The Unsuspecting

Chapter 16

*Annabelle's POV*

It had been such a long day and all I wanted to do was go to bed and process this all in the morning. Unfortunately, I had other things to worry about when the morning came, so I decided to take a shower before I left the bathroom. It was also a good excuse to use as a way to make Sean leave and let him cool off about my past relationships. I've only ever been in one other relationship, but I have kissed others. I just didn't want to have to hash out my entire dating life in a bathroom, especially the night before going back to my hometown where we might bump into some of those people.

There were several shower baskets organized in one of the cabinets in the bathroom. I grabbed one that had shampoo and conditioner that would work with my hair type. I also grabbed a spare razor out of the drawer and used this time to shave everything as well. After I was all washed and clean, I put everything back to where it belongs and made sure that it all looked untouched. I brushed my teeth and threw both the brush and razor into the trashcan because they had plenty to spare and I just didn't want to bother with trying to find a place to put them. The clothes Sean gave me were a little large, but really soft and smelled like pine trees. I had to roll over the waistband of the boxers a couple times and tuck in the front part of the long t-shirt so it didn't look like I wasn't wearing any pants. After my appearance passed my approval, I left the bathroom and walked back to Sean's bedroom.

Sean was already lying on his bed with one arm under his head and his other lying across his stomach. I quietly closed the door, shut off the lights, set my alarm for 6:30 am, and carefully got on the other side of the bed. It appeared to be a full-sized bed, so there was plenty of space for us both to sleep without touching. Though I wouldn't mind cuddling a little.

I laid on my side so I could face Sean and watch his chest rise and fall with each breath. I don't get very many chances to just look at him without him noticing. He is really handsome with his tanned skin, dark hair and long lashes. It's a really nice contrast with his green eyes. He's also built really well and extremely tall. I don't usually notice how tall someone is because everyone is taller than me, but his feet are literally hanging off the bottom of the bed. It's almost comical because it looks like he's in a child's sized bed. Maybe I can look into buying a special bed made for giants. Do they even make beds that long? And why am I already thinking about buying a bed for when we live together? Just an hour ago, I was so worried about all the other girls who were living in the same building as him. I still can't believe that he hasn't ever dated anyone before me.

I'm still trying to process what it was like for Sean to grow up here. It seems as like the pack remains separate from the rest of the world as a way to remain secret. I guess when you think about it, it's not far off from living in a commune. It also explains why I haven't seen a single tv since I've been here and why Sean uses a flip phone. When Alec turned back into a human, he had almost no clothes on. How many clothes do they go through? Maybe they always use such cheap phones because they're constantly being lost along with their clothes when they need to shift during an emergency. OH my God, what kinds of emergencies do they have? How often do they need to fight to protect themselves against other packs and supernatural beings? I got up a little so I could lean over Sean to search for any deadly-looking scars. I couldn't find any, but don't werewolves also heal really fast too? So you could probably also assume that they're less likely to scar.

The questions and thoughts just kept coming and I couldn't stop them. After about 30 minutes of lying there, I realized that I really needed to go to sleep if I was going to have enough energy to drive all the way back home tomorrow. I tried to make myself more comfortable so I could fall asleep, but it just didn't feel right no matter which way I turned. Eventually I went back to watching Sean's breathing. My eyes went to his hand lying on his stomach and my hand just reached out to his on its own accord. I feel the usual tingling as I always do anytime I touch him.

A moment after I place my hand on Sean's, he rolls onto his side and wraps his arms around me. He pulls me towards his chest and entwines his legs in mine. I look up at his face and see that he's still asleep, but now he has the cutest little smile on his face. I settle into his chest and eventually fall asleep feeling warm and loved.

*Sean's POV*

I woke up as the sun rose early in the morning with Bell wrapped in my arms. I don't remember when she went to bed, but I'm glad that she felt comfortable enough to sleep in the same bed as me. I actually intended to wait up and ask her what she preferred for sleeping arrangements, but I guess I fell asleep while she was in the bathroom.

I very slowly unwrapped my arms and eased away from her. She looked exhausted yesterday and I really wanted her to sleep as much as possible. I quietly opened my closet and walked inside and closed the door to help muffle any noise I would make as I packed my bag. I grabbed a duffel bag from the top shelf and started piling in enough clothes for 4 days even though I probably won't be gone for more than 2 days. As a werewolf, we're constantly ripping or losing our clothes, so you can never really be too prepared. When I was sure that I had everything, I slung the bag over my shoulder, grabbed what I wanted to wear that day and snuck through the bedroom to get to the hallway and then the bathroom. I took a quick shower and got ready for the day. Each item I used was placed into the duffle afterwards.

When I was done in the bathroom, I took my bag downstairs and put it into my old truck. Next, I stopped in the Alpha's office and quickly grabbed the magic compass and put it in my pocket. My stomach was growling by this point and decided to grab something to eat from the kitchen real quick. We almost always have a buffet set up for breakfast. I just grabbed a few muffins and fruit then went back to my room to wake up my mate. My mate. I love that.

Annabelle was just starting to sit up to turn off her alarm when I walked into the room. "Morning babe" I said as I entered the room. A slight blush creeped across her face as I sat on the bed next to her and displayed the assortment of breakfast options in front of her.

"Awww... You brought me breakfast in bed." She gushed as she looked at the food.

"Anything for you babe." I said as I leaned in for a quick kiss. I didn't tell her that I did this only so we could get on the road faster, but I did make a mental note to continue doing this in the future. "I didn't really know what you would like, so for muffins I have blueberry, banana, and chocolate chip. For fruit, I have bananas, apples or oranges. Whatever we don't eat now can be used for road trip food."

"I'll take the banana muffin and an apple."

"After we eat, we'll stop by your dorm room so you can pack a bag."

"We should also take my car. You're more likely to get pulled over if you have an out of state license plate."

"Okay. Where exactly are you from?"

"Derry, Nebraska. It's just about a 5 hour drive from campus."

She's from Nebraska and I didn't even know until now. I knew she was from out of state, but she isn't always open with the details. To be fair, I only ever told her half truths of everything because she only just found out that I was a werewolf last night. What else do I not know about her?

"Maybe we can use that time to get to know each other a little bit more. I'd love to hear about your family before I meet them all and I can fill in all the questions you have about the supernatural world."

She smiled at this and nodded her head in confirmation because she was in the middle of eating her apple. We continued to eat in silence and eventually she got up to use the bathroom before we left and I took care of the remains of our breakfast. She came back and was still dressed in my oversized t-shirt and boxers.

"Would you like me to find a girl you can borrow some clothes from?" I asked. I probably should've thought of that earlier in the morning.

She looked down at her clothes and twisted her lips a little bit as she thought about it, "No, I think this will be fine for now. Everyone goes home on Friday nights, and most people work on the weekends. It's also Labor Day weekend, so I'm sure there will be practically no one there besides the desk assistant." She says as she retucks the front of the shirt into her waist band. Then she looks back up at me again, "Besides, this is super comfy" she says with the cutest grin on her face.

I love that she likes wearing my old clothes. It should make me feel weird that she's going out in public wearing men's underwear as shorts, but it actually feels comforting. It's almost like she's wearing a sign screaming 'This adorable girl is happily taken'. Since she's not ready for me to mark her, this is probably the next best thing.

I pulled her in close for a slow kiss. I love the feel of her lips against mine and how soft they are. Her heartbeat rose as I let the kiss go on. I finally back up a little when I noticed that she was short of breath. I nipped her nose once before I straightened back up. I open my bedroom door and put my arm around Bell's shoulders. She instantly starts leaning into me and wraps her arm around my waist. I guided us down the stairs and out towards my truck. As we walked, I send a quick message to Alpha Derek and Tommy telling them that we're leaving now and gave them an overview of our plan for the day. Our mind link won't work when I get too far away, so I also double checked that I had my cellphone on me.