Inevitably Yours

QUINN

“Okay, spill, favorite niece.”

I sat near the little fire pit in my backyard, nursing a glass of soda while I stared into the flickering warmth of the dying fire, thinking about Michael and everything that happened in the few minutes we were alone. I turned my head to see my father’s youngest brother sitting next to me.

“I’m your only niece,” I corrected. He shrugged.

“Just because there isn’t much competition doesn’t mean you aren’t my favorite,” he smiled. I cracked a small smile too. “What’s got you over here sulking? You’re usually much more energetic at these little parties.”

I sighed and looked back at the fire. “Just dumb boy stuff,” I mumbled.

“Is there some stupid wolf messing with my favorite niece’s heart? Who do I need to rip apart?” he growled.

I rolled my eyes. “Nothing like that,” I told him. My uncle was less than ten years older than me, so he related to me a little easier than my other aunts and uncles.

He scooted closer in the grass and draped his arm over my shoulder. “Quinny, I’ve never heard you talk about a boy before. What’s going on?”

I frowned, debating on whether I was ready to talk about it. I couldn’t be certain my uncle wouldn’t slip it to my dad either, even if he didn’t intend to. He took my silence as a refusal because he continued, “You don’t have to tell me. I’m sure you got friends for this stuff. But I won’t go blabbing to my brother either. Just cheer up. Your smile is too pretty to hide.”

He pinched my cheek affectionately, and I elbowed him lightly. He gave me a quick peck on my cheek before rising to his feet. I watched him head back up the yard to the porch.

“I don’t know why you’re so worried about this,” Sapphire piped up. She had let me mull things over by myself for a while now. “You liked him this morning before you knew. What is materially different?”

“A lot of stuff,” I said. “Looking past the whole next in line to be Alpha business, how about all the stuff about his dating habits?”

“Rumors,” Sapphire pointed out.

“That started from some moment of truth,” I corrected.

“Has he at all given you the impression he has been disingenuous in any way?” she proposed.

“No,” I admitted. Michael had been sweet and kind when he wasn’t disappearing. He had his crude moments, making jokes and stuff, but he never pushed a boundary. He admitted tonight that he wanted to k**s me for weeks and waited. So often, we had been close or alone; he had plenty of opportunities but never made me uncomfortable or forced himself on me.

“I’m tired,” I whispered to the ashen logs. Shrieks of laughter erupted from the back porch where the adults were horsing around. I wanted to escape to my room, but that required pushing through the throng of drunk adults around my house to get there. I didn’t dislike anyone here; I just didn’t have the energy to interact with people.

I laid on my side, letting the dying fire in front of me lull me to sleep right there in the yard.

–

I didn’t have any band practice for a couple of days, so the next few days were calm and uneventful. Michael didn’t call and only sent a couple of messages, never engaging in a very long conversation. I tried not to think about the k**s and what it meant for our future, but my mind kept coming back to it. I could feel my cheeks flush every time.

I laid in bed with an odd feeling in my stomach. I worried Saph was about to go away again and I wouldn’t be able to sleep. My notebook sat in my lap, and my favorite pen hung loosely in my hand. I just stared at the black TV screen across the room, no words coming out of my brain. I heard a weird clicking sound from my window. I sat up straighter and looked around slowly. The same sound happened again. As I pulled my curtain aside, my phone went off from the nightstand. I grabbed it then looked outside. Michael was standing on my front lawn, the moonlight illuminating him slightly.

I checked my phone to see his message.

MICHAEL

| come outside with me

ME

| its super late!

| why are you here?

MICHAEL

| i missed you. come outside.

I looked out the window. Squinting, I could make out that practiced, adorable pout on his face. He waved me down to him.

ME

| my parents are asleep

MICHAEL

| even better. just be quiet.

I looked back out my window. His hands were together like he was begging me.

ME

| go to the backyard. avoid walking near the garage. give me 5

I let my curtain fall closed and looked around my room. It wasn’t impossible to get out of my house without my parents knowing, but I had never just snuck out before. I scrambled out of bed and shoved my body pillow under my blanket; it didn’t exactly look like a body, but maybe in low light, it could trick someone. I plugged my phone in and left it on my nightstand. For good measure, I flipped on my little air conditioner and TV, leaving the latter down low, so it looked like I fell asleep.

I carefully crept down the stairs, avoiding the creaky ones. The carpet squished under my toes as I hit the bottom, and I silently cursed. I forgot to grab shoes or sandals. I didn’t want to go upstairs and have to come all the way back down, so I decided just to ignore it. Slowly and silently, I moved through the pitch-black house, feeling along the walls as I went.

I got to the back door and carefully pulled the locking lever open. As I tenderly pulled on the sliding door, it squeaked, and I froze. My heart raced, thinking I was about to get caught. A low cough sounded from my parent’s room as I stood rooted to the spot. When no other movement could be heard, I slowly eased the door open just enough to slip out. I closed it just as carefully before turning around. Michael stood at the bottom of the porch, and I could make out a warm smile on his face.

I crept across the porch, descending only halfway down the stairs until we were at eye level.

“Hey,” he whispered. I held up a finger to my lips, telling him we had to be quiet. I pointed to the windows at the other end of the house that looked into my parent’s room. He nodded his head; his hand found mine, and he pulled me with him into the grass. I put up no resistance, letting him lead me away from my back door. I watched our intertwined hands as we walked.

“Where are your shoes?” he whispered.

“I forgot them,” I said, finally looking up.

“Okay, then. Guess we won’t be going far. Um,” he said. He looked around. The hammock stand was sitting against the house right under my parents’ window and would be creaky if we moved it. His eyes fell on the trampoline and then pulled me in that direction.

“The springs are going to sound,” I said.

“Then don’t sit on them,” he replied. He let go of my hand and grabbed onto my waist. He lifted me easily. My hands came to his shoulders to make sure I didn’t fall. “Bend your legs,” he instructed. I did as told, and he managed to lift me high enough that he could set me right onto the cool black surface.

“Scoot back slowly,” he said, letting go of me. I moved gingerly back, making room for him. He was noisier than I was getting onto the trampoline. We both froze, making sure that there was no movement from inside my house. When it didn’t appear that the sound woke anyone, Michael moved closer.

I sat with my knees hugged closely to my chest. He sat so that I was right in between his legs as they spread out in front of him. He rested his hands on my sides. He had a soft smile on his face.

“Are you mad at me?” Michael whispered. I shook my head. I wasn’t mad, but I hadn’t quite worked out everything in my head. His shoulders relaxed slightly. “I really missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I told him.

“I can’t believe you snuck out with me,” he chuckled.

“Would you have gone away if I hadn’t?” I asked.

His smile turned mischievous. “No, but that’s not the point. You’re not all goody two shoes, Quinn.”

I looked away from him, trying to organize my racing thoughts. His hand came up and lightly traced my cheek. “What’s on your mind?” he asked. I looked back at him. Gone was any hint of the charming, troublemaker; in front of me was the sincere, sweet version of Michael that made my heart pace in my chest.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked him. It was the biggest question on my mind.

He sighed, looking away from me. “The Alpha thing?” he clarified.

“Yea,” I answered.

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me,” he said, looking back at me.

“Try me,” I challenged gently.

His expression shifted for a moment. “When I met you, it was like I had a blank slate. You didn’t know who I was, which meant you didn’t know who everyone else thinks I am either. As soon as you found out, you connected the rumors and asked me about them. I just wanted you to get to know me before everyone else told you I wasn’t worth it. When it came down to it, I liked that you wanted to be with me, not the next Alpha.”

I nodded my head. It made sense but didn’t change how it made me feel. I bit my l*p, contemplating my next words.

“I didn’t want to lie to you. I just sort of liked us without all the complications. There is enough of that in my life already,” he said.

“You made me feel foolish,” I told him. His eyes widened slightly like he hadn’t realized. I looked away; I didn’t want to hurt him, but I had to be honest. “I felt really dumb that I never knew and worse that you knew I didn’t. Then all our classmates… who knows what they are all saying now?”

“I’m sorry,” he said gently. “I should have thought about it before. I should have told you so you could decide for yourself.” I looked back at him. His eyes held regret, and I knew it was genuine.

We held each other’s gaze for a long moment. Then, his hands came up and parted my bent knees. He hooked his hands below them and pulled them up and over his thighs. I didn’t resist his movement. His hands came around my center, pulling me a little closer to him. Suddenly, our proximity was making me really hot.

“Can you forgive me?” he asked. His words were a whisper-soft caress on the light wind. I nodded, my voice caught in my throat. “Would it be okay if I kissed you again?” I nodded again, more deliberately this time. His eyes lit up, the moonlight shining in them now.

His face crept closer to mine, and I let my eyes close. His lips met mine, just as softly as the first time. I reached forward, tentatively wrapping my arms around his torso. His grip on me tightened fractionally as his lips began to move against mine. Comforting heat spread through me from the contact, and Sapphire cheered in my mind. When he pulled away, I was left a little breathless.

“You look so beautiful,” he whispered as my eyes fluttered open. His gaze was warm and loving; a nervousness welled within me.

“Thanks,” I said, looking down. His lips swept across my forehead, leaving a chaste k**s on my skin. “So all the complicated family stuff was just Alpha stuff then?” I asked.

He stilled, his posture rigid for just a second but long enough that I noticed. “Yea,” he said. He offered no further explanation. While I wasn’t sure what exactly could have kept him busy, I assumed training to lead the pack was probably laborious.

“Can I ask you one more thing?” I braved.

“Anything,” he said. I fidgeted with his shirt beneath my fingers.

“The rumors. The stuff about how you date girls….”

Again, he let out a heavy sigh. “I knew you would ask sometime,” he started. “I don’t really go looking for it; it sort of just comes to me. I’m sure you can guess that there are plenty of very willing participants…” he trailed off for a minute. I closed my eyes, not sure if I wanted to hear it anymore. “None of them are like you, though. You are worlds apart from anyone I’ve dated before. I can honestly tell you I have never waited so long to k**s someone, never wanted to wait to make sure things were perfect. Quinn, I can’t imagine pressuring you or hurting you in any way. I just want to be around you. I want to hear about the books you’re reading or how your brother turned off the oven timer and made you burn your cookies. You are the simplest part of my life; you don’t make things hard or complicated other than how badly I want to be around you when I’m not. You make the world brighter and the air taste sweeter. So, none of the other girls matter; they never did. I could never dream of letting you go and not caring about it. You mean too much to me.”

My heart squeezed in my chest. I didn’t move or open my eyes as I let his words ripple through me. I didn’t know what to say. All the words I had ever read and the ones I wrote, none of them could express what was inside of me.

I tilted my head back, looking him in the eyes again. They were shining with so many things. His words sparked something in me, boldness blossoming in my chest. I leaned up, and I could see the flash of surprise on his face before I kissed him. I kissed him, and he kissed me back harder, a small g***n of approval coming from his throat.

His hands slid down, cupping my a*s and lifting me from the surface of the trampoline. I brought my arms up, wrapping them around his neck so I could push my fingers through the short hair at the base of his neck. He pulled my body flush to him, holding firmly to my bottom.

His tongue ran across my lips as we kissed. His legs moved, fractionally closing so he could set me in his lap. His hands crawled down the sides of my thighs, massaging and kneading as they did. Then, I felt a pinch, making me gasp over his lips. He darted his tongue inside my mouth, and I relished the feeling.

He probed my mouth, our tongues dancing against each other. He was a dominant force in a tender way. His hands moved over my exposed skin, touching gently. Everywhere his fingers touched, a burning trail was left in their wake.

He pulled his tongue back, beckoning mine to explore his mouth. I followed his lead, tasting him now. His hands crept up my side, pushing underneath my shirt. I stiffened as he got closer to my bra. He paused our k**s. “I won’t go any further,” he whispered against my mouth. His hands moved back down minutely and began to move along my sides, rubbing soothingly. Slowly, I relaxed again.

He ran his nose along mine, sending another wave of warmth through me. His hair was soft under my fingers as I played with it. His body was warm against mine, strong and solid. His hands continued to comfortingly rub my sides and back, his fingers moving with expert dexterity. “I’ll never force you,” he promised. “If you don’t want me to do something, just tell me no. I’ll stop, no questions.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“No matter what anyone says about me, I have never done anything a girl didn’t ask me to,” he told me. “I’m not that kind of guy. Especially with you.”

I brought my hand to his face, gently tracing the lines of his cheekbones. He smiled softly, his eyes closing briefly at my touch. One of his hands stopped, and he adjusted himself below me. I swallowed as I realized what was now pushing beneath my core.

“I can’t stay all night, but will you lay with me for a little while?” he requested. I nodded my head; I wanted nothing more than to stay right here with him for a little longer.