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Post by Thea on Dec 4, 2022 0:45:44 GMT -5
Quill was used to snow.
Having grown up in a mountainous region, she was no stranger to the cold white fluff that was in almost every Christmas song. She remembered one winter, when she was younger, there was a blizzard that came in and knocked out the electricity. Of course, they had heat because they were prepared ahead of time by the weather station - propane had been everyone's best friend then. And it had been a helluva time hearing the elders talk about their glory days while passing an old tin kettle full of her mom's hot cocoa around the "nursing home" sitting room. The pack's spirit was rejuvenated though.
Her grandfather said that it was the work of the mountain's spirit. Her father had made a call as alpha that not everyone agreed with then. A little bit of discourse. Gamma Henry threatened to file for mayoral candidacy, and subsequently vie for alphaship, if Don didn't fix what he messed up. Shortly after that, everyone was crammed together to keep warm. She was too young then to remember what her dad did to warrant a blizzard to build up pack morale. Or maybe - if her grandpa was to be believed - the spirit was testing her dad in his role. (The Shadow Man sure didn't help things.)
Whatever it was, she refused to believe this was her own test. For starters, the snow that was coming down hard and fast had not been predicted by the weather channel. Secondly, she believed she deserved some sort of good karma for even bringing Ian over here to see his dad before Christmas when she didn't have to, like being able to leave the Dark Moon territory when time was up. Instead, she watched the fat snowflakes hit the mansion's bay windows at an angle and sticking like leering taunts. The weather man spoke on in an apologetic tone about staying safe and keeping warm. But all she could think about was being trapped.
Reason tried to soothe her. She's stayed here before. No one here was like the people at the compound. Keith wasn't being crazy. If she wanted something she didn't have to ask. But an echo of fear rang through her. She wasn't going to be able to get Ian out of here if things went south. Her wolf only made herself known when Keith was around, so she definitely wasn't going to go for a trek out in the snow for Quill. Not to mention, the longer it snowed the more excited Ian became. For the last ten minutes he talked nonstop about getting to spend Christmas here. He was going to be heartbroken if he knew Quill was definitely not wanting that, but Ian had a funny little habit of getting his mother to do what he wanted regardless. She would fold like paper.
Take a breath, she scolded herself, and when she did she found that her body had been utterly still, transfixed on the storm outside. She was stuck again, trapped with Keith. Though this time she couldn't fault him. That made her angry. You're sure she can't do anything about this? she snapped at Keith through their mated bond, talking about the witch that protected his pack's borders. Quill wasn't familiar with magic, but she was flabbergasted that weather manipulation wasn't an option.
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Post by Ventia on Dec 6, 2022 19:37:15 GMT -5
Keith's hand twitched in the middle of signing some documents when Quill's voice rang clearly in his mind, her annoyed tone causing his lips to also twitch upwards in a small humored smirk. He glanced up towards her, standing by the large window and as far as she could get from him. While Ian and his appointed babysitter Crystal sat on the floor in front of the couches and the tv with a full set of toys and children books sprawled out on the rug around them, Ian happily running both his mouth and his hands with his toys and his happiness at spending Christmas with everyone.
I'm afraid not. Keith charmingly replied to his lovely mate, even if she continued to tell him that she was not his mate anymore. Funny enough, she still was quick to use their bond in moments like these. It gave him a inch in, and stubbornly Keith would continue to clutch at anything she gave him and make his way back into her heart. He supposed Rae could change the weather if she absolutely needed to, but then that would leave the Pack open for threats and leave Rae out of commission for at least two weeks or so. Keith couldn't have that. More importantly, he was quite happy himself that the weather had imprison his lovely mate with him when she's been avoiding him like the plague lately.
This was the longest she's been with him since she left him all those months ago, it felt like years since then for Keith, the things he had to deal with both physically and emotionally to get back to this position, both as Alpha of Dark Moon and as Ian's father, which was the only reason why Quill was even allowing Keith to be close to her. He sighed, running a hand through his hair and dropping the fountain pen simultaneously before easing out from his desk.
They were in the large office on the second floor, books covered the twin walls, with the entertainment center in the middle of the main wall and the lounge area right in front of it, his desk behind it all by the door and the large windows looking out on the west side of the house showcasing the woods.
Is it that bad that you're stuck here? He asked her, but was moving towards his son his eyes however still watching the rigid line of Quill's back. It's not as you'll be missing anyone, with your favorite horde following you around. He said a little grumpily, each time he's seen Tranquility she was surrounded by her parents or her best friend Lydia or even his fucking brother that followed her around like a lost puppy with obsessed eyes.
Keith gritted his teeth, having a sudden urge to strangle something, or even better the brother in question himself, those people were somewhere in the mansion, no doubt rushing to unpack and make their way right back to Quill's side. He sighed, letting the madness be calm, as he crouched down next to Ian reaching out to brush away his wild wavy bangs from the boy's eyes, instantly feeling peace settling in him.
Keith would have never expected he would have liked fatherhood so much, for he hated his own father so much and had sworn off ever having children of his own. But then he met Quill. And then they made Ian. And Ian...Ian was the best thing Keith would ever be a part of.
"Having fun?" He asked the young boy, still angry that he had missed the earlier moments of Ian's life, damn wolf genetics, he had missed out on seeing Ian as a newborn, had missed seeing Quill pregnant and belly rounded, hadn't been there for his birth, hadn't been able to hold Quill's hand and give her encouragements and wipe at her brow, hadn't been able to cut the umbilical cord or be the first one to hold his baby as he gave their son to his mother.
Another sigh, his brown eyes looking tired, he supposed he didn't deserve that, and should count his blessings that he could even be a part of their life now. Sometimes kidnappings turned out positive after all. He chuckled when Ian gave him a sunny smile that melted the coldness from his heart, washing away the regrets.
"Yes!" Ian chirped cheerfully, stopping with the train set for a second to reach for his father's thighs, pushing himself up and then jumping into his father's hug.
"Will Santa know where we are? Will I still be getting all my presents?" Ian needed Santa to know where he was, that way Santa could grant him his wish, the biggest Christmas Wish that Ian had, he glanced at his mom who had finally turned around at his voice and then hugged his father that much tighter hoping she would see how happy he was that both of them were there.
"Of course. Santa knows everything, he's a smart man that Santa." Keith chuckled, wrapping his arms around Ian's small back and lifted him up, standing as he went and turned around to face Quill. He felt himself feeling satisfied as she looked at him, there was always something lurking in her gaze as she watched him with Ian, he was mesmerized by the sight and as always hope flared to life.
"Don't you think so, Quill?" He asked her softly, his voice low and needy, his eyes finally waking up as she met his gaze.
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Post by Thea on Dec 7, 2022 2:16:05 GMT -5
Quill didn't tell anyone in her "horde", as Keith called them, that she kept the mating bond. She knew what they would say, and couldn't help but agree. She was crazy. Who would want a personal, intimate connection with the man that traumatized and held her captive for four months? She told Keith it was for Ian's sake. It was easier to speak through than text or call because it was immediate and there wouldn't be room for miscommunication. Keith could hear her irritation and agitation and she couldn't misinterpret the charming quality his voice took to answer her question and the grumpiness about those that chose to tag along with her.
The truth was that an undying part of her refused to give up on the fantasy she lived through her time in the compound.
At first, it was small, weak, and barely breathing. When she was first rescued the mating bond might as well have shriveled into a husk of what it was supposed to be. There was no need to close it then, she thought because she was never going to see Keith again. But then with every sign of his presence, from the scent on her pillows to toys and money being left at her New Dawn apartment, the part of her that still held on was revitalized. It didn't help that, as if he could read her mind, Keith was slowly but surely filling that role.
Lydia told her that it was wrong of her to feel guilty for leaving, but she did. Keith was ... different than when she first met him. There was no denying that he did a lot of heinous things. Terrible enough to land him a VIP spot in Hell. Hindsight is always 20/20 though - she saw the change even then, albeit subtly. It made her wonder how different things would have been if she had just -
No. Don't go there, her sanity whispered. Her hands balled up into fists involuntarily, then released a few moments later when she felt her fingernails dig into her skin. There was no use in dwelling on the past. Especially when it was filled with more grays than blacks and whites.
Ian's voice shocked her into the present, making her turn to see father and son interacting. There was no denying Ian was Keith's. Gam Gam would have said that Ian fell out of Keith's ass. The same nose, the same chin. Even the eyebrows were identical. Three months of hard pregnancy and the only thing Ian got from Quill was her eyes. But oh, how her heart ached when her gaze landed on them. How tightly of a hold her son had around her mate's neck. She thought she had been doing the right thing by him when she told him his father was in a better place. While it seemed that she wasn't wrong in saying that, because being an alpha of a pack was better than what he did before, her lie did hurt Ian.
She knew she was going to be making up for it for a while now.
A wave of shyness washed over Quill when she locked eyes with Keith. Something that she only felt one other time, and that was the day she was rescued. There was such a vulnerability in his dark eyes and voice. Something that she wasn't sure how to handle. His question felt like there was some deeper meaning than just talking about a fictional fat guy in a red suit. She wanted to answer it, but she didn't know how.
"I-I do," she answered, caught off guard as she looked to her beaming son. Then she smiled reassuringly, taking one step at a time to close the distance between them. She was sure Keith had all kinds of gifts tucked away for Ian. Enough for a boy to have ceaseless joy. "In fact, I know so."
"But how?" Ian couldn't help but ask. He trusted his parents. If they said Santa knew where they were then he knew it to be true. Like all other kids, he was curious about how the world worked. "We didn't leave a note or nothin'."
"Because he's got magic, silly goose."
"Like Rae?"
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Post by Ventia on Dec 7, 2022 3:52:03 GMT -5
"Yes like Rae, but much stronger I would think." Keith said gently to Ian as he watched their faces, those mirror eyes looking up at him with such a likeness that Keith felt himself standing taller, pride and possessiveness filling him, his senses skyrocketing and picking up on everything each one of them did and storing it for later to peruse leisurely when he was alone, all the while feeling more alive than ever under their stares. He cared about Quill and Ian the most out of everyone in his life, as a man he saw nothing wrong with that, they were his mate and son.
As a Alpha, he knew that he needed to put his Pack somewhere next to them, but try as he might, Keith couldn't. Quill and later Ian were the main reason why he came back here, to his childhood and adolescent Pack, where there were more bad memories than good. Half of them his own doing in his own reign over as Alpha. He needed to show Quill that he had a home for both her and Ian, so he left everything behind even Quill herself, and set off to do just that.
He tried to spill the least amount of blood to do such a feat, seeing as how Adrian hadn't been so willing to give back the title after twenty years of ownership. Understandable as it was, when Keith wanted something, he got it. It had been Quill who had stopped him from dealing that last fatal blow, how could he kill someone and prove to her he had changed? Now Adrian was one of his Beta's, not quite a thorn to Keith's side but still annoying all the same.
"He knows every single person's name on this planet, can you imagine that, how tiring huh, but not for Santa. He even knows if they've been good or bad, good kids get presents bad kids get coal, I don't really think either one of those gifts are bad." Keith chuckled at Ian's eyebrows drawing in a frown as he tried to follow his father along, the picture was so cute Keith finally understood the phrase cute enough to eat-though he supposed, looking at Quill, that he already knew that-and bent forward pressing a quick kiss to Ian's forehead to soften the boy's frown.
"I don't want coal.. I'm not a bad kid!" Ian pouted under the kiss, he really wasn't, he always listened to his parents and the adults as best as he knew how to, he was never mean to anyone and never told any lies like his mother asked him to. He was her little gentleman!
"I never said you were squirt," Keith adjusted Ian to his hip, poking his nose as he did so and turned back to Quill. He found himself swallowing, there it was again, sparking behind the blue of her eyes, that interest and longing, a tease of emotions, was Keith fooling himself? Imagining things that weren't there?
No, she was close enough and he was clear headed enough to feel that this was true, that Quill still cared for him, that there was still a chance. He smiled at her, for a moment only seeing her, her scent played under his nose, her warmth was almost touching him, the mate bond felt vibrant and alive in his mind since she opened it to talk to him, if he were to push he could probably feel what she was feeling right now but then she would probably slam the door in his face for weeks before opening it back up. That was almost as bad as not seeing her face to face.
"Talking about Santa and presents, what do you want Quill for Christmas?" Besides not seeing my face. He added with a chuckle, even though under that mask there was some hurt lingering about the whole shitty situation. If only he could keep them here, longer than the storm which would eventually clear as all good things came to a end, if only Quill could see how much he's changed. How much Keith was trying to change. He wasn't sure how much more nice he could be, how much more did he have to prove himself to her, for her to treat him the way Keith knew she wanted to, under all those many layers of trust issues and hurt.
"I'd like to get something for your parents as well, a hint or nudge in the right direction would be very helpful." God her parents, Keith tried very hard to not roll his eyes, he was attempting to get on their good side, but both of them hated him and barely tolerated him. No it was his brother that they were all charm and smiles to, even her friend gave him a death stare whenever it pleased her not even trying to hide it from anyone around.
"I wanna know what mommy wants too! and daddy too!"
"Me too? I don't need anything, not when I have you both here spending Christmas with me. That's the best gift I could ask for." Keith answered genuinely and instantly, not even needing time to think about it.
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Post by Thea on Dec 7, 2022 21:41:53 GMT -5
Quill never liked it when people bashed the other parent in front of their children. It stemmed from her father, who listened to that hate with her Gam Gam. It confused the children, and in some instances fostered hatred that didn't belong in the first place. She knew that she had every right to keep Ian away from Keith based on his actions at the very beginning of their ... relationship. Keith kidnapping Ian from under her very nose further cemented those rights. Yet here she was, letting Keith hold their child because she knew that he wouldn't hurt him.
She was sure Keith would be surprised that she had come to his defense a few times against her family, especially when Ian was in the room. Yes, she called Vincent that day for Ian's sake. Any sane mother would, especially when the only time they spoke of children was right before he raped her and not in a very positive tone. Though when she went to get Ian, not a single hair on his head was mussed. Keith acted then just as he was acting now. She knew that Keith was no actor, either. Everything he did and said to Ian was genuine.
A chuckle emanated from her seeing Ian's reaction to Keith. That ache deepened still, growing into a chasm of longing for a reality that felt deceptively within reach. For a few moments, it was easy to pretend - like it always was with Keith - that they were really just a normal family.
And then the illusion went away with Quill blinking her eyes once at the spoken question. She had to stop herself from scowling before Ian could see. He spoke so casually about her desire to be far away from him. As if he hadn't done anything wrong to warrant such a visceral reaction from her. Or maybe he didn't care. That hurt.
She chuckled again, this time a bit forced when Keith asked about her parents. When Keith asked to see Ian before Christmas, she had the excuse that she was entertaining her family and that Ian couldn't make it. Surprise bloomed in her when Keith told her that her parents and Lydia could come. For starters, it was rather unheard of for an alpha to invite another alpha onto their territory for nothing less than pack business. At least, that was what Quill grew up believing. A bout of culture shock later, she realized that things were done differently around here. It threw Don for a loop that was for sure. He had recovered quickly and was the one to give the go-ahead to go.
"But Mommy says that Christmas is for wants and not needs because she gets me all my needs through the year and also wants aren't selfish." Ian took a big breath in after his run-on sentence before he continued. "So what do you want?"
He was so insistent, so persistent. Already it was easy to see that he was going to pursue what he wanted in life. Quill couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, yet try as she might she couldn't quite get the sudden lump in her throat to disappear.
She refused to believe what Keith said was true. There was no way.
She wanted the snow to stop and melt. She wanted to get out of there. She wanted a clear head and a clear conscience and for Keith to still be an asshole because then it would be so much easier to hate him like she desperately wanted to.
Why do you want to get my parents something anyway? She demanded sharply, turning away to clear her throat and help Crystal pick up Ian's toys. It was obvious she was ignoring the question for herself.
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Post by Ventia on Dec 8, 2022 22:00:18 GMT -5
What did he want?
Keith glanced at Quill who once again turned away from him giving him her back, ignoring his most curious question and instead choosing to grow suspicious about his reasons for giving her parents one. As if it wasn't obvious. As if any of it wasn't obvious. His hard face stayed emotionless, for Ian's sake, as he watched Quill bend over her dainty hands picking up toy after toy, his eyes couldn't resist dropping down, following the curve to her rigid back and stopping on her ass.
He tore his eyes away, aware of Ian's eyes on him, of Crystal keeping quiet and with her head bowed, smart girl that one, Keith sighed moving over to the couch and sitting down, dropping all his weight down and propping up Ian on his knee. At least he could see Quill's face again.
What he wanted was obvious. He wanted Quill. He wanted Ian. He wanted them for more than just a week or two in Ian's case and at most a hour in Quill's case. He wanted her to come back to him, to accept that she still cared and that he was different now. He still remembered her words back then, when she cried for him, when she told him she wanted Keith to be free.
Well fuck.
He was free now, he made it so, he let her go, gave her months of her freedom that she so desperately wanted, he's been gone from her longer than the four months he's kept her in his bed. He thought with time she would see how much she missed him. He thought she could see that besides from those horrible two months, the last two months had been sweet. He had poured love into her, each day and night, every second he had, without saying the words themselves. Actions spoke more than words, wasn't that how it went?
"Daddy?"
Even when he told her he loved her, just before she was taken away, she still watched him with doubtful eyes. Even when she walked away from him, and he didn't grab her back, chaining her to his side, did she still not believe him?
Keith stared into Ian's innocent eyes, bright blue, a open book showcasing each and every one of his fleeting emotions. Keith swallowed hard, cupping the boy's cheek and bending forward pressing his forehead to his son's.
"I have everything I want right here. With you. With your mother. All I want is more time with the both of you." He said gently, for Ian's ears only, though he knew both Quill and Crystal could also hear. He didn't care, let them, how much more plainer could Keith be? He was trying his best to not corner Quill somewhere, grab her shoulders and beg or demand that she listen to him. Knowing how much that would backfire was the one thing keeping him from trying it.
He sent messages, letters, left voicemails, even spoke into the mating bond as she was driving away after dropping off Ian the other times, nothing was working. What was working, he thought annoyingly, was Quill's time away from him. He liked that she was becoming more of herself again, that feisty spirit that she had always showed him in the beginning was called back to life in these last few months. Defiant and proud, confident and unbending. He loved that she was getting better, he really did, but then it made him angry and worried that she had lost everything she felt for him as well.
Those moments of sweetness back in his room, where she held him tenderly at night, smoothed his hair back when she thought he was asleep, where she stroked his bare back with her fingertips, ever so soft as if she were barely there. But Keith had noticed, he always did, and would lay in her arms feigning sleep until he felt her drift off and then he would be the one watching her, touching her face petting her hair, bringing her into his arms where she rested perfectly on his chest.
He pulled away from Ian, Ian smelled like Quill more than he did of himself, Keith liked that too, it starved off some of the neediness he was always feeling.
"Maybe Santa can do that!" Ian eased off of his father's legs but stayed closed, sitting next to him on the couch so he could see his mother as well. Ian didn't understand why his parents weren't always together, at first his dad had never been around, it had always been just his mother and him. Ian liked that, when he asked about his father, his mother had told him that 'he was in a better place'. Ian didn't really know what that meant either, so when his dad did come for him, Ian couldn't be happier.
His mom...well Ian might be small and young but he wasn't stupid. He noticed something was off between them but couldn't guess what. All he knew was that he liked-no loved-both of them and he wanted them to get along more.
"But that's only if you've been a good boy. Or else you'll get coal." He told his father in that matter of fact way he had heard the adults talk, proud of himself he jumped off from the couch and bent down picking up a little race car. His mother always taught him to help out with his toys after all.
"Well, I'm not sure if I'm on the nice list this year." Or any year. Keith watched the three of them, considering what he should say to Quill that would lessen her suspicions. The truth? Keith sighed inwardly, wasn't that too obvious?
I want to make it up to them, seeing as how I probably can't get them what they really want, which is me away from you. Quill, I want to show you and your family, your friends, anyone in your life, how much I've changed-for the better. Or do you still not believe me? He did sigh then, long and deep into their bond. I don't have a grand plan love. I'm not scheming anything. I only want to be back in your life-by your side, by Ian's-permanently. Now will you tell me your Christmas Wish? The real one, that is.
Before he could say anything else the door was pushed open with more force than it need be, and Vincent came rushing in, his eyes quickly scanning the room stopping on Quill and Ian for a long second before settling on Keith.
"Here you are." Vincent said accusingly, as if Keith had been hiding the pair away, his glare potent and angry until the others turned around to see who it was and then his face softened into a charming and relaxed state.
"Vince." Keith nodded in acknowledgement, he already had a little talk with his dear little brother about minding his manners in Keith's Pack. Quill's parents and her friend were one thing, Vincent was another in entirely.
"Keith." Vincent gritted out as nicely as he could, even if it still sounded like venom dripping from his mouth. Angry still, that he hadn't been able to get the better of him on the night of Tranquility's rescue, and the fact that Keith still managed to worm his way back into Tranquility's life, well his fuel for revenge was always on the verge of spilling over.
"Are you okay?" Vincent made quick work in walking around the couches, lightly patting Ian's head while moving to his real conquest, Tranquility.
"Hey Crystal." He greeted the familiar wolf, though older now.
"Hello Vince, it's good to see you again, to see the two of you again." She cooed nodding at both the McClellan brothers, Crystal had been here for all her life, a older wolf where her age was showing in the gray strands in her red hair.
Both their faces hardened but Vincent was quicker to smile at the older wolf and nod lightly, while Keith rolled his eyes and glanced back to Quill's face. A smart comment was on the tip of his tongue but he forced it in, holding onto his own accusations in a death grip, as to not make her any more angry with him.
"Lunch should be ready soon, shouldn't it?" He asked Crystal instead and she turned her warm brown gaze at him, nodding she began to stand up.
"I'll go check. Excuse me for a minute."
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Post by Thea on Dec 9, 2022 2:16:53 GMT -5
It was getting increasingly harder for Quill to not cry. When she first met Keith it had been an aphrodisiac for him, a reaction that he seemed to strive for when he was a monster. Those words weren't supposed to be piercing blows, but it felt like it for Quill. That guilt came back fiercer than ever, clawing at her insides. In this light, in this setting, it was hard to see him as Vincent described him. As what she knew he was before her heat. He really did sound like he was trying to be better. Like he somehow read her mind and was following her fantasy of what a mate should be to a T. She knew if she cried right then, he wouldn't see it as something that got him off.
No, he would probably rush to her side and wipe away her tears. Hug her close and kiss her forehead and whisper that everything will be all right. Which would so be what she wanted. That was the problem though, wasn't it? She was crazy for still wanting him after she was rescued - after he let her go, a part of her amended. It wasn't wrong, Quill knew that. He let Vincent and the rest of the Guild take her. The first of many signs that he was, in fact, changing. The second sign for her was that he actually loved Ian. All of those times he's written, called, talked into the bond... she couldn't let him know that it was all wearing on the walls she painstakingly built for herself.
She heard him loud and clear. She just didn't want to believe it.
It took all of her focus not to take her frustrations out on her son's toys. The desire to chuck them against the wall was fierce. God this was worse than facing the creatures back home or even having to worry about whether to believe a curse on a tomb she was excavating. To have him right there, doing everything short of getting on his hands and knees for her and Ian. No, she didn't think he was trying to be sneaky or lie about this. But what would everyone think? Despite Lydia giving her a clean bill of health, her parents worried about Stockholm Syndrome. For Vincent, it would be a slap in the face. She begged for him to save her. Not to mention she knew what he felt for her; as much as she tried she didn't really reciprocate his adoration. She didn't think he would appreciate that she preferred his brother.
Besides that - how could she be okay with herself loving a man with such a horrific past? She should hate him. Loathe him with her entire being. And yet, her thoughts always steered back to Keith. Whether it be the memories of them entwined in his dark sheets at the compound or "what if" situations. She couldn't stop herself.
Which was why she always spoke to Keith so harshly. If he knew that she loved him and never stopped, he would take a wrecking ball to her guards.
She was just about to answer him when Vincent came in. She noticed, to, that he was a little too forceful. But when he smiled at her she returned it, even if her eyes looked a little watery. Not trusting her voice right now, she nodded. She was okay, if not a little fucked in the head.
"Here, Mommy," Ian tugged on the jumbo lego that she held onto with a death grip. "Let me take it! I'll put it away."
Her little man ... the lump receded a little bit enough for her to eke out a, "Thank you baby." She let go and watched him run with the little kid joy that she loved. Ian was smart. He knew when something was up, and the tension between the three of the adults in the room was palpable. She should honestly send Ian along with Crystal. She wasn't sure how it would go away, yet knew that if Ian was there no blood would be spilled.
"Sometimes I forget this is your birth pack," she mused after a cleansing breath, more to herself than them. It made sense when she first found out about this - after all, how fast could one have risen in the ranks to become alpha? Well, it was more complicated than that. Like Keith-used-to-be-an-alpha-before-he-turned-bad kind of complicated. With a crack of her back she pulled her buzzing phone out of her back pocket and read the received text.
Everything ok? Lydia texted.
Yes. You guys downstairs?
An immediate response: Yeah, in the entertainment room. Your dad brought Phase 10 and Uno. Help lol.
Quill snorted, imagining the ex-biker wave around those decks as if they were beacons, begging for someone to play with him. It was a welcome distraction from her ongoing battle of self vs. self. "Hurry and pick your toys up for your daddy. Pop Pop and Grandma are in the big TV room with Aunt Lydie."
"Oooh can we watch a movie?" Ian asked, blue eyes wide with hope. "We can pop some popcorn!"
"Maybe after lunch? We can watch a Christmas movie."
"Yes!" Ian made a "rock 'n' roll" sign like his pop pop taught him and ran to wrap his arms around her legs. "Will you and Daddy sit by me? When we watch a movie AND at lunch?"
You really want to know, Keith? she asked after a few moments of silence. I want to have my cake and eat it too.
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Post by Ventia on Dec 11, 2022 0:36:20 GMT -5
If there was one good thing about having Quill's group along with her on this visit, it was that they allowed him to see more sides of Tranquility with every interaction she had with them. Ian brought out that softness he was used to seeing in the low light and shadows of his bedroom, but her parents and Lydia brought out a different side to Quill that Keith wasn't used to seeing. It was like watching someone else, how different she was with them, like he was seeing her as herself for the first time that he's known her.
His jaw ticked, tightening, remembering...always remembering. The edge of his madness had dulled by a sudden old age weighing down on him after Quill's disappearance in his life. Alone, stranded in the thick of the Deadlands, his whole empire burning everything he owned save for the things in his pocket, Keith had watched it all from a safe distance until Quill's rescuers had fled the scene then he strolled back, watching as the building crumpled brick by brick and wondering what was he to do with his life now.
Of course the plan had always been to come back, but that first month he had let himself roam the woods, prowl in his wolfskin and lose himself at night with a few bottles all while flipping through his phone's pictures. Many of them he had to redownload off the cloud, which only made him smirk at the time, feeling a surge of pure happiness-only for it to drop down to his gut as his mind reverted back to past memories.
He wasn't a good man, redemption for him shouldn't be allowed Keith knew this, knew there was a string of bodies dragging behind him, the line seemed almost endless. He rubbed his face, flipping through the phone again, a video began to play, the soft sounds of the television playing in the background filled the empty forest. The fire played on his hard dark features, only his eyes began to soften into melted hues of brown and golden, until the video ended and her face since then was the only thing consuming his thoughts, memories, and dreams.
He began heading back to his home that next morning.
Keith swallowed, watching her face, having more to store into his hidden box of memories, as she wrapped her arms around Ian's body, her fingers slowly gliding into his hair as her voice filled his head once more. Sweet bliss, he could be dreaming this, for it was exactly what he's been craving to hear. When her eyes peeked at him as she began to get ready to leave the room, even though it was just for a second, there was something waiting in her eyes as if she was searching for something in his.
He breathed lightly, gold slivered into his gaze, his wolf which had become more alive and restless since her departure, growled deep from within him making his body rumble. For the better part of his life, his wolf had only reacted with madness acting out as if it were crazed. His meeting with Quill had started the change in his wolf, in both halves of him, he had taken too long to see it, by then he had already left her with damage.
Keith however wasn't one to give up midway when he finally made a decision.
Why shouldn't you not get what you want. It's Christmas after all, love. You've been a real good girl this year, every year, if Santa wont give it to you-I will. He all but promised in her head, his voice low and dark, too intimate he knew but after remembering his emotions and his desire in that first month, both halves of him couldn't help but act in the way he really wanted to.
"Sure we can bud." Keith said in a cooler voice, ignoring Vincent's glare from above their heads as he bent forward and grabbed the last of Ian's books by his feet before finally standing up from his spot on the couch. He stepped forward, joining the three as he eased the books back into the box of sorts that held all of his son's toys. The space between the two opposite couches suddenly felt very crowded with Vincent and Keith on one end and Quill and Ian in the middle of them. Both brothers were tall and wide, their lean but massive body builds took equally as much space yet there was still a slight difference.
Keith was taller, wider, his shoulders more broad, his chest a tad thicker yet his body still curved that much leaner as it went down, his stance a bit wider, when he held a hand to his hip and sent the other one up to rustle his thick more messier hair, he commanded that much more space and was that much closer to Quill and Ian, held that much more impact on his mate than his brother would ever have. Or so his instincts told him. He held his hand out, releasing his long locks, his hair had grown a bit longer as well in their time about, always cut by his ears now the ends were almost touching his shoulders.
"This way Quill, the house is big I wouldn't want you to get lost." He said softly, lowering his voice again letting his breath tease the top of her head, as he glanced down catching his son's eye. Winking at the boy, earning a charming smile for his effort, Keith felt himself settle in, steering himself for what was to come, anything-everything, for the life he wanted.
"I can show them." Vincent said a second later, his voice hard, not moving from Tranquility's side. He didn't like how close Keith kept trying to get to her, after everything, and since he saw himself as their bodyguard-from Keith-and maybe a bit more if Vincent would allow himself to be more honest, he would try his damnedest to get in that man's way.
Keith shrugged and then lowered his hand to Ian, his voice turning sweeter. "Let's hold hands, with Mommy too."
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Post by Thea on Dec 11, 2022 3:05:11 GMT -5
It was as if her body had a mind of its own.
Of course, when it came to Keith, everything about Tranquility had a mind of its own. Her thoughts, her emotions, her wolf. Lydia said that whatever she did during those four months was out of survival. Letting him lay with her, not fighting tooth and nail about it. Eating meals with him, watching shows, and just ... having conversations with him. It was her body's way to make sure she made it until there was a way out. At that time, she was willing to believe that because she couldn't stand to look in the mirror if not. Now?
Every minute she was close to Keith made her realize that she hadn't acted out of survival. Quill's whole being was tuned into her mate. The intimacy in his voice caused a wave of goosebumps to wash over her. The way her body trembled with no warning caused her brow to furrow in frustration. In her mind's eye, she saw her wolf raise her head before stretching languidly. His scent had been everywhere in the mansion, more condensed in his office. She had enough willpower not to bring her shirt to her nose to ward it off. But now, there was no escaping it. He was so close. And getting closer until all she could smell was him. Feel him in her space and how her hair, long and clipped away from her face, moved as he breathed down on her. She wanted to move, wanted to tell him to get out of her bubble and that his breath stunk or something.
But she couldn't.
She didn't have any words for Keith when he spoke in the bond, knowing both that it was useless to deny that he would and could. If any of his letters or voicemails or their link were to be believed - which, she did - he would crawl through Hell and back to give her any wish that she desired. Besides that, she had a hard time believing that anyone could give her what she wanted except for Keith.
Vincent's voice was like an arrow shooting straight through her mind, slicing through the fog that clouded her thoughts and found itself buried deep in her heart. No. She couldn't get what she wanted. Not without sacrificing everything else in return.
"I know where the entertainment room is," she said aloud, snapping at both of them. When she realized that she spoke sharper than she intended, she looked quickly down at Ian's round, shocked eyes. She gave him what she had hoped was a genuine smile. Instead, it must have been a grimace because Ian didn't return it. Instead, his bottom lip trembled, and his eyes watered.
It was moments like these when she remembered that her son was still a pup. Close to the age equivalent of five, he sometimes acted much older, with signs pointing to him having an older soul. However, most of the time the pup was just that - a pup. Used to, it would exasperate her. Dealing with postpartum depression was bad enough, thinking that it was better off if she just left Ian's life completely. With his cries that wouldn't ever stop no matter what she did? It had her crying many nights as well. Now, she was reminded that Ian wasn't what his father used to be. Nor was he like her. He was his own person.
"Are you mad at me, Mommy?" Ian asked, tiny voice trembling. She knew he was holding back his tears, likely because he wanted to be strong in front of his father. "W-We don't have to watch a movie."
"No, of course not, baby," Quill said quickly, bending at the waist to wipe away a stray tear that was slowly coursing down his cheek. "And we can still watch a movie. I'm just ... hangry."
"Hangry?" he hiccuped, reaching for his mother's hand. She grasped it, feeling relieved and guilty that she caused his change in mood.
"Where you're so hungry you're mad. Mommy hasn't eaten anything all day!" She threw her arm up in an exaggerating manner, scoffing. "Can you believe that?"
"No," Ian answered softly, though his lip stopped trembling. "Why didn't you?"
"Sometimes I forget." Quill shrugged and straightened, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I think Mommy needs a Snickers." And Daddy and Uncle Vince can take chill pills, she wanted to add, though held her tongue and started walking.
"I want a Snickers, too!"
"After lunch, bubba." Quill couldn't help the glance she sent Keith's way. Even with Ian between them he still stood so close. "Do you know what is for lunch?" Then she turned her head to Vince, who was keeping pace right beside her. She had a feeling that if Ian wasn't here he would have been the wall to separate her from his brother. "And while we're on the topic what are the pack's traditions for Christmas? Since the snow is barricading us in for the foreseeable future."
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Post by Ventia on Dec 19, 2022 15:36:04 GMT -5
Keith chuckled lowly at Quill snapping at them though it died quickly away at their son’s reaction. He ignored Vincent’s pointed glare, as if this was yet again his fault, and watched Ian and Quill with observant eyes. Once again, he didn't get to see many of her interactions with each other as he would liked, and watching Quill soothe their child extending her arms in that ridiculously cute way and speaking in hushed tones, well it had as much of a pacifying reaction on father as it did son.
Ian had cried in front of Keith a few times before now, most had been in the boys sleep though there had been one time where Keith held Ian in his arms, consoling the boy until he finally calmed. Which had been a surprise to him then, since Keith hadn't thought he would have gotten Ian to stop crying. Quill definitely nipped the bud way faster than Keith ever could.
He moved closer, stroking Ian's head, patting his cheek lightly to tell the boy he had done a good job in calming himself down, and kept his hand by Ian's back and soothed it in small circles as they began walking again. At Quill’s question to him, Keith sent a quick message through the pack link because he did not know what was for lunch, and he would use any means to speak with her.
“Well…” Vincent hesitated, glancing nervously at Ian not wanting to make him cry again at their sad excuse for Christmas traditions, he began to rub at his neck.
“BLT’s, salads, fruits and so on.” Keith filled in the silence ending the conversation with Jerry one of their main cooks, and rolled his eyes at Vincent.
“They have something special for Ian too supposedly.”
“We haven't celebrated Christmas here for a while.” Vincent added, winking at Ian so that it lessened the blow.
“You don't celebrate Christmas?” Ian asked in that trembling voice again.
“Don't listen to your uncle Ian, he clearly doesn't know what he’s talking about. There used to be a play. Well more like a puppet show.” Keith said softly, his lip stretched into a smile as he remembered his mother along with a few others, huddled under that small handmade ‘stage’ with the many puppets bobbing around as his mother told them a story about the little wolf and Christmas.
“A puppet show?!” Ian came to stop by the start of the stairs, Quill stopped as well to not unbalance him and Vincent stopped next to Quill’s other side. Keith nodded at his son, his smile widening at the sparkle that was brightening Ian's gaze.
“A puppet show.” Keith confirmed, saying it again because he knew it sounded awesome to Ian, and bent down picking Ian up easily and began going down the stairs.
“Wanna know what it's about? It's cool.” He teased, smirking at his son.
“I wanna know! Tell me daddy!”
“It's about,” he drawled out, watching Ian as he clung to Keith's words, “a little wolf prince who needs to go on a journey to find Christmas!”
“A wolf prince!? Finding Christmas?! I wanna see!”
Keith chuckled, taking the last step to the landing and turned around, waiting for Quill to join him. When she did, he nodded lightly.
“I'm sure we could do that. We used to bake in the mornings too, a little baking contest to start the day out right, some snow fights and snow angels, snow sculptures too. We were quite competitive back then, all the young children. Presents at midnight. Some songs.” Keith shrugged and placed Ian back on the ground, the boy liked to explore.
“We haven't-” Vincent began but Keith cut him off with a sharp look before turning back to Ian and Quill who once again were huddled together.
“Any traditions of your own?”
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Post by Thea on Dec 20, 2022 23:58:36 GMT -5
Quill didn't lie to Ian when she said she hadn't eaten anything all day. She did, indeed, forget to feed herself amidst preparing for a family gathering in her small apartment. So when Keith relayed the lunch menu, her stomach rumbled softly in anticipation. Just thinking about BLTs had her mouth watering. Thick, smoked bacon with crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes between two pieces of toast spread with mayonnaise? Served with fruit and salads? She didn't expect for it to be Gamma Henry's BLTs, served fresh with seasoned potato wedges and a nice rootbeer float. But it definitely wasn't easy to fuck it up and Quill really wasn't a picky eater by any stretch of the means.
Though oddly she felt a pang of homesickness. She made the excuse that she had been kidnapped not too far away from home and she didn't want Keith to find her again. Her real reason was because of the spirits and other beings besides her birth pack that called those mountains home - she didn't want Ian to be subject to them. If her parents knew that was what kept her away they'd whittle away at her resolve. After all, they raised her there, right? She made it out okay and even went on to be a doctor. And eventually, her parents were going to have to retire. Quill will be forced to take up the alpha mantle if she didn't find a partner.
Her eyes glanced quickly to Keith as he spoke to their son. In another world, he would be the next alpha and mayor of North Haven. That was how succession went. Never had there been a female alpha, like Ventia was of the New Dawn. Though if there were no males to take their father's place or if their firstborn was female, the mates would lead pack and town, leaving the women to be lunas. And even if she wanted Keith to be that man, her pack wouldn't accept him. Plus, he was an alpha in his own right. She would have to take sole leadership duties because Keith couldn't be pulled away from his.
As much as she was good at it, the woman knew she couldn't run forever.
As if her gaze called to him, he met it with golden eyes. With a jolt of her heart, she looked away. By then she was hardly breathing. It hadn't been long since she's seen that shade because Ian's eyes were gaining that ability. But to see the source of it? Quill was torn between reminiscing and running for the hills. Either way, she stayed put on that landing and brushed an errant lock of hair from Ian's face. He needed a haircut desperately, though when she brought it up he shut it down quickly, throwing up the fact that his daddy had long hair.
"Well, we don't have contests - and don't say that in front of my father," Quill said on a laugh, straightening up after she gained the courage to look at Keith again. She couldn't look at him for long so she opted to look at Vincent. "But North Haven is simultaneously a pack and a town. We dress downtown up as a Christmas Village for incoming tourists."
"What's tourists?"
Quill bent down and swooped Ian up to rest him on her hip before she started walking toward the direction of the entertainment room. She wasn't sure exactly where it was but her escorts didn't need to know that. "People that don't live in a place but come to visit. They help Pop Pop fund the pack." She glanced back at Keith and Vince, making sure that they weren't too far behind. "We really don't have much in traditions other than that." Because of the Shadow Man. "Though we do end up spending the night with the elders and pass gifts. Mom makes hot chocolate. Nothing too big."
"Do you think Grandma will make hot chocolate tonight?" Ian asked, eyes going round.
"I dunno," Quill mused. "Maybe not tonight."
"Why not?"
"Because this isn't Grandma's house."
"But it's Daddy's!"
"Mm-hmm. And Grandma has to have special ingredients."
Ian whined, pressing his forehead against Quill's shoulder in defeat. Two seconds later he straightened on a gasp and looked to Keith. "Can Grandma make hot chocolate tonight if she has her extra special in-in - Mommy what's that word again?"
"Ingredients, but bubba -"
"That word! Pleeeeease?"
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Post by Ventia on Jan 30, 2023 3:11:46 GMT -5
"I'm not sure how special your grandmother's ingredients have to be Ian, but hot chocolate happens to be a favorite around here. So I think we can whip some up if your grandma wants to tell us the secret recipe. How about you ask her nicely, I'm sure she'll say yes." Keith reached for the kid's hair and ruffled it gently before smoothing the hair out of his eyes, aware of Quill giving him the side eye to which he kept smiling too.
Before she could start to go towards the kitchen area, his arm went around both Quill and Ian and he guided him to the other side that Quill was going until the sounds of the big living room came into notice and the long hallway of sorts opened into a large living space where was the entertainment room. It was fashioned more like a large game room with different areas for each thing. Though still fashioned in a way where multiple people could be gathered together to eat and play and relax as a unit. Needless to say, it was the main living space where the majority of his Pack came to linger.
Even now he could see groups of his Pack spaced about the floor, the main area held Quill's guests with a few of his own members joining around them, and then the others were in groups at the other tables or couches and there was a group playing pool and so on. Keith had dropped his arm from around them once he put her in the right direction and watched as she hurried to where her family waited.
Vincent passed him all glares on his face while Keith slowed down, the attention off of him for the moment as her parents and friend noticed Quill and Ian rejoined them.
"Quill baby," Sarena turned with a warm smile from her spot on the couch next to her husband who all but blocked the view of her incoming daughter and grandson with his build, but Rena had felt more than saw them coming and once she leaned over Don's lap, she could see them entering with Vincent and Keith close behind. Rena glanced at Keith who stood in the back, feeling a violent yet passive energy coming from him.
She instantly stood, moving around Don's knees with expert grace until she was smoothing Quill's hair back and taking Ian off her hip into her own arms.
"My favorite grandson! I was starting to get lonely." She cooed pressing two kisses to each big chubby cheek of his and gave him a big squeeze to which he giggled and squeezed her back, squealing her name.
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Post by Thea on Jan 31, 2023 20:37:11 GMT -5
Quill was partly thankful that Keith was subtle in his direction toward the entertainment center. If he had blurted out that she had been going the right way her pride would have been wounded severely. Though her gratitude was severely overshadowed by the hyper-awareness in her body. How her hip was pressed against his thigh, the way he tucked her perfectly under his shoulder. He emanated warmth and oozed so much familiarity that Quill had to use all of her willpower not to melt into him.
So yeah, when she saw her family she bolted to them as if she had been launched into space.
"Everything okay down here, Mom?" Quill greeted, her tone a bit too high for her liking. Usually, she'd stop her mother from soothing her hair or doing any other doting-like motions. She's a grown woman, for Pete's sake. She's got her own child now to smooth hair back or clean up after as Rena so often had while Quill dealt with her post-partum depression. But she didn't this time, selfishly enjoying the extra bit of attention before she let Ian go.
"Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" Don demanded, scoffing once. He had been shuffling a deck of Uno cards after successfully roping Lydia and a couple others into the start of the first game. But upon seeing his daughter and grandson, as well as the McClellan brothers (one whom he'd rather have been fated to his daughter than the other), he set the deck down and told his opponents that he'd be back in a minute.
"I've got it, Don," Lydia said, patting the cushion beside her as an invite to Quill.
Quill nodded in acceptance, though didn't plan on sitting down just yet. She gave her father a side hug, then pulled away and sighed. She still had a tight hold on his shirt, looking up with eyebrows raised as if to say "I tried". "Looks like we're stuck here for a couple of days. Did you have anything pressing back home?"
Don made a face as if he was contemplating it, then shook his head. "Nah, nothing Uncle Lorenzo can't handle. It's not going to bug him for us to be here longer, is it?"
"No," Quill said, hands on her hips as she shifted all her weight to one leg. "In fact, he wants to know what you and Mom want for Christmas."
That threw the man for a loop. Why would he want to get them anything? If it weren't for Ian, he'd give Keith an early death. Don glanced at the man in question before turning back to Quill. "We don't need anything." It was left unsaid that they most definitely didn't need anything from Keith. "Tell him not to trouble himself."
"Grandma! Guess. What!" Ian's eyes grew wide as he suddenly remembered what his daddy told him. He pressed both hands against his grandma's cheeks. "There's going to be a play later about a wolf prince saving Christmas!"
Don separated from Quill then, taking Ian from his wife to throw him up in the air. "A wolf prince?" He caught Ian with ease, laughing at Ian's squeal of enjoyment. "Saving Christmas?" Another throw, this time a little higher. "No way."
"It's true, Pop Pop! Daddy said that!" Ian giggled when Don caught him, putting his tiny hands on the man's much bigger shoulders. "And also, after lunch, we're gonna watch a Christmas movie and eat popcorn and drink hot chocolate!"
"Aren't you going to ask Grandma something first?" Quill interjected, raising an expectant eyebrow.
"Oh yeah!" Ian turned to his grandmother, whose eyes were such a pretty gray. Every time he saw them he felt safe. "Can you make some hot chocolate today? If you got the special indretiants?"
"Ingredients."
Ian nodded enthusiastically, then folded his hands in a prayer-position and leaned close to his grandma. "Pleeeeeeease? Or tell Daddy and Mommy the recipe so they can make it?"
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Post by Ventia on Feb 16, 2023 18:23:10 GMT -5
Rena watched the exchange between her family, making a face here when Don threw Ian up a little too high for her liking, and then a smile for Ian as he gushed about the Christmas play, to a worried motherly look cast towards her daughter when she cast a look behind her, to look for Keith, then back to a warm smile because Ian was just too cute.
"Of course, I can sugar." Rena petted Ian's hair, caressing his soft round face with her finger and winking at him.
"Now your momma should know the recipe already but she might have forgotten so I'll teach her again so the best grandson can have all the hot chocolate he wants whenever he wants." She bent, kissing his crown, and pulled back aware she had ignored one person Ian had asked for her to teach as well. It wasn't that she hated Keith because hate was a strong word though the feelings she held for Ian's father were something that came very close to hate. Even having to stay and celebrate Christmas with the man with her family that had finally reunited was taking all of her control to be calm and nonreactive for the sake of Ian having a good holiday.
"Lunch is ready," Keith finally strolled further in, coming to Quill's side yet still keeping some space between him and her family. He could feel the tension in the air even if they were trying their best to quench it and didn't blame them. He was taking advantage of this golden situation that had landed in his lap and was a big enough man to not care if some people still didn't like or trust him. No, he thought looking at Quill and his son, he would just have to work harder to pull them into his favor.
"It's not uncommon for meals to be eaten on the couches if you would like to stay here, though there is a dining room with a long table on the other side of this room if everyone wants to move over there."
"I've always appreciated eating on a table." Rena snipped at him with a backward glance before reaching for Don's hip and Ian's foot, touching them lightly before looking at their little group.
"Shall we go eat? Lydia you too."
"I can show you the way." Vincent offered, standing up again from the seat he had just sat on and moving closer to the tight nit family.
Slowly the group began to move away leaving Keith utterly alone besides from the few pack members still sitting around the small table who had been waiting for the next game of uno to be dealt. Their gazes were lowered, feeling the awkwardness in the air, and Keith let out a breath.
"What are you waiting for, go get your food." He told them before trailing after the group and then spied Quill by herself lagging behind the group.
Keith didn't think, one second he was behind her and the next he was touching her hand, grabbing it and pulling her sideways into a small room his back pressed to the door to stop her from escaping. And yes he was still holding her hand.
"Quill..." He began but had no idea what to say so his words faltered.
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Post by Thea on Feb 19, 2023 1:30:12 GMT -5
She wasn't sure why she had been lagging. Maybe it was to watch her parents interact with their grandson. They had been supportive when she told them she wanted to keep her captor's baby. More so her mother than father, but she remembered when he held little Ian. He had cried. And not just the manly cry in which he had a sniffle here and there. The sobs that came from her father were big and genuine, watching in awe as Ian wrapped his tiny fist around his Pop Pop's fat pinky.
Quill was thankful for Jewel and Ventia, opening their doors to the New Dawn for her and ensuring her pregnancy went according to plan. But it had been her parents that went through the emotional journey with her. Held her afloat every time she felt like she was going to drown. So yeah, maybe she watched as a core memory of her parents and son walked away, with her best friend sending a reassuring look, was etched into her brain.
Keith had definitely taken her by surprise, tugging her faster than her mind could process. One minute she was out in the open, his commanding voice barely registering. And then the next she was in a dark room, the only light she could see was Keith's golden gaze. She half expected her body to shut down in its freeze response. For her breathing to become shallow and the walls of this tiny room to start closing in on her. That was what someone who went through massive trauma would feel, right? Instead, she felt strangely calm.
That was what scared her. She blamed it on her animal counterpart, who only stirred when Keith was around. Even now, she felt the she-wolf stir within her, skin crawling with the desire to shift. The want to press up against him was definitely present. Quill had to imagine her feet becoming cement to keep herself from following through. "Did you know that I had willingly gotten into that transport van that led me to you?" she asked after minutes-long silence. "No one forced me. I did it to save my cousin. Jason found himself in bad debt. Couldn't find a way out except on that van. But I didn't want him to go through that. Bad enough that he lost both his parents. So I was like, 'sure, why not sell my body for a night'? Stupid. Utterly stupid on my part. But he guaranteed me that whatever I made that night would be enough to get him out of trouble. And I, being the family-oriented person that I was, believed him. Because he was a good kid at heart. Wouldn't lead me wrong.
"Four months later, I'm at the hospital, getting mine and Ian's vitals checked. Mom comes to visit me. Told me that Jason died while I was with you. Killed himself and left a note. Long story short, he felt guilty because he thought he killed me. He didn't mean to, but when the sharks came to collect, he offered me up. He thought that I'd get rescued quickly. A week got turned into two. Then two weeks became two months. He figured I was dead, then. And aired out his sins before he ... well it doesn't matter how he did it." In the process of her telling this story, she had looked away from his gaze, eyesight getting used to the darkness so that she could see they were in a broom closet. Despite the depressing story she felt herself laugh. If they had been a normal couple, she was sure they would have started making out right now, unable to keep their hands off of each other.
"The point is, I feel guilty. I shouldn't. Fuck the brat, you know? Using me as a fucking scapegoat when all I ever did to him was give him a shoulder to cry on. I can't imagine Mom and Dad dying without breaking down into tears myself, so I thought I was doing the right thing. But the reason why I feel guilty was that I was getting the princess treatment from you. He killed himself because he thought I died." With her free hand, she scrubbed her face as if to rid herself of the feeling, whose claws have dug in deep into her chest and wrapped around her heart in a vice-like grip. She was so tired of feeling this way. She wanted to be okay with the fact that she was the one that had been screwed over in the end. She wanted to take her pain and anger out on the world. She wanted to hate the man in front of her with every ounce of her being.
"So why didn't I? Why was I the exception? And don't bring the whole being mates thing into it because I refuse to believe that you changed simply because you felt the tingles for me."
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