Illusions of the sunlight

Jane was thankful that Zayn couldn't see the smile on her face when he touched her hand, thanks to the darkness that also hid the fact that her cheeks were bright red. His hand was so big and warm, and it made her smile even wider. "Very lucky," she said with a nod, looking from Zayn to Evie then back at Zayn again. It didn't look like Evie or Liam were going anywhere just yet.

---

Liam didn't mind the sudden darkness, happy for the opportunity to get a little bit closer to Evie. He kept his arms wrapped around her tightly, even though it was obvious she wasn't frightened. "What would you like to do?" He asked as he pushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear. "We can do whatever you'd like."

Zayn wasn't sure how long he should leave his hand over Jane's, she wasn't pulling away from him which was a good sign but how long was too long? He wasn't sure, but if he could then he'd never take his hand away because he really did like the contact with his mate. Her skin was incredibly soft and warm, he wanted to touch more and have her body press against his. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he focused in on Jane. "Did you want to get some candles or torches?" He asked looking at Jane and he smiled when his eyes noticed the blush across her cheeks.

---

Evie looked at Liam and smiled, she knew Jane could be annoyed at her for doing this but she wanted her sister and Zayn to actually have some time alone. "Maybe we could go outside for a cuddle?" She suggested as it would give Jane and Zayn some time to themselves, while also allowing Evie time to cuddle with Liam without making anyone feel awkward or uncomfortable. She knew he'd agree with her so she stood up from the couch, "We'll be outside." She said simply before taking Liam's hand in her own and guiding him carefully through the house, she stepped onto the back deck and sat down on an outdoor sofa that was there.

"Yeah, that'd be good," Jane said to Zayn just as Evie and Liam were getting up from the sofa and heading outside. Jane was going to speak, but her sister was out the door before she could, which Jane was sure was no mistake. Evie either had specific plans to be alone with Liam or plans to have Jane be alone with Zayn, or most likely both. Jane looked back at Zayn with a nervous smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I guess it's just us then. I hope that's okay."

---

Liam didn't have a chance to respond to Evie before she was pulling him out side, not that he would have objected. He was sure that Evie had an ulterior motive that had something to do with Jane and Zayn, but he wasn't complaining. He was just happy to finally be alone with her.

When they stepped outside, Liam moved to the sofa to sit next to Evie, sitting on the opposite side so he was facing her with their knees touching. He reached out his hand to rub his fingers along her arm as he smirked at her. "So what do you have up your sleeve, Ev? And don't lie to me. I know you to well for that."

Zayn nodded his head as he stood up from the sofa, "Where are the candles?" He asked and walked into the kitchen once Jane told him where he could find the candles, "I really don't mind at all. As long as it's already with you?" He called over to her as he didn't want her to be uncomfortable if they were alone, he opened the cupboard near the pantry and pulled out a few candles along with some matches.

"We could finish getting to know each other, considering your assignment so rudely interrupted us." He joked with her as he did know that school and studying would be important to her, he was glad that she remembered in time and got it submitted before the power went out. He walked back over to Jane and placed the candles on the coffee table, he flicked a match against the packet and lit the candles to give them some light.

---

Evie smiled as she looked at Liam, "Nothing. I just wanted to give them some space, they came home really early so now they can continue to talk." She told him honestly as that was all she was up to that time, "Besides I thought you would want to have some time alone with me. If you don't want to, then we can go back inside where you can't kiss me or cuddle with me." She smiled as she already knew what his answer would be, she never expected it to be this easy to be in a relationship with Liam.

She did think that it could be weird after being best friends for so long, but it felt so normal and nature to Evie. She was kicking herself that she didn't do this sooner, but she had him now and she wouldn't let anything come in between them.

Jane was happy to have the small amount of light that made the room less scary. She was also happy to be able to see Zayn's face, because he was unnaturally handsome and she still hadn't gotten over that.

"That would be nice," she said with a nod, facing Zayn and wanting so badly to be closer to him. She knew it was too early to be developing feelings for him, though, so she tried to ignore her feelings. "What would you like to talk about?"

---

"Oh, no. I think I'll be just fine out here," Liam said with a smirk, as he leaned forward to press his lips against Evie's. He knew that he would never get tired of kissing her, being with her, knowing that she was finally his. Nothing about Evie could ever get old to him.

Liam pulled away from their quick kiss with his chest heaving up and down. He was hungry for Evie - hungry to be with her - but he knew it was too soon and he didn't want to push her too far.

When Zayn sat back down and looked at Jane, he was again taken aback by just how beautiful she was. The candle light really made her dark pretty eyes shine, "You." He blurted out before he realised what he had said, he hadn't meant to actually say that and he was embarrassed. Although he did want to talk about her, everything in his life revolved around Jane now.

"I mean, umm... I'd like to get to know you more," He explained himself and hopefully didn't seem like a fool, he felt like an idiot but he didn't want to hide the growing feelings that he was developing for Jane.

---

"Good," Evie smiled as she closed her eyes and kissed Liam's lips again, she looked at him when he pulled back. "I could really kiss you for hours on end," She told him honestly and reached her hand out to him, she gently brushed her finger tips along his cheek down to his chin.

Evie wanted to give herself completely to Liam, but she knew it was too soon for that and she wanted their first time to be special and when they were both ready.

Jane smiled at Zayn before she shrugged her shoulders. "There's really nothing more to tell," Jane said truthfully. She wasn't the most interesting person in the world, and she'd already told Zayn the most interesting things about her. She leaned in closer to Zayn, resting her elbow on the back of the sofa while she curled her legs behind her. "What about you, Zayn? Any deep, dark secrets you want to share?" She said jokingly.

---

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," Liam said with a smile, leaning forward to give her a quick kiss before pulling back again. He could feel his hormones racing through him, like the same deep pounding his wolf senses gave him. He knew it was because he was so close to his mate, so he had to lean in the opposite direction and take a deep breath to get himself under control. If this was how he was going to feel around Evie all the time, he didn't know what he was going to do with himself.

Zayn shifted slightly so he was facing Jane a little bit more on the sofa, he smiled as he knew that she was interesting and one day he'd make her believe it. "If I told you, then it wouldn't be a deep dark secret. Now would it?" He smiled knowing he'd eventually tell her about what he was, but that time wouldn't be happening anytime soon and he was thankful for that. He felt this burning feeling flowing through his body, he wanted Jane and his hormones weren't helping him control himself around her.

He wanted to kiss her soft sweet lips and rip the clothes from her body, he wanted to run his hands over her bare skin and leave marks on her neck with his kisses so no one would bother flirting with her. He cleared his throat a little and pushed those thoughts out of his mind, before he did lose control of himself. "I really don't have much else to tell you, I don't live an exciting life." He chuckled softly.

---

Evie smiled widely at the handsome man sitting across from her, she kissed his warm lips again and she just wanted to melt into a puddle from how he was making her feel. Her eyes focused on Liam when she noticed him leaning away, "Are you okay?" She asked concerned about him, she had no idea what was wrong but he did seem to be calming himself down which only made Evie even more confused. He wasn't angry or upset so he shouldn't need to calm down.

She moved onto the edge of her chair and took his hand into her own, "We don't need to stay out here." She told him softly.

Jane laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we're both just horribly boring people." She did that thing she always saw Evie doing, where she flipped her hair back and batted her eyes. She was almost positive she looked ridiculous when she did while Evie always looked gorgeous and seductive when she did it. She really was horrible at flirting, which wasn't exactly shocking considering how little experience she had with it.

Jane really just wanted Zayn to like her in the way that Liam liked Evie, though she would never admit it to anyone. She'd probably be sitting their for all eternity like Liam had, just waiting and smiling and staring and waiting some more.

---

"No, I'm fine, really," Liam said with a shake of his head, not wanting Evie to know what was going on. He could tell her that he was having trouble resisting her without telling her about the whole werewolf thing, but that would just make him seem like a horny teenager, which he wasn't.

"Just thought I hear a noise. It must've been Zayn and Jane," he lied, looking at Evie with a reassuring smile. He was going to have to get his feelings under control if he didn't want Evie to think he was a raving lunatic. There had to be something that could help him get his hormones under control that didn't involve actually sleeping with Evie, which was what he really wanted. Just the thought made him want to jump on top of her, so he leaned back and looked away from her, towards the door, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, it was definitely Zayn and Jane," he lied, "I'm sure it was nothing."

Zayn hadn't been expecting Jane to flirt with him, but he wasn't going to complain. He loved it when she flipped her dark hair back and batted her stunning eyes at him, she was only becoming more beautiful to him and it was causing him to struggle more with his hormones. "We are boring, but at least we can be boring together." He told her as he had the biggest urge to kiss her, he found himself leaning closer to Jane and he barely caught himself before he kissed her lips. He leaned to the side and kissed her cheek instead, he didn't want to move to quickly for Jane so he figured a kiss on the cheek wasn't a horrible thing to do.

He inhaled her scent and the fruity scent of her shampoo before he leaned back, "I've wanted to do that for a while." He admitted to her honestly, he wanted her to know that he was developing feelings for her. He didn't care if it was to soon for that, admitting his feelings was innocent and something that he hoped Jane would feel as well.

---

Evie watched as Liam looked over to the back door before she became interested in her sister and Zayn, "Do you think we should check on them?" She asked stretching up as she attempted to look into a window but she couldn't see the living room from where she was sitting, she wanted her sister to find love and be happy. Jane was so talented and creative, it was something Evie had always been jealous of. She couldn't draw or paint to save her life, she never understood art like Jane did and Evie had tried many times before.

"I really hope she's getting along with Zayn, then she can have someone to be with and we can go on double dates." Evie smiled as she looked back at Liam, she knew her sister always felt like a third wheel when she spent time with Evie and Liam. Maybe now Zayn could come along and keep Jane company.

Jane's heart began racing in her chest as Zayn leaned closer to her. She wasn't an idiot - she knew what that meant - and a smile crept onto her lips just at the thought that Zayn might actually want to kiss her. She let her eyes fall shut, imagining how amazing this moment was going to be, but just as she expected to feel Zayn's lips against hers, she felt them on her cheek instead. That had to be a bad sign. That had to be a very bad sign. She'd have to ask Evie about it later. She was the expert, after all.

When Zayn pulled away from her, Jane smiled back at him, nodding her head at him. "Well, I'm glad," Jane said, still smiling at him as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

---

"No, I'm sure there fine," Liam said, knowing that the last thing Zayn would want was to have them interrupting when he was finally getting some alone time with Jane. Liam had plenty of experience with that, and he knew just how awful it really was. Liam knew he would have to talk to Zayn later - much later - about the whole not being able to keep his hands off Evie thing, but that could wait. He was just enjoying being around Evie, even if it was making his body while.

"Zayn's a good guy," Liam said reassuringly, knowing how protective Evie was. "He'll treat Jane well." He looked at Evie with a smile, wanting just to be close to her. He leaned against the back of the sofa and propped up his feet, nodding his head in Evie's direction as held his arms out to her. "Come here."

Zayn felt disappointed that he hadn't kissed Jane's lips, but could he really lean in again and kiss her without her slapping him? He wasn't sure and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out or not, part of him wanted to keep their first kiss for a special moment but a larger part of him wanted to kiss her now. "How would you feel if I actually kissed you, this time? The power is out so it's not all that romantic or special, I can wait." He asked her as then he'd know if she wanted him to kiss her, he was praying that she said yes because he wasn't sure how long he could hold himself back for if she said no.

His eyes never moved from her's as he wanted to see how she was going to react, if it seemed like she was going to reject him them he'd apologize and hopefully they could move on from that. He really hoped that she didn't reject him though, it would crush his soul if his mate rejected him.

---

Evie knew that Liam wouldn't allow a bad guy to be around her or Jane, so Zayn must be pretty great if Liam had told her that he was a good guy. "I know, I just want Jane to be as happy as I am right now." She smiled as she left her sofa and stepped closer to Liam, she sat down on his lap and leaned against him. "I love being in your arms, I feel so safe." She smiled as she never wanted him to let her go, she seemed to fit perfectly in his arms and against his body which she never paid attention to before.

"When the power comes back on, what should we do?" She asked him as the power would have to be fixed sometime, although if Liam just wanted to stay there with her than she wouldn't mind. She was more than comfortable and didn't really want to move.

"You don't think this is romantic?" Jane said as she looked around the room and then back at Zayn. "We're sitting in a dark room lit only by candles. It's like something out of a Ryan Gosling flick," Jane said with a laugh as she kept her eyes on Zayn. She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers and have his unusually warm hands on her skin, but she figured she should be coy, because that was probably the advice Evie would have given her if she'd actually had the chance to ask.

---

"Well, we could probably just stay out here if you'd like," Liam said, breathing in the sweet scent of Evie's perfume. He'd be happy to just have her near him no matter what they were doing. "Or I could take you on a proper date, if you'd like." He had planned on doing that eventually, so he'd be happy with whatever decision Evie made. He could probably come up with something romantic for them to do on the fly, since he had been daydreaming about it since the moment he met Evie.

Zayn chuckled softly, "I wouldn't know. I don't want Ryan Gosling flicks, but I'll take your word for it." It was a little romantic, but Zayn was thinking about having taken Jane out on a great date and kissing her when they were close to each other. But he guessed this was a moment that they'd always remember, which is what he wanted because he'd never forget anything that involved Jane. He slowly leaned closer to her as he wanted to take his time, his left hand moved up to cup her cheek in the palm of his hand. His thumb lightly stroking her cheek bone, his eyes fell shut naturally as his lips pressed to Jane's in a kiss. Her lips were amazingly soft and tasted like a strawberry lip balm, his heart was racing in his chest as he pulled back slightly. "Can Ryan Gosling do that?" He said jokingly as a wide smile spread across his face.

---

"You know that I need warning before we go on a date, I have to get ready so I look extra good for you. So let's just stay here," Evie told him as she did like getting all dressed up, now she had a ready to do it more often. She always wanted to look good for Liam, she wanted him to be proud and she felt like she needed to look good for that to happen. She only felt that way from how an old ex-boyfriend treated her, of course she never told anyone about it, not even Jane. "We could take a walk later on or you could help me with studying," She smiled as she looked at him, she knew how much he hated it when she studied all the time. But she was studying to become an accountant, she knew how boring that made Liam but she loved to tease him about it.

Jane almost swore that she was having a heart attack. Her heart beating that fast definitely wasn't healthy. When Zayn's hand reached up to touch her face, it lit her skin on fire, and not just because she was so warm. His lips finally pressed against hers and she wished that moment could last forever, but it was over much too quickly. His lips were so soft and warm, like something she could just melt against, and she wondered if every kiss felt that perfect. When he pulled away, it took her a moment to catch her breath, but when she did, she smiled at him. "No, I don't think he could."

---

"Well, I think you'd look beautiful no matter what," Liam said honestly as he pressed a kiss to the top of Evie's head. In his eyes she was absolutely perfect. "Depends, what are you studying?" Liam loved that Evie was so passionate about her education. He pretended that it bored him, but the truth was that he was embarrassed because he knew he wasn't as smart as her and he didn't want to make himself look dumb in front of her. He wanted Evie to think he was as perfect as she was.

Zayn kept his eyes closed for a few moments longer as he forced himself not to pull Jane onto his lap, he didn't want to break their kiss but they both still needed to breath and he did want to make sure that Jane enjoyed his kiss. By the look on her beautiful face, she had really enjoyed his kisses. "I'm glad, otherwise I'd have to outshine him." He told Jane as he opened his eyes and he wouldn't stop until he did outshine anyone that she may like, he left his hand on her cheek as her soft skin felt like heaven against his. "Maybe the next time we go out together, it could be a date?" He asked as he assumed that she'd agree with him, considering they had just shared their first kiss with each other. He was going to make all their dates perfect, he couldn't wait to treat Jane like a princess because in his eyes that is what she deserved.

---

Evie smiled as she leaned into Liam's body, "I know. But I always like dressing up for you," She told him and shifted a little so she could look at him, "I'm learning about managing budgets and forecasts." She told him as she really just did think that her study was boring to him, she knew that he was smart and probably could help her a lot. She smiled as she ran her fingers through his short hair, her finger tips giving his scalp a little massage as she played with his soft hair. "Or I'll just do some study whenever you go home, not that I want you to leave anytime soon." She hated when Liam had to leave, she wished that he could stay over or she could stay over at his house. But her parents would have a heart attack if that did happen, even if Evie and Jane were older now.

"A date?" Jane asked, almost in disbelief, her head still reeling from having touched Zayn's lips. "I'd like that." She knew it was stupid, way too girly and so much like something Evie would feel, but she just wanted to be closer to Zayn and get to know him better. Everything about him seemed so wonderful and new to her, and she hated that she felt like some girl in one of those Ryan Gosling films. She wondered what kind of date they'd go on that didn't involve waking around a carnival with Liam and Evie. But she knew that whatever Zayn would have planned would probably be perfect.

---

Liam did happen to know a little bit about money, simply because he would one day be in charge of keeping the packs finances in order, but he didn't know any of it on the same level that Evie did. "I'll be happy to help you study," Liam said with a kiss, though he wasn't sure how much studying he'd actually be able to help her do if she kept looking at him like that. He really needed to find someone to talk to with experience with the mate-hormone thing, and he hated that it was probably going to have to be his father since Zayn was even more unfamiliar with it than he was.

Zayn really couldn't stop smiling, not only had he kissed his mate but she also wanted to go on a date with him. "Great, I'll plan everything. You don't have to worry about a thing," He smiled at her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his fingers brushing through her silky dark hair as he leaned in closer to her again. "All our dates are going to blow you away," He spoke barely above a whisper before he pressed his lips against her's once again, he just couldn't stop kissing her. His lings tingled whenever he kissed her and it was a feeling that he was becoming addicted to, she was like a drug and he never wanted to part from her. "I've never been more happy to have Evie and Liam leave us alone," He grinned as he gently rested his forehead against her's, just having her that close to him was more than enough to have his hormones run wild in his body.

---

Evie smiled widely when Liam agreed to help her with her studying, "You're the best boyfriend ever. But my studying can wait a little longer," She told him as she didn't want to stop cuddling with him, she pressed her lips to his cheek before she rested her head on his shoulder. Her fingers moved along his forearms gently and would sometimes draw a random patterns across his skin, she loved how his warmth surrounded her every time they were close to each other. She had never felt anyone so warm before but it was familiar to her and it could always comfort her, "I'm going to hate going to college now. I won't be able to spend time with you," She pouted her lips a little as college was still keeping her very busy.

[Sorry again this took so long!!]

Jane could never have imagined that kissing one person could be so perfect, but every time Zayn touched her, she was almost certain that there was nothing better in the whole world. That was absolutely something that she was going to have to keep a secret though, because Evie would probably just die if she told her and she didn't want to scare Zayn away by telling him how she was really feeling. "Me neither," she said with a smile, her breathing uneven as she sat so close to him. "Do you suppose they'll be out there all night?"

---

"Well, I could pick you up if you want. From college, I mean," Liam said, knowing that Evie would definitely have to keep going to class, lest she grow to resent him when they get older. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could, but he also didn't want to seem to clingy. He'd done a good job of not attaching himself to Evie so far in their friendship, and he didn't want her to get sick of him now that he could finally have her.

(No, that's fine. Don't worry about it.)

"I really hope so, I love it when it's just us." Zayn whispered as his thumb gently stroked her cheek bone, he hoped that Liam could keep Evie out of the house so he'd have more time with his mate. He'd do it if Liam was having a special time with Evie, after everything they had been through, Zayn wasn't going to let anything ruin this moment with Jane. So he leaned in again and pressed his lips against her's, he just couldn't get enough of kissing her sweet soft lips. This time he let their lips linger together longer, it was taking all his self control not to have her right there on the sofa. "Who knew the power going out was so good," He grinned knowing the loss of power gave him the confidence to make a move on Jane, it helped get Liam and Evie away so he wouldn't worry about them and could focus on Jane all he liked.

---

Evie smiled widely at Liam, "I would love that. But only pick me up if you have the time, I don't mind catching the bus." She told him as she didn't want him to go out of his way just to pick her up from college, but she really would love it. Then all the girls could see who she was dating and they could be jealous because Liam so handsome, she leaned closer into him and pressed her lips against his for a sweet kiss. Her finger tips moving across his scruffy jaw as she admired him, "You're so handsome." She whispered to him and smiled widely, "I'm so lucky to have you. Now everyone can be jealous because I have the most perfect boyfriend ever," She was beaming as she was just so happy.