Whiskey #3
The alpha himself is standing by the firepit, massive and still, his dark hoodie pushed back off his head for once, his exposed teeth glinting in the light from the fire and visible even from here.
His blue eyes find us the second the engine sound changes.
I kill the motor and kick the stand down.
Ivy's off the bike before I am, pulling the helmet off and shaking out her hair. She looks at the campsite, taking it all in.
"You set all this up?" she asks.
Wraith nods, his shoulders drawing up slightly, kind of uncertain.
"It's perfect," she says, crossing to him and rising on her toes, and he bends to meet her, dipping his head enough that she can reach his scarred face. She cups his jaw in both hands and presses her lips against his teeth with zero hesitation.
I hang back by the bike, watching them, giving them the moment. The forest is dark and quiet except for the river and the soft wind rustling the trees overhead, and the two of them standing together in this clearing look like something out of a painting no one would believe is real.
Wraith's eyes close when she kisses him.
Every time, they close.
My throat gets tight. I clear it loudly, because I have a fuckin' reputation to maintain.
"AIGHT." I clap my hands together. "I come bearing one omega, slightly wind-chapped, and a full report on your mother's continued reign of terror."
Wraith lifts his head and looks at me over Ivy's shoulder.
How was she?
"Oh, she's great, man. Hates my guts. Called me a cow, a heifer, a hog, a moose, a horse… kind of boring. Nothing creative enough to be fun."
Wraith blows a puff of air through his nose. Did she like the flowers?
"She did! She said mine were the right purple. Even though they were the exact same shade as the ones Val brought, but hey. She's got refined tastes."
Wraith huffs again. His eyes search my face, looking for the things I'm not saying.
I let him look.
"Your mom's fine, bro," I say, softening a little. "Room's clean, staff seems solid, she ate her lunch. I told her I'd be coming back."
You don't have to do that.
"Yeah, I do." I shrug. "I promised. And she needs someone there who doesn't give a shit when she says something fucked up. That's kinda my whole skill set."
Wraith stares at me for a long moment. Then he crosses the clearing in three massive strides and pulls me into a hug hard enough to lift my boots off the ground slightly, which is saying something, because as Claire relentlessly pointed out, I am not a small alpha.
I wheeze.
"Brooooo. Ribs…"
He sets me down. Sorry. Thank you.
"Don't mention it. You just saved me a trip to the chiropractor anyway." I straighten my jacket and crack my neck. "Seriously, don't mention it, because Thane'll give me shit about going off-script and I technically told her some stuff Ivy promised you she wouldn't."
Ivy makes a choking sound behind us.
Wraith looks between us suspiciously. What stuff?
"Nothing bad! Just that… look, she needed to hear that her son loves her and she should stop being a psycho about it. I was diplomatic."
Wraith closes his eyes. Please tell me you didn't call my mother a psycho to her face.
"Not to her face, bro. I told ya. I was diplomatic."
Ivy puts her face in her hands.
Wraith's jaw works, the exposed muscles flexing. For a second I think he's pissed, but then his chest shakes with that silent broken laugh, and his bright blue eyes crinkle at the corners, and I know we're good.
You're insane, he signs.
"Certifiably."
I glance at the tent, the fire, the blankets. Everything's set. Everything's perfect. And for one stupid second, my eyes sting.
Because this is the shit we've been fighting for.
"Okay." I clap my hands together one more time and turn to Ivy. "C'mere, wildcat."
She comes, and I take her face in both hands, tilt her chin up, and kiss her.
Slow and thorough, my tongue exploring her mouth, tasting and breathing in her honeysuckle, a good enough kiss I hope she'll think about it for the rest of the weekend so we can pick up where we left off the moment she gets home.
She makes a soft sound against my lips, her fingers curling into the collar of my jacket, and I let myself have ten more greedy seconds of it before I pull back.
"You got this," I tell her quietly, pressing my forehead against hers.
"I know."
"And if you need anything—"
"Whiskey." She grabs both sides of my face and squishes my cheeks together. "Go home. Get ready for our cat. Tell Thane and Val and Plague I love them. Tell Val to send more pictures. I've been hoping he and Plague would have their own thing, and I want the receipts."
"Gotcha, wildcat."
She laughs and kisses me one more time, quick and sweet, before letting go.
I turn to Wraith and point at him. "Take care of our girl."
He nods.
Always.
"And eat something good and messy, bro. You're camping. Live a little."
He flips me off.
I grin, throw a leg over Hogzilla, and kick the engine to life.
The last thing I see before the trees swallow the road is Ivy waving to me, a huge grin on her face, and Wraith offering her his hand.