Fate & Fur

@ BearGirl

A few days passed, and Aiden's misery was starting to rub off on everyone else at the pack house. James put in a valiant effort trying to get Aiden out of bed for more than just going to the bathroom, although his attempts failed. Eventually, after nearly a week of Aiden moping around and making everyone else in the pack house miserable, James finally decided to call Bailey, and see how she was doing. He wasn't surprised when he got sent to voicemail, but figured he'd at least leave a message and hope she heard it.

"Uh, hi Bailey, it's James.. No offense or anything, I hope you're doing ok and all, but.. when are you going to take Aiden back? Not that we don't like having him here with us, he's a great guy and alpha, but he's... He's being a real pain in the butt." There was a muffled argument in the background when a few other members of the pack tried to get Aiden out of his room, only to be met by a very upset Aiden at being woken up from his third nap of the day. James cleared his throat and hurried down the hall where it was quieter. "So, uh, not to rush you or anything, but just some idea of when he's going home would be great... Just text me, and I'll let everyone know... Also its my birthday next week, and I was wondering if you could make me some of those brownies you made for Cynthia's birthday last month? If not, that's cool too, I think we have a mix somewhere that I can figure out the instructions for.. Well.. bye, I guess. Aiden misses you.. We all do.." he sighed before hanging up to go help whoever it was Aiden was yelling at now.

@ katahdin

It took Bailey a few hours before she got the courage and the energy to listen to James' voicemail. She had been scared of what it could say, so many possibilities running through her head. Part of her worried that it would actually be Aiden. Though, when she heard James, she felt both relief and a pang in her heart. There was a part of her that wanted it to be Aiden... but it was better that it wasn't, that he was giving her the space she asked for.

Though when the voicemail was over, Bailey set her phone down in her lap and let out a small sigh. Even though James didn't outright say it, the boy was correct in knowing that this had gone on for too long. The first few days had been necessary for Bailey, to understand what Aiden had done, and to remind herself that Aiden was nothing like Sandra and the others. He kept the mate thing a secret because he had been worried about her. And, admittedly, Aiden had been right in not telling her at certain points, and how she would feel about it. But that still didn't excuse that Aiden should have told her, and done it earlier.

But the situation quickly shifted for Bailey, after those first two days. She started to get too worried and scared to reach out to Aiden to come home. At first, she grew scared that Aiden would be upset when he came back. And she was worried about what being a mate meant for her. He avoided telling her because he was scared of pressing her, but she did feel pressured by it...Then there was the fact that she realized that she was in love with Aiden. Bailey deeply missed him, and thinking about their relationship made her confront what she had been having a hard time admitting, she was in love with a werewolf. And she had no idea what that really meant for either of them.

It was time she stop hiding though. Perhaps she keep the whole in love thing for a different time. But it was time for her to let Aiden back home. She missed him terribly and hiding away in fear would just make it worse. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too mad about her waiting a whole week. Bailey rubbed her face a bit before picking up her phone and sending Aiden just a small text. 'Can you come over to the apartment tomorrow to talk?

@ BearGirl

When Aiden got that text from Bailey, it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He read it probably a hundred times before replying, half convinced that this was some sort of dream, that he'd imagined it. But it was really Bailey, asking him to talk to her tomorrow at their apartment.

'Of course. What time?'

He spent the rest of the afternoon washing his laundry and bathing, having really let himself go the past week. He'd been miserable without Bailey, and hadn't known what he'd do if she rejected him. He supposed it was still a real possibility, but he'd do anything to prove to her he was worth it. He'd do anything for her. The next day he stood outside the door of their apartment fifteen minutes early, pacing up and down the hall anxiously. He'd thought the walk here would have taken longer, but he was too excited to see her again. He'd missed her so much.

When she opened the door he looked like a deer caught in headlights, nearly tripping over his own feet as he came to a stop, staring at her with wide eyes. He took her in, checking her for any injuries or obvious signs of her mood, shoulders relaxing when he saw that she was alright. He ran his fingers through his hair before running his hand down his face, fingers scratching against the stubble growing on his chin, the man having not bothered shaving before coming over. No one had had a proper razor, anyway.

"H-Hi, Bails.." he murmured, offering her a small but nervous smile. "Am.. Am I allowed in?" He asked after a moment, gesturing to the apartment behind her. "I can stand in the hallway too, if you'd be more comfortable.. It's pretty nice out here, anyway."

@ katahdin

Bailey looked over at Aiden a bit nervously as she opened the door to the apartment. But, as he started to speak, she could feel most of her worries float away. Aiden didn't seem mad or upset in the least. And seeing him reminded her that the mate situation didn't have to change much if she didn't want it to. She wasn't sure what she wanted but Aiden would never pressure her. And knowing that calmed her.

In truth, the moment she saw Aiden, Bailey wanted to leap into him. She had missed him terribly, but she didn't want it to get washed away too quickly before they could talk. "Yes, you are allowed inside," Bailey told him gently before she opened the door and moved to the side to let him in. She offered him a little smile, hoping that it would calm Aiden's obvious nerves.

Once they were both sitting down in the living room, Bailey shifted a bit uncomfortably before speaking. "It took me some time before I was able to understand," Bailey told him softly. "But I feel like I do now. I agree that there were times that it was best you didn't say anything, like in the hospital or right after the fight with Sandra. And you were right to worry that I would feel a sort of way when I found out. But, honestly, I am still upset with you. I mean it's been so many weeks since the hospital. And that everyone in the pack found out before I did doesn't feel good. I feel like there were points in between both of those situations for you to be honest with me."

Her head dropped slightly. "I just want you to tell me the truth, especially regarding wolf things that involve me. I can understand wanting to wait for the right time but at some point, you have to just tell me, even if the time isn't right."

@ BearGirl

Aiden's shoulders relaxed when she invited him in, nodding a bit as he walked through the door and went to sit on the couch. He made sure to sit as far away from her as possible, despite wanting to be right next to her, in case she was going to tell him that she didn't want to be with him anymore. He hung his head again as she began to speak, knowing she had a right to still be upset with him. But at least right now she didn't seem angry, which was something.

"I know.. Everytime it felt like the right moment to tell you, something went wrong, or I got scared, and just couldn't... If it makes you feel better though, I didn't tell any of the other pack members, they figured it out themselves, but I'm still sorry." He apologized, looking up at her with a frown as she began to speak about not trusting him, begining to panic a bit.

"I've never lied to you, Bailey.. Well, maybe that one time when you made that cherry pie and I told you it was really good when I thought it was really bad... But I've never lied to you about big things. I never thought to mention the whole mate thing before the hospital, cause it's rare, and I didn't think it would be relevant to us, and then after the hospital, there was so much going on, and I was scared you'd reject me again, like after you found out about me being a werewolf and everything..." He frowned, hanging his head again. "We don't have to do anything about the whole mate thing, if it makes you uncomfortable. We can just keep being... Whatever it is we are, and I'm fine with that, honest."

@ katahdin

Bailey's eyes softened as she looked over at Aiden. His words did make a lot of sense, and some of the things that he was explaining did make her feel better about the situation. "Just promise you'll be honest with me." She told him before she scooted closer to Aiden on the couch. Reaching out, Bailey took his hand into hers. It had been difficult not to touch Aiden, to not just crawl into his lap. Though now that they were beginning to get onto the same page, she felt good about reaching out. Bailey wanted to be close to him, but she also wanted to reassure Aiden that she wasn't as furious as she had been a week prior.

"If you would have just been honest with me about being your mate, it wouldn't have been like this. I probably would have freaked out a little but not kick you out of the apartment levels of freaked out. I...I care about you so much Aiden. I just want to be with you." Bailey slid a little closer to him, gently squeezing Aiden's hand. "And the mate situation doesn't make me uncomfortable. I still find it a little confusing but I think that is because Tiff and the others didn't explain it very well. But, what would we do about the mate situation? I mean, from my understanding, you feel... bonded to me some way? Is that right? So what would you want to do? If I would agree to it all, what would you want?"

A little smile came over Bailey's face as she looked him over. "And, I know we never really talked about it. But I have been thinking that you were my boyfriend this whole time. Or do you not think that?"

@ BearGirl

Aiden nodded quickly as she asked him to promise to be truthful. "I swear Bailey, I'll be honest with you. Even about your bad pies." He smiled a little as he looked at her, relaxing as she scooted closer to take his hands. He squeezed them tightly, struggling to keep himself from pulling her into his arms and never letting go.

He nodded a little as she spoke about the whole mate situation, knowing he'd need to explain it to her. "Well, for one thing, wolves mate for life. Once we mate, we're bound to that person, and will never really love someone th same way again. It's possible for mated wolves to find love elsewhere, but that bond is always going to be the strongest thing. And you don't just get to choose who your mate is, although you do have to have feelings for them before it happens, although sometimes that can be two wolves passing on the street and one of them thinking the other is attractive, and then the bond snaps into place. It's different for everyone. And sometimes you can be with someone for a while, but then something happens and that's when it snaps into place, like when I found you before the hospital, and thought I was going to lose you." He frowned a little, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair gently.

"Usually the female has to accept the mating bond by serving the male some sort of food, which is why I'd been careful to serve myself ever since the hospital." He explained, looking at her. "You don't have to accept it if you don't want to. Especially because you're human, it's not like you feel the bond like I do... I don't even know if you can feel it, to be honest. I just want you to be happy, Bails." He smiled a little, nodding as she said she thought of him as her boyfriend. "I like to think of myself that way too.."

@ katahdin

A little laugh left her lips as Aiden swore that he would be honest with her, even concerning her bad pies. He really knew how to lighten a situation up and she was thankful for that. Though, she looked up at Aiden gently, still wanting a little information. "What would happen if I do accept it or if I don't?"

Bailey held onto his hand a little tighter, her thumb beginning to lightly run along the side of his hand. "I mean, it just sounds like I could just accept it and it doesn't really change anything. You're still bonded to me either way, right?" She paused for a little moment before continuing on. "Does it affect you, knowing that I probably can't feel the bond? It just sounds like I won't be able to feel the exact way that you did, you know? I mean unless it is just a way to make sure you can't leave me." Bailey teased lightly at the end.

She scooted a little closer before she was able to lay her head on his shoulder. Bailey let out a small hum. "I want to accept it, Aiden. I just also want to make sure that I am not accidentally agreeing to something I don't understand. I want to do right by you."

@ BearGirl

Aiden relaxed even further as he heard her laugh, smiling at her as he drew her closer. "Well, if you don't accept it, then nothing really changes.. I'll still be mated to you, but you wouldn't feel anything, I guess. Honestly, I don't really know how it works when a wolf is mated to a human. It doesn't happen very often." He watched her thumb brush over his skin, smiling a little. "In wolves, if you accept it, it's like we'd be linked by a chain or a string. You'd always be able to feel me, and I'd always be able to feel you. We'd have a stronger emotional link as well. And, usually, when someone is mated to an alpha, they're expected to take on some responsibilities within the pack.. Usually just helping around where possible, talking to people, that sort of thing.. Technically, also giving the alpha pups, but that's a whole other conversation that we don't need to worry about right now."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she rested her head against his shoulder, wrapping his arms around her securely as he pulled her close. "I missed you, Bailey.." He whispered into her hair, nuzzling his nose against her head with a little sigh. "I'd be honored to have you as my mate, Bailey. But I don't want you to feel pressured into any of the things that usually goes along with it. My pack might not understand if you don't do certain things, and even though it's none of their business, with so many new pack members, it might be hard for them to adjust.."

@ katahdin

A strong feeling of relief and love washed over Bailey as Aiden wrapped his arms around her tightly. She always felt so safe, comfortable and warm in Aiden's arms. It seemed that nothing could really be better than that. Bailey slowly moved herself into his lap, leaning into Aiden as she did so. Her arms moved to his sides, her fingers wrapping around his shirt as she held Aiden. "I wish I would have texted you to come back sooner." Bailey whispered into him. "I just became scared that you would be upset." Bailey let out a little sigh. "Luckily James' voicemail snapped me out of it a bit."

"It will be interesting to find out if any of it happens, the normal mate things, in the least." Bailey was quiet for a moment before continuing on. "I want to accept it, Aiden. It sounds really sweet, being able to have that link with you, if I can feel it that is. The whole pups thing is certainly a topic for a different day. But as for helping with the pack, I want to. They really help me feel safe. And I have been spending more time with them the last few weeks and I already feel so close to them. There are things that confuse me a lot but... I want to become more a part of the pack. I don't know how much I can help you with but I'll do it. Plus, I know you've been overwhelmed since the new additions." Bailey looked up at Aiden with soft eyes. "Though I want to just help with the original pack until we're sure that none of Sandra's old pack has any harsh feelings, if that is okay."

@ BearGirl

Aiden peppered kisses across her face as he held her close, not planning on letting her go for a long while. "I'm not upset. Sure, I wished you told me to come home sooner, but I know you needed time to think about everything, and I didn't want to rush you into deciding anything." He murmured, pressing a few kisses along her jaw as his arms tightened around her.

He looked at her when she said that she wanted to accept the mating bond, eyes studying her closely to make sure she was serious before his eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his lips as he hugged her closer and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. "I'm happy to hear that, my love. I'm sure James will be happy to know you want to be my mate, and help with the pack.. I bet he wouldn't survive without your baked goods." He teased, pressing a loving kiss to her lips, resting his hand against her cheek as he looked at her. "You really want to be my mate?" He asked softly.

@ katahdin

A warm giggle left Bailey as Aiden buried his face into her neck. She could feel Aiden's grip on her tightening, which only caused Bailey to try and hug him as tightly as she could. Which, admittedly, was not nearly as strong as Aiden's hugs could get when he was overexcited. "I think James will just end up following me around like a puppy if I feed him enough." She joked lightly back. Though any thoughts of the members of his pack were quickly out of Bailey's mind as he kissed her.

Bailey fully melted into Aiden, gently kissing back. She missed those lips. Her eyes slowly opened back up as he pulled back. Her head leaned against his hand that caressed her cheek softly. As he spoke, Bailey looked to Aiden, love filled in her eyes. "Yes, I do." Bailey whispered back before leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his cheek. She then pulled away slightly and looked to Aiden gently. "We might want to consider when we make this official though. I know the pack is going through a lot so their alpha now officially having a mate might be overboard. Especially for the new members. But I'll let you decide when we should because you know them best."

That was part of the reason why Bailey wanted to hold off, to make sure that the pack will have a chance to adapt to all the new changes. But, also, she thought it might be best to tell Aiden she loved him before he found out through their new connection. If he did find out through it, she would be fine with it but Bailey wasn't quite ready to say it to Aiden. Especially not that moment, but she would do so soon. At most, two weeks.

@ katahdin

A warm giggle left Bailey as Aiden buried his face into her neck. She could feel Aiden's grip on her tightening, which only caused Bailey to try and hug him as tightly as she could. Which, admittedly, was not nearly as strong as Aiden's hugs could get when he was overexcited. "I think James will just end up following me around like a puppy if I feed him enough." She joked lightly back. Though any thoughts of the members of his pack were quickly out of Bailey's mind as he kissed her.

Bailey fully melted into Aiden, gently kissing back. She missed those lips. Her eyes slowly opened back up as he pulled back. Her head leaned against his hand that caressed her cheek softly. As he spoke, Bailey looked to Aiden, love filled in her eyes. "Yes, I do." Bailey whispered back before leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his cheek. She then pulled away slightly and looked to Aiden gently. "We might want to consider when we make this official though. I know the pack is going through a lot so their alpha now officially having a mate might be overboard. Especially for the new members. But I'll let you decide when we should because you know them best."

That was part of the reason why Bailey wanted to hold off, to make sure that the pack will have a chance to adapt to all the new changes. But, also, she thought it might be best to tell Aiden she loved him before he found out through their new connection. If he did find out through it, she would be fine with it but Bailey wasn't quite ready to say it to Aiden. Especially not that moment, but she would do so soon. At most, two weeks.

@ BearGirl

Aiden absolutely beamed as she kissed his cheek and confirmed that she really did want to be his mate. He was overjoyed, and was willing to release her long enough for her to grab something from the kitchen and offer it to him in order to make it official, but when she said that she wanted to wait a while before making it official he nodded in understanding. It would be a lot for the pack to handle, and with things nearly smoothed out between the two, it would only take a few more weeks before everything was back to normal. Or at least he hoped. And in that time, he could tell people a few at at time that Bailey had agreed to become his mate, starting with James, of course, and perhaps even organize a party to celebrate on the day it became official.

Of course, Aiden would make sure that they were both home and alone when Bailey finally accepted the bond, as most newly mated pairs tended to be a little bit single minded for the first few days after mating. Some didn't leave their rooms for weeks. Aiden had already proved to her that he could go all night, but for days? He could only hope that they'd be able to keep up with one another's wants.

Pressing one last kiss to her lips he finally loosened his grip on her, although he tucked his head back in against the crook of her neck again with a content sigh. "That will work for me, my love. It leaves us time to sort things out as well, for you to ask questions and to maybe start helping out around the pack house some more if you want."

@ katahdin

Bailey let out a little giggle as Aiden was quick to press his face against her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck loosely. Her hands moving into his hair and lightly running her fingers along his scalp. Her head rested against the top of his as she let out a happy little hum. "I just think it would be better for the pack if we waited a few weeks," Bailey whispered to him. "But once they are settled, I want all of your attention for a few days."

Leaning down, Bailey pressed another kiss against his lips before nipping his bottom lip lightly. She then came back up and leaned into Aiden completely, burying her face into his chest. "I missed you so much," Bailey told him as she wrapped her arms around him, letting out a small sigh of content as she did so. "And I can start helping out at the packhouse. You'll just need to tell me what I should do." Bailey was quiet for a moment before continuing on. "Maybe we should go by tomorrow, I could bring some treats. It sounds like they were having a bit of a rough time with you for the last few days." Bailey teased lightly.

@ BearGirl

Aiden groaned faintly as she nipped his bottom lip, returning her kiss happily as he held her in his arms. By the time she leaned into him completely he had shifted to lay down on the couch with her in his arms, wanting to be as close as possible to her. "I missed you too, Bailey. And don't worry, you'll get my full attention soon enough." He grinned, pressing a loving kiss to her lips before rolling so that he was on top of her, burying his face in her neck as he let his weight rest against her. He wasn't letting himself crush her or anything, but he definitely wouldn't let her go anywhere.

"I was being perfectly reasonable. I thought you hated me and that I'd never see you again, I think wallowing in my room was the appropriate thing to do. They were the ones bothering me." He mumbled, although he was smiling, sitting up a bit to play with her hair.

@ katahdin

"I better," Bailey whispered back, a teasing smile now on her lips. She was desperate for Aiden's attention at this point. As he pressed a kiss against her lips, Bailey gently kissed back. Though soon she felt Aiden rolling them both until he was on top of her. The young woman let out a pleasant hum as Aiden buried his face into her neck and rested against her. With Aiden resting on top of her, Bailey did find that she wouldn't be able to slip away from him easily. Though she didn't mind, she wanted to be as close to him as possible.

Reaching up, Bailey started to lightly brush her fingers along the side of his face, tracing along his features gently. "I could never hate you. I was just upset." Bailey assured him. "But, you are right, that is a very reasonable thing for you to do. I would have been the same way." Though as Aiden started to play with her hair, Bailey leaned her head into his hand as she closed her eyes. "I love it when you do that." She murmured.

@ BearGirl

Aiden leaned his head into her touch as she brushed her fingers across his cheeks, humming happily as he smiled down at her. "Thank you for agreeing. You'll have to tell James that, so he'll stop making fun of me for it." He chuckled, although a slow grin spread across his face as he watched her lean into his hand as he played with her hair, her confirmation that she liked it only making him happier. And also giving him ideas.

"Hmm. You do?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair gently as he leaned down to pepper kisses along her jaw and neck. Although, after a few moments of that the gentleness disappeared, and he gripped her hair and tugged it so she revealed more of his neck to her, biting the newly exposed skin gently. "Do you like it when I do that?" He murmured against her skin, kissing his way back up to her lips.

@ katahdin

"Hmmh," Bailey gave him a small nod to Aiden, relaxing more as he started to kiss down her jaw and neck. She let out a small pleasant hum as her body started to melt into the couch. Though that quickly changed as Aiden tugged her head back by her hair and started to bite her. A gasp left her lips, surprised by the sudden change but it was quickly followed by a long, breathy moan. "Yes, I like that too."

Bailey started to shift underneath him as she started to feel a need tugging at her. As he pressed his lips to hers, Bailey kissed back and nipped at his bottom lip. Slowly, her legs started to wrap around him, her skirt beginning to ride up her legs. She pressed her hips to his as her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, pulling Aiden close to her. After a moment, she pulled her lips away from him slightly to whisper. "I love it when you're rough with me."

@ BearGirl

Aiden smirked as he felt her shift underneath him, his hands moving up her thighs to push her skirt up further so he could grind his hips down into hers without the extra fabric in the way. He was already quite hard, and he wanted her to feel how much she turned him on. He hummed against her lips as they kissed, keeping their bodies pressed close. He'd missed her so much the past week or so, and now that he knew that she wanted to be his mate.. He'd be surprised if he got any work done over the next few weeks.

"Mmm. You know that wolves are possessive, right, Bailey?" He murmured between kisses, reaching one hand down to begin to tease her through her panties. "That means you're mine, Bails. No one else's. You belong to me." He growled soflty before kissing her deeply, nipping at her lips as he pulled her panties aside to slip a finger into her.