7 Alpha Meeting -Spain 6

Alaina POV

He’s laughing about me punching another Alpha. He's impressed that I stood up for myself? I must be in the twilight zone because this is not how an Alpha acts. I should be getting read the riot act, not being praised and having him laugh at me punching someone. ‘Lunas are quiet, demure, an air of fragility’ is what I grew up being taught, and Alpha Lupin seems to like that I’m not those things.

      'Ty, can you get a read on them? Is his Lycan saying anything?'

      'If he was in control we would be mated right now, he thought what you did was the hottest thing he has ever seen. I am not sure how Alpha Lupin is able to keep control over Janus right now!'

      'Holy shat, who is he? What do you think of them now?'

      'I think that you should at least talk to him. Sit in the garden, or the dining hall, you don’t have to be alone, but talk to him!'

Maybe Ty is right. He hasn’t really done anything that most of the Alphas would do. Most would have shoved me up to a wall and marked me right there, Alpha Lupin shook my hand. He invited me to dinner to ‘talk’. Lunas don’t get talked TO they get talked AT, they get ordered and commanded, they don’t get an opinion, and he wants to talk? Maybe Ty is right, what could a short walk do?

      “Why don’t we go for a walk out in the garden?”

He looked up, his blue eyes as wide as they could possibly go. I guess I should have expected that reaction, this is a complete 180 from where we were like 10 minutes ago, so I’m not surprised that he has an incredulous look on his face, it’s almost endearing. I am sitting on my bed waiting for an answer, and he’s just staring at me like I might disappear into thin air. I stand up and walk the 20 steps to the door and sit down in front of him, legs crossed.

      “Alpha Lupin? Would you like to go for a walk in the garden with me?”

      “Uh... um... YEAH!”

He shoots straight up, nearly knocking me over.

      “Sorry, I honestly thought you would never want to spend time with me, I guess I am a little over excited. Here” he says while holding his hand out for me to grab.

I take a few seconds, thinking about what accepting his help up may convey to him, when I look into his eyes and see sadness, pain, and then a little hope spread across his lips. I grab his hand and he very gently helps me to my feet. I was half expecting him to pull me into a hug or something, at least he is respectful right now. Who knows what he’s like back at his pack. He could be just like all the rest!

As we descend the 4 flights of stairs, again why no elevator, we don't say much. It isn’t until we reach the main entry that he starts talking to me again.

      “May I hold your hand during our walk?”

He’s ASKING to hold my hand? What will he do if I say no? What will he think if I say yes? As if he is reading my mind his voice drops a few octaves and he whispers in my ear.

      “It is ok if you say no, and if you say yes, it is just holding hands during a walk, I am not asking you to move in with me.”

Okay, well that just made me weak in the knees. How is it that he was able to do that with just a few words? I furrow my brow while I wring my hands trying to make up my mind when Alpha Lupin opens the massive wooden door, and motioning me to go through first.

      “It’s ok Alaina. I don’t want to push you into anything that you are not ready for. I am just grateful that you have agreed to spend some time with me, and over the moon that you suggested a walk. I told you that I just wanted to get to know you, so why don’t we do that? You can go first, and ask any questions you want, I am an open book when to comes to you.”

An open book he says. Let’s see if he’s as fun to play with as Fin used to be! After 18 years I can’t really shock him anymore and it’s getting a little boring. I guess this walk will do one thing, give me some entertainment for a while.

      “OK Alpha, let’s start off easy. How old are you?”

      “I’m 33, and I would much rather you called me Ashton, or Ash, though.”

33?! HE’S FRACKING 33?! Oh, dear Selene, Moon Goddess, mother, WHY?! I do my best not to freak out, he’s the one that’s supposed to be startled to silence not me, and he’s not even trying!

      “And how old are you, Alaina?”

      “Um, Well, I just turned 18.”

OK the look on that face is priceless! I thought I was stunned to silence over the age gap, but I think he might faint!

      “Are you Ok Ashton?”

      “What? Um, yeah, I am just... is the age gap an issue for you?”

What do I say to that? ‘Yeah, it’s a huge issue, you’re 15 years older than me, h3ll three more years and you could be my dad!’ I must have been too quiet because he speaks up again.

      “I understand if it is, I know it would be a huge adjustment, and that we are at very different places in our lives, when it comes to what stage we want to be in, but I would really like to try. If this is a really big issue, and you want to reject me, I understand, and if it’s what you want, I will accept the rejection. I honestly had lost hope on finding my fated mate, so I am over the moon to have found you, but you deserve to be happy, so I will accept it and, hopefully, help give you the happiest life you can have.”

Now it’s my turn to stop and gape at him. He is willing to accept a rejection just so I am happy? An Alpha is willing to accept a rejection, the KING just wants me to be happy? 

      'Alaina, Janus is saying the same things. He doesn’t want us to feel trapped. He doesn’t want to force us into anything. Janus thinks that if they try to push too hard, and we end up relenting because of the pressure, we will just resent them, and neither one wans that. I say keep going with the questions and sort the age thing out later.'

      'I don’t know Ty, 15 years is a LOT! Like kind of gross a lot. I’m not sure that is something I CAN get over! We also have that pesky little thing the elders told us about... the inability to reject the chosen queen?' 

      'Just keep going, you never know, and our elders are just a bunch of really old wolves that don’t know their time is almost up, if it’s something you really want, I think they will help figure it out!'

I look over to Ashton, he’s got his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans, his head hung low staring at the ground, and is kicking the occasional rock down the path. He actually looks rather forlorn, knowing that I am the reason for it does make me feel like an arse. I don’t answer his question, I deflect to a different subject.

     “Favourite food?”

      “Huh?”

He looks at me straight in the eyes, his eyes look glassy, like he’s about to cry. What is with this guy? 

      “What’s your favourite food?” I asked softly.

      “Oh! Um,” he paused, thinking “totally unoriginal, but poutine”

      “What the h3ll is a poutine” I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

      “It’s fries covered in gravy, and cheese curds. You know you have the real deal if the curds squeak between your teeth” he chuckles. “How about you, my dear, what is your...”

He stops dead in his tracks eyes wide, pale, almost like he’s seen a ghost.

      “Oh, Alaina I am SO sorry! I am not trying to rush things, it just slipped out” he mumbled so quickly I barely caught it, and I am not even sure if that was just one really long word or if that was actually a sentence.

I walk back to him, place my hand on his forearm, his hands still in his pockets, and gently rub his arm with my thumb.

      “Ashton, it’s ok. I do somewhat understand, my mom calls everyone ‘hun’ but it’s only a term of endearment that she uses to show everyone she cares, and a term of endearment is not going to have me walking away all together. Now, if you called me ‘babe’, or ‘sexy’, or something horrendous like that, we would have issues, the conversation would be over. Dear... dear is sweet, its caring, it's not overly domineering. However, I have to say my favourite food would be a pomegranate. Your turn.”

      “How do you have your nose pierced? I didn’t notice Tyche with a nose piercing. She’s OK with that?”

I burst out laughing, bend over, stomach holding, laughter.

      “It's fake, just something I do to piss off the parents... and every time Cal sees me with it, he looks like he’s about to have an aneurism, Ty has told me that she would NOT be ok with one though”

It was his turn to laugh, shaking his head. He has a really nice laugh!

We walked around the garden, and then around the castle, then along the road that goes up to the castle, Cam. de Mata del Fraile a Barruelo de Santullán. We talked about everything from our favourites to our hates, from food to hobbies, about friends and family, and a little about our countries. He made me laugh so hard when he said that he would likely lose his ‘Canadian Card’ because he hates maple syrup.

Before we knew it the sun was setting and the temperature was quickly cooling off. That’s another myth that has always bothered me. Yes, when we are in our Lycan/ wolf forms we are able to stay warm in some pretty drastic temperatures, when we are in our human form... yeah, we get cold just like humans do! Ashton pulled off his hooded sweater and passed it over to me, as we start to head back.

      “Here, you’re looking like you’re about to start shivering any second, you can borrow my bunny hug until you get back to your room.”

      “Ashton...”

      “Yes?”

      “What the bloody h3ll did you just call this thing?” I giggle as I slip it over my head.

Shat this sweater smells good! I wonder what kind of body wash he uses. It smells like the outside, but muskier. 

      “Um... a bunny hug?”

Oh, my goddess, he’s blushing! I don’t think I have ever seen someone turn quite that shade of red before! Fack he looks adorable when he’s embarrassed and flustered!  

      “Please explain how a hooded sweater, with a pocket, is a bunny hug?”

      “Well, there’s really only one place that calls it that, Saskatchewan, but we just had a new pack member, from out that way, join us and it kind of stuck with me. I normally call it a kangaroo jacket, others call it a hoodie”

      “Kangaroo jacket at least fits, sort of...”

I chuckle a little before I furrow my brow and look up at him out of the corner of my eye to see him looking back at me. He has a little lopsided grin, and a twinkle in his eyes. Is he teasing me or is he smiling for another reason? I swear this guy is able to read my thoughts because seconds after I think that he says

      “I enjoy listening to your laugh. It is very relaxing, and somewhat soothing, to me.”

UGH the stairs, why with the stairs? I look up them with exasperation, take a long breath in and quickly release it, and start trudging up the stairs with Ashton a few steps behind. 

      “Why with the lack of elevator? Seriously, my thighs are KILLING me and my arse, I can barely sit down, and we still have DAAAAAAYS here!”

      “Well, there is a lot to unpack in that statement” he guffawed “if you would like, I am willing to carry you up the stairs” then quickly puts his hands up in defense “with no strings attached, no thoughts of anything else, literally just helping you up the stairs, so you are able to sit down later” he finishes with a snicker.

I glare at him, thinking about his offer. My arse could really use the break, and so far, he has been the perfect gentleman... 

      “You know what, I think I will take you up on that offer. It would be nice to be able to get ready for bed without having to brace myself against the walls!”

      “Not a problem, happy to help! Now, I leave the choice of position up to you. You can hop up on my back, but your skirt may ride up, or I can carry you in my arms, however that ends up with us being extremely close,” he explained softly, rubbing the back of his neck like he was nervous of my answer.

      “I agree with you about the skirt riding up, and I am partial to keeping my arse within my clothing,” at that he looked up at me with a smile and a look that says ‘thank you’.

Ashton climbs up the next two steps and holds his arms out so I can sit in them, presumably so I don’t feel as though he is forcing me to do it. Once in his arms I have this urge to get closer but, thankfully, I have enough willpower not to give in, who knows what he might think about that. Once we get to the top of the stairs Ashton almost looks a little lost.

      “Well, we are at the top of the stairs my lady, would you like me to carry you to your door, or put you down here?”

      “Thank you, Ashton, I think I can make it from here.”

He gently put me down and rubbed the back of his neck again.

      “Well, I had a really nice evening talking with you, and getting to know you better. I hope that you will allow me the pleasure of joining you again?”

      “Maybe” was all I managed to get out before I took off to my room.

I opened the door and quickly slammed it behind me, leaning my back against it as though Ashton might try to knock it down. Taking a few deep breaths, I look around the room and notice a black book, with a bright pink sticky note stuck to it, on the edge of my bed.

***Al, things got a little out of hand at dinner and I forgot to give you this. Hope it helps you understand I guess

Callum***

Crap, I really just wanted to go to bed but getting into the competition was paramount!

As I start to get ready to settle in bed and study, I realize I still have his sweater. I should really return it, I don’t really want to though, that’s a problem for another day.