Chapter 80

I have two amazing stories to recommend today! One is called: 'Shredding Ice' by ctreagann and the other is called: 'Lady Of Oblivion' by AlexaSFisher. I highly recommend that you check both of these books out!! :D

- Sian

Pip lay next to his werewolf, gazing lovingly into his brown eyes, soft in the dim light.

Krey traced a finger in circles on Pip's bare chest. "You were great," he spoke deeply. Pip smiled, and Krey's heart melted all over again. "I love you."

"I love you too," Pip whispered. He had been a little nervous, but so had Krey. They experienced something new together, and exciting, and intimate.

Krey leaned closer until their noses touched. He had previously gotten very hot about the sight of Pip with no clothes on. Now they laid together on the bed, naked and comfortable.

"You're so fucking perfect." Krey's voice was so deep, it sounded like a soft purr.

Pip's hand found Krey's arm. He smoothed fingers over the shapes of his muscles. "You're um," Pip felt himself blushing, "you're everything I ever wanted."

Instead of laughing at Pip and joking about his cheesy comment, Krey pulled back to see his beautiful blue eyes. "Really? With my moods too?"

Pip knew that loving someone meant accepting their flaws to a certain degree. Krey's moods and anger and violence were parts of him that had always been there. Pip would live with them, if Krey would make an effort to deal with them too. "Everything," he whispered.

Krey kissed him softly, feeling Pip smiling against him. Krey then hopped off the bed and entered the bathroom. He turned on the taps for the bath and held fingers under the water as his eyes trailed Pip who watched from the bed.

Krey looked him up and down with those intense dark eyes. He thought about the affection he had shared with his mate not long ago. The thought made him warm, and happy to the point where he wanted to smile.

When the bath was full of warm water, Krey approached Pip in the bed and picked him up. Krey carried him to the bath then lowered him gently into the water.

Pip thought the bath was for him, until Krey climbed in behind him and slotted his legs on either side. Krey reached for the bar of soap and the sponge. He rubbed slowly on Pip's chest, and softly kissed his ear.

Pip relaxed into him, closing his eyes. The hour was late. His body was tired, and a bath was sure to make him sleepy.

Krey washed him gently, running warm hands all over his body. Pip wanted to wash him in return, but Krey linked fingers around his waist and rested a chin on his shoulder, trapping their bodies together. They sat in the bath until the water cooled and Pip started shivering.

His eyelids were heavy when Krey climbed out and handed him a towel. Pip was also handed black tartan pyjamas that buttoned at the front. He dressed and tumbled his way into bed. Krey wore black pyjamas bottoms. He had ditched a top. Lying under the duvet was too hot sometimes, but he wanted to cuddle Pip and would do anything to be close.

As soon as they were under the duvet, their arms and legs tangled. They held one another tightly, and soon fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * * * *

The morning brought more warmth than Pip had felt in a while. As he ate breakfast with Krey, the sun shone through the window, warming him. Most of the snow was melting and only piles remained around the perimeter of the Packhouse.

Krey and Pip sat close enough for their legs and arms to touch, despite sitting on separate chairs.

"We're doing laps around the field at lunch. Are you feeling up to jogging with us?" Krey asked, sipping his black coffee with no sugar.

Pip nodded. "I miss running."

"We should make it our routine. Or something we can do together in the mornings." Krey suggested. His eyes barely left Pip's face as he ate his porridge.

"I would like that."

Krey very nearly smiled when Pip beamed at him. He stared into his black coffee and cleared his throat. Too many werewolves shared the canteen that morning. Krey liked them to think he had no emotion. Being around Pippor made it harder to conceal how happy he was to have a mate by his side.

Francis soon sat opposite with a big sigh. Some dreadlocks hung in front of her face. She moved them with a lazy sweep of her arm. "Good Morning." Her green eyes were tired and sunken, but her smile was as bright as it had been the day before.

"You look like shit," Krey grumbled, staring at her like he couldn't be more uninterested. "Have you slept?"

"Not really. I was helping get rid of some of the um, blood stains in the carpet through the night. We're all struggling to see them, especially now that the wolves have been buried and we're noticing their absences."

"And you expect me to order about a tired Beta?"

Pip pursed his lips at Krey's lack of sympathy.

Francis was used to Krey's bluntness, but she would never get used to the way he could strip her confidence down with just a look. "Um, I-"

"Get some sleep for fuck's sake." Krey wasn't angry, but he didn't understand why wolves made themselves sick with exhaustion just to please him.

Pip understood why. Krey was terrifying. His presence could make other wolves avoid the corridors he walked down, especially when mad. His glare was like staring into the heart of a black hole, deadly and bleak. Krey was easily annoyed, and his short fuse was hard to avoid when everyone lived together.

"Yes, Alpha." Francis took her bowl with her and hurried from the room.

Krey looked back to Pip, who stared with a concerned expression. "What?"

"You um- nothing." Pip looked back to his porridge.

Krey pinched Pip's chin, turning his head back to face him. "Say it."

"Y-You just um," Pip's voice hushed to a whisper. "You sound really harsh sometimes."

Krey stared at him for a long minute, as if he had hardened into stone. "You're right," he then muttered, letting go of Pip's chin. "I'll work on it." Krey would usually snap back when his mother told him to sort out his bluntness. Krey liked to argue just for the sake of pushing people away, but with Pip, he valued his opinions.

Lunchtime came quicker than Pip expected. The hours felt like minutes when he was with Krey. He glanced around at the werewolves still in their human form. They all wore proper running trainers, branded shorts and t-shirts. Some even had fancy water bottles and fitness watches. They talked about the best foods to eat before a long run. Pip hadn't eaten since breakfast, four hours ago.

Pip looked down to his own clothes. He still wore his yellow converse because they were the only shoes he owned. He wore cream-coloured jogging pants and his yellow hoodie. Pip had noticed a few wolves staring oddly at his clothes, but so far, nobody had made snide comments. Pip assumed they wouldn't dare to whisper about him with Krey standing a foot away.

"We'll run in pairs," Krey said, not starting at the front of the line. His usual aim was to keep the pace at the front, but he wasn't sure if Pip would keep up. He wore black trainers, black shorts that rested a few inches above the knee, and a black t-shirt with a white wolf's head embroidered into the material.

Pip stretched his legs a little, then waited awkwardly by Krey's side, not having the confidence to join conversations. The other werewolves didn't have confidence to talk to him either, not with Krey glaring at everyone who glanced in his direction.

"We just usually run until we get tired," Krey said, glad the sun was shining. Pip's eyes were beautiful, always, but the sun transformed them into two magical blue ponds of crystal water.

Pip hoped he didn't get tired first. He hoped he could at least outrun a few werewolves, though he doubted it after seeing how strong werewolves could be in their wolf forms. Their human forms had to be twice as strong as Pip.

He was anxious when everyone started running. It took Pip a while to find his rhythm, but once he had calmed, he was happy to run by Krey's side, who seemed to be enjoying his pace. Running had been Pip's escape for many years, and he felt more connected to the life he had with his parents. Keeping the running tradition only felt right to honour Pip's father. Staying kind was only right to honour his mother.

After a few laps around the huge field at the back of the institute, Pip noticed that Krey started picking up the pace. Pip matched the speed without a problem and they soon started overtaking other wolves who ran in pairs. Most of the wolves wanted to beat Krey, and they really tried to keep up, but Krey's stamina was impressive.

What was more impressive was Pip's ability to stay with him. Pip had practised sprinting through the woods after years of getting chased by bullies. If he had to, Pip would outrun almost anything.

Makena and Sid sat on benches by the door, watching. Pip felt their eyes on him every time they overtook more wolves.

When a few pairs were still in front of them after their third lap of the field, Krey tapped Pip on the arm, impressed by his fitness. "We... push harder?" he spoke, out of breath.

Pip grinned and Krey took that as a yes. The boys moved faster, running in sync.

Pip felt proud of himself when they were finally in the lead. He was the only human in the institute, yet he could outrun all the werewolves. Pip had felt like he had to prove his strengths because of the way they spoke about humans.

He would by lying if he said he wasn't getting a kick of confidence out of being at the front.

They soon broke away from the line, putting more distance between them and the other wolves. Every time Krey pressed harder, Pip followed easily. He didn't seem to be struggling, not even a little bit. Pip enjoyed the burning in his legs, and the feeling of his lungs working to the max.

He then decided to test Krey. As they completed their fourth run, Pip dug his heels harder into the grass. Krey was surprised and dug harder to keep up.

Sid and Makena's eyes followed them, both with arched brows. Though Sid wasn't entirely surprised after running with Pip through the woods.

Krey then tried to overtake Pip, but Pip ran faster. Soon they were racing each other around the field. Lap after lap, Krey tried moving in front of his small mate but Pip would run a little faster.

On their eighth lap, a lot of wolves had pulled out from exhaustion or curiosity to see who would give up first out of Krey or Pip.

"It'll definitely be Pip," an Omega said before squirting water in her mouth. "Alpha Krey wouldn't let him win."

"I think Alpha Krey is actually trying to catch up with him," Sid said, and most of the wolves agreed.

Pip had taken the lead for half a lap. He smirked and glanced behind him. Krey was a few metres away, equally as amused.

Krey didn't stay behind to make Pip look stronger, Krey was struggling to match his fast pace. The longer they ran, the more distance Pip added between them until he was almost thirty metres ahead.

Krey knew he couldn't catch up, so as he neared the stone yard where all the wolves stood, he slowed down, then stopped to pour water on his face and catch his breath.

Pip still ran for another lap, alone on the field after outrunning everyone, even the Alpha.

Krey stood by his mother, both watching him proudly. Pip was proving himself to be quite the athlete. Werewolves were fiercely competitive, and they praised those who were the strongest. Krey knew Pip had struggled to fit in, but his running abilities would soon be the talk of the Pack.

Krey hoped the wolves would now respect him more as a human, and not just as the Alpha's mate.