TBMA [Complete ✔️]

24. Distraction

Rosalie's P.O.V

After we ate, Zane took us home; for better or worse, no one had noticed I was gone. I guess I should be happy because I wouldn't be questioned but the familiar loneliness couldn't help itself but remind me of its presence.

I made sure to get in the shower as soon as I reached my room, not wanting Zane's scent to be everywhere.

"I wouldn't mind!" My wolf grinned, making me shake my head at her.

"I'd be surprised if you did."

I scrubbed my skin until it became red, forcing Rain to the front so I could be sure there would be no remains of our time together. As much as she protested and whimpered as it disappeared, I was glad that being a healer, she was mentally stronger than other wolves, therefore able to understand me better and resist the mate bond for longer. At least until I figure out how to get rid of it without killing all four of us.

***

Since Christmas was quickly approaching, I decided the Omegas and I could use a distraction and decorate the house. I thought about asking Paisley to do it with me, hating to spend the holidays as an orphan and without my brother, but she was busy with pack duties. The staff would appreciate it more, anyway.

At least that's what I told myself, so my situation didn't sound as sad.

I walked into the kitchen, finding most of them there, preparing lunch and starting up on dinner. They smiled as they saw me, an older she-wolf approaching.

"Welcome, Miss, how can we help you?" I smiled at the kindness she radiated.

"I thought I could surprise the Omegas in the house by decorating for the holidays together!" Her face lit up before she could mask her excitement.

"We would love to!"

"Great, I'll meet you here after dinner and we can figure out where to go from there."

Since my brother wasn't the biggest fan of Christmas, or the holidays, or anything, for that matter, the house was yet to have a single decoration put up and it would have likely stayed that way, had I not volunteered.

There weren't even decorations bought, to begin with, but I knew mom used to love Christmas, so in the boxes with her stuff, I could find everything we needed to give the house some holiday spirit.

Truthfully, Knox and I hadn't celebrated Christmas since mom passed, for obvious reasons while father was alive, and later because of the temper and hatred towards happiness of my brother. This year, however, I needed a distraction. Anything that could take my mind away from Zane and the trap of the mate bond was warmly welcomed.

I could barely contain my excitement throughout the day, the thought of celebrating for the first time after all these years growing on me. I had spent the day going through the many boxes of mom's stuff, surprising even myself when they didn't bring me sadness and make my heart clench but gave a bittersweet feeling instead.

I guess I finally got to a point where thinking about her was more about happy memories and good times, rather than what it could have been was she still alive. She was in a better place and Knox and I were the legacy she left behind, hopefully, watching over us and seeing us live out our lives brought her joy, no matter where she was.

As nighttime finally rolled around and I finished having dinner, I went back to the kitchen, the Omegas waiting for me there. Their excitement could be felt and smelt from far away, bringing a smile to my lips.

"Everyone ready?" I asked, receiving nods from all of them.

The Omegas helped me, or more so forbade me from touching anything, and did it all themselves, bringing everything I had found upstairs, starting with the first floor, where everyone in the pack was allowed.

We hung up beautiful white garlands that reminded me of snow, making the living room, the room we started with, feel a little more like a fairytale. The male Omegas put together the huge Christmas tree, while I and the rest finished decorating the room.

By the time we were done, I was barely holding back tears at the thought of missing so many Christmases throughout the year.

The center of the coffee table now held a few candles with different patterns and smells, surrounded by fake mistletoe. The couches surrounding the table had soft throw blankets and holiday-themed pillows with reindeer and ornaments with wishes in them.

The TV was placed between two bookshelves, connected by two shelves. We replaced the previous decor, though it wasn't hard since there was barely anything, with Christmas ornaments, Santas, sleighs, and whatever else I had found.

After that, all of us placed lights, garlands, and ornaments on the Christmas tree, all while laughing and telling stories.

I had never seen the Omegas this relaxed and I loved it. Seeing their faces light up in such huge, unforced smiles was one of the greatest gifts.

One of the females went outside and put a glittery red sign on the door, while the males and I put up lights on all the bigger windows that looked toward the territory.

It took a while and a lot of work to decorate the whole house but it was very much worth it.

"Thank you all for the help, you can go rest now!" They all smiled and wished me a good night, tired but filled with holiday spirit. The only one that remained was the oldest female, which kept quiet until everyone else was out of sight.

"Thank you so much for this, it meant a lot to all of us!" I shook her head, surprising her by pulling her into a hug.

"It meant a lot to me too." Though she didn't understand, she didn't comment on it, heading to bed and leaving me alone.

Since I wasn't that tired yet, and I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts, at least for now, I decided to head back to the kitchen and make some cookies.

I grabbed the box with a few leftover decorations, making sure to pass the spirit along to the kitchen, so the staff could have a little something to admire while they worked.

I then pulled the ingredients I needed out of the fridge and set them on the island, humming a little tune to myself.

I started mixing ingredients together just as I got a whiff of Zane's scent, huffing to myself and praying he didn't talk to me.

My prayers weren't answered.

Not even half a minute later, he was leaning against the door, watching me as I moved around the kitchen.

"You'd make a fine wife!" He commented. "As long as you didn't poison me, that is," I smirked, the thought surprisingly appealing.

"Is a little poison so bad?" I asked innocently, blinking from underneath my lashes. He rolled his eyes, stepping closer. His scent already overpowered that of the cookie mixture, suffocating me and squeezing my stomach into knots.

He pressed himself to me from behind, his arms trapping me in as they stood on either side of my body. His head rested on my shoulder, his breath tickling my ear. I held back a shudder, just wishing he could go away and not make the situation harder than it had to be.

I almost flinched as he brought one of his hands up, but instead of touching me, he put a finger in the bowl, l*****g some of the mixture off.

"Mine would taste much better!" He stated cockily, the haze his presence and scent had caused me disappearing.

I swat his arms away, pushing him enough to free myself from his trap.

"As if!" I shook my head. "You don't even need to add poison to poison yourself!" He put a hand to his heart, pretending to be offended.

"How dare you! I'd let you know my cookies are the best you could ever have!" I continued mine, ignoring him and his nonsense.

"The best thing I could have is you leaving through the door!" I said without glancing at him as I headed for the sink to get a glass of water.

"So, you're agreeing that I'm the best thing you could have? In fact, you're agreeing that you love me so much I'm the best even when I'm not in the room, huh?"

I was about to take a sip of the water when his words registered. I set the glass down with a thud, my fingers gripping it as it sat on the counter.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" His smirk made my cheeks heat up, forcing me to grip the glass tighter, so I didn't say something dumb and embarrass myself. "I-I don't love you! Like at all! I love, um, the kitchen more than I do you!" I stated, my cheeks as red as Rudolf's nose.

Zane raised his arms up defensively, not wiping the smirk off his face.

"Whatever you say. We both know the truth, though!" Annoyed, I raised the glass and splashed water all over him, the action finally getting rid of the smirk.

He shook his head, unfortunately for me, looking not all bothered by his soaked clothes.

"I'm a werewolf, Angel, not a mermaid." I threw the glass back in the sink, turning away from him to attempt to hide the redness he had already seen. "However, if you wanted me to take off my shirt you could've just said that."

His shirt now clung to his body, making it difficult to look away when his abs were barely covered by the soaked fabric. Though I had noticed them before, those dang abs seemed to look way better than any other time I'd had a glance.

Stupid mate bond and stupid abs and stupid training!

I should have thrown the cup instead of the water!

"Again with the staring! Haven't you ever been taught it's rude?" He tsked, my whole face heating up to the ears as I realized I had, actually, been staring.

I forced myself to look away, telling myself it wasn't hard, despite the obvious truth. I continued making my cookies while Zane watched, his presence distracting, but thankfully, he didn't speak again.

My face remained red for a while, at least until he went into the pantry and pulled ingredients out, mumbling how he'd prove me wrong about his baking skills under his breath.

Soon, we both fell into step, silently competing with each other. I could finally take a breath, even enjoying not being alone for a second. I told myself it was just for tonight. That if I was with him one night, while just baking cookies, it wasn't that big of a deal. That I could ignore him and be alone again tomorrow.

I held back a smirk as Zane covered himself in flour, which stuck to him because of the water that had yet to dry. He was cursing under his breath, a small smile forcing itself onto my lips, despite how much I tried to hide it.

"Not funny now, is it?" Zane laughed as he crept behind me and covered me in the flour I had spread out. I pushed him away, unfortunately not quick enough because he managed to cover even my eyes.

Once I wiped them away enough to see where he was, I grabbed the dough mixture and dumped a bunch on his hair, moving down toward his body, so that it would stick better because of the water.

"We've evolved from staring to touching." He commented, forcing me to slap his cheek with a star-shaped, yet-to-be-baked, cookie.

We covered ourselves in flour from head to toe by the time we were done, laughing and shrieking until our throats burned. I was afraid to admit that it was the most fun I'd had since... forever.

We lay on the counter as the stuff to throw at ourselves finished, both of us panting, exhausted messes. My locks were spilled around his face, tickling him like I knew he hated, but he didn't comment on it.

His smile covered his whole face, warm and beautiful. I shouldn't notice it, neither should I notice the crinkle in his eyes as he laughed, or the texture of his lips, but I did.

Just for tonight.

Maybe, just for tonight, I could imagine that this was my life. That I wasn't going against everything I believed in. That this happiness wouldn't be short-lived, soon replaced by hurt and pain, by betrayal.

But Zane felt nothing like Esteban. Zane acted nothing like him. He was nice and I felt happy around him and we laughed until it hurt.

And I didn't want that to change.

"It's just like old times, isn't it?" He breathed out. "Like when we would get in trouble over stuff like this and run away before someone could see." My eyes traveled from his bottom to his top lip, tightly shutting my eyes as realization crashed into me.

I was falling for him.

And hights seemed to be a fear of mine.

A/N

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