"There's a difference between sewing and working miracles. "

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Mani isn't too sure of the time when his eyes meet the early rising sun. He slowly sits up, adjusting to the feel of the rocks beneath his naked body. His bones and muscles ached from the shift. He looks down at his bare skin, his hands a dirty mess from when they had been paws. 

He then is aware of the person laying next to him. Teddy. His mate. The alpha is still in a semi-spooning position by Mani's legs. Mani carefully pulls at his limbs to break free from Teddy's legs clamped around his own. The action causes Teddy to stir. He opens his eyes, looking up at the omega staring down at him. "Morning" Teddy utters through a yawn, followed by a stretch. He reaches up to cup Mani's cheek, but Mani moves his head a fraction to resist the contact. "What's all this huh? Morning regret? You were howling like a beast last night."

"That's because I was a beast." Mani is quick to answer back. "You know my wolf self is weak." 

"Your wolf self is honest." Teddy's says, as he sits up, resting on the back of his hands. "Unlike you, I actually restrained myself. I could have bitten you y'know. I could have marked and claimed you last night, but I didn't." 

Mani looks down on his bare legs. "Why didn't you?" He wonders. Was he disappointed? Maybe… just a little. 

"Because of your wishes. I won't bond with you until you want me to." Teddy again reaches a hand forwards, pulling Mani's gaze towards him. "But know this. I think you and I are running out of time. The vampire struck last night and I was caught off guard and you're clearly not a fighter." 

"He's my roommate's dad." Mani utters as if to remind him of the fact. 

"So you know you cannot share with him now right?" Teddy says, raising an eyebrow as he lowers his hand. 

"But he's not a threat. He didn't smell of anything…" 

"His dad is a vampire Mani. Wake up! He must have tricked you. Tricked me! I think he is spying on us for some reason." Teddy furrows his brow in wonder, but it makes Mani laugh. 

"Have you listened to yourself? Are you that special you need to be spied on?" 

"I am Theodore Tate. First born alpha of the Ashen pack…" but his words are halted by a finger being pressed to his lips.

"Be quiet. You are overreacting. That's what you are!" He removes his finger, leaving a rather stunned alpha looking at him. "I will talk to him. I will ask him what this is all about…" Teddy goes to say something, but Mani once again presses a finger to his lips. "Once I have spoken to him, I will change rooms. I imagine his dad has said the same to him anyhow. He once again removes his finger. 

"Ok." Teddy says rather reluctantly, causing Mani to beam a smile. "Shit, now don't do that." Teddy whines

"Do what?" Mani said in all innocence.

"Smile at me like that. You make me weak." Teddy confesses. 

Mani leans forwards and kisses Teddy delicately on the end of his nose. He looks into Teddy's big blue eyes. "Thankyou." 

"For what?" Teddy says with a warm smile. But Mani doesn't reply. He gets up from the ground, eyes looking up to the sky. 

"We need to get back before somebody sees us. We have at least some clothes to wear, but my sweats are trashed." 

"Same." Teddy replies. "I shouldn't have worn my best jeans to impress you." 

"You wore your best jeans to impress me?" Mani says with amusement as he turns to see Teddy getting up to stand next to him.

"Well, I kind of saw this as a date." Teddy says defensively. "Like a wolf date. But now my best jeans are ripped to shreds."

"I like ripped jeans." Mani says laughing. 

"Not that ripped!" Teddy says, joining in with the laughter. 

***

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Teddy whispers as they successfully make their way to Mani's door. 

"No. I'll be fine." He looked Teddy up and down. His destroyed jeans hanging loose around his waist like a raggedy denim skirt. "Why did you put them back on?" 

"They are designer. They cost like £100. I'm not leaving £100 in the middle of the woods." He insists.

"They did cost £100." Mani chuckles. 

"I can fix them. I'll have you know I can sew actually!" Teddy now rests his body on the doorframe. 

"There's a difference between sewing and working miracles." Mani grins, to which Teddy just shakes his head in disbelief. 

"I'm more likely to fix these than you are to fix a deal with the bloodkind." Teddy jests back, but there was a serious undertone behind his words, as their smiles slowly faded. 

"I will be ok. I promise." Mani says as he tries his best to reassure his mate by placing his hand on his arm. 

"If you'd just let me mark you I'd know if you needed me." Teddy takes his hand to Mani's, making it drop from its resting place. 

Mani feels the pain in those words, which Teddy was feeling. It was true that if they were bonded then their psychic link would be channelled but Mani still wasn't sure if he wanted his mate to read his every thought. It felt like an invasion of privacy. 

Mani turns to the door and silently unlocks it. "You just need to trust me Teddy." He says as he turns the handle and steps inside...