"Why is it so cold in here?" Shiro shivered, sinking into the covers more.

"Because that's the only way that you'll let me hold you," Jett chuckled, pulling him closer. They had been practically living in that bed the whole week. Shiro wasn't used to laying around all day. It made him restless, which made him not being able to leave the apartment all the more frustrating.

Jett did keep good company, though. He always seemed to know when something was wrong, or when he was upset. They had talked a lot that week they had been together. It was mainly about things like their past and their family and friends.

"I'm too used to having a whole bed to myself," Shiro huffed, giving in to the man who was holding him tightly. "I like to sprawl."

"Then sprawl on me," Jett pet his hair. He loved when he did it. It was a relaxing feeling. "I don't mind."

"It's not the same," he complained grumpily.

"You're really cute when you act grumpy like this," Jett laughed.

"No, I'm not," he frowned. He hated just how easily this man could make him blush. It was as easy as breathing for him. But before he could get truly angry with him, Jett would find a way to calm him down again and make him relaxed. He didn't know how well this worked against the curse, but the symptoms were almost completely gone now. Now he was simply enjoying having him around. He hadn't felt so connected to someone in a long time.

"Tell me another story," Jett said. "It's your turn this time."

"Well," Shiro wracked his mind for a memory. They had been doing this for the past week, just talking about everything they could think of. Whether it be politics or stories. "There's the time that Miki and Geo fought so long they made one of our trees fall down."

"One of the old thick ones?"

"Yeah," Shiro chuckled as the memory came back. "They always got at each other's necks. They still loved each other like siblings, but they fought quite a lot. I've had to stop it plenty of times."

"Why?"

"Because they have a lot of things that they've had to go through in their past," he explained. "They wound up taking their anger out on each other as a result. Jin's been helping Miki with it a lot while I focused on helping Geo through it."

"Sounds tough," Jett said, he sounded worried. "I hope they're doing okay now."

"I want to say they're doing a lot better," Shiro sighed. "I don't know for sure though. Geo always had issues with trying to find a good outlet for it. But Miki got better when she found her mate. I was hoping that would be the same for Geo."

He really did worry for his best friend. Geo was a brother to him, one that he had helped and had helped him for most of his life. They fought together, hung out together, and had plenty of long talks like the one that he was having with Jett. He knew almost everything.

Almost.

"You really have a bunch of stories of all of them," Jett said.

"Of course," he smiled. "They're all my family. Together, we are strong."

"I like that way of thinking," he felt lips gently slide across his neck. "You are going to tell me what's going on when you get your leadership, right?"

"I'll tell you everything," Shiro moved so that he could kiss the man's neck. He wished they could stay like that forever. He never wanted him to go since he came. Just the thought that he was going to have to leave that day was making him sad. But he needed to clean up the apartment and wash his scent off. He was planning on trying to get to the pack house early so that he might not gain his father's attention when he first walked in.

At the moment, however, he simply enjoyed the feeling of the bulky man that was as cuddly as a kitten. As much as Jett called him adorable, there were times when Shiro thought the other way around. It was cute just how much he wanted to hold him, even though it annoyed him the times that he was trying to get up to go to the bathroom or make something to eat. Jett said that he could try and cook for them at one point, but he didn't want to risk food poisoning. He knew his body could take it. He'd just rather not go through the discomfort of it.

"Do you think your father's going to try and postpone your ceremony again?" Jett asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"He won't be able to," Shiro shook his head. "Not without a viable reason."

"What was the reason for moving it the first time?"

"Later, Jett," he kissed him right below the ear. "I promise."

"Why do you have to keep so many secrets?" the man sighed. "I just want to help you, you know. I'm not trying to pry into your life. But even the greatest leaders need help sometimes."

"I need to do this on my own," Shiro told him. "Why are you so worried about me anyway?"

"I don't like how your father looks at you."

"That's just the way he is," Shiro said. "He's been that way ever since my mother died, from what I heard."

"That doesn't give him the right to treat you like he did the last time."

Shiro shook his head. Jett had no idea what his father was truly capable of. Only Shiro and Hiroko truly did. For there were some things they had kept from everyone else, even the ones they were closest to. Certain things that they only ever talked about between themselves. There was a reason why they had secrets. Secrets were what kept them all safe for the time being. And they just had to hold on a little bit more.

"I'm a lot stronger than you think," he kissed him again. "You shouldn't underestimate me. Too many people have grown to learn from that mistake."

"I just worry about you," he told him. "Isn't it reasonable for me to worry about my mate?"

"Until the worry starts to become something negative and eats you away," he told him. "Are you saying all of this because you have to leave today?"

"Partly," he answered. "I'm going to miss just how much you talk now."

"You act as if I won't talk at all after this," Shiro chuckled. "I'm not going to talk this way when I'm with my pack speaking about important matters, but I'm not going to take a vow of silence either."

"Are you at least going to be answering your phone?"

"Yes," he smiled. It was nice getting to talk like this, even though he knew it wouldn't last long. As soon as he walked out of that apartment, he would have to burry his emotions again and get back to work. It was going to be more difficult now that he had actually felt happiness. He knew that his rebellious side would try to come out of him and try to get him to do something that he'd regret later. The only way that he could quench it's thirst was by thinking about how soon it would be that he would gain his title. After that, it would all be over.

Sure, he had to wait a little longer, and suffer just a little more. But success is never given to the impatient. That's why they had waited so long for so many things.

But at the moment he merely enjoyed being able to be this free with his mate. He hadn't talked about such miniscule things in such a long time that he forgot just how well it relieved stress. He forgot just how much joy came from reliving these memories that he told, or by hearing the ones that Jett told him.

That reminded him.

"It's your turn," he coaxed him.

"Hmm," Jett smiled and closed his eyes, focusing on his thoughts. "Well, there's the time an incubus came."

"How long ago was that?"

"A few years ago," Jett explained. "He was trying to find a feeding source, and the dumbass thought that I was an easy target."

"What did he try to do?"

"He tried to fake a mate bond between us," Jett explained. "Basically, trying to trick me into thinking that he was my mate so that he could have me in the palm of his hand."

"Interesting," Shiro looked off into the distance, wracking his mind for more information on incubuses. "What did the fake bond feel like?"

"It was weird," Jett said. "It felt almost 2D, like those villains in kid shows. Nothing about it felt natural. Even his actions and what he said felt fake. And, when I found out that he was merely faking it, I was furious. I tried to kill him, but he ran off from my territory. Haven't found him or heard from him since."

"You might have chased him into our territory."

"Did you see him?!"

"Yes," Shiro remembered that demon. He was trying to hide in the shadows when they found him. Shiro didn't know how dangerous he was at first, so he vouched to be the one who went over to see him. "I believe I was fifteen at the time. He tried to seduce some of my warriors to no avail. I don't think that he believed I was their leader."

"What happened?" Jett looked down at him, his face showing concern. He was so dramatic sometimes. It was funny to watch. "Did anyone get hurt?"

"No," Shiro shook his head. "I warned him to leave or suffer the consequences. He pretended to leave, before trying to sneak closer to our pack house. We trapped him in a field of white lilies and lavender."

"White lilies and lavender?" Jett looked confused. "That's what traps them?"

"White Lilies are pure and innocent," Shiro told him. "And Lavender is used along with sage to purify places from demons."

"Huh..." Jett mumbled to himself. "I never even thought of that."

"This forest holds its own defenses from dangerous creatures," Shiro said. "There's even wolfsbane that grows somewhere in these parts. If you use them to your advantage, you can wind up destroying your enemies through nature alone."

"So, you basically let nature destroy the demon?"

"No. We let nature trap the demon," Shiro told him. "He was much too strong to die simply from those flowers. We just used that as a means to tear him limb from limb and burn him in a pyre."

"I can't believe that he went to your side," Jett shook his head. "I simply thought he disappeared. You have no idea how long I had the guard raised along out borders just because of him."

"I'm glad I could help," Shiro chuckled. "Although it might have been better if I had told you about it rather than simply killing him."

"Please tell me that your reign is going to be better at communicating," Jett groaned. "You have no idea how frustrating your father is when it comes to trying to do anything as a team."

No. He knew plenty of that. He knew everything about his pack, all the good and bad as well as the things that needed to be improved. He had wished that his father had collaborated more with their neighbors. It was frustrating trying to fight off all of the creatures that came to their territory by themselves. They had to make sure that they caught and killed them before they left their territory, just so that they wouldn't go into one of their neighbors. Shiro had made do with traps and different ways of tricking them, but it would have been much easier if he simply could tell the neighbors closest to the enemy to try and corner them on the territory borders.

There were plenty of things in which he wanted to change, but the more he thought about them, the more impatient he got about getting his title. So, he buried that deep in his mind, only bringing it forth when he would put his ideas to good use.

"Let me go," Shiro struggled under that strong grip again. "I need to make something to eat."

"I swear," Jett laughed. "Your stomach is the only thing you listen to."

"You can't do anything on an empty stomach," he got up and walked towards the kitchen. "Hunger can cause a lot of downfalls, including a loss of productivity."

"You could just say that you get hangry and leave it at that," he could practically see Jett's eyes rolling from behind him. "There isn't a need to go all out with your answers."

"People listen more when you talk like that rather than speaking simply," Shiro said. "And, since most aren't intimidated by my size, I typically have to find other ways to get their attention and respect."

"Come on, Shiro," he put his arms around him, hugging him from behind. "You aren't that short."

"For a man, I am," Shiro told him. "And you have no idea how many times people have told me that on a regular basis." He made the food quickly and filled up some plates with it. At times when he was really hungry, he liked finding recipes that were quick to make as well as filling.

"Well, I'll never disrespect you," Jett told him, grabbing a plate. "So, you don't have to talk like that with me."

"It's more of a habit with you," Shiro smiled. "Now eat."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Because then I'll have to leave."

Shiro sighed. He didn't want this to end either. He had lived alone most of his life, with only his servant to help him with some miniscule things. It had been so nice simply living with someone. To have someone to talk to right when he woke up. Someone who's calm breathing could lull him to sleep the same way that a lullaby would. Someone he could talk to about the small, unimportant things that stayed in his memory nevertheless.

He still didn't know what they were going to do when he became the leader. He hadn't quite thought that far. He had been so caught up in everything that entailed him gaining his title, that he failed to plan ahead for what would happen with him and Jett. What would become of their relationship? Would they have to live without each other? Both of them would have so much work to do and so many people to take care of. And then Shiro would have to bear the weight of telling him everything that had happened. All the ins and outs of his life that only Hiroko knew the whole story to.

He wasn't sure if he was prepared for all of that.

They talked a little more at the small wooden table, enjoying each other's company one last time. Shiro had a heavy feeling in his heart that made him not want to go home. A part of him wished that he could simply run away with Jett. He could live happy and simply with the mate that he hadn't known he wanted so badly.

He smashed that thought down as far as it would go. There was no way that he could leave his family. He needed to be there for them, as they were for him. But selfishness was such an easy thing to taint the mind with. It tempted him worse than an incubus ever could.

"You better call me when you finally get home, Prince," Jett hugged him. They were right by the door. "I expect a text at least."

"It won't be until tonight," Shiro chuckled. "I still have to clean up here first."

"You sure you don't want any help?"

"And get your scent on me some more?" Shiro teased. "No. I'll be fine on my own this time."

The curse had actually been lifted from him early. He supposed that having Jett there helped in more than one way. Now he was a day ahead of schedule. Hiroko would still be gone when he got home, but it would be at night, when his father would most likely be asleep.

He said goodbye to Jett and closed the door. It felt strange without him there now. It had only been a week, but he had already gotten used to him being by his side. He wasn't even sure how he was going to be able to sleep without him.

But it would only be for another week. He had to keep telling himself that as he cleaned every inch of that apartment. He didn't want any signs of what had happened there for when Hiroko came back. Shiro made sure to even clean the bathroom and the small kitchen. Then, while he was waiting for the sheets to be washed in the small machine they had for it, he decided to take a shower. He scrubbed himself until he was sure that there was no hint whatsoever to who he was with or what had happened during his week of absence. He would most likely bathe when he got home as well, just to be sure.

It was pitch black outside when he was finally finished with his work. The apartment was spotless, just like when he had first come. Shiro wished that he could have this apartment now. As he looked back on it, it held so many memories. Good and bad, he would always remember them. They gave him hope that it wouldn't be the last time for them; that things were only looking up.

He closed and locked the door, sighing as he did so. It was a short walk to the underground parking lot in which he had hid his car in the week before. It wasn't that long of a drive to his house. Shiro wished it were longer, actually, just to savor the last moments of freedom that he had. He could have stayed one more night with Jett. He could have let himself enjoy just a little more. But he knew that if he did that, he wouldn't have time to clean all the things that he did, or fully get all of his scent off from him.

The pack house was quiet that night. It was pretty late, and he was sure that most were asleep due to needing to work the next day. But there was something different about the house that he had grown up in tonight. Something in the air that made him on edge and alert. He didn't like the feeling he got when he looked at the front door.

Shiro parked in a dark parking spot, hidden by the shadows of the forest. Sometimes, it was wise to trust a feeling like this. Everything was telling him to run away at that moment, but he knew he couldn't. That would only raise suspicion. Instead, Shiro took all that was in his car and pockets and walked over to a specific tree. The tree was dark, which allowed for the secret compartment that was in it to be completely hidden in the foliage. Shiro twisted it to match a pattern that he had memorized. Once he had opened it, he poured the remains of his pockets into it. This included his phone.

He made sure to send Jett a quick text that he had gotten home, just so he wouldn't be so worried about him. It was late, and he was most likely asleep, but it would be something for him to wake up to at least. All would be well by morning, anyway. It always was.

After quickly closing it, Shiro turned back to the house. There were only a few lights on by the front door. Normally, it would look inviting to him, as it meant that he was somewhere of comfort. Right then, however, it looked ominous.

He could feel the aura that was behind it.

Shiro shut off his emotions and walked up to the door. With a simple twist, it opened. And, as he walked inside, he saw the person that he had been trying to avoid by coming this late at night.

"Good evening, father," Shiro bowed in respect to the man. "I hadn't known that you'd be awake so late."

"I hadn't known that your flight came in this late," his father said. His eyes showed nothing but suspicion. "You didn't exactly tell me when you were going to be coming in. That's not like you, Shiro."

"My apologies, father," Shiro bowed again. "I had been too hasty in my planning."

"Were you successful?"

"Unfortunately not, father," Shiro said. "I was unsuccessful in finding my mate."

"That's very unfortunate," the man stood up from his seat, straightening his back to look down at him. "Which pack did you say you were going to, again?"

"I visited two packs within the week," he told him, his heart racing. "The first was the Black Tooth pack, the second was the Blood Moon Pack." He had made sure to choose ones that were known for not communicating well in case his father had decided to try and check up on him.

"That's very interesting," his fathers voice sounded condescending. "Because I just got off the phone with both of them earlier today. For some reason, they told me that you hadn't shown up like I had expected you to."