The Journal of Chris Williams - 19. Journal 19

Journal entry 27:

The last couple of days have been enjoyable. More so than I ever thought possible. On Tuesday, Rory and I did a date night with dinner and a movie. We went to Glacier Haus for dinner. I started to growl when he stole something off my plate, but his mischievous grin melted my heart. It reminded me I was out with my boyfriend and not just a friend. When I did the same thing, he beamed with happiness. It only got better as we shared our food. Over desert, he jokingly swiped his finger through whipped cream and smeared it across the tip of my nose. He has the innocent look down perfect, and I could only laugh as his playfulness. He leaned in and licked the cream from my nose. My wolf jumped for joy, considering it a kiss for him.

The nearest movie theater is practically in Portland and wasn’t playing anything of interest. So the movie portion of the night was watching a DVD at my place while sitting on the couch with the lights dimmed low. Kyle and Corey had placed about two dozen candles of all sizes around the room to add to the mood. I finally turned off the lights and we enjoyed the gentle flicker of the candlelight. We started out sitting close but not quite touching. He eventually reached out and ran his thumb over the back of my hand. It wasn’t long until we were holding hands and stealing quick glances at each other. Before the movie was halfway through, I was leaning against his chest with his arm wrapped around me. His scent made me feel calm and relaxed and his touch made me feel cared for. I have no other way to describe it. The kiss he gave me when he left to go home was… I can’t put it into words. It wasn’t a deep passionate kiss, but it wasn’t just a light peck on the lips either. It was meaningful and tender and… well, just perfect.

On Wednesday we went hiking. A couple of his friends came along and Kyle, Corey and a few of mine did as well. It’s great he knows all them already since they get along well. I would have enjoyed going for a run with him, but I like this human portion of getting to know each other. There’s also the anticipation of when we do get furry. My wolf’s trying to drive me to mate with him and at times it is difficult to ignore. Even when I tell the beast to settle down and be patient, he longs to feel our mate’s fur. I can feel the same thing from Rory and often pick up the scent of his arousal. Having our friends around on the hike was probably a good thing.

One of his buddies got the rest of the group razzing us for a while. “Hope having us along isn’t cock-blocking you.”

Rory pulled me into his arms. “Nope. If we decided to enjoy nature I don’t care if the rest of you are around to watch or not.” Neither of us wants to rush this even if our instinct is to complete the mating as quickly as possible. We know it’ll happen when we’re ready. But god, I wanted to rip his clothes off him and have him throw me to the ground… I need to jerk off in a cold shower now.

Thanksgiving turned out to be the most interesting day of the week. I thought I’d be spending it just with my parents, either at their hotel or doing something around town. I even offered to cook dinner at my apartment. Mom was shocked. I don’t know what I really expected but spending it with Rory’s family never entered my mind. I hoped I’d get to see him but also figured he’d be with his family. Mrs. Hanson invited us over when they took my parents sightseeing. They apparently had a good time and thought it would be nice if our families spent the holiday together. Dad decided to spring the news on me when I got to their hotel. I have to admit it was nice of them, but it was also intimidating to go to the enforcer’s home. I’ve had regular contact with him since I arrived, and he’s always been nice. But I also went out of my way to not give him any reason to take more notice of me than needed. Even with Rory and I talking a few times about the things his dad had to say about me, it’s still the enforcer’s house.

Our dads quickly settled in watching football while Mom and Mrs. Hanson talked in the kitchen and worked on preparing dinner. Becca stayed with our moms and gave us some time to ourselves. Normally I would have been beside Dad watching every football game I could, and it sounded like Rory was the same way. However, I was happy when he suggested we go outside. We grabbed our coats and went into the yard. He lit a gas fire pit which immediately warmed the air, as he guided us to an old picnic table. I think we simply gazed at each other for a while. I can’t remember much of what we said, but we talked about school, what we were studying, and the fact I hadn’t picked a major yet. I told him I was getting my general courses out of the way first and would choose it later. I enjoyed hearing his hopes and dreams for the future. He knows I’m working on moving beyond my past into the present and anything else still seems out of reach at times. One of our regular subjects is about taking things slow, so we get to enjoy all the aspects of getting to know our mate. He wanted to make sure I was comfortable every step of the way. Rory had taken my hand and ran his thumb over the back as we spoke. I never had contact like that with anyone, even the girls I dated in high school. The circular motion of his thumb was… calming. He gazed deep into my eyes. “Your past is just that, the past.” It made me feel better about our future. Rory reminded me if it wasn’t for what happened, I wouldn’t have been here for us to find each other.

“It seems kind of fucked up I hurt so many people, get exiled, and find the ultimate in happiness for a lycan.”

His words were so gentle and reinforced what I’ve tried telling myself. “It kind of is, except for the fact you’re not the same person who hurt those people. Getting exiled helped you fix what was wrong in your life. Even Mother Nature feels you’ve changed enough to receive her gift of joy.”

At some point we moved from the picnic table to the loveseat in front of the fire pit. He pulled me onto his lap with one arm was wrapped around my shoulders, while the other was in front of me with our fingers laced together. I watched the flames dance before us with my head resting on his shoulder. When I lifted it and gave him a kiss on the lips, it elicited a smile from his handsome face. It seemed each minute we spent together I felt more comfortable with having him as my mate. My wolf sat happy and quiet in my mind, letting me enjoy the exploration of this relationship. He knew I’d accepted it to be true and that he… no, we would be together with our mate. We must have talked for a couple hours when all of a sudden we saw a bright flash. Mr. Hanson had come out and let us know it was dinnertime. Seeing us cuddling in front of the fire, he grabbed his camera saying he couldn’t resist capturing the moment for us. I think that stern man I feared so much is really a gentle giant unless provoked. “It’s time for you boys to come in now. Dinner’s about ready.” We continued to hold hands and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do.

Everything on the table smelled wonderful and dinner was great. Rory sat beside me and I caught him glancing at me from time to time. But the only reason I noticed waa because I was doing it too. I think we both had the same grin on our face all through the meal. He and I cleaned up after everyone finished. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson offered to help Mom and Dad find a house if they decided to move here. They would also go with them to speak to the alpha about possibly joining the pack.

Mrs. Hanson expressed her joy at Rory and I having met and how lucky it is when true mates find themselves. Mr. Hanson took her hand. “We haven’t done bad without finding our true mate. Just like the day I proposed to you, I couldn’t imagine having feelings any stronger for you if we were.” Dad said the same thing as he looked lovingly at Mom. I had to ask, since I thought they had said they were true mates when talking about me and Rory finding each other. Mom and Dad grinned and reminded me they met in college where they fell in love. Their bond developed over time, but they weren’t fated mates like Rory and me. Like the Hanson’s, they couldn’t imagine a day going by without their mate. Both sets of parents felt our relationship was extra special but said love was the one thing that ties all mates together. Theirs grew on its own and while ours will too, we’re driven to be together making it all the stronger.

After we had our fill of pumpkin and pecan pie, Mr. Hanson suggested both families go for a run. I tried to object and said I couldn’t. He reminded me as the enforcer he could authorize it, and I would be under his supervision. He would check my ankle monitor after I shifted to make sure it still worked right. I pulled him into the next room and dropped my voice to a whisper so Rory and my parents wouldn’t hear. I begged him to keep them distracted so they didn’t see my difficult shift. The last thing I wanted was for them to see what I went through turning wolf. I told him it usually took five to ten minutes after the shift before I could move around due to the pain. He frowned and I cringed at the growl. “Why hadn’t you said something earlier if it was so bad? I thought your friends were exaggerating when they tore into us about it.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I thought everyone knew, and I just considered it part of my punishment.”

Mr. Hanson picked up his phone and went to his office. When he returned, he had a small tool in his hand and asked me to put my leg up on the chair I was next to. He used the device to unlock the strap from my ankle. When I gave him a questioning look, he shook the wrench at me. “It had already been discussed and decided you’d done enough to earn having it removed. The alpha, beta, and me all got an earful from Kyle, Corey and the rest of your friends about how cruel and torturous it was to have that on you during a shift. We honestly figured since you never said anything it couldn’t be as bad as they described. I’m sorry I’d forgotten to ask you about it.” I actually wanted to hug him right then. No longer would I have to wear it and feel the agony of those shifts. I didn’t realize my friends were so pissed they demand the removal of my monitor. I love my friends. He told me if I ever have any type of problem like that to speak up to him or anyone in the leadership and not suffer like I had for months.

I went outside and morphed to my wolf. It felt good to do a natural shift again. The only discomfort was what we usually feel as we reform. That little amount of pain is exhilarating in a way as my animal side surfaces. I waited for Rory to come into view. His wolf was beautiful. No words can describe it accurately. A little larger than me, the different shades of grey were breathtaking. As I watched, it felt like I couldn’t move. It was Rory who came to me and rubbed his body against mine, bathing me in his scent. I loved him nuzzling me. It was like holding hands earlier, so tender and filled me with feelings I had never thought possible. Standing face to face with his wolf, I instinctively bared my neck to him. He pressed our faces together so we touched from our foreheads to the tip of our noses. The scent of him put me at ease and all was right with the world.

We finally remembered our parents were there and moved to one another’s side. That was after giving each other a wolf kiss by licking the other’s muzzle. Mr. Hanson took the lead with his mate at his side. Mom and Dad were right behind since they didn’t know the area. Becca stayed by their side to help guide them. Rory and I followed and never left each other’s side. We were so close we could feel our fur brushing together, and heat coming off the other. Our tails intertwined a few times.

My runs with Kyle and Corey were wonderful, but this was on a whole new level of joy. I realize I keep saying each one over the last few months was better than the last. My wolf was in command and ran for the first time with our mate. All the times since my first change, every run with my old friends and even the ones with my new friends, none of those held a candle to leaping over logs and dodging branches with the one who completes you. We spent a couple of hours roaming the forest in the cool, crisp air. There was a half moon giving a soft glow. When we reached a meadow and could see beyond the trees, Mount Hood shone bright with its glaciers illuminated. It stood as a silent sentinel to watch over us. Well, for as long as it doesn’t erupt at least. Rory and I couldn’t help ourselves and howled our joy. Off in the distance we received a response I recognized as Kyle and Corey. Our parents joined in the chorus. The run let us work off the big dinner and allowed the two families to bond.

When we returned to the house and shifted back to human, Mr. Hanson pulled me aside for a moment, saying he needed to tell me something. I will always remember his words. “Chris, it no longer matters what you did to get sent here. What matters is how you spend your life from this point forward. I’m proud of you as a person and happy to have you as my son’s mate. You’ve been given the gift of finding him, and I’ll do all I can to support you and Rory as you make a life together.” Rory appeared beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Mr. Hanson pointed his finger at me and glared. “If you hurt my son I will hunt you down with silver bullets.” He added if Rory ever hurt me, he’d be giving them to my dad to use.

Rory beamed with joy while holding me tight in the cool air, our foreheads rested against each others. “I’m never letting you go, Chris. You’re home now, my mate.”

Mr. Hanson was right. While I still have things to work on about what got me here, what really matters is what I do from this point forward. My family is with me and might move here. I have real friends now who care about me and will keep me on the correct path. And best of all, I found my wonderful mate.