Morose ✔️

23

"So... you've been getting one phone number every week, for two years?" My voice was laced with the fact that I was both impressed and a little dumbfounded.

Jesse grinned proudly. "Yup. And I'm going for two more," he said, taking a swig of his drink. "It's gonna be harder, though, the town ain't that big."

"Maybe you find someone you like and stop halfway through," I teased.

"They have to be incredibly awesome, in that case." He chuckled at me and, while I agreed, I tried to look like I was disapproving of both his bet with Clint and what he said. I don't think I managed to be very convincing, though, but it didn't matter.

My eyes moved over to the other side of the room where Helix was talking to Clint and Max. He turned his head, like he knew I was watching, and winked at me. A slow, seductive wink that made my insides practically explode.

It was nice to be there; I felt like I belonged, like the people enjoyed having me there and like they were all my friends. There was a tinge of something in my chest, like a pull or something, that made me turn to Jesse again as I said, "Thank you."

He looked at me, puzzled at first, but as my smile disappeared and I tried to look serious, I think he understood. "You don't have to thank me, Livy," he said, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in to his chest for a hug. "I'm really glad I picked that route that night."

"Me too," I admitted, smiling again, albeit slightly.

He hugged me tighter, and I closed my eyes to just bask in the moment, before someone started clinging a spoon to their glass, and everyone shut up around us. The music stopped, the lights became brighter, as if someone turned up the strength, and I sat back up looking forward at Clint and Helix, who were both standing at the front.

Helix held his hands behind his back, while Clint was the one to make the sound with his glass. When he had everyone's attention, he smiled. "I wanna take this opportunity to thank Helix and Jesse," he said, using their first names for a change, "for walking into the lion's den and taking out Vaughn's chopper for a few more months, and for risking their safety, and others'—" he looked at me for a brief second, then nodded, "because now we have something to use if Vaughn and his Vultures doesn't stop harassing people all over the area. To thank them, and their helper, I have something to say.

"You've never said no to a mission for me, and I appreciate that," he went on, raising his drink, "so tonight, I want to appoint honorary membership to Olivia Woods, for helping, being there for my guys when they needed it last week, and for her open mind, her courage, bloody spit and gumption."

Everyone around me clapped, but I didn't really understand what was going on. Jesse got up next to me, pulled me up before I could object, and brought me up to the front, where I met with Helix's eyes. It was like they were glowing, the golden color was brighter than usual, and he brought up a hand to caress my cheek.

Max whistled from his seat on the edge of the couch, and Helix flipped him off from my cheek, before bringing his other hand out from behind his back. I looked down and saw he was handing me an embroidered badge with a howling wolf, and under it was my name— well, my nickname— in elegant cursive.

"I can sew it on the jacket you borrowed, if you want," he said softly as my fingers grazed his hand when I picked it up. "And it'll be yours."

They wanted me as a part of their club. A part of this community of people who loved, laughed and respected each other, no matter their backstory. A club whose headquarters was at a big house with extra rooms for people who needed it, so their members wouldn't be homeless, live in toxic homes, or for whatever other reason needed someplace to escape. A place where everyone belonged, no matter what, with no judgment.

"So, Livy," Clint said, bringing my attention back to the moment. I turned around as he continued, "You wanna be a wolf?"

I smiled. "I'd be honored," I replied honestly.

The party moved on to be some sort of initiation for me, as well as the celebration for their— our— victory over the Vultures.

Music was banging through the house for hours, people came and went, even the moon and stars came and went. In the early morning, I was exhausted, but I managed to stay on my feet as Helix had his arms around my lower back, swaying slowly back and forth with me to the calm music. Sometime between three and four in the morning, Jordan decided to exchange the playlist for a slower one so they could sleep in peace upstairs, and I wasn't complaining.

I had my head on his chest, my hands holding me up by his shoulders as we just enjoyed the time. Jesse laid half-asleep on the couch, a guy I'd never seen on top of him, and a girl I'd also never seen on the floor under them. A drunk Max was swaying to the music a few meters away from us, looking as though he wasn't dancing alone, and Clint sat on the floor beside the front door, rubbing his temples. Every time the front door opened from outside he'd shout, "We're closed!" And every time someone wanted to go out, he'd thank them for coming and wish them well.

It made me giggle any time I heard him shout.

As the song faded into nothing Max kept dancing with himself, and I pulled away from Helix's arms, groaning a bit at my tiredness. "I'm gonna go borrow your bed," I said, biting my lip as I took a few steps back and his hand didn't want to let go of mine.

"I'm coming too," he told me, pulling me in to kiss my lips sweetly. "Just give me one minute."

I nodded, and when he let me go after staring into my eyes for a little longer than necessary, I made my way upstairs, down the hall and into his blue bedroom.

It was chilly in there, the window had been open all night, and as I leaned in to shut it, I spotted something by the trees, something glistening. I could see a bottle of some liquor by it, and some movement, so I giggled as my still-tipsy mind concluded that it was someone who'd gone outside to get their desires fulfilled. I leaned forward, shutting the window, before the door opened behind me, and Helix came in.

He walked up to me, kissing my cheek, before he closed the door and twisted the lock. My cheeks heated a little at the tiny gesture, but I was pretty sure he just did it to avoid anyone barging in like Jesse did. "Look," he said, "I got some needle and thread from the kitchen."

I raised my brows at him as he walked over to grab the leather jacket I borrowed from him. "Should you be doing that while you're drunk?"

He chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled the jacket over his lap and got my new badge out of his pocket. "I just wanna see how it looks on you," he said. He threaded the needle with ease, as if he'd done nothing else, and wiggled his eyebrows at me when I made a small, impressed noise at it. He placed the badge on the left side of the jacket, put the needle through and fastened it in four places. He got up again, bit off the thread and put the jacket over my shoulders, smirking as he looked at the badge. "That's pretty hot, actually." He smiled at me, setting the needle and thread down on the desk.

Looking down, I bit my lip and nodded in agreement. "It's great."

His hand went up to my chin, tilting my head up a bit. "You're artsy, d'you think this would be cool on it?" He held up another badge, and I looked down to see. It was a rose bush, and my heart stopped for a second, before I nodded, without even imagining it somewhere on it. I already loved it.

"Yes." My voice was almost a whisper, and I smiled at him.

Rose bushes covered the garden at my dad's house, and roses were my new favorite flower after everything happened. That was why I stared at them at the restaurant and loved all the ones I'd gotten from Helix. He stroke my cheek with his thumb, smiling triumphantly as I took the badge in my hands. "I bought it at the shop earlier, after Clint asked me if you'd want to be a wolf," he explained. "I'll sew it on for you tomorrow if you want, with the other one."

"I love it, thank you."

I got up on my toes and kissed him, before smiling.

"I love you," he said, emphasizing the last word, as if taunting me.

His hands went around my back as I replied, "I love you too."