Slippers at Midnight

Chapter 15

MISSED CALLS

Mom

Aiden

Aiden

Drew

Aiden

Drew

Drew

GROUP TEXT: ME, MOM, DAD, AIDEN, DREW

-Me-

Something came up. Gotta get back to school. Taking my car. I'll send a message when I'm there. Love you all. Thanks. Bye.

-Mom-

Hey sweetie. Got your message. I hope everything is ok. What happened?

-Aiden-

Did you imprint? Who was it?

-Drew-

Are you OK?

TEXT CONVERSATION: ME, AIDEN

-Aiden-

I see the prince found you. Did you imprint? HAHAH!

-Aiden-

Where are you?

-Aiden-

You ok?

-Aiden-

Elle?

TEXT CONVERSATION: ME, DREW

-Drew-

Aid says you aren't answering him. You OK?

-Drew-

What happened, Sis?

-Drew-

Ok. We thought you imprinted on the prince but he's still here and you aren't.

-Drew-

Got your message, call when you get to your dorm.

-Drew-

YOU BETTER BE OK. CALL ME.

-Drew-

Aiden and I are headed to you. You better be dead. Call if you get this.

I was panicked. I hadn't meant to worry my family. That's why I had sent them a message. I'd planned on sending another message as soon as I figured out what I was going to tell them. Then I got distracted by Daciana and... didn't.

I was even more worried about what I was going to say. The message from Drew was thirty minutes old. Knowing the way Drew drove, they could be at my dorm any time. Goddess help me, I had no idea what to do. Daciana handed me my clothes and got dressed. Then she went out to talk to Ted. She was back a minute later.

"Baby, you gotta get dressed. We need to leave right now."

I looked at her, confused.

"Elle, you need to get to your dorm before your brothers do. Imagine how worried they'll be if they get there and you are gone. Move your ass!"

I hurried into my clothes and she grabbed my hand. In the sitting room, Ted was waiting with car keys in his hand. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yup," Daciana answered and she pulled me out the door.

Ted drove quickly and I sighed in relief when I didn't see Drew's car, yet. I had to decide now. Was I okay telling my brothers about Daciana? Daciana squeezed my hand and I led her and Ted into my building. "What do we do?" I breathed.

Daciana looked at me. "It's up to you, and I'll go along with whatever you decide, but we are going to have to tell everyone, eventually. You and your brothers are close. I think we should tell them. It will be a good test as to how others might respond."

I pursed my lips and blew out my breath. "Ok. Let's tell them." Daciana smiled and moved her hand to wrap her arm around my waist. I unlocked my room and led them inside. Daciana sat on my bed while Ted sat in my desk chair and watched me pace.

Less than five minutes later, there was a knock on my door. My mouth went dry. Daciana reached for me and I sat next to her on the bed. I looked at Ted. "Would you mind?"

He smiled and stood. He winked at Daciana and opened the door. Ted's back obscured the door but I hear Drew's voice. "Uh... hey I'm looking for... Wait. Aren't you one of the Matei boys? Ted, right? Is Elle here?" Ted stood back and my brothers came into view.

I tried to keep my voice from shaking. "Come in, guys." My brothers, whose faces were painted with concern and confusion, moved past Ted into the small room. They looked at me and then noticed the woman sitting beside me. Both boys bowed reflexively. Ted glanced into the hall and quickly shut the door.

Daciana laughed. "That's not necessary. You may rise."

The boys looked at each other and me. Then Aiden looked back at Ted while Drew's eyes slipped cautiously to Daciana. It was Aiden that spoke. "Um... hi your highness. I'm Aiden. This is my brother, Drew. Um... Bannister but..." words failed him and he looked at me.

Daciana laughed again. The sound helped me relax enough to realize I wasn't breathing and I inhaled.

Andrew looked back to me. "Elle? What's up?"

I tried to smile but I'm pretty sure it came out as a grimace. "Why don't you guys sit down?"

Aiden sank onto the small loveseat in a corner of my room while Drew dropped into the desk chair Ted had vacated. Ted leaned against my desk and smiled at me encouragingly. I shot a tight smile back and looked at my oldest brother. I opened my mouth and closed it again. I glanced at Daciana but she only smiled and nodded.

I slid off the bed and stood in the center of the room. When I tried again to speak I directed my words at my younger brother instead. "So...um... something happened." No one spoke so I swallowed and continued. "I need to tell you and I'm scared." Aiden's face was concerned. He reached out, grabbed my hand, and pulled me a step closer.

"Hey, Sis, you can tell us anything." He glanced at Drew and then looked back at me. "Anything."

I couldn't help it. Tears welled up in my eyes and slid down my cheeks. "This is big, Aidy, I--" my voice cut out and I had to swallow several times before continuing. "I imprinted." My brother's eyebrows knit together but he waited for me to continue. I pointed behind me to where Daciana was still on the bed. "I imprinted on her."

Aiden's mouth dropped open and he looked at Daciana. Andrew stood up. "Wait, what? That's not possible."

I tried to make eye contact with him but could only hold it a moment before my gaze fell to my feet. "I know that Andrew, but it is still true. She feels it, too." I heard Daciana slide off the bed and then her arm was around my waist. She pulled me to her. I looked at her and saw she was smiling up at Drew.

My brother rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Elle, you are both..." he gestured at us vaguely.

"Girls?" Daciana finished. "Yes, we know. We've been over that."

Aiden squeezed the hand he was still holding. "Are you sure?"

I looked at him and nodded. His face broke into a huge smile and he stood up and pulled Daciana and me into a huge hug. "I'm so happy for you, Ellie!" He grinned at Daciana over my head. "Welcome to the family."

Daciana happily returned the hug. Her free arm wrapped around my younger brother's waist and she beamed. Aiden looked at Drew expectantly. Drew sat back down.

"Look, Elle, I love you and I support you, no matter what, and if we were normal human people I'd obviously be completely in your corner, I mean, of course, I'm in your corner but..." He looked at me. The desperate, pained look seemed totally foreign on his normally smiling face. "I just wonder if maybe you guys are confused or wrong. No offense, your highness. It's just, maybe you just think you imprinted."

Ted glared at Drew and stood up but Daciana waved him back down. He resumed leaning against the desk but his sharp eyes continued to shoot daggers at the back of Drew's head.

Daciana slipped from Aiden and me and took a step toward Drew. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "I admit, it is a new experience for both of us, but we aren't mistaken, Andrew." She looked back at me.

I shook my head. "It's everything you described and more, Drew. I can't breathe without her. She's the center of everything. I need her. It's real. I'm sure."

Drew hung his head. He was silent for an unbearable amount of time. Finally, he rubbed his hand in his hair and looked up at me. "People aren't going to take this well." His look shifted to Daciana. "They won't believe you or they'll think it's a mistake."

Daciana squared her shoulders and met his look. "I know all of that. It doesn't matter. She's worth it."

Emotion flooded my brother's face. He drew a ragged breath and nodded. He looked back to where Aiden still had his arms around me. "I've got your back. I love you, Elle." Drew stood up and joined Aiden and me in the hug. He looked back at Daciana and extended his hand to her. "Welcome to the family, Princess."

Daciana made a delighted sound and threw her arms around all three of us. "You can call me Dachee!"

Chapter 16

I sent a text to my parents to apologize for worrying everyone, assure them that my ringer had been off, and let them know that the boys had found me. Drew sent a similar message.

Everyone settled in in my room. Daciana, Aiden, and I sat on my bed, Ted took Aiden's spot on the couch and Drew sat back in the desk chair. Between Ted, Drew, and Aiden, my room felt tiny. My mate and I sat together on one end of the bed and Aiden took up the other end. An insane little giggle rose in my throat as I thought about what the rest of the residents in my dorm would say if they knew about the five werewolves crammed into my room. Not to mention the honest-to-goddess princess. Daciana seemed to read my mind. She smiled. "We don't quite fit in this world, do we?" I shook my head.

Daciana and I took turns telling my brothers our stories of the last-- had it really only been two days? So much had happened it felt much longer. Every once in a while she would smile at me and my stomach would swoop. I turned red as a beet when Aiden called me out. "You're drooling, Sis." He murmured the words but there was no question that all the wolf ears picked up every syllable. Ted smirked and Daciana turned to look at me.

"Look at that. So you are."

"I am not!"

Daciana laughed. "It's ok, Baby. You make my mouth water, too." She flicked her tongue over my mouth. Aiden hooted in amusement. I forgot everyone else for a minute and grabbed her face. I pulled her against me and pressed my mouth to hers. I don't know what I might have done next if Ted hadn't cleared his throat and reminded me that we weren't alone.

I looked around, embarrassed, but even Drew was grinning, now. "We," he swatted at Aiden, "had better head back to Avion. I have to drop this little shit off at home and then I'm driving back to Houston tonight."

Drew stood up and I slid off the bed to hug him. "Don't say anything to Mom and Dad, ok?"

Drew shook his head. "We won't, but you need to tell them." His eyes drilled into mine. "Soon. We don't keep secrets, yeah?"

I nodded. "I know. I will. Promise." I hugged him again. "Thanks, Andrew."

He kissed the top of my head. "Love you, Elle."

"I love you back."

Aiden stood now. He pulled Daciana to him and hugged her. "It was nice to meet you, Dachee."

"You too, Aiden. Thank you for coming to check on her." Aiden nodded and reached for me next.

"Of course. Love you, Sis. Thanks for telling us. I know you could have hidden it. I'm really glad you didn't."

I squeezed my younger brother as hard as I could. I teared up again. "Thank you, Aiden. You are a good brother and a great friend. I love you so much!"

He squeezed me so hard I couldn't breathe but I didn't mind. "You too, Sis!"

Ted rose and moved to the door. He looked at Daciana. "I'm gonna walk them out and then I'll go pick up some food. Are you okay here?"

Daciana nodded and the three guys walked out of my dorm. Ted shut the door behind him. Daciana turned to me. "Well?"

I exhaled and sank back onto my bed. "That wasn't too bad. I'm so glad Aiden was here."

"Both your brothers really love you. They're very sweet."

I nodded, "Yeah. We've pretty much always been close."

Daciana crawled onto the bed next to me. "Right now, Lover, I want to be really close to you." She kissed my lips. "Really, really close."

I happily slipped my arms around her and pulled her close. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

I pulled Daciana down on top of me on my bed. "I adore you," I breathed and then I kissed her.

Daciana giggled. She kissed the tip of my nose. "I adore you, too, Baby."

I couldn't stop smiling. I'd had a generally happy life up to that point but I couldn't remember ever being as happy as I was when I was cuddled up with Daciana. I know it's cheesy but the best way I can describe it is that Daciana felt like what happiness is made of. I know, I know, super cheesy, please don't judge.

At first, our kisses were soft and sweet. My lips brushed over hers and lightning shot through me. She was endlessly kissable. I felt her mood shift. Her kisses became hotter and more demanding and she began to breathe harder. She moaned and pushed her tongue into my mouth.

My hands moved down her back and I grabbed tight to her hips and pulled her to me. She moaned again and I rocked my pelvis to grind against her. "Oh, goddess, Elle," Daciana panted. "How is every move you make the exact move I need to feel good? Holy shit."

I lowered my hips to the bed and slid my hand in between us. I rubbed through the fabric of her jeans and she bit my lip. "Hang on," I gasped. I twisted under her and crawled forward half a foot so that I could reach my nightstand. I pulled open the bottom drawer and fumbled blindly through my socks until my fingers closed around my favorite vibrator. "Lay on your back," I demanded, and Daciana rolled off of my legs and onto her back.

I tossed the vibrator onto the bed and returned my attention to the gasping and gorgeous woman in front of me. "Fuck! You are sexy, Dachee."

I unhooked her jeans and then slid them down her legs. I could see the wet spot on her panties and massaged it with my palm until she was writhing. I hooked her panties with my fingers and pulled them down slowly. I was teasing myself as much as her as I slowly unwrapped her like the last Christmas gift.

With her panties on my floor, I traced my fingers up the inside of her leg. When I reached her damp snatch, I grabbed the vibrator. I turned it on and Daciana smiled and bit her lower lip. I moved the toy up and down her inner thighs in long slow ovals while she whined with impatience.

Slowly, so slowly, I dragged the toy up to her soft folds. I moved the tip slowly over the outsides of the sensitive area and watched her face. Her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled through pursed lips. Her next inhale was shaky. I kissed one side of her labia softly and then used my free hand to push the lips open for my vibrator.

I started at her perineum and she sucked in a breath through her teeth and began to tremble. Leisurely, I moved the tip of the toy up, across her opening, and between her folds. When I reached her clit I held it gently in place while she tilted her head back. "Mmmm, yes!" Her voice was low and scratchy. Gently, I let the toy travel back to her perineum. "Ohhhh," she whined.

Up and down I moved the toy. Each stroke coaxed low, sensual sounds from Daciana's throat. She began to rock her hips to complement the movement of the vibrator. I felt my own body respond as though it was my pussy being prodded by the long vibrating shaft.

On one pass over her opening, Daciana grabbed my wrist and froze my movement. "Please, Elle, please put that inside me. Please, Baby."

I nodded and pushed the tip of the toy against her cleft. "Here, Baby?"

Her breathing caught in her throat and she bit her lips as she nodded. "Mm-hm."

I exhaled through my lips and steadily slipped the tip inside her. Daciana groaned when she felt the invasion. I could hear her teeth chatter. She looked at me and nodded with an encouraging smile.

With deliberate motions, I began to pump the toy in and out of her pussy. Daciana bent her knees and placed her feet flat on the bed. She pushed her hips up to meet my slow thrusts. I angled the vibrator until Daciana's gasp let me know it was sliding across her g-spot on each pass.

"Oh fuck," she gasped, "oh yes, fuck-fuck-fuck."

I increased my tempo and the speed of her hips changed to match. Soon she was beyond verbal and only groans and gasps escaped her beautiful lips. I kept my pace consistent and was careful to keep the angle she needed for her stimulation.

"I'm going to cum, Baby, oh goddess!" Daciana squeezed her thighs together and I pushed in with the toy and held it in place while she bucked her hips in orgasm.

Chapter 17

"I have an idea." Daciana ran her fingers through my hair while I rested my head in her lap.

After a text from Daciana, Ted had returned, dropped off a bag of tacos, and made himself scarce again. Now it was time to say goodbye before my mate and her friend returned to Avion and left me behind in Fort Worth.

I held onto her leg and tried not to cry. "What's your idea?" My voice sounded sulky.

"Our birthday was...weird and probably not the celebration either of us would have picked so we should get a redo."

I looked up at her. She beamed down at my face in her lap. I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"My parents have a cabin, honestly it's more of a lodge, in Ratcliff. It's right at the edge of the national forest. We could go for the weekend. You invite your friends and I'll invite a few of mine and we'll go on Friday. What do you think?"

"Seriously? Won't your parents mind? I mean, can we even go? With humans and stuff?"

Daciana leaned down to kiss my shoulder. "Of course, we can! It's kind of Jules and my unofficial get-a-way spot. We haven't invited humans before but I can give everyone a heads up and it'll be fine. We can behave for a weekend." She laughed. "And, I really wanna tell my brother. About you, I mean. I want Jules to get to know you. I want him to be part of this." The plea on her face almost broke my heart.

I was nervous to see the crown prince's reaction but I trusted Daciana and I knew how important Julian was to her. I nodded. "Of course." I couldn't help but voice my worry, though. "Do you think Prince Julian is going to...understand? Accept us?"

Daciana rolled her eyes at my use of her brother's title. "His royal highness, Prince Julian Constatin," she gave me a smirk, "is going to totally flip. Then he's going to tease me. Then he's going to get very serious and mansplain the difficulty of our situation to us. Then he's going to feel he's done his duty as crown prince and my, technically, older brother and he'll get us both drinks, toast our future, and probably continue drinking until he decides to bust out the karaoke machine."

I couldn't help but laugh. The Prince Julian in my head was formal and stately. It was so bizarre to picture him behaving like a normal college student. "Really?"

Daciana laughed, too. "Yup. The boy loves karaoke. Can you sing?"

I shrugged. "Probably well enough for karaoke but no one is gonna be offering me solos or music contracts any time soon. What about you?"

Daciana looked embarrassed for the first time since I'd known her. "Honestly, yes. My siblings and I all have formal training in dance, music, theatre, and debate. Our parents believe it is important for public appearances. Dance teaches us grace and body awareness, music helps build strong voices, theatre helps get past stage fright or awkwardness, and debate makes sure we can be really obnoxious and witty when we need to be."

"Like the VonTrapps?"

Daciana laughed again. "Yes, but instead of singing to escape Nazis we sing to win favors for our pack and keep from going to war with other packs."

"The fate of our territory hangs on whether your family can perform well?"

Daciana nodded solemnly. "Didn't you know? All the territorial enclaves and stuff, are just really secret singing competitions."

"America's Got Werewolves?"

"Werewolf Idol."

We both burst into laughter. I looked at her beautiful, laughing face and was hit with the desire to hold her tight and not let go. The silliness faded and I sat up and took Daciana's hands. I could feel my eyes stinging but fought to keep the tears back. "I don't want you to go. I'm gonna miss you. I'm not actually sure I can survive you leaving."

Daciana's smile was sweet and warm. "I don't want to go, either. I wouldn't if I didn't have to. BUT I have to check in and I have things to do and you have classes in the morning, anyway. I promise I'll see you as soon as possible. We can talk on the phone or video call."

She moved next to me and wrapped both arms around me. "I'll miss you, so much, Elle. Are we on for next weekend, at least? Then we know we'll see each other then."