I can smell a masculine scent before I open the door. It smells really good, like a fall day.
"You smell good!," I say pulling him into a hug.
"Yeah I stopped using Axe, it should just be called lady repellent." I giggle at his joke because it is true. My super senses hate axe sprays. Imagine it being the strongest you have ever smelled that stuff and then times it by ten.
It is my very best guy friend from high school! Also, the first guy to ever ask me out. The one I had to reject. I leap off the couch and engulf him into a huge hug. Oh, my lord, I have missed these hugs. He, unlike Anthony, has never teased or intentionally inflicted emotional pain.
"My Anna!" He says, twisting me around the room. I give him the look which should signal him to put me down.
But no why would Carter do that? You see he is human, but still one of my closest friends.
"How has life been going? Do you still have that arranged marriage?" You see it is against pack law to tell a human unless they are your mate. We can't go crying wolf every chance we get, also his dad hunts our kind. In a way, I keep him close because I like him and also to protect my pack.
"Life is good now put me down and come in!" He carries me in and puts me back on the couch. I laugh looking up at him.
"Yes, I still have it, I can't break it no matter what. But I've got a little while and I intend to live my life to the fullest." He smiles and my heart skips a beat, his eyes are so beautiful. "I wish I could take you away from this." Me too, but he is my mate. I also am starting to really like him, but my mind is so conflicted. One minute he was my asshole brother's best friend who I had been crushing on since grade school. Next, he is my mate, the moon goddesses really do like to give us whiplash.
"It is really okay, at least, I won't die alone." I give a friendly smile and lie my ass off. I can't promise everything will be okay.
"You could be mine, " Carter says making my mouth open and close in shock. There was a time when I wanted to be in his arms, there was also a time when I wanted his lips. Now it all feels weird. I don't want his lips, I want my mates. I am okay with bringing in his arms but they are not as warm and welcoming as Anthony's.
"I can help you get away." He offers that makes my heart swell and then sigh and begin rubbing my temples.
"You don't have to do that, this is my life to embrace not yours. I have to deal with it. I would totally run away with you in a heartbeat, but I'd miss my family too much and end up regretting it." I explain also they can track my scent.
We sit there in silence as I enjoy what is left in the ice cream container. I scrape every bit I can and I can't share with him because he is lactose intolerant.
"So how is it like traveling the world?" I ask as the episode ends and another one begins to count down on the Netflix timer at least this time it hasn't asked me if I was still watching.
"Good, I guess, but uh I have to go." He hurries up and leaves me to sit and just melt into the couch. My cell phone starts ringing.
It's Anthony, I pick up with an aggravated sigh. I want to ignore him but if I did then he would race over here in a heartbeat.
"Hello," I say picking up a pillow and slamming my head into it.
"Are you alright, I can sense you are upset." Stupid fucking mate bond, who cares how I feel. I remember when he didn't need the damn mate bond to tell when I was upset.
"I am fine, now just getting ready to sleep on the couch." I yawn out the word couch.
"Call me if you need me." He says sounding a bit desperate.
"Okay, bye." The corpse I call my body is shivering, due to the fact it is like 30 degrees and my mom doesn't turn the heat on until way after my birthday. I would go and fix it but my mom is the only one who can control the heat. She has some kind of app and a lockbox blocking it so the boys don't break it at all. I try to get the worm but I fail. I pick up the phone, for the stupidest reason. The fact that I am freezing my ass off. I dial Anthony's number as fast as I can, almost wishing I didn't when he picks up.
"Hey Anthony could you please come over, I really need you." I don't know if I shiver over the fact that it is cold or the fact, I told him I needed him. I think it was a little of both, I wish I cared but I am frozen.
He hangs up on me and, not even five minutes later, he is at the door. I take the whole couch practically with me and open the door. He is in his pajamas which consists of him being shirtless in the cold with grey pajama bottoms.
"Jesus Anna, you're freezing," he pulls me into his arms almost lovingly. the warmth spreads instantly and I sigh in relief.
"That's why I called, you are always warmer than me." I laugh nervously into his chest.
My bed is all packed up and our couch can definitely not fit two people, sleeping on it. I drag him inside the cold house.
"You can lay on the couch." He does what he is told and lays down. I lay on top of him with the six other blankets on my back. I wrap us up enjoying the heat radiating off of his tempting body.
"Anna you know the fastest way to get warmer is to take your clothes off." I play hit him and say, "you wish." I move a little bit, trying to use his warmth to the best of my ability. I place my head on his shoulder.
"Are you comfortable?" I ask worried if he is not.
"If you stopped moving so much, I would be." He says a strained sounding almost out of breath.
"You mean like this?" I slowly grind on him and move my hands down his sides. Whoever sculpted this man, made everything huge. He is such a damn god.
"Yes, because baby once you start I can't stop." Something inside me churns and wetness dampens my new underwear.
"You are cute and all but, I am too tired to deal with our needs, so goodnight, love," I say snuggling closer to him, he lets out a half sigh part laugh sound.
My body has a lot of warmth everywhere but my chest. The biggest damn goosebumps of them all, and literally about to pop out and say 'Hi'.
I take off my Panic At the D!sco shirt that says, 'If you touch me there will be a death of a Batchelder'
I put it where it can easily be reached. I go to lay back down and Anthony is lustfully looking at me. I take in his sight and can feel something rise from beneath me.
"You said this would make me warmer." I laugh. Our bodies actually fit perfectly together. Like a human puzzle, this probably sounds cliche as frick but I have never felt more comfortable before.
"Also it is not like you haven't seen me topless before." He laughs recalling the moment with his thoughts.
"You didn't even have boobs then, so that doesn't count." I laugh knowing it took forever for them to grow in, literally my little brother got his before mine.
"Thanks for being here," I say looking into his eyes.
"Always that's what mates are for." My head falls back down on his shoulder when he says this.
I slowly drift off into the absolutely the best sleep I have had since birth.
I think we can make this work.