After that night Astor pretended as if nothing had happened. He tried not to think too much, being there after all had proven to be significantly better than back home. Just that was enough to calm him in a way, even though Niss played a huge part in it, together with her brother. He hadn't seen Ren at all these past few days. Whenever he would ask he would be informed that he is working or that he was at home but he was busy.
Astor would ask at least once a day about him, finding himself thinking of him and how they left things that night. There were moments the white-haired wolf could not stop staring at him and others when he would simply feel as if he was suffocating by his presence.
"Stop getting distracted and try this on too." Niss said as she tossed him a white shirt. The twins brought him to try on clothes, and find something appropriate for the party, Niss had told him, which unfortunately was tomorrow.
The days had passed fast with him being toured around the big city, trying food and buying stuff. He had now been given a cellphone and he was also informed he would be given a credit card. Gestures like this made it hard for him to believe the words spoken that night, how there were people in the Nightcrawlers who considered him an object, a slave. He would remind himself though, just so he wouldn't land brutally into reality, that his mother too was a gentle being while his pack was far from that.
"I don't think he needs to try on more clothes. We have been here two hours already"
"Okay, okay, this last one please. I think this is it." She mumbled handing Astor a few more pieces of clothing and shoving him in the dressing room. Astor stared at the fine quality, the price tags with numbers he couldn't even imagine. Don't let it get over your head, he repeated again and again.
The outfit that Niss had assembled consisted of a black tailcoat, a white vest with a white dress shirt, and a very cute bow tie. Astor looked at himself in the mirror. With the expensive pants, the many layers of clothing, he felt like he didn't match them, he didn't have enough to wear them.
"Come on let us see!" She called him and the werewolf stepped hastily outside, looking at the floor.
Niss rushed towards him, pushing him back inside.
"W-what?" Astor asked with wide eyes and she chuckled mischievously.
"Let me do something with your wild hair and then let's see Nash's reaction" she whispered and her gentle hands brushed through his white locks, pushing them back and somehow magically making them stay in place while he had never accomplished that. Niss stepped outside first, announcing him as if he was some kind of royal. "Gentlemen and Nash, I present to you…Astor!" She said.
Nash looked bored for a second, uninterested in whatever was happening or to his sister's theatrics. All that until Astor stepped outside the dressing room. There was a split moment when their eyes met before both of them looked away shyly.
"I told you this was the one!"
"Y-yeah…" Nash mumbled.
"What do you think?" The white-haired werewolf asked him. Nash looked at him once more, from head to toe slowly, engraving the image in his mind.
"I think that you look perfect." He complimented him, making Astor smile.
"Now let's go find you a good pair of shoes and…"
Niss began talking about their next stop when Nash's telephone began buzzing. The man brought it out of his pocket, Ren'a contact shining through the screen.
He stepped away, his back turned, and spoke to his boss only for a minute before he returned with a serious expression.
"Let's get Astor home. Ren needs us to be somewhere."
"What? Whyyyy?" Niss whined.
"The moon needs us to…"
"Fine!" She interrupted him. Astor observed how their conversation evolved. Again they were referring to the moon, he noted curiously.
And just like that their shopping day had ended and Astor after days of being surrounded by people was left alone, sitting on the couch with his thoughts as a very unpleasant companion.
"If you keep frowning like that you're gonna get wrinkles." Ren's familiar voice startled him. Astor did not answer as the man passed him by and sat next to him on the couch, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. "Everything good?" he asked.
"Uh…yes."
"Niss and Nash are performing a security check for tomorrow, they will be back soon." he informed him.
"I see." he said and grabbed a pillow, placing it on his lap he hugged it, trying to calm his nerves. Why did he feel like this? Ren hadn't done anything wrong but every time he was around Astor would immediately tense, his whole body frozen while his green eyes would hungrily ask to see his face.
"Tomorrow do not talk to anyone, do not look anyone in the eyes and do not smile to anyone." Ren said strictly, his eyes focused on the random movie that was playing. Astor nodded.
"Smile?" the werewolf asked. He could understand everything else but smile? Wouldn't that be rude? He wondered. "I can't smile?" he asked him and Ren's body turned so they were facing each other. Astor grabbed the cushion tighter, his nails digging into the velvety material as he tried to hide his feelings. He wanted to look calm, and composed but he was sure it was far from that. He was probably making this whole conversation awkward.
"You're too pretty when you smile." Ren mumbled. The white-haired werewolf blinked, long eyelashes flattering as he was trying to make sure he wasn't misunderstanding anything. The Alpha in front of him raised his arm, his thumb landing gently on his lips while Astor watched, dumbfounded.
His touch felt a bit rough, his skin calloused as he traced the shape of his mouth. He was warm, smooth with his every move, slowly making his heart race. What was happening? He screamed in his mind but no muscle in him wanted Ren to stop. He just stared, frozen under his delicate caress. "The way you smile, will have everyone looking at you. I don't want them to look at you." The Alpha whispered.
"Why?" Astor barely managed to ask, his breath caught on his chest as Ren's fingertips rested a bit to the side, his palm cupping his pale face.
"Because they will try to take you away from me. They've always…"
Ren's sentence was cut short by the loud banging of the front door and Niss' loud sigh. The twins were back home and Astor realized that the two of them, sitting in the living room, just a few meters away looked very suspicious. The young werewolf stood up, mimicking someone who had been electroshocked, and threw the pillow on the floor. Looking left and right he stuttered.
"I…well…goodnight!" he exclaimed, jumping slightly before he rushed up the stairs and into his room. "What was that? What was that?" he whispered to himself, still in shock.