Paradise Pines (Shawn Mendes)

The Sleepover

Shawn pulled up in his car in front of Iris' house. They remained quiet the whole car ride, but Iris could not leave without saying anything. She looked at Shawn's weary eyes, and he looked back at hers. "I don't understand what happened. I watched you tear her to shreds."

"I don't know any more than you do."

With a quivering voice she said, "I'm so scared." Shawn took her left hand with his right, intertwining their fingers. "Keep your window unlocked," he instructed. "I'll sleep with you tonight in case she comes after you. I'll make sure she doesn't lay a finger on your pretty little head."

"Okay," she giggled. She then got out of his car and went home. Gavin got out of his bedroom to greet her as she climbed the staircase. "Had fun?"

"Mhmm." She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes.

"I see you won! Your mom's asleep, so you can tell her all about it in the morning."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetie." He walked back into his room and Iris went into hers, immediately undressing. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt a sense of déjà-vu. There was something about the blood splatter on her face that looked so familiar. With a sigh, she removed the crown and dropped it atop her costume on the floor. Then, she unlocked the window and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

She returned to her bedroom — clothed in pyjamas and her hair blowdried after washing the blood out — this time finding Shawn on her bed in pyjamas. He made sure to wear a t-shirt, making her laugh. "What's so funny?" he wondered.

"You showed up with a shirt this time. How considerate of you," she teased.

"Believe it or not, I'm actually a gentleman." She sat beside him on the bed. "I know, that's why it's funny. You always go out of your way to make me feel comfortable. No wonder the girls at our school are so obsessed with you."

"They are?"

"You have no idea how many times in a day girls approach me to ask about your love life."

"Then they'll be sorely disappointed when they discover that I'm not interested in any of them." Iris smiled to herself, blushing at what he was implying. However, her momentary delightful thoughts were interrupted by Rebecca once again. This time she wasn't having a vision, though.

"Why does she have to ruin all of our moments?" asked Shawn. Iris looked at him with a raised brow. "Whenever you look upset, it's usually because of her," he elaborated.

"She pulled a Jesus and rose from the dead. We should be focusing on what to do rather than what we we feel toward one another."

"I know; I know," he droned. "I don't want her having so much power over me anymore. I'm tired and over all of this. Why should her being a threat dictate what we can and can't do?"

"Uh, so we never let our guards down and die."

"There's no predicting what's to come. I can't live my life in fear anymore. I'd rather die having kissed the girl I'm crazy about than to die never having had the chance." He lifted his hand and ran it threw her thick, long, ebony hair, causing all the little hairs on her body to stand. She grew breathless and flustered with him so close to her. Every inch of her body craved him, but her mind kept telling her to run.

His face inched closer to hers as his head tilted to the side. "Tell me you don't want the same thing, and I'll stop."

"I-I," she stuttered, unable to get any other words out.

"Shhh, you know you have nothing to say." He wrapped his right arm around her lower back, laying her down, and pinched the tip of her chin with the index finger and thumb of his other hand. He whispered, "I thought I could contain myself, but seeing you like this... having you all to myself, alone... I can't hold back. I'm putty in your hands." He sealed his words with a long, warm kiss that deepened as it went on. Iris had never experienced anything like it. She felt reborn, as if his soft lips and tongue were pulling out a girl that had been hidden deep within her.

He slid his left hand down the side of her body, feeling her curves and synchronizing his movements with hers. Her head jerked back when he reached her waist, and he took it as an opportunity to attack her neck, kissing, sucking, and nibbling on it. Her panting further enticed him, causing an arousal. He got up, straddling her petite figure, and pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, disheveling his curly locks. Iris could not resist running her hands down his well defined torso, stopping at his Apollo's belt. She wouldn't dare venture any farther.

Shawn slid his hands up her pyjama top, pushing it up slowly so he could savor every second leading to the big reveal. His eyes brightened at the sight of her breasts covered by a burgundy, lace bra. "I think I know what your favorite color is," he laughed while taking her top off. He delved into her warm bosom, tracing the shape of her cleavage with his wet lips. Iris felt a jolt of electricity run through her body and jumped at the oddly painless sensation. Shawn fell off her, wide-eyed. "Crap," he muttered under his breath. Iris sat up, pondering over what occurred. "Don't get upset," he pleaded.

"You felt that too?"

"Y-yeah."

"What was that?"

"I didn't mean to do it. I lost control."

"What was that?" She articulated each word slowly, making him avert her eyes. "I'm not going to repeat my—" She was interrupted by a convulsion of her body, feeling as if she'd emerged, but unsure from what.

"I imprinted on you and almost started the process of turning you."

"What?" she exclaimed. Meeting her eyes, he shushed her. "Do you want your parent's barging in on us?"

Iris spoke softly, "Why would you do that?"

"Like I told you, I didn't mean to. I don't know what came over me. If I didn't fall off of you, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself. Thankfully, you broke the connection."

"Then, what does this mean?"

"You're not gonna like my answer."

"Let me guess, you don't know that either. At least explain the imprinting stuff if you can't explain why you don't have control over your own powers."

"Imprinting deepens our bond. If you're ever in danger, I'll sense it. It also marks you. If another werewolf spots you, they'll know you belong to a werewolf. If they know me, they'll know you belong to me."

"I'm not an item, and I'm certainly not your property."

"I know, that's just how it is."

"So, I'm not only Rebecca's target, I'm also the target of every werewolf in your dad's pack."

"Pretty much. They'd be able to link our connection to him."

"Isn't that brilliant?" It was a rhetorical question. Iris grabbed her top and put it back on. Shawn watched disappointingly. "I am so sorry." Iris took his shirt and handed it to him. "There's no point in feeling sorry if there's no way to reverse what you've done. Put your shirt on and let's go to sleep."

She tucked herself under the comforter, Shawn joining her shortly after. He desperately wanted to pull her toward him and spoon, but after what he had done, he figured it was not a good idea. Fighting his urges, he turned over, having his back face hers.