Little Wolf

Tyler

Tyler

On the ride in to the packhouse, Ivy studies his face for a while. He can feel her eyes burning into him. Finally, he glances over in her direction and raises his eyebrows before returning his attention to the road.

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you", she says softly. Tyler feels his heart sting, but he says nothing. "It's just that, you know, you have a mate somewhere and -", Tyler shakes his head at her and she stops. He can't have this conversation right now. They'll be at the packhouse in fifteen minutes and he needs so much more time than that to talk to her.

He knows she wants him to say something, but he can't think of what to say. She's so bubbly and full of life, and chatters all the time. She's the yin to his yang. He loves how unabashedly curious she is and unafraid to put herself out there in the world. To top it all off, she's gorgeous. She's effortlessly sexy and and fun to be around.

The night they had s*x still reverberates in his core. She teased and seduced him, and she's not shy in bed at all. So confident. When he woke up alone, he was crushed. He thought they had something and she acted like he was invisible. Now he knows that what's really bothering her is his mate, it all makes sense.

Taking her hand in his, he never takes his eyes off the road. "There are things you need to know. Will you have dinner with me tonight?", he asks gently. She squeezes his hand and nods.

When the fighting erupted in the office, Tyler was so angry at Luke and Trevor. Luke is being a total d**k to his little sister, and Trevor is... What’s with him, anyway? We have a little sister to love and protect. She doesn't ask them for anything, and she's shown them nothing but kindness and warmth ever since she fell into their lives. She didn't ask for any of this.

Tyler considers punching Luke in his stupid face in the office, but thinks better of it. Paislee would probably get mad at Tyler for it.

After they're dismissed, he tells Trevor he will meet him in thirty minutes. He knows Paislee will be with Ivy so he heads to Ivy's room. He wishes he knew what to say, but after having not used words for so many years, he's inexperienced at saying the right thing. Or anything at all, for that matter.

Tonight, he will talk to Ivy. He'll talk and talk and talk until he's blue in the face, if he has to. She needs to understand. He's going to make her understand.

He and Trevor hand pick six of their biggest guys for Ivy and Paislee's personal protection. After that, they coordinate extra patrols along the property lines and double up at the gate. They further station a warrior at every entrance to the packhouse, and two on Ivy's floor. Luckily, they're a pack of over 600, so there are still plenty of opportunities for everyone to rest and eat between shifts.

Tyler leads Tyson, Sean, Dave, Pete, Devon and Matt up to Ivy's room. Pete will oversee their shifts to ensure round the clock protection. He introduces them to the girls, and leaves Pete and Tyson stationed outside their door before going to his room to shower and get ready for his date with Ivy.

Ivy

Ivy flutters around the room as she readies herself for her date with Tyler. She doesn't even know where they're going, to know what to wear. She didn't pack anything super dressy. Paislee is napping in Ivy's bed, worn out from crying so much. She doesn't even stir when the blow dryer clatters to the floor.

There's a knock at the door, and Ivy's heart stops. Tyler isn’t supposed to be here for another forty five minutes! She cracks the door open and sees Sam and Michael. "Hi, sorry to bother. Is Paislee here?", Sam asks. "Let me wake her, she's been sleeping for a few hours", she nods. She leaves the door open and nudges Paislee gently. Sam and Michael respectfully wait in the hall. "The dads are here for you", Ivy nudges Paislee again. Paislee opens her eyes and blinks a few times before sitting up. "Tell them to come in", she says in a raspy voice.

"Hi honey, how are you feeling?", Sam asks, perching on the end of the bed. "I'm okay, I guess", she mumbles with a half smile. "Will you girls have dinner with Sam and me in my suite? We can order in from the kitchen”, Michael asks, glancing back and forth between the girls. "I'd love to, but Ivy has a date", Paislee smirks.

Ivy gapes back at Paislee. Jerk. Who's the lucky fella?", Sam asks with a broad smile. "It's Tyler", Paislee giggles. Sam's eyes grow wide and he beams at Ivy. Michael breaks out into a huge grin, too. "That's great! We will leave you to it, then!", he tells them, standing.

They say their goodbyes and Paislee puts on some coffee before jumping into the shower. Ivy chats with Paislee while she showers, as Ivy is at the bathroom counter doing her hair and makeup. "They took that well", Ivy says nervously. "Of course they did!", Paislee exclaims, "What's not to like about you?"

"The fact that I'm human?", Ivy asks, incredulous. That's kind of a big deal, isn't it?

Ivy finishes straightening her hair and applies soft pink eyeshadow and mascara. She steps into a strapless white sundress with a blue and green floral print, finishing with a pair of blue kitten heels that match her dress perfectly.

Ivy's stomach is in knots when Tyler arrives. She waves goodbye to Paislee who is still getting ready, and Tyler closes the door behind them. When she realizes that Tyson is walking behind them, she looks up at Tyler with a questioning look. "Always", he smiles. Looking back, she sees Pete still stationed at the door to her room.

Tyler leads her out the back door of the packhouse. There's a canopy of lights over a large patio, and there are several black wrought iron tables and chairs scattered around. The impatiens that adorn the front yard extend to this backyard space, too, giving off a delicate scent.

There's one table that's set up with plates and napkins, a candle, wine and glasses for them. Tyson hangs back by the door to chat with the guard stationed there as Tyler pulls out Ivy's chair for her to sit.

He pours them each a glass of wine and holds up his glass to toast with her, and she smiles. As if on cue, three she-wolves emerge from the back door, smiling as they carry out the dinner.

There's a large stainless steel bowl of salad with tongs, a house made vinaigrette dressing, smoked salmon and sweet potatoes on a platter and a curious box that looks like it came from a bakery. Ivy thanks them and they all smile warmly at her before going back inside.

They serve themselves from the dishes, and Ivy chatters about Paislee going to dinner with Sam and Michael. She warns him that Sam knows they're having dinner together, but Tyler seems unruffled. "Does no one care that you're on a date with a human?", she asks, finally.

Tyler takes a big sip of his wine, setting it down carefully and blots his mouth with his napkin. He reaches across the table, palm up and she slides her hand into his.

"Yes, I had a mate", he says softly. Ivy is shocked and she gapes back at him. Had? “There were kids who teased me for years, calling me names because I didn't talk, and she was one of them", he continues with a faraway look in his eyes. Ivy's heart clenches, and she resists the urge to lunge across the table to hold him. "She... she rejected me immediately saying she didn't want to be mated with the slow kid", Tyler slumps his shoulders and looks down at his plate.

"Oh Tyler. Why... why didn't you tell her?", Ivy asks, wide eyed. "It wouldn't have mattered. She’s a terrible person", he shrugs. "Does anyone else know this?", she asks him, tears welling in her eyes. Tyler shakes his head and raises it to meet her gaze. "Moon Goddess sometimes will offer a second chance mate, but those are few and far between. Right now, Ivy, I choose you", he says softly.

Ivy feels a twang of guilt for having avoided him. All of the pain he must have endured his whole life, and she just shovelled more of it at him. "I choose you too", she smiles timidly at him, and an enormous smile spreads across his face. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you, Tyler", she says in earnest.

After dinner, Ivy learns that there’s a tiny cheesecake for two in the box. Tyler leads her on a tour of the property while holding her hand when they finish. She looks up at his handsome face, and butterflies are in her stomach as they walk. He’s just this giant cuddly teddy bear with a heart of gold, but heaven help anyone who dares to cross him. He’s incredibly muscular, with most of his body covered in tattoos. Ivy doesn’t remember their night in bed, but she’s hoping to make it up to him tonight.

Luke

Slinking in to the dining hall, Luke sees only Lucy and Trevor at their table for dinner. He sucks in a breath and makes his way to the table, “Hey”. Both mumble “hey”, as he sits. “Trev, I’m really sorry about earlier”, Luke tells him. “Me too”, Trevor sighs, running his hand on the back of his neck, “I should really talk to Paislee, too”.

“Where is everyone?”, Luke asks. He was disappointed that she never showed up to their suite, so he was hoping to see Paislee at dinner. Lucy shrugs, “It’s just us, I guess”. “Maybe what we all need is a run”, Luke suggests. Letting Jax out always clears his head, and releases tension. If he could just be near Paislee, they’d both feel better. “I’m out”, Lucy says right away. “I’ll come with”, Trevor tells him.

Luke and Trevor don’t really argue, so he’s happy they put it behind them so quickly. They’ve been best friends since they were born, and their dads have been best friends with each other since they were born, too. As much as the thought of losing Paislee terrifies him, he can’t fathom living this life without Trev. He wouldn’t want to live it.

Tyler has always tagged along with them. At first it was because he wanted to be just like his big brother Trevor, but after Tyler stopped talking they dragged him everywhere. The kids were mean to him for not talking, and both Luke and Trevor grew very protective of “their” softie little brother. They trained him hard when he got old enough, and now he’s one of the strongest warriors they have.

Jax and Gage run and play like crazy. They were never fighting, so it’s just another day for the two of them. It’s good for them to spar in wolf form, to keep themselves on their toes.

Luke is pleased with Trevor and Tyler’s plans to protect the girls, and he tells him so when they return to the packhouse, breathless. He nervously climbs the stairs to his suite, praying that Paislee will be there when he arrives. He knows before he even opens the door that she isn’t, and his heart sinks. He can’t mind link her yet since she didn’t mark him back, and he can’t text her since he broke his phone.

Dejected, he wanders into his suite and sits on the blue couch. They made love on it just two days ago, and now here they are, not even speaking.

Paislee

Paislee enjoys dinner with Michael and Sam. Watching the two of them banter and joke together warms her heart. She can tell they’ve been friends forever, and Michael seems to loosen right up.

After dinner, they clean up together before Michael pours everyone a snifter of sherry. “Paislee, I need to tell you that your Uncle Robert is coming here tomorrow morning”, he says carefully. Paislee nods slowly and leans back in her chair. “He’s quite concerned for your well being”, he continues. “If you’d like, I can be with you when you meet him”, Sam offers gently. “I’d like that, Sam”, she smiles back.