Chapter 457: Stupid Dreams

Chapter 457: Elara

She does not respond. Instead, she stomps out of the room and slams the door behind her.

How mature.

The door opens again. A couple of footsteps. A hand around my waist.

"So sexy," Daphne murmurs against my ear, "how you are when you are jealous."

I roll my eyes.

"I am not jealous," I say. "I just hate the way she looks at you."

"Uh huh."

She presses a kiss to my neck.

I try to stay annoyed. I fail.

"Seriously," I say, "she has four mates. Four. And she is still looking at you like you are the last piece of meat in a starving pack."

Daphne laughs.

"How greedy can anyone be?" I say, annoyed. I turn in her arms to face her and cup her cheek.

"I could give up many things," I say. "But not you. Never you."

She looks at me. Her dark eyes soften.

"You are everything," I continue. "You are my mate. My partner. My heart. I would tear the world apart before I let anyone take you from me."

She covers my hand with hers.

"Elara."

"I mean it."

"I know."

She kisses my palm.

***

Eric

Sometimes werewolf hearing is not a good thing, especially when you live in the same building as my sister and her mate. I was just walking past and I hear that.

Honestly, hearing them have sex is disgusting, but it is preferable to them getting all romantic.

That one feels worse.

I walk to my room and shut the door. My activities for the day are over. I can call it a night.

I grab the bottle of alcohol gifted to me by my sister-in-law. Due to a wolf’s high metabolism, I can never get drunk no matter how much I drink. I will have a slight buzz but then be clear-headed just as fast.

Not this one, though. It takes two cups and I forget my worries for a night.

I pour myself a glass. I drink.

The warmth spreads through my chest. The edges of my thoughts soften.

I am so fucking envious. So fucking jealous of literally everyone else.

I slide to the floor and lean against the bed, going with the bottle, not the cups. I look at the moon shining through the window, mocking me.

I fucking hate you, Goddess.

I hate you so much.

"Why would you do this to me?"

I also want to walk around with the one I love. I want us to run together on couple runs. To howl as a couple. I just want to hold his hand.

My position as Alpha feels like shackles around me.

I take another drink. The burn is good. It is real.

I think about the pack. About the expectations. About the way they would look at me if they knew.

I take another drink.

The moon is still mocking me.

I raise the bottle to it.

"Fuck you," I say.

Someone shakes me awake. I blink open my eyes.

*

"Gray?" I ask. "Another night here to haunt my dreams?"

"Alpha—no, Eric, stop." His voice is urgent. "Your sister asked me to check on you."

"Oh, ever the dutiful Beta." I pull him down. He falls into my lap and struggles, but I do not let him go. The only time I can do this is in my dreams, after all.

I grab the bottle.

"Join me," I say.

"No, you should actually stop." He starts.

I pinch his waist. He jumps.

"Still ticklish, I see." I smirk. "And drink. It is an order, my dear Beta."

He looks at me aggrieved, then takes a sip. He coughs, but I help him drink the remaining drops.

"Even in my dreams, do I have to order you?" I ask, wiping a couple of drops from the corner of his mouth. "Can you not be more compliant here?"

He stares at me.

"You are not dreaming, Eric."

I blink.

"What?"

"You are not dreaming."

I think about it.

"Hmmmnnn no, I am pretty sure I am," I say, tossing the bottle to the side. "You certainly would not be this close to me in reality. I certainly would not have the guts to do this either."

And I kiss him.

He freezes.

His lips are still. His body is rigid.

I kiss him anyway.

I kiss him like it is the last thing I will ever do.

And then—

He kisses me back.

His hand finds my face. His lips move against mine. His body relaxes into me.

"Definitely a dream," I say.

He opens his mouth. Closes it.

"Do you know," I continue, "you ruined me twelve years ago? This is your fault."

"I am sorry," he says.

"Imagine my shock when my best friend asked for a kiss as his birthday present." I laugh again. It is a hollow sound. "I could not say no. I should have said no. Because you ruined me."

"What about all those she-wolves?" he asks.

I scoff.

"What she-wolves? You are the only one for me."

He is quiet.

"You are so stupid," I say. "Do you know what else is stupid? You staying by my side every day, even when you know what this proximity does to us."

I look at him.

"Do you know who else is stupid?" I ask. "I am. Because I am glad we are both stupid fools teetering on the edge of a blade."

"What was extremely stupid," I say, "was you expecting me to accept her as my mate when I feel this way about you."

And I kiss him again.

He kisses me back with no hesitation this time, what a nice dream.

*

My head hurts like hell.

The sun is blinding.

I stretch and there is another person on my bed.

Another person on my bed?

I sit up immediately.What the hell? What did I do? I am naked, but maybe nothing happened—but the tender, healing scratches on my back tell me otherwise.

I hesitantly remove the white bedsheet covering the other person.

Gray.

Fuck.