Quentin

Oh my Goddess!

Layla got mated right in the middle of the school yard.

Our wolves don't play when it concerns our mates. They only wait for you to turn 18 and find an age appropriate partner. That is your mate needs to be at least 17, as we have said before.

As soon as he walked past the school front gate, BOOM!

It took them a while to come to terms with the pairing, but once they did...

Normally, the guy is the one who says the acceptance speech first and the girl agrees with it or not. But of course Layla did not wait for the man to make a move. Of course SHE was the one who first accepted him.

Typical Layla. Don't tell anyone I said this but she grew on me. I like her and my brother actually made a great choice as far as Betas are concerned. I really mean it.

Of course, the game is not over yet. The Alpha position is not set in stone as people would think it is. Though right now all signs point at my brother, I'm not exactly throwing the towel.

No, ma'am. No sir.

I'm not giving up, I'm giving in. To my partner, to the mate bond and all that it entails.

I understand you're curious about Layla's mating but something much more exciting is about to happen, in my humble opinion. I'm going out on my first ever date with my mate.

I'm radiating with excitement about this. Nearly 24 hours by Beck's side.

It's one night only, even though we're on winter break from school now. But it's all I could afford. Truth is I was never going to book two separate rooms for me and Beck, I just faked it because my brother called me out on it and I panicked.

Of course, I can't afford two rooms in Dallas. I'm the Alpha's teenage son, not Dragomir.

If I could, I would whisk him away for an entire week, but that's never gonna happen.

Regardless, I'm booming right now. It's Saturday morning.

My mom gracefully lent me her car for the weekend, so I packed an overnight bag and drove to the pack house right after breakfast. It's a four hour drive til Dallas, so I wanna make the most of it while I can.

I greet my mate who is already waiting for me inside the living room. His mother was also present, so I greeted her as well.

"Good morning, Quentin. I love that you're taking the time to be with your mate but let's not get accustomed to these kinds of trips while he's still in school. I'm only allowing this because it wouldn't be fair NOT to since you boys are on winter break. And because you're not driving at night. Drive safe." - She cautioned me in her motherly worried tone.

"Of course, Mrs. Becker. Thank you for allowing us to make this trip. I promise it's the only one I have planned for the break." - I reassured her in a serene tone.

She kissed her son on the temple and waved me goodbye. I wanted to carry Beck's bag, but he insisted on carrying it himself. Once I was in front of the pack house and alone with him, I couldn't resist a question.

"Can I kiss you now?" - I was staring at him with my eyes twinkling with desire.

"You may." - He replied, sheepishly.

I lunged for his lips like famine needs food, going as far as nibbling his lips lightly - which he loved, by the way. We walked to the car, put his bag in the trunk and got on the road.

"I'm not gonna lie. I'm still gobsmacked that our first date is in another town four hours away from here." - He started off, sounding impressed by me.

"Well, I wanted to impress you." - I confessed, almost smugly.

"Consider me impressed." - He smiled at me and I swooned.

Goddess, he looks so cute right now. How could I ever be this wimp for a guy? I'm still baffled by this. But I am totally at his mercy. Whatever he wants, I'll do it. He won, not that I think it works that way. There isn't a competition between mates.

While I drove off, I asked him if he heard anything about Layla and her new mate. It was her birthday yesterday and Jude went with her family to celebrate in a local restaurant. Her mother also came from out of state.

Beck didn't go because he's not close to her family or her, for that matter, but he told me that by all accounts everything went fine. Her mate also didn't go, but I'm sure they have plenty of dates on their horizon now that we're on winter break from school.

"I cannot believe I'm free from school until next year. I'm so relieved, though I still have to train with Mr. Booker. I'm just glad we don't train on weekends or holidays." - I told him, breathing out a relieved sigh.

"Yeah, I'm glad to have this time off. I needed a break from school. And all the mate drama." - He spoke, sounding relieved.

"Tell me about it! I still can't shake all the sobbing yesterday after Layla got mated." - I agreed with him, looking rather pained.

I turned on the radio to distract ourselves from the issue and we started talking about music, which is a great subject and light.

The good thing about this date is that it starts with us in the car while I drive. We have four hours to kill, so it's great to get us started on the date without the pressure of it. It's simply two boys enjoying a road trip.

Beck and I talked at length. We discussed various themes from his upbringing in the reservation to his move here. He also talked about his father and how their relationship started to heal after his visit to Ruckerford Falls.

He told me they talked for a while about their past grievances and it was nice to have that time with his parents together. As a matter of fact, it's very likely that his mother is taking him back to the reservation some time during the upcoming holidays.

I figured as much, they have the bulk of their family located there so it does make sense.

I'm gonna miss him though. A lot. I wonder if I could fit in his luggage... *sigh*

We arrived in Dallas during lunch time, so we went straight to a nice steakhouse. We werewolves are carnivores and Texas is the best state to eat barbecue. We Texans don't play around a grill.

I took Beck to the Bishop Arts District, a notorious LGBT+ neighborhood, where we walked the streets, visited art galleries and even took a walk on the Katy Trail.

The city is very beautiful, vibrant and colorful. There's even a rainbow walk in Cedar Springs. Beck was marveled by the big city. Having grown in an isolated small place, he is taking in everything he can.

We took our time getting to know as much as we could of the place, it was a very enjoyable outing. We stopped for coffee in the late afternoon, taking a much needed rest after all the promenading around town.

"I loved Dallas so far, it was an excellent idea to bring me here." - He spoke, sipping from his latte.

"I'm glad you liked it. I did some research first and thought this would be a great start of the winter break for you. For us to clear our heads." - I told him, smiling wide.

"You nailed it. At first, I thought a four hour drive for a first date was a bit of an overkill, but I see it now. You're a genius." - He said, enthusiastically.

Oh how I longed for his approval, to see him happy with me doing something good.

Dragon was right - that bastard! - there is nothing like causing happiness to your mate. There's no other feeling in the world like being the reason for someone's joy. It really is the best feeling in the world. And seeing Beck happy is giving me life right now.

I feel so fulfilled, it's hard to explain. And I didn't even complete the bond yet, not that it's on the cards for me tonight. That's not what this is about anyway. Genuinely.

"We should check ourselves in the hotel, rest for a moment before dinner." - He suggested, to which I promptly agreed.

We left the coffee shop and I drove us to the hotel. After the check in, we walked in a simple suite with one master bed, a wardrobe, two nightstands and a chair and desk. The bathroom was small, but enough for us to use it comfortably.

No luxury, but effective. We're only staying one night anyway.

"Why didn't you ask them for two beds?" - Beck asked me in an accusatory tone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't specify the number of beds when I booked this room. But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, I'll call the front desk and ask them to switch us to a double." - I replied, taken aback by his reaction.

I moved to grab the telephone by the minifridge, but Beck stopped me.

"It's fine, mate. I'm sure I can handle you if you get handsy." - He said, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I don't want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me. Rest assured, I'm all about consent." - I reassured him in a dead serious tone. I certainly didn't bring him here to try to take advantage of my mate. On the contrary, I want him to take liberties with me.

"Right. Well, I'm going to take a shower." - He said, picking up his bag from the chair.

"Too bad I can't take it with you." - I flirted, blatantly. He glared at me, then picked up underwear, shorts and the towel provided by the hotel.

I watched Beck get inside the bathroom and heard him locking the door as if I would ever invade his privacy. Come on, mate! Give me some credit. I may have ulterior motives to bring you here, sure, but that doesn't include me forcing anything on you whatsoever.

It's quite the opposite, actually.

After Beck left the bathroom drying his hair, wearing just shorts, I admired his beautiful physique for a moment until he noticed me staring at his naked torso and I looked away, entering the bathroom with my towel.

After I took my shower, I left the bathroom still a little wet, with a towel wrapped around my waist. Beck was busy scrolling through his phone, so I picked out some clothes for me to wear.

I took the time to dry myself properly when I heard a scream.

"QUENTIN!"

I turned around in a flash and my mate was staring at me in shock.

"What? Are you okay?" - I asked him, startled by his scream.

"You're naked!" - He exclaimed, staring at my nude body.

"That's what happens when someone gets out of the shower. Or did you shower clothed?" - I snapped back at him, while his eyes didn't leave my jewels.

He growled at me.

"You know full well that's not what I mean. Why didn't you change inside the bathroom like I did?" - He asked me, baffled by my nakedness - which he still couldn't take his eyes off.

"Because I have nothing to be ashamed of. We're both men, you're my mate. Why would I not get dressed here instead of that tight space?" - I spoke as if reciting the gospel.

I stared at him while he searched for a counter argument.

"I didn't ask to see you naked right in front of me!" - He raised his tone, mad at me.

"You were so focused on your cell phone that I didn't even think you'd notice, to be honest." - I spoke, now putting on my underwear.

Beck was staring at me like I tried to assault him, but he could not take his eyes off my body since I dropped the towel. I kid you not. I stretched out my towel on top of the shower stall, then laid on the bed beside my mate. I'm still wearing only underwear.

"If it bothers you that much, I won't do it again. I promise." - I tried to compromise, since this trip is about making nice and getting to know each other.

"It doesn't bother me at all. You can stay naked all the time, if you want." - He grunted, looking annoyed at me.

"If you say so..." - I moved to remove my underwear and he stopped my hand, glaring at me.

"Don't you dare! I know what you're trying to do, that's not gonna work!" - He glared daggers at me.

"My sweet Beck, I swear on my life I did not bring you here in hopes of completing the bond. That's not even remotely my goal. I promise." - I stated in a dead serious tone, staring him right in the eyes without a shadow of doubt.

He was still grabbing my hand, hypnotized by my face staring at him. Then he removed it and softened his facial expression.

"But I would like to kiss you and for us to get closer, if I were allowed." - I staked my claim, boldly but respectfully.

Beck stared at me for a while until he finally surrendered into a loving kiss.

In fact, we kissed for the longest time. Honestly, I am in heaven.

Besides the sweetest scent I've ever smelled, Beck also has the tastiest lips.

I cozied up to him while we were in minor clothes, but we didn't go past kissing and some cuddling. This is exactly what I wanted. I'm not stupid. I never thought I could seduce him into completing the bond on our very first date.

I just want to be considered. I wanted him to forget about his other mate for a while and focus solely on me. In this new environment, with no curfew or intrusion, we can just be ourselves.

I have longed for this for a while now. I have wanted it so bad it's actually mind blowing.

It was definitely worth the trip. Oh my sweet Beck, you're delicious. I'm so glad to have this time with you because at least for now...

I'm your baby tonight.

https://youtu.be/i0oRnyXxIrY

A|N: I had another song title initially planned for this chapter, but I like this one better.

Sorry, did you want to know who Layla's mate is?

Stay tuned. A stunt is coming.

But for now, we're not leaving Dallas just yet.

OFF: It's interesting [to me] that all my novels are set in Texas. As you know by now, I'm not an American but I really wish I could visit one day. It's been my lifelong dream to visit the States. I hope I can get to do it one day.

Love,

Léo.