The Ultimatum

Chapter 6

I barely sleep that night. There is only a week left of my internship, which means I have to be gone in a week or spend the rest of my life here. The next day, I spend nearly an hour just pacing around the room before I finally give in and leave in search of breakfast. When I get to the kitchen, I find Ryan already hard at work in the kitchen. A stack of waffles and pancakes sit on the counter, toast sits in the toaster, and he's got a pan in front of him with eggs.

"Scrambled or fried?" he asks, without turning around.

"This... is a lot of food."

"Well, I do like to eat." He turns around and plops a plate with a scrambled and a fried egg in front of me. I roll my eyes.

"Trying to convince me to marry you with pancakes? Maybe you do know me better than I thought," I admit, eyeing the large stack of them across from me. He laughs and adds a few of them to another plate that is also deposited in front of me, along with the syrup a moment later.

"So, have you thought about it?" he asks.

"Relentlessly," I reply in between mouthfuls of pancake.

"Mmmmm," he responds. I know he was probably hoping for an answer now, but truthfully, I'm not sure I have one. We eat the rest in almost complete silence. "So," he pipes up, "I'm guessing you want to head back to your apartment for more clothes and such?" I give a grateful nod. He left me some very comfy pajama pants and a loose t-shirt to change into last night, but I really miss clean underwear already, and I should probably be taking on some transcription projects to save up in case I decide not to stay. I haven't slept in this late in a long time. I feel guilty for the money I've wasted with these extra hours of sleep already.

"I really need to get to work, but I appreciate the breakfast and.. everything. The pancakes were amazing."

"Come to lunch with me instead. I'll pay you double whatever you usually make for all of your time that I'm stealing." I blush.

"Thank you, but I really should-"

"You really should take a day off. Come with me, I mean it."

"Okay," I relent in between bites of food, "but you don't need to pay me for anything." It would cost me to not be working, but it'd cost my pride more for him to pay me for everything. I shouldn't really be going at all since I might need to be saving to move, but the allure of social interaction after all these months is too strong to pass up. After we clean up the dishes lying around, I run to grab my clothes and meet him outside in his truck.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·. *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

One stop by my apartment and a change of clothes later, we embark on a tour of everything there is to offer in this little town. We start off at the farmer's market he told me about the other day, where I'm overwhelmed with vendors selling flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, and everything ranging from homemade cakes, loaves of bread, and preserves to locally made soaps and pottery all made by his pack members. When we get to the food stands selling delicacies like fresh doughnuts and homemade ice cream I realize that this is probably some kind of attempt of his at bribing me to stay, but I can't say that I mind it too much. Ryan gets quite a couple items. I notice that some of the things from the vendors are the same displayed in his home, from the art to the plants and the fresh food in his fridge. He really does go out of his way to support his pack, which is refreshing considering my former alpha was the opposite and I doubt Peter has changed that tradition. Even though part of me worries that if I commit myself to Ryan he won't be any different than the last man to share that title, I can't help but marvel at how different he is. The way the vendors smile when they see him, bring out hidden produce or other goods they saved just for him without him asking. They offer him discounts but he refuses, telling them to keep the change even. The people here don't feel scared by his power here, they feel comforted, protected. They respect him, admire him - even the kids aren't afraid of him and come running up to play or say hello. By the time we leave, I'm hungry all over again just from all the walking, talking, and the intoxicating smells of all the food - Ryan offered to buy me food here and there but I was still full from the pancakes before for most of the trip. Now, I'm starving. Ryan must be as well, because not long after we pull into a little diner.

"Ah, so you've caught onto the fact that food is my weakness," I admit, "Smart man." He laughs and holds the door open for me. It's not too old school inside, but it's chocked full of quaint little booths and barstools lining the counter, with a neon sign on the wall announcing that they're open for business. It smells amazing. I pass by a couple with cheeseburgers and milkshakes and I think I might be drooling a little...

I look back even as I climb into the corner booth beside Ryan, discouraged at the thought that I have to wait long enough to order before I can have an order of those sitting in front of me.

"So," Ryan starts, not even bothering to glance at the menu in front of him, "Do you have any idea what you want?" I grab a menu and flip it open with what is probably way too much enthusiasm, but I'm not even sure when the last time was that I ate out that wasn't hospital cafeteria food.

"I honestly haven't stopped thinking about a cheeseburger and shake since we passed that couple earlier," I admit, flipping through all of the amazing looking food.

"Everything on it?"

"Mm-hmm. and I think I'm gonna go.. hmm.. cookies and cream on the milkshake."

A few minutes later a waitress comes by and delivers our food. My mouth must be slightly agape because Ryan connects the dots.

"Mind link," Ryan smirks, "one of the many advantages of joining the pack."

"Touché." He smiles and begins to eat his burger.

When we're pulling out of the diner, he plops a folder onto my lap. "Gee thanks." He rolls his eyes.

"It's job offers and recommendations. I won't force you like Peter is if you don't want to stay. All my pack members that have worked with you wrote one and pulled a few strings for me. I just want you to know that as much as I want you to stay, I understand it's a big decision. Being my Luna is for life, and if you can't handle that then that's okay, too and I really do want the best for you, because what he did to you was really shitty. Whether or not you decide to stay, I won't forget what he did and I'll never respect him because of it."

"I really appreciate it," I say quietly. "And, Ryan?"

"Hmm?"

"I can so handle it."