I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I had a few things going on that kept me from writing. I'm going to try my best to update weekly!
Thanks to Liz, ElisaCollette and the 2 guests for your reviews and to everyone for the follow and favorite.
The three days until Friday passed quickly. The pack got comfortable in their temporary home and more used to staying in one place. Beca, of course, got the job at the popular club and she and Stacie worked there during all the weekdays. Stacie also found time to visit Crust Lust twice since Monday and had another excuse other than checking on Jesse or picking up food; she and Chloe got closer over texting. It was becoming a habit that Chloe took her breaks when Stacie came to the restaurant. They'd eat together and talk some about the get together and generally getting to know each other. Stacie was pretty sure Chloe was disappointed when she walked alone into the restaurant. That probably was the reason the redhead was excited about their meeting on Friday. The werewolf herself hadn't had much luck as well; she got to exchange a few words with a certain blonde manager, but no real connection had been made.
With the exception of Emily, the pack got to know the area better. The younger member of the pack was restricted to short walks or jogs nearby. Neither Beca nor the other wolves sensed any others like them around, which meant they weren't followed and were safe. The other good thing was the progress of Emily's healing. Being in a stable environment and receiving a proper care helped her body adjust and accept the change. Emily grew stronger each day and her wounds healed up, not leaving a single scar. She felt loved and accepted by everyone in the pack, not just Beca. Since Emily couldn't control her abilities yet, she couldn't communicate verbally with Lilly, but that didn't stop them from playfully fighting one another. Whenever Jesse and Stacie came back from work, they gladly told Emily all about their experience, even if nothing interesting happened. The three of them shared a common interest that was human culture and their day-to-day life. They could spend hours talking about any trending topic and watch movies and shows. Emily's relationship with Beca was more emotionally deep; the young woman shared with her alpha things she wasn't ready to talk to with the rest of the pack. She got the kind of support you'd get from a parent or an older sister. Beca struggled with her position in Emily's life. While she was glad to help her get better, Beca was never the one you go to for emotional support. The alpha doesn't perform well when feelings are involved and physical contact was something she'd rather avoid. Yet, it didn't bother Emily; she felt cared for and that she had someone who listened. She didn't mind that sometimes the only thing she got from Beca was an acknowledgment and she was fine with Beca not sugarcoating anything for her. Thankfully, the pack's dynamic stayed great—it even got better since the unexpected addition.
All of that was what got Beca to decide to take Emily to the forest they were in the first night and bring Lilly with them. Emily was almost fully healed and Beca decided it was time to start training her. The alpha had never done it before; she only learned about it back when she was in training. She could've gone with the traditional way, but that wasn't really her style. Beca knew what Emily had to learn and wanted to make it more interesting, also she hoped it'd go faster and Emily won't be helpless for much longer.
Friday morning Beca woke Emily up early. She didn't previously tell her the plan, saving herself from having to deal with an over excited young woman. Lilly was already up by then and the three had a light breakfast together. Beca was clear about being careful once they get to the forest and encouraged Emily to ask questions. The trio left the apartment before Jesse and Stacie woke up. The temperature was perfect, there were no humans around and it was quiet; just like Beca wanted.
"We're starting easy, I want to test your instincts," Beca told Emily once they found an area the alpha deemed fit. She didn't need her enhanced abilities to know how thrilled Emily was, they did however help her detect that the girl was also very nervous. Beca thought the best way to deal with that was to rip the bandage off and get Emily to face what scared her and get her to see she didn't need to be afraid. "The very first step is changing. You haven't done it yet and it's about time, you need to connect with your wolf and feel your true strength," Beca explained and waited for Emily to respond. It took the young woman a moment before she straightened her back and nodded. "We're going to do it in stages-"
"Why are we doing it out here?" Emily interrupted. "Not that I don't enjoy finally being out and going places other than around our block, but we could've done it at home, no?"
"Yes, but being in the nature will help you connect better with your wolf," Beca answered her calmly and waited again for any conformation to continue.
Emily looked around and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air. Her eyes landed on Lilly, then she quickly moved them back to Beca and smiled.
"As I was saying, you're going to do it step by step. The first one is changing your eyes, which is the easiest." Beca gestured towards the beta, expecting her to go on and do that.
Emily gathered it was a simple task, yet she expected some guidance from the leader. Obviously Beca wasn't going to provide any, not yet at least, so Emily went back to the words the woman spoke just moments ago, how she needs to connect with that new side of her. She tilted her head back and cleared her head. She thought about recent events and what being a part of Beca's pack meant for her. Despite how traumatizing what had happened was, she survived it and it actually turned things for the better for her. Her emotions got stronger until she just knew that it happened. She began to feel stronger. Emily lowered her head and locked her eyes with Beca's, giving her a wary smile. The alpha's eyes changed as well. Emily saw Beca's red shining eyes before and she always felt the supremacy when she was in her presence. It didn't compare to that moment, though. It was like Emily finally was starting to grasp Beca's true power and her own; she didn't understand, yet she could feel how strong her leader was. It was also the first time Emily felt the power Beca had over her, how the woman could've brought her to her knees and get her to whimper if it what was she desired. It wasn't the case though, Emily did feel submissive, but it came from a place of respect, love and caring, not out of fear.
When Emily averted her eyes, a sign that she understood the hierarchy, Beca allowed the training session to continue. "Good job!" Beca praised and swayed from side to side when she saw how happy it made Emily. "Yeah, so…" She cleared her throat and attempted to sound assertive. "Now show me your teeth." In response Emily gave her a wide smile, revealing her perfect set of teeth. Beca held herself back from any reaction, even when she heard Lilly's laughter in her head. She should've been clearer. "Your other teeth, Em. Think about hunting," Beca clarified and sent a glare at Lilly's direction.
Shaking her embarrassment off, Emily concentrated hard on chasing after a bunny. She quickly shook her head at that and frowned. "I c-can't kill the bunny," she told Beca and sniffled.
"What bunny?" Beca was confused. Did she miss a part of the conversation?
"I thought about chasing a bunny and I got close to him and… I can't kill it, Beca! He's so fluffy and he probably has a wife and little bunnies-"
"Wow, hold up." Beca lifted her hands up and waved them in front of Emily. A quick glance at Lilly was enough to see the shock on her face. What was she supposed to say to that? Emily had a whole story in mind. "It's all part of the food chain-"
"But we don't need to kill them to survive," Emily argued back and folded her arms.
"Sometimes we do." Beca didn't want to remind the girl of her attack, though they survived off hunting while they were on the run and that helped make her point. "And we don't always kill the animals; most of the time it's just for the sake of the chase, to help with keeping our skills intact." That seemed to work because Emily let her arms fall back to the sides of her body and her frown disappeared. Beca nodded and shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.
It was back to concentrating for Emily, that time she only pictured running after a brown bunny through the forest. When she got close to him in her mind, her fangs came out together with a low growl.
"How do you feel?" Beca asked knowingly.
"Good," Emily provided right away. "I'm kind of proud of myself."
"You should be, you're doing well." Beca was the most supportive and optimistic as she could be. "Now the real challenge begins. It's not a test; you can't fail, so don't stress. It's only so you and I can assess what needs work, because you might not be aware of what you can do without training."
How she could not stress? Emily thought to herself. She knew Beca wouldn't hurt or judge her no matter how she did, but nevertheless Emily wanted to prove herself. She loved how protective Beca was of her and she appreciated the pack looking out for her; still, she wanted to take an active part in the pack rather than being the needy child. Therefore, she sucked it up, pushed her nervousness aside, and puffed her chest out, telling Beca she was ready.
The alpha's brow quirked at the action; there was even a hint of a smile on her face. The word "adorable" did not cross her mind and she'd fight anyone who'd argue differently. "Currently you're in a stage I like to call 'wolfing out', except your claws aren't out because they aren't needed at the moment." Emily nodded curiously and with understanding. "Lilly here is going to change to her full wolf form and run through the forest. You're going to change as well and your job is to catch her." It sounded like a simple game of hide and seek, only it was more complex. Lilly mastered every skill a werewolf could have: for example she was a fast runner, great at hiding and covering her tracks and she was sneaky. Emily was new to her powers, she was no match; that was why Beca instructed Lilly to go easy on her just that once.
When Emily turned to look at Lilly she found the familiar wolf with dark black fur and pointy ears. She detected a mischievous expression on the wolf's face; Lilly just loved to play around with her and Emily loved it just as much. Challenged accepted was what Emily felt when she gave a firm nod towards the wolf. Lilly saw it as a clue and started to run. It was time for Emily to fully turn for the first time.
"Relax." Beca's voice in her head startled her. They've talked about telepathy between werewolves before, but she didn't know how to use it and no pack member used it to communicate with her. She was excited about finally being able to do it, so she could talk to Lilly, only she would've liked a warning before Beca's voice echoed in her head. "You'll get used to talking like that, but that's not our focus today. In order to change you need to calm your body. Dig deep and connect with your strongest emotions. Reach for your wolf and draw power from the ground around you." The voice is so soft in her head that Emily was having a hard time staying awake. "Em! I can hear you purring. Come on, you need to catch up." It snapped the young wolf from her daze and got her to focus on the task ahead. She closed her eyes and breathed slow and steady breaths. Her heart beating was the only thing she heard for a few moments, until the sound of nature took over: the bird, the leaves moving by the air, animals walking around, possibly water dripping somewhere. It was loud, though it didn't overwhelm her; it actually did the opposite. Next were her feelings and those were a mess. Emily was scared of whoever attacked her and the chance he'd find them and hurt her or the pack. She was anxious about performing well in front of Beca and proving her worth. She was happy and excited to experience that and have her alpha teaching her about her new self. Emily decided to focus on the acceptance she felt and how great it was to be a part of a group. She dug into her soul and pictured how she'd look in her wolf form. She thought of turning and running around looking for Lilly. Beca's presence nearby grounded her and boosted her confidence; it gave her an extra push. Emily was kind of in a trance that she didn't notice the shifts in her body. Soon enough dark brown fur covered her body and she was standing on all fours. She howled loudly and shook her body when the transformation was done. Her tail kept wiggling from side to side from the excitement.
"You did it!" Beca couldn't contain her own excitement; the sight was too good to pretend otherwise. "You're beautiful, Em. I'm so proud of you." She didn't get that way about her own achievements, so why others'? Beca wrote it off as Emily being a special case. "Now go, use your senses to find Lilly," the alpha instructed and laughed when Emily basically jumped towards one direction. She watched her sniff the ground and take off. It was beautiful.
Beca kept her distance throughout the search; she wanted to let Emily discover her new self on her own. It was entertaining to watch her getting close and growling when she fell for one of Lilly's diversions. Emily didn't give up, though, and kept running through the forest and tried her best. Beca noticed how Emily relied on her sense of smell more than anything else. She had a good handle on one ability; it only meant Beca had to work with her on strengthening other senses. Emily was also fast and motivated, however she had to stop to catch her breath often. There was a choice Emily faced, whether to go with her instinct or follow her eyes. She chose her eyes and they led her to another one of Lilly's tricks. Beca felt more than she saw the battle Emily had when she had to make the choice. It meant she was aware of the power in her, only didn't trust it; it was understandable and another note Beca took to herself. The alpha eyed the young wolf closely, catching all her weaknesses and noting her strength. There was work to be done, Beca knew it the moment she decided to intervene and save Emily. And the alpha didn't think she was the right person for such a serious and delicate task, teaching and shaping a new werewolf, one that started with more disadvantages than any other she'd ever met. Whether Beca wanted it or not, Emily was important to her and the alpha made her a promise – to be the best mentor she could be for her. She'd never tell the young wolf that, or anyone for that matter, but she had every intention of keeping it.
As expected, Emily didn't catch Lilly, although she came very close a few times. She wasn't bummed about it for too long because she actually got to hear Lilly for the first time. Emily wasn't sure how to answer back, but only hearing her friend was an awesome experience. She got some compliments from her fellow pack member, who decided to stay out in the forest for a little longer. On Emily and Beca's way back, the alpha acted professional when they discussed Emily's training. Yes, positive reinforcement was important and Beca did praised Emily, in her own awkward way. The weaknesses were the important part that needed to be addressed and soon, hence why Beca scheduled training every day moving forward.
When they arrived home, only Stacie was there, laying on the couch with her phone in hand. Emily didn't waste a second and ran up to her and basically plopped down on the woman. Beca shook her head and closed the door behind her. Stacie laughed at how energetic Emily still was; she knew what her best friend planned for her, so she thought Emily would crush on her bed the second they came back. Stacie had to stop the rambling girl and not because she didn't enjoy talking to her and she wanted to hear how it was for her. Before they could do that, Emily had to go and take a shower; their enhanced sense of smell didn't go well with how sweaty they could get after a good run. Emily flushed and quickly took off to her room to get ready for the shower.
"This kid is something else, I tell you," Beca let out as she grabbed a glass of water in the kitchen.
"That she is," Stacie agreed. "How did she do?"
"Pretty well," Beca answered and made herself to the living room. "Mind telling me why your heart is beating like crazy? Aubrey finally gave you her number and she's actually talking to you?" Teasing Stacie on how hard she tried was Beca's new hobby. She grinned at her best friend and sat down on the opposite side of the couch.
Stacie put her phone aside and turned her body more towards Beca. It had to be done now; she couldn't wait any longer to talk to Beca about it. She'd get her for the Aubrey comment later. If Beca let her live. "It's actually Chloe," Stacie said and watched how Beca's lips shaped as an O, but no sound came out of her mouth. Beca adjusted herself across from her and the air filled with tension. "Yeah, we're friends and we've been talking about her and Aubrey coming over so we could all hang out. They haven't met-"
"Hold on, what do you mean coming over?" Beca completely ignored the tightness in her chest from hearing Chloe's name and that Stacie had been talking and getting closer with her. She had no right to be possessive over the woman, especially when she wanted nothing to do with her. Freaking out about what Stacie said had nothing to do with that, though and it provided the perfect distraction.
"She and Aubrey are coming over this evening for like, dinner and movies, so we can get to know one another," Stacie explained with her usual confident tone. She was concerned about Beca's reaction and because they knew each other for almost all their lives, it was impossible for Stacie to block Beca off from sensing how she felt. Of course Stacie brought up the idea so Beca would be forced to spend time with Chloe and, hopefully, let her in, but it wasn't her only reason. She wanted to actually hang out with Aubrey, not for the blonde to serve her food and run back to the kitchen. Stacie also thought it would be nice for the pack to have friends other than one another. Getting to know the two humans had great potential to become an awesome thing for all of them. Getting Beca to see that was the hard part.
Beca startled Stacie when she abruptly got up from the couch. "Are you insane, Stacie? I'm seriously asking, because you either gone crazy or hit your head really hard to think it's a good idea," Beca spitted out in anger. She circled the coffee table and stood on the side across from her best friend. The alpha glared at the seated woman with her shining red eyes and threw her hands in the air.
Stacie sighed and remained calm, knowing that nothing good could come out of her getting angry too. "I know you don't see a point in-"
"It's not about me," Beca cut Stacie short. "And it shouldn't be about you too. The pack comes first, always, I thought that was clear." She shook her head in disappointment.
"I'm not doing it only for myself, Beca." Stacie stood up, her eyes changed as well. It was escalating and the last thing she wanted was to fight with the alpha.
"It's not all about Aubrey, that's true. You're trying to get in the middle of something that doesn't concern you." Beca gritted her teeth, more to hold back from turning further than as an expression of anger. She was clear with Stacie about her mate and she hated being manipulated, more so when it put everyone at risk.
It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth either. Stacie wasn't pushing them together—she only wanted Beca to make up her own mind after actually knowing the woman. "I'm not meddling; I just think it can be nice if we make friends while we're here." Again, not really a lie, not that it calmed Beca down at all.
"Fine, I don't give a shit about myself, but did you stop to think about Emily?" Beca changed the method of communication so they won't alarm Emily, who was taking a shower. At least they could still take advantage of her not knowing how to use that power. "She wasn't close to humans like she'd be if they come here since she turned. You're willing to put Aubrey and Chloe's life at risk? To have them find out by accident? Do you know what it'd do to Emily if she'd accidently harm an innocent or how bad she'd feel if she won't be able to control her emotions in front of them? That's what putting the pack first means, those should be your thought before you invite strangers, humans nonetheless, to our home." Those were Beca's concerns, because she wouldn't call them fears. Never.
It wasn't ok for Beca to lash out at her, but Stacie understood better where she came from. She was an alpha with an untrained, new werewolf and Beca could deny it for as long as she wanted, but Stacie knew she was worried about something happening to Chloe. It would've been sweet if Beca wasn't giving her death glares with her red-colored eyes. "You're worried about her, that's perfectly fine." Stacie made sure not to specify who she referred to; she wanted Beca to calm down and agree, not rip her apart. "But we're not some dangerous creatures that kill any living thing in sight." That rogue wolf was an exception. Werewolves get along great with humans and Beca was the exception of that, thought to her defense, she wasn't a fan of making friends with anyone. "Emily isn't going to change for no reason and she's going to love the idea of hanging out and meeting new people. Besides, we're not drinking or anything, everyone is going to be safe." Beca clenched her jaw at that and Stacie knew she made some good enough points.
"No," Beca simply stated. Her eyes turned back to blue and she got back to sitting on the couch. The worst-case scenario was stuck in her mind; it wasn't like she enjoyed telling her pack what to do like that.
"Bec, it's going to be fun and we need some of it after everything that happened." Stacie was glad about her best friend regaining her composure and joined her on the couch. She knew she could make Beca see her side and agree. "Forget mates, think of Emily having a connection to life she was forced away from. You already know them, you didn't feel anything bad from them-" How could she? Stacie was starting to think Aubrey and Chloe were angels walking the earth. "-Jesse works with them, I've been around them and we have nothing to worry about Lilly. Now, please, say yes." She hoped she changed Beca's mind because Stacie was really excited about the evening. She'd cancel if Beca stayed against it because she trusted the alpha's judgment and if what best for them was to wait with it, then Stacie would listen.
Beca sighed; she didn't want to prevent them from having fun. She couldn't understand what was enjoyable about watching something predictable and often cheesy. Oh well. "They're not staying late. Emily has training early tomorrow morning."
"Yes!" Stacie did a little jump on the couch and reached for her phone to text Chloe; it was settled. "It would've been rude if we were to cancel in the last minute…" Stacie grinned and glanced up at her annoyed best friend.
"Not if you weren't a coward and told me before today." Beca gave her a knowing look.
"And give you more time to say no?" Stacie laughed when Beca huffed and looked just like a child who didn't get their way. "You'd have to tell them, you know, since you won't take the necklace off." Stacie put her phone aside and pulled her legs to her chest. She rested her head on them and looked at Beca.
"Thank you, captain obvious."
Stacie stretched one leg to give Beca a slight push. "Don't be a jerk," she said and pulled her leg back against her chest.
"I'll tell Jesse and Lilly. Emily isn't ready for that talk and if I'm being perfectly honest, neither am I." Beca looked over at Stacie with pain in her eyes and saw it reflected back at her. It might not have been the best decision, but Beca had to make hard ones and deal with the consequences.
A silence fell over them until Emily emerged from her room, cleaned and fresh. She sat between the older women, a little closer to Beca, and didn't miss one detail when she told Stacie about her morning.
When Stacie and Emily went out for a walk a couple of hours later, Beca called Jesse and Lilly to the living room. She never took her necklace off and because Chloe was coming over in a few hours, Beca wouldn't be able to hide the glowing item from her friends. Beca assumed she'd have to tell them at some point considering Jesse and Stacie's closeness with the redhead; she only hoped it would be much later and by her choice. Unfortunately, most of the time things work the opposite of what you plan.
So they gathered in the living room and Beca had to reassure them that nothing was wrong and there was no reason to worry. She put her guard up and explained the situation with as few words as possible, using a serious and authoritative tone. The reaction was as expected: a lot of excitement, curiosity and protectiveness. While Lilly respected her decision to not proceed with anything, Jesse was far from agreeing and voiced his objection. Like Stacie, Jesse didn't understand how Beca could give up on love so easily. He was less confrontational about it, he wasn't like a sibling to her like Stacie was, but his questions annoyed Beca just as much. When she had had enough, Beca put a stop to the conversation by telling him it was her private life and she shared it so they won't be shocked when they see her necklace beams later. She told them not to speak of it to Emily, which they fully understood and agreed to go with the 'it's like a mood ring' excuse. Honesty was an important element for the pack; they only kept certain things from Emily for her own benefit. Beca was going to tell her more as she got stronger. The good thing Beca could think of about not telling Emily what Chloe meant for her was that she had one less person to harass her. The alpha was certain Jesse going to team up with Stacie, no matter how many times she'd tell them to back off; she didn't need the pup joining them. It was easy pushing Jesse away and manageable to deal with Stacie, but Emily? Beca was pretty sure she'd do anything to keep the girl happy. She let her snuggle up to her, for god's sakes.
The pack spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for having guests. Lilly and Emily were in charge of tidying the place up; Lilly was fast and with Emily's energy they were sure to finish the task quickly. Jesse downloaded a variety of movies for them to pick from because Chloe didn't give them any specific genre. Meanwhile, Stacie dragged Beca to get food and soft drinks. While out, Stacie told Beca that fate probably messed up their mates because Chloe texted her that Aubrey wasn't thrilled about meeting up later. Beca objected when Stacie said they were both being grumpy and lame, then refused to talk to her best friend for the rest of the walk home. It only caused Stacie to laugh and text Chloe about it. Beca started to not be so ok with her best friend and Chloe being so close.
Just before 7 pm the pack, minus Emily, could smell their guests arriving. Chloe informed Stacie that Aubrey was a very punctual woman, not that it was unexpected. The pack stayed seated, though and waited for the knock to come. Despite words like 'mine' and 'claim' being screamed in her mind and her heart racing, Beca was able to check with Emily on how she was doing.
Stacie jumped to answer the door the second they heard a knock. "Hey! Welcome to our humble residence." She offered a bright smile that lingered a little longer on the tall blonde.
"Thanks for having us," Chloe said back and walked inside with Aubrey when Stacie moved.
Stacie closed the door and the trio took a couple of steps towards where the rest of the group was sitting. "You already know Jesse," she started and pointed at Jesse who sat on the armchair. "I'm sure you remember Beca." Stacie moved her finger to the couch where said woman sat.
Chloe's smile widened when she turned to look at Beca and it didn't waver when she was met with a bored expression. Of course the ginger didn't know about the battle Beca was having with herself. Chloe didn't even notice Jesse looking between them and being giddy.
"Can you two keep the eye-fucking to a minimum, you're ruining my appetite," Aubrey commented and glared at Beca for a moment.
Beca, on her part, stifled a growl and tried to ignore the sudden heat that rose over her cheeks; it almost matched the one coming off her necklace. The giggling coming from Chloe, Emily, Stacie and Jesse didn't help whatsoever. It was an absorbed claim; why were they even laughing?
"The one next to Bec is-"
"I'm Emily!" the energetic girl couldn't hold back and excitedly waved towards their guests. She didn't know them yet, but the redhead seemed friendly. She wasn't sure about the blonde. What was strange to her was Beca's necklace shining. Beca told her it had to do with her mood, but it's the first time she's seen it do that since they met. Emily thought it might have to do with Beca liking Chloe, by the way they stared at each other. She decided to investigate further and talk to Stacie about it later.
Chloe eagerly waved back. She was curious about the kind of relationship between the girl and Beca since she was sitting closely to her; Stacie didn't mention a girlfriend, nor did she mention a sister. Aubrey, on the other hand, looked at Emily with a raised brow. The blonde wondered if it was possible that there was someone with the same energy level as her best friend.
Stacie chuckled at how enthusiastic Emily was and the painful expression Beca tried to get rid of. "Last, but not least, Lilly." The tall brunette pointed at the dark-haired woman seated on the floor next to Beca's legs.
Remembering that Lilly was mute, Chloe used the little sign language she knew. She signed hello and her name. Aubrey signed hers like Chloe taught her and folded her arms again. Lilly, who was checking the two for any reason to not trust them, was taken aback. She didn't expect them to do that; she was sure they'd be awkward with communicating with her.
"I didn't know they knew sign language, that's neat." Jesse's voice echoed in the pack's heads.
"Yeah, Chloe told me she knew some words and she probably showed Aubrey." Stacie's voice couldn't have sounded more smitten. Aubrey learned that only for Lilly and it warmed Stacie's heart; she knew that coldness was a front.
"Regretting your decision now, Bec?" Jesse projected smugly to only Beca when he saw her almost drooling over Chloe.
Jesse's voice was like ice water pouring over her. Beca snapped her head at him with the best death glare she could muster, not that he was even close to being scared. She relaxed immediately when she heard Chloe's voice again.
"I'm Chloe Beale and I have a good feeling we're going to be fast friends," Chloe expressed happily with her eyes focusing on Beca. The alpha noticed Chloe's face brightened when she caught the light coming from her necklace and gulped. The moment cut short when Aubrey spoke.
"You all live here? Isn't it small for five people?" she inquired and looked around.
Chloe gasped and hit her arm. "Bree! You don't just ask-"
"It's fine, Chloe," Jesse hurried to reassure.
"How about a tour?" Stacie jumped on the opportunity.
Jesse joined Stacie and together they walked with Chloe and Aubrey around the apartment. They walked by the kitchen, that was the largest part of the apartment and well stocked. They showed them Jesse's room, which was obviously the smallest, yet fitted for one person who didn't have many belongings. There were two bathrooms and the unfortunate part – only one shower. Aubrey walked next to Stacie and asked a few questions that the brunette was happy to answer, even though they might've been considered a bit too invasive. They were talking and that was what important; Stacie was sure she could steer the conversation to much more interesting subjects later. The next room was Emily and Lilly's. Jesse commented that it was not always that organized and those two were the most messy of the group. Aubrey's facial expression showed that she obviously did not approve of the information, while Chloe only shrugged. Then it was time for Stacie and Beca's room. Words weren't needed to identify which side belonged to whom. Stacie's bed had floral sheets, there were pictures on the wall and in a couple of frames and there was a teddy bear and a few magazines on the bed. Beca's side was more pale and naked, though she did have a couple of family pictures that Chloe's eyes caught right away. Chloe also saw a laptop on Beca's pillow with black headphone on it. It reminded her that she haven't been to the club since Beca got the job, so she haven't heard her music; it needed fixing. She turned around to her friends exiting the room and quickly pulled Stacie's arm, making her stay behind.
Stacie pouted at not being able to follow Aubrey and turned with puzzled expression to the redhead. "You're all friends, right? Just friends?" Chloe asked hesitantly and Stacie can hear how fast her heart was beating.
"Yes, they're like my siblings." Stacie didn't understand why all of a sudden Chloe got so nervous; they were just walking around the apartment. Unless she missed something while being focused on Aubrey and the fact that she actually talked to her.
Chloe looked around Beca's side and clapped her hands tightly in front of her body. "And they all share that feeling?"
Stacie was about to ask what the hell she meant, but her brain pieced it together and oh, god, no. "Yes, don't worry about it." She prayed that Beca didn't listen to their conversation because if she wasn't angry before, she was certain to be furious now. Stacie wanted to reassure Chloe more that nothing was going on between Beca and Emily, but they needed to return to the living room ASAP. Besides, Stacie thought a little jealousy couldn't be harmful. Chloe seemed pleased with the answer, thankfully. They left the room and rejoined the group; Stacie took a seat next to Aubrey on one couch and Chloe sat on the space left next to Beca.
"What the hell took you so long?" Beca asked the moment they got back and Stacie relaxed; she didn't hear.
"Chloe needed a moment after seeing your side of the room," she shot back and tried not to laugh at the alpha's attempt to hold a glare back.
Jesse and Emily went to bring the drinks, Indian food and anything they might need, like napkins and hot sauce. The group decided to eat and talk some first and watch a movie later; Beca was perfectly fine with postponing it. She would've been happier dropping the activity altogether. The movie later was the least of her problems, though; she still worried about Emily, whom she worked on calming down while Jesse and Stacie took Chloe and Aubrey on a tour. Another problem that had the potential of being worse than an untrained werewolf was Chloe and how close the woman was to her. It wasn't fair how good she smelled and how her smile melted the alpha. Beca was so focused on Chloe that the world around her almost disappeared. That was why when the ginger touched her, Beca thought for a second that it was a dream.
"You too have a tattoo?" Chloe's chipper voice brought her back and she looked with wide eyes at the woman's hand over her wrist. The touch burned just as much as her necklace burned her chest. It certainly didn't help that Chloe's index finger was tracing the ink there.
Beca opened and closed her mouth a few time until she was finally able to say, "A grasshopper." Her voice was hoarse from how dry her mouth became. She looked at Chloe's finger for a moment, and then lifted her eyes to the woman's face. It was unfair how such a beautiful creature existed.
"Looks like we have another thing in common; I have a ladybug!" Chloe dropped Beca's hand to show her the small ladybug on her wrist.
Beca was thankful she was able to swallow the whimper that almost came out from losing the touch. It wasn't like she missed it, like her body craved for them to be close, for Beca to claim Chloe and make her hers. Beca had to bite hard on the inside of her cheek to clear the haze in her mind. "It's cute," Beca heard herself saying and wanted to slap herself. Cute? Since when did she think things were cute?
Chloe's face brightened; she used her other hand to tuck some hair behind her ear, then reached for Beca's hand again, that time to hold it. "Thank you!" she said and gave Beca's hand a gentle squeeze.
Beca's cheeks turned a shade redder and she lowered her eyes, which turned out to be mistake because she caught a glimpse of Chloe's cleavage; it wasn't a sight she was prepared for. She averted her eyes quickly and urged herself to get a grip. She saw Chloe was staring at her necklace and was about to say something. Beca knew it wouldn't be something good, so she beat her to it. "I also have some flowers tattoos on my back."
"Oh?" Chloe locked eyes with her. "Maybe someday I'd get a chance to see them," she said and Beca could swear her voice dropped some and that she winked. Did Chloe really wink at her? It was getting out of control and Beca hated not being in control. Luckily Chloe pulled her hand back and Beca hurried to get a drink from the table.
While Beca tried to keep her walls up with Chloe, Stacie did her best to show Aubrey she deserved a chance. She poured apple juice to two glasses and passed one to the blonde. Their fingers brushing for a second was enough for Stacie to inhale sharply. She quickly turned to get her own glass to avoid making it awkward.
"Thank you," Aubrey told her and took a sip.
"No problem," Stacie replied nonchalantly. "Do you still hate the apartment?" she joked and drank.
Aubrey rolled her eyes. "I didn't hate it, it's just looked crowded to me," she clarified. "Mine and Chloe's apartment had a lot of space and we're only two," Aubrey provided further.
"You and Chloe are really good friends, huh? Did you meet here or did you know her before college?" Stacie took the chance to change the subject of the conversation to something more interesting and personal.
"We arrived to Barden at the same time. I don't know if you noticed, but Chloe is a rather friendly person." Did Aubrey joke with her? Stacie giggled and answered that she got an idea. "We talked while carrying our luggage and by the time we finished, we were friends. After a week of living in the dorms, we got a place together."
It sounded so domestic that Stacie had to remind herself they were best friends and she had nothing to get jealous over. "It's so great and lucky to find someone on accident and become so close with them." Only when the sentence left her mouth did Stacie caught on how it could've been interpreted. She fought against the blush threatening to take over her cheeks and kept cool; she didn't want to cause Aubrey to shut down.
Aubrey squinted her eyes at her for a moment and took a sip from her drink. "I was fortunate, but you know how it's like; y'all must be extremely close. When did you meet?"
Aubrey was curious about her as well and it didn't mean anything romantically, Stacie knew, but it still warmed her heart. "Beca and I grew up together since we were babies," Stacie told the blonde. She hoped that one day they'd be close enough that she'd tell her the whole story. "We started traveling four years ago and met the rest on the road." She was sure wasn't getting into details on those parts, not for a while anyway.
Aubrey raised her eyebrow in question. "Four years ago? Then-"
"We were homeschooled," Stacie cut in, knowing what the blonde was about to ask. "We finished out studying early and decided to travel before settling down," she explained the best she could. It wasn't a lie, only there were other things involved and since they were supernatural, they had to wait. The good part was that Aubrey seemed impressed which put a proud smile on Stacie's face.
When Jesse and Emily were seated, they all started to eat. Each person took a plate and put whatever they wanted from the different kinds of Indian food that was on the table. Unlike Beca who tensed every time time Chloe's knee or arm accidently came into contact with her own, Stacie enjoyed the same occurrences with Aubrey. The one person who had the most fun was probably Jesse; he continued to tease his friends throughout the evening, despite the alpha's warnings. Emily enjoyed herself as well; she and Chloe didn't stop talking and unknowingly, or mostly unknowingly, drove Beca crazy. They talked about music and people Beca assumed were famous; she didn't care to find out, but she was in the middle of the two and was forced to listen. Lilly wasn't having the worst time, considering she was used to spending most of time in the forest; their guests were pleasant to be around.
"Beca, what the hell are you doing?" Chloe exclaimed in shock, getting everyone's attention.
"What?" Beca froze; she honestly had no idea what she'd done wrong.
"You're going to burn yourself!" Chloe said and got the pack to giggle—everyone except Beca, of course.
"She's crazy like that," Emily said and kept laughing. "She put tons of hot sauce, it's almost inhuman." That only caused the pack to laugh more; if only Chloe and Aubrey knew. Still, Chloe laughed and Aubrey scoffed and nodded in disapproval. Beca sat there and held her tongue; she'd get them all at some point.
The movie was forgotten in favor of more talking for a few more hours; Beca took it as a sort of victory. She could really use one between all the socializing and Chloe's voice, her small touches and her smell. Despite how agonizing it was (and it surely was—there was no evidence of Beca having fun) Beca was proud of how well Emily was doing. The young woman had no struggles during the whole night; she purely had fun with making friends. Stacie got her own victory when Aubrey and Chloe got ready to leave; the blonde said the hang out wasn't a bad idea after all and willingly exchanged numbers with Stacie. Chloe also exchanged numbers with Emily and Lilly. The redhead grabbed Beca's device just before she left, she put her number in and sent a text to herself. Beca convinced herself that the wink was her mind playing tricks on her.
When their guests were gone, the pack cleaned up and put away the small amount of leftovers. Lilly and Jesse took out the trash since they were going on a run anyway. While Stacie was in the shower, Beca sat with Emily in the girl's room and checked with her on how she felt. The alpha should've expected an over-energetic girl telling her all about how great Chloe was and how nice was Aubrey and that she had tons of fun and how they should do it again soon. Beca sat there and listened until Emily let it all out. The alpha was happy Emily got to have so much fun; it lifted her spirit greatly and she needed that. But Beca wanted to make sure Emily was in check with all of her emotions, that she was balanced. Emily turned some of the thrill down and answered honestly that she was feeling alright and fully content. There were times she felt she was about to change and took some deep breaths. Beca was proud and told her that much. She reminded Emily about training early the next morning and left the room.
After she took a shower, Beca got into bed. She planned to create a new mix, but after long hours of socializing and having to wake up early the next day, she gave up on it. A good night's sleep was what she needed and she was about to get to it, only she got a text.
Chloe :): we got home, can't wait to sleep late tomorrow!
Chloe :): though Bree probably would wake me much earlier than a person should on their day off… She hates sleep… Or letting me sleep.
Beca stared at the screen for a long time. Yes, Chloe had her number, but she didn't expect there would be any communication, especially not that soon. She obviously understood people so well. What was she supposed to answer back? There wasn't a question waiting for an answer or a clever input she could give. Then Beca thought why was she even trying to come up with something clever? She didn't want to impress Chloe. Beca wanted to keep as much distance between them, but for some odd reason the harder she tried to distance herself, the closer Chloe got. Chloe apparently wanted to be friends with her because of some odd reason Beca hadn't figured out. Beca was going to be around the ginger now that her pack was friends with her and Chloe's best friend was Stacie's mate. She might need to train herself as well; she needed her balance and to have perfect control because it was only going to get harder for her. She still stared at the texts and licked her lips as her fingers hovered over the letters. She had nothing to text back, so she went with something lame because she didn't want to ignore the girl completely.
Beca: that sucks.
She was startled by how fast she got an answer.
Chloe :): oh well, best friends, you can't live without them, am I right? xD
Beca: Yeah, I know what you mean.
That one was easy to answer, Beca understood more than Chloe was ever going to know.
Chloe :): you should really consider decorating your side of the room.
Another text that Beca didn't know how to answer. She didn't want to be an ass and tell Chloe it wasn't her business; that would've only caused drama. Beca didn't feel like explaining herself, also. She didn't have to because her phone vibrated again.
Chloe :): it'd totes set a better mood for having people over ;)
That wink again! And did Chloe try to imply something? Like that she'd be in Beca's side of the room in the future? She wouldn't add a wink if that wasn't her intention. Beca thought of reasons for Chloe to be there and her stupid brain thought it was the perfect time for the memory of Chloe's cleavage to pop up. It was hard to ignore how attractive Chloe was; thinking of that and her personality at the same time was a disaster waiting to happen. Beca couldn't allow herself to be sucked into those thoughts; allowing herself to be friends with her mate was too much as it is. It was for everyone's best interest that ignored the heat all over her body and keep her thoughts PG.
"Did Chloe send you a nude because you reek of arousal," Stacie said from across the room and Beca could tell she was smirking even without seeing her face.
"You reeked all night!" It wasn't the best retort, but her mind was still clouded and she still needed to reply to the text. Stacie was just teasing her anyway.
"I don't have a problem admitting it. You on the other hand are being stupid."
"Shut up and go to sleep." Beca wasn't going to open a discussion with Stacie; she was too exhausted. She typed a short text back and pulled her headphones over her head.
Beca: I'll think about it. Good night, Chloe.
Chloe :): good night, Beca! :)
Beca let a small smile form on her lips for a second when she read the text. She tucked her phone under her pillow and turned to face the wall. The soft tunes calmed her down and carried her to the land of dreams.
It's always nice to know what you think; if you liked it, if the pace is good and what you'd want to see in the future.
I hope you enjoyed it! 'till next time.