Elijah Midas was besides himself. From the moment he woke up in the morning he was acting like a complete spaz and an all around mess. Despite how much time he'd spent of the prior night a sleepless slave to his thoughts, he'd been up since five in the morning. Most of that time was spent lost in thought again as the light from his phone screen was too bright and hurt his eyes.

His head practically ached with longing to be with his mate, and he knew it was only bound to get worse. Usually two wolves would already have gone much further than an introduction upon meeting, but Daniel was insistent that Elijah not overwhelm Teddy. In the meantime all Elijah could do was try not to focus on it and stare at the ceiling for the few hours left before the other wolves would awaken. Wolves generally were later risers than most humans, though occasionally they would be up for early training back at the pack house. It wasn't that they were nocturnal or anything, but with how sensitive wolves' eyes were, the sun was occasionally difficult to manage. That, and wolves had something of a special attachment to the moon which led to many nights passing before they'd even realize they were gone. 

Wolves were restless sleepers, so Elijah was careful not to awaken his mates. In the quiet of the night his mind worked altruistically and he didn't fear showing concern for the well beings of others or appearing soft. He wished he was confident enough to show his true devotion to his back, but in the presence of others everything became jumbled, and only his anger would show itself. 

Alphas were territorial, angry, and occasionally power hungry, but they also had a deep natural care for their pack. Elijah had built his identity around the idea that he was too strong for that part of good leadership, and yet in the quiet of the night, again in the darkness, his anger was softer and his generosity increased.

It was Daniel who woke first, probably because Anna had been awake with Elijah the night before, and he and Elijah awkwardly nodded a greeting to each other. Now, as the morning reared its ugly head Elijah couldn't put off getting ready and he slipped from the room to brush his teeth in the bathroom down the hall. 

He looked like hell in the mirror, perhaps from desperation, perhaps just from lack of sleep. His eyes were sunken and his face was reddened with his hair a mass of messy dark brown. Elijah certainly wasn't one to find himself attractive, in fact he'd always been quite repudiated by his own appearance, but at the moment he looked even more ghastly to himself. Elijah doused his face in the cold water of the porcelain sink hoping it would do some good to wake him up. It was ineffective.

When he looked again he saw the same mess as before, just wetter. Wetter, and reddened with irritation from the scratchy towel he used to be dry his face. The water dripped slightly from the tips of his hair as it hung down in front of his face. He looked like a wet dog. 

Elijah sighed to himself and pushed his hair back lazily before leaving the bathroom. The night before he'd taken a scalding shower to burn away the bad feelings and he longed to do that again, but feared using all the water before the wolves who hadn't showered yet got the chance. More than a shower, Elijah thought as he wondered down the pink hallway, more than anything he wanted to change his clothing.

None of the traveling group had thought to bring clothing. Presuming that the meeting would go as wolf meetings generally did and they would have been back within a couple of hours. Now, Elijah was in need of a few essentials with no means of obtaining them or any idea of how to get to the store. He could ask Ms. Dupont, but from the way she'd looked at them he wondered if that too might be futile.  That necessity left another question in the air because Elijah and the wolves hadn't thought to bring much more money than they'd already given her, and now they still needed food, clothing, and personal care items. Alpha's didn't work part-time jobs, but if he needed to get money to be able to stay around Teddy, then he'd do whatever it took. 

By the time Elijah got back into the room Anna and Daniel were chatting lightly on the bed but their conversation abruptly silenced when Elijah got there. It stung the boy that such a thing was a common occurrence, but he seemed to have some kind of demeanor that sucked all the fun from any room that he entered. 

"Bathroom's empty." Elijah coughed, trying to dispel the awkward air. 

"Thank you, Alpha." Daniel rose first and made his way down the hallway. Anna offered Elijah a kind but pitiful smile that he couldn't bring himself to return, so he ignored it. 

"Are you anxious with anticipation?" She stood with a smile. 

"No."

Anna frowned and rolled her eyes. Regardless of how much progress they'd appeared to make before, whenever the morning came Elijah was a brick wall again, right back where he'd started. Somedays she'd try to push it further, but she was too exhausted from a cruddy sleep to bother. 

When Daniel finished Anna went to the bathroom and came back with an assertion that she too was in need of a change of clothes. Elijah nodded somberly at her request. It was true, they all did need to change, or pretty soon it'd start smelling like dirty dog in their room. 

"I'll figure it out." Elijah promised them both. "I'll get us the money." 

....

"How'd it go?"Daniel asked as Elijah exited a little yellow diner with large windows bearing blue writing that read "Camomile Cafe." The group hadn't wanted to spend another minute at the inn with Ms. Dupont and her judgmental glances, so they'd decided to go about town and wage their prospects. 

As they'd left though, the woman had shot them a glare that was sharp enough to kill and Elijah was suddenly glad they hadn't attempted to get breakfast. Who knew what she'd try to slip in their food given the opportunity. 

Elijah frowned at Daniel's question but didn't answer. In truth, he wasn't intent on holding his breath for the waiter job at the crappy diner. He'd submitted an application, but the look from the women in the restaurant matched the look Ms. Dupont had given him so well, that he was almost sure she was going to tear his application to shreds the minute he was out of sight. 

Picking up on this hesitance, Daniel shrugged playfully, "You'll get 'em next time tiger."

Having to work a part time job would be kind of insulting for an Alpha, but yet it would be nowhere near as insulting as having to take money from the Beta and Omega who might be better suited for interviews. Elijah needed to provide for his pack on his own: it was his duty.

"Yeah," Anna nodded, looking to Daniel with a worried glance. "Nobody get's hired after their first application, you're just getting some practice." 

"Would you like us to go apply to some places, and-"

"No." Elijah cut Daniel off. "I got you guys into this, you're only here because of me, I'll get us the money."

"Of course, Alpha."

They were interrupted as a group of teenage boys passed by and huddled into whispers and giggles as they passed. It was the same story all day people would glare, or they would whisper, or they would simply ignore the wolves and it was pissing Elijah off. He wanted to change into his wolves form and snap at the teenagers until they wet themselves with fear, but he knew that'd probably only serve to make the fear people looked at them justified. 

One brave boy risked a glance at Elijah only to be met with a terrifying scowl. Elijah recognized the boy as the one who'd been with Teddy in the forest and he was instantly jealous. 

"Teenagers," Anna whispered. "They look to be about Teddy's age, maybe he's out of school?" She suggested. 

In response Elijah took the moment to covertly stick his nose up in the air and see if he could catch the scent of his mate. He smelled gasoline from a bus, onions from the diner, and something sweet above it all that he instantly recognized. It was faint, and doused with the scent of others, but sure as day Elijah knew whose it was.

"He must be." Elijah agreed. "But I've got to keep looking for a job, I don't have time to stop."

"But what about Teddy?" Anna asked. "I thought you wanted to see him?"

"I--" Elijah paused. He had other obligations, but he couldn't help the pang in his chest that would be momentarily satisfied by the quick exchange of glances with a mate. "Maybe I'll just go see him for a minute, and then I'll be back on the hunt... I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I took a break." Elijah's words were almost more to convince himself than anyone else. 

"We could go out and look for-"

"No."

"But-" Daniel stepped forward to plead his case, but was shuttered immediately. 

"Do you doubt your Alpha?" Elijah whispered forcefully, taking care to make sure the group of teenagers goofing off not far from him couldn't hear. "I'll handle everything. I promise, it's all under control."

Daniel and Anna exchanged looks that hurt Elijah's pride, but nodded regardless. He was in charge at the end of the day, so they had to listen to him. It was a large responsibility, and one Elijah often wished he didn't have. It probably would have been easier to have everybody looking for jobs, but it was Elijah's ego and control that got in the way. 

"Which way to Teddy?" 

Elijah sniffed again with a satisfied smile, "Left," he said firmly, assured of his making the correct choice. The scent was heading from up the street where the church was, and Elijah wondered how he was going to circumvent Fr. Charles this time. 

The merry band of thieves set off down the street in search of the boy with Elijah pushing to the front and Daniel and Anna taking up the rear. Elijah was like a bloodhound, sniffing and rushing forward as he followed the scent. He guided them up towards the hill where the church sat atop, but stopped once he got closer.

"It gets weaker that way." Elijah said with a frown. 

"At the church?" Anna asked. "Shouldn't his scent be all over there?"

"It is... but it starts getting weaker after..." Elijah's eyes moved down from the church on the hill to the blue Victorian house that sat beside it at the base. It was a pretty house with a wrap around front porch and a gallery of windows on the roof. "He's in there."

"The Belford Historical Society?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. "That's where every teenager dreams of hanging out. Well, go on." 

"You're not coming with me?" Elijah frowned in confusion. 

"No, it's best that you interact with your mate on your own. You're gonna have to get comfortable with that."

"I'm comfortable," Elijah's posture straightened. "What are you gonna do while I'm in there?" 

"Don't worry about it, we'll keep watch."

"Okay," Elijah remained in place for a moment. "I'll only be a minute."

"Sure you will, have fun!" Daniel gestured towards the building again and Elijah took only another second before pushing through the door. He had no reason to be nervous, he reminded himself, if they were mates it meant that no matter what Teddy would grow to like him. Even if he didn't yet. 

Still, it was a guaranteed success and Elijah's worries were useless, so he pushed through the door regardless. As he entered a bell jingled too cheerfully for the person's who's entrance it was signaling. 

Elijah's breath was instantly knocked out of him as he was blessed with the sight of the one he was looking for immediately. At first all he could see was the top of Teddy's curly hair until inquisitive blue eyes flicked up at the sound of the bell to meet him. Elijah was mesmerized and every sentence was flushed from his brain. He was a like a little nerdy schoolgirl looking at a football player when he wanted to be the football player. He was supposed to know what to say to his mate, but he was so awed and in love that he couldn't say anything. 

Teddy's scent, which on that day was masked with a slight bit of church incense, enveloped him in a cloud of joy that he never wanted to escape. It was all too much, being with his mate in a confined space made him simulateteolusly want to avert his eyes and never look away again. Elijah was fairly certain that if he'd been able to break his gaze away the bright blue eyes would still be burned into his vision like he'd just been looking at the sun. 

"....uh.. Afternoon, can I help you?" Teddy tilted his head slightly to the side giving him an adorable curious look like a fawn learning to walk. Elijah had hunted deer before, but not like this, never like this. 

"Is this...." Elijah's throat and mouth felt so dry that he could barely get his voice to work, and he swallowed roughly. "Um... Is this the Belford Historical society?"

"It is," Teddy broke into a little helpful smile and Elijah was hit with a sudden framed mental image he'd keep forever; his mate's first smile. Well, the first smile only for him. "Did you need something?"

He's just being helpful, this is his job. Elijah reminded himself. 

"No." Elijah said firmly, instantly kicking himself in annoyance. Why had he said that? If he didn't need anything, what was he even there for? He should have said he needed anything, literally anything that would keep Teddy talking to him.

"Okay?" Teddy's face read like a book to Elijah and his confusion was evident.

"I'm uh.. just looking," Elijah sputtered out after a minute, trying to remember how human interactions generally went. "Just looking around."

 This satisfied Teddy and his smile returned. "Sure you're welcome to. I'll be here if you have any questions."

Elijah nodded wordlessly. The room was set up with a few dioramas and he drifted towards one by the window that displayed a steam engine going around a scale model of Belford Bay. The church sat directly at the center as the highest building and Elijah decided it was fitting that Teddy was a t the center of Belford Bay. The church was to Teddy what the pack house was to Elijah, a castle at the center of their respective universes. 

Elijah trailed away from that slightly. Steam engines were cool, he supposed, but he'd never much cared for History or who did what and when. If he wanted to talk to Teddy, though, he'd better come up with some Historical questions. 

A little farther away from the train was a styrofoam model of a large building with two outstretched arms. It looked to be in a Greco-Roman style, with large columns up the front and crevices meant to suggest age carved into the foam. The roof of the columned part had lots of little models of statues of people in a line. The statues stood before a large dome that was in the center of the roof. In the square sculpted in front of the model church was some kind of foam spear that looked like the Washington Monument. 

Elijah looked back at Teddy, whose eyes had't left him, and pointed to the model, "The capitol?"

"Sort of," Teddy raised an eyebrow playfully, standing up from his desk and stepping slightly closer. "That's St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but I guess it's kind of like the capitol building of Catholicism. Have you been to Washington?"

"I have," Elijah answered. The Northeastern Province of Wolves hosted meetings in pack houses across the Northeast occasionally, and Elijah had been to a couple held in the Baltimore-D.C. metro area. Though he hadn't done much human sightseeing. "Have you been to Rome?"

"No... I haven't," Teddy smiled wistfully. "I've never even been outside the state... but Fr. Charles has been to Rome, before I was born of course, he said it's just beautiful... I'd like to go someday."

Elijah remained silent, he was hit with the sudden urge to bring Teddy everywhere, to show him the world. Elijah'd never even been on a plane, but he'd throw his cares to the wind and run away with the boy in the moment. 

"It's a shame the diorama doesn't open... I always used to like trying to look through the windows when I was little, but it's empty in there. The real inside of St. Peter's is truly very pretty... here," Teddy gestured to his computer stepping back behind the safety of his desk. "I can show you some pictures if you wanted to see." 

Teddy sat back down in his desk and began typing on the keyboard. Elijah shuffled slightly closer, not wanting to scare the boy by suddenly coming too close.

"Come on," Teddy chuckled, gesturing him closer. "I don't bite."

But I do, Elijah thought to himself.  

The man found himself walking around the side of the desk and was even more overcome with Teddy's scent. He could smell that the boy was wearing some type of cologne which had been lessened by the natural strength of Teddy's scent to his mate. 

"Here's the main altar... it's all solid marble.... and here's the top of the dome, it really is an architectural wonder. Michelangelo started designing it in 1546 when he was already 71 years old..." Teddy explained as he flicked his mouse across the screen. Elijah leaned closer and was frozen with fear as his face was inches from Teddy, closer than they'd ever been before. He didn't look at the screen, he didn't care at all about some church, but his breath hitched in his throat as he followed Teddy's excitement with his eyes. "You can go up inside it, like all the way up through the dome, and then there's an observation deck where you can look out over the whole city..." 

Teddy turned from the screen and realized how close Elijah had actually gotten and his face went blank with a slight gasp. His lips remained parted and Elijah fought the urge to kiss him right there, but stopped when he sensed a slight hint of fear in the air. 

Too far, he told himself. That was a little too far. 

Teddy's large blue eyes remained grounded in Elijah's gaze as he forgot everything he'd been thinking of. Elijah's usual amber eyes looked a pink color and Teddy assumed it must have been nothing more than a reflection from the screen.

"Hi..." Teddy finally choked out, unable to think of anything better to say. "Sorry, I... I hadn't realized you'd gotten so close," Teddy's eyes flicked down to his lap and his cheeks were dusted with a slight rosy hue. Elijah was triumphant that he'd been able to stimulate that kind of response from his mate. He wanted Teddy to blush forever more.

"I'm sorry," Elijah stood straighter pushing away from the boy.

"It isn't your fault," Teddy chuckled. "I wasn't paying attention... I could talk about that kind of thing for hours, I'm sure you're not really interested."

"No. It's cool."

"Thank you," Teddy bit at his lip slightly and his face turned to a cute determination like he was trying to remember something. "You said your name was Elijah yesterday, right?"

So he remembers me, Elijah suppressed a smile.

"I did. You're Teddy."

"I am," Teddy's smile shifted back to a hospitable business smile. "It's good to have new people in this town... I feel like, well I know that we don't often get very many visitors coming around. You've liked Belford?"

"Very much."

"That's nice to hear, it really is a pretty little town... how long are you planning to stay?"

As long as you want me to, Elijah thought.

"I'm not sure," Elijah shrugged nonchalantly. He moved slightly away towards a glass case enclosing documents. "Do you always work here after school?"

"I do!" Teddy smiled with a nod. "We don't get a ton of people, but it's nice for the town to have its own kind of museum."

"Maybe I could... uh come visit you more often," Elijah tripped slightly over his feet, but managed to catch himself. "If you wanted... to see all this.. historical stuff some more." It was a bit of a bold request and Teddy's surprise was evident on his face, but he didn't appear to be displeased. 

"You're welcome to stop in any time and.... oh we're a great resource for projects, are you in college?"

"No."

"Well..." Teddy trailed off, quickly running out of things and weary of the conversation becoming awkward. "If you've got any questions about Belford, I can answer them... I'm not a native, but I've lived here my who life. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Do you know of any place were I could buy some extra clothing?" 

"Well..." Teddy frowned. "There's a mall in Newbury that might have a couple of stores, that's where I go... it's a little empty though recently... I suppose you could also order something online and have it sent to your room at the inn."

"And groceries... do you know where I could get groceries?" Elijah asked, reminded by a harsh gurgling in his stomach that he'd neglected to eat breakfast and was very hungry. They could always hunt in the woods, but that would leave them vulnerable to get caught.

"Mr. Murphy runs the general store, that's where most of the stuff people use in town comes from, but there's a Save A'Lot in the plaza across from the mall," Teddy explained. "I guess you could say we don't get many cool stores looking to set up shop around here."

"Thank you," Elijah nodded. "And.. uh, you wouldn't happen to know of any place I could pick up some extra cash while I'm staying out here, would you?" Elijah grimaced, rubbing his large hand across the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

"Did you pack anything before you left.... wherever you came from?" Teddy asked in astonishment with a laugh, before catching himself and frowning. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to sound rude..."

"No, it's alright. I left in a hurry."

"Oh?" Teddy flushed in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to sound insensitive, I'm sure there were outside circumstances.. or... I'm sorry."

Elijah wanted to run across the room and prevent Teddy from worrying, tell him it was fine and that he didn't care. 

"Oh no, don't be. I didn't pack much, that's my fault," He shrugged awkwardly. "I just need a change of clothes and a way to keep paying for my room."

"Here," Teddy said digging around in the pocket of the cardigan which hung off the back of his chair and retrieving a leather wallet. "I can lend you some money."

"Oh no, that's not what I meant!" Elijah panicked. "I wasn't... I didn't mean to... I wasn't trying to ask you for money or anything, I wanted, I mean I'm going to work for it."

"Take it," Teddy smiled cheerfully, reaching out some money. "If you need it, besides I don't pay rent. I'd rather you have it.... Fr. Charles says money is the root of all evil. Besides, if you had to leave wherever you came from so quickly, it must have been tough."

"I.." Elijah hesitated eyeing the money. Teddy's smile was so genuine, and he was so touched by how quickly the boy would agree to lend him money, that he wanted to take it. And yet, the idea of taking money from his mate made Elijah feel wrong. He wanted to be the one helping Teddy, not the other way around. After a pregnant silence Elijah broke and took the money. He needed a dinner plan that day, and he wasn't in a position to turn down help. "I'll pay you back, I promise."

As Teddy handed him the money for only a moment their fingers brushed Teddy. As it happened the electric feeling resonated throughout Elijah's body and he wanted to snatch Teddy's hand in his own and never let it go again. When Teddy's fingers came away the phantom of the touch remained ingrained in Elijah's nerves. 

"You shocked me," Teddy chuckled. 

Cute, Elijah thought. Teddy must have felt the same electrical current that he did and rather than thinking of it as waves of love he simply thought of it as a spark of static electricity. 

Elijah turned the money over in his hands before tucking it into his pockets. This would be the only time, he told himself, the only time he borrowed money from his mate. When they returned to the pack house, Elijah would pay him back, and pay him back tenfold with the pampering of a king. 

"Teddy, I was looking into wolves in Belford like you asked, and I found--" A voice began, but stopped as the middle aged redheaded woman who owned the voice laid eyes on Elijah. She offered a knowing look that seemed to suggest she probably understood more about their dynamic than even they did. "Oh? Who's your friend, Teddy?" 

"This is Elijah, he's new here, just got in."

"New here?" She repeated with a grin. "Really? That's wonderful. What's your last name, Elijah?"

"Midas." 

"Good to meet you Elijah Midas, I'm Molly O'Hara," She held out her hand and Elijah was momentarily shocked. She, unlike so many other people decided to not ignore him, and he shook her hand gratefully. "Is your family from around here? Your name sounds familiar."

"No... I'm from Buffalo."

"Buffalo, New York?"

"Yes Ma'am." Elijah answered. 

Molly O'Hara frowned as she appeared to be trying to place where she'd heard the name before. A natural born Historian, she was always trying to piece together facts into a good story. 

"You wouldn't happen to need another employees, would you Molly?" Teddy asked, turning his attention away from Elijah and on to his boss. 

"No... I can barely keep you on as it is." She frowned. "I'm sorry Elijah.... let me make it up to you, has anyone properly showed you around Belford, yet?"

"No Ma'am."

"Well then, why doesn't Teddy show you around? He can be like your own personal little tour guide. Teddy knows all kinds of facts about the town!"

"Oh, I'm sure Elijah doesn't want--"

"Yes." Elijah grunted. "I'd like that."

"Come on Teddy, I've been thinking about adding tours as one of our offerings, we've just never had anyone to give them to, you go out and show him what Belford's all about!"

"If you're really alright with it Elijah, we totally understand if you're busy," Teddy explained.

"I'm not busy. Let's do it."