TRIGGER WARNING: Attempted sexual assault hinted at and talked about towards the end of chapter.
--
"Are you guy's sure about this?" Betty whispered as she and Sabrina walk side by side out of the school towards the parking lot.
In the distance Betty could see a cluster of motorcycles and she was starting to think this might have been a very bad idea. She has never skipped school before when she was supposed to be giving a tour and deep down she was terrified her mother would find out and ground her till graduation.
"Oh, come on Coop. Where's your sense of adventure, huh?" Sabrina teased, biting her lip while staring at the pink haired Serpent from earlier.
Betty could already see that Sabrina was enamoured with her and she didn't want to be the goodie two shoes who keeps them from getting to know one another. Sabrina stopped her, pulling her to the side to talk privately.
"Besides, Kevin saw this remember? I really want to get to know Toni more. I just know she's the one Kevin saw in his vision. Please Betty?" Sabrina tilted her head to the side, giving Betty the signature Spellman sad eyes that she was known for. Betty sighed and thought, Never could tell Sabrina no when she made that face.
"Ok, fine. But, I'm just doing this for you guys... Well, and to be friendly to the new students." Betty relented, knowing that she wanted to know more about the blue eyed boy with the strange crown beanie.
Sabrina narrowed her eyes at Betty, sensing that there was much more to it than that. She had seen the way that Betty and Jughead kept looking at each other when the new students arrived. They couldn't look away from each other.
"Right Coop, just keep telling yourself that when you and beanie-boy over there are getting friendly. Don't think I didn't notice the shape of his hat." Sabrina tapped the tip of her nose twice, their universal sign that they understand what is happening with each other.
Over the years the three of them had perfected the art of non verbal communication. Betty laughed and shook off her friends comment as they approached a cluster of motorcycles parked nearby.
Betty's palms began to sweat as she watched Jughead straddle his bike, the act alone making her heart rate increase and her mouth go dry. Seeing him on that bike made her body hum in ways it never had before.
Betty's breath caught in her throat when Jughead raised his index finger and gestured for her to come to him. The thought of being pressed firmly against his back with her arms wrapped tightly around him was tempting but her practicality overrode that quickly.
Surely he doesn't expect me to get on the back of one of those? Does he not know how dangerous those things can be? She thought before hearing her brother's words in her head, scolding her. Don't be such a stick in the mud Lizzy, live a little! You need to act your age sometimes, have fun!
Obviously, she knew the statistics -the number of motorcycle accidents that occurred each year- but at the same time she realized that these aren't your run of the mill riders. This is a pack of werewolves.
Wolves that had the ability to sense danger, who had reflexes almost as good as her own, and who could probably ride at breakneck speeds but still feel like they were going at a snail's pace.
Besides, she was a Watcher! She's supposed to be fearless warrior, not a scared 16 year old girl.
Betty huffed out a breath, looking at the others in their group around her, before again meeting that pair of hypnotizing cerulean eyes that were attached to a seductive smirk.
"Come on Betts, you're riding with me. I promise I don't bite... Well, unless you ask nicely, doll." Jughead says, grinning at her with a wink.
The raspiness of his voice causes Betty's inside to flip-flop, butterflies fluttering deep in her soul. He was so beautiful, his aura shining brightly with greens and deep greys and flecks of gold throughout. It was simply breathtaking.
Betty has encountered many different creatures in her 16 years but this is the first time she has ever seen an aura like this. Most of the time, Betty could only feel a person's aura and be able to distinguish whether they were good or evil.
Even on the rare occasion, when she was able to concentrate on her powers, she would be able to make out the faint outline of someone's aura but only for a few seconds. With Jughead though, it seems so much different.
With little effort, Betty can clearly see it floating around Jughead's body, swirling beautifully around him like a visual representation of his soul. It's honestly one of the most beautiful sights she has ever seen.
Betty couldn't help the blush that slowly crept up her neck as Jughead held his helmet out for her. "But, won't you need one?" She asked, her fingers brushing his lightly as she took the helmet from him.
"Betts, one thing you'll learn the longer you hang out with us: we wolves are extremely hard headed, in more ways than one." Jughead paused briefly before whispering, "Don't worry though, it's not my first time." He winked again making Betty blush even harder as she whispered out a strangled 'ok'.
Betty placed the helmet on her head with Jug's help, tightening it down. She swung her leg over the bike and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. Betty could feel him chuckle as he grabbed her hands and wrapped them tighter around his torso.
She glanced back at her friends and could see Sabrina happily flirting with Toni on the back of her bike while Kevin was pondering which boy he should ride with. That situation is gonna get messy. Betty thought with a grimace. Almost as if he could read her thoughts, Jughead leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Don't worry, Kevin is in good hands. Fangs and Joaquin don't mind sharing, if you catch my drift." Jughead waggled his eyebrows, causing Betty to laugh and swat his arm.
"Now hold on tight Blondie, I like to go fast." Jughead had a sinful look in his eyes that caused Betty's breath to hitch as he kick started the engine before they took off.
Betty squealed and clung onto Jughead for dear life. She could feel the rumble in his abdomen from his laughter but she didn't care that he was laughing at her. She just squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out all the thoughts in her head. She wasn't sure if her body was trembling from fear or from the vibrations of the bike as they sped down the streets of Riverdale.
"Open your eyes Betts, I won't let anything happen to you." Jughead yelled over the roar of the engine. Betty opened her eyes to see nothing but blurs of green passing them by as they zipped through the back roads heading towards the southside.
It was more beautiful than she imagined it would be and not nearly as frightening. Betty giggled at the feeling of the wind zipping passed them and the feelings that coursed through her. She even felt safe enough to loosen the grip she had on Jughead's shirt. It felt as if she were flying and it was exhilarating.
Just then, Jughead swung his bike towards an access road, tearing down a dirt road and speeding towards what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse in the woods.
Once they reached the gate, the fence slowly began to open for them and they drove around to park their bikes on the side of the building. They three northsiders shared a questioning glance before taking in their surroundings in more detail.
"You know Jug, I hope you aren't dumb enough to bring a Watcher and a White Witch out to the middle of nowhere for nefarious reasons, it wouldn't bode well for you guys." Betty said playfully as she removed his helmet, quirking her eyebrow.
"Oh trust me Betts, I would never. I actually thought maybe we'd bring you guys out to the tribes training center to see some of those self defense moves you are going to be teaching my baby sis. You know, I gotta make sure she can handle herself too." Jughead grinned, taking the helmet from her hands.
"Yeah and rumor has it you can kick some serious ass. So I, for one, wanna see what you got, Princess. Just a warning though, going up against a wolf can be tricky -even for a Watcher." Sweet Pea taunts from behind Betty. She arches her brow at him, knowing a challenge when she hears one.
"That sounds like a great idea, I could use the practice with a sparring partner who isn't imaginary. Sweet Pea, since you are so keen to see me fight, how about you volunteer as tribute?" Betty claps back, Jughead grinning as all the others whoop at the challenge.
"Alright then, let's head inside. I promise to go easy on you, Princess." Sweet Pea replies, giving her a gentle pat on the top of the head like she is a child.
"Careful Sweets, I have a feeling you might regret that later." Jughead laughs, quickly pulling Betty through the side door along with everyone else.
At first glance, Betty could see that the inside of the warehouse was set up much similar to her sparring chamber in her family bunker only with a few differences.
The biggest ones being that here there was no simulator and their facilities were much larger, no doubt due to the need for sparring while also being transformed.
There stood a large octagon with high encaged walls located at the center of the building. Towards the back was a section with free weights and exercise machines. There also appeared to be a locker room, showers, and a full size kitchen.
"Wow, this place is really nice. Are there lots of hot, sweaty wolfies who come here to wrestle around before hitting the showers, cause I would totally be down to watch that on a regular basis." Kevin says while pretending to fan himself.
"Jesus Keller, down boy. Those hormones of yours need to be on a leash, I swear." Sabrina chuckled and gave Kevin a playful shove. Kevin just shrugged and winked at her in response.
"Alright alright, let me go throw on my practice clothes and we can get this workout started. Mind if I use your locker room fellas?" Betty tilted her head in the direction of the locker room while grabbing her back pack.
"Sure thing Princess, I'll just be in the ring warming up." Sweet Pea snickered as Betty headed to the locker room to change.
She was nervous to be sparring in front of everyone but also really excited to actually be able to have a real life opponent for once. It gets boring fighting the same old things over and over and not having any outside comparatives.
Once Betty had gotten changed into her yellow and white Vixens shirt and tiny black practice shorts, she pulled her hair into a ballet bun and wrapped her hands. By the time she emerged everyone had gathered around the octagon where Sweet Pea was warming up in a white tank and a black pair of jogging shorts.
Betty walked up to Sabrina, whispering something to her as she removed her necklace and handed it to her for safe keeping. Sabrina chuckled and slipped the necklace into her pocket, giving Betty a high five on her way into the ring.
Betty entered and moved to the side opposite to where Sweet Pea stood. She began to gently roll her head from side to side and stretch, taking all the time in the world and going at a leisurely pace.
"Come on Blondie, we gonna do this or what? Or are you too scared to fight me?" Sweet Pea tries to egg her on but Betty doesn't even bat an eyelash, instead simply breathing deep and getting into a tree pose while she takes a few more deep breaths.
Sweet Pea starts to get frustrated so, thinking he can get the upper hand, he takes the opportunity while her eyes are closed to attack. Betty only smirks, eyes still closed, as he approaches quickly.
Before he even knew what hit him Betty turns, grabbing Sweet Pea behind his neck and by the front of his shirt before flinging him onto his back. As he regains his bearings, he can hear the Oooooo's from his friends. He opens his eyes to see Betty Cooper's angelic face standing above him, mocking him with a sweet grin.
"Now now Sweets, that wasn't very nice. Attacking a poor girl while she had her eyes closed. Tsk-tsk. I guess now I'll have to teach you a lesson." Betty stepped back while Sweet Pea got to his feet, bowing in his direction before dropping into a fighting stance. "Let's go, Big Boy."
Sweet Pea changed his tactic several times, deciding to try some boxing moves, some MMA and wrestling maneuvers, and even a street fighting style at one point.
However, the longer he was in the ring, the clearer it became that Betty was his better. He finally gave up after she had flattened him for the 4th time in a row.
Once they finished up sparring, Betty ran off to change clothes while the others all hung out and agreed that it was probably not wise to go up against her at any point.
They were all still laughing at Sweet Pea's grumbling as they got back on their bikes. In no time at all, they pulled up to park in front of a dingy looking roadhouse with a faded sign that read: The Whyte Wyrm.
Betty carefully stepped off of Jughead's bike, giving herself a minute to readjust to solid ground again. It wasn't until she was removing her helmet that she registered the sea of bikes parked out front.
By Betty's calculations, there were probably about 50 or more wolves packed into this place and her anxiety from earlier returned to her. She wasn't entirely sure how well northsiders would be accepted here.
Especially when one of them is the daughter of the former Watcher of Southside. Betty didn't want anyone feeling like she was here to spy or to interrogate anyone.
As Betty's mind raced she felt Jughead wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her close unexpectedly while he spoke to the group. "Ok guys listen up. Now, normally we don't let outsiders in our den but you guys are my guests so no one will hurt you. Just stick close to me or the gang and you guys will be fine. Cool?" Betty felt Jughead place his index finger under her chin to bring her eyes up to meet his.
"I promise I won't let anything happen to you, Betts." He smiled and traced his fingers down the slope of her neck causing her to shiver.
What the hell is he doing to me? Betty thought as her insides melted at his touch. They turned and headed straight for a large set of double doors that were ominously painted blood red.
Once they stepped inside, it was almost at if the entire place was frozen. Everyone turned to stare at the door, snarling and on edge. Everyone, that is, except the man behind the bar who wore a smug look in his eyes and a smirk that Betty could have sworn she'd seen before.
That's when recognition took hold and Betty felt almost daft at having not seen it before. They look so similar it is almost terrifying, it was like looking into Jughead's future.Well if he ages half as well as his Dad... Betty bit her lip at the thought and had to shake her head.
FP had salt and pepper hair with a scruffy five o'clock shadow and was dressed like your typical biker. He looked dangerous on the outside but his eyes were telling a truth that not many people noticed. They were soft and inviting, like you just knew deep down he was a teddy bear. Even from across the room, Betty could feel that he was no danger to them at all.
Betty remembered him vaguely from her brief meetings with him over the years and the few times he had come to watch her spar in Chic's simulator. It had been several years since she had last seen him but he looked very much the same.
Guess that's the wonder of the slow aging process in werewolves, she mused. Jughead lead Betty through the crowd of Serpents until they were face to face with the reigning Alpha himself.
"Betts, I would like you to meet-," Jughead began as Betty stuck her hand out to shake hands and smiled politely.
"FP Jones, it's been a long time, sir. How have you been? I really want to thank you for allowing me to help Jellybean out with her self defense training. She's a very sweet girl. I was surprised at who she told me she was when I met her, I had no idea you had a daughter. She mentioned having a brother too and, as luck would have it, I'm his peer mentor. It almost feels like it was fate that I met them both in the same week." Betty said shyly.
Jughead and FP both laughed at this point which only served to confuse Betty. "Something I said?" She inquired. FP cleared his throat and responded to Betty.
"It's been awhile, that's for sure. But you don't have to thank me, you should really thank Jug here, ultimately I left the decision up to him." Betty looked between Jughead and FP, still confused but becoming distracted by the two mens similarities.
"Wow Juggie, you and JB both definitely favor your Dad." She let the pet name slip and noticed how he genuinely he smiled at her use of it.
"So, if your dad is the Alpha does that make you..." she paused, not sure how to finish the sentence.
"Uh, yeah. Serpent Prince and soon to be Alpha, once my 17th birthday hits in October." He finished her thoughts for her. He didn't mention any of this to her earlier because he was afraid of how she would react to knowing he was the heir to the remaining wolf tribe's throne.
It was well known around the southside that Hal Cooper was not an enormous fan of wolves, especially not the Jones'. Even though his wife grew up with them and ran with them for years before she married into the Cooper clan. Because of all this Jug wasn't sure how Betty would feel if she knew he was next in line for the throne.
Betty's face did not give away any hint of displeasure or signs that she was disgusted by who he was and he blew out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. She just smiled at him and glanced around to see where the rest of the group ran off to.
She spotted Sabrina and Toni playing pool with some older looking Serpents while Veronica and Sweet Pea sat at a table cracking jokes with Kevin, Fangs, and Joaquin. It made her smile to see how happy her best friends were at this moment.
"Hey Juggie, um, where is the restroom?" She asked quietly as if she were embarrassed.
Jughead just chuckled, grabbing her hand and pointing towards a dark hallway, "Second door on the left, Betts. Will you find it ok? I was just going to catch up on some stuff with my Dad and then maybe we could all hit Pop's for some lunch and milkshakes?" He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles causing Betty to tremble at his tenderness, the butterflies bursting in her chest at his touch.
Betty giggled and nodded her head. "Yeah, I think I can manage to find the ladies room, Jug." Betty flashed Jughead a quick smile before turning and skipping down the hall.
Jughead couldn't stop himself from staring at the way her skirt swooshed, showing off her long legs. He knew he was already gone for her, even more so now that he had seen how well she handled herself in the ring.
As she approached the darkened hall, Betty began to fidget with her necklace, rubbing the black crystal pendant Sabrina had given her on her first official day as Watcher in training. She smiled, thinking back on that day like it was only yesterday.
Sabrina came running through the forest as fast as she could, clutching her gift in her hands. She knew this was the day, Betty Cooper's 14th birthday. The day that Betty would start her first day of patrol of Fox Forest. Today was an important day for Betty and Sabrina knew that she needed to give her something extra special.
Sabrina had been up all night enchanting this gift for her best friend and she wanted it to be her best work, even if Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda had to help her with it some. Her fear that Betty's training would one day not be enough had been the catalyst that gave Sabrina the inspiration for Betty's birthday gift.
She arrived at the Cooper household just in time to see Betty lace up her running shoes and jog around the back of the house, startled. "Oh! Dammit Sabrina, are you trying to kill me -on my birthday, no less? I almost had a heart attack." Betty chuckled while clutching her chest, trying to slow her heart rate.
"Sorry to disappoint Coop, but I'm actually here for the opposite reason. Here." Sabrina shoved the black velvet box into Betty hands and smiled as she watched Betty's eyes light up.
"Bri, you didn't have to get me anything." Betty said, always the polite child. She ran her fingertips across the silky velvet and smiled at her best friend.
"See, I knew this, that's why I didn't buy it. I made this for you, Cooper. To protect you when Kevin and I can't be around for back up." Sabrina smiled. "Open it."
Betty opened the box to find a shimmering black crystal wrapped in silver wiring that came around the crystal like delicate vines, making swirling filigree patterns along the sides and spiraled at the top leading up to a black gold chain. Betty gasped at the stone, finding it breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Oh Brina, it's beautiful. I-I don't have any words. It's the best gift I have gotten, ever." Betty said, tears stinging her eyes as she pulled her best friend into a bone crushing hug before Sabrina could even stop her. Once she pulled away, Sabrina took the pendant out of the box and placed it around Betty's neck.
"Now this isn't just any necklace, B. This is black tourmaline, the most powerful protection stone this side of Sweetwater River. It helps to protect you against every kind of negative energy or attack, plus it also has healing properties too. And, because I just so happen to live with two of the most badass witches who have ever practiced the craft, we were able to tweak the incantation on it a bit. All I need is a tiny drop of blood." Sabrina took off her gem-encrusted crow broach and pricked Betty's finger.
Once a bead of blood sprouted forth, she touched it to the crystal causing it to glow. Then, Sabrina brought the crystal just a fraction away from her lips and whispered something before she blew on the stone. A flash of light momentarily blinded Betty and when she looked back all she could she was the mischievous smile on Sabrina's face.
"Let anyone mess with you now B, they won't know what hit 'em." She winked and hugged Betty tightly.
Betty was absentmindedly fiddling with the pendant when she walked into the restroom only to jump as she heard the door lock click in place behind her. Instantly, she spun around and crouched, getting into attack position.
She looked up to see a large muscular man, about 6'5, with tattoos all over his exposed skin and a shaved head staring her down while growling. He looked like he wanted to start trouble, definitely not someone that a teenage girl needed to be locked in a room with, that was for sure.
"I know you, you're one of those Cooper bitches." He said accusingly, anger flashing in his eyes.
"That dad of yours is a real piece of shit, you know that? After what he did, I'm surprised he'd let one of his precious little girls around any of our kind. But- I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say dear old daddy doesn't know you're here right now, does he?" A sinister grin crept up his face as he stepped closer. The look in his eyes caused Betty's stomach to drop, bile threatening to rise up in her throat.
"So that means you and me, we're gonna play a little game, Princess. And after I finish getting a taste of you, then maybe daddy will understand the true meaning of an eye for an eye." The man spat, eyes beginning to turn bright yellow.
Betty could see his muscles begin to tense as he approached, his hands undoing his belt before slowly inching his zipper down. She held her head high and tried to show no fear.
"Look asshole, I don't know what the hell my father did or what kind of game you want to play but I would strongly advise you not to touch me. You'll regret it, I can promise you that." The man snapped open the button of his jeans and grabbed Betty's throat, squeezing hard and bringing his lips closer to hers.
"I warned you not to touch me..." She said before her eyes were completely engulfed in blackness and her pendant vibrated with energy.
"So, I see you've met her boy. Tell me, whatcha think of her?" FP asked with an arched brow. Jughead smiled and looked towards the hall where Betty had just disappeared. God, he had so many thoughts about her going through his head, he didn't even know where to begin. All he knew was that she was the one for him, he was sure of it.
Before he could get the chance to reply to his father he heard a loud crashing sound followed by someone (or something) exploding through the walls directly across the room from where the bathrooms were. All the Serpents jumped to their feet, ready to fight the unknown assailant.
Jughead instantly leapt over the bar and ran towards the groaning body heaped on the floor. He could see one of his dad's crew members, Viper, semi conscious and groaning in pain. It looked like he may have been the bathroom when he was attacked, judging by the fact that his pants were undone. Jughead heard someone walking through the rubble and spun around, ready to fight.
That is, until he saw her...
Betty Cooper, eyes black as midnight, was breathing heavily while blood dripped from her tightly clenched fists. The necklace she wore gave off a white pulsating glow and Jughead could see dark bruises and scratches on her neck, bruises that looked eerily like fingerprints. Slowly Jughead started to walk towards Betty but before he could get too far, Sabrina rushed past him, holding her hand up to stop him.
"I wouldn't do that, lover boy. She only gets this bad when she is really scared and it gets outta control. Let me." Sabrina stepped around him and walked up to Betty slowly, placing her fingers to Betty's forehead and whispering something into her ear. In an instant Betty's eyes returned to normal, her fists loosening as she blinks out tears.
"Bri, wha-" Betty looked at Sabrina then looked around in confusion at all the faces -some angry, others frightened- before looking down at her trembling hands. Her voice began to falter when she met Jughead's eyes. "Oh no, I did it again, didn't I?" she said to Sabrina, who nodded in confirmation.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." She whispered towards Jughead before bolting for the door, tears streaming down her face.
Betty wasn't sure which direction she was running, she was just relying on her instincts and ran as fast and as far as her legs could carry her. Her heart squeezed as she thought of how everyone looked at her, how Jughead had looked at her.
God, he looked so disgusted. Why am I such a freak? I just wanted to make a good impression and now everyone knows I'm really a monster. Betty thought as she ran faster through the forest, the tears never ceasing.
Before she knew it, she was standing on the banks of the Sweetwater River, angry tears staining her cheeks as she dropped to her knees and began furiously washing the blood off her hands.
She had so many emotions coming off of her right now that it was making her head spin. Anger, embarrassment, humiliation, sadness, regret, fear, hopelessness.
"This wasn't how today was supposed to go Elizabeth. You were supposed to show the new students a good time, not trash their hangout and scare them to death. Why can't you just get it together already?" She mumbled to herself.
Just as she was finishing up with cleaning her hands, Betty heard a twig snap behind her causing her to jump to her feet, ready to defend herself if need be.
She heard a whimper and a soft howl, followed by more twigs crunching before Jughead stepped out of the tree line. Betty's face fell when she saw the look he wore on his own.
He stared at her like he was afraid of her, or rather afraid of what she might do. This was the one thing she didn't want to happen, the one person she didn't want to look at her with fear in their eyes.
She'd felt such a strong connection with him earlier and now her darkness had ruined that for her. Even piercing the skin on her hands didn't help her this time, not when the stone combined with her darkness. Not when that man was trying to-, she shivered and looked away.
"Betts, are you ok?" When she met his eyes again, they looked worried. He had sweat pouring from his brow causing his curls to stick to his forehead and he was breathing heavy. He must have tracked her here, most likely transforming to make it easier to smell her.
Betty was at a loss for what to say, she was touched that he came to find her but also so disappointed in herself that she couldn't even look him in the face while she spoke, "I'm so sorry, Juggie. I...I... can't control it when I'm frightened... and he... he... was trying to..." the words stuck in her throat as she collapsed, breaking down into sobs.
Betty knew that she was just trying to defend herself, just like the last time, but she never wanted anyone to see that part of her. Not ever again.
Jughead rushed to her side, falling to his knees and gathering her into his arms to comfort her. Being this close to her was overwhelmingly intoxicating but he knows that he needs to control his primal urges if he is going to figure out what happened back at the Wyrm.
Betty clung to his tee shirt, sobbing uncontrollably and shaking. Jughead ran his hands up and down her back trying to soothe her while whispering words of reassurance in her ears. After a few minutes he heard her blow out a shaky breath.
"He was ch-choking me and he said he w-was going to...to..." Jughead didn't need her to say anything else, he could pretty much piece together what wasn't said.
He was angry, livid. All he could think about was ripping Viper to pieces with his bare hands and watching him bleed out slowly on the floor. But right now, Betty needed him and he needed to make sure that she was safe and that she knew he would protect her from any backlash or harm.
"Shhh, Betts, it's ok. You're safe with me. No one is going to hurt you. I promise, I won't let that happen. Not ever." He promised her softly as she gripped his shirt and cried into his neck.
"But you saw how all those people looked at me after what I did. They- they looked at me like I was a monster, Jug. How do you know that they won't try to hurt me, Juggie? They looked like they wanted my blood." Betty's sniffled and took a jagged breath.
"Oh baby, no one will touch a hair on your head. Not after I tell them who you are." He whispered.
He knew now was probably the worst time to tell her about his mate theory, but he just couldn't stop himself. He needed her to know. He had to tell her the truth if he wanted her to be his bond mate. To be apart of his life, forever.
"What do you mean? They already know who I am, Juggie. And if what that creep said is how everyone feels, then I'm sure they all just hate me more now." Betty scoffs and wipes away some of her tears.
"No Betty, you have to believe me, they can't mess with you now. Not after I tell them, not once they know. Wolves are very loyal and they will never harm another wolf's mate, even before they have bonded." Jughead said as he laced his fingers with hers.
Betty's eyes shot up, staring at the storms swirling around his own eyes. "Juggie..." she whispered, brushing the curls from his forehead, "...are you saying you and me...that I'm your...?" Jughead nodded slowly. He held his breath as Betty's eyes flickered down to his lips briefly then back up to meet his eyes.
"I swear to you Betts, I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. I know it's fast and that we've known each other for less than a day but I can feel it. In my core, in my heart, I know it's you. You're the one I've been waiting for, Betty." Jughead said softly, his thumbs wiping away her remaining tears. Without another word, Betty gently pressed her lips to his while his hands moved to cup her face and cradle her head.
The spark that shot through them both was undeniable, like a bolt of electricity humming through their veins. Betty had never felt like this before, never had a kiss like this. What starts off as slow and tentative kisses quickly transforms into so much more.
Forgetting her tears, Betty ran her hands up into Jughead's hair as she runs her tongue along the seam of his lips, begging to deepen the kiss. Jughead happily granted her entrance, their tongues swirling around each other in desperation and need.
Her fingers gently tug at his curls, causing him to moan into her mouth while his hands slide down her back and barely under the hem of her shirt. His fingers find purchase on the soft, supple skin of her hips just above her waistband and squeezes.
Betty has never been kissed like this in her whole life, not that she has a lot of experience in that department, (and she definitely has never initiated a kiss before either) but this kiss seems otherworldly.
She can feel a burning desire start to course through her body and all her fear, anger, and frustration with herself seem all gone, melting away at his touch. There's something so intoxicating about his kisses and she is already addicted. She needs more.
All she can feel around her is Jughead as she climbs onto his lap, straddling his legs and devouring his mouth. She is not sure what is happening to herself, she has never felt like this before. It's like she's possessed and she has to feel every part of him.
This intense need to be closer to someone then she has ever been before. The need to satisfy this primal urge she is feeling deep in her bones. She whimpers as he breaks away from the kiss but gasps as he begins to trail hot kisses down her neck.
When Jughead stops to suckle on her pulse point, he feels his fangs start to protrude and he knows that he needs to stop this before he can't fight the urge anymore and bites her.
He knows he wants to permanently bond with her but it needs to be something they both agree on and not the result of a heated makeout session.
He needs her to willingly agree to bond and be his forever because once they do, he cannot take it back. It marks her as his forever and he can't just spring that on her if she doesn't want that too.
He growls as she shifts and unintentionally grinds her core against his lap, her moan at the friction she creates consuming his mind. She does it again and Jug knows he has to pull away from her throat before there is no going back.
"Betts, Betts, wait... we need to slow down..." Jughead pants as she continues to grind against him like a woman possessed. She begins to nip at his neck roughly, no doubt leaving a mark that Jughead will have no shame in displaying.
As his mind starts to cloud with lust again, he knows it's now or never and he gently pulls her lips off him to look into her eyes. "Betts, hold on, we have to stop." He says, trying to catch his breath.
Jughead knew that she must have gotten the wrong idea because her eyes grew wide and began to fill with tears again as she starts to scramble off his lap. He can see the mortified look on her face and it breaks his heart to watch it.
"Oh my God, I, oh. I am so sorry, Jug... I...I don't know what came over me...I just thought... Oh God, I misread the signals... I-um, how about we forget this ever happened. We can just-" Betty's frantic rambling was cut off by Jughead's lips on hers again, only this time softer and slower than what they had been.
She could feel his thumb graze her cheekbone gently causing her to shiver under his soft touch. When he pulled back, she slowly opened her eyes to see him looking back at her and smiling.
"No Betts, you didn't misread anything. I just meant we need to slow down and be careful because, well-. My fangs were starting to, um, extend and I don't know if I could have stopped myself from... marking you." He looked away, blushing. She then understood what he was trying to say.
"Oh, OH..." she giggled nervously, "Um, I kinda thought maybe you didn't enjoy it. Although, I did gather that on some physical level you did." She said as she glanced down towards his lap that she was still straddling. Jughead realized his desire was still fully on display and his whole face burned bright red.
"Oh, um, sorry about that I, uh..." Now it was his turn to try to scramble away to hide his shame but Betty clung tightly to his shoulders and shook her head.
"No, don't be embarrassed about that Juggie, I know I'm not." She breathed quietly against lips as she kissed him again.
This kiss was much like the first but instead of their physical bodies reacting desperately it was like their souls were entwining with one another and dancing in a beautiful tango. If they didn't know it before now, they both knew at this moment they'd found their soulmates. They continued to slowly kiss for what felt like an eternity before they finally broke apart, resting their foreheads together.
"Hey Betts?" Jughead whispered, still panting from their kiss. Betty leaned back and looked at him, silently encouraging him to continue. "Wanna go get Pop's with me? Like, um, a date?" She couldn't help but smile at his hopeful expression.
"Why Jughead Jones, are you asking me out already? And just hours after we met?" Betty teased and batted her eyelashes at him playfully.
"Well to be fair Betts, you did just have your tongue shoved-" she clamped her hand over his mouth and giggled.
"Yes Juggie, I would love to be your date. And maybe if your play your cards right, you might have the chance to walk me home and kiss me goodnight." Betty winked before pecking a quick kiss to the tip of his nose and springing to her feet. "Pop's? First round of shakes is on me..."
"Oh, baby. You know just what a boy likes to hear." He chuckles and stands up to brush the dirt from his jeans before rushing to catch up with her.
As they approach the diner hand in hand, Jughead pauses and pulls her close to him. Betty looks at him, concerned that something may be wrong.
"Listen,why don't you head inside to get us a booth? I need to make a quick phone call to my dad to let him and your friends know where you are and that you're safe. Is that ok?" Jughead said as his hands ran up and down her arms. Betty let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Oh yes, please do! I didn't even think about what happened to Kevin and Sabrina after I left, I'm sure I freaked them out. Let them know I am fine and I'll call them later? I'll see you in there, Juggie." Betty gave him a kiss on his cheek and headed into Pop's.
Once the door was closed, a scowl covered his face as he pulled out his phone and scrolled until he found the right contact. It only rang twice before he heard his father's voice on the other end.
"Jug boy, everything alright? Did you find the Cooper girl? Viper keeps saying she attacked him but something doesn't seem right. A girl like that won't throw a man through a wall for no reason. Oh, and that tiny little sprite you left here with Toni is threatening to turn him into a dung beetle if he doesn't start telling the truth. I think she may be serious about that, son."
"Yeah Dad, I found Betty. She's... about as good as can be expected after what that fucker tried to do to her," Jughead paused to take a deep breath and regulate his emotions. He saw red every time he thought about what could have happened to her.
"Dad, don't let him leave, call the elders for an emergency meeting. I am going to deal with him myself when I get back. Right now though I'm gonna get some food and milkshakes into my mate-," Jughead froze.
He couldn't believe he just said that to his father. He honestly didn't want it to come out like that, especially since she is 'not his kind', but it just slipped out.
He wasn't really sure how FP would react to him bonding with an outsider, and a Cooper of all people. His mind continued to race but he realized FP was chuckling on the other end of the line.
"Dad?"
"So you figured it out did you? I knew it wouldn't take long, all you had to do was get within 20 feet of that girl and it would have happened. I'm just glad it was her and not that one that ran off to that compound outside of town to live with them hippies."
"Dad? Did you know I was supposed to bond with her? And if you did, how the hell did you know that? And why the hell did you wait so long to let me meet her?"
"Look kid, it's a hell of a lot to explain over the phone. But yeah, I've known since before you were born. It's complicated but I promise I'll explain everything later. Right now you just need to relax and take care of that girl of yours. I imagine not everyone will be as accepting of your relationship as I am but we will make them understand. Now go feed your girl. I'll see you in a bit."
And with that FP hung up the phone, leaving Jughead way more confused than he was last night when his father had talked to him about Betty.
He glanced into the window to see that her face was angry looking again and he noticed someone sitting across from her, although he couldn't make out their face. Jughead rushed into the diner in time to hear Betty huff in frustration, her patience for the person in front of her clearly wearing thin.
"Look Chuck, I don't really have time for your bs. I'm waiting on my date, so if you don't mind, get the hell out of my booth, k?" She tapped her nails on the table, signaling that she was done with this conversation and was ready for him to leave. All she wanted was to have a meal with the boy she likes, who likes her back, and she didn't want Chuck or anyone else to ruin that.
"Oh please angel, I don't believe for a second that you're waiting for a date. Especially not after Archie dropped you like a bad habit for a real woman. One who can fulfill all his needs... and urges." Chuck licked his lips before reaching to cover her hand with his to stop her tapping, Betty's eyes growing wide in shock at his statement.
"So why don't you do yourself a favor and just give me what I want, babydoll?" The way he spoke to her made Betty's skin crawl and she tried to jerk her hand away but his grip was too strong. His hands felt nothing like Jughead's, they were cold and rough, his grip increasing the harder she fought him.
Jughead felt his inner Alpha emerging and his chest began to rumble in a low growl as he approached the booth, his eyes locking with Betty's. He could see relief flooding her face once he reached the table. He grabbed Chuck's shoulder roughly in his bone crunching grip and snarled.
"Unless you want to pull back a stump, I suggest to get your hands off my girl you watered down Dolos wannabe." Jughead threatened as he towered over Chuck, standing beside the booth across from where Betty sat. Chuck looked up, momentarily shocked, before he forced an unimpressed look on his face and scoffed.
"Yeah right mutt, like a Little Miss Sunshine here would even let the likes of you hump her leg, let alone date her." Betty gasped as Chuck laughed at them, brushing Jughead's hand off of his shoulder. Anger flared in her eyes as she spoke to Chuck in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"Oh how wrong you are Chuck, as usual. Not only am I letting him date me, but he and I are mates. So, unless you want to be ripped to shreds in the middle of Pop's diner by the next Serpent Alpha, I suggest you do as he says." She spat, jerking her hands free finally.
"Oh, and Chuck? The places I let him hump me are not now -nor will they ever be- any of your concern." She stood and wrapped her arms around Jughead and kissed him soundly for good measure.
Jughead was taken aback at first by the bold display of affection but after a few seconds he deepened the kiss, showing everyone around that they were indeed a real item. When they pulled away, they could see Chuck rubbing his hands together menacingly and chuckling to himself.
"Alright then Coop, I guess I'll be going. Can't wait to hear all the hot gossip at school tomorrow. See ya." Chuck walks away flashing an evil grin, sending a wink Betty's way.
Betty let out the breath she was holding and shudders, hanging onto Jughead tighter. She knows that by tomorrow all of Riverdale will know about her and the Serpent Prince but at this moment, she can't bring herself to care.
"Hey Betts, why don't we get something to go and just head back to my place? Dad is gonna be at the bar for a while sorting everything out so we'll be able to have some privacy to talk and everything." Jughead says as he holds her, rubbing her back reassuringly. She blushed thinking of all the other things they could use that alone time for and buries her face into his chest.
"That sounds perfect, Jug." Betty smiles as he places a kiss to her hair, his nostrils filling with the sweet smell of sugary candy and soda. Jughead hopes that even after he marks her she will still smell that way to him. It's the most beautifully intoxicating scent he has ever come in contact with and he doesn't think he will ever get enough of it.
