Simple Things

{ Theodore }

“Please come home. It's an emergency.” I get that message from Nukea at six in the morning the next day. It's the only thing I've heard from her since I left her house yesterday.

I get out of bed the same second I read the text and I don't even answer her, I just put on some clothes and shoes and I run to grab a car and drive to her house immediately, breaking a few traffic laws in the process.

I get out of the car and run to the door, opening it without even knocking. My heart is pumping hard with worry and I look around for her but all I see is Knox sitting on the couch.

"Wow, you came," he blurts out with a smile.

"Where's your sister? What happened to her?!” I demand, my voice deeper than it should, my body tense and ready for…

"Nothing happened, she's taking a shower. I didn't think you'd get here so fast," he laughs and gets up to walk to the dining table. There’s a phone with a pink case there, "Can you please help me with my homework again? You're very good at it but we didn’t get to finish it yesterday.”

"Wait... you sent me that text?" I ask just to be sure, Knox nods.

"I have to be at school in two hours and I didn’t finish my homework. It's an emergency, like I said,” he repeats with an obvious tone, pushing the notebook toward me, “Come on, Heiden, hurry it up.”

I squint at him, realizing that this brat really made me leave my house at six in the morning like my ass was on fire. For a damn math homework assignment, as if I don’t have a million real responsibilities.

I'm still squinting at him with when a door opens and Nukea appears, wrapped in a white towel and wet hair.

"Oh!" She blurts out when she sees me there, opening her eyes in surprise and putting a hand on her chest, "What are you doing here?"

The humidity from the shower in this small house is amplifying her scent and, for a couple of seconds, I can't do anything because if I open my mouth I'm going to howl or something embarrassing like that. But it smells so good and she looks so fucking hot right now.

"Knox... Knox texted me. I thought it was you. I thought it was an emergency," I reply, trying to calm down and not look at her delicate bare shoulders. Nukea gives her brother a murderous look.

"I’m sorry, Nookie," Knox says with an innocent tone and then I feel a punch in my back, "Fucking narc."

"Oh, my god," Nukea blurts out, looking horrified. She walks up to me with wide eyes and outstretched palms, "I'm so sorry, Sir. My brother has mental issues, he didn't mean to do that. Say you’re sorry, Knox."

I can see little Knox rolling his eyes in annoyance and I have to purse my lips to keep myself from laughing.

"I'm sorry, Mister Theodore," Knox blurts out, "I have mental issues, that's why I can't do my homework."

"I'm so, so sorry about that," Nukea says again, taking another step towards me. I really need her to stop doing that. I need her to go get dressed before I throw Knox out and let my wolf have his way with her, "I'm so damn sorry, you must be a very busy man. You shouldn’t waste your valuable time like this.”

I am a very busy man, but at this point… I don't really care.

"It's okay, don't worry," I reply, smiling at her to make her feel better, "I actually don't have much to do today. I can help Knox with his homework, since I'm already here."

"Oh, no, you don’t hav-"

"Yes, thank you!" the boy blurts out and grabs my hand to pull me to the table again, "Nukea will make us breakfast in the meantime.”

I can easily recognize the motherly anger in Nukea's very fake smile and it makes me want to laugh, but I stop myself. I know Knox will be in deep trouble once I leave.

“Of course,” she mutters through her teeth, “Stop being so disrespectful, Knox. Remember who he is.”

It actually feels very refreshing being around people who are so unserious. I’m used to being around boring old people every day.

"What's going on here?" The little boy asks, coming out of his room rubbing his eyes and completely naked like a chubby cherub.

"Beau!" Nukea squeals and runs over to her younger brother to carry him under her arm like a football, "Please excuse this mess, Mister Theodore. I'll be back in a minute."

"Don't worry," I tell her with a smile and she runs into a room. She tries so hard to be proper and respectful with me, it’s funny. I can clearly see that’s not really who she is.

I… I kind of feel like I want to get to know the real her. I have a feeling it’ll be exciting.

"I told you not to fucking walk around naked all the time! Soon it will stop being cute!" she complains once she's inside the room but her voice sounds all over the house, "That guy out there is the Alpha and I stole from him, you have to feign respect while he's in here if you don't want him to kill us and eat us!”

Jeez. This girl.

"She yells like that sometimes. Pretend you didn’t hear," Knox says with an awkward laugh, "Anyway, do this."

Knox's homework is of course incredibly simple, even for a kid his age. I try to explain but he just reminds me that he doesn't need to know that kind of boring shit.

"Hey… you won’t actually kill my sister, right?" Knox asks as I'm finishing his homework all by myself.

"No," I reply, "She just thinks that."

"Good. She thinks that because that’s what everyone says about you. The Enforcer kills Poor Ones," he tells me and I can only roll my eyes. I know what they say about me, "But I think you're cool. You helped me with my homework and you didn't send my sister to jail for stealing from you. That's cool. I’ve been texting my friends and telling them you’re our friend now, but they don’t believe me.”

"Thanks, little man, you’re cool too,” I laugh, "I'll drop you off at school today, how about that? That way everyone will know we’re really friends."

"Really?" he asks with wide eyes and when I nod, he does a triumphant motion with his arm, "I'll be so popular."

I finish his homework but I keep chatting with him a little longer. I've never been to a school in this part of the pack. Of course, I want to help him be popular, but it will also be good for me to meet more 'Poor' people and win them over. Or at least get them to stop saying I kill people.

Nukea appears again a few seconds later in a yellow summer dress and with dried straight hair. She is a beautiful girl. A gorgeous girl.

Too bad the circumstances are so negative for us. In another universe, I would have loved to... tell her the truth and explore our bond.

"We're done," I explain and stand up.

"Thank you for that, you shouldn't have. I’m sorry my brother forced you," she says with an embarrassed smile, "I'm going to make breakfast... would you like some?"

I don't eat breakfast. Hardly ever. I prefer early lunches and that's it.

"Sure," I answer anyway because... because now that I'm here, I don't want to leave. My wolf feels at peace. Just looking at her is enough to satiate his need for her, so I'll give him a little more time around her, "I can help you."

I've never cooked before, but it can't be that difficult. Nukea nods with a smile.

"Knox, help Buba get dressed," she orders before leading me into the small kitchen, "Uhm, by the way… I'm really sorry about the whole robbery situation... and about the ring. I'll have it tonight, safe and sound."

I didn't even remember the ring.

"That’s okay, don’t worry. I'll be busy tonight, though," I mumble, she looks at me with a raised eyebrow but I don't explain any further, "We can meet tomorrow, maybe."

"Okay," she replies and gives me a deep look before letting out a silly giggle that makes her look even younger, "You're not as terrifying as I thought.”

"Of course I’m not," I roll my eyes, "People lie about me, Nukea, especially people on this side of the pack."

"Oh, okay, so we're nothing but liars and thieves in the poor side," she says and nods, but I can notice a playful tone in her words, "I get it."

"I never called anyone a thief, but I guess you’re not wrong," I mumble, trying to be playful too and I think I succeed because I make her giggle again.

For the first time she is starting to relax around me and I have to admit I like it a little too much.

I can't help but watch her as she moves around the kitchen and pulls out things to make breakfast.

“How old are you, Nukea?"

"Twenty," she replies, "You?"

"I'll be twenty-five in a few months," I answer and sigh, overwhelmed like every time I remember that I'm almost twenty-five, "By the way, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that I don't kill people. I don't know what you've been told about me..."

"Oh, lots and lots of things," she replies with a scoff and hands me some eggs and a big bowl, "Break them here and whip them up while I make the pancakes."

"Okay," I mumble and forget what we were talking about because I realize this is the first time I’ve had to crack an egg and beat it. There's always a first time for everything, I guess. I grab one of the eggs and slam it into the bowl, "Oh, shit."

"Try not to use that much force," Nukea laughs and takes a fork to fish out the bits of shell that pulverized into the bowl, "Calm down."

"Sorry," I mutter and I can feel my face getting hot.

"So good at math but can't even crack an egg," Knox mutters behind me as he enters the kitchen and I turn to look at him with narrowed eyes. He’s such a brat, "We’re both ready, Nookie."

“All ready!” Beau repeats, dressed this time.

"Alright, then come and help," she orders, carrying Beau and and pushing Knox to my side, "Show Mister Alpha how it's done."

I can't help but laugh at that as Knox lectures me about cracking eggs.

Nukea gives me nervous looks from time to time, especially when her brothers say something rude, as if she's expecting a strong reaction from me.

I want to show her that what she has heard from me is not true.

But I like her eyes on me.

And as stupid as it sounds, I liked this. Cooking next to her with the kids hovering around us.

It felt… right.

Fuck, I think ignoring the bond will be harder than I thought.