Tanner and Jess stir awake almost simultaneously, as if a silent connection tethers them, even in sleep.
The room is quiet now, save for the steady rhythm of their breathing, a contrast to the wild chaos of the night before.
The sun has crept through the curtains, casting its golden light across their tangled forms. It must be midday by now, or maybe later.
Tanner's chest is pressed against Jess's back, his lips hovering just above the freshly marked skin on Jess's neck.
His arms tighten around him protectively, instinctively, almost as if he fears the connection could be undone, as if the bond between them might slip away in an instant.
"I marked you," Tanner's voice comes out hoarse, raw from the night, a reminder of what just transpired.
Jess doesn't respond immediately. His fingers trace the sheets, soft and slow, as if he is still coming to terms with the reality of it all.
Then his hand lifts, fingers brushing over the side of his neck. He can feel the throb of the mark, faint but warm beneath his touch.
"I know," Jess murmurs quietly, his voice thick with unspoken thoughts.
Tanner's breath hitches. His heart hammers against his chest as he leans in, pressing a soft, reverent kiss beside the mark, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary.
"I'll spend the rest of my life proving I deserve it," Tanner whispers against his skin, his words full of raw emotion.
Jess chuckles softly, but the humor doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I can't believe this. I mean, even if I lived millions of years, I would have never thought younger Alpha Hale would ever dare touch a man... let alone touching one. Not even looking at one with that simplest thought in his mind."
Tanner flinches, as if suddenly reminded of what he's done. The reaction vanishes almost instantly, but Jess catches it, he sees it, feels the tension ripple through Tanner's body.
"I'm not touching just a man," Tanner's voice drops to a low murmur, his grip on Jess loosening. "I'm touching you. Claimed you... the person I've always dreamed of."
The words should make Jess happy. They should fill him with warmth. But for some reason, they don't.
Maybe it's because Tanner's reaction to what Jess has just said.
Just as Tanner leans in, about to kiss him, his phone vibrates on the bedside table. Jess feels the tension spike instantly. Tanner hesitates, his lips just inches from Jess's skin, before reluctantly pulling away to grab the phone. His father's name flashes across the screen.
He groans, frustration evident in his posture. Jess can sense the sudden shift in the mood.
"Dad?" Tanner answers, his tone barely masking his annoyance.
"I know, I know," his father, the former Alpha Marreck, says, his voice full of authority. "But you two need to remember you're the leaders now. Something's come up, and you're needed at the pack house. Right now."
The call ends abruptly, and Tanner's mood sours further. He tosses the phone back onto the bedside table with an irritated sigh.
"What is it?" Jess asks, sensing the change in him.
"Duties call," He mutters, his tone heavy with responsibility. "Apparently something's come up at the pack house. They need us there."
Jess sits up, "Me too?"
Tanner nods, already moving to get out of bed. "Yeah. They want both of us."
Jess feels a wave of uneasiness wash over him.
"But... how am I supposed to go like this?" Jess asks, wondering if Tanner has now decided to face everyone with him like this, to stand before the authorities and say, 'Look, I'm mated to a man. I loved him even before this bond, and now that I've found him, I'm not letting him go. Not for you, not for anyone, not for anything.'
But Instead of responding, Tanner gets off the bed and walks toward the drawer.
Jess watches him, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. For some reasons he feels truly happy, to have a man now, one who's loved him all his life and he has accepted him as he is.
But Jess's smile fades when Tanner pulls out several beautiful dresses, along with a black wig. Same style but different color.
Jess freezes, his heart sinking. Why does Tanner have all this?
"We should change your hair color," Tanner says, holding up the wig. "Pink makes you look like a bad girl. Not really the look for a Luna. Black would suit you better..."
Before he can finish, Jess interrupts.
"Why do you have all that? Did you buy these before we even met? Because since we met, we've been together, and I've not seen you go for them or order them."
"I've had them for a while," Tanner says, his tone unbothered. "I knew I'd find you one day."
Jess feels a spike of anger. "Find me one day and make me cross-dress?! This is what you've been planning all along?!"
Tanner's expression shifts, confused. "Why does it make you angry? I found you in a dress! You did it on your own. Had anyone asked you to dress in it?"
"No, no one asked me to," Jess snaps. "But I did it for a reason, because I knew when the pack find me, they would still condemn me for what happened years ago. I didn't like it. I didn't want it! But you... before you even saw me in a dress, you bought these?!"
"Come on, we don't have time for this now," Tanner says, his voice hurried as he holds out the black dress. "We're needed at the pack house now."
Jess refuses to take it. "I'm not wearing it."
"So what now? You want to go like this? As a guy? You know the situation we're in."
"Oh I know more than anyone else. But I would've dressed up this morning and gone with you in a dress if you hadn't shown me that you've been planning this all along. It feels like you never plan to make the pack accept us, or to leave if they don't and be with me as I am. But this... it's like you want me to live like this forever!"
The pain in Jess's voice is undeniable. Just when he thought things were getting better, when he thought Tanner had accepted him, he's faced with this realization.
Tanner steps forward, his voice low and almost mechanical. "Jess, we only have two options. Just two. As we're already married, you'll have to choose one of them, because there's no other option."
Jess doesn't respond. He just stares at Tanner, his heart heavy with uncertainty, a glimmer of hope still lingering in his chest.
But as the weight of Tanner's words settles on him, all he can do is wait for the truth to reveal itself.
Deep down, he hopes that the love Tanner confessed last night find a way to break through those two options he is talking about.