The party is raging on.

I'm a little drunk right now. Lex is already hitting on straight dudes and I think it's time for us to go home.

Though neither of us are in any condition to drive. Why did I drink anyway?

I walk tumbling on people making out, trying to find my friend before he gets struck down - and I don't mean by his heat.

He's striking up a conversation with two boys who didn't get lucky tonight. Most everyone else is rather 'busy' at this point.

I know I haven't seen Roger in a while now. But he's usually the first to go 'upstairs'. Lucky bastard!

"Lex, let's go. I'm dizzy and in need of finding my bed." - I pulled him away with some resistance.

"But the boys are just about to show me their new tattoos." - He replied, upset at me.

I look over the drunken jocks who frankly look (and smell) more horny than me and I frown.

"Sure, bitch. Maybe some other day. Now we need to go home. It's very late and we don't even have a ride." - I insisted, not backing down.

"Chill out, Livingstone! He is free to do whatever he wants!" - One of the boys complained loudly at me with a threatening look.

"Of course he is. Sober. Now he's in no condition to look at anyone's tattoo." - I reiterated, annoyed. Lex is barely standing on his two feet right now.

"Don't be such a spoilsport! Let me see their tattoos, Ben..." - Lex pleaded with a sorrowed expression. I can scent his excitement. Theirs too.

"I'm sorry, my friend. Not today." - I say as I pull him to me, only to have another boy pull him back towards them.

"Leave us alone, Livingstone! Who the fuck do you think you are?" - He snapped at me, getting a drunk Lex to fall on his lap - happily, I might add.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a dream come true for him. That's not the issue.

But two strong drunk jocks and one boozed up omega? Yeah... I've seen this film before and it ain't happening! Not on my watch! Most especially with humans who don't know a man can in fact get pregnant.

I come really close to the boy who has my friend on his lap and speak calmly but sternly.

"I said we need to go now. Please get off my friend before I make you regret it." - I hold back a glowing rage because they're humans.

They start to laugh at me and I get really angry. But before I do anything, Teddy shows up. He pulls Lex up and puts his arm over his shoulders for support, since he can barely stand let alone walk.

"Guys, guys, it's cool! You can show him your tattoo at my next party. Now he needs to go home before he gets sick." - He argued in a playful tone with a disarming smile.

They mumbled but did not stop him from getting Lex away from them, fortunately.

Teddy helps me carry him to the car, though I could probably pull it off alone. But I appreciate the gesture and the intervention before I show off my superior strength to those humans.

"Thanks for that. Humans, am I right?" - I smirked, rolling my eyes. He acted fast and smoothly, disarming a potential conflict. I think he's a smart cookie.

"They're not bad guys, just drunk and horny. They're not even gay!" - He defended them in an amused tone as we walked.

"I can't even begin to tell you how many boys Lex had a taste who weren't gay." - I informed him with a naughty grin. He laughed at this.

"I believe you, trust me." - He agreed with a knowing glance. Damn, he's so cute.😍

"I need to text someone to drive us home because neither he or I are in any shape to do so." - I told him once we got a tipsy Lex inside the car.

"Oh I can drive you, it's not a problem." - He said without missing a beat.

I raised my eyebrow in suspicion and he smiled playfully at my resistance.

"I don't drink at my own parties. Too much of a liability." - He stated with conviction.

"What? And who says liability?" - I genuinely gasped.

"The son of the city attorney. I can't let things go overboard at my house, so I stay sober to take care of my guests and their needs, like you right now." - He replied with a somber tone.

I'm seriously impressed. He's much more than what meets the eyes.

"You can smell my breath if you want." - He said then fanned my face with it, closely.

"You didn't need to do that. I can scent it from here." - I told him, laughing. Suddenly, he blushed in embarrassment.

"Please, take it away." - I handed him the keys and we got inside the car. He started it and we're off.

When we arrived at the front of the pack house, he stopped the car. We both looked at the backseat to find a sleeping Lex already drooling, causing us both to giggle in amusement.

"Thanks for driving me home." - I spoke, grabbing his attention.

"Thanks for coming to my party." - He said with a charming tone.

I looked deep into his eyes and his expression was almost impossible to read. This is probably the liquor in me but I think he's flirting.

"You really surprised me by the way. I never would've expected an invitation to one of your legendary parties." - I said, honestly.

He lets out a laugh and I can see his shining white teeth, who complimented his chiseled jawline and beautiful dark skin tone. I'm genuinely enchanted by him.

"If I'm being honest, I wanted to invite you for a very long time. But I always lose my nerve when I try to talk to you." - He admitted bashfully and I swooned.

"Oh. And what gave you the courage now?" - I asked him, properly intrigued.

He looks at me quietly for a moment. His deep penetrating gaze almost makes me uncomfortable.

"Can I kiss you?" - He asked after a minute.

"Yes, please!" - I barely let him finish the sentence.

His lips meet mine and... I'm in heaven.

We make out for a while before we're interrupted by Lex snoring. We let out a loud laughter.

"Do you need any help getting him inside?" - He offered, gently.

"No, thanks. I got this. How are you going to get back to your house now?" - I asked him as soon as I realized he drove my car here.

He smiled at me and I swooned again.

"Relax. I already texted a friend who's picking me up. Don't sweat it!" - He reassured me with a charming disposition.

We got out of the car and I carried Lex inside, though not before I said goodbye to him. He blew me a kiss and I wanted very much to drop my friend and run to his arms.

If this is a dream, I don't wanna wake up.🥰

The next morning, Lex and I woke up with a headache and a hangover. Though his was epic since he drank way too much. He slept in my room. My parents don't mind since we've been friends since we were kids.

We gobbled a lot of water, used the bathroom, got changed and washed for breakfast. We need to look presentable, at least.

"Good morning, family." - I greeted my parents and sister as we entered the dining room together. Lex bows his head to my dad and bids good morning to everyone.

"I take it the party was great last night, judging by your faces." - Mom smirked, looking at our sleepy disposition.

"I think you should pass a law obligating the pack house to serve breakfast at noon on Sundays, Alpha." - Lex suggested, yawning.

"That's called lunch." - Dad deadpans, holding back a giggle.

The pack house has scheduled time to serve meals. And if you don't show up on time, you don't eat. Though it may seem that way at times, this isn't like the White House.

The cooking staff works for the other residents too, so they can't be at our back and call to whip something up whenever we feel like it. Here is more like a boarding house.

"Good one, Alpha." - Lex smiled at dad's reply.

We start to serve us some food, though we're not that hungry. But if we don't eat now, we'll be starving by lunch time.

"The party was awesome!" - I told my mom, grinning. Lex looks at me suspiciously.

"You look chipper this morning. Did you dream Roger was your mate?" - Lex snickered. Sasha and mom laughed at this.

"No, I don't even want him to be my mate." - I replied, surprising everyone at the table.

"OK, what happened to you? And how did we get here yesterday because I don't remember anything." - He inquired, drinking some juice.

"Maybe tone it down a little. You don't need to announce to the Alpha your underage drinking." - I chastised him, a bit embarrassed.

Evidently, my parents know Lex very well since we've been friends forever. Which is also why he seems so at ease with my family, so familiar. Maybe too familiar for my taste, but that's just the way he is.

"Right. My underage drinking." - He rolled his eyes, glancing sideways at me. Dad laughed at us.

"I had a sober person drive us back. And I carried you inside since you were sleeping even before you left the party." - I informed him with a snarky tone.

"Where did you even find a sober person? Sasha?" - He joked. My sister laughed. She doesn't have a driver's license since she's only 14.

"I'll tell you later." - I spoke a bit shyly.

"Oh... It's that good huh?" - He smiled mischievously at me.

"It was the Johnson kid." - Dad revealed, much to my surprise. He wasn't even awake when I arrived here yesterday. I gasped in shock.

"How do you know that?" - I asked him, curiously.

"How do I know who arrived at my house? Really? That's your question? I'm disappointed at your ignorance." - He jabbed, sounding perplexed.

I grunted in response. How the hell does he know?

"Thanks for the breakfast and the company. It was great as usual." - Lex said after he finished.

"You're leaving already?" - I asked him, surprised.

"No, bitch! I'll go back to your room so you can spill the hot tea!" - He replied in an amused tone. I laughed at this.

Soon enough, I told him about the kiss and he was thrilled for me. Though now that I'm so close to 18, he kinda wished it happened sooner.

He raised an excellent point. It is a little late in the game. But better late than never. Plus, a kiss is still a kiss.

I just hope it wasn't a one off. Or worse, because he never demonstrated any interest in boys - that I know of - I think he might wanna kiss me only when nobody is watching.

I'm not saying I need an audience for it, not at all. But dating closeted jocks is more of a Lex thing. I'm way more interested in out in the open.

Which maybe explains my lack of boyfriends at this point. We live in a small town in the South after all.

I spent Sunday together with my best friend, who still wasn't clear on what almost happened yesterday with those two jocks.

On Monday, I arrived at school eager to find out Teddy's reaction to me. Or if he would even acknowledge me at all in front of his friends.

Honestly, I'm a little nervous about it. At this point, it would do more damage to deny it than to not have kissed at all. But I lower my expectations as much as possible.

I greet Lex as usual and start talking to him as if we haven't seen each other all weekend.

"So, did you figure it out?" - Lisa asked me with a mischievous grin once we entered the classroom.

It took me a second to process her question, but I smiled bashfully once I did.

"How did you know?" - I asked her intrigued while Lex puzzled at this.

She laughed at my question.

"Girls notice things boys don't." - She replied with a knowing glance.

"Well, you're very smart. I hope you get to be his... date." - I told her with a soft pause between the last two words. But the werewolves present got the innuendo. Just not to whom I'm referring. I mean, not in so many words...

"Who says anything about being his date? I have other priorities!" - She protested with a sassy attitude.

"Yes, queen! You go, girl!" - I celebrated her, snapping my fingers. And we both laughed.

Unsurprisingly, Teddy didn't acknowledge me in class whatsoever. I grunted in annoyance at this, but Lex shot me a sympathetic look.

He's very used to boys pretending they don't know him after they get what they want out of him. It's a sad situation, indeed. And NOT for me. No shade!

Anyway, classes go by normally like any Monday. After we break for lunch, I go to the bathroom and get surprised by someone pulling me closer to them before I exit it.

Teddy plunges into a kiss while we're alone inside, surprising the hell out of me. After we parted lips, he smiled as he looked at me with affection.

But I'm not having it.

"No." - I spoke, furrowing my eyebrows.

"What?" - He asked me, puzzled.

"You don't get to ignore me all morning and kiss me like nothing happened. I'm not that queen!" - I snapped, angrily.

He's taken aback by this, looking very surprised at me.

"I'm sorry I'm not out like you are!" - He said in an accusatory tone.

"This isn't about being out. I didn't expect a marriage proposal. But it's common courtesy to greet people in the morning." - I barked, livid.

"I never greeted you before. It'd look suspicious if I did that today." - He defended himself with a 'duh' tone.

I stared at him for a minute in silence, brows knitted into a deep frown.

"Thanks for the kiss, Teddy. It was wonderful to meet you. Bye!" - I said before leaving the restroom. He looked baffled by my attitude.

I understand his predicament. He's a popular guy, a football star. He's not a misfit like me. I wasn't expecting anything fancy, but is a 'good morning' really too much to ask?🙄

I'd rather wait for my mate then. I've waited this far... sorry, not sorry. Not even a little.

While I ate my lunch, I whispered to Lex what just happened. Sadly, he wasn't the least bit surprised by it, but he comforted me like the good Judy he is.

It's really an unfortunate turn of events, but I didn't face everything in my life thus far to go back to the closet now. I don't deserve it.

I deserve a love that won't deny me.

I need a boy who can't resist me.

I want passion, lust and desire, sure. But most of all I want to see the love in his eyes, in his gestures.

I want more. Much more than I ever had. I can't help it.

I'm greedy like that. I think I'm entitled to have the same things straight people have.

I'm not different from anyone else.

I'm not talking about the moon and the stars here. I don't need to be swept off my feet.

I'm not delusional or a prude. I live in the real world. And I know it's different with your mate, I'm not talking about that either.

I'm just talking about the basics.

The same treatment every other highschooler gets. The same acknowledgement. I just want what everybody else has.

After all, I'm not different from anyone. None of us queers are.

So I just want the same kind of affection for myself that others get to experience. We are (mostly) humans first and foremost.

We all want the same thing, me included. We all want the same love.

A|N: Preach, Ben!

There's something to be said about accepting the love you think you deserve and I so love him for standing his ground and turning down the hot jock.

This video and song... <3

Next chapter is a game changer.

Love,

Léo.