Arise

The light through the window streaked my face, causing me to open my eyes. I reached over the night stand and grabbed my phone, checking the time. It was almost ten and our flight would be leaving in a few short hours. We still had to pack because we were otherwise preoccupied last night.

Memories of last night flashed through my mind, bringing a smile to my face. I put my phone back on the night stand and pushed my face against the pillow, smiling.

The arm kept locked around my waist loosened and I turned around to face Logan. He looked like he was still sleeping, but I knew he was hyper aware of his surroundings and only pretending to be asleep.

Regardless, I watched him. Eyes closed and mouth slightly open, his head was no longer on the pillow. I brought my hand to his forehead and pushed his hair away.

“Good morning,” I said with a smile.

He opened one eye and chuckled. “How did you know I was awake?”

I stared at his gorgeous dimples. “You’re not very good at pretending.” I leaned forward and placed a haste kiss on it. He groaned and was ready to grab me but I had moved away.

“We have to pack.”

“And we will,” he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him, “after we wake up later.”

I poured but gave no objection.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, I shoved his stomach with my elbow.

“OW!” He grunted and opened his eyes.

I kept my gaze steady as I stared back at him with mischief.

He eyes me. “Why aren’t you blinking?”

I smirked. “Staring contest. If I win, you have to pack everything.”

He shook his head. “I’m not playing a stupid game.”

I narrowed my eyes, giving them a chance to relax their strain. “Then why haven’t you blinked yet?”

He scoffed.

I raised an eyebrow.

He straightened his face and looked at me, facing the challenge.

Not even a second later did he blink.

“I win!”

“But--”

I turned around and wrapped the blanket around me. “By the time I wake up, I wanna see both our suitcases packed neatly to the side.”

“Ros--”

I quickly turned around, kissed him thoroughly saying, “I love you,” before turning back and closing my eyes.

Emily hugged me tightly. “Thank you,” she said in my ear.

We were in front of our gate at the airport. Logan was pulling out our suitcases from the trunk of the car as I said goodbye to Emily.

I pulled back and smiled. “It was all you, Em.” She would become Alpha soon with Ryder by her side despite all the backlash. Surprisingly enough, her mother was stepping up to help her through it. Her father would come around eventually and in the meantime, she would help Ryder and his family integrate into the pack.

Before we left, I had begrudgingly apologized to both Alpha Crescent and Beta Stiles for my behavior at last night’s dinner. Weirdly enough, they both brushed me off faster than I could let out a full apology, definitely way too happy I was getting out of their fur so soon.

She stepped back and shook Logan’s hand. “We’re allies now. You need us and we’ll be there.”

Ryder grabbed my hands and held them between us. “There are no words to express my gratitude.” Ryder was a nice guy and from what I had seen, complimented Emily very well. She would need his help leading the pack.

I switched our hand positions so that I was holding his. “I should thank you as well.”

He tilted his head. “Why is that?”

I looked over at Logan and smiled as he caught my eye. “This was the wake-up call I needed.”

He came to my side and kissed my forehead, bringing his arm around my shoulders. He nodded to Ryder. “Good luck with everything, man.”

They shook hands and with that we finally departed.

This trip had felt unnecessarily long and I was glad to be back in my home state.

Lila, who I had not seen in a very long time, had picked us up from the airport. She talked the whole way back to the pack house about her kids and what they were up too. It sounded like her hands were full.

Upon our arrival, we called Val and Caleb and told them that we were exhausted and wouldn’t meet them until later tonight during Full Moon.

Before I could even open the car door, Logan stopped me. “I bet you twenty bucks that they all made a bet that we would get back together on this trip.”

I gave him an incredulous look. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?”

I rolled my eyes. “They did not bet on us.”

“How do you know for sure?”

I looked away and groaned. “Fine.”

“Twenty bucks.”

I shook my head. “How about,” I paused for a second. “if you win, I owe you twenty bucks. But if I win, we move in together.”

His mischievous smile drops.

Before he could say another word, I tell Lila not to tell a soul and scramble out the car.

Logan saddles up beside me. “I don’t want to play the bet anymore.”

A smile rose up my face. “Too late.”

I pulled the key out of my purse and unlocked the door, calling out to see if his parents were home.

“Your back!” Grace was the first to hug us with Samuel in tow. “How was the trip?”

I smiled. “It was good! We stopped impending war.”

“And almost caused another on in the process.” Logan took his coat off and hung it in the closet.

He came around me and took mine and hung it as well. I scoffed. “We stopped that too.”

Samuel took our suitcases and moved them by the staircase. “Are you guys coming to the bonfire tonight?”

“Of course, Dad. I need to shift before I lose my mind.”

“Could’ve shifted there,” I said under my breath.

He gave me a look. “Yeah, because they were so welcoming.” Then he winked at me, showing his dimples as he smiled.

I rolled my eyes and followed Grace to the kitchen. “Are you heading to the pack house soon?” I opened a cabinet and grabbed a glass to fill up with water.

“We were waiting for you guys to come home before we left.”

I nodded. “You didn’t have to do that. We’ll be there tonight.”

“We?”

I looked up to see a smirk on her hidden face. “Yes?”

She nodded, keeping her eyes on me. She was searching for something.

I titled my head. “Something wrong?”

She waited a beat. Then, “Anything in particular happen between you two?”

I nearly choked on my water. They were curious alright. “We’re getting along.”

“That’s great to hear,” she said.

“Are you okay?”

Her shoulders dropped and she blew out a puff of air. “Nevermind,” she headed out of the kitchen. “See you tonight.”

“Bye,” I said, still confused.

I rummaged through the fridge looking for food when Logan walked in behind me. His hands touched my shoulders before sliding down my sides to rest on my hips. I smiled before resting my head back. The smell of mint overfilled my nostrils.

I felt his lips on my ear. “They’re on to us.”

I sighed. “You just might be right.”

“Mhmm.” He kissed the side of my neck. “Here.”

“Huh?”

He kissed the spot again. “I’ll mark you right here.”

I stuttered incoherently.

He chuckled. “Later.”

I rolled my eyes. “I need to shower.” I tried to move out of his hold but he held me tighter.

His voiced went deeper. “I’ll join you.”

I slapped his shoulder playfully and eventually got out of his hold. “Later.” I moved around him, heading upstairs to shower when I turned back and called to him. He looked happy lost in thought. “Logan?”

"Yeah, doll?"

I grinned. "I love you."

He showed me his beautiful dimples with his smile. "I love you, too."

We arrived at the pack house just an hour before the Shift. From the moment we walked into the backyard we were bombarded with questions by almost everyone about us. It was getting more and more obvious that people wanted know for a bet.

It was also very clear how members were treating us. Logan had taken up the Beta position just as we were about to leave for our trip so I hadn't seen how the pack adjusted to it. You could feel the shift in their actions towards him. They held him at a higher standard, more respected.

Things were different now.

A good different.

Val and Caleb's first question was if we were together now but we had changed the topic, switching to the subject of Shaw and CeCe. They had arrived back this morning and were already greeting everyone hand-in-hand.

Caleb took the stage. "Tonight, we honor our Beta and Beta Female. They have made a safe return from successfully amending relations with the Crescent Moon Pack!"

After the Shift, followed the tradition of mates clothing each other. Everyone was too busy dressing each other to see me walk up to Logan and grab his dress shirt.

"What are you doing?" His eyes widened.

"I don't want to hide anymore."

He nodded as a smiled rose up his face and handed me his shirt. I came around him and opened his shirt to let him slide his arms through the sleeves.

He turned around and let me button up his shirt. When I reached just below his collar, he bent down just as I leaned up. Our lips molded together as the world faded around us.

We pulled apart just as cheers sounded around us.

"I called!" Val squealed and turned to Shaw. "We win."

Shaw groaned before digging into his pocket, handing Caleb, CeCe and Val twenty dollars each.

I gasped as I noticed more people exchanging money. "You all bet on us?"

Logan's dad grinned. "Can you blame us?"

"I hate all of you," I said as I opened my purse and found twenty dollars in my wallet. "Now, I owe Logan twenty dollars." I handed him the money with a pout as laughs filled the air.

He pushed my hand away and shook his head. "I don't want it."

"But you won our bet," I insisted.

He shook his head again before saying, "I want something else."

"What?"

"A house."

"What?" We had a house already, but I had a feeling he was referring to something else.

"A house next to Alpha and Luna. You and me, and our future." He kissed my forehead. "You in, doll?"

I squealed before throwing myself at him, kissing his face everywhere. "I'm in." And I kissed him into forever.

That's it folks!

Okay I know I promised to finish this WAAAYYY earlier, but I was in such writing slump and I didn't want to part with these characters. This is the first story I have ever finished and I wanted it to be good for you all. Eventually, I will edit it because there are a lot of time continuum errors hehee.

Thanks for being on this journey with me! Stay tuned for a couple announcements as I think of things for NaNoWriMo!!

You guys are the best!

Until again,

-Gemini