Animal (Royal Bastards MC 1)

“Your dad’s going to freak out when he realizes you left.” I pull my jacket tight around me and light a blunt. Taking a long drag, I grin up at him through the exhale of smoke.

“Fuck it. I’d rather celebrate with you than those assholes.”

“Those assholes are going to be your brothers,” I remind him, passing him the joint.

“Got to earn my patch first, baby.” He sits next to me on the bench overlooking our lake, wearing his cut, the word “prospect” sewn on the chest above his left pocket, “You sure you want to patch in? You could go to college. You’re intelligent as shit, Alec.” I’m not blowing smoke up his ass either. He could go anywhere, do anything.

“This is in my blood, Drew. My dad would fucking die inside if his only son—only child—didn’t patch in and take the baton when the time comes.” He slips the blunt from my hand and chases the high.

“What about me?”

“What about you, baby?” he croaks through another inhale.

“You once told me you’d go to college if that’s what I wanted to do.” I nudge his leg with my knee.

“I said I’d go with you, and I will, if that’s what you want, but it’ll be as a Royal Bastard. I’ll go nomad until you’re done.” An orange glow moves through the air as he flicks the blunt into the water.

“And what if I don’t want this life when I’m done?” I test him. I’m not sure what I want yet, but I do know it’s with him.

He snorts, dragging me into his lap. “You’re already in this life, Drew. And you’re mine. I don’t even know who I am without you. We’re part of each other. I’ll go wherever you go and vice versa.” Damn him and his beautiful words and soul. I couldn’t imagine a life where we’re not together. The very thought makes me feel sick. People always joke about us being too young and not knowing what love is yet. I say fuck them all. We know what love is. It’s this: friendship, loyalty, laughter, love, touch, emotion—it’s being wherever the other is because they’re your air. Without them, you can’t breathe, and more importantly, you don’t want to.

“So, I don’t have a choice?” I push, grinning into his kiss as he captures my lips with his. He moves down to my neck, making me moan. “You want a life without me?” he asks, squeezing my butt and slipping his fingers beneath the hem of my shorts.

“I don’t know what a life without you looks like.”

“It looks bleak, baby.” He bites down on my shoulder and sucks, leaving a little love bruise.

“I should stay then?”

“I think it’s best.” He smirks, grabbing a fistful of my hair and tugging my head back, sweeping my neck with wet kisses.

“Damn. I don’t think I could drag myself away even if I wanted to,” I groan, moving my hips.

“I don’t think I could let you even if you wanted to.” He tips his hips up, brushing against the apex of my thighs.

“We could have done this in your room.” I moan, loving the feel of his touch.

“I let Mason use it. He’s got a thing for Heidi.”

Laughing hard, I push against his shoulders to stop his movements. “Mason and Heidi?”

“Yeah, what?” He leans back in, but I tilt backwards.

“Well, for one, Mason’s gross, and Heidi’s a princess. Two, Heidi has a major thing for you.”

Just thinking about her pining for him causes my to blood boil. She knows we’re together and still tries to get in his pants. She’s a cunt. The only reason I haven’t torn her hair out is because fighting over a guy is tacky club slut shit.

“Heidi knows I’m not interested. And Mason is gross to you. She might not think so.”

“Everyone thinks so,” I correct him, thinking of his ruddy face and fat tongue he tried to stick down my throat when he cornered me at a party. I broke his toe with the heel of my boot. I never told Alec about that night. Alec likes to bare knuckle box and takes on some of the club brothers. He’d destroy Mason, and no one needs that drama.

“He’s not the same kid who did this.” He strokes his finger down my scar and curls his hand around the back of my neck. Pulling me down to his lips, he kisses me so gently, a stark contrast to how he usually is with me.

Alec is hungry—that’s the only word for it when it comes to me. He always wants to kiss me, touch me, stroke, devour. Where I see an awkward teenage girl with wild, untamed hair, an ugly scarred face, skinny legs and arms, but boobs and hips that make me look ridiculous, Alec sees beauty—love—his best friend.