Chloe woke with her cheek molded to his chest. His beautifully smooth chest, if she did say so herself. She smiled and drew her nose along him, a tiny flutter of butterflies erupted in her stomach and she dropped her leg in between his, tangling her in him. Her hormones wide awake, even if she still yet to get there.
He stirred, groaning, and lifting a hand to his face to rub his eyes.
Interaction. Normal interaction with him on a next morning basis was required.
His hand on her side tightened, “Morning, Little.” His voice throaty and tired, a protest to waking up.
Chloe felt her cheeks redden. She should have just gotten over it, she'd have a lot more mornings to get up next to him. A life time, if that was even a possible thought, but today was her first and she was pretty sure she had a right to be a nervous seventeen year old.
“Morning, Gray,” she whispered back.
He rolled on his side and came over her, kissing her with determination.
She smiled and she felt his mouth do a similar gesture. “Jeez,” her fingers caressed over his now well stubbled face, “I think you need to shave.”
“What if I want to grow a beard?”
Chloe wrinkled her nose, “Then when you're doing that dead sleeping thing with the loud snoring. I'll shave it off.”
He laughed, “I don't snore, that bad.”
Chloe wrung her hands to his cheeks, “Yes, you do. Sorry.”
“Don't apologize to me. You're the one that has to sleep next to it.” He sunk his mouth against hers, taking amusement in her suffering.
She felt herself ache, his hands on her weren't enough and his mouth on hers wasn't as satisfying as what her body pulled for.
Surprising, considering how sore she still was from their mating experience hours before.
His lips ran along her jaw and nibbled on her soft skin as his hand dropped down her chest to her stomach, finally reaching her aching little thighs. His hand tightened on her hip and he pulled her on top of him, rolling with her.
She yelped, but caught her bearings, “You're abrupt.” Something else was a bit abrupt as well on him. Her nerves flew, “You think the human jitters would wear off by now.”
He pulled her chin and brought her mouth against his, “That's not human jitters, that's just me.”
She giggled like a dumb little school girl sitting on top of a movie star, “Ugh, Grayson, what have you done to me?”
He smirked, “Claimed you, babe.” Gripping her bottom and bringing her closer to his chest. It made her body sting and tingle, she wanted more.
She wiggled against his pressing want, “So, we're mated?”
“Officially.” He nodded.
“No going back.” She clarified.
“Nope.” He pulled her into him tighter, about to take her, smiling the entire time.
She blushed. “Grayson.”
He let up and pulled the blankets over her back, his hands running over her shoulders. His hips lifted and he slipped inside of his mate.
She let out a gasp beneath the quilts and kissed him, feeling well filled.
He groaned, kissing her.
She panted, “It's so good.”
“Yeah?” He smiled.
Her head nodded in intoxication as a knock at his bedroom door interrupted the moment.
“Grayson? Are you home?”
Chloe blanched and scooted off him, under the covers as the door cleared the frame.
Beth stepped into the room and stared at her son and the malformed blankets beside him.
“Mother!” Grayson snapped. “No. Out. Now!”
Beth hesitated.
“Mom, get out!” He shouted.
She swallowed and finally left, murmuring an apology of some sort, “Come downstairs! I've been so worried...”
Chloe burnt beneath under the blankets, she knew her face would likely not recover from the embarrassment either. She buried herself in his chest and cringed, “That was horrible.”
He laughed though.
Chloe snapped her head from under the blankets, “It's not funny, you weirdo!”
He smiled at her, “Come here.”
“No,” she snapped out of the bed and looked around the room, realizing she had no clothing.
He put his arms behind his head and watched her, “You can wear some of my clothes.”
“You mean, I can swim in them,” she corrected and walked to his dresser, her stark nakedness disturbing her, another humanoid issue for sure.
Opening the top drawer to see underwear, she slammed it shut.
“Bottom drawer, Little.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and bent down to the bottom drawer, pulling it open and looking over the pairs of jeans and shorts and... She shot up and crossed her arms across her chest, realizing what he'd just done to her, “Grayson, you're gross!”
He laughed and put his hands to his face, just too amused from her bending and giving him the show he wanted.
She rolled her eyes and shot back around, opening the second drawer to find herself a shirt. She pulled it over her head and adjusted the massiveness of it over her hips, “You're sick.”
Grayson sat up, “I know.”
She looked him over and couldn't stay so snappy with him. Her body almost pulled her towards him and she sunk down in the bed, pouting about it.
He looked at her as she crawled over his lap that was covered in blankets. He smiled, “You know you like me.”
“Don't push me,” she hissed.
He kept his amused look, “Not even being turned has taken your attitude away.” His lips pressed against hers and his tongue dipped between her lips.
She sucked on it and then bit into his mouth, kissing him hard.
His arms enclosed around her, pulling her to him, but she broke from his mouth before it turned into more.
“Gray.”
He didn't let her go and instead just readjusted her on him, biting into her neck.
She knew there was a lot to deal with and she was sure Grayson knew that as well. However, he was too easily distracted with the new bond they shared.
“Grayson,” she pushed off him, “Shouldn't we get up?”
He gripped her thighs, “It can all wait,” his chest tightened.
“Gray,” she shook her head. “What about Colten?”
“Who?”
“Colten... he turned me,” she swallowed.
Grayson's hand tightened on her, “I'll deal with him later.”
Her eyes darkened, “And Darcy?”
Grayson sighed, “Yeah, okay, I get it, Chloe. I'll deal with it all. It's only a matter of time before Darcy finds out I'm on Tribune territory anyway.”
“I think he killed her.”
“Who?” he creased his brow, pulling his gaze from her bare thighs.
“Do you not listen to anything I tell you?”
He smirked, “I wasn't listening too much of what you were saying last night. I was more concerned with mating you.” Distracted by her again, and playing with the hem of his shirt on her.
“Well,” she tried to brush off his hormones that were wafting off his skin and filling her newly sensitive nose. She smelled the air to make sure she wasn't just imagining things and yes, she could smell every ounce of him.
Before she could catch herself, her eyes fluttered shut, her thighs tightening on his lap.
He smiled, “Wow, Chloe Pryce affected by me?”
She blanched and tore herself back, “This is freaking me out!”
He laughed, “You'll get used to it.”
She swallowed, looking very serious. “I can smell you and it's weird.”
“You mean...” he kissed her, drawing her closer, “It's nice and you like it.”
“I don't know about that.” Her voice trailed off.
He cupped her cheek and pushed his thumb against her lips, “Can't you just let the little wolf out a bit? I like her. She likes me.” He growled and she felt her insides twist, about to melt for him.
“Sorry, I don't know how.” She admitted.
He smiled, “Chloe, you are her.”
She sighed, “I think Darcy killed Savannah, his mate.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That I think Darcy killed his mate.” She explained in more obvious tone.
He groaned, “He couldn't kill her. Not if being mated feels like this.”
“I think he did,” she pressed, “I think I saw him.”
Grayson tensed, the information bothersome, “You saw my brother kill someone?”
“I think so,” Chloe breathed.
He frowned, “Well, which is it, Chloe?”
“I'm... well, I saw him beating up a smaller wolf outside my house one night. It was before the winter dance.”
He took an unsettled breath.
“He hurt her, Gray. If anything, we need to confront him,” She tried to sound strong and focused to keep his attention, “And now you can challenge him for Alpha.”
Grayson cringed, looking disturbed by her words.
“What now?” she snapped.
He ran a hand through his hair, “I don't know.”
Chloe's mood flipped, “What are you talking about? You're not going to challenge him! Grayson, come on.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, “Chloe, let me finish. I'm not going to challenge him this minute.”
She got off him, “Grayson, you should challenge him as soon as possible. Your pack hates him. They want a fair alpha... I want you to do it.” She tried to push herself under the bus to see if he would bite.
Grayson sighed, “He's strong.”
“And now aren’t you just as strong!” she snapped, not understanding. “You're taller and bigger than him anyway.”
He swung his legs over the bed and got up, walking to his dresser. “It's hard to over throw a new alpha.”
“Colten will help you.”
“I'm supposed to trust this Colten?” He pulled on a pair of jeans and turned to her.
Chloe stared up at him as he did up the buttons on his khakis without underwear, but that really wasn't the point at that moment.
“Grayson, he saved me.”
He pointed at her and stepped forward, “I was coming. I got there and he'd already dragged you out of the vehicle. He'd already taken you away!”
“Grayson!” Chloe snapped, “I was dead!”
He flinched, “You want me to be alpha? Is it not good enough to just be with me in peace? We can run away. We can be free from this pack and its dumb rules.”
Chloe couldn't believe what he was saying, “Darcy saw me in the mountains yesterday. He was talking to Bruce and making some sort of plans with him. He told Mike to take me back to his house, but Mike let me go and put himself on the line, so I could go to find your sorry disappearing butt!”
He creased his brow, “Why are you so hot headed?”
“I'm not!” she snapped. “You're a big huge idiot! You're thicker than a tree sometimes!”
He grabbed her and pulled her against him, tightening his grip on her, but luckily this time it didn't feel like she was being crushed to death. She could even fight back if she wanted, though she knew he'd still win if she did.
“Your brother is crooked and you know it,” she stared up at her tall mate. “He wanted me, Grayson. He wanted to do things to me and he didn't even know it was me. His morale is messed up!”
Grayson growled. She knew it was finally getting to him.
“You can be alpha.”
“Yes, alright, Chloe.” He walked across the room and opened his dresser to pull out a shirt, “I'm already pushing Darcy anyway by being home right now. And yes, I do want to beat him royally, but you need to think this over with the little time we've been given, if you want it to just be us or... if you want to be in charge of an entire pack and their well-being! Because, that is what we will be in charge of, Chloe. We're young, we have no experience... I don't think you quite grasp what this will require!”
She stared at him, not believing his words, “Darcy is not a good alpha! He killed Savannah. Tribune deserves better!”
“We don't know if he killed Savannah, but fine... I'll do what you want. I'll challenge Darcy. I'll risk my life and yours. We'll run Tribune and make sure we produce the next alpha in line. I'll do what you want.” He sounded so grumpy with his new potential status and she was confused by it.
She walked towards him slowly, “Gray, it's the right thing to do.” She put her hands on his chest and felt his hot skin and pounding heart.
She dropped her cheek against him and gripped his sides, her hands cascading over his muscles, “You're a good man. You'll be a good leader.” She felt him flinch.
That was it, he was afraid of it. It was easier to run and be with her than fight and take on the type of responsibility she was asking of him.
He dropped his mouth to her cheek, “I wasn't expecting all this. Not to find my mate so soon or have to ever challenge my brother for alpha. I just thought, I was some seventeen year old werewolf until you showed up in my life.”
“Gray,” she lifted her chin, “You deserve Tribune and if your dad and Darcy have beaten that out of you, I'm willing to put everything on the line to get you to fight for your pack. They want you. Not him.”
He sighed, “And I want you.”
“You have me.” She could feel her annoyance again and sat on his bed behind her, “Remember... you locked yourself in me and... made that whole thing wildly awkward with burning and inside mutilation!”
“It wouldn't have been as awkward as it was if you didn't have such a human brain.”
She rolled her eyes, “Thanks.”
He returned to putting on a shirt, “Let's go eat breakfast, I'm hungry.”
She wasn't satisfied that he didn't have a plan, it was making her upset, so she stayed sitting on the bed, “Whatever, Grayson.”
He looked to her and growled, “Chloe, you really need to not push my buttons right now. I'm really not in a mental state to deal with it. I just mated you!”
“Have you ever been in the right mental state, Grayson?” She raised an eyebrow and tried not to smile.
He walked to the bedroom door, “Let's go downstairs, before I decide to make up for last night.”
She stayed put.
He sighed, “Are you coming?”
“I need pants.” She informed him.
“I'll go borrow some from my mother.” He walked out of the room, leaving her to think their conversation over and realizing Grayson needed the truth, they needed to find Darcy's mate and soon.