Maze of Trees

Coffee + Mornings = Good Start

I woke up, my legs sore from all the walking we had done yesterday. I squinted my eyes at the clock and groaned. Why the hell was I up this early? I didn’t need to be awake until nine. and it was two hours before

that! 

    "It’s time to get up, it’s time to gent up, it’s times to get up in the moooooorning!” Mefitis' sing-song voice echoed through my head.

    “Since when did you decided to be the rooster that crows way too early?” I asked, annoyed at how chipper she was. I was definitely NOT a morning person, where as my wolf, apparently, now was.

    “He’s waiting outside you know.” What? I bolted upright. I tested the air and sure enough there was that annoying scent coming through the small gap in the window that we always left open at night for fresh air and a nice breeze. Why was he here this early in the morning? I quickly threw on a light grey zip up hoodie over my tank top, and slipped on my flip flops. I padded down the stairs to the main lobby area of the dorm where one of the seniors kept track of the comings and goings. Greyson was also there sitting on one of the chairs looking slightly perturbed, which I found amusing, and dammit if he didn't look cute when he was annoyed. I smiled at the girl at the desk as I passed her and sat down next to him.

    "She said she wouldn’t call you to let you know you had a visitor this early in the morning and was making me wait here.” He grumbled, handing me a Starbucks cup. I was hesitant to try it but figured at this point I was awake and should take whatever caffeine I could get my hands on. 

    “Don’t look a gift horse in the month.” My wolf joked and my eyes flew to Greyson's as I tasted what he had gotten me.

    “White chocolate mocha?” I asked, how had he known that that was what I would like.

    "I asked the barista what was a good sweet, drink. This is what she recommended.” He said, giving a carefree shrug with the statement.

    "It’s my favorite when I want a hot drink. If it’s warm out, then I like the soy green tea Frappuccino with whipped cream.” I grimaced. Again with the over sharing of information. Why was I so comfortable with this guy, having just met him, to be sharing this much with him? Was this part of the mate bond?

    “You know, you shouldn’t just show up here this early in the morning. It’s a little weird, don’t you think?” I questioned in an attempt to make some sort of small talk so we didn't end up sitting in awkward silence.

    “Well I had to drop my dad off and figured I’d bring you some coffee. Didn’t plan on being stopped the

minute I walked in the door.” He glared pointedly at the girl who looked half asleep at the desk.

    “Well, thank you very much for the coffee. But don’t make it a habit. I’m normally not up this early and I don’t appreciate my wolf waking rue up just because you decided to bring your sunshine and rainbows to our door.” I said, making him laugh.

    “Alright, no more morning coffee dates,” He agreed, “But how about a dinner date with me tonight?” He looked hopeful. I sighed but it sounded like a good deal and what harm would one little date do?

    "First, it isn’t a date of any sort and second, Alright, deal.” I felt my wolf jump for joy. "I’m done with classes around 4 and then I do homework in the library. So would 7 be an okay time?” I asked.

    “Perfect, I'll see you later” He said as he swept me into a hug. And dammit if I didn’t move in closer to snuggle and take in his scent, relishing the feeling of safety and comfort that came with it. It felt so good to be held by him and our bodies seemed to be like magnets because once they were together it took a lot for me to step away. My wolf whimpered softly and we both felt the pull to go right back to him. But I need to be strong. I can’t rush into this. I need to stick to my plan so that I can live my life how I want to live it.

    I thanked him or the coffee and headed back up the stairs, entering my room quietly so as not to wake up Clarke. She mumbled something in her sleep but didn’t wake up. I sat on my bed and picked up my psychology and history book. I may as well do some review over the chapters we were covering today so that the lectures would be easier to understand, and it wouldn’t be all new material that I was hearing for the first time.

    Clarke woke up at 8 and complained about how I got coffee without her then changed her tune to complaining about how she was now a third wheel after I told her how I had come about obtaining it.

    10:30 came around quickly after that. Between talking and getting ready for the day I hadn’t noticed how time had flown by. I headed out the door and towards the psychology class hall. I, or maybe it was Mefitis messing with me, couldn’t help feeling a little hopeful that Greyson would be waiting to walk me to class. and I felt a pang of disappointment when he wasn’t there. l could still feel his arms around me and still felt the need to put myself right back in them. I shook my head, I needed to focus on class and keeping my grades up, I didn’t need to start this semester with bad grades that I would constantly need to be scrambling to get back up. Psychology class was as boring as ever. I realized the professor reminded me of a park ranger with his monotone lectures that, even with a working mic this time, were not all that clear or easy to hear. I found my mind wandering.

    "So, what are you thinking about our mate?” my wolf asked.

    "He isn’t so bad, but you know my feelings about this. I'm not against eventually joining a pack and settling down, but I want to see the world and get some life experience under my belt before that happens.” I reasoned, she however seemed to want to argue today.

    "but what if, no no don't interrupt and just hear me out.” She sensed me at out to respond “What if, you and he, together, did the travel thing? Wouldn't it be more fun with another for company? And he isn't an alpha so you have no worries about him having to stay rooted to one place for pack duties.”

    She had a point, I couldn’t deny that. Clarke hadn’t been on board with the travel the world idea and had just said she would be here when I got back. Her one stipulation to agreeing to letting me leave was that I send her a postcard from everywhere I went and brought her back lots of souvenirs.

    "I’m not against that entirely. But I don’t want to take the chance of joining a pack and thinking that would be possible, only to find out that I can’t and then it never happens. I don’t want to live with regret for the rest of my life.” It was a reasonable fear. Once mated, the mate bond would become even stronger, and already I was feeling the effects of it breaking through my wall that I was trying desperately to keep up. The girl sitting next to me stood up and I quickly snapped back to the real world. I had been doodling little towers and other nature items on my piece of paper and hadn’t even noticed that the class had ended. I had been so lost in thought and my conversation with Mefitis. I quickly shoved my things into my back pack and headed out the door. Suddenly that scent of forest after a rain hit me and my wolf stood at a attention, Greyson was here!

“There’s my girl,” He greeted me “How was class?”

I couldn’t help but notice the looks, mainly directed at Greyson, as we walked to history class together. I couldn't blame them, he was some amazing eye candy to look at. If any of the looks were directed at me it was from the other girls, and maybe one guy, who were trying to size me up and asses the threat I posed to them and their possible chances. Little did they know that they had none.

    Greyson walked me to the doorway before stopping. Exchanging a look with his father that I couldn’t quite comprehend before giving me a hug that had Mefitis wanting to ditch class and follow him. I turned back around with a deep breath and caught his father looking at me with a smile and a knowing glint in his eye.

    “oh boy” I whispered, and my wolf nodded. The inevitable meet me after class would be coming eventually and it certainly did when he walked around the classroom handing out our homework sheets for the chapter, pausing only slightly to tap my desk pointedly and drawing my attention to the sticky note he had put on my worksheet. Meet me after class was written in bold permanent marker. 

    Class went by in a flash, going over the ancient Greek culture and their many gods and goddesses. I was enjoying the subject and knew I would be disappointed when we had to move on. I wished the class could go on forever, mainly because of my love of the subject, but also because I was slightly dreading the inevitable talk with Greyson’s father. I sat at my desk and waited, not sure what to do exactly, while other students left the room, so i just pretended to be getting my things together slower than normal. Some students lingered to ask a question or two, but soon enough it was just Professor Hansen and I in the

room. He shut the door after glancing out into the hallway to make sure no one was there, maybe also making sure Greyson wasn’t there. He walked to his desk and indicated I should come and sit at the seat nearest to him.

    “So, Ms. Greenwood, Grey tells me that you two are mates?” He asked, casually leaning back to rest his hips on the edge of his desk, his hands going into his pockets.

    “I suppose that is true.” I said meeting a skeptical look at my response. “I mean, my wolf says that’s what we are.” I could tell he was sensing something in my answer that I wasn’t telling him outright. The man was sharper than I took him for.

    “And, from how your acting, you don’t fully believe your wolf? Her instincts will guide you well if you only listen to her.” He said with a slightly serious note. I felt lay wolf almost gloat at his words. Great, now she had yet another person on her side. it was now officially 3 against 1, not the greatest odds.

    "I trust her. sir, but I don’t want to rush into being mates with someone.” He nodded encouraging me to go on. "I’ve seen how the mate bond takes over and I don’t want that. I want to do things with my life.” I peeked up from my fiddling hands to look at him and saw nothing but a sincere. gentle, understanding man. Not quite what I had expected.

    “So, you’re afraid of the commitment and control that a mate bond places on someone?” He said, hitting my concerns straight on the head. "Well, I think you should do what you want, keep your wolf s wants and instincts at the forefront of your mind, but let yourself live your life as well. I'm sure Greyson won’t be going anywhere unless it’s to follow you.” He said with a laugh. “You’re all I hear about anymore. Makes me a little jealous. He doesn’t happen to talk about me to you, does he?” He asked which got a good laugh out of me.

    “You came up once or twice sir.” I said, a smile still on my lips.

    "No more of this Mr. Hansen, of sir, unless we are in class. I prefer Samuel or Sam." He rose from where he had been leaning. “And I believe I am keeping you past when I should, someone isn’t too happy with me right now.” He tilted his head toward the door causing me to slowly turn around to see who it was, though I already had a feeling I already knew.