One of Runts

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five: Until Dinner

        I reach to my left and flick the light switch. Light floods the room and it looks exactly the same as it did before I left. My bed is made and everything is set perfectly on top of my desk. The only difference is a few of my items that I took with me.

         I step into my room, heat filling me as Azrael steps in behind me. His eyes gaze over my clean and minimalist room and I can't help but feel embarrassed. This is the first time a man has been in my room.

        There are two sections in this side of the pack house, one for males and one for females. Generally, you're not allowed to have the other gender in your room until you've started seriously courting them.

         I've never put any thought into courting anyone before, so Azrael's the first to be in here. I rock back and forth on my heels in the center of the room in front of the end of my bed, waiting for him to say something.

        My room's small. Only a desk, my wardrobe, and my bed can fit comfortably in it. There are a few other things like my small table stand and my hamper, but those don't take up too much space.

        I bite my lip as his eyes return to mine, nervousness and embarrassment filling me. My room's not as extravagant as Azrael's, though I suppose being the prince and the King's second does have its perks.

        He smiles boyishly, his eyes turning into a squinting-like position. I've never noticed how his eyes become small when he smiles. "I like it," he says, running his fingers over his beard. He hasn't had the chance to trim and I quite like how it makes him look more manly.

        Without the beard, he looks somewhat boyish as a young adult should, though now he looks like the prince and king he is. I look down slightly as he compliments my room. "It doesn't have much in it," I mutter, placing my dirty bag on the ground by the door. My covers are clean, there is no reason to dirty them.

         Azreal does the same as me and places his bag next to mine. He looks over the room again, taking in the small details of my old chipped desk and my wicker hamper. "It's never really felt like home, has it?" he asks me, his voice warm and soft.

        I shake my head, forgetting how easy we can read each other now. "No, it hasn't," I tell him, rummaging through my drawers for some clean clothes. "I have been living here ever since I started the tracking academy when I was sixteen, though it's never felt like home."

        I grab a pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved lacy shirt that Leah got me. I turn around to see Azrael with clean clothing in his large hands. I guess he was smart enough to pack an extra pair of clothes, I think to myself, remembering how a few pairs of my training clothes now sit in the middle of the forest.

        I glance at the bathroom door and look at the clock sitting on my desk. I bite my lip. If Leah's still doing pup training then she should be back in half an hour. "You may want to head to the guesthouse," I tell Azreal reluctantly. "The girl who shares my bathroom tends to like breaking in and I'm pretty sure she knows I'm back." I look at him sheepishly as he raises an eyebrow.

        He shakes his head and quirks a smile. "I'll meet you at dinner?" he asks me, walking to me. I nod at him and before I can ask him if he knows the way to the guesthouse, his head leans towards mine.

        His lips brush against my cheek and I stand still, my eyes widening. My cheek tingles as he leans away after a few seconds and promptly walks out of my door, closing it behind him. I look at the chipping paint as a blush warms my face.

        I blush even more as I know he can feel my giddy and shocked emotions. "Do you even know where the guesthouse is?" I somewhat stutter throughout bond.

        "Don't worry!" he says cheerfully into my mind. "I'll find my way." He closes the bond after that and I do the same, walking towards the bathroom with my toiletries in hand. Well, then.

        I swiftly shower, mindful of the small window I have to scrub off all of the grime and dirt I've gathered in the past month. While bathing in the river and lake did clean me off somewhat, it didn't get everything.

        I shut the shower off and wrap a towel around me. I don't bother to leave the small bathroom as I run the other towel through my hair. I know that Leah's going to be here soon. I could smell her as soon as she entered the floor.

        My senses have gotten stronger over the past month, though I believe that's because I've been using them non-stop. I lean against the counter as my hair is almost dry, hearing Leah enter her room. It seems that she's learning not to forget about her key.

        I hear her stop for a few moments before running towards the bathroom at full force. She doesn't even have to unlock her door as I left it unlocked, knowing exactly what she was going to do.

        She barges into the room and walks straight towards me, pulling me into a tight hug. However, she immediately steps back. She makes a show of scenting the air and looks at me with wide eyes.

        "When did this happen?" she asks me, her voice high-pitched in shock and excitement. She doesn't bother to state what it is, knowing that I know exactly what she's talking about. I run my hand through my damp hair as my ears heat up.

        "About two and a half weeks ago?" I tell her, trying to mentally tally up how many days it's been. I smile shyly at her, knowing that she may think that it's too fast. Her eyes slide over my shoulders, but she frowns.

        "Where's your mark?" Her voice holds confusion as she looks at my shoulder. To her, the only way I'd be able to be mated would be with a mark, but Azrael and I didn't have to do that.

        I stare into her eyes, knowing that she'll eventually get it. Her look of confusion turns into complete shock and disbelief. "You're mated to a high-ranked wolf!?" she practically shouts out. I smile slightly, shrugging my shoulders and walking off into my room.

        I don't bother to hide my body from her as I dry off as she's walked in on me naked over a dozen times. "Who is it?" she asks me, not even bothered that I'm butt-naked in front of her. My smile turns mischievous as I glance at her.

        "You'll see at dinner." She gives me a dull look as I pull on my undergarments.

        "He has to be a part of your squadron. You wouldn't be able to be away from each other that long if you weren't together," she muses aloud, not bothering to ask me any more questions. She knows that I won't tell her anything unless I want to. Despite this, I give her a slight nod; giving her something to go on.

        She'll figure it out soon enough.

Author's Note:

I guess that random Architectural Design class I took wasn't for nothing! XD