"I thought you were grounded?"
Ethan grinned at her, all false innocence and just a hint of bitterness. "What Duke doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"
"And where exactly does he think you are?" Isla asked curiously. She didn't idle as she waited for him to speak. Instead she went about getting him a glass of water and clearing off the other side of the counter.
The 'teenager' chuckled. "We may have said something about track practice."
"Damn, I forgot school had started up again." The redhead crossed in front of him with a stack of dishes in her arms. As she loaded them into the dishwasher, she called to him, "Is Finstock still a complete and utter wreck of a man?"
"Yes." Ethan opened the menu, eying its contents with disinterest as she returned to the spot in front of him. He lifted his gaze to her back as she began to sort through a tray of utensils.
The diner was empty. The weather was surprisingly mild and there really had been try outs for track- it just happened to finish a lot earlier than they had implied to their Alpha. Aidan had been quick to scope out and scoop up his target(a pretty young thing named Lydia) but apparently Ethan's(a pretty young thing named Danny) had other plans. Other plans that involved his grandparents and not a certain baby faced werewolf and thus Ethan found himself bored and without entertainment, so he had decided to turn to Deucalion's entertainment. He hadn't been disappointed so far. Isla was a surprisingly personable young human and Ethan found himself enjoying her sincerity and warmth.
"That sucks, babe." Isla spun back to face him, a pained grimace on her pretty features.
Ethan offered her a sheepish shrug. "Well, what'cha gonna do, right?"
"Well, when I went there was this kid name Greenberg who slipped tranquilizers in his coffee." The redhead shook her head with a wistful smirk. "God, he hated that kid."
The young man squinted at her, unsure if she was kidding or not, but judging by her nonchalance, he supposed she wasn't. "That seems a little drastic."
"And I'm pretty sure it's attempted murder, so I'm not recommending it." She smiled brightly at him as she folded another set of utensils into a napkin. "I'm just letting you know it's an option. An ill-advised one, but it was really funny to see Coach try and stumble through an Econ lecture all drugged up."
Taking a sip of his water, the werewolf raked his gaze over her. Isla was a pretty woman, beautiful even, with sharp features and a buxom figure. While she certainly wasn't to his tastes, Ethan could see why Deucalion was interested. Even if she did have a strange underlying smell to her blood, an unsteady heart beat and an apparent soft spot for murderous older men.
His inspection went unnoticed. When at rest, Isla's features remained content and passive, so when her lips pulled downward into a cringe of a frown, it caught his attention.
"What's-" Ethan paused at the quiet sound of her heart skipping in her chest. It was a bit more rapid than it had been the moment before, and he watched with a morbid curiosity as the woman in front of him dug her fingers into the linoleum countertop. "Everything okay?"
"Fine." She smiled through grit teeth. The werewolf watched as she forced a smile for him, her cheeks stained a blotchy red as she struggled to maintain her breathing.
"Are you sure?"
Isla nodded and after a few moments, the color drained from her face, replacing it with a clammy pale. With a strained chuckle, she cleared her throat. "So. Have you decided what you'd like?"
"I think I'm going to pass on dinner."
"Oh." A hint of relief came over her features, but he didn't take it personally as she continued awkwardly, "Um. Okay."
"It's nothing personal, I just didn't realize how late it's getting." Ethan offered her a smile, "Maybe next time."
"Alright, cool." Isla watched him go without another word. He waved through the picture window before getting on his motorcycle and the woman returned it with a hint of a frown.
"See." Jimmy's voice cut in from the back. "Now you're scaring away customers. Just tell the damn doctor already."
Scowling, the redhead rounded on him. "Are you going to pay for my new medication?" When the older man only frowned and dropped his gaze in response, she continued. Her tone wasn't harsh or angry, just tired and frustrated. "Thought so. So, no, I won't be telling Dr. Monroe any time soon. Besides. It's not as bad as it looks. Honest."
"People only say honest when they're lying, Iz."
"No, they don't."
"Yes, they do." Jimmy huffed with annoyance as he came out of the back kitchen. Wiping his hands on a dish towel, he told her, "Maybe you should take some time off. Relax a little."
"I can't." She went back to folding napkins. When he crossed his arms over his broad chest, her eyes dropped to her hands, not wanting to meet his disapproving gaze. Isla had never been particularly good with disapproval. "Not right now anyway. Maybe in a few months when I get back on my feet."
The man uncrossed his arms with a sigh. "Isla…"
"Jimmy…" The young woman mocked with a smile. When his features remained tense, she sighed. "It's fine. I probably just wore myself out this morning when I had to run to work. It's no big deal."
"You live less than two blocks away."
She lifted a weak shoulder. "Semantics."
Jimmy groaned and tossed the towel at her. It caught her ponytail before falling onto the counter behind her. The man neither noticed nor cared as he ordered, "Go home. Go home right now."
"No! I can't! Who will wait on the customers?!" Silence hung between them as Jimmy slowly panned his gaze over the empty restaurant. The waitress glared at him. "I'm not leaving."
"Don't make me call Daye and explain to her about these little fits you've been having…"
Isla's gaze narrowed further at him as she squinted suspiciously at her godfather. "You wouldn't."
"Oh, wouldn't I?" He asked with a smirk. Jimmy moved over to her quickly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he steered her toward the door. "Besides. I'm not feeling too hot myself. We'll close up early, tell Daye we had a slow run today."
"I don't know…" She bit her bottom lip. "I don't like lying, Jim."
The man sighed at her earnestness. "I know. But it's just this once. Honest."
After a moment, Isla relented and nodded. "Okay. I'll get my coat."
Jimmy nodded and placed a paternal kiss on the top of her head. "Atta girl. I'll lock up. Go home and get some sleep."
Isla did just that. It was only four by the time she got back to her apartment, the sun still obnoxiously bright and warm as though it was mocking her for being too tired to enjoy it. Glaring spitefully at it, she closed the thick velvet curtains around her tiny window and crawled into bed. The redhead sighed, annoyance for gotten. It was replaced with utterly contentment as she buried her face into the cool cotton pillowcase and was out like a light in a manner of seconds.
Had the buzzer not rang nearly five hours later, she no doubt would've continued to sleep throughout the night. The loud, insistent sound echoed through the thin walls of her apartment. Isla had barely lifted her head when her neighbor began to bang on their adjacent wall, earning a scowl from the woman.
Keeping her blanket secure around her, Isla yawned as she shuffled toward the intercom near her front door. Jabbing the answer button with her thumb, she asked, "Hello?"
"Isla?" An accented voice asked.
Reality came crashing down on the woman at the sound of it. "Deucalion! Fuck, I'm sorry- here, come on up."
She hit the button to unlock the door before she ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth, the blanket forgotten in her haste. How could she have forgotten?! While they hadn't had a chance to finish their first technical date, Deucalion had taken to walking the woman home on a daily basis. Occasionally he was stop in for a tea or simply to talk and the fact that she had so carelessly forgotten was nearly enough to cripple Isla with embarrassment.
Spitting and wiping her mouth on a tea towel, the redhead primped momentarily in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, but it would have to do. The bags under her eyes however, would just not do. Isla had actually pulled out the concealer when she realized that Deucalion had no way of seeing her and blushed pink at her own forgetfulness. And maybe a little at her own vanity. Returning to the mass of tangled curls that was her hair, she quickly ran her fingers through it. It wasn't as knotted as she expected, and Isla thanked her lucky stars for that before dashing back to the front door.
Just in time apparently, as a brisk knock came upon it. Kicking the blanket out of the way(and far away from the threshold to prevent Deucalion from tripping over it), the woman swung the door open. "Hi! Sorry, again, I suck."
Deucalion smirked at her and offered his hand. "Not a problem. Although, I was rather concerned when Ethan said he spent the afternoon with you, only for the diner to be closed."
"He was a perfect gentleman," Isla assured him. She slipped her hand into his and laced their fingers together. Giving them a gentle tug, the redhead coaxed him inside and closed the door behind him. Biting her lip, she faltered a moment as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. She returned his affection with a light peck of her own while she debating whether or not to lie to him.
The Alpha arched a brow over his Aviators as he sectioned off his cane. Tucking it into his back pocket, he inquired, "May I ask as to why the diner was closed then?"
"Jimmy- wasn't feeling well." Isla winced and rubbed the back of her neck.
Deucalion seemed to believe her easily enough, which only made the younger woman feel worse as he told her, "Well, I hope he feels better."
"Yeah, me too."
Awkwardly, he gestured to the door behind him. "I didn't mean to impose on you-"
"Oh! No, not imposing at all, honest, I was just hanging out." With a quirk of a smile, she wrapped her arms around his waist, "You're welcome to join me, if you like."
A sly grin stretched across the man's lips. Letting his nose brush against hers, he let his fingers fan the expanse of her back. "I would be amenable to that."
Isla giggled, a sweet pleased sound to the blind man's ears as her lips caught his own. She tasted strongly of mint, her mouth warm and inviting as she pressed close to him. Her hands slid from his waist, trailing over his stomach and up the front of his wool blazer to unzip it. Peeling it back, she pulled back, but only just. Lips hovering a hairsbreadth below his own, Isla let them caress his as she spoke, "You know…we never did finish what we started."
"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to deny you anything…" Deucalion smirked at her, enjoying her fingers as they eased his jacket off. He heard her toss it aside, uncaring of where it landed. He followed her example, letting his own curious fingers trail along the hem of her shirt. It was cotton and well worn, wrinkled despite how tightly it hugged her skin. He paused, however, when he caught her unsteady heartbeat. "Is it safe? With your condition, I mean?"
He felt her smile against his mouth. "Yes. It's safe. There are a few conditions, obviously. Say if I had just gotten out of the bath or done a triathlon, it might not be advisable, but I am well rested and in dire need of a lay."
"You certainly know how to make a man feel special."
"Hey." Isla bumped her pelvis against his own. "I'll have you know I have a rigorous screening process. You just happened to pass with flying colors, Dee."
"Did I now?" Deucalion smiled as she led him down the hall. "And what, may I ask, did this testing process involve?"
"Well, you're hot and you have an accent."
He frowned as they turned into her bedroom. It was a touch warmer than in the hall and seemed heavily of her. "Well-"
"Let me finish. You're also witty, tall and surprisingly mellow." She paused in front of him. "And I like you."
Deucalion felt a hint of a blush cross his cheeks. It was odd, someone commenting on an aspect of his personality and not his brute strength or well, murderous impulses. Perhaps that was why he was drawn to the young woman in the first place. He arched a brow at her, "Truthfully. Why the interest in me?"
"Truthfully?" Isla paused a moment. "I guess you seemed…lonely. And I guess I could relate to that."
The man blinked at her. His stomach twisted as he let out a near silent, "Oh."
"Yeah." She bit her lip, fiddling with his fingers a moment. "Did I ruin the moment? I didn't mean to ruin the moment."
"You didn't." Deucalion shook his head, running his hand from her own up to her cheek. He cupped it gently, able to feel the blush against his fingertips. The woman nuzzled against his touch with a sad smile. Leaning in to kiss her, he assured her quietly, "Not at all."
A/N: Sorry for the wait! I'd really like some opinions on this one, most due to the POV switches. I'm a bit worried about them. Hope you liked it!
