Grayson promised changes, and changes he most certainly delivered.
Cory’s eyes wandered wildly – so much to take in; the grassy hill leading to the tunnel was now colourfully decorated with red and white roses. Their smell was so sharp and sweet – Cory, beside himself, loved that smell. His eyes flung to the, now, paved little path to the tunnel. His head then snapped to the direction of the rest of the pack – off in the distance he could see a vague outline of houses. It was too bad that they were too far to closely inspect.
Speaking of the little pathway, it seemed to form a little crossroad that lead to the rest of the pack residencies. The grass surrounding them was such a healthy, luscious green – it almost looked unnatural; alien to be seen in a forest.
Grayson surveyed the wonder on Cory’s face without shame. It was so animated – so… life-like! There was light behind the brown eyes. He grinned softly as Cory’s bouncing head whipped his flaming ponytail in multiple directions.
Grayson reached for the semi-sorceror’s hand in the moment – forgetting himself. Luckily he regained his senses before he made contact with the delicate hand – he settled for shoving his hands in his pockets; watching Cory and his bouncing scarlet ponytail – his eyes would hold his mate’s hand.
“There’s- so much has-” Cory attempted and then cleared his throat “It’s pretty” he finished.
The awe in his mate’s voice sustained Grayson’s hopeful heart – it felt light and golden in the moment. Maybe this could be one of the pictures in his gallery of Cory.
They reached the cute little pathway intersection and Cory stared off in the distance.
“It’s this way” Grayson pointed to the tunnel leading to the mansion. Cory remained still as he stared at the pathway that lead to a part of the packland he had never been to.
“What’s that way?”
“Ambrose’s cottage.”
Cory faultered for a moment, “Oh” and he turned to the tunnel. The same gate, but polished of some sort – it gleamed more than he remembered; or perhaps he had forgotten its splendour.
Grayson swung open the gates, “After you” he motioned and Cory obeyed, wandering into the tunnel. Somehow, there was now electricity in the tunnel. The same marble tiles, but the room was decorated with potted plants – all differing shades of red.
“You have so many plants…” Cory noted.
Only the red ones, Grayson wanted to say as he looked at the scarlet hair.
They walked through the tunnel, up the stairs and onto the lawn – this all seemed untouched, but Cory knew there were probably some unnoticed changes. They walked across the lawn but Cory stopped and Grayson did the same immediately, “Whats wrong?”
Cory kneeled down and ran his hand across the grass, “Its so soft, yet its real?” He whispered to himself in awe – he had forgotten that he was with Grayson. The Alpha was happy about that though, an animated Cory was such a foreign, beautiful sight. He wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible – the wind would occasionally undo some of the scarlet strands. They teased across his mate’s face.
How his fingertips itched to tuck them behind Cory’s ears – they were obstructing his view of his mate’s perfect, flawless face. The sunlight hit Cory at such an angle that his eyelashes made slight shadows and his cheekbones gleamed; as his collarbones glinted gently under the late morning light.
The halfling snapped out of his wonder and stood up, but was taken aback by the mansion and drawn back into wonder, “It looks- darker?” he spoke as he waddled in front of Grayson.
The ivory-haired man happily watched; dreamily so. He didn’t know what he had expected, but this far surpassed it.
“Same wood, just varnished properly” Grayson answered, reluctantly taking his eyes off Cory as he approached the doors. Once again Cory shook his head, rattling out the spleandour and followed the taller man to the large doors.
Grayson easily pushed them open and Cory furrowed, “Where are your gaurds or attendants or whatever?”
“I said it would just be us, I meant that” Grayson offered an uncertain grin. Uncertain because he didn’t want Cory to panic or be on edge.
“Oh…” he blinked and followed the Alpha inside.
“This smells better” Cory spoke without thinking; it smelled nothing like it did when he was five.
Grayson’s blood warmed at those first choice of words, his scent was the strongest in the manor.
“I- I mean that before it smelled like thunder. It smells clean, not dusty and- yeah” Cory stumbled over his words, blinking rapidly at his reckless mouth.
Dear brain, what the fuck was that?
He looked around the grand entrance, which seemed less grand and more minimalistic – yet retaining a noble touch. It was simple dark wood, and vivid red carpets – the only expensive looking thing was beside the staircase which was some sort of jar.
“I should probably take my shoes off, this carpeting looks expensive… very red and very expensive” he bent down and undid his boots.
Grayson was bewildered as to why Cory couldn’t see the similarity in the shades of red around the manor with the red of his hair. He was astonished and slightly relieved. He also wanted to mention that Cory didn’t need to take off his shoes, but at least his feet would leave some of his scent in the manor.
“The bottom floor is mostly just dining areas, theres a music room and kitchen – further back is where the gaurds sleep. The upper floor beongs to Lucian and I” the Alpha spoke as he watched his mate remove his final boot.
Cory stood up and craned his neck at the grand staircase, “That thing is still as big as I remember…”
“We can just stay down here then-”
“No, no, I… I want to see the library” Cory spoke, his eyes never leaving the staircase.
“Oh, sure – its-”
“That’s the one room in here I remember” the halfling spoke, walking to and up the numerous stairs, his hand gripping the lavish wooden railing. Grayson followed closely behind him – greedily inhaling his mate’s scent which mingled with his own inside the manor.
“You took down the creepy paintings” Cory noted as they reached the second floor – his hand was carelessly running across the wooden panelled wall.
“They were more my father’s taste.”
“Hm” he hummed in response.
Grayson opened his mouth to direct Cory but the semi-sorceror took the correct turn down the correct hallway to the library. He wasn’t sure why Cory was so fixated on the library – it was just a room of books and business. His office and his father’s before him. Cory paused not far from the library doors and stared at a one of the paintings that remained on the wall – it was Sky Lightpaw in her gracefulness. She held a bouquet of white roses, and smiled humbly and gently yet held her wild spirit in her eyes that somehow complimented the elegant, blue dress she wore.
He smiled faintly – Grayson watched the smile closely.
He then turned his head and saw a portrait of Aiden Lightpaw was on the opposite end of the library doors. Cory dropped his gaze for a moment – and that bothered Grayson. Perhaps he should remove his father’s portrait, he was the last Alpha his mate had.
The smaller man then grasped the golden doorknobs, but paused. His heartbeat accelerated slightly – what was he hoping to find inside? The halfblood couldn’t arrive at an answer.
Grayson reached for his mate yet again, and then had to drop his hand – his frustration was growing unbearable at not being able to make contact with Cory. Ambrose needed to hurry up with a solution.
Corry inhaled deeply and opened the doors.
He stood still, like a statue as his eyes wandered around the room – this one hadn’t changed at all, not that he could tell. His gaze then fixated on the green couches – opposite one another.
“It’s still here” he whispered.
Grayson stared on quizzically from behind his mate, what was Cory looking at?
The semi-sorceror quickly ran to the couch, and Grayson jumped from Cory’s speed – thinking he would hurl himself out the large window behind the thick wooden desk. He broke out into a sprint but Cory sprung onto the couch and so Grayson stopped immediately; a few inches from the couch.
He was looking for an old couch?
“This is where I sat when I met Joy” Cory spoke into the green cushion, reliving a memory of his childhood.
“It hasn’t been altered in anyway-” Grayson tried to enthuse.
Cory turned onto his side to face the taller man, sincere gratitude in his eyes, “Thank you… for keeping them…”
“I- No problem” Grayson spoke, completely off guard. His blue eyes caught a glimpse of precious material and his gaze lowered to the hem of Cory’s nightshirt. It had ridden up his body slightly, revealing the milky dip of his smooth waist.
His skin… So untouched, so smooth…I wan-
Cory sat up, his shirt sliding back to its modest position, “Sorry, you just wanted to get coffee.”
“Ah- It- Would you, maybe, like to see the rest?” The Alpha tested.
Cory’s eyes crinkled, “You humoured me, I guess I owe you.”
He followed Grayson out the library, looking behind him one last time before closing the doors. Grayson was incredibly struck at Cory’s sentimentality – the halfling had hidden it incredibly well. The library, evidently, is special to Cory.
“I see a balcony” Cory muttered as he stared ahead of the hallway Grayson led him down.
“Yeah, I love natural lighting and its position lets in a lot of moonlight.”
That must be really pretty, Cory kept the thought to himself.
Grayson swung open a door and motioned for Cory to enter. The halfling stood still and did not enter nor look inside, “This is your room, I can smell it.”
The Alpha faltered, “Yeah, uh, sorry – I’ll show you something else” he attempted to close the door.
“Its okay, I’ll look around” Cory answered kindly as he moved to place a hand on Grayson’s forearm before stopping himself. The kindness was so genuine that it vibrated Grayson’s core, Cory wanted to touch him by choice. “I’m gonna guess a silver, black and maybe bronze kind of colour scheme” he narrowed his eyes playfully at Grayson.
The Alpha smiled boyishly, “Why don’t you check if you’re right?”
Am I getting through to him? Are we becoming friends? Am I winning here?
Grayson’s heart thumped heavily, his black shirt seemed so tight – he knew he wasn’t having a heart-attack but his hope was just so high; fatally high.
Cory stepped into the room and looked around in shock. The first thing he noticed, rather felt, was the plush and fluffy white carpeting that caressed his bare feet. His eyes focussed on the carpet, it was so comfortable. His head then whipped around and looked at the grey walls – they didn’t seem depressing in tone but, rather, neautral and calm.
He stepped further into the room, unaware of Grayson following closesly – hiding his nerves by rubbing his palms across his jeans. The halfling looked at the large bed, its midnight black sheets were tousled instead of perfectly pressed – like he had assumed they’d have been.
“It’s a little messy I know, I-” Grayson began.
“Grayson, I sleep in a cottage that leaks and has no windows – this isn’t messy” Cory almost laughed.
Grayson slyly tugged his white hair, was this real? It had to be. If this turned out to be a dream he didn’t think he would recover from the disillusionment.
Cory almost laughed!
“I’m no interior decorator” Cory folded his arms, the seam of his shirt obliviously sliding down his shoulder, “But the nightstands don’t, like, match.”
Grayson tore his eyes away from the bare shoulder like one would rip off tape, “Yeah, they’re a new addition.”
“Technically” Cory began in a stubborn voice that forced Grayson to suppress his smile, “I was right.”
Grayson played along and furrowed his brows, “How so?”
“Well, there is black” Cory pointed to the bed “and grey is a kind of dull silver…” he looked at the walls.
“And the bronze?” Grayson asked with plaful curiosity.
“I bet your curtain railings are bronze” Cory challenged, refusing to be wrong. He walked toward the curtains and then hissed, raising his foot and thudding down to the carpet.
Grayson rushed over, “Wait, wait, wait- what happened?”
“I don’t know, I stepped on something” Cory mumbled, checking his foot. Grayson again reached for his mate’s foot and had to stop himself, dropping his head in frustration.
“I think it’s a splinter” Cory whispered in focus as he squinted at the long, yet thin shard of wood in his foot. A small, barely visible droplet of blood manifested from the point of entry and Grayson’s anger bubbled.
I told them to fix the room-
“Ah, Alpha” an airy voice came from the door.
Grayson looked to the attendant slowly and so didn’t see Cory’s neck almost snap to see the source of the voice. She was… pretty. A flawless olive complexion, shining onyx hair tied in a high-ponytail and stunning chocolate eyes.
Cory looked away then, some kind of feeling bubbled inside of him; he didn’t like the bubble.
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