The Huntress and her Alpha

Chapter Twelve

Once evening fell Lip finished with his alpha duties and found me. He was sweet, asking me to follow him out of the pack house and stealing me away from Aimee who had been talking about creating our own training schedule.

Lip reached for my hand and held it gently as we fell into step together.

“So how come you grew up with your aunt and uncle?” I asked quietly as we walked out of the pack house and the sun warmed my skin. I had been looking forward to this date all day, now that it was finally here I tried to fight off my nerves.

Of course the butterflies in my stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering whenever Lip smiled at me.

“My parents died when me and my sister were young. I always knew I’d take over one day, but because of how young I was my uncle took over until I became of age. It was my fathers wish that his brother raise us.”

“I know it doesn’t change anything but I’m sorry you lost them.”

“Thank you. I um. Sometimes I can’t remember my mom’s laugh or her eyes. Sometimes my fathers voice is the one I hear when I’m making a decision, other times I can’t even recall what he sounded like. It’s hard, to feel so responsible for their legacy and yet have trouble remembering who they were.”

“They’d be proud of you.” I nodded. “Even I can see how great of an alpha you are.”

He offered me a small smile. “My mother would’ve loved you. You’re stubborn and determined just like her.”

I smiled at that. “Will I get to meet your aunt and uncle? Sarah is awesome, I’d really like to meet your family. Especially since you met my oh so wonderful father.”

Lip laughed. “I’ll talk to them. I didn’t want them to scare you off. You’re already intimidated by Jack and well. He’s a lot like my uncle. Stoic, loyal, old fashioned.”

I nodded. “So whenever I meet them you better just keep hold of my hand then. Because Jack doesn’t seem so intimidating when you’re next to me.”

Lip pulled me into his side and wrapped his arm around my waist. “I’m glad you feel safe with me.”

I blushed as we kept walking. “Where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise.” He wiggled his eyebrows and looked ahead. “Don’t worry. I think you’ll like it.”

I looked at the dark woods in front of us. “As long as you aren’t planning on murdering me and burying my body out here, I think we’ll be good.”

“That’s more of a third date kind of plan.”

“Oh good at least I can prepare myself.” I glanced at him, feeling comfortable flirting with him as we walked together hand in hand.

Lip’s deep laugh bounced off the trees as he shook his head. “Trust me. Murder is the last thing on my mind when it comes to you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “But you’re saying it’s one of the things on your mind when you think of me? I wonder how many other mates have such a romantic wolf who thinks of their murder. Maybe I should ask Aimee.”

Lip pulled me into his side, his fingers brushing over the skin along my hips as my shirt rode up. He was laughing, the sparks making me shiver against him. “I like this playful side of you.”

It felt nice to pretend like this was normal. Like we weren’t two people from totally different ends of the earth. We were just a boy and a girl who happened to find each other when they needed them the most. No fates, no wolves, nothing more than normal infatuation and lust.

I let out a breath and decided to break our little normal bubble. Because I had been waiting for a moment alone with Lip to ask him about something that’s been bothering me ever since I woke up in his infirmary.

Something that had to do with how he ran his pack.

“So.” I said quietly. “Can I ask you something that’s been bothering me since we met?”

“Um. Sure.”

“Why do you let your Beta fight dirty? I mean, that’s what poison soaked nails is, dirty fighting.”

Lip sighed. “I’ve told him to stop. After you got hurt I gave him the order to stop. It never hurt anyone except the enemy and it leveled the playing field sometimes for him. But I told him he’d be demoted if he ever did it again.”

“So you’ve never used it?”

He shook his head. “I never needed to or wanted to. I thought he’d grow up and man up and stop taking an easy way out, but he didn’t. So I forced him to.”

I squeezed his hand gently. “Okay.”

Lip glanced at me with a small smile. “You know you’re a lot more open minded than I thought you’d be. I mean, you seem more sure of yourself than you did when you woke up in the infirmary.”

“I was scared and I don’t get scared easily. But this bond scares me, being vulnerable scares me. So I sort of shut down. When you came into your room and just sat with me, not pushing or pulling me to make a decision or talk, I realized that maybe you were right. Maybe we are supposed to balance each other out.”

Lip kept smiling as he lead me through an archway of trees that lean to an open field. I had thought about coming to this field a few times since I got here. To clear my head, but mostly to get away from the prying eyes of the angry she wolves. Now that I was here I realized it was perfect.

This could be my new safe place.

The field had been transformed for our date and it was beautiful. There was a large projector at the far end and I could see Lip had set up some type of air mattress with a little owning overtop. There was a large comforter and snacks all around the little area.

“You did all this for me?”

He looked shy. “You said simple. So I was thinking a movie. But then this morning you were talking about your love for old things and vintage and I just thought maybe you’d think this was more fun. Just you and me and a movie we both haven’t seen. We can talk and laugh and do whatever without worrying about anyone else.”

I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. “This is the absolute sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I love it.”

He led us over to the spot and then I sat down. “Oh my god gummie lifesavers? My favorite.”

He laughed as I pulled open the bag and started eating some. We had eaten a small dinner, but I always had room for dessert. “I might have ask Luca for a few of your favorite things.”

“Really? How?”

“I got her number off your phone when you were in the shower.” He was blushing as he rubbed his neck. His telltale nervous habit I had already learned.

“I take my phone in with me.” My eyes were wide. I always listened to something while I was in the shower. How had I not noticed he had come in?

Lip shook his head. “I promise you that I did not follow you into the bathroom. You left your phone out while you were getting ready. I grabbed it got her number and then you came out and took it with you.”

“Relax.” I whispered squeezing his hand. “It’s okay. I’m not upset.”

He blew out a breath he must have been holding. “I didn’t want you to think I was invading your privacy. I wouldn’t do that.”

“I know. Like I told your sister, you’re a real gentleman.”

The movie started, how I wasn’t sure. Lip must have tasked someone with putting it on while we were getting comfortable. It was a newer horror movie, one I had been dying to see. The darkness added to the allure of the scary movie.

I shivered and Lip was ready to warm me up. “Are you cold?”

I shook my head. “No just looking around at the darkness and watching this movie made me shiver. It’s pretty creepy.” I smiled at him. “I love it.”

“I thought you might.”

We sat with room between us as the opening scene played. I ate some more gummies and I heard Lip open a bag of chips. This was nice and comfortable. I didn’t feel awkward I didn’t feel like I needed to fill the space with words. I was content to sit beside him just like this for hours.

Lip moved closer to me as I adjusted myself and leaned against the backboard that was set up. He picked up my hand, which he was more than aware I was comfortable with. After a minute of watching the movie he let out a breath.

“Can I ask you something?” He voice was soft and he didn’t sound like his usual confident self.

“Sure.” I turned my face towards him. “But I can’t promise I’ll answer it.”

Lip looked at our hands. Then his hazel eyes met mine. “Have you ever… been with someone? Like I mean. You said no one has ever done something like this for you before. I just wondered. If I’ll be your first.”

My cheek were on fire now. I bit my lip and let the uncomfortable feeling pass. Then I felt that thing inside my chest warm, telling me that I could be honest with him.

“My first as in am I a Virgin? The answer to that is no, I’m not. I’ve been with others, even a few wolves from the bar. But they weren’t anyone special, they were all fleeting moments that passed when the sun came back up. My first boyfriend? Yeah you are. I never had time to date I was too busy training and learning to take over. I trained so hard I was the top female Hunter and every guy in our society was afraid of me or my father. So my dating life was non existent.”

He was quiet for a moment. Then he smiled. “Thank you. For answering me.”

“Now it’s your turn.” I raised an eyebrow at him wondering how I’d feel hearing he slept with other girls. Sarah had said he was never graceful with the ladies, but from the way other pack members stared at him i knew he had to have been with some of them.

He blew out a breath. “I slept with a few she wolves when I was young and stupid. I shouldn’t have because they became obsessive. I learned the hard way not to sleep with girls in the pack you’ll one day be alpha of. So then I started finding willing girls at the bar. I’d take them up on their offer to go back to their place then disappear in the morning. They were nothing more than a distraction.”

I nodded, jealousy rubbing me the wrong way. “What about girlfriend?”

He winced. “I had one serious girlfriend when I was eighteen and I was pissed off that I couldn’t find my mate. She was the daughter of a neighboring pack’s beta. She was sweet and she was willing, but I didn’t love her. Not the way I… care about you.”

I nodded. “It’s okay, Lip. I don’t expect you no to have a past. We’re both old enough to realize that we couldn’t possibly sit around waiting forever for a mate that we might not have actually found.”

Lip sighed and then moved in closer to me. “I wish I would’ve waited for you. I mean. You’re everything I never knew I was looking for.”

“Weak? Human? Not of your kind?” I asked jokingly as he filled the space completely and we were sitting very close together.

“Beautiful. Strong. Smart. Sweet.” His face was inches away from mine. “Gorgeous. Determined. Open minded.”

My eyes traveled down to his lips and I felt my mind turn off. All that mattered in that moment was how close he was to me, how much I wanted him to kiss me. I swallowed the argument that I wasn’t all the things he had just said. I was human, I didn’t have a wolf. I didn’t feel beautiful or smart or determined. I felt weak for choosing myself, for choosing this bond, over my people.

“Max.” He whispered my name, his face moving closer to mine.

I nodded my head, my eyes finding his. The question was written all over his face this time. “Yes.”

He didn’t hesitate, he leaned in and closed the distance between us. His lips were on mine and sparks flew down my spine. My arms wrapped arm his shoulders, his hands grabbed my waist. My heart was pounding inside my chest as he kissed me. It was the perfect first kiss. Hard, sweet, full of more than just lust.

I took in a deep breath of his scent, my fingers burying themselves in his hair. He smelled so good, even better when he was tangled up with me. I pushed myself closer into his body, opening my mouth for him to deepen the kiss. I moaned. He tasted like home.

Lip broke away first, his hazel eyes were darker, his crooked smile appearing slowly. He leaned his forehead against my. “I’ve wanted to kiss you. Every single day since I met you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I really wanted you to kiss me at my house. This bond, it’s intense.”

He nodded, leaning in and kissing me again. The movie had been long forgotten as we slowly moved down on the mattress and tangled ourselves up in each other. Maybe Lip was telling the truth. I don’t think I could ever get bored of kissing him. Maybe this bond was the real deal.

Maybe I had finally made the right choice for once in my life by choosing myself.