We're back again.

Happy Pride month!!

Oh, and also, you may not have noticed, but I've started a new story. It's not got too many chapters yet, but I'll get there. I was more focused on updating here.

Also... not a long chapter. Sorry, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. It's from Allen's POV though, to hopefully make up for it.

***

I laid awake, staring at her beautiful, gorgeous, perfect face, my chest clenching as her lips parted just a little, peace on her face. She's mine, and she loves me.

I laid my head back, the most stupid smile on my face.

She loves me.

Only took two months of torture before she did. It was nothing. Nothing whatsoever. I shook my head. Focus on the good Ally-boy. She loves you. Loves me. She loves me.

I kept repeating the words in my head, replaying the moment over and over again. Her face, soft, gentle, and beautiful as always, whispering those amazing words; 'you too'. And also, of course, the panic that followed right after. That was... something that I'd definitely have to deal with emotionally, but right now, I preferred to stay focused on the good.

Ares had, despite many protests, fucked off just two hours after Paige had fallen into a peaceful sleep, her breathing deep and even. Either, her dreams were pleasant, or she wasn't dreaming at all... I wonder if she dreams of me often?

My mind immediately went for what I would probably deem as one of the most devastating moments in my life; the one time I'd woken Paige up from her nightmare about me. The terror in her eyes when they met mine, the way she fled in an unthinking panic to her bathroom, slamming the door, desperate to keep me away from her. My poor Paige...

I wanted her to dream of me, but never like that, never again. Never, ever again.

I froze when she moved just a bit, her hand moving towards her face, running over the side of her nose. Then again. She laid it by the side of her head, her nose still scrunched up. Oh my goddess why is she so fucking adorable?

I pulled her further up my chest, resting my face in her hair. She smells amazing. I rubbed her back, a smile spreading on her face. My Love.

My phone vibrated on the nightstand beside me, forcing me to stifle a groan, and carefully reach for it. Sophia's name lit up the screen. I swear to the goddess if she needs to crash after another one of her sneak outs...

I slowly crawled out of the bed, careful not to wake Paige, and went into my office, closing the door behind me, and returning her call. "What is it this time Sosie?"

"...what makes you think there has to be something?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're calling at 3 in the morning. There's gotta be something wrong... although you are sounding a little more sober than usual... oh my goddess did you get arrested?"

"That was one time. Once. And the charges were dropped. Anyways... I was drunk but-"

"Sosie, you snuck out again? You do know that me helping you when you pull this shit is also putting my ass on the line- you know that mom will execute me."

I heard her groan from the other end of the line. "Would you shut the fuck up for like three seconds so I can say what I have to say?"

I stayed silent. She sighed. "Like I said... yeah, I snuck out... and I went to a bar, and got like, way drunk. Anyways, I was dancing with this dude, and then I needed to piss, and so I went to the bathroom, and when I get out the guy was standing there waiting for me, and at first we were kind of playful, flirting a little, you know how it is-"

"It's 3 AM, Get to the point,"

"Right, he got a little handy, pushed me into the wardrobe, I told him to fuck off, he wouldn't, and then he tried to pull my panties aside-"

Adrenaline shot through my body. "He what? Who the fuck is he? Just give me the name, I'll fucking-"

"Relax, Alice. I started yelling at him to fuck off, the bartender apparently heard and... he's my mate. The bartender. And he did beat the perv up. But anyways, I'm here, after sneaking out, with my mate who I just met, and I don't know how to explain it to mom and dad in a way that won't get me murdered,"

I suppressed a growl. "Just sit tight. I'm coming to pick you up,"

"Yeah... Maya and Lee are here too... can you...?"

"Yes, I can... I hope I'll never have a kid like you,"

She snorted at the other end of the line. "You'll have to hope to getting the wolf-hater knocked up in the first place,"

Deep breath. "What bar?"

She told me the address, and I hung up, not bothering to offer her drunk ass a bye. I sighed. My baby sister's got a mate... poor Lia. This better not cause trouble... I wasn't exactly in the mood for family resentment between my sisters, not that it wasn't uncommon. I would've probably been pretty bitter as well had it not been for the fact that I had Paige.

Damn it. Paige.

I tiptoed into the bedroom, kneeling down beside the bed and stroking her hair. "Love, can I disturb you for just a moment?"

She hummed and squeezed her eyes shut. I repeated myself, one of her eyes opening, shifting from side to side, not really seeming to register anything it saw. I smiled. "I'm so sorry for waking you, but I just wanted to tell you I'll be heading out... shouldn't take more than 45 minutes. An hour tops."

Her other eye opened. "Is... it morning... yet?"

I shook my head. "Nope, I just have to pick up my sister. I'll be back, just go back to sleep- I just didn't want you to worry in case you woke up. I'll be heading out so I can get back soon. I love you,"

She nodded against the pillow. "I... lo... too,"  she mumbled, already falling asleep again. My precious Love.

With a last look over my shoulder, making sure she was still sleeping peacefully, I closed the door behind me. I headed down the stairs, out the door, locking it behind me. My hand hovered above my phone in my pocket. I could call for some night security, just in case... it would be just my luck that there'd be a break-in in the hour tops I'd be gone... but Sosie is waiting for me, and she's drunk... but her mate is there... nevermind.

I swear to the moon goddess I'll kick Sosie's ass if something happens while I'm gone. Drunk dumbass or not.

Within twenty minutes I was at the address she'd given me, and it didn't exactly take long for me to spot them. Three obviously drunk girls leaning against one another on a bench, a slightly shorter guy at the end of the line, his arms softly wrapped around my sister, nose in her hair. Alright... I'm liking this guy already.

I opened the door, an unimpressed look on my face. "How exactly did you manage to sneak out? I thought dad had nailed your windows shut and put bars in front of them after last time,"

She got up, her legs wobbly, leaning against her mate. "I... I uh... you know... pretended to sloo... slaa... sleep on the couch and then, when they went up to go to bu- I mean bed, I walked out the front door," she smiled at me, her face relaxed.

My eyes moved to the bartender, my now brother-in-law, dressed in black jeans and matching black shirt, sleeves rolled up, his coppery red hair styled with an undercut. Really Sosie? A fucking ginger? Christ.

"Exactly how much alcohol did you give her? And also, exactly how old...? and also, your name?"

He shook his head, snapping out of a daze. "Uh... Leon Saxe. I'm 19, and I wasn't the one giving her alcohol, I was working on the other section of the bar- it's a whole different floor... the only reason I was downstairs, because the employee bathroom is there, and then I heard a bunch of noise from the wardrobe... "

I nodded. "Right... thank you for saving her by the way, when I wasn't there to do it..." my eyes narrowed at my still smiling sister. "... which is why, if you absolutely feel the need to drink, you need to call me,"

She snorted. "Plu-pli-please... I can take perfect care of myself, Alice," she grinned. I shook my head and turned to her friend, who seemed equally drunk, but less sloppy- I had the unfortunate knowledge that Lee was a notorious flirt whenever they had as much as a sip of beer. And true to my words, she slung in on the passenger seat, smiling and waving at me through the window. Dear goddess, give me strength.

I shook my head at my sister. "Sure- just... get in the car, please. And when we get home, please be quiet, Paige is still asleep, and trust me, I'll make sure that you sober up real fast if-"

A growl left Leon, as he pulled my sister closer. His eyes widened right away. "I... I'm sorry, Alpha Allen, I didn't think-"

I put my hand up to stop him. "No worries. We're family now. I get it- I would've probably become a bit aggressive as well, had someone said the same to my mate. But now... the car, please,"

He nodded, gently leading my sister to the backseat in the driver side, getting in after her. Maya got in on the opposite side of the backseat, and I was stuck with Lee in the front seat. Sure, they're conventionally attractive, but she's also a bit too handsy... even by pre-Paige standards.

I smiled at them as I got in, and she smiled back. "So... a little birdy imfro... informed me, that your mate is a bitch, and not in the way that I'm a bitch... like... you know... a human bitch," she smiled, her hand slowly moving from their lap towards my thigh. I wrapped my hand around her wrist, narrowing my eyes at my sister in the rearview mirror. 

"A little birdy, huh...? Lee, you're a nice person, and all, but I love my mate very much, so please, don't call her a bitch, otherwise I'll have to break your face," I smiled as politely at her as possible, and she grinned drunkenly back.

"Fine fine fine fiiiiiine... just ask So for my number when your balls get blue enough,"

I groaned, my sister laughing hysterically in the backseat. I hope that this mate thing is gonna make her calm down a little bit, otherwise, I'll make the rumors come true.

I kept just a few MPH over the speed limit. Not enough to get stopped, probably not even a ticket, but I just wanted to get home to Paige, my Paige, who loves me, and snuggle up next to her, hold her in my arms, kiss her hair and listen to her steady breathing.

A smile spread on my face. Get home to my Paige.

Thanks to my, admittedly, reckless driving, we were home in less than fifteen minutes. I didn't bother helping my sister's friend as they stumbled out of my car- if they're old enough to sneak into bars and get wasted, they're old enough to walk to the house by themselves... although i'll probably have to help them up the stairs inside to get to Sosie's room... ugh.

I held the door open for the drunk dumbasses, and my brother in law. Once everyone was in, I shut the door. "Aight, girls, you go to So's room. I'll bring up some buckets, water, aspirin, and whatever I have that's got a ton of salt in it- Leon, you help me, and then I'll show you the guest bedroom,"

Sophie laughed. "If you think that making us sleep in each our room will keep us from fucking you're deeeeead wrong. We already boned when he saved me," she smiled, her eyes filling with love as they turned to Leon.

I turned around, raising an eyebrow. "You had sex with her? While she's this drunk?"

"Oh shut up Allen, I was basically begging for him to dick me down,"

Great, now that's something I'll have to live with that I heard... for the rest of my life. Fan-fiddly-fucking-tastic. "I don't give a shit- drunk people can't consent. You're lucky I'm not calling the fucking police on you." I pointed at my sister's mate. His face turned white- even whiter than before.

"Fuck off Alice, and get me some water- we'll be upstairs," she gestured who followed her up the stairs, clinging to the railing the entire way.

I suppressed my groan, turning to Leon. His cheeks had turned redder now. "I... she really... it was... a heat of the moment thing, and she really, really... wanted to," he cleared his throat, averting my eyes.

I headed for the kitchen, pulling out some bread and salami, placing it on the counter. "Make them some salami sandwiches- helps prevent hangovers, or the worst of it, at least,"

He got to laying out the bread slices, and I began finding my plastic cups. "So... you got an apartment or something? If you don't, I'd be happy to help you out, with deposits and all that," I shrugged, keeping my back turned to him.

"Uh, I have an apartment. A nice one bedroom, that I share with my... roommate... friend... girlfriend," his voice faded more towards the end of the sentence.

I took a deep breath. "And she's...?"

"A wolf. I mean, she'll understand. That's not the problem, it's just... we've been dating for... a while. Like, a-week-after-we-met-on-the-first-day-of-high-school a while. Don't get me wrong, I love your sister, but it's going to be weird that my girlfriend won't... be that anymore,"

I shrugged. "I'm still friends with my exes,"

"Yeah. But still, it'll be weird... I'll probably let her keep the apartment though. If she wants it. Don't want to add insult to injury," he chuckled nervously.

Alright, he's good enough... but only just. I dropped two aspirins in each of the three cups, and headed for the cupboard under the sink, pulling out the three bedazzled buckets. "I guess not,"

He raised an eyebrow at the multicolored buckets, bedazzled with rhinestones, writing Sophia, Maya and Lee's names. I rolled my eyes. "It was a joke- the first time they pulled this trick was two years ago, they'd snuck out, gone to a houseparty at a senior from their school's place, gotten wasted, and were scared to call any of their parents. They called me, and obviously, I went to pick them up, because... she's my sister,"

"Anyways... they thought it was funny, and so then, a week later they showed up with these," I gestured to the shimmering monstrosities in my hand. "And told me to keep them for 'next time' and so I did... and here we are, 37 times later," I shook my head.

I pulled out a tray, set their sandwiches, water glasses, and an extra pitcher of water on top of it. "Let's get this up to the drunk dickheads, so I can get back to my mate," my Paige.

Sophie grinned when her mate opened the door for me, before terror crossed her face. "ALLEN YOU FUCKING DICK WHY THE HELL DID YOU FIND THE BUCKETS? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

I forced myself not to throw the bucket at her face. "Shut the fuck up, Paige is still asleep."

"Like I a give a shit about the speciest bitch. She's ugly anyway, beauty sleep is wasted on her. But what the fuck with the buckets? Are you kidding me?!"

I smiled, enjoying that moment just a little too much. "Because, you snuck out, and then called me to come get you at 4 AM, after my mate told me that she loved me. Now I'd like to get back to her, so you-" I pointed to Leon. "Follow me,"

He did as ordered, and I got to walk my smug ass out of there, my sister looking like one big question mark. Yes. Finally got her.

I let him down the hall, opening the door to the guest room. "Here ya go- lock the door. My sister can be a little... unpredictable, when she's drunk... and sobering up... and sober, for that matter. There's an unopened toothbrush and a toothpaste in the bathroom, and the bed is always made, so... see you tomorrow,"

He nodded, forcing a smile, and closed the door. Finallyyyyy.

I ran to my room. Just fucking ran, stopping right outside the door. Sophie better not have woken her up with her drunken bullshit.

Peaking the door open, I looked in; my Love was in the almost exact spot she'd been before I left. Her face at peace, breathing deep, and dreams seemingly calm. I smiled, walking up the bed, climbing in next to her, and stroked her hair.

She hummed, and I knew she was awake... or, well, sort of awake. "Just wanted to say that I'm back now," I whispered, kissing her hair. She immediately began crawling, moving until her head was on my chest, hands clutching my shirt.

"Missed you... cold..." she mumbled, shuffling closer, pulling the blanket along with her. Alright. I'm her personal heated blanket now... I can most definitely get used to that, as long as it means I get to lay here with her like this, for the rest of our lives.

I buried my nose in her hair. All mine. "Sorry- but I couldn't for all the world leave my baby sister to deal with the consequences of her own actions," I chuckled, pulling her completely on top of me, the weight being comforting and familiar.

She smiled in her sleep. "I love you..." she mumbled, almost asleep again.

And then, once again, the energy surges through me, the thrill, euphoria, the pure, unfiltered love, seeping through every vein and fibre. I felt the tears collecting in the corners of my eyes, trickling down my cheek when I blinked. I cleared my throat. "I love you too,"

***

Anyways, now that it's pride month, remember not to get involved in the rainbow capitalism, never eat at Chick-Fil-A, and to never travel to nor ever support any business in any of the countries mentioned in this article: https://www.humandignitytrust.org/lgbt-the-law/map-of-criminalisation/?type_filter=crim_lgbt

Question: What's the earliest memory you have from when you were a kid?

My answer: I'll say I have two, because one of them... I was two years old and in a car crash. I only remember the sound, and that I cried. And then, another one... this one I remember something visual. I was at my daycare, so somewhere between 2/3 years old. I went to a private daycare, and I remember sitting at my caretakers (?) dining table, on her lap, playing with these blue and green, roundish plastic building things- like legos, but ugly, rounded, and cheap.

Fun fact about meeeeeee: I'm incapable of keeping plants alive. I've managed to murder a cactus. A cactus.

Wise words of the day: Homophobes, transphobes are dicks. There's no getting around it. Getting bothered because someone is in love, or are themselves is literally so stupid. You're just a dickhead if you hate someone because you think they shouldn't love the people they love, or think that no one should be allowed to be who they are because they were someone else first.