Chapter 268

The rain falls steadily for hours, the soft thrum a cushion to hide the world out.

Sometime during his sleep, Dream had spun around so his head was against Dale's chest.

It's no surprise that they sleep for so long being sleep deprived and also in very comfortable positions, the day going by so fast.

By late afternoon, the rain had slowed down to mere droplets, Dia and Deidre deciding to drive home as the rain had put an end to the day's businesses.

Heather had been the last to leave, most of the other workers slowly trickling out after they had called various people to come pick them up.

The customers had been quick to leave when the weather started to go sour so it wasn't like there was anyone to attend to, Dia didn't mind, waiting patiently until everyone had gotten home safely although she had her car just in the general parking lot at the start of the street.

Heather too had her own means of transportation but chose to stay with her till the last of the other workers had gone and Dia was grateful.

It was nice to have a friend who understood how it felt to be in a shitty marriage where you were always the one putting in the work.

"Is that Alpha Dale's car?" Deidre is the first to notice, coming down with an umbrella to unlock the gate.

Dia flinches back in surprise when she recognizes it, meeting up with Deidre inside the house.

"What is his car doing outside?" She whisper yells to her daughter who was closing up her umbrella to rest against the wall.

"I have no idea but what's more important is how long has it been here." Deidre whispers back.

They make their way sneakily into the living room, no sure what to expect but half expecting Dale and Dream to be sitting, maybe talking.

Although it was a little hard for Deidre to picture her grumpy brother hold a polite, social conversation with anyone that wasn't Hayden.

They share a surprised glance when they peek from the hallway to the living room and find it empty, not one thing out of place.

"You don't think Dream murdered him, do you?" Deidre stage whispers.

Dia gives her a blank look, more worried about other things. "Let's search everywhere then we'll meet up upstairs to check his room together."

Deidre groans a little. "Why don't we just go straight to his room? I'm dying of curiosity."

"Deidre." Dia warns seriously and she can see the fear dancing in her mom's eyes.

"Fine." She agrees, taking the rooms downstairs while her mom heads up the kitchen.

True to Deidre's prediction, they find nothing and are gathered in front of Dream's room in no time.

"Maybe we're just overthinking this and Dream is fast asleep while Dale is probably on a run or doing some Alpha business someone else." Deidre says decisively, knocking a little so they wouldn't interrupt Dream's sleep but also to notify him if he was awake.

After a couple knocks and there's no response, Deidre pushes the door open and the strangled sound she hears her mom make behind her is the audio representation of how she currently felt.

"What the fuck?" She splutters as they both stand frozen in the doorway, staring down at Dream who was comfortably fast asleep with Dale.

Of all the things she had expected,it definitely wasn't... all this!

Dia is the first to recover, blinking rapidly as she sees Dream squirm a little. "We've got to go!" She panics, grabbing Deidre's wrist to tug her outside.

Deidre clicks the door shut when they were safely outside. "Are you okay mom?" She asks in worry when she glances up to see her mom's eyes glowing an angry silver.

"Yeah." Dia shakes her head, her eyes reverting back to their usual.

Sure, she had walked into Darian and she didn't particularly mind but she had no idea why Dream's was making her so antsy.

"I'll be in my room." She says quickly, making herself scarce.

Deidre was more occupied with what exactly had gone down between her brother and the Alpha or what was going on, friends and acquaintances didn't sleep together that way, to bother about her mom's existential crisis.

It was no secret that Dia babied her last child, practically spoiling him because her husband didn't approve of his status.

Deidre was glad he was gone and she couldn't wait for him to come back from whatever non-existent business trip he went on to come see that his ignored child was mated to the Alpha of a Pack, that would mix well with his gigantic ego.

She made her way to her room, intrigued by the drama that was sure to go down and it had to happen just when she was about to leave the house.

Just her luck.

•~•

Dream dances on the edge of wakefulness, unable to pinpoint where his body parts were but was too comfortable to care, at least, until he feels something wet against his face.

His eyes flies open in surprise, the realization that he wasn't sleeping alone hitting hard.

He tries to flinch back when his vision clears and he sees Dale right in his personal space, their noses brushing but he's caged in by Dale's arms.

His hands are up against the other's chest and he's painfully aware of how slender his bare arms are compared to Dale's.

"Did you just lick my face?" He accuses in disbelief, glaring right at him.

"Why would I do that?" Dale asks calmly, just the faintest wisps of amusement dancing on his face.

A frown overtakes his previously disgruntled expression, rolling his eyes which are more blue than grey fresh out of sleep. "I don't know what goes on in your head, how would I know that?"

Dale shrugs slightly and goes quiet, making Dream stare at him weirdly. 

"What's wrong?" He glances down at him.

"Oh, I don't know." Dream snaps sarcastically. "Maybe it's because you're practically caging me in with your arms and legs."

Dale glances down briefly and drops his head on the pillow again, expression not changing. "Oh."

"Oh." Dream mimics savagely. "Oh? That's all you're going to say?"

"What else do you want me to say?" Dale asks seriously.

"I expected you to let me go." Dream replies, watching him skeptically, he would have flared up but the genuine confusion on Dale's face stops him plus the window catches his attention.

He crawls out of bed, noting that the rain was all but done, which was splendid news, Dale could get out of here before his mom and sister came home.

He couldn't pinpoint the time because it was still generally grey outside so instead he reaches for his phone and nearly drops it when he sees the time.

"It's pretty late Dale, you should get going." He tosses over a shoulder, going to rifle through his wardrobe for a sweater.

"That's an awfully cold way to send me off." Dale drawls, lying on his side with his head propped up on his elbows.

Dream pulls his head out of the wardrobe to glare at him. "Don't push it, idiot." He grouches, finding what he's looking for.

Dale gets up and stretches a bit, brushing down his clothes.

"Wait, let me go first." Dream says quickly when Dale makes a move to leave.

Dale shutters his expression and gestures for him to go.

The house was in the clear or so, Dream thinks meanwhile Dia and Deidre were just in their rooms on either sides of the hallway.

He gives Dale the go ahead and the make their way out the house, he notices that the Alpha is unnaturally quiet but he's going to ignore it and pretend it isn't happening because there's nothing more to this.

hopefully, if he tells himself that often enough, it'll be the truth.

He waves Dale bye and then scurries back in without knowing that his mom's car was in the garage, he decides to down a couple cups of cocoa and hopefully try to fall back asleep, anything to forget about Dale for a couple more precious hours.

He's opening the door to the kitchen when he bumps into Deidre who is leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, a knowing look on her face.

"Fuck! DD! You startled me." He complains, continuing his journey to the counter before it hits. "Wait, you're back! Where's mom? Is she back too?"

Deidre just gives him a devious smile. "Mom, is fast asleep in her room, where did you go?"

Dream freezes in the motion of grabbing his favourite mug from the rack. "W-where? Th... that's an odd question, I've been in my room."

"Uh huh, that's why the front door was open when I passed by the living room." She says, skepticism high in her voice.

"I um... had a friend over." Dream says defensively.

"I never asked that Dream." She taunts, walking close to him to get a drink of water from the tap. "So you sleep with your friends too, that's new." She smiles at him, walking out.

Dream half groans, half curses, DD wasn't going to let him hear the end of this.