Enjoy!
———

I looked back at the clock that read 11:23PM. I heard the knocking on the window, I immediately got up and opened it. "Where have you been!?" I whispered.

"I got caught up with work." Raven said.

For the past week Raven has been coming over at night. Since he marked me it's been hard to sleep without him. At the beginning of our relationship it was hard to sleep regardless but now our bond was close and we were both used to the feeling of sleeping next to one another. Raven climbed inside and face planted onto my bed. "What happened?" I asked gently.

"Just a lot of stressful work." He mumbled into the pillows. I sat next to him, softly running my hands through his hair.

I hummed in response. He lifted his head and flipped onto his back and cleared his throat, "Hey um, remember when I asked you on a date?"

I nodded my head slowly. "What if we." He paused "went on one tomorrow?"

I smiled, "yes, yeah, sure." I blushed.

A date? My first date! I wanted to bond with him and going on a date I think would be good for us, the pack at this point recognized me as their luna— however young I may be— and though from the older crowds there seemed to be speculation it always occurred to me how Raven could so easily ignore the others that attempted so harshly to ruin our relationship. This all bringing back to the increased hesitation about going on a date yet, I wanted to.

"Really?"

"Of course."  I grinned, lifting my hand again to place it on his jaw, ever so sharp.

"I was scared you'd say no." He frowned, leaning into my touch.

"Well I already said yes a while ago so..."  I laughed. My hand sliding gently back to his hair, grasping gently.

"Still, I thought you would have changed your mind or something."  He told me.

"Why would I?" I asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders again.

I stared at him, after a few moments he looked back up at me. "So, what are your plans for our date?" I said laying down next to him and propping my head up with my elbow.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." He said while booping my nose with his index finger.

"Any hints?"

"Nope." He said while getting comfortable.

"What about the time?"

He paused, "Eight."

I nodded my head, "Now I'm too curious." I huffed.

He gave me a cheeky smile, "Sorry."

I plopped down onto my back and looked up at the ceiling. "What should I wear?"

He groaned, "Anything."

"Anything?" I asked again.

Raven lifted his head above mine, "Anything." He stated.

We looked at each other for a few seconds before Ravens eyes turned black. He lifted a hand and caressed my cheek. This wasn't good, Aster had taken control. The pass few days it's happened more and more, most of the time it only lasting for a couple of minutes. I leaned into his touch, I lifted a hand to snake its way into his hair.

"Aster..." I began, drawing out his name.

"Hmm?" He murmured, leaning down.

"Stop it."

"What?"  He said in a child's voice.

"You need to stop doing this, go take a run."

"I don't need a run." He whined.

"Your acting like a child, now stop. Go take a run; come back when it's Raven." I said holding  a stern look.

He rubbed circles on my cheek bone before getting off of me. "I hate being ordered." I heard during his mumbling of incoherent words.

He took off his shirt and jumped out the window. I climbed into my covers and closed my eyes while I waited for Raven to return. It could be up to an hour or as short as ten minutes. It wasn't that I didn't like Aster, I just knew that Raven hated when he took control. I also enjoy some moments with him although most of the time he can get controlling. I understand though, he's an Alpha. He was born to be this way. Though, it still did not make it right. If we were going to be mates that meant equality between both our human bodies, wolves and, equality within our relationship. After about forty-five minutes I heard shuffling behind me. "Sorry." Raven mumbled.

"It's fine." I muttered, my need for sleep increasing.

Raven gently kissed my cheek and climbed under the covers. "I'll try to talk to him, it's not right that he does this."

"Okay."

Raven fiddled with my hair some and pulled me closer. He placed his head in the crook of my neck, feeling his breath on my skin made my body feel tingly. He kissed my mark before mumbling a 'goodnight'.

"night." I said, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms.

———

"What am I supposed to wear?"

"He said you could wear anything. So why does it matter?" Katherine said, laying on her back as she sat on her phone.

"I don't know." I groaned in frustration.

I was freaking out, I had a hour and a half before Raven would be here. Sure, it's a lot of time although my stomach was full of butterflies and I could hardly focus. "I'm going to embarrass my self, then he'll put it in some scrapbook of ourselves." I paused. My mouth went into the formation of an 'o' "Oh my! Then he'll do those dumb fatherly jokes to our kids about 'When your mom and I went on our first date she totally ruined the whole thing, I don't know how I can even tolerate her right now' ." I said in a mocking tone of Ravens.

Katherine smiled, "Do you realize what you just said?"

"What?"

"You mentioned kids." She told me, flipping to her back to meet my eye sight.

I stopped in my tracks and cleared my throat, "Why does it matter?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Just means your bond is growing."

I picked up a shirt and put it on. It was a simple tight black crop top. I pulled on baggy jeans to compliment the shirt and simple vans. Surely this is good right? "What about this?"

"I don't know, he said you could wear anything." Katherine said.

I groaned again, "Okay he can deal with this."

I jumped onto my bed and looked at the ceiling, "I'm going to ruin the whole thing. I'm going to say something wrong or trip on my feet." I huffed.

"Shut up, you'll be fine." She laughed.

I took a deep breath in, "Okay Okay I just feel like something's gonna happen."

"You always think that."

"I know but.., it's my first date, and our first date. Anyone would be nervous right?" I asked her, surely anyone gets nervous regarding their first date.

"I guess so." She mumbled

———

He took my hand in his and covered my eyes with his other one as he walked behind me. "Don't peek." He told me, his face leaning down next to my ear.

He lifted his hands from my eyes, it seemed like a short walk from my house to wherever we were. "Keep them closed." I heard shuffling around before I heard him say, "You can open them now."

I peered my eyes open and looked around. We were by the pond with a few lights on the ground as well as a picnic set up closer to the pond . It was pretty and I never imaged having a first date like this.

After a few moments of me looking around Raven pulled a look of worry, "Is it not good? We can go to a restaurant or something. As long as you're happy we'll go anywhere."

"No no, I actually love it. Thank you, a lot Raven." I smiled, sitting down.

"Really?"

"Yea, I was just shocked. I- In a good way don't worry." I paused, "I never had anyone put so much effort in for me." 

"Well, then. You better get used to it." He told me, giving me a cheeky grin as he sat down with me and got out a few plates. He opened a few containers and placed some food on the plates and pulled out water bottles. He handed me the food as well as silverware. It looked delectable, Italian pasta and for him a large serving of meat on the side of his pasta.

After taking my first bite I moaned, "You made this? It tastes like a chef made it."

He nodded, "Glad you like it."

"I don't like it." I paused. "I love it."

He chuckled and began eating his food. I leaned over, poking my fork in his lemon pepper chicken and stealing a bite. Raven watched his eyes slightly furrowing as I took the bite. I laughed, "Here" He told me, lifting his fork with a bite to my mouth. We ate and talked briefly for nearly forty minutes and though his plate held more food he still managed to finish faster than I, eating it all in moments.He and begun to set up everything after we were both finished, I was surprised. Was our date finished already? I laid back on the blanket simply enjoying his presence before his fact appeared above mine.

"Hey um, there's somewhere else I wanna take you."

"Oh?"

He booped my nose and pulled on my hand, lifting me up and beginning to guide me in the other direction. We walked for over an hour and my legs were now feeling achy, my footwear wasn't great for this much walking. He led me into a small clearing with a rocky cliff  that was surrounded and protected by a canopy of trees. There was a small opening within the canopy where the cliff cut off.

"I've been going here since I was little. I discovered it upon accident but its stayed in my mind ever since." He told me, swinging my arms as he guided me closer to the edge.

He mumbled a few incoherent words before saying "Stay here. I think I know where it is.." he trailed off.

He shuffled around looking for something while I stood there admiring my surroundings. He lit something behind me, making everything look more clear and brighter. I turned around to face him, he held something in his palm. A piece of paper delicately laying in his hand as he reached out to handed it to me.

He cleared his throat, "I want you to have this. And I know you're going to hate me for this but you should have it." He told me.

I took the small piece of paper and opened it up.

Shock, that's what filled me.

'Dear Delaney,

I love you.

-Your secret admirer, Raven.'

I wasn't prepared for it- those three words I mean. He was the one sending me those letters!? A-And he loves me? "You- you.." I trailed off. I couldn't focus nor could I form any words.

What came out of my mouth surprised me just as much. "I love you too."

My mouth was still agape when he pulled me close for a hug. I held him tightly, afraid he would pull away.

I barely realized when these feelings began to bloom within me. He kissed the top of my head, "You do?" He chuckled

I nodded, afraid to use my voice. Scared that if I said something it would ruin this wonderful moment.

He pulled me aside, he grazed his fingertips up my arm leaving a trail of warmth behind. "I mean it, I love you." He mumbled into my neck.

"I do too, I never realized it before."

He kissed me gently, but something in me erupted. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair. I couldn't control my body but at the same time I wasn't complaining. Raven deepened the kiss and bit onto my bottom lip. I pulled away slowly, he took this as an invitation to immerse himself in the crevice of my neck, his fingers gracing up my back as he sucked gently causing a hicky on the skin around my mark. I laid back on the lush grass as his body hovered over me. His hands clutching on the back of my head as he kissed up my neck slowly. A burning passion filling my core with every kiss made on my delicate skin. I grasped his mop of hair, pulling him as close as I could. I opened my eyes briefly as he did the same as he noticed my eyes on him, his eyes still his brown instead of Aster's black. His kisses soon returned to my lips as he petted at my hair, "Gods, I love you so much." He whispered faintly. One of his hands holding him up and his other moved down to my hips.

I began to get nervous just as my breathing was labored, "Raven I don't think I'm ready." I muttered between our kisses. Though I still pulled him closer.

He pulled away immediately, a grin filling his cheeks, "That's okay." He kissed my nose and forehead before pulling away fully and deciding to lay beside me.

Raven turned his head towards me as I did the same, I blushed slightly. He cleared his throat but placed his hand on mine. "I've never showed anyone this place."

"Really?"

He nodded. That made me think back to his other 'mate' wouldn't he have showed her this place?  "I'm glad I'm the first then." I said, leaning into his chest. He began to play with my hair some while we talked. We stared at the stars that littered the sky. Every one unique, sometimes within the billions in the sky they reach so close almost as if they touch millions of miles away. Yet with Raven they felt closer.

"Your mom said something about your birthday, I feel bad that I don't know when it is." I said, lifting our hands in the sky as he fiddled with my fingers.

"It's fine. It's not until next month." He said, continuing to play with my hair with one hand as his other slid up and down my fingers.

"But what day?"

"The fifth." He mumbled.

"But there's something I also gotta talk to you about." He paused. "There was an attack a few days ago at another pack and due to our pack being their ally I must leave for a month to help them get back onto their feet." He said.

"What? A month!?" I exclaimed, turning abruptly to face him.

"Approximately. I'm sorry, I really am but it's my job to do these things. I have to sustain a good relationship with this pack in case anything happens in the future, because they'll be there for us."

"B- but you know I can barley sleep without you now."

"I know I know." He groaned, sitting up to look at me better. "Trust me I want you to be happy, but you know I can't take you with me. No matter how much I want to. As soon as you turn eighteen though you'll come with me everywhere unless you don't want to" Raven said, pulling my arms up to sit up beside him.

I sighed. "When will you leave?"

"In two days."

I hummed in response. We sat there in silence for a few moments before Raven spoke up again. "I'll leave some of my things with you so it'll be easier to sleep."

I nodded my head. "What if you visited mid trip?"

"Delaney, You know I can't. It takes over ten hours just to get there."

I sighed, "Worth a shot." I mumbled.

I stared at the reflection of the moon in the water below the cliff. Raven placed his chin on the top of my head, "I was eight when I found this place. I was taking a run and I had gotten lost. When I had to take up more and more alpha responsibilities I was no longer able to visit this place."

The trees above waved gently with the breeze. "It's beautiful." I stated.

I stood up and took my shoes off, stepping closer to the cliff. "Yeah."

I looked down the cliff, allowing my legs to dangle slightly despite my fear of doing so. I admired the way the moon glistened along with the stars on the lake water below.. I hadn't realized that Raven joined me until he murmured "I love you" near my ear. His voice made chills run down my spine, I turned towards him and smiled. I mouthed 'I love you too' to him. He kept his face near mine, just centimeters away. So close I could feel his breath fanning my face.

He leaned his forehead on mine for a few moments keeping the silence. "We should head out. It's getting late." He whispered.

I nodded my head but none of us made the move to get up. After a few moments passed Raven stood up. I scuffed my feet back into my shoes. "I think we can get there quicker if I run."

"Run?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, it's no big deal. You'll just hold my things and hold on to me."

"Okay.." I trailed off.

"I'll be right back." He said while walking out of the clearing.

After a couple of minutes he returned as his wolf. "Awww!" I exclaimed. Before when I had seen him I was so emotional I barely had enough time to take in his looks. I pet his head, he leaned into my touch slightly but pulled away seconds later. "Your so cute, yes you are." I said in a baby voice. I didn't know if it was possible to glare at someone in this form but that's what Raven did. He bared his canines, a way of trying to look more strong and less like a cute puppy.

He lead me out of the cave and signaled for me to pick up the clothes he had left behind on he floor. He laid down slightly, I looked at him hesitantly. "Are you sure this is safe? I could break your back. I don't want to hurt you...."

'It'll be fine.' Raven said in the link. I hesitated when I climbed on, He was definitely much more larger than an average wolf. As soon as he knew I was situated he blasted off. He darted between countless trees and plants. I held on tight and wrapped my arms around his neck. I loved being near him, I never realized how much our bond had increased these past few months which made the thought of him being gone for so long much more painful.

———
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