Imprint.

Twenty Five

Carter sat down in the grass beside me, passing a lemonade to me. "The house looks nice."

I stared at the house. Gage got a decent paycheck, with sick pay added in for the days he missed, and decided to get some things for the house. With his discount, he was able to get quite a bit. We replaced the shutters with dark blue ones and painted the front door to match. Even mom came over and helped me plant flowers around the house. Gage had begged for a white picket fence, saying it was the ultimate house decoration. I agreed but only because it would make him happy. I did a lot of things just to see him happy.

"It really does."

"I'm proud of you, V."

"Um, thanks?"

He laughed. "Not many people would be able to keep their sanity after everything you've been through."

I wasn't sure how I managed to keep my sanity. Losing Will was one of the hardest things I'd had to deal with. Then with everything that happened with Gage... "I'm surprised I have."

Dean tossed the old curtains out the bedroom window, forgetting about the garbage bag I left for him on the bed. I could hear him laughing.

I rolled my eyes. "How do you deal with that every day?"

"It helps that I work all day. Speaking of, do you want me to get you a job?"

"Work with you every day? I don't think so." I said. "I'll find something."

"We'll help you out if you need it."

"Victoria, can you help me out up here?" Gage called. His voice came from the bedroom but I couldn't see him.

I got to my feet and set my glass on the ground. "Duty calls."

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Gage stacked the clean plates in the rack beside the sink, a towel draped over his shoulder. I never thought he would be good at cleaning dishes much less fast at it. He'd cleaned several plates in less than a minute.

I locked the front door and walked over to him, looking him up and down before settling on his broad shoulders. He was wearing a muscle shirt that showed up his muscles, which had gotten bigger since he started working at the hardware store. He looked more mature than when we first met.

I wrapped my arms around his middle and pressed my cheek to his back. "Thank you."

His body shook as he chuckled. "For washing the dishes?"

"Well, yes. But also for... everything. Things haven't been the same since I came back but it's been easier since I met you."

He turned around and brushed the hair from my face. "There's no one I'd want to be imprinted with other than you, V."

I exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm sorry I can't say that. It's just..."

He lifted me up onto the counter. The part that wasn't wet, thankfully. "You don't have to, V. I don't want you to think that you need to in order to make me happy. I'm already happy just being with you."

I pressed my lips to his. There was an electricity that hadn't been there before, something I'd never felt with Will. It was different and new and exciting.

"Screw the dishes." He mumbled against my lips.

I smiled and let him carry me up the stairs to our bedroom. Our bedroom. It was weird to think it wasn't just mine anymore. It was his and mine and ours.

Gage laid me down on the bed and pulled his shirt off before he started kissing me once more. There was a fire in him that I rarely saw and I loved it. I wanted more of it.

I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him closer to me, my fingers tangling up in his hair. His skin was fire against mine and it was obvious it was the same for him. The hair on the back of his neck was sticky, clinging to his skin. The breaths he took were warm as they hit my lips.

His hands found their way to the bottom of my sweatshirt, his fingertips inching closer to my bellybutton. He was eager to move things along and I didn't know why we hadn't yet.

I let go of him and he leaned back, giving me some room to breathe.

"We're really doing this?" It wasn't so much a question as more of a statement. I knew he wanted to and I definitely wanted to. I wasn't afraid or ashamed of us. I wanted Gage and I knew he wanted me too.

"You want to?" There was a bright smile on his face that said he wanted to.

Rather than answer, I pulled my sweatshirt off, revealing the pale bra I was wearing. As if on cue, Gage's eyes traveled down to my chest.

And Gage, being the gentleman he was, immediately pressed his lips on my collarbone and down to my stomach. His hands found my shorts and it wasn't long before there were no clothes on either of us.

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I opened my eyes and looked at the closed door. I'd definitely heard a knock. I waited in silence until I heard it again. It was coming from the front door.

I nudged Gage behind me, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He made a noise and buried his head in my hair.

Sighing, I pinched the back of his hand, forcing him awake.

"That really hurt." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Well you weren't waking up and I was getting impatient."

He sat up and glanced at the clock. "It's four in the morning, V."

"Someone's at the door."

"If they really want us they can wait another four hours."

I sat up and glared at him. "Just go answer it. You're already awake."

"You're a really mean morning person."

"I hate mornings as much as you do." I got out of bed and pulled on my shorts. I grabbed Gage's hand and forced him out of bed. If I was getting up, so was he.

He groaned and followed me down the steps. I unlocked the door and pulled it opened. Standing in the doorway were three tall boys that reminded me of Carter, Dean, and Gage. It was so weird that if Gage weren't holding my hand, I would've sworn he was standing in front of me.

"You're Victoria, right?" The tallest asked, his voice deep and emotionless, unlike the smile on his face.

I raised my eyebrows. "Yes..?"

"I'm Robbie, that's Skyler, and he's Josiah." Skyler had sandy colored hair that matched his eyes and a tattoo on his bicep. It said something in a language I didn't understand. Josiah had bright blue eyes and dark hair, his skin lighter than the others.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked, shifting my weight backward, into Gage. I didn't want them to think I was cowering away from them but I wanted Gage to know I was a little worried. This couldn't be good.

"We've been searching for our new Alpha and Carter said this is where you lived."

My jaw dropped. He couldn't be serious. I wasn't an Alpha. I wasn't... I had a pack with Carter and Gage and I was perfectly fine with it. I didn't need my own.

"You're serious." I mumbled, completely in disbelief.

He nodded once, the smile fading from his face. "Dead serious."

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That's the end! Thank you all for reading and commenting and voting! I appreciate the support from you all!

There WILL be a sequel coming called Pack so look for that in the coming months. It's going to be a good one.

In the mean time, please check out my other stories.
  Writerandreader