Aurora - A New Dawn

CHAPTER 15 | RESTORE

Quil stuck his key into the front door to unlock it, turning the knob once the tumblers clicked into place. Embry was too busy concentrating on the way the autumn wind tousled Quil's inky shoulder length curls; he hadn't even noticed Quil already stepped inside. A heavy layer of perspiration clung to their copper skin, chaotic heartbeats lulling to a relaxed sinus rhythm, breathing returning to normal.

Neither of them were accustomed to running, but they felt it was too nice of a day to let the weather go to waste. The run was more of a walk until it wasn't. Embry needed something to expend his energy on and keep his mind off his mom. He chose to stay in his human form because he wanted to feel grounded; phasing always ran the risk of someone else joining and mucking up the collective. As much as he loved the pack, Embry wanted to keep his thoughts, especially his memories, to himself.

Quil felt his absence and rotated on the ball of his foot to face Embry who was propped in the doorway with a distracted expression.

"You comin', babe?" Quil asked. He fixated on Embry's musky scent, the spice of his cologne and skin mixing to create an alluring cocktail of irresistible pheromones.

"Y-yeah. Sorry, I was thinking about somethin'."

"What about, Bry?" Quil ushered his boyfriend inside. His right arm coiled around Embry's waist, palm shoving the door closed once he'd completely stepped through the threshold.

"You're gonna make fun of me."

"I will not." A mischievous glint shone in Quil's eyes as he peered up at him.

"Will too," Embry paused, covering his face with his hands.

"Try me." Quil pried Embry's hands away, bringing his knuckles up to his lips for a brief peck.

"It doesn't matter. I'd tell you, anyway. I was just thinking about where I'd be if I didn't have you."

"Probably a lot worse off." Quil added, sneaking under the disconnected loop of Embry's arms.

"Yeah, probably." Embry grinned, "I'm surprised you didn't say something like 'laying down, face first in a ditch somewhere'."

"I felt like being a little nicer today. I don't have to be in your head to know what you're thinking about."

Quil hooked his index finger and thumb onto the end of Embry's chin, tilting his slender face down so he could gaze into the colorless void of his eyes. Anyone else would fail at deciphering where his pupils started and where his saucer like irises ended, but Quil often marveled at the sparse flecks of honey and burnt ochre blotting the centers. He'd studied those eyes so many times like he were lost at sea and they were a map to salvation.

"How generous." Embry replied, voice trailing off to nothing more than a whisper.

In the silence, they closed the rest of the distance between them, lips meshing together. The kiss, soft and needy, was interrupted by the whisper of bare feet padding on wood floor. Non-shifters wouldn't have been able to hear it. Quil and Embry pivoted to high alert, eyes searching for the culprit. Footsteps. Closer and closer. Neither of them were prepared for a fight, let alone in the house. But there would be no fight, Bella came waltzing around the corner. She was wearing nothing but Jake's baggy t-shirt, faded and frayed material exposing the entirety of her left shoulder, skirting around the outside of her right breast.

"Oh my God—I'm so... I'm so sorry. We didn't know when you two would be back." She said with a ghost of a whisper, clutching at the loose fitting t-shirt, trying to straighten the collar over her neck.

"Clearly, babe," Quil chuckled, taking in the change of scent from her. "Not only do you reek of Jake, your hair is messy, and your face has a rosy post-sex glow. Looks like you're wearing his t-shirt from this morning, too. You must have had a real nice time while we were out."