Chocolate Deluxe with a side of Werewolf

Thirty-Nine. Reality Check

Dylan maneuvered his way around the packhouse with a big, goofy smile permanently plastered on his face. Nothing could shake off his elated mood; not the fact that he slept for only four hours or that he accidentally stubbed his toe against his doorframe. With a wounded toe, he skipped four, even five, steps at a time down the stairs while whistling a happy tune the entire way from his room to the kitchen. 

The packhouse was a massive complex designed to accommodate over eighty werewolves. To practice safe crowd control, there were multiple kitchens, living rooms, and dining areas that were split between three groups: adolescents, adults, and families. 

The youth kitchen was big enough to feed a mini-school of raging, hormonal teenagers and growing young adults. It had an open concept layout with two large islands: one for cooking equipped with a gas stove and the second a breakfast nook with seating for twelve. The cabinets themselves transpired along the wall in an L-shape with a double oven, microwave, warmer, and a restaurant-grade fridge and freezer embedded throughout the space. The cabinets along the wall were of cinnamon walnut finish while the islands were composed of Carrara white marble and white cabinets. 

Being up so early on a Sunday morning, Dylan expected to be the lone wolf in the kitchen, but to his surprise, there were two other early birds. 

Of the two, one grinned cheekily at Dylan's entrance. He also happened to be the only one in his fur. "Looks like someone completed the mate bond!" Chase Hudson gave Dylan a thumbs up from the stove area which was located on the island in the centre of the kitchen. He expertly cooked bacon strips, dressed in only his cartoon-print boxers, a baggy shirt, and accessorized with a bikini apron. 

Chase had a similar eccentric personality to Theo, only in Chase's case, he lacked common sense. He was a large sandy-red werewolf with stellar height Dylan envied, especially since Chase was a year younger. His lean build still had some catching up to do. He possessed brown eyes that seemed to always sparkle with mischief and seemed to sparkle twice in intensity now. His smirk alluded to a brazen assumption, one that Dylan wished were true.  

"What? No! We just agreed to start dating. That's all." 

"I guess that could be considered a progress in your case," the second occupant, Daisy, commented. She sat at the breakfast nook on the second island positioned on the outskirts of the kitchen, patiently waiting for Chase's bacon. Unlike Chase, Daisy remained in her mundane form, wearing a simple baby blue camisole with matching pyjama shorts. 

Chase playfully smacked his forehead. "Oh, right! I forgot about Emily's human predicament." 

Dylan blinked at Chase in surprise. "When did you meet Emily?" 

"Around the time when you weren't with her. By the air hockey table. Cute girl." Dylan growled, making Chase laugh. "Relax, will ya? It was just an innocent observation. I would never steal another wolf's mate. No way! Nu-uh!"

"You better not."

"I doubt anyone will be going after your mate anyways," Chase sang as he flipped over the bacon.

The way Chase phrased his statement didn't sit too well with Dylan. "What does that mean?"

Chase didn't falter by Dylan's growing intensity. "Human mates aren't on the top of everyone's wish lists, but hey, I don't discriminate."

"You better not," Dylan grumbled for a second time. He made his way over to the breakfast nook. 

 "As I said, Emily's cool. So when are you gonna bring her over?" 

Dylan paused momentarily while pulled out the stool beside Daisy. "Like here?" 

"Ha!" Daisy snorted. "That's not happening anytime soon."