*****

*Jayden*

Everyone had gone to sleep and I was stuck nursing the drunken Corey. It was about three in the morning, we had found him by following my pull to some club quite far from the house. He had been asleep at the bar and I had gotten slightly jealous seeing the bartender watching him fondly when we showed up, I didn't show that of course. She had even checked to make sure we were his friends before she let us take him. When we woke him, he was still too drunk to even walk and Trent basically carried him home.

"Jayyy." Corey slurred. I had a feeling he was far from passing out, and yet he was too drunk to even stand. How...?

"Yeah?" We were in the bathroom, I was waiting for him to throw up or something, anything. I wasn't going to let him into the room because then he would make the floor dirty and I had no doubt I would be forced to clean it since I had been involuntarily but unanimously chosen to watch him.

"I... I... Kissed someone..." He slurred. I bit my lip. Why was he telling me this?

"Oh?" I questioned uncertain of what else to say.

"I'm sorrryyy." He leaned his head on my shoulder as he swung his arms around my neck. I tried not to fall back, he was pretty heavy, or maybe it was my small frame and lack of physical strength.

"It's uh... Okay?" I patted his back gently after steading myself on my knees.

"I... I like you... Yoouu... Yoouu're nice..." He mumbled.

"Uh... Thanks?" I gave an awkward smile. What was I supposed to say to him? Wait... He likes me? No, no. He's just crazy drunk right now.

"Wanna know – wanna know whyyy I... I don't like you?" He whispered. Well, he just said he liked me – wait what? I froze realising what he had asked.

"Sure," I said swallowing.

I tried to steady us as he leaned close to my ear. "It's not... It's nooot whaaat you thiiink." He whispered.

"It isn't?" I mumbled. I thought it was the fact that I was gay and mated to him.

"Nope." I almost burst out laughing when he gave a light boop on my nose before he sighed, "I..." He drifted as his eyes fell on my neck. "Is-is that a scar? Why do you have a scar?" I wanted to shout in frustration. He was just about to answer the question! Did drinking affect his attention span?! Well, obviously.

"No, no scar. You were saying why you don't like me." I said.

"I wa – was I?" He mumbled before he gulped. Ah, crap.

I shoved him around just in time for him to empty his guts into the toilet in front of us. I knew it was a good idea to stay in the bathroom. I rubbed his back lightly as he threw up before running my hand into his hair. It was messier than usual, it was soft and curled around my fingers. I pushed it back so his forehead was clear of hair and I could see his face completely. He looked like a mess... and yet... he was perfect. How could he be so perfect?

When he was done I tried to help him up but instead, he laid down on the floor pulling me down with him.

"Corey," I chuckled, "This is not your room –" I tried to explain.

"Shh!" He cut me off as he laid his hands on my shoulder, "I'm tired... teddy bears shouldn't talk when someone is trying to sleep." He mumbled.

"Teddy bears?" I asked, confused.

"Shh, bad Teddy!" He hissed. I shut up. He even sounded threatening when he was drunk, sleepy and cute.

"It's uncomfortable on the floor," I whispered trying to give him a reason to let me take him to bed.

I froze as his arms snaked around my waist and he pulled me against him.

"Sleep." He mumbled.

Well... I wasn't that uncomfortable now... I sighed taking in his scent and trying to ignore the smell of alcohol as I rested my head on his arm. Hopefully, he would wake up in a daze or I would wake up first before he reached his senses, but as for right now, I was going to take advantage of Corey's drunken state that seemed not to have a problem with me. I leaned my head against his chest and shut my eyes before I smiled as his arms tightened around me slightly. It felt perfect. I never wanted to move...

-----

I left the house after Sean had helped me put Corey in his bed. We had spent seven hours asleep in the bathroom, and when I woke up and walked out, I was attacked with questions about what we did from everyone, even Sean and Kaden wouldn't shut up about it so I was taking a walk to escape them.

I walked into what I assumed to be a shopping centre, it was crowded. I decided to get something to eat having skipped breakfast and walked over to a restaurant before finding a seat in one of the back corners, away from the windows.

As I began to study the menu while waiting to order, my phone rang and I looked at it. Joe. I wanted to answer it, I really did but knew that he was going to freak out about where I was, and then he would ask to speak to Kaden and I would lie saying he was busy and couldn't talk but Joe would know I was lying and then he would lose it because I wasn't supposed to 'wander off on my own in a place I didn't know'. See Joe, being an Alpha, was generally protective of everyone in the pack but with me, he was probably a hundred times worse. He was like a father to me, and I loved him but I don't think I would die if he relaxed a little. Then again, I got where he was coming from. My mom threw my father, her mate, out of our house when I was five because he was abusive. Not usually towards her, mostly me. Of course, she took him back a week later because he was her mate, but then it got worse and when Joe found out about it when I was ten, he kind of lost it, banished my father from the pack and now watched me like a hawk. I liked that he cared, but sometimes it was too much.

"Hello, I'm Stacy. What can I get you?" I looked up and smiled at a young waitress as I put my phone on silent.

"Uh..." I glanced at the menu and ordered the first thing I saw having had no time to look at it and being too shy to ask her to come back later.

"And to drink?" She asked.

"A Coke, thank you," I said.

"Coming up." She smiled and walked away. I smiled looking down at my phone and I wasn't surprised to see two calls from my mom and three from Joe in just a few minutes. They both needed to calm down.

"So," I looked up slowly as someone spoke, my eyes found their way to a boy's face. He looked around my age and was tall and skinny. Dark hair hung over his eyes that were so light they almost looked grey, he had spider bites on his plump lower lip. He was incredibly cute... "You're alone too?" He asked. Too? So he was alone? I smiled nodding. I wasn't with Corey. Corey hated me when he wasn't intoxicated. What was the harm in talking to a handsome guy that wasn't my mate?

"Yeah," I said and deciding to be courageous I added, "Join me?" My wolf felt restless within me, not liking what I was doing but I ignored him. I was just having fun.

He chuckled. "That was my plan," he slid into the seat before he held out his hand to me, "Finn." He said.

I smiled and as I took hold of his hand my smile got wider, he didn't smell or feel like a wolf. He must be a human which means there's no possibility of him wanting to hurt Izabella after using me.

"Uh... Jayden." I said.

"Nice to meet you, w –"

"Here's your Coke." The waitress smiled putting a glass in front of me. "Aw! You're with him? You two make such a cute couple!" She squealed.

"Oh, we-we're uh –" I felt my face heat up, "We –" I was saying.

"We do, don't we? Thank you. May I have a Coke too, please? And..." I let his order drift as I stared at him shocked. He just told her we were together. I had barely just met him!

"Coming up," the waitress winked at me before she walked off.

"We're not together..." I said slowly.

"Yeah, but it would be pretty cool if we were. I mean we make such a 'cute couple'" he faked the girl's voice and we laughed. I had an instant liking to him.

We spent way more time in the restaurant than we should have, talking and laughing. He was a few months older than me, genuinely funny and so interesting, I honestly almost forgot about my troubles with Corey. Almost.

He walked me home, I told him I was travelling and he suggested that he could come visit me. I wished he could, but he was human and not my mate. Joe would absolutely freak out if I let him visit.

"Two more days?" Finn asked as we walked.

"Yeah," I said.

"And then you forget we ever met?" He asked. I bit my lip. I didn't want that. I already liked him a lot.

"I guess," I mumbled.

"Then we'll just pretend we've known each other forever and have some fun." He grinned.

I smiled. "That'd be cool," I said as we reached the house's door, it was practically dark.

"See you tomorrow, Jay." He hugged me, I nodded and went into the house smiling until I caught a glimpse of Corey who stood leaning against the hallway opening frowning while directly at me.

"Who the fuck was that?"

*****