The Huntress and her Alpha

Chapter Ten

Lip found us giggling on the couch watching our third rom com with green face masks on our skin hours after our introduction. But sitting there with Sarah it didn’t feel like we had just met. It felt like we had been friends for a long time. I was more than grateful at how fast and easy it was to become her friend and in her words, new sister.

Lip knocked on my door in the early evening hours, but the movie had been so loud I didn’t hear him. So he just left himself in.

“Oh Jesus.” I gasped when I saw him standing there watching us. “How long have you been standing there?”

He shrugged. “A few seconds. You two look… comfortable.”

Sarah smiled. “Max is my new best friend. Sorry brother I’m stealing your mate. She’s funnier and way prettier than you. I’m not giving her back.”

Lip ducked his head and pushed his hands into his pockets. Then he walked towards where I sat on the couch. He sat down beside me, his arm brushing mine was enough contact to cause sparks to fly.

“So you’re trading me in huh? For my little sister?” His hazel eyes were even more gorgeous than I remembered.

I leaned towards him without realizing it. “I don’t know. She’s pretty fun. We’ve spent the day watching movies and talking. Can you top that with plans for tonight?”

He raised an eyebrow and looked up for the challenge. “I can think of a few things that might interest you.”

My body was warm all over as he kept staring. Sarah stood up and looked at us. “Well if you’ll excuse me I’d rather not be here if anything… non pg starts to go down. Max you have my number. Text me later!”

Lip’s sister left and I felt abandoned. We hadn’t even kissed, Sarah knew that. I told her everything, and yet she left when her brother showed up.

Lip frowned. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you two. I just haven’t seen you all day.”

I shrugged. “I guess she figures we should spend time together.” My stomach growled. “I think we missed dinner.”

“I’ll order us some pizza.” Lip pulled out his phone and started ordering. “What do you like?”

“Just cheese.” I smiled at his question, waiting for what i knew would be the follow up question.

“So like nothing else? Just cheese and sauce and dough?”

I nodded. “Extra cheese.”

“Okay.” He clicked more buttons and then gave me that crooked smile. “It’s ordered. Shouldn’t be too long until it’s here.”

I sighed. “Well I guess I’ll wash my face. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get dressed.”

Lip grabbed my hand and stopped me before I could walk away from him. His smile was crooked, the one he seemed to save just for me. His thumb ran across the back of my hand gently.

“Max. I know it’s the mate bond that pulls you towards me. But I want you to know even before I felt the sparks I wanted to introduce myself at the bar.” He pushed my hair behind my ear, the green mask hiding my blush from him. “I wanted to know your name, to know if I’d have a chance with you. So we will go as slow as you want. I want to be your friend, not just your bonded mate.”

I smiled, my heart fluttering at his words. I reached out and ran the tips of my fingers down his cheek. “I want to be your friend too, Lip. I didn’t realize how lonely I felt until Sarah showed up and insisted we spend time together. It was nice. I’d like to spend time with you that way… in my world we call them dates.”

Lip laughed, his eyes squinting as he nodded. “Yes I know what dating is, Max. We aren’t that different of a species. Well then, will you let me take you in a date tomorrow? Tonight I’d rather just spend with you watching movies and just getting to know each other better.”

“I’d like that.” I smiled now, it cracked the mask but it was genuine. It’s like he already knew I was more of a homebody than someone who wanted to go out all the time. My birthday had been a rare occasion.

I stood back up. “Let me wash my face. You pick a movie, any movie. I don’t care but something you want to see. I’ll be right back.”

Lip squeezed my hand as he let it go and grabbed the remote. I felt more relaxed, even before he showed up. I felt like maybe inside this room I could belong here. The problem was that feeling left when I stepped outside and came face to face with the other wolves.

As quickly as I could I rinsed the green mess off my face. I dried the water off my skin and then threw my hair up into a messy bun now that it was dry. I walked back out and found Lip searching through horror movies.

“Okay so like can you read my mind? I love Horror movies.”

He laughed. “So do I.”

The pizza was sitting on the coffee table, I must have missed the delivery guy arrive and ring the bell. It smelled so good and my stomach begged me to grab a piece. I grabbed a plate that Lip offered me, pulling out a slice of cheese.

“Didn’t you get yourself pizza?”

He shook his head. “I already ate but I figured I could share your very bare and basic pizza choice.”

A laugh escape my throat as I looked at him before taking a big bite. “God I was starving.”

“Remind me to lecture Sarah about feeding you.”

I sat down beside him, leaving some space as he finally settled on a movie we both hadn’t seen. I finished my slice of pizza and put another one on my plate.

Before I ate my second slice I cleaned the little coffee table off, putting the trash in a bag and putting my nail polishes away. The only thing that was on the table now was the pizza, Lip grabbed his third slice as I came back to the couch.

Now that it was cleaner, I felt more relaxed. Lip pulled me back down beside him. This time there was no space between us. He laced his fingers through mine, I leaned against his shoulder. Then I started to eat another piece of pizza before it got cold.

“This is nice.” I whispered as the actress screamed on the screen.

Lip’s laugh vibrated through his chest. “I have to admit, it really is.”

I yawned, realizing the sun had set while Sarah and I hung out. We hadn’t even thought about dinner we had been having so much fun. It was sweet of Lip to take care of me and bring dinner to me, even though he had already eaten.

I smiled against his skin, adding yet another thing to the list that I had in my head. Lip fed me dinner, even when he didn’t have to. My dad skipped dinner and never checked to see if I had eaten even when he came back home.

Just another way of showing he cared. Another way of telling me that maybe this was more than a bond, that seemed very physical in nature, that was between us. He wanted to know me, he wanted to date me. He didn’t have to take the time to get to know me, but he was putting me before his primal needs of the bond.

I snuck a peek at him while the movie played, his eyes were focused on the screen. He was way too handsome for me, but I felt my heart flutter as I realized he was mine. He chose me in body and mind. He chose me out of all the she wolves he could’ve picked to run this pack with him.

Lip kept running his fingers lightly over the skin at the top of my neck and my eye lids were growing heavier with every stroke.

I felt him press a kiss against my temple. I didn’t make it past the opening scene, my eyes closed and I fell asleep listening to Lip’s heart beat in synch with mine.

——

I felt someone moving me. I opened my eyes and Lip looked down at me. “Hey go back to sleep, sweetheart.”

“What are you doing?” I mumbled into his shirt. He was so warm and comfortable I didn’t want him to move me.

“Putting you to bed. That couch isn’t comfortable.”

I nodded as he laid me down, I burrowed into the pillows. They felt like clouds. Lip pulled the fuzzy blanket up around my shoulders, I grabbed his hand before he could pull away.

“Don’t go.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“Max.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Please stay.” I felt more vulnerable than I ever had before. “Just to sleep.”

He sighed, giving into me without so much as a second thought. He crawled into my bed beside me and I felt him pulling his jeans off under the covers.

“Just sleep.” He replied as he pulled me into his side and I closed my eyes again. He ran his fingers lightly over my back as I drifted back to sleep wondering how in the world i had slept comfortably before I met this handsome boy.