TBMA [Complete ✔️]

23. Car

Zane's P.O.V

I kept driving around, hands clutching the wheel to avoid looking at my gorgeous mate.

"Looking? More like eye-eating?" Zion, my wolf, teased. I huffed but otherwise ignored him, unwilling to admit he was right, for once.

Rosalie in that dress was doing something to me. She was always doing something to me, whether she was in sweatpants or a sparkly dress - it didn't matter. She was so gorgeous it felt like a sin to be able to stare at her, so gorgeous it made me want to kill anyone that admired that beauty of hers that wasn't me, and I wasn't even the aggressive type.

"Unlike her brother!" Zion chimed in again, once more, with the truth.

I blocked my thoughts and tried to concentrate on driving again. It was past midnight by now, there was no one besides us on the road, but I was still the most careful I had ever been while driving. One, because my mate was in the car and I'd drown myself before letting anything, anyone, especially myself, hurt her, and two, perhaps because of the guilt I felt for forcing her in the car and not taking her home as she'd asked.

I swear I had considered it, but when her scent filled up the car, when I felt a certain peace, a feeling of home I thought I already knew, the mere idea of letting it leave with her terrified me.

I took a deep breath, greedily inhaling more of the sweet smell. My claws dug tighter into the wheel, my self-control starting to slip.

And I finally peaked at her.

Her full, soft lips were partly opened, even breaths sneaking past them. Her green eyes were tightly shut, coated by long, thick eyelashes. Her hair fell around her shoulders, covering most of the upper part of the seat.

I hadn't touched it before, but I could only imagine how soft and smooth it would be while I ran my fingers through it. I could only imagine how her lips would feel when pressed them against mine, how she would be so close that her eyelashes might tickle my face.

I wondered what it would be like to have her fingers run through my hair, what it would feel like to be loved by an angel like her.

Will it make me wish I was in heaven, or will it directly take me there?

I slowed the car down, quickly shaking my head to get rid of all those thoughts. She'd come around and love me one day, at least that's what I liked to tell myself. Until then, I'd drive this car around the road I found the least bumpy, just so I could watch her sleep and be surrounded by her scent.

I'd take what I could get.

I carefully pulled the coat of my tux off, covering her with it. She stirred only for a second before going back to sleep while I smiled at my small win. Then, I tuned everything noise out, listening only to the soft, steady rhythm of her heartbeat.

Rosalie's P.O.V

My eyes were still closed when I felt a slight pain in my neck. I wanted to stay asleep, the air smelt much nicer than usual and I hadn't had such a dreamless, uninterrupted sleep in a while, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't ignore the little alarm bell ringing in my head, telling me to open my eyes.

I finally obliged, slowly rubbing my eyes open but jumping in fear when I realized I was not only not in my bed, but I was also moving. I frantically spun my head around until I noticed Zane and remembered last night.

Shit, I must have dozed off.

He could be driving me out of the pack territory by now, he could be taking me anywhere to lock me up, so I'd stay with him. He could have hurt me while I had my guard down.

"But he didn't." Rain replied, annoyed.

I nodded, more to myself than anyone else, before turning to Zane. I was about to open my mouth and confront him, yell at him for not bringing me home, for not allowing me to walk, for the trouble I'd face with my brother, but when I looked at him, the words died on my tongue.

His eyes were squinted as the first rays of light began to hit them, dark bags covering his face. He seemed exhausted, as if he hadn't slept.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" He murmured, his eyes remaining on the road at all times. "Surely I can't be that boring! No one else has ever fallen asleep in my presence, for God's sake!" We both shook our heads at the same time as I ignored his lame attempt at a joke.

"Have you even stopped driving at all?" I asked without beating around the bush. He didn't even hesitate before he shook his head. When he saw me staring through the car's mirror, he shrugged, as if the answers to my unasked questions were right in front of me.

"You fell asleep, I wanted you to stay asleep, so I drove." A flutter of butterflies exploded in my stomach, almost making me feel sick.

"And you haven't stopped? Like at all?" I heard my voice ringing in my ears.

"I'm honored that you're trying to hide the state I'm in but I'm pretty sure I'm a little less perfect than usual." I needed to roll my eyes, it's what I did, I rolled my eyes and shook my head at his lame jokes and he kept making them to annoy me. So, why was it that I couldn't do that now?

I dug my nails into my palm, chewing on my bottom lip as silence stretched between us. I needed to get a grip.

I pulled his coat off of me, losing the warmth it provided.

I wasn't disappointed by that fact. I did not need warmth. I especially did not need his warmth.

"I-um, thank you," I stuttered, cheeks heating up, "for letting me sleep."

He shrugged again.

"No big deal."

Except it was, and we both knew that.

"He's ready to do much more for you if you only let him." My wolf intruded again.

Zane continued driving around, a comfortable silence between us. I kept waiting for him to head back, to turn around and take me home now, but he never did. Despite how pretty the sunrise was, his scent and the tight, white shirt were making me forget, and remember, why I was supposed to stay away from him, all at the same time.

My gaze quickly skimmed across the car, landing on the time.

5:07 am

Maybe, if luck was on my side, I could still get home before my brother woke up and make it seem as if I had been at the house the whole time.

"Are we far from the house?" My voice broke the silence, a lazy smile curling on his lips and showing off his dimples.

"Leaving so soon?" I looked out the window to keep myself from staring at the darn dimples, his scent making my head fuzzy. It was weird, the stupid bond's effect on me, willing me to submit to a life and partner I didn't want. I suddenly understood addicts because if I could have a perfume with his smell I'd wear it nonstop.

Why did the mutt have to smell so good?

I stifled a groan before turning back to him.

"I want to go home, Zane!" My voice was loud and clear, leaving no room for debates. Perhaps it was because of his exhausted state, but even with the hurt flickering in and out of his eyes, he turned the vehicle around without fighting me on it.

The silence between us was now far from comfortable as guilt slashed through me. I had no idea what I was doing and no one to ask. There was no one in my life that could give me advice - not my wolf, not Paisley, not my brother, and certainly not aunt Zaria. You'd think, in a whole, weirdly large pack, at least one wolf would have advice worth being followed, but alas, that wasn't the case.

Not with me, anyway.

My stomach grumbled loudly, causing Zane to smirk to himself. My cheeks burned in embarrassment, forcing me to look away so he wouldn't notice.

"Hungry, Angel?" I cursed under my breath as my cheeks reddened to a point I didn't know possible.

"No," I stated, attempting to keep my voice steady. He didn't buy it.

"You're gassy then?"

Goddess, if only I could get away with murder!

Could I?

"Strangling me won't make your gas problems go away." Zane snickered. I smacked his arm, his smirk growing as sparks zapped where we touched, even if it was only for a second.

"We won't know until I try, will we?" With the shaking of my voice and the red on my cheeks, I might as well strangle myself, at this point. "And I do not have a gas problem." My mate chuckled under his breath, shrugging.

"Whatever you say." This time, I didn't hold back my grumble. Or curses. "I'm taking you to get food."

"I don't want food." I protested.

"And I don't remember asking."

He hadn't.

No matter how much I tried, complained, whined, and swatted his hand, Zane still took us to grab food.

"I'm not hungry, I swear!" I had said.

"I am, I'll be getting myself food." He had replied, obviously lying.

I didn't press on the matter further, knowing his stubborn a*s, and wolf, won't back down until I'd put food in my mouth and my stomach had stopped grumbling. The sooner I could finish up, the sooner I could get to the house, and pray no one has yet noticed I was gone.

It shouldn't be too hard, most days I was invisible, anyway.

The car stopped, Zane rubbing my arm to grab my attention and pull me from my daze. And for the sparks, knowing him.

"Don't!" I glared at him, making him raise his hands up defensively, yet another smirk dancing along the corners of his lips.

He didn't allow me to open my own door, running to do it for me.

"After you!" He bowed playfully as he did. I stepped out and leaned against the car, my mate instructing me to stand there and wait for him. Unwilling to fight over something as small as this, this early in the morning.

I watched him from a distance as he waved to the owner of the small breakfast place. It was small but cute and cozy. There were no seats and you were supposed to order from a window. The owner's gaze slid over to me with a kind smile, which I awkwardly returned, just as Zane laughed. Despite the two obviously talking about me, I didn't try to listen in on what they were saying, patiently waiting for my mate to get our order.

When he came back, he was carrying two plastic plates filled with syrup-covered pancakes. My stomach grumbled again at the sight and I had to admit that maybe coming here wasn't a bad idea, after all.

"Coming here with him wasn't a bad idea!" Rain corrected, though I made no effort to reply as I took my plate.

Mine had sprinkles and a few pieces of chopped strawberries and bananas. Zane's didn't.

"I thought you were the one that's hungry?" I c****d an eyebrow, teasing him, but he was already digging in, ignoring me as I did my wolf.

I brought the first bite to my lips, immediately deciding that those were the best pancakes I had ever had in my life. I realized that as I ate, I hadn't once looked up, noticing Zane smiling as he watched me eat, once I was done.

"What?" I asked as I wiped the corners of my mouth, struggling to get all the syrup off.

My mate's smile grew, warmth and happiness radiating off of him as he wiped the remains of it with his thumb.

"Thank you!" I whispered, my breath hitched, his thumb remaining over my lip for a few seconds before he drew it back.

"Always."

A/N

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