Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
He gulped in sudden breaths as he was startled awake. Puck's nightmares became more real each night he deliberately ignored them. Images of Rachel in a soft pink, knee-length nightgown frantically rushing through the woods, while he hovered above. He could feel his large dark wings flapping behind him as he honed in on her racing heartbeat. She was HIS. And he was going to catch her. Puck would always wake up just as the veela would decide to swoop down to grab the young woman in its sharp talons.
Puck couldn't watch.
He never imagined the veela inside him would want that. The chase. The capture. So far, everything had gone so smoothly. He wasn't going out of his way to avoid school, just the usual sleeping in the nurse's office every other period and showing up late for the alternates.
He even had gotten a handle on himself around Rachel now. They could nod and smile at each other down the hallway. Even when she did the same to Finn, Puck had just enough control to clench his fists until the internal murderous rampage died.
His first official date with Rachel, his mate, his forever endgame was tomorrow night. And for whatever reason, his veela could not stop making Rachel as the prey and the prize in Puck's mind.
It was torture.
He decided that the veela was giving his a push. A push to make Rachel officially his. Their date would be so freakin awesome that she would have to say yes to him. That she wouldn't even want to go on a date with loser Finn. So, Puck planned.
Rachel's fingertips to her collarbone felt tingly, full of excitement. Her belly was a hamster-running wheel, steadily jolting ups and downs. She clasped her jungle red painted fingertips over her seasick heart. Swallowing as she took the last step down her stairwell, she looked toward to recently knocked door. He's here, she thought to herself.
Her daddies were away that weekend on their annual honeymoon cruise. She took a deep breath. Licking her glossed lips, she opened the door.
His green button-up shirt caught her attention first. It made her smile to see that her put effort into looking appropriate, nice, for her. She trailed the buttons up to his awed face. He was staring at all of her at once. His emerald eyes beamed with joy, causing his mouth to curve up on one side. Her smile grew with how Noah it was to have him smirk at her outfit.
She decided early on that if this veela wanted to be with her for life, then she would not hold anything back. All her neuroticisms and her wild but sweet side were going to be presented to this creature, just to be sure. She needed to know that it, and Noah, really understood what they were getting into. She chose a cotton baby doll dress, light for late fall, and a warm white sweater and scarf over it. She wore flats because no sensible woman wears heels unless there is a reason.
Thinking all this, it occurred to Rachel that Noah had not yet said a word, despite standing on her porch for several minutes. It then subsequently occurred to her that neither had she.
"Noah," she gasped nearly breathlessly. Clearing her throat, she charged forward once more. "Noah, what a pleasure to see you. Are you ready for our date?" She could not contain her smiles as she pronounced "date." Noah's mostly bald head bobbed up and down enthusiastically.
"Rach," his voice cut out, "You look..." Rachel turned to close her door behind her. "Like a goddess," he whispered as she stepped toward him.
Rachel's heart fluttered. The reverence with which he said those words spread molten lava through her veins. "Thank you, Noah," she whispered back to him. Shaking herself, she scolded herself mentally, Now is not the time. "So, where are we going?"
Noah's smirk emerged, making Rachel laugh. "You'll see."
"Ah, a surprise then," she nodded and spoke sagely. Noah nodded.
Puck couldn't believe his veela. Seriously, it picks the most amazing woman ever, like an angel, yet it still wants a hunt. As they were in his truck driving to his dinning spot, Puck physically could not stop his eyes from admiring his mate. She glowed like a star, literally. Her creamy tanned skin called to him, and only the combination of deep breaths and a fury to punch Finn's face kept him from responding.
He pulled the truck over, fully understanding the term, waiting with your heart in your throat. Although, he would never admit it. Way too soft.
It was six o'clock, and the sun was just setting. Puck walked to the other side of the truck to open the door for his date. Rachel's head whipped back and forth in analysis, making Puck chuckle at the memory of when he took her to the mall. She was such a spitfire. And he loved her.
"Chill, Berry. Relax. Trust me. You're gunna love this place." This place was the bar just outside of Lima. It didn't give the best impression for a first date, but Puck hoped that his girl understood the meaning of this. That tonight was going to be her peek into what life would be life with him.
Rachel's confusion at the scenery, the missing lights, and the drunk guy peeing on the side of the building bled into her voice. "Noah, what are we doing here? I think this is about three blocks from the crack house where I sent Sunshine."
Puck's deep rich laugh overtook the sounds of music coming from the bar. His girl. "Yeah, well you got nothin' to worry about with me next to ya." He winked and wrapped his arm around the angel next to him.
The smell of beer, piss, and burnt french fries flooded their senses when they entered the rusted iron doors. "Babe, it's Karoke night." He winked once more at the widening of her big browns and the growth of her excited grin. "It's time to show your stuff."
Rachel gave a sweet little guffaw at the sight of two drunk patrons singing, Celine's "My Heart Will Go On" on the beaten down stage.
Puck walked up to the bartender and ordered them each a coke.
Rachel glanced between Puck and the suddenly empty stage like a squirrel on steroids. "Go, Babe," he pushed her. "Show 'em what real talent looks like." Puck allowed himself a true smile at the sight of his happy mate. She nearly ran between bar patrons to get to the sign-up list.
After a perfect rendition of Adele's "Hello," some musical song Puck thought was from Wicked, and a Whitney classic, Puck had to pee. He came back a few minutes later to find an empty stage. Looking towards where the drinks were, Puck saw Rach.
Using his super hearing he could hear her heart racing and the slimeball next to her saying, "Come on sweetie, just one. Won't hurt, I promise."
Puck's blood rushed to his ears. It suddenly didn't matter to him whether the veela was in control or not. He had to get to Rachel. He shoved people left and right, grabbing the guy touching HIS GIRL by the collar.
"Stay. Away. From Her." Puck ground out, allowing the veela to growl viciously underneath the tightly spoken words.
The guy's eye widened. "Sorry dude, didn't know she was-" Puck interrupted his words by a punch to the face. After glaring at the guy to scamper off, Puck reached for Rachel.
His hands grabbed her around the waist fiercely. "Are you ok?" His soft words belied his anger at the situation as he stared into her blown pupils. Rachel's pulse hadn't slowed down.
"Are you still frightened by that guy?" He looked at her, curious. He loosed his hands slightly around her.
"No," Rachel stated, panting slightly. "I'm afraid of you." With that, she turned and ran from the bar. Puck's veela took over completely.
How could he?! She mentally screamed. She had at first been entirely turned on by the fact that Noah had rescued her from that creep. But his eyes. Noah's eyes had almost gone black, signifying the veela's presence. He had almost killed that man, and Rachel knew it. He was supposed to be in control!
Rachel's thought process flickered between admiration and fear. He's dangerous.
She knew, somewhere in the back of her mind that he would never hurt her. However, his grip on her hips had been bruising. Now, he was chasing her down in the middle of a dark and sketchy area?
She could hear his agitated footsteps.
"MATE." The gravelly voice called out to her. Rachel's pulse spiked. It was here. What did it want? She couldn't choose yet.
She reached Noah's car, only to realize her running away did nothing for the situation. Her panic was interfering with her usual logical thought processes.
She saw his clenched fists, his once beautiful hazel eyes suddenly black, and his snarling mouth. He stalked toward her, pushing her into the door of the truck. The handle hit right between her shoulder blades, adding another bruise to her body.
"MATE AFRAID OF VEELA?" The voice, still booming and deep, asked hesitantly.
"Just a little," she tried to calm it, speaking softly.
"MATE SILLY," it responded. It then proceeded to lick the line a fugitive tear had made down her cheek. Rachel's body, torn between pain and pleasure, shivered despite the heat spreading throughout her.
"MATE LOVED. MATE FOUND. MATE ACCEPT VEELA." Noah's soft but calloused hands slid up her sweater covered arms slowly. One curled itself within her dark tresses, while the other ran the thumb down her chin and jaw line. "NOAH AFRAID OF VEELA TOO."
Rachel's shocked gasp filled the small space between their bodies. "Really?" She took a deep breath, preparing herself to engage this creature. "Why?"
The dark eyes circled her features. The hand slowly caressing her jaw and neck moved to her nose and eyes. "NOAH AFRAID. AFRAID OF MATE ACCEPTING US." Noah's body took a step back. "VEELA NOT AFRAID. KNOWS MATE WILL LOVE NOAH AND VEELA. AND VEELA WILL LOVE MATE."
Rachel took another look at the man before her. He truly was committing himself to her. Veela and everything. What would it mean to accept him? She saw the flashing lights behind him. The bar. Would they want to come here every weekend until moving to New York? Would Noah and the veela want to move to New York? Veelas are typically native to woody areas.
"Veela," she started cautiously, "do you, and Noah, want to go with me to New York?"
Noah's head nodded vigorously. "WE GO WITH MATE. FOREVER."
"Oh." After a few more minutes of standing outside in the dark and cold, Rachel saw Noah come back into his eyes.
His mind was fuzzy with the leftover of veela feelings. Lifetime possessiveness, dark anger, and a satisfied feeling of instilling fear in others clouded his brain. "Rahcel?" Puck asked, gently. The last thing he remembered was her running from him.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
She was leaning against his truck, hands folded in front of her. "I'm fine now. Back in the bar, you grabbed me roughly, Noah. I guess it surprised me how... angry you were. I was surprised at that anger and it scared me," she explained in a small voice.
"Rach," Puck took a half a step forward. "I'm sorry. I would never want to hurt you, you know that, right?"
Rachel's little head of slightly curled hair bobbed forward. "Yes, of course, Noah. I suppose I was unsure of the veela." At the mention of his internal monster, she made eye contact with him. He could see the emotions overwhelming her. Compassion, curiosity, attraction, and fear, to name a few.
Puck took a deep breath. "Well, do you want me to take you home?" It almost tore his heart out to ask the question, but he didn't want her to regret going out with him. Maybe he could ask for a re-do.
She gave his a minuscule smirk. "And leave the date at that? One little hiccup isn't enough to make me refuse you, Noah."
Puck's pulse jumped. She was ok. She was still giving him a chance. He couldn't contain his happiness at that. "Alright, then, Rach, hope on in. On to part two!"
A/N: Seriously.. Are my chapters getting worse? Or is it just me? Probably one or two more to go!