C5 Raleigh

I don't remember what exactly took over me. Maybe it was the soft, motherly voice in my head, but I felt my body relax in Lucien's arms as he carried me. I cracked my eyes open, trying to peer past his hulking frame to get a glimpse of where exactly an Alpha of a wolf pack lived. Maybe a den? Cave?

A little part of me was nervous. I mean, I really just left my old life behind in favor of a man I knew little to nothing about. Being my principal’s cousin and an Alpha didn’t change the fact that he could be a murderer or some serial rapist. After all, he was a werewolf.

"Lucien?" I asked, the best I could since my throat was pressing against my chin. I probably looked so fat and ugly right now, and even though I wanted his attention, I also didn't want him to see me.

"Yes, Raleigh?" Lucien murmured, looking down at me. His eyes reflected the dark glow of the moon, their gaze questioning.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"My house."

"Where's Mrs. Jasmine?"

"She's coming. Just reuniting with Benedict." "Benedict? Who's Benedict?" I asked.

Lucien chuckled. "Jasmine's mate. My brother-in-law." He explained.

I looked down, memorizing the carpet steps he took up to what I was guessing was the second floor of his large house. I refrained from squirming I didn’t want him to see how uncomfortable I was.

"Does every wolf have a mate?" I asked instead.

"Yep. It's hard to find them, though, so when they do, a wolf, especially a male, is very protective of him or her." Lucien said, his grip tightening as he spoke.

"Can a girl mate with a girl?" I asked, simultaneously planning my escape if this position went downhill.

"Yes. The pack doctor, Lucinda, her mate is a girl: Wren." Lucien replied patiently.

I hummed but didn't say anything. The warmth he emanated was tempting, burning away any negative thoughts I had and replacing them with the urge to bury myself closer to him—to steal whatever heat he had left.

Shifting me in his arms, Lucien pushed open a large oak door close to the end of the hallway and walked in, slamming the wood shut with his foot. He took a glance at the place before setting me down on my feet, his arms still gripping my waist.

"Whose room is this?" I asked. I clutched his arm for balance, hoping it didn't bother him. "My room," Lucien answered. "I want you with me all the time. I don't want you getting hurt." "Hurt from what?"

Lucien took a moment to reply, debating in his head. "...Things," he finally decided. He spread his hand around the grey room, leaning on the doorpost. "Take as much time as you need. It's your room now too." He said.

My room? My room? I never had a room to my own before or, at least with less than four roommates. A tiny part of me wanted to ask him if I could have my own bedroom, but his ominous answer to my previous question forced the words to die on my tongue. If anything, I’d rather have someone to protect me than die alone and with nobody to mourn me while I bled out...

Carefully, I padded towards the open balcony, looking down at the mix of bright lights and the order of the long, dark houses. A few children were still playing on the streets, lights flickering on in the center of the pack, where most of the shops and stalls were. The room was a mix of grey colors, which almost made me believe Lucien read Fifty Shades of Grey, one too many times. The bed was a king-sized one, with a dark headboard and many fluffy pillows. The mattress was smooth underneath my fingertips, and the white door next to it was the bathroom, which I decided to check out later.

Apart from that, there was a large T.V on a wall across from his room along with some bookshelves and DVDs of more Disney and romance movies than I could count! He had a desk too, but I don't think he used it much, from the looks of the polished face.

"Do you like it?" Lucien spoke from the door.

I can’t lie, I thought, a small smile lighting my face. It is a pretty cool room.

I turned to him, a giddy smile on my face. "Like it?! Your room is incredible, Lucien! I had to share with like, six five-year-old in the orphanage!"

Lucien's smile faltered for a moment, but just as quickly as it did, it reappeared.

"Remember, Raleigh, this is your room too now." Lucien reminded me, and my stomach fluttered. I purposefully left that out, just to see his reaction. I'm glad he said that. It was becoming easier and easier to talk to him, even though I only knew him for less than a day. Maybe this was what happened when werewolves found their mates...

"Will you sleep here too?" I asked, walking over to him. Lucien seemed surprised by my question, and his cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. I didn't think guys could blush, but I guess I was wrong. It suited him.

"Only if you want me to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He mumbled shyly, avoiding my eyes. I bit my lip, then nodded, knowing my action drew his immediate attention. It’s weird—like he can smell the blood that comes out when I accidently rip my lip’s skin.

"I'd like that. I as babyish as it sounds—don't like sleeping alone." I said, embarrassed.

The crinkle of Lucien's jeans brought my attention up and I saw him crouch in front of me, just like he did at school.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about." He said. "I'll gladly stay with you if it makes you feel better."

I smiled. "Thank you.” Please don’t let this be a mistake and he turns out to be some psycho axe murderer at night!

Lucien's mouth curved into a smile and he took my hand, leading me to the bathroom.

It was just as large as the bedroom, with both a shower and a bathtub, along with a marble sink and mirror. I glanced helplessly around the room, my grip on Lucien's hand tightening. It reminded me of an asylum, a place I had been threatened to be placed in more than once.

"Now what?" I asked.

Lucien's eyes flickered and his lips parted, looking down at me. "Did you shower already?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No... I don't have any clothes to change into." I said.

Lucien lifted me onto the counter and pushed my body back slightly. "Stay here," he ordered, not like I had a choice anyway. He left the room and soon returned with a white shirt that was obviously too big for me and a pair of boxers.

His boxers.

My face flamed, and I made a squeak.

Lucien chuckled, dropping the clothes on the counter. "Don't worry. This is only temporary...unless you like them."

He mumbled the last bit, but somehow, I still heard him, and that only tightened the knot in my stomach. He helped me down, lifting me from under my arms and onto the ground.

"Do you need help getting undressed?" He asked again, his expression unreadable. "No. I... just need help with my pants." I blushed, and I'm pretty sure Lucien was too.

"Well...it's too late to have Cindy help you..." he muttered. "If it's alright, I'll help you with them. I’ll close my eyes, I promise. Just call me when you're done, okay?"

No, no it is not alright, mister, I thought, even though I found myself nodding. With a final glance at me, Lucien left the bathroom, closing the door with a click.

Once he was gone, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. My chest heaved and my legs wanted to collapse so badly. In only one day, a man I had never met in my life had my heart doing marathons. And surprisingly, he felt the same way. I worried my lip as I undressed, only pausing to brush my teeth with a toothbrush Lucien had brought for me.

I rushed in the shower, remembering how mad David, Lexi's ex, would get when I spent too much water. As I was drying myself, I took a glance at how I looked in the smokey mirror.

Pink and tan scars littered all over my body. My legs were skinny and unshaven, not that it mattered on my brown skin. My arms were the size of sticks and had bumps all up to my elbows. My face was puffy from the shower and my hair all dewy and ruffled. What did Lucien see in me? What did he want in me?

"Raleigh? Are you okay?" Lucien knocked on the door, his voice worried.

I gasped, almost dropping the towel. "Y-Yes. I'm fine!" I replied. Quickly, I slipped the oversized shirt on my body, the V-neck drooping just below my cleavage. I turned to my underwear, glaring at it.

"Hm... I definitely can't ask Lucien to help me put these on." I mumbled to myself, unconsciously pressing my legs together, an old habit to stop shivering. I looked around the bathroom until a small piece of rope caught my eye. I don't know what it was used for, but I tied one side to the rim of my underwear and pulled them up to my waist, untying the rope and tossing it back to where it was.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do the same with Lucien's boxers. "Lucien?" I poked my head out cautiously from the bathroom door.

Lucien, who was lounging on the bed with his phone, turned immediately to me, his golden eyes alert.

"You ready?" He asked. He sat up on the bed and I nodded, walking out of the bathroom and handing him the shorts.

True to his word, Lucien did close his eyes. He bent down from his waist and I gripped the back of his shirt to stabilize myself as I lifted each of my feet. He smelled good, I realized. Like raspberries and cream. I frowned.

"Did you shower already?" I questioned softly.

Lucien hummed, sitting up as he pulled the boxers to my waist, removing his hands from my hips quickly. He opened his eyes, smiling, and my heart spiked at the way he was looking at me.

"Yeah. I went into Jasmine's room...well, old room, I suppose," He said quietly. He moved over on the bed, watching me as I pulled myself on top of the white sheets.

I wanted to tell him to look away; I felt embarrassed with how jerkily I climbed onto the bed, but when I looked up, Lucien was watching me again with curiosity, not disgust.

"Sorry for making you use your sister's bathroom," I mumbled.

"Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong. I'll stay with you when you're ready." Lucien said calmly, and I wondered just how long he'd wait for me, not knowing how long I would make

him, how long it would take for me to love myself? How long would Lucien's...feelings for me last? Another woman could easily tone his hunger here and now, so why wait for me?

"Raleigh," Lucien's voice was firm, his eye color morphing from gold to black. "I don't want you thinking like that about yourself. Do you remember what I told you?"

I nodded, swallowing. "I-I'll try." I murmured, even though something still burned inside of me. He wasn't in my shoes, and he never would be. Why was I agreeing with him?

And how the hell did he read my mind?

Lucien's jaw tightened, but he nodded regardless, turning around to switch the lights off. The room was immediately thrown into darkness, save the lights spilling in from the moon on the balcony.

Lucien and I laid together quietly, a few feet apart, neither of us speaking nor sleeping. Simply basking in the silence that had enveloped us.

Finally, Lucien spoke up.

"Before we go out tomorrow, I want to take you to the pack doctor, just for a check-up, and so she can tell me what I need to do to help you," Lucien said. Eyes closed, I hummed in response and shuffled on the bed. "Lucien?" "Hm?"

"How come you're so old? I thought werewolves weren't immortal?"

Lucien's breath hitched, and for a second, I was worried I'd said something wrong. However, when I felt his fingers intertwine with mine, the fear in me dissipated.

"I'll tell you later. Go to sleep for now," he murmured. He sounded reluctant, like he wanted to tell me, but now, we both had something to hide. A secret we wanted to keep. And one day, I'd tell him all about it.

One day.