Chapter Text
Calista groaned at the sudden flare of light, squeezing her eyes closed and pulling the duvet over her head.
“Turn it off!” she growled.
Alpha huffed as he dimmed the lamp, and the bed dipped beside her.
“I brought you coffee.”
That deliciously hoarse voice near her ear. The sound of a mug on the nightstand. The blanket pulled down. Soft lips against Calista's, making her smile.
“Annnnd...” he murmured against her, “I bring a bucket full of fucking tea.”
Calista cracked an eye open.
Alpha’s face hovered above her, that adorable boyish grin lighting up his rugged features.
“Tea?” she said warily.
Alpha nodded.
“Fuck yes.”
She shoved at him, shifting to a sitting position with some considerable effort. He placed the steaming mug of coffee in her hand and flopped down beside her.
“Well? Are you going to elaborate, Alfie? It’s way too early for mental gymnastics.”
He nuzzled the side of Calista’s throat, hot breath tickling her skin. She shivered, earning her a playful growl.
“How about bedtime gymnastics?”
The dramatic yelp he let out when she smacked at his shoulder was one-hundred percent Alpha.
“Spill, hot rod.”
That husky laugh made Calista’s stomach flip, and Alpha leaned back, crossing his long legs at the ankles.
“Well... Misty has boys in her room.”
She glanced up at him, sipping her coffee, and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Boys, as in, plural,” he said in a stage whisper.
Calista choked on her coffee.
“What?” she squeaked between coughs. “Who?”
“Well, one was Coal. Naturally. But the other?” Calista turned to face him, leaning closer. Alpha absolutely loved juicy gossip. Fire ghouls were fuelled by it. “I think the other was that demon. The one who visits Quinn.”
Calista’s eyes widened.
“No! Really? Wow. Gods! Just... Wow.”
Alpha chuckled, downing a mouthful from his own mug.
“I know, right? Dark horse...”
They chatted for a little while, but the more Calista woke up, the more she noticed the air of tension buried beneath Alpha's actions. His eyes burned a little too brightly, feverishly so, and the magic of his pendant sparked the way it did when it worked to calm him.
“What’s going on, Alfie?” Calista asked, putting her now empty mug on the nightstand. “You seem... edgy.”
His brow creased, but she knew he wouldn’t evade her question. That was the one thing she could always rely on with him. Her mate would never lie to her. Sure enough...
“I’m worried about you, Lista. I know this time of year is hard, but you’re pulling away from everything.”
A puff of breath left Calista's lungs at the reminder, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach, dropping her eyes to her duvet-draped lap.
“I just miss them,” she whispered, hating the way her voice cracked on that last word.
A warm arm settled around her shoulders, and Calista leaned into Alpha’s side. He kissed the top of her head gently, stroking his palm up and down her biceps.
“I know,” he said. “And that’s okay. But this isn’t like you.”
Of course, he was right. The season wasn’t helping things. It was almost Yule. A time of year for families. And as much as Calista loved the found family she had here, loved Rain, her one remaining son...
She ached for the mate and the family she’d lost. A constant knot of pressure lodged right beneath her heart.
Some days it was just a dull, manageable ache.
Other days it choked her.
She felt Alpha’s gaze on her and forced a smile, closing her eyes when he cupped her face softly.
“I’ll be fine. I just need...”
A tear tracked its way down her face, and Alpha brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. Calista opened her eyes, meeting his. He sighed, thumb pausing against her cheek. Was he was nervous about something?
“Will you come watch the sun rise with me, Lista?” he asked.
She blinked, sitting up a little. Something about the way he said it gave her pause. He sounded uncertain. Shy, almost. As if this wasn’t just a casual request. As if her answer really meant something to him.
It had been a few days since she’d even attempted to leave the lair. Alpha was right. She’d been hiding from the world.
Calista straightened her spine and nodded as Alpha’s hand fell away.
The smile of relief that lit up his face at her acceptance was fierce, and his warmth seeped into that cold place inside her.
“Come on then,” he said, climbing off the bed, unabashedly stepping out of the loose pyjama pants he wore. Calista drank him in, but he didn’t even notice her eyes on him. A buzz of happiness drifted through their bond, and she found herself clinging to it. “Get dressed. We’re going for a ride.”
The automatic protest died on her tongue when Alpha cocked a brow, hands pausing on the waistband of the base-layer pants he’d just put on, daring her to refuse.
Why wouldn’t she go? A ride was just what she needed to blow the cobwebs away. She couldn’t hide in the lair forever.
“Okay. Let me just freshen up first.”
That smile again, and Calista shook her head, clambering off the massive bed and shuffling into the bathroom. She washed, dressed and braided her hair, emerging from the bathroom feeling determined.
Alpha had already laid out her gear, and he watched with barely contained heat as she put on the leathers she’d bought when her and Alpha had become a regular thing.
A 'regular thing' with Alpha meant many trips out on his motorcycle. Calista had borrowed Mist's things for a while, but figured it would be better to have her own.
Alpha had taught her how to ride, too. Again, Mist had graciously lent her Fireblade, Rebel, out, and it hadn’t taken long at all for Calista to get the hang of it. She was a ghuleh, after all. Stronger than a human. Superior balance and coordination. Faster reactions. Perfectly suited to handling a powerful bike at high speeds.
A shiver of anticipation ran through her at the thought of speeding down the highway in the predawn darkness. The smell of leather and winter-crisp air flooding her senses.
“Should I go check with Mist it’s okay to borrow Rebel?”
Calista had been saving up to buy her own bike. She’d had her eye on an older Firebird, but so far she didn’t have enough. Hopefully by the time summer came around, she could justify it. Alpha had offered to lend her the money, but she hadn’t taken him up on it. It had felt nice to have a goal to work towards.
Alpha snorted.
“I think she’s pretty busy right now, Lista. Best not disturb her unless you want to be fucking traumatised seeing what your bestie gets up to at bedtime...”
“Alfie!” Calista scolded. “Leave her alone. She can fill in the details for us later.”
He shrugged.
“Well, she said you could use the bike any time, so it’ll be fine.”
Alpha pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. She leaned her cheek against his chest and smiled.
Years ago, Calista had made a promise to herself that she’d live her life to its fullest, and so far, despite everything, she’d tried her best. The past few days had been a blip, but she owed it to herself to make good on that promise.
“Let’s go then, ghoul. Don’t want to miss that sunrise.”
Alpha stepped back and grinned, taking her hand and leading her out of the lair.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The closer to the motorcycle garage they got, the more Calista sensed that tension creeping back into Alpha. He was his usual goofy self, making small talk and bitching about the ghouls they saw on the way there. Snarling at anyone who got in their way... but beneath it all? Something was bothering him.
The magic of his pendant buzzed. Calista couldn’t see it beneath his leathers, but she felt the bite of magic as it worked to calm him.
Just as they reached the inner door at the bottom of the stone steps, Alpha stopped and turned to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and meeting her eyes. His had faded back to their usual blue, but that air of vulnerability only those closest to him ever got to witness lingered behind them.
Calista scowled.
“Are you okay, Alpha?” she asked carefully. “You seem...” She used their bond to try and get a better sense of it. “...worried?”
His lips pressed into a tight line, brows knitting together. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers.
“You are everything to me, Lista. When I thought I’d lost you?” He blinked, eyes flaring with banked amber flames. “Fuck. I don’t know what the fuck I’d do without you.”
She touched her lips lightly to his and smiled.
“I’m still here, Alfie. You don’t need to worry about that now. I’m not going anywhere.”
He hugged her then, harder than he should have, arms encircling her like she was his lifeline. Calista huffed, the breath leaving her lungs at the unexpected ferocity of it.
“I love you so fucking much,” he whispered into her hair.
He trembled against her, and Calista’s anxiety spiked.
“I love you too, Alfie, but you’re scaring me a little and I need to breathe...”
The pressure eased instantly, and Alpha stepped away, hand brushing his scalp in that way he often did when his feelings got too big and too intense for him.
“Fuck.”
He swallowed, took a deep breath, and met her eyes. His burned, and the sight took Calista's breath away. “Okay,” he said, as if giving himself a pep talk. “Come on.”
Alpha turned, opening the door to the garage and entering first. He ducked his head under the doorframe. It always amused Calista how a lot of the ghouls struggled with some of the human-proportioned buildings.
Most doorways were high enough, but some of the Abbey’s older parts were smaller. Alpha's head almost brushed the top of this one, and his shoulders filled the space nicely, despite him not being overly bulky.
Calista was so distracted by her mate’s physique that she didn’t notice anything beyond him at first...
The garage's fluorescent lights flared, a buzz of electricity humming over her skin. Calista followed him into the large space where Alpha, Ifrit and Mist kept their motorcycles. Force of habit had her automatically heading towards the stand where Mist kept Rebel.
“What are you doing, Lista?” Alpha said, the rasp of his voice halting her steps.
Calista frowned, wondering what he meant.
“The bike, Alfie? Did you forget why we’re here?” she teased.
He shrugged and strolled towards his pride and joy, the black Kawasaki Ninja parked beside Rebel. Casual.
Too casual.
Calista's gaze strayed to something beyond him. Her breath hitched when it landed on the bike that sat on the other side of Alpha's.
The one she’d never seen before.
The one with a ridiculously huge red gift bow attached to the fuel tank.
“Well, I figured maybe you’d want to ride your bike today instead of Mist's...”
Alpha shrugged and Calista’s eyes snapped to his.
“Alpha? What did you do?” she said, traitorous feet taking hesitant steps towards the metallic green Honda Fireblade.
The one she’d been lusting over for the past few months at the dealership they often found themselves visiting on their rides. The one that had been absolutely out of her price range.
“Do you like it?” Alpha asked, quiet voice uncertain. “You said you didn’t want a loan, but you didn’t say anything about a gift.”
Calista’s hand flew to her mouth, and she shook her head, eyes misting over.
“Alfie, this is too much. Way too much,” she whispered, still moving slowly towards it, other hand outstretched now. “This must have cost a fortune. How can you afford this?”
An indignant snort from Alpha had her snapping her eyes to his again. He wiggled his fingers at her, and she glanced at his left hand. The one that was missing two fingers.
“Pit bonus,” he said, as if that should be obvious.
“Pit bonus?” she asked, confused.
She’d reached the bike, and ran tentative fingers along the sleek lines of it. Three silver cresting waves had been added to the fairings, along with her elemental symbol on the fuel tank.
“Terzo pays me a bonus every year. Calls it the Pit bonus. He still feels guilty about sending me there, so he throws money at me.” He shrugged, fangs glinting as he grinned. “I don’t complain. Unless he forgets to pay it... But I figured I should spend it on something special this year.”
Calista stepped away, wrapping her arms around her middle. It was beautiful. Exactly what she wanted. Even better than she’d imagined.
So why was she feeling this way?
“I can’t accept this,” she breathed.
Alpha scowled, grin fading, hurt echoing through their bond like a gust of cold wind.
It broke her heart.
“Why not, Lista? Don’t you like it? Did I get the wrong one?”
She shook her head.
“Alpha... This is...” She exhaled long and slow. “It’s a thirty thousand dollar motorcycle. It’s...” She stepped back. “It’s too much.”
“I mean, it was closer to thirty-three with the mods and the helmet and the extras...”
Calista gasped, and Alpha approached her slowly.
“But do you know what?” he said.
He stopped just shy of touching her, leaning down so they were face to face. Warm hands rested on either side of her face, and he held her gaze.
“You are worth it. You’re my mate, Lista. You get the best of what I can give you, because you bring out the best in me. And because last year was the worst year of my life. Worse than all the stuff with Inigo and the Pit. Worse than losing my pack mates or my fingers.”
He tilted her head back and smiled. “Because I found you and I almost lost you, Lista. Because you fought so fucking hard to stay here with me.”
He blinked the sudden sheen from his eyes. The same sheen that now stung Calista’s.
“So this?” He nodded towards the bike. The most perfect bike Calista thought she’d ever seen. “Because this is the absolute least you deserve. Please. Accept it. Use it. Enjoy it. For me.”
Her eyes flicked to the bike and a smile teased the corners of her mouth. Alpha took his chance and he kissed her. All Alpha. No holding back. Just heat and passion and love.
How could she resist that?
He pulled her closer, and just for a moment, the world narrowed to the taste of wood smoke and coffee. Calista’s favourite things in the world.
“I’m paying you back,” she murmured against him, and Alpha chuckled, pulling back from her.
“Nope. No way. It’s a gift.”
Calista squealed when strong hands gripped her hips, and Alpha lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing. He walked them to the bike, and sat her on it, grinning down at her.
“Happy fucking Yule.”
She felt her eyes burn, heart swelling at the joy that warmed her through their bond.
A weary sigh, and Calista accepted he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer on this.
“Thank you, Alfie. I don’t even know what to say.”
She took hold of the handlebars, that tentative smile morphing into an ear-to-ear grin. Alpha grabbed the brand new helmet, carefully placing it on her head and fastening the straps under her chin. It fit perfectly. Of course it did. Look how much thought he’d put into all of this.
“Don’t say anything. Just ride with me.”
Calista nodded, and they did just that, heading out into the predawn darkness.
Her heart raced as they roared along endless highways and twisting mountain roads, the horizon catching fire with pinks and golds as the world awoke around them.
This was everything she’d dreamed of during the years she’d spent without a voice, without a choice. This was freedom in its purest form, and as the sun rose in the winter sky, Calista grabbed the new day with both hands, and she lived it to its fullest.
Fierce.
Unapologetic.
Alive.
And through it all? Alpha rode beside her. Her constant. Her fire.
Her mate.
____
If you want to read more about Alpha and Calista and their origins, they appear in my fic, entitled 'Burning For You'. Link below :
https://archiveofourown.org/works/54727285/chapters/138701344
Alpha and Calista also have Pinterest boards 🖤
Alpha:
Calista: