ANIMALS

Twenty-Four || 2/3 Complete

~Tristan~

"Mmmmmph,"

Noah groans beside me as I curl up my toes under the blanket. I munched on my bagel as I read through our English homework, enjoying watching Noah's cute bed head move around on my pillow. His naked body was covered by the blanket but I could see the blue tattoo of my mark on his shoulder and I feel a small sense of pride when I see it. 

Although, there's one more person I'd like to have my mark but I'll take my time with Mason. Just the thought of Mason fills my chest with that sad heavy feeling and I instantly shove it away. 

Mason doesn't want me, but at least Noah does. 

Noah groans again and grabs the blanket, pulling it over his head and I can't help but chuckle a little at his sleepy antics as I fix my glasses. He slowly opens his beautiful blue eyes and slowly focuses on me. 

Fuck, he's adorable but why does he have to wear those dorky glasses again? Doesn't he know it's my weakness? 

Our link kicks in without him knowing and I can hear his thoughts coming through my mind as he thinks of me. 

"Aww, you think I'm adorable? I don't know how I feel about the dorky part though," I add to his conversation and he narros his eyes. 

I'm pretty sure I said none of that out loud

He mumbles in his head as he slowly sits up and stretches before falling and back and wincing. I can feel his physical pain from last night hitting him through our new connection. 

But in no way do I feel guilty considering he's not the only one hurting. 

I thought I was going to need a walker or cane when I snuck out this morning to go see Mason. That's why I had to bribe Remy to come grocery shopping with me since I couldn't do it myself. 

I watch him while biting my lip as he takes his index finger and slowly traces the love bites and bruises down his shoulder until he reaches the tribal symbol embedded in blue on his skin. 

I wonder what it means

He thinks to himself with a small smile spread across his lips and I answered him using the newly open link.

It means strength and unity

I answer and he scrunched up his brows in confusion as to why my voice suddenly entered his mind.

"Oh my dear mate, you have so much to learn," I lovingly sigh and he scratches the back of his head, avoiding eye contact with me. I lick my lips as I finish my bagel and brush off my hands.

Did he not want to teach me? Was he disappointed he was paired with a human? I mean, I would be disappointed too I guess. Maybe I wasn't meant to be his. Maybe it's all just a stupid mistake and he-

I put my homework tablet on the desk with a loud clatter to distract him from his thoughts before turning my entire body towards him. Careful with his bruises as I push him back down so his head touches the pillow.

Noah pouts a little and I've learned he's not a big fan of dominance so I know I have to try not to do this often. 

"Baby, I will teach you everything you need to know so just stop thinking like that. Please," I ask as he meets my gaze with less frustration. 

"What are you talking about?" He asks and I can't help but linger towards the mark. 

The reason why he was asleep for so long is because his body isn't used to the hormones that came though my saliva when I imprinted him. Tilting my head down, I carefully press my lips against the sensitive spot and he moans in my ear as I do. I could tell the mark was still a little red from healing so I lick it a few times for a cooling effect to soothe it for him. 

"This is my mark, a symbol showing you are mine and I am yours. We are now connected in ways unimaginable to human couples. I can feel everything you feel and when we're this close, I can hear what you're thinking. Its called a link," I explain.

Letting go of him as I do so, instead of pinning him down with my strength, I do it with my body. Curling up to him under the blanket with my head rested on his bare chest. He instantly wraps his arms around me and starts toying with my hair as I listen to his heartbeat.

"What if I think of something I don't want you to know?" he asks and I nuzzle my head against his chest. 

"Usually I only hear you when you're directly talking to me but you'll learn how to control it soon enough. It takes a while to get used to it," I tell him as I trace a small circle under the little pink hardened nub. My leg wrapped around him like a boa constrictor so he can never leave me. 

"How long did you wait for me?" He asked next and I physically shudder just thinking about my three years of a lonely hell with no way of escaping.

I'm right here hon, I'm not going anywhere

Noah uses our link on purpose and his voice alone releases me from my panic. He's right, he wasn't going to leave me and he would never try to avoid me. I kiss the soft pale skin of his chest and sigh. 

"Here on the island, there are two werewolf packs. The Caspian Clan and the Figuroa Clan which have been rivals for centuries. I am the Alpha of the Caspian clan and a man names Mason is the other Alpha," I explain, tracing over his tattoos as he continues to play with my hair in such a soothing way that I almost told him everything. 

"Stay away from Alpha Mason, if he learns you're my mate he might just kill you," I add just for extra assurance. 

"On a werewolves sixteenth birthday they go through a ceremony to find their mate. So when I turned sixteen I went to go find you, but you weren't here yet," I tell him which was half the truth. 

"You have a certain smell that lets me and my inner wolf know you're our mate, then the day after my eighteenth birthday this sexy bad boy decided to ride headfirst into the largest sign at school," I chuckle and Noah gives my hair a sharp tug.

"Ah! What was that for?!" I ask and he tsks.

"It was your birthday and you didn't tell me?" He asks as I tried to rub the spot to make the pain go away. 

"Oh here, I got you a few bagels too. You've got to be famished after last night," I gasp as I sit up and grab the paper bag from the nightstand.

"What happened after I passed out?" Noah asks as he munches on his everything bagel with creme cheese and I blink a few times.

"I tucked you in? What else would happen?" I asked him and his phone suddenly rings. 

"Fuck," He groans as he looks at the text messages from someone.

"What's wrong?" I ask him as I go back to cuddling him after he tosses his phone and lays back. But now he's stressed and tense so it wasn't the same. 

"Sorry, I forgot to tell my papa I was leaving yesterday he's kind of freaking out," he explains as he gets up and starts putting on clothes. He goes into my closet and grabs one of my sports hoodies with my last name in large letters on the back, chuckling as he sits on the end of the bed to put on his shoes. 

"Really babe?" I ask and he raises his brow.

"What's wrong?" He asks and pats his lap, without a second thought I hop into his arms and kiss him gently. Our kiss quickly deepens but he pulls away before it gets too intense as I was trying not to start grinding on his lap. 

"I don't want you to leave," I whimper and he sighs. I thought he was going to make fun of me but instead, he gives me a look of sympathy. 

Baby, don't do this to me. You're hurting me.

Sorry, I can't help it. I'll drop you off.