes." Krey shuffled closer and softly traced the back of his finger along the plaster on Pip's head. "You'll feel better in a few days."

"I feel better now b-because I'm warm and I'm- I'm with you again."

Krey smiled at his nervous stutter. He pushed strands of Pip's brown waves from his eyes. "That was a stressful weekend."

Pip chuckled, reaching up to brush the hair from Krey's eyes too. His small tuft of silvery strands felt wiry compared to the black. "I feel like I've had a proper welcome to the werewolf world."

"You definitely have." When Pip yawned, Krey made him a little more comfortable by slotting a pillow behind his head. He found some black shorts to wear for bed but paused before entering the bathroom. "Where's my door gone?" Krey looked through the room like he expected a black door to be laying around. He grumbled something under his breath about Southern Wolves and entered the bathroom, turning on the shower.

Pip couldn't see the shower from where he lay, but he could see Krey undressing in the mirror above the sink. Krey pulled his top off, and Pip's cheeks reddened when he unzipped his black jeans. The mirror stopped just below Krey's bellybutton, but Pip still couldn't cool down his cheeks at the thought of Krey undressing.

Pip pursed his lips and tried to look away from Krey's muscular back, but he couldn't, not until Krey stepped out of sight and into the shower.

Pip listened to the irregular noise of the water as Krey washed. He could soon smell the musky scent of Krey's soap. As his thoughts roamed around the werewolf, Pip thought more about their relationship. He was beyond comfortable with a kiss and quite ready for more. After connecting the bond, he stopped worrying about Krey getting bored of him or finding him annoying, or wishing he had a different mate.

Connecting the bond had given Pip the confidence to know that Krey liked him just as much as he liked Krey, and Pip liked Krey a lot.

After listening to the sound of the shower for a few minutes, Pip turned towards the bathroom when the shower turned off.

Krey stepped onto the cold tiles and into the view of the bedroom to get a towel. He glanced over to the bed as he did, and connected eyes with a very red-faced Pip. Krey kept their gaze connected while he grabbed a towel. "What are you looking at?" he asked calmly.

Pip's eyes flicked quickly down Krey's body, stopping for longer than intended on something most people kept private. His cheeks burned crimson. "Nothing," Pip squeaked and covered his mouth with his hands, making himself stare at Krey's amused face.

Krey smirked and rubbed his black hair with a towel. He stepped into the bedroom, feeling the cold air all over his body. "No really," he said, leaning against the doorway. "What are you looking at?"

Pip couldn't help it. His eyes couldn't stop darting down Krey's body, making him a little breathless and a little hot under the duvet.

"Feeling a little flustered?" Krey asked while drying himself with the towel.

Pip chewed on his bottom lip and couldn't speak like the awkward person he was, but he couldn't look away either.

Krey eventually slipped on his black shorts and flopped onto the bed, finding Pip's embarrassment quite entertaining. "I think I like not having a door."

Pip summoned all his strength to compose himself. "Y-You won't when you've eaten something that doesn't agree with you."

Krey chuckled darkly. Pip failed to hide his shock.

"What? I am capable of finding things funny." Krey reached over and pinching Pip's side.

Pip grabbed his hands. "That's news to me."

Krey's brown eyes circled his mate's face. "Who are you? Confident Pippor? We haven't met properly."

Pip slapped his hands away when Krey tried pinching him again.

Krey shuffled closer, so Pip's arm brushed his bare torso. His muscles moved sleekly under the skin, showing off all the mornings of hard workouts, and the nights of running off his steam.

They stared for a while, getting comfortable with the silence.

Pip enjoyed Krey's presence. When he wasn't boiling over with anger, he was very relaxed and peaceful to be around.

Krey soon took Pip's hand and played with his fingers. He sometimes connected them, and sometimes traced the lines on his palm, and sometimes just held it, like he couldn't bare separating their skin.

They had rested together for long enough for Pip to feel his lids getting heavier, until Krey said, "I cried."

Pip looked at him. Krey's eyes were distant. His face was blank, but there was something there, something sad. "When?"

"When I thought you would die. I kept feeling my wolf fade." Krey started to frown. "I've only cried a handful of times in my life, Pip. The thought of losing you brought me to my knees. Now do you understand how much mates mean to each other?"

Pip nodded. He tried to imagine Krey crying. It was as hard as trying to imagine him smiling. He lifted his arms for an embrace. Krey lay on top of him, resting his head against Pip's chest, wanting Pip to comfort him. Krey curled up and gripped the duvet. Pip could feel him resisting more emotion. "I'm okay now," Pip whispered, running fingers through his dark hair, and squeezing Krey's arm. "We're both okay."

Krey nodded against him, then closed his eyes, suddenly exhausted.

Listening to Pip's heart, and drowning in his sweet scent, all while feeling Pip's arms around him was enough for Krey's demanding soul. He was content right next to Pippor Monty, his first love, and his last love, a boy he would die for, and adore forever, a boy who could make him cry, and make him smile just by being himself.

Pip wasn't just his mate, Pip was Krey's entire universe. When Krey said he couldn't live without him, he had never been more serious. Pip was his heart, and without him beating life through his veins, Krey would cease to exist.