Can't Love a Werewolf, Without Getting Fleas.

“Shaylee?” A soft voice woke me from my dreams.

“Shays? You awake?” It repeated.

I groaned in protest, but fluttered my eyes open nonetheless. Colton Sparks smiled at me from behind his shoulder. I realized what I thought was a pillow was really his back.

“Yeah, I’m..I’m awake.” I said, moving my stiff legs backwards, to release my stiff arms from around his waist.

“Sorry.” I said realizing how unattractive I must have looked, snorring and snoozing on his back. OH GOD! What if I drooled!

My cheeks flushed red, as he got off the bike. He held out his hand to me and I took it. I got off slowly, looking around.

We were in some sort of forest opening. The trees dark, but dimly lit by the moonlight, faint sounds of fluttering bat wings and owls in the distance. A pile of leaves that nit a path through the woods was laid out in front of us.

“Where are we?” I questioned, pulling the leather jacket more firmly over my shoulders.

“It’s a surprise.” His grin spread out across his face widely, like a little kid holding a secret.

His hand stayed glued to mine as he pulled me into the woods. I followed obediently, knowing that there was nowhere else I should or want to be really.

I shivered as we walked in silence.

“We’ll be there soon, and there’s a bunch of blankets already set up in there.” Colton explained, and I nodded, excited for the warmth.

“Thank you…by the way.” I told him, shivering again but for an entirely different reason.

He turned his head and smiled slightly, but it didn’t seem genuine.

“No problem. I can only hope he doesn’t gain consciousness ever again.” He joked. I chuckled, secretly hoping the same thing.

“Where was..uh, Blake?” He asked, running a hand through his hair and sighing.

“Drunk. Talking to some girls.” I couldn’t make my voice sound unhateful. I was beyond pissed at Blake.

“Well, I promise you he will regret it. If he even cares about you half as much as I do.”

My breath tickled my lungs as I held it. I couldn’t believe he just said that. Stupid blush!

I looked away trying to hide it.

We neared a little clearing and I looked up to lights flickering in a window. Right away, all of my dreams made sense, they clicked in my mind.

The treehouse.

I couldn’t prevent the grin from spreading across my face as I stared up at it. Magnificent in every way, more vivid that my dreams, and more beautiful than anything else I’ve seen in my life.

Wood paneling on the sides, a ladder hanging down off the side, the swinging kind that they launch off of helicopters. A big tin roof, nailed at the sides to keep it in place, and spray-painted a light brown color. Windows that had a coat of dust, most likely from the years that had passed.

“Our treehouse.” I breathed, and immediately recognized the fact that I had said our treehouse.

“Yepp.” His smile brightened, like the little kid with the secret had just been caught. I remember Colton and me building it as little kids, it wasn’t nearly as finished as this, heck it didn’t have a roof or windows or as many walls when we found it. Colton promised he’d do it up real nice for me, so we’d have a safe place we could always run to.

I guess he kept that promise.

“Did you build the rest of this?” I asked, admiring the craftsmanship.

His cheeks went pink. “Yeah. I promised you I would..so, whala!” He laughed.

I couldn’t help but gawk at it. It was perfect!

“Here.” Colton held out his hand to me as he climbed the ladder.

I took it as he led me up. The handles stiff and cracked, like I could get a splinter at any moment. And cold, can’t forget cold. The inside was possibly even better, still lined with wood, but they had pictures on them.

Pictures of Colton and I as little kids. Most of them with dirt all over our faces.

I’d seen myself before, in pictures spread out inside our home, but never did I seem so…happy. In every picture that wasn’t a goofy face, we were smiling like every day was Christmas.

“I don’t remember my childhood.” I stated simply, in a whisper. Not sure why I had just said that.

“You don’t?” Colton asked as he walked around lighting a bunch of candles in the little shack.

“Nope.”

“You don’t remember the time we went to the water park in the city over?”

I nodded ‘no’.

“That was a fun day.” Colton chuckled.

“What about the treehouse, you seemed to have remembered it when you saw it.”

“I know this may sound strange, but I can’t remember anything from my childhood. But I have these dreams. Dreams of you and me playing in the woods, of the treehouse, dreams of Blake and Brooke introducing me to videogames, to the higher and finer things in life, etc. But mainly of you…”

I trailed off. “You use to have brown hair.” I stated, gently stroking the picture nailed to the wall, crinkled with age. In the picture his hair was sure enough, brown.

“That I did.” He smiled.

“You dyed it?” I asked, intrigued

“Yes.”

“Why?” I stared at him intently as he moved to position the blankets lying on the floor.

“Uhm…well. Funny story actually.” He blushed, which was adorable each and every time he did it.

“I’m listening.” I prompted.

“Well you use to have a big crush on Gerard Way when we were younger, and after you…left, well I wanted to look like him, in your memory, so I dyed it.”

“That’s so cute!” I gushed, not being able to help myself.

He blushed worse. “Shut up!”

Colton ended up making a bed-like thing out of the blankets, as I shivered.

“Here, lay down in these, you’ll get warm.” He stated as he walked to the other end of the treehouse, which wasn’t that far. I could at least still talk to him.

So I snuggled myself in to the comfort of the thick cotton blankets, feeling slightly better, but still shivering like a maniac.

“Wow. You are cold.” Colton laughed huskily at me, sending a different kind of goosebumps up my arm.

“S-S-Shut U-Up.” I tried to say.

“W-Why a-a-a-aren’t you c-cold?” I asked, pulling the blankets higher.

“I never get cold.”

“Yeah right, w-what are y-y-you Jacob f-from Twilight?” I joked, but he didn’t smile. Rawr…I didn’t know he wasn’t a fan, geeze.

“You don’t remember the day you moved away?” Colton then asked, his brown eyes sparkling with interest.

“No…should I? I m-m-mean I know you g-got m-me that bracelet, b-b-b-b-but that’s about it.”

He nodded once. “I was just wondering.”

“S-should I b-b-be worr-ied? That I c-can’t r-r-r-rememeb-ber?”

“No! No, not at all, I’m sure it’s completely normal.” He smiled, reassuringly.

“O-okay.” I tried to smile, even though I didn’t believe him.

It became silent for a while, and I tried to close my eyes a little and focus on getting warm. Still, three minutes later I was still shivering.

“W-w-why d-did y-you kiss me?” I asked blushing, after I opened my eyes to only find Colton’s boring into me.

“Why not?” He smirked and my heart skipped a beat.

“Y-you said “I-it’s you, y-you’re here, in f-front of me, you’re h-h-h-here’.” I quoted him.

He didn’t answer me. “I didn’t believe you were the same brown haired girl from my childhood.”

Panic struck thorugh me. “T-the d-d-dead one?” I questioned.

His eyes went big. “No. Uhm, yes…uhm no.”

I glared at him. I could see his mind working, and I begged he wouldn’t lie to me, if somehow I died, then I think I’d like—no deserved to know how that actually occurred.

“Well you were attacked by wolves in the woods, and I carried you back home, and then I didn’t see you after that, so everyone assumed you died, but our little childish imaginations got carried away, seeing as you just merely moved to a different state.” He explained slowly, but I knew it was a lie.

He wouldn’t react that strongly to a simple wolf attack, like he did when we were fighting in the locker room. He was lying.

But something inside of me told me not to press the matter—not just yet.

A giant shiver took control of me and I convulsed a little on the floor, my teeth smashing together.

“Gah, are you still not warm?” He asked, uncrossing his arms and coming toward me. I shook my head ‘no’ against the pillow.

He walked over to his knapsack and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. “Change into this, it might be a little warmer.” He tossed them at me.

I raised an eyebrow. “Where am I changing?” I asked, while taking down my hair to let it fall onto my shoulders.

“Under the covers; here, I’ll even turn around for your privacy.” He said the word ‘privacy’ in a girly voice and we both laughed.

I did as I was told, and couldn’t help but feel more comfortable out of this itchy dress, but still cold. Very, very cold.

Next thing I know, once I told him he could turn back around he pulled back the blankets and I squealed. “A-a-a-are y-y-yo-you c-c-c-c-cc-cr-crazy!?!” I shouted feeling the gust of cold air bite at my skin. Stupid winter!

“Move over.” He instructed, and I did; my mind buzzing with what the heck was going on.

Soon enough, two big arms encircled me and I was pulled against a bare chest.

BARE?? “Did you take y-your shirt o-o-off?” I questioned, blushing horribly.

“Well yeah, it helps exchange body heat. I mean I can get up if you’d like.” He said as his warmth spreading itself across his skin and onto mine. I sighed heavenly as my body temperature raised.

“NO!” I shouted a little too loudly. How embarrassing.

“I like you here,” I paused, smiling wickedly to myself. “You remind me of Gerard Way.” I giggled as Colton groaned, laughing himself.

Our laughter died down a minute later, and I was staring to get my feeling back while my body stopped shivering.

Colton turned me over and couldn’t hide my excitement. I was facing him now, but I was desperately trying to avoid eye contact and staring at his chest…

“I’m so glad your back though. You really do mean so much to me, Shays.” He breathed, and I took in his musky, cologne scent. Ecstasy, that’s what he smelled like.

“I know this sounds weird,” I paused, knowing what I was about to say could either make or break us. “But all my life, I’ve lived thinking something was missing, and when I first saw you; when I found you…I felt…whole.” Which was the utter truth, nothing—and I mean nothing felt more like home then being back here, with Colton, and with my wolf. Sure this town had it’s downside * Cough, ANNIE, Cough * but I had good, dependable friends here, and my family was much more happier here. How could I complain?

He smiled, a goofy one that made his cheeks puff up on the sides. I chuckled slightly at him. There he goes being so adorable again!

His eyes locked with mine, in a sort of happy reminiscence. “Good.” He breathed before his head lowered down to mine. I panted a little, my nerves taking control of me. Colton’s hand made it’s way into my hair, tangling itself there. His warm lips seemed to melt like lava onto my own semi-cold ones. I shook under his touch as he pulled me hard against him. Our lips started out slow, our breath mixing dangerously, hormones rising. Before I had known it, he was on top of me; hovering, supporting his weight on this other hand, and his hair lightly brushing my face almost as if to wake me up to realize this wasn’t a dream. Our lips began to move faster, almost answering my unspoken question.

What I said hadn’t broken us, it had made us—whole, made us one.

His hand went to cupping my face, before we broke for air, me panting insanely, and him trailing soft wet kisses down my fair skin across my jawline and down to my sensitive neck. I squeaked when he hit a spot that made my back arch and my breathing hitch. He chuckled against my now hot skin and started to kiss it slowly, tantalizingly. I couldn’t control my hand when it shot up to his mop of black hair, pulling it gently. I bit my lip to hold back a moan and my back arched even more, my belly brushing against Colton’s bare one. His hand rested on my hip before it moved under my shirt. My heart thudded like lightning in my chest. Where was his hand going? Did I want it to go there? He made soft movements on the bare skin there, making circular motions as my own chills lit up beneath his touch.

His lips came crashing back down onto mine, and our mouths opened more and more with each kiss, before he paused to slip in his tongue. It’s warm wetness felt good against my tongue and cheek. I closed my eyes, letting my tongue explore his mouth as well. His hand grabbed ahold of the side of my stomach; all of this feeling like I’d died and gone to heaven. I never ever wanted this to stop.

It didn’t. He didn’t push it any further, even though I can’t promise I wanted it that way. But I respected him more for resisting, even though when I started to kiss down his neck and chest he gripped me hard and groaned, letting me know how much he wanted to just let go as well. We stayed like that a good bit before he paused, pulling me into him. Our breathing was ragged, but worth it.

“God, I’ve wanted to do that for so so long.” He whined, and I laughed.

“Can’t say I haven’t either. My dreams aren’t even as good as this, not even close.” I sighed, as I laid my forehead on his bare, warm chest that was slightly glinting with sweat—and not to mention completely and utterly sexy. His chin hit the top of my head momentarily.

“I have to get you home, it’s late.” He explained.

I complained immediately. “But, what if I don’t want to go home? What if I’d rather just stay here?”

“As much as I’d love to take you up on that offer, I’m a gentleman at heart… I know, surprising. But true.”

I sighed heavily, letting him know how much it bugged me. “Of course, I’d have to get the guy who’s a softie at heart.”

He frowned. “You like it.”

I grinned childishly. “I do.”

I hugged him tightly, and he buried his head in my neck, breathing in. “I’m going to miss this, miss you. The way you taste and smell.”

“I know, me too.” I breathed in heavily, trying to make my nostrils take his sent to memory.

“Blake’s going to kill me.” He laughed.

“I won’t tell him.” I promised, suddenly worried for both of our lives. I’ve seen him mad simply because I was found alone with him, I don’t want to know what he’d do to me when he found out we kissed. But somehow, it felt unreal—like it didn’t matter. I was so lost in this dream-like state I had here with Colton, I just wanted to forget about Blake for now.

“You ready?” He asked, pulling back the blankets and getting up to blow out all the candles.

“No.”

He chuckled out loud and smiled widely at me. “Me neither.”

*

Colton drove me home quietly on his motorcycle, I glanced over at the Cunninghams to see Blake and Brooke’s cars in the driveway and a light on in the house. I thanked him briefly, before he pulled me into him for a quick kiss and zoomed off.

I carried my dress and heels into the house; swooning. It was like I was floating on a cloud in a dream. A very, very good dream.

I never wanted to come down.

“WHERE WERE YOU YOUNG LADY??” My dad’s voice rippled through the entryway of the house.

Great. Rentals.

“Shaylee Illene Turner!” My mother echoed my father. Yes, my initials spell S-I-T.

“Blake came home empty handed! He said you ran away and disappeared on the back of some boys motorcycle!! MOTORCYCLE!” My mother ranted, as she flew her arms about wildly.

“You are SO grounded young lady!” My dad replied, his face getting red and his veins bulging out on his forehead.

“CALM DOWN!” I yelled at both of them.

“MAYBE I WENT OFF WITH A GOOD CLASSMATE AND FRIEND OF MINE BECAUSE BLAKE WAS DRUNK OFF HIS ASS AT SOME PRATY HE DRAGGED ME TOO! AND HIS SLIMY FRIEND LOCKED ME IN A BEDROOM AND TRIED TO RAPE ME!! I’M SORRY I DIDN’T COME HOME TILL LATER BUT MY FRIEND WAS KIND OF TRYING TO KEEP ME MENTALLY STABALIZED BEFORE I COULD GO HOME AND SLEEP WITHOUT NIGHTMARES!!!”

I heaved, face turning red with anger. They both looked stunned.

My dad looked to my mother for help. My mother’s eyes suddenly watered and she embraced me in a hug.

“My pore baby! I’m so sorry!” She petted me in such a way that her hand would flatten my hair on the back of my head over and over, as if to squish away the memory.

We stayed like that for a minute, while my dad awkwardly left the room. Anything to do with sex or female emotions—and he’s outta there. Though you’d think he’d be use to it by now, living with three girls and such.

“Well then, I’m going to have a talk with Blake and his parents tomorrow. He should not have gotten drunk and left you like that. Tell your friend that I am very thankful that he took good care of you. And did he give you these clothes? Oh thank god! I was scared to death that you’d freeze in that beautiful dress of yours! My oh my, Shaylee. I just can’t believe this happened to you!” My mother rambled, tears streaming slowly across her face.

“That makes two of us.” I answered solemnly. I just wanted to go shower and go to bed. My happy-go-lucky feeling when I was with Colton had been ripped away the moment my parent’s raised their voices. The best shot I had at re-gaining that feeling was through my dreams.

“I don’t really want to talk about it though, so is it alright if I just head upstairs and go sleep?” I said tiredly. It was like 2AM and I was running out of adrenaline.

“Sure honey, I’ll explain everything to dad.” I chuckled a little at this. My mom always had to explain things to my father. It’s like me and my dad telephone via mom.

“Ok. Goodnight.” I sighed, climbing the stairs, my sore feet throbbing from the high-heels.

“Night!” She smiled worriedly at me.

Before I knew it I had showered, changed into some sweatpants and a cami, and had fallen asleep only thirty minutes later.

For once, instead of my wolf; my dreams were heavily filled with Colton and his sense of warm homeliness, of security, and of his uncanny ability to make everything else in my life just seem..less important compared to him. It was nice.

*

COLTON’S POV:

I rode back in silence, sort of dazed in the smell of Shaylee as it filled my nose and lingered there, driving me insane with every passing minute. It was unbelievably hard to let her go. If I had been in wolf form, I know for sure I wouldn’t have been able to. According to him it was his mate. And she almost got hurt tonight; therefore he would never leave her side again, because the heartless pack—the vampires, couldn’t take care of her like they promised. It was his duty, his job, she was his. End of story.

I whined internally at how completely lonely and distraught I felt. This mate thing was harder that I thought. I didn’t want to seem like a stalker and spend another night sleeping on the forest floor outside of her house. But gah, did that sound tempting.

“Well if it isn’t Mr. Loverboy.” A voice spoke, and immediately I took an attack stance, my muscles rippling under my clothes as if asking for permission to change. I fought it.

Brooke Cunningham emerged from the woods alone, and I knew she hadn’t come here to fight. She knew as well as anyone that in a one-on-one fight; I would win. No one was evenly matched to me…except maybe Blake. But I hadn’t fought him since I was ten.

“What do you want?” I growled.

She laughed out loud, the sound like a laugh from a predator; something dark—hiding another emotion.

“Blake and I know you took Shaylee off on your bike.” She said, her voice growing serious.

“That was not in your place to do, Sparks.” She threatened, her eyes flaming red.

I barked loudly at her; a threat of my own. “To hell it wasn’t! Tonight, in that locker room, Blake swore to me, in my head that he would not harm her, much less let someone else harm her!! He broke that promise!”

She stood still, eyes blazing; scanning me. “I realize this, and yes. My brother made a mistake—.”

I interrupted her. “A mistake!?! Really Brooke?? She almost got raped.” My wolf clawed at me, beginning to get out. Even talking about someone else touching his mate made him want to die.

“Look, Colton. Like you haven’t made plenty of mistakes with Shaylee already or let her down. It won’t happen again, he feels more than terrible about it. I’m telling you to back. off. You had your chance with Shaylee when we were younger. It’s my brother’s turn.”

I laughed, the sound dangerously close to a frenzied roar. “Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged.” Brooke smirked; amused.

I ignored her. “I’m not letting Shaylee fall so easily into your grasps again. I refuse to let you carry out any psychotic plan you have in mind for her.”

Her smirk broke and I saw the emotions fly across her face: remorse, anger, determination, worry, but it was soon replaced with a newer, bigger smirk.

She began to walk away, then. Satisfied with whatever reply she had gotten out of me.

“I bet it bugs you, doesn’t it?” I yelled after her. “Knowing Shaylee is nothing like you. That she doesn’t understand, or even like you. I bet you let Jason do that to her didn’t you? You hated that she wasn’t partying, that instead she was anxious with thoughts of me. Not your brother. After the past two months of doing nothing but worry over her, of plotting to be-friend her, it was for nothing because in the end she still came to me.”

Brooke froze, her back going rigid, as the wind blew her long hair aside. I could smell it in the air. Revenge, anger, fear. She had let Jason do that.

I growled, knowing it was very tempting to just tear her to pieces right here and now for what she had done.

“The plan was to let Blake come in and save her. So he would replace you in her mind as the good guy, the gentleman she was supposed to be with. Not for her to be harmed.”

She sighed rubbing her temples. “But when I found the idiot, he was passed out cold on the floor.”

She turned around briefly, her body still a little rigid. “Thank you. For saving her though.”

I nodded once, knowing it would be enough of a reply. And just like that, she was gone, back into the woods behind my house.

Finally letting my wolf free moments later, I took off under the moonlight, my long, cramped legs stretching out far beneath me, my muscles contracting back and forth; propelling me forward. I howled out—free at last! It seemed to sing as I ran. It didn’t surprise me much later when I arose to a familiar house and a familiar window.

Shaylee’s house. My wolf whined, wanting to feel her fingers coursing through my hair, her scent clouding out everything else around us. Her laugh. Everything. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t go to her; it didn’t work that way in the human world.

But here, just watching over her was enough for now. As long as she was content and safe, then I was too.