Ensnared

Chapter 11

As a kid, Seth used to visualize his goals so often and so vividly that when he finally achieved them, they sometimes didn't feel quite real. When he became the inaugural NXT champion, knowing full well it was a measure of how much WWE believed in him, that the bosses saw his potential and wanted to invest in it, the rush of joy was muted by the how he had pictured the moment in his head. His first main event at a pay-per-view, first new car, first house: while he appreciated each milestone, they all fell just a bit short of the versions he had dreamed.

Kissing Becky hasn't exactly been a goal, at least not in the same sense as his other aspirations, but Seth has envisioned it plenty of times as well. In this case, though, the reality far outstrips anything his mind has conjured up. Her hands have warmed up now, her fingers sliding back into his hair, and even though he can almost hear her nerves jangling, there's an eerie serenity to her heartbeat.

Seth's mind feels as clean and crisp as fresh snow. He can't remember what he was thinking about or muster up a new thought to replace the forgotten ones; the past and the future are pushed aside like grand doors to usher in only this moment. When Becky starts to wrap her arms around his shoulders, though, one reality that never factored into his fantasies becomes painfully obvious: Becky's more than half a foot shorter than he is. He loosens his arms a bit from around her waist, intending to pick her up, but then Becky moves back too. "Sor—" To his surprise, she stops herself before finishing the apology. With a small shake of her head, she smiles and unwinds her arms from his shoulders as she lowers herself. "I just needed to know," she says softly, not quite meeting his gaze but not fully looking away either. "I know I should have asked first and I won't do—"

Leaning down, Seth rekindles the kiss, cupping the back of her head. It's not a position that will be comfortable for long—he knows from too many experiences with shorter ex-girlfriends—but he's desperate not to lose the moment. It'll mean more if she hears it from you. Sasha's admonition drifts through his mind, but he can't think of what to say; all the words that come to him either feel like commands or pleas—but when it comes to Becky, he's not afraid of the latter. "Please stay."

"Seth, you don't have to—" Becky's not exactly pulling away, but she's resting her forehead on his shoulder again, breathing deeply. "Just because you're with Sasha doesn't mean you have to be with me too. That's not how packs work. I know that."

"I know that too." The slightest wisp of irritation makes Seth shut his eyes; normally it doesn't bother him that Becky and Sasha both grew up with packs, but now he misses having that experience, that knowledge base. He never wants to say the wrong thing around Becky, but this would be the absolute worst time to do it. His lips are still tingling and he doesn't want to numb them with words, but he knows he has to say something. "And this has nothing to do with Sasha or our pack or—"

Becky raises an eyebrow, trying to look cynical, but Seth knows her too well: that's insecurity in her eyes, not incredulity. "I've seen the women you've dated, remember? I'm nothing like them. You have a type and I'm not—"

Seth cuts her off with another kiss, harder and hungrier than the last, and this time he does pick her up, grabbing the back of her thighs and hoisting her up to his hips. She lets out a little squeak of surprise that makes him chuckle as she grabs at his shoulders for balance. He can feel her relax bit by bit, though, confident that he won't drop her, and when her arms wrap around his shoulders again, it's as comfortable as if they've fit together this way a hundred times before. "They've all been human—" Seth pauses, grateful they both need to catch their breath again.

"So I'm the right species? That's . . . flattering." Becky's laughing as she says it, though, and she doesn't try to pull away this time. "Would you be with Sasha if she weren't a werewolf? Or if you weren't?"