The Café

Chapter 20

"You don't really have to come to the beach with us if you don't want to." Link says when we are in his room.

"No, I would like to!" I answer happily.

"Mind blown about us knowing each other as kids, hey?" Link states while pulling the shirt he was wearing off and is searching in his drawers for a new one. I am practically drooling at the sight of his bare chest. The ball of desire sparks within me.

Link catches me admiring.

"I'll show you mine, if you show me yours!" he winks at me.

"Maybe another time, I have people waiting for me." I reply smartly. Link chuckles before wrapping his arm around my waist and gently pushing my back up against the wall.

I feel his other hand trail up across my skin to rest on my neck. He leans in and gently kisses me on the lips. It isn't long until I am overtaken by his scent and electric touch. I deepen the kiss, receiving an approving groan from Link. His hands continue their roam on my body, spreading the fireworks across every inch on my skin. I reach up to hold on to his toned arms feeling his breath hitch as the sparks set off when I do. He lifts me up by my legs and walks me over to his bed. He slowly places me down and leans on top of me. The feeling of his weight on top of me fills me head to toe with lust. Continuing the passionate kiss, I am 100% in the moment. I am surrounded by Link and would do anything he wanted me to. I hear a low growl from Link's chest as he abruptly rolls over to lay beside me on the bed, making sure not any part of us is still touching. We both lay their catching our breath. My body is aching with the need for Link to touch me again. My wolf is whining in my head from the sudden loss of Link's fireworks and overwhelming scent.

"I'm sorry." Link mutters. I feel hurt. I'm not sure what I did.

"It's ok." I reply quietly, sitting up to fix my top that had been pulled up by Link's roaming hands.

"I really want to make it special." Link answers.

"Huh?" I ask confused.

"I think our first time together should be special. I want to make it special for both of us." He explains, putting his hand on my thigh and kissing my shoulder.

"It would be my first time at all." I whisper, hoping he might not hear and think what a innocent child I must be. I had the opportunity but I always had my Mum's voice in my head telling me it will be more special to wait for my mate.

"Really?" Link asks, trying to hide the shock in his tone, "I really like that." He adds.

I look up into his eyes and see his sincerity. "Really?" I ask nervously.

"Truthfully. If I was your first and last, it would be pretty special." Link replies. He smiles down at me, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. My body lights up at his touch again. He stands up in front of me.

"We better get going, if I stay with you, here in my room, for any longer we will never leave!" Link laughs as he drags me off of the bed and out the door.

The beach is pretty busy when we arrive. It takes us a few laps of the carpark to get a park, but soon we had caught up with Link's family on the grass area where they had set up a picnic rug with some chairs. We had an awesome view of the beach and down the coast. It was the perfect night to be at the beach. It isn't long before some of the pack members came up to us to say hello and chat.

"Link!" Evan calls out with Pete close behind him.

"Hey!" Link replies. "What are you guys doing down here?"

"Penny came down with some friends, so we came for a night swim! What about you?" Pete asked, greeting at Steven and Hannah politely.

"We're down here for dinner." Link answered, "How was the water?"

"It was perfect! Not too cold, but refreshing." Evan jumped in, "Tess?" He questioned when he noticed me sitting with Kirra on the picnic rug.

"Hi" I answer shyly, looking up at the boys.

"How are you going?" Evan asked, "And what are you doing here?" he glanced around at Link's family.

"I'm good." I smile back.

"She's here for dinner with my family." Link shoots back, glaring a warning at Evan.

"Nice!" Pete exclaims. "Well, we'll let you enjoy! Have a nice night everyone!" he continues, nodding farewell to Link's family as well.

"Link, do you want to come and help me get the fish and chips?" Steven asks as the boys leave.

"Sure." Link answers while standing up. They head off to the shop as the girls stay on the picnic rug and chat.

"I'm just going to head to the toilet before Steven and Link get back with the food." I state as I stand up. Hannah smiles at me as I walk towards the toilet block a few hundred metres away.

As I'm washing my hands, I hear Penny's voice from outside the toilets.

"She's here with Link now!" Penny's voice groans.

"What did she do to score a family dinner invite?" Another familiar voice states.

"She didn't take long to go off Tom and onto Link!" Penny replies harshly, "Moving up in the ranks one he-wolf at a time!"

"I hear Tom is heartbroken." The other girl says. I roll my eyes at the thought of Tom heartbroken. He most certainly didn't seem heartbroken when he was forcing his tongue in my mouth the other afternoon!

"I don't know why, she isn't even his type... She doesn't ever wear any make-up, I don't think I've every seen her dressed up, she is a waitress and her parents aren't even high up in the pack. She's plain!" Penny objects. I hear some more footsteps of people joining the group.

"What ya talking about?" I hear Evan ask.

Penny says something that I couldn't quite catch. Something about Link and I.

"I really like her!" Pete defends.

"Idiot." Penny insults him.

"Link really likes him. He has said so a few times now." Evan answers the girls.

"I know he liked her a while ago but because of his order to cater to Tom he had to just admire from afar." Pete adds. I smile knowing that Link liked me while I secretly liked him too.

"But she's nothing special! He can't seriously think she would make good Luna material?!" The other girl moans. I hear Penny agree with her.

"I think she's beautiful." Pete defends, "Never too much make-up, always happy, intelligent. Genuine. I think she would make a great Luna." I think I have a soft spot for Pete. I really must get to know him better.

"Whatever." Penny replies before walking off. I decide now should be a safe time to make a run for it from the toilet block. I start to walk out but stumble straight into Penny and the red-leggings girl. s**t.

"Excuse me!" The red-leggings girl shouts at me.

"I am so sorry!" I apologise to her. "I didn't even see you there!"

"Yea right." Penny snaps at me. I'm not sure what I have done to annoy Penny so much but she certainly doesn't like me.

"I'm sorry again." I mutter as I continue to walk back towards Link and his family. One of the girls grabs my shoulder and spins me back to face them.

"Let me just have a look at you." the girl in red leggings says, eyeing me up and down. "Nope, I still don't see anything special." My wolf is getting agitated.

"Sarah, don't be so rude, there must be something! Why else would all these guys make themselves crazy for her?" Penny asks with an over-the-top sweetness in her voice. It is anything but sincere.

"I don't know what I have done to upset you both, but I'm sorry. I have people waiting for me." I state while beginning to walk off again.

"Link? You're here with him aren't you?" Penny asks. I simply nod in response.

"Do you really think that the future Alpha is going to risk everything for you? Some waitress? No title. No money. Nothing. Are you even his mate? He'll probably just dump you when his real mate arrives." Sarah, also known as red-leggings girl, spat the words at me. I can feel the tears in my eyes threatening to escape. My wolf is growling a warning, getting prepared to defend us.

"Tess, honey, are you heading back now? The boys have bought dinner back." I hear Hannah call from a few metres away. Both girls go silent and bow their heads, knowing they have been busted.

"Yep, I'm coming right now." I answer, sliding between the two girls to follow Hannah.

"I hope you girls show better respect to your future Luna when the time comes." Hannah scolds over her shoulder. Both girls keep their heads down in respect.

We walk a little further away from the girls before I thank Hannah for her help.

"Don't even worry yourself about them Tess." Hannah assures me. "I know for a fact that both girls have been turned down by Link on numerous occasions. Before Penny found her mate in Evan, that is. Jealousy is a strong emotion for people to handle, can turn even the best people nasty."

"I just wish they could get to know me before deciding they don't like me." I reply.

"Don't pay any mind. I know that Link adores you. He wouldn't have been so relaxed about introducing you to all of us if he didn't. You are the first and only girl he has ever 'introduced' to the family. That's pretty important." Hannah explains. My heart races, I assumed he had bought girls home so many times before and that was why he was relaxed. My wolf is beaming at us.

The rest of the night went perfectly. Hannah smiled at me supportively every time Link held my hand or pecked my cheek, and Kirra talked my ear off. I swear she looked thrilled whenever he showed me affection.

Link dropped me home on his way back from the beach. He asked me to attend the Alpha Ceremony tomorrow night. Obviously, I agreed, later to realise it was a more formal affair and I did not have anything appropriate to wear. Georgia was more than willing to come to the rescue.