The Wolf Den

Chapter 9: Fashion

Cory helps me unload all the stuff from the car back to our bedroom, each trip carrying more bags than the last.

"Okay, this is the last of it." He sighs, dropping the last bag in the floor in front of the bed.

"Okay, thank you. Now get out." I turn around, clasping my hands in front of me and rocking on my feet.

"Excuse me?" He asks with an arched brow.

"My bad." I start, "get out and send Elowen in, please."

His mouth drops open in disbelief.

"I want to show her what I got so she can wear it too until Devon takes her shopping." I give him a roll of my eyes.

"So you mean to tell me, I just spent God only knows much money, 8 straight hours of shopping, and packed it all into our room- for you to just kick me out."

"Yep, that sounds like you get the gist of it." I nod, opening the bedroom door and ushering him out.

"Cora-" he starts but I cut him off, "send Elowen!" I say before slamming the door in his face.

I turn back to the bags, starting to get the stuff out of them and lay it out on the bed. I got most of it out before I hear a knock on the door. I skip over, unlocking the door and pulling it open for El.

"Holy Moly." She says as she enters the room, "you did damage."

"Gonna make his pockets hurt." I sing to her as we both giggle.

"Wait... is that...Victoria secret?" El asks as she picks up the bag and pulls out a red lace matching set.

"Uh, yes." I pull out some more leggings from lululemon and pile them onto the bed.

"Did Cory pick this out?" She asks, giving me a side eye.

"What?!" I ask with wide eyes before whispering, "yeah, A few of them."

"Coraline!" She laughs, "you know what they say about a man who buys lingerie."

"What?"

"They only buy it so they can take it off of you." She says with a raise of her perfect eyebrows.

"Hush!" I say as my face flushes, "that was awfully bold from some sporting her own mates mark."

"Devon is different. He didn't kidnap me and my friend!" She defends him.

"I mean that's valid." I nod, pulling out some makeup and setting on the bed until I find the makeup bag I bought.

"So..." El starts as she helps me put all my new clothes on hangers, "Devon and I completed the mate bond."

My mouth falls open and my eyes go huge, "already?!"

She rolls her eyes, "come on Cora, it's not like we are ever leaving here anyway. Might as well get the perks." She shrugs, "I love Devon, our connection is there, it's a soul tie. One you and Cory complete your bond, you'll understand what I mean."

I open my mouth to say something and then snap it closed, I mean she does have a point.

"You aren't going to with Cory?"

"I mean I'm sure I will at some point, I just hadn't really thought about it." I explain, hanging up a T-shirt.

"Well you do know if you don't complete the mate process soon, you go into heat, right? Just like in all the books we used to read."

"Fuck. That's legit?"

"Very." She nods, "and I for one, want no part of that."

"Me either, but I'm also so not ready for the other option either." I shake my head, blowing out a breath of air I hadn't even realized I was holding.

"Cory is a nice guy Cora, I mean I understand he kidnapped us but he has been very understanding and accommodating when he can be." She reasons, "and it's not like he had a choice, the other humans would have found out about werewolves existing if he hadn't of taken us back here."

"I know." I drop my head back, staring at the ceiling like the answer is written there.

"Listen, you don't have to decide today, but the heat-timer is ticking, friend." She says as she hangs the last of the clothes in the closet.

"Thanks El." I smile at her as I put the last of my makeup into my makeup case.

"No problem. We are in this together." She smiles before making her exit.

I take my shower stuff and makeup into the bathroom, organizing everything on one side of the double vanity and in the shower. Once I'm done with that I stop in front of the mirror, swooping my hair to the left side so I can see my mates mark on my right side.

The mark is a reminder of Cory, the way our connection feels. He makes me feel safe and secure and cared for, even when I know I've been hard to deal with. Even when I don't want to admit how he makes me feel.

A light knock rasps against the bathroom door, "Cora?"

I open the door, Cory standing on the other side with his eyebrows knit down in worry, "are you okay?" He asks.

I step forward, pushing my lips against his in a kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers into his dark hair as I pull us closer, his lips moving roughly against mine. Kissing him with every ounce of love I can gather.

I pull back slowly, letting him go before giving him a light pat to the chest, "I'm fine."  I slip past him and back into the bedroom, flopping down on the now cleared-off bed.

Cory crawls onto the bed beside me, both of us laying on our backs and staring up at the ceiling, our hands brushing against each other on the covers.

"Is heat real?" I asked, still staring at the ceiling.

He turns to look at me, "yes."

"And it's as painful and life threatening as the books make it out to be?"

"Most of the time, yes." He nods.

"And the only way to prevent it, is to complete the mate bond?" I ask, eyes watching the ceiling fan spin above us.

"Yeah." He whispers, watching my every move- or lack thereof.

I stare at the ceiling in silence, my thoughts running in a thousand directions but somehow still ending at the same destination: we need to complete the mate bond.

I turn my head to face him, my brown eyes burning into his icy blue ones.

"I want to complete our bond." I whisper.

***A/N***

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