Revolting

Chapter Thirty One - Like Riding a Bicycle William

We got into my car, and I could tell by the awkward way he sat and arranged his legs that he wasn't used to riding in a vehicle. I wanted to ask when the last time he had been in a car was, but I didn't want to seem rude or nosy, or like I was teasing him for the primitive life he had lived, so I kept my question to himself. However, when I saw him struggling with the seatbelt, I leaned over him and helped him buckle it. The close proximity of the car had our bodies brushing each other and sparks flying, and I swear the temperature jumped up at least ten degrees. I met his chocolate brown eyes for a moment, and got lost in their dark, swirling depths.

I tore myself away from his gaze with difficulty, just so I could start the car and roll the windows down, letting the cool night air blow over my heated body. Sheesh this stuff was intense. I don't know how any mated wolf managed to accomplish anything in a day.

I turned on the stereo in the car, and selected one of my play lists. He was intensely interested in the radio, and leaned closer to examine the knobs and buttons. I saw him smiling to himself as he adjusted the base and the volume slightly. I wasn't sure if he liked the music, or the electronics, but oh my god, anything that made him smile. It seemed like he rarely smiled, but maybe that had been an effect of the beard, hiding his expression.

I kept sneaking glances at him as I drove. Shaving the beard had changed his entire appearance. Sasquatch had become a boyishly handsome man with a chiseled jaw and soft lips. I couldn't help but notice that he had a bit of razor burn and a couple knicks and cuts... but then again what had he used to shave with? It wasn't like he had a bathroom sink and a shaving kit out there in the woods. I had vision of him trying to shave himself with a big bowie knife like Crocodile Dundee. The road, William. Pay attention to the road.

"So," I started awkwardly, "I don't want you to think I'm a creeper or anything... but I rented us a room."

He turned to me and lifted one skeptical eyebrow. I rushed to explain. "I know you don't like the pack house, and I wanted us to have time to get to know each other, without being surrounded by a bunch of humans in a restaurant, you know?" I wouldn't have minded so much going back to his camp in the woods with him, but... I don't know, I wanted to do this for him. I wanted him to have a hot shower, soft clean sheets... The idea of his body spread over crisp white sheets had my body temperature sky rocketing again. Open windows weren't enough, I might need the air-conditioning on.

There aren't many restaurants in this dinky town. Aside from the family place I usually took Raine, there was a fairly decent steak house and some take out restaurants. I had planned to take him to the steakhouse, but I had a moment of inspiration to ask him, "What would you like to eat?"

I knew immediately I had asked the right question, because his face lit up like a kid on Christmas. "Could we do Chinese?"

"There is a Chinese place," I said thoughtfully, "But they only do take out. They don't have seating."

"Oh." I saw his face fall in disappointment.

"But hey, we could get take out and bring it back to the hotel."

"Yeah? That would be great! I mean, if you don't mind..."

"Sure, I like Chinese, and it's been a while." I changed direction and headed toward the other end of town where the small take out restaurant was jammed between a remote car-starter place and a cellphone retailer.

"My dad used to buy us Chinese every Friday night," he said, a little absently. His eyes were staring out the passenger side window as though he were looking back into his childhood. "I always thought it was the coolest thing, all the little white boxes with different things, the chopsticks, and the fortune cookies." He chuckled to himself. "I remember biting into the eggrolls and trying to figure out what was inside it, because it sure wasn't eggs."

I knew I was totally going to ruin his mood, but the opportunity had presented itself, so I had to ask. "What happened to your dad?"

As I predicted, his happy dreamy look disappeared and his face closed up. "He was murdered. By the Alpha of our pack."

"Oh man, I'm so sorry." I reached across the console and put my hand on his. He looked down at it in surprise, but he didn't yank it away, so I thought that was progress. "How old were you?"

I saw the muscle tick in his jaw. "Eleven. Hannah was only six."

I squeezed his hand. "You were just a kid yourself, but you took care of her. You are an awesome brother." We had arrived at the restaurant and I had to pull my hand away to shift the car into park. I was a little sorry I had dampened the mood, but also not sorry... I had a feeling getting him to talk about his past was always going to be like pulling teeth. "Well here we are, Double Dragon China Kitchen."

We went inside, and stood at the little counter, pouring over a paper menu with a pencil. The employees didn't speak much English, so to simplify things, they had customers simply circle the items they wanted to order. "Do you know what you want," I asked him.

"An egg roll." He said, pushing the menu back at me.

"Oh man, you need more than that."

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "Maybe you choose for me then, I don't remember the names of anything." he was avoiding my eyes, and his ears were red.

I looked down at the menu and had a flash of insight. He doesn't know how to read. I picked up the pencil and circled a bunch of different options. I ordered enough food for six people, but I wanted to make sure I got at least one thing he liked. Plus, I had seen the guy eat, and he had a massive appetite, even for a werewolf. I passed the menu across to the pretty Asian woman behind the counter. "Ten minutes," she informed me, and motioned to the folding chairs against the back wall if we wanted to wait. I sat gingerly in one of the flimsy metal chairs, not sure it would actually hold my weight. Heath however paced slowly around the small room, looking at the artwork and the posters of Chinese models posed next to expensive sports cars. He reminded me of an animal, the way he prowled around, and some of his anxiety transmitted to me. He had been in the woods for a long time, he'd lost touch with a lot of the human things that I took for granted. When the lady finally held up two heavily laden paper bags, I shot out of my seat. I was as eager to get out of the small restaurant as Heath was. I quickly paid, and we carried our dinner back to the car. I heard Heath blow out a relieved breath once we left the building. I handed him the bags to hold while I drove. "Don't worry, Heath. It will get easier."

He gave me a doubtful look. "You think so?"

I smiled and nodded, "Sure. It's like riding a bike, right?"

He snorted and managed to buckle his own seatbelt this time, even with the bags on his lap. "I never had a bicycle," he said flatly.

I whistled as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the upscale hotel where I had spent a small fortune to book their best room. "We've got some work to do, then."