3. REALITY CHECK

CHAYSE POV

I woke up from a soft snore coming from behind me. I tried to get up, but a strong hefty arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me.

"You got your name wrong, darling," he smirked, the first sign of amusement flickering in his eyes.

I gave him a confused look, my eyes still red and puffy. I held my wrist closer to my chest in the fear that he would grasp it again, but he didn't even try. 

"Your name is Chayse Laven."

Sadly, Alpha Laven didn't kill me because of his overly reckless driving. He only dragged me up the stairs against my will in a lace dress and luggage. He didn't care if my tailbone was in constant pain from hitting the next stair step.

 He didn't care that now my opposite wrist was also in pain because of grasping it harshly.

 He didn't care that because of him dragging me up the stairs with only one of my arms, it was killing the hell out of my shoulder and elbow. He threw me on top of a bed that smelled of mint, Laven's scent. I flipped myself over so I could see Alpha Laven, but he was all too close to me. 

As a matter of fact, he was right on top of me, his arms on either side of my face, trapping me once again within his hold.

 "Time for your punishment, Little Mate." 

I became uncomfortable when he said that.

Sure, I was 5'4 and he was 6'2, but that didn't mean that I was small. That only meant that I didn't grow abnormally tall like he obviously has.

His suit jacket was already off, exposing his tight shirt underneath that clung to his body like his own skin. He leaned down, kissing my jawline gently, his kisses soft and becoming more passionate as they continued. 

He started licking and kissing at my neck, his lips touching my skin like silk. He found a spot below my earlobe that made me groan unintentionally before I could bite my lip to keep it contained. I could feel his smirk on my skin, and he continued to suck and kiss that spot.

 When he had enough, he lifted his perfectly sculpted face, his eyes connecting with mine. Then I had a plan, looking into his eyes. I mentally smirked. I had a devious, devilish, million-dollar plan.

Oh, for this I wish I were on a prank channel on TV. I pulled one hand, cupping the side of his face, where his shocked expression instantly turned into pleasure from my touch. 

He pressed his face into my hand as I took my hand into his hair, pulling at the roots with a light tug. His moan was soft from his lips, his eyes fluttering closed. A second afterwards, I pushed him off, throwing open the door and sprinting down the hallway, leaving my heels behind as I ran. 

I thanked the Moon Goddess for my shorter dress and ran faster, going into rooms and hoping for a window. No windows. I must've been in the heart of the house.

 I opened door after door, hoping for an exit, but then there was him, his eyes plunging into my brain and looking over me inside out. He grasped my waist and tugged me to his chest, my face centimeters away from his.

 "You took advantage of my weakness, Little Mate."

"Hair pulling?" I asked, hopeful to use it next time.

"No," he replied, throwing me over his shoulder and dragging me back into the room. 

"Little Mate, I have clothes for you in the second closet and cleansing products for the shower in the cabinet above the sink. Go get ready for bed."

 I took my chance to get away from him by locking myself in the bathroom, picking out a long shirt and undergarments, then stripping myself naked and getting into the bathtub, ready to fill it with warm water. 

I guess I was just one of those weird people who get in the tub before they fill it. Eh, it didn't matter to me anyway. I shrugged and turned on the water, thankful that I was in the Alpha house where the heaters warmed up the water immediately.

 I sighed as the water came in contact with my skin. I grabbed a bottle of coconut oil and applied it over my newly shaved legs, making them as soft as a baby's bottom. 

Luckily I found a shampoo wash, which I used on softening my hair and ridding them of dandruff and bad oils. 

I took a deep breath, letting myself sink peacefully into the bath tub, lounging for a moment before I rinsed it out, then finishing up with my body soap.

I found warm towels on the counter and wrapped them around my body and squeezed my hair out, drying myself quickly and slipping on the long maroon-colored shirt and undergarments and opening the bathroom door to the bedroom, where there was no sign of Alpha Laven besides the faint scent of him once being here. 

I shrugged and slipped into bed, pulling the covers over me and inhaling the sweet scent of mint, pine, and oak wood. I was officially a part of the Blood Moon pack.

The man opened the door to his bedroom slightly, finding the girl in his bed, hugging one of his pillows tightly in her arms and another underneath her head, her back to the door. He silently walked barefoot over to her, examining her face like he did at the gathering.

 Her soft brown hair was something to truly admire, and her skin was soft, like the softest alpaca wool anyone could buy. He lightly brushed the side of her head, feeling her hair and pulling it slightly, making the girl smile in her sleep. 

The man smiled, kissing her forehead. 

"You have no idea what you did to me, Little Mate," he whispered, moving to his side of the bed and climbing in, pulling her body to his slowly to avoid her waking up. 

When she was against his chest, the man sighed, drifting into the calmest sleep.loser. 

Alpha was possessive, wasn't he? I tried what I did yesterday, teasing with physical touch, then when everything was ready, running off. I turned over on my side so my face was nearly to his perfectly muscled chest.

 I looked up, noticing his golden eyes closed and his breathing steady and slow—a sign of sleeping. I placed one hand on his hard chest and felt his abdomen, his face changing to a breathless expression in his sleep.

I pulled myself up and kissed his cheek for a while before moving down his throat with the softest kisses I could muster.

Very hard to do.

When I heard his throat rumble slightly in a soft growl, I knew I was on the right track. I licked one certain spot, and his growl rumbled louder, a pleasurable sound to my ears. I made my way back up his neck and to his chin, hoping the grip around me would loosen, but boy, was I wrong.

'You didn't think you could fool our mate a second time, Chayse? Did you?'

'Aria! It's the morning, please forgive my foolishness, but right now we have bigger problems—' Alpha pulled me closer and put a hand on the back of my head, pulling me to his lips, but holding me only a few centimeters away. He started to chuckle, and it confused me greatly. 

"You thought I was sleeping? Oh, Little Mate, if I had stayed asleep through that, I would have to hate you," he laughed, his golden eyes changing to have specks of light blue inside.

'His wolf! His wolf!' I sniffed and smelled a stronger scent of mint coming from the Alpha.

"You're wearing my shirt, Chayse," he growled seductively, moving a hand down my bare leg. My whole body shook, Aria was howling and purring like a housecat, I was frozen.

 "You'd better change that before things get too out of hand." 

He loosened his grip, and I took this opportunity. I bolted out the door and sprinted down a different hallway than before, seeing windows to my left. I looked down briefly and snarled to myself. Come on! Who needs a four-story house? I mean, who cleans all of it?

I bolted down the stairs that led to the front door, but gasped when I found Alpha standing there, his arms open and his smirk obviously noticeable from a mile away. 

He grasped my waist once more and pulled me closer, his breathing on my neck making me go limp. 

"Little Mate, you're still wearing no pants with my shirt and you ran off," he whispered, his grip tightening on my waist.

 I gaped at the pressure applied and was sure there would be bruises forming just like my wrist.

I whimpered, and his eyes shone with regret and hurt just like yesterday before he picked me up, making me straddle his waist and placed me on the couch, his body leaning over me, examining me. I rolled my eyes. 

"Could you please give me a moment without physical contact? I find myself always in your grasp, and a free wolf like me would really like some time to run around and be the woman that I am," 

I said, with a stern look sending off a warning. 

He growls, but lets me up anyways, my waist finally getting some relief.

"I am going to work. Stay here. I have someone coming to take you around town," he mutters before ascending up the stairs back into his—our—room. I sighed and collapsed on the couch, promising to never try that trick again.

I lifted the shirt slightly and saw brown bruises on my sides, red lining them. 

I frowned, but dealt with the pain anyway. I lifted myself and traveled into the kitchen that was conjoined with the living room that I was currently in. I opened the cabinet above the toaster and found the most delicious thing that my eyes had ever laid their sight on. Pumpkin bread.

Because I was short, I couldn't reach, so I climbed. I pulled myself up onto the marble white counter and then grabbed onto the shelf, but I slipped out of the cabinet. I tumbled backwards, reaching for the door to the cabinet. Eh, that didn't work.

The cabinet door was pulled off because of my weight, so I twisted in the air and landed straight on the floor, the cabinet door underneath me. I cringed as my wrist took most of the impact, but my werewolf healing is already at work, mending what was torn.

"Snicker doodle!" I cursed, lifting myself. I didn't normally curse, let's just say that. 

"Stupid cheap cabinets and such fancy counters. Curse the kitchen gods!"

The pitter-patter of feet could be heard from a little bit away, definitely not a man.

 "Hey!" I jumped, my senses kicking in full drive. When I noticed the strange girl approaching I tried putting on a smile. 

"I'm Caroline, Luna, and I am here to take you around town, buy you some clothes, and hang out for the day!" she said, her voice excited and peppy. Just like Eliza. I gave her a bigger smile.

"No need to call me Luna, Caroline. I prefer just my first name, Chayse," I replied, taking a step towards her.

 "So, where are we going first?"

She leaned forward as if she were going to tell me a secret.

 "Meet me outside once you've gotten dressed."

She ran off to the front door and threw it open, going through it, then sitting on the porch step.

I shrugged and went up the stairs to the second closet, where Alpha said my clothes would be. I picked out a simple outfit, then pulled on my white Converse and headed out the door, meeting Caroline on the porch. When she saw me, she bolted, taking off and expecting me to follow.