8. Whizz/ Dylan

WHIZZ

I woke with a start,the sound of a door slamming shut jolting me awake.

I rubbed my eyes, half-convinced that the appearance of Dylan in my room last night had been nothing more than a dream.

But as my senses sharpened, I detected the lingering scent, one that didn”t belong to me.

I was usually a private person, guarding my personal space with care. Yet, last night, I had invited Dylan into my den.

Rising from my bed, I instinctively reached for the blanket that had kept him warm.

I couldn”t help myself. I sniffed it, imprinting his scent to my memory.

As I approached the bed, I could still see the indentation where Dylan”s body had rested.

I stood there, holding Dylan”s blanket, my thoughts a chaotic whirlwind.

What was I doing? It was absurd, almost intrusive, to be sniffing his belongings like this.

A small voice in the back of my mind warned me that Dylan might freak out if he discovered what I was up to.

I found myself lost in thought, pondering the chemistry between us.

Maybe it was just my imagination, or perhaps it was the adrenaline from the rescue mission playing tricks on me.

Either way, I couldn”t deny that Dylan had a certain appeal.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I decided that it was best not to overthink things.

After all, Dylan had been through hell, and he probably wasn”t in the right headspace for romance.

And honestly, neither was I. I wasn”t exactly relationship material.

With a sigh, I folded up Dylan”s blanket and placed it back where I found it.

Maybe Dylan was better off finding someone else, someone who could give him the care and attention he deserved.

I decided a cold shower was the best way to clear my head.

The water helped wash away any lingering thoughts of romance and kept my focus on the here and now.

After the shower, I quickly dressed and glanced at the pile of work waiting for me on my desk.

It seemed endless, but it was a welcome distraction.

However, curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn”t help but wonder how Dylan was doing. Then I saw his note and smiled.

As I made my way downstairs, my thoughts briefly drifted back to our unexpected encounter last night.

But as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I nearly collided with Venom.

His eyes bore into mine. ”How was your night, Whizz?”

I couldn”t help but notice the hint of amusement in Venom”s voice as he casually asked about my night.

It was pretty clear that he had some inkling about Dylan”s surprise visit last night.

Rather than delving into the details or wondering how he knew, I simply shrugged it off.

Denying it would just make things awkward, so I decided to keep it simple.

I replied, ”Well, Dylan knocked on my door, and he ended up crashing on my bed. Nothing more to it.”

My words came out in a bit of a rush, and I realized I was starting to overexplain.

So, I decided to cut it short before I dug myself into a deeper hole.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Venom gave my shoulder a reassuring pat.

”I know,” Venom said with a knowing look in his eyes. It was a relief that he wasn”t prying further into the situation.

Venom then mentioned that Dylan was downstairs with Travis. Right. Dylan mentioned Travis in his note.

I had almost forgotten that I was the one who had contacted Travis”s older brother, Gordon, to pick him up.

Dylan probably wanted to have one last chat with his friend before he left.

I gave Venom a quick nod before heading downstairs in the hopes of catching up to Dylan.

I arrived just in time to catch the moment when Dylan, Travis, and another shifter were outside the MC building.

The third shifter, tall and golden-haired, shared a striking physical resemblance to Travis.

I figured that had to be Gordon, Travis”s older brother.

Deciding to stay in the background, I watched as the three of them traded words.

However, both Travis and Dylan noticed me standing there.

Dylan approached me, his hand gripping my arm, and introduced me to Gordon with pride in his voice.

”He”s the one who led the rescue mission,” Dylan said, giving me more credit than I was comfortable with.

I nodded, a little embarrassed by the attention, and admitted that I was also the one who had contacted Gordon in the first place.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Dylan mumbled, blushing a little. He looked adorable.

Gordon extended his hand, which I shook. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the voice on the phone,” Gordon said.

To my surprise, he gave me a quick, appreciative hug.

”Thank you for saving my brother,” Gordon added.

Travis got inside Gordon’s car. I stood next to Dylan, both of us silently watching Gordon”s truck as it drove out of the compound.

My mind wandered back to a conversation I had with Dylan.

I remembered the sadness in his eyes when he admitted he had no one waiting for him.

It tugged at my heart, and I couldn”t help but glance at him, wondering if he secretly wished he had a family member or a close friend who would pick him up today.

I realized how little I knew about Dylan, and a pang of curiosity hit me.

What were his likes and dislikes? What was his favorite music, his go-to dessert?

But then, I reined in those thoughts. Delving into personal territory could be dangerous.

Dylan had been through enough, and it wasn”t the time to pry into his life. Maybe, if he wanted, he”d share those details with me on his own terms.

DYLAN

The palmsof my hands started to sweat, and I couldn”t help but wonder if Whizz could somehow sense how nervous I was.

It was strange, really. I had expected not to get any sleep the night before, given how anxious I felt, but somehow, I had fallen into a deep, dreamless slumber.

It was a welcome change because, during my time in that cell, sleepless nights had been the norm.

I”d spent countless hours worrying about what might happen to me, fearing the worst, and wondering if my captors were going to sell me off like some commodity.

I startled a bit, my thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind when I heard Whizz calling my name.

”Sorry,” I stammered, ”I got distracted there for a moment. What did you say?”

Whizz didn”t seem impatient at all. Instead, he smiled at me, a smile that sent my heart racing in a good way.

“You want to head back inside? It’s cold out here,” Whizz said.

”Alright,” I agreed.

As we made our way towards the door, I decided to take the opportunity to ask Whizz if he”d eaten breakfast.

That must have been why he was down here and not in his room, I deduced.

Or perhaps... had he been looking for me after finding my note? The thought made me feel warm all over.

”Did you come downstairs to get something to eat?” I asked Whizz, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

I didn”t know what had possessed me to add, ”Or were you looking for me after you saw my note?”

My heart hammered in my chest, and I swallowed hard. Was I actually flirting with Whizz?

I”d only been in one serious relationship before, with my cheating ex-boyfriend Sam, and I wasn”t sure if I was being too forward.

Whizz didn”t hesitate with his response, and that was one of the things I liked about him. He always meant what he said.

”I was looking for you,” he replied, his voice carrying a hint of something that made my cheeks flush.

It was refreshing, a stark contrast to the constant lies that my ex-boyfriend Sam had spun in the past.

“Let’s have breakfast together?” I asked.

”Sure,” Whizz replied.

We both headed to the kitchen, and to my surprise, I found Piston manning the grill.

Spotting us, he gave Whizz a thumbs-up sign. I felt my cheeks flush for no apparent reason.

Whizz yanked Piston”s sleeve to one side and hissed, ”Don”t be so obvious, idiot.”

There was a fondness in Whizz”s voice that didn”t go unnoticed. These two were close, I realized.

I turned my attention to Piston. “So are you the cook for the MC as well?” I asked.

Meanwhile, Whizz grabbed two plates and loaded them with pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

“I am indeed, in charge of breakfast today,” Piston said.

“We take turns doing chores in the clubhouse,” Whizz added. “Even the President and Vice President have to clean toilets, if it’s their turn.”

I was taken aback by their system but also impressed.

”Thanks for the meal,” I said to Piston as he handed me a plate.

Whizz gestured for me to grab some coffees from the coffee machine. I complied, and we made our way back to the eating area outside.

We ate for a while, and I couldn”t help but notice that Piston was actually a decent cook. The food was delicious, and the coffee helped wake me up.

As we savored the meal, Whizz finally broached the topic I had been pondering.

”Do you know what you”ll do next?” he asked.

I put down my fork and looked at him. I had thought about it quite a bit.

I knew the other rescued omegas would eventually be heading back to their homes, and I couldn”t stay here forever.

“I guess I need to move on, like the others,” I said.

But before I could voice my thoughts, Whizz interrupted me.

”Who told you that?” he asked, his gaze intent on mine.

I fidgeted with my knife and fork, feeling a little embarrassed.

”Well, no one, really. I just assumed...”

Whizz cut me off gently. ”You”re wrong,” he said. ”You can stay here as long as you like. And if you ever decide you want to move out of the MC clubhouse and find a place in town, I can help you with that.”

I was taken aback by his offer. It was unexpected and incredibly kind.

Maybe there was more to Whizz than met the eye, and I was beginning to realize that I wanted to get to know him better.

“I do like the idea of staying in Moon Burrow, but there are things I needed to take care of in Greenfield,” I said. “I need to contact my old landlord to sort out my belongings, and I also need to reach out to the kindergarten where I used to work.”

As I outlined my plans, I felt a growing unease.

Returning to Greenfield was something I was both looking forward to and dreading.

It was the place where I had been abducted, and even though I knew the chances of it happening again were slim, I couldn”t shake the fear.

Whizz must have noticed my trembling hands, because he reached across the table and gently touched my hand.

It was a simple gesture, but it offered me comfort. It was as if he understood my fears without me having to voice them.

”Dylan, you don”t have to make this trip on your own,” Whizz said, his words slowly sinking in.

The idea took a moment to register, and then it hit me.

”Will you come with me?” I asked, unable to hide the excitement in my voice.

”Of course,” Whizz replied without hesitation.

My heart swelled with gratitude and happiness, but a hint of guilt crept in.

I felt selfish for making such a request, knowing how much work awaited Whizz.

I hesitated, then added. ”I appreciate it, Whizz, but I don”t want to burden you. You”ve got so much to do here.”

”Don”t worry about that, Dylan. We all need a break sometimes. When do we leave?” Whizz asked.

Relieved and excited, I pondered on his question.

”How about tomorrow? I want to get this over and done with,” I said.

The prospect of having Whizz by my side eased my anxieties about returning to Greenfield.

“I just need to inform Venom about my absence but there shouldn’t be any problems,” Whizz answered.