Wolf Chase [25]

Massie hummed with interest and smirked mischievously at the man beside her. "Go ahead wereman, I'm all ears."

"Pigging-back on what James has already informed you, the fact that you have matura means you are not only a woman able to mate with a werewolf, but that you also have a higher chance at producing female children—something that is difficult for typical werewolf partners to make," he started, slowing down as they reached a stop sign. One of the things Massie admired of him was his smooth driving, he wasn't reckless nor prone to speeding. How... attractively responsible.

"Yes, I remember. You need more babymamas," Massie joked, recalling Noah's statements the day they first told her of what she had.

Massie noticed him roll his eyes, she could tell he was minorly grieved at the memory of Noah's brashness. "If you want to word it that way, sure. On top of that we tend to be highly drawn to women with matura, which is rather odd, but for you this means—"

"Why is that odd?" Massie interrupted. To her it made sense that they would be attracted to her if she could have their babies. Weren't they into mating and such?

"Because you are weak compared to a she-wolf." Sebastian said matter-of-factly, as though the answer were obvious. "Our wolves are usually drawn to someone who is compatible to us in strength, while also possessing the ability to calm us."

Massie smiled at his last statement. "Aww, at the end of the day the big bad wolf just wishes to be tamed," she cooed.

Sebastian's featured contorted into one of distaste, clearly displeased with her interpretation of his words. "No, not tamed." He disagreed. He then shook his head, as though figuring he did not want to delve into that any further. "It's odd because regardless of how strong or weak the wolf is, he will still be drawn to you. That being said—with your overly-friendly disposition, you need to make sure you are not sending the wrong signal to a wolf. You don't want to accidentally make him think you're open to him mating you."

Massie lifted a brow, finding it ironic how the very man she was making it plain she wanted was telling her this. "Sebastian. I believe I make it clear whether or not I want a man. In case you haven't noticed.

The male beside her seemed to brush off her statement. "It is especially important that you try your best to stay away from males while they're in a moment of heat. Our pack prides itself in high self-control compared to other packs. Nonetheless, it is good for you to be cautious by—"

"A male in heat? Isn't it the girls who get in heat?" Massie placed a finger on her chin. "I'm sure I read it somewhere in a werewolf book..." she murmured quietly to herself.

"No more interrupting." He said, annoyance slipping into his tone.

Massie crossed her arms, giving him the side-eye. "Well, excuse me for being an active learner. I need to know the things I'm asking you so that I can be a well-informed wife."

The car went into a screeching stop, causing them to jostle forward. "Wife? Who are you pursuing?"

Massie smacked her forehead, she was not going there today, not right now. "Just answer my question. I'm the student so I get to ask questions."

It was Sebastian's turn to give her the side-eye. "Males go into heat. When they do, they're more at risk to mate due to their escalated sexual impulses. Its short and happens rarely, usually lasts two to three days about once or twice a year. We keep to ourselves during that time to avoid touching women as much as possible," he answers.

"Did yours happen this year already?" She asked innocently, though her thoughts were anything but.

Sebastian eyed her wearily, seeming to not want to answer her inquiry. After a brief pause, he finally said, "No, not yet."

"So... who's the strongest female in the pack?" After thinking, she adds "That's our age."

Massie hoped she wasn't making it obvious that she essentially wanted to know what other girl in the pack was considered attractive by her strength, a strength that she herself did not possess.

"Keisha."

"Why haven't you mated her? She's strong and beautiful, not to mention it's obvious she likes you." Massie said bluntly, genuinely curious.

It was obvious to her that Sebastian was the head of the werewolves in his age group, he took after his father in the alpha genes, though he was not one yet. Why would a male like him not have mated with such a great pick like Keisha? As much as she didn't like the girl for her crude personality, she would have to be blind to not admit how gorgeous she was. And now, hearing how she was the strongest, it didn't make sense that the two weren't dating.

"That's none of your business," he answered darkly.

Massie put a hand on her heart, slightly put-off by his caustic demeanor. "Ouch, don't need to be so acidic, you're burning my heart Sebby." She rubbed her chest for extra measure. "There, there, it's okay heart. It's not you, it's him."

Sebastian clenched his jaw. "If you must know, my wolf is attracted to her, but not enough to want to mate her. He is especially conflictive as of late. Regardless, werewolves can't successfully mate until the age of 18."

To her dismay and pleasure, they pulled up to the front of his home. Dismay, because she wished to speak to him further. Pleasure, because he didn't just drop her off home. How perfect! She would get to see the rest of the Cult.

"In a nutshell, be mindful of no wrong impressions, and stay away from wolves in heat." He stated firmly. He paused, and then repeated. "Stay away. I'll make sure to warn you if I or anyone one else is in heat. I also want you to know, that just because a male is not in heat does not mean he has miraculous self-control. Mind the kind of clothes you wear, specifically the ones that show stomach." His eyes fell to the sliver of stomach her current outfit exposed.

The purple eyed beauty raised a brow, that was barely anything compared to the true crop tops she owned. This guy had no idea how truly revealing she could dress if she really wanted to. "The stomach?"

"An exposed stomach is a sign of submission, coming from a female it is..." He shook his head again. "Just be careful. I'm not so worried for those in our pack—they know better. Sometimes other wolves from other packs come visit, or if you ever encounter one in the future I wanted you to know."

Massie took a deep breath. "Well... thanks for all the info."

They exited the car and headed to his estate. Since Sebastian would be the one to drop her off home, she decided she would leave her gifts there. Better to enter the house empty handed than with things she could accidentally leave there. When she passed the door, she was ever-so-pleased to see some of the Cult waiting for her.

"There's the birthday girl!" Jordan cheered, picking her up and swirling her in a circle. Massie laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

Noah gave a loud wolf whistle. "You look stunning princess! We would have gone to pick you up, but this selfish wolf wanted to keep you all to himself!"

Sebastian rolled his eyes at his accusation. "I needed to speak with her on some important things without you interrupting with your useless banter."

Noah ignored him and chose instead to envelop her in big bear hug. Massie felt herself drown in his massive arms, but she relished the feel of them around her. She was so thankful to have sweet friends.

Noah pulled away from her and instead allowed a lazy arm around her shoulders. "Jayden is in the kitchen with Hailey. You can probably already guess what they're doing for you."

Massie jumped animatedly. "Food!" Already knowing her way she raced to the kitchen, the males on her tail. She knew that if they wanted to they could beat her there.

Hailey ran to her when she saw her, and her small arms wrapped around her in a familiar way. Massie bent and dug her face into her hair. "Thank you sweetie! It smells great in here."

The little girl beamed at the compliment and pulled her to where she was cooking. "We were trying something new! Its parmesan herb crusted pork chops with mashed potatoes!" Hailey conveyed, bringing her alongside Jayden. He looked ever the more composed twin, slowly mashing some potatoes.

"We're pretty much done, you guys can take a seat... By the way, happy birthday." Though it lacked the rambunctiousness of his previous friends, he gave her a sweet smile.

"Thank you Jayden." Massie hugged him appreciatively before joining the others at the table.

Jordan and Noah seated themselves beside her at either side. Sebastian across from her. Was it just her, or did he just clench his jaw? She easily dismissed it, her attention soon pulled away as the chef duo filled the table with food. Since it was her birthday, they allowed her to serve herself first.

"Move it Noah, I'm sitting next to Massie." Hailey commanded, her little form pulling on his hand to move a seat over.

The large wereman peered at her petite form and laughed, very much amused. "You're going to have to try harder and be much stronger to succeed in that."

Hailey glared, her eyes glinting with something dangerous that Massie never saw before. Was this the same Hailey? She never looked quite so...dangerous. Suddenly, she lifted her hand and Massie saw her regular nail transform into sharp claws. "I will rip you to pieces." She threatened.

Massie almost choked on her potatoes, which was saying much since they were perfectly smooth. This must be the dark side of Hailey that Noah had warned her about all those weeks ago. Perhaps those frightened babysitters weren't incompetent after all. It was just her luck that the little girl happened to like her. A lot.

"Noah, up." Sebastian charged, quickly taking Hailey's side. The corners of his lips quirked ever so slightly.

Noah grumbled under his breath. Words like 'unfair' and 'little monster' escaping into the air. He slid onto the next seat, eying the feisty youth with grim lips that said this-isn't-over. Hailey smiled triumphantly, taking her rightful seat beside Massie and serving her food in a rather dignified way. The purple-eyed beauty giggled behind her hand, finding this to be rather amusing and awfully glad she would never be a recipient of such harsh treatment.

Mid-way through their meal, James and Kristen joined them, having come from some outdoor task. Kristen sat next to her golden-eyed brother, and Massie was pleased to see Sebastian's eyes soften at the view of his sister.

"So you're the big one-eight now aren't you?" Kristen grinned, serving herself a rather generous helping that almost rivaled Noah. The girl could eat!

"That's right, old enough for Sebastian to give me the grown-up talk of the birds and the bees." Massie joked, making conversation.

"Did you know that aside from your ability to mate with werewolves, your kind is also compatible with vampires?" James disclosed. "They actually highly value your kind, seeing as their species has difficulty reproducing. It not uncommon for them to mark young girls who they find to have premature, and then finalize it when they're 18." He was the type that spoke with his hands, and judging by his movements, it was evident he found this information rather intriguing.

Noah scoffed, as though finding the idea repugnant. "Don't give her any ideas. She's sticking with us. We're way better than vampires anyway, right babe?"

To her surprise, the entire table peered at her curiously, genuinely eager to know her thoughts. Massie shrugged. "I don't think I've ever met a vampire before, otherwise I'm sure they would've marked me. But in any case, I much prefer you guys." At her response, Hailey enclosed herself under her arm, approving her answer.

"Actually, unlike us, vampires can't naturally sense when a woman has matura. They only find out by accident when they suck their victims blood," James elaborated.

One of her hands absentmindedly reached for her neck. Massie wondered what it felt like to be bitten by a vampire. Would it be painful? She would have asked them, but she knew they've probably never been bitten by one to know. Also, she had a vague feeling that any interest in vampires would make them grow weary, and she didn't want that. Besides, she meant it when she said she preferred werewolves. Her love interest was a part of them, and she quite enjoyed this family.

"My friend told me of a Winter Wonderland they host in school every year. Do you guys go?" Massie brought this up because she wondered if they estranged themselves from all school activities. She knew they refused to partake in school sports or clubs, but did they also keep away from dances?

Kristen shrugged. "Before I dropped out of high school I didn't go. This year I'll be going as James' date."

"Oh, you can bring someone even if they're not part of the school?"

Kristen nodded. "Yeah, as long as they pay for the ticket they don't have a problem. The guys usually go," she mentioned, her eyes shifting past the males on the table. "So I guess this year it will officially be all of us."

"Awesome! Do you all have dates?" Massie figured Noah and Jordan—what with their out-going and friendly personalities—would already have dates. Sebastian was probably going solo, she couldn't imagine him asking anyone to be his date, though with some minor prodding on her part he may be willing to ask her. One things for sure, for as much of a flirt as she enjoyed to be she would never ask a guy to be her date. It just wasn't her style.

Jordan stepped in to answer. "Only some of us. Jayden is going by himself. Sebastian is going with Keisha. Noah with some random chick in his class. And... I am going with you."

Massie laughed at how he so easily appointed himself as her date, which was a welcome distraction from the sting she felt at hearing Sebastian was going with Keisha, a girl he admitted having a pull for. Did he ask her out himself, willingly? Jordan was aware of her attraction to the brooding, golden-eyed wereman. She was thankful for his quickness in thinking of a way to not make her feel down at the news. She gave him a meaningful smile, and he returned it just as easily.

Sebastian cleared his throat, cutting through their moment like a sharp knife. "Once you're done eating I'll drop you off home."

"Aww, why does she have to leave so soon." Hailey whined, pouting ever so prettily. Then, her expression shifted, as though a lightbulb turned on and illuminated an idea. "How about she sleeps over in my room again?!"

"Another day." Sebastian dismissed.

For a moment, Massie almost expected her to pull the same aggressiveness she did when she disputed with Noah. Instead, she meekly nodded and went back to eating her food. Massie felt slightly miffed at his refusal, but quickly squashed that feeling down. It wasn't as though she brought extra clothes anyway.

The remainder of the meal was spent chitchatting about random things, they even asked her what she was doing with her family after this. Massie explained her family wasn't big on celebrations and chose that moment to express her thanks at their thoughtfulness even further. She never minded having an un-spectacular birthday but having them commemorate her birthday through a dinner and spending time was certainly priceless. Sebastian ended up driving her home much later than she anticipated. Even after finishing their food, they stayed in the kitchen to continue talking, Sebastian himself barely putting any input to the conversation of course. Did her mentioning nothing waited for her at home cause him to do this? She wasn't sure, but she enjoyed the moment nonetheless.

At last it came time for her to leave, and she kissed all of them good-bye, holding Hailey in her arms for extra time. Of them all, she was the saddest that Massie couldn't stay. When she entered Sebastian's car, they settled into a comfortable silence. Sebastian turned on the radio, and it went to the jazz station she introduced him to. The cheeky grin that made its way to her face could not be stopped.

"Why are you smiling?" His voice was inquisitive, and she was slightly surprised he had been paying attention to her at all. From her viewpoint, he looked very much concentrated on the road.

"Because the man who never listened to music while driving is now playing jazz." She admitted, giving him the honest answer.

"I see."

They returned to their previous lapse of silence.

Sebastian thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his shoulders tense. Massie wondered what was going through his mind. She refrained from asking. He would probably just tell her to mind her own business anyway.

To her surprise, he actually spoke. "Uh, earlier today Jordan told you I'm going to the dance with Keisha. The only reason she's my date is because I made a promise to her last year. Her and I are not romantically attached."

Massie had to stop herself from gaping. "Why are you telling me this?"

"...I'm not sure."

Massie positioned herself to better face him. His fingers were no longer hitting against the wheel, letting her know this was what had him slightly off. His omission had lifted a weight off her shoulders that even Jordan's kindness couldn't fix. For a moment, she had reconsidered her pursuit of him if he had his eyes on Keisha more than he let on. Did he tell her this because he wanted her to know he was still available? Of course, she'd be hard pressed to get him to admit that! He would totally negate it.

Before she knew it, Sebastian parked in front of her house. As she sought his face, he seemed distracted, his eyes darting everywhere else except her.

"Before you leave...here." He reached behind him, his long arm easily extending to the back seat. Hidden beneath his black jacket (which she had so carelessly threw behind there earlier) was a large bouquet of purple flowers.

Massie gasped. The flowers were the same, but offered various shades of her favorite color. Violet, magenta, lavender. The colors were beautifully arranged, it was the most gorgeous set she had ever seen!

Massie hugged Sebastian, holding him to her a few seconds longer than was necessary. She lifted her head to give him a kiss on the cheek, but immediately retracted as she remembered he told her not to do that anymore. She would respect his wishes. One hand reached for her gift bag and another laid hold of the handle.

Sebastian's deep voice stopped her before she even got to open the door. "I take it back."

"What?" Massie asked, confused.

Sebastian sighed, showing his unhappiness at having to explain his sudden outburst. "I take back what I said earlier today. You can kiss me on the cheek," he said grudgingly. It almost sounded as though it took him great effort to admit it.

Massie couldn't hide the self-satisfied smirk that graced her lips. "I knew you couldn't stay far away from my kisses for too long Sebby."

Feeling pleased with his admission, Massie pulled him by the neck and landed one on the center of his cheek, giving him an extended 'muah' for effect. When she pulled back, Sebastian glared at her, but she didn't miss the light shade of red that grazed his cheek. He had liked it! Before he could grow further annoyed and take it back, Massie pulled on the handle and wobbled out his car.