Page 18 of Outcast
She was an alpha through and through and would concede to no one, or so she thought.
The sudden appearance of my backbone today made complete sense. The impending full moon had brought her closer to the surface. I felt so at ease with her that it was hard to tell where her emotions began and mine ended.
The door from the patio opened, but I didn't have it in me to look and see who entered. Their scent hit me immediately, and I relaxed a minute amount, knowing it was Seth. He padded over to me, now in human form, and sank down onto the floor next to me.
He lifted an arm and pulled me into him, and it shocked me to find that he felt like home.
How was it possible that this man, one who’d never bothered to lift a finger to protect or defend me, could suddenly be such a safe place for me?
At that thought, the feeling of his protection and love in this moment opened the floodgates even further, and I sobbed into his shoulder until my tears drenched his chest. He hadn't bothered putting a shirt on, opting for black joggers only, and in the back of my mind I realized this must be so uncomfortable for him.
Here I was, soaking him with tears shed for another man.
I tried to pull away, but his arm tensed around me, holding me to him, so I stayed and sniffled, snuggling into him further.
I didn't know what to say to him or how to even broach the topic of this situation we found ourselves in. He had been right about this pull between us, but I had acted like a dick, thinking his intentions had been superficial and suspect.
My tears slowed, leaving me with hiccups and sniffles. I wiped my nose, feeling snot leaking out, and groaned at how unattractive I must look right now. Crying on one of my mates about my other mate’s rejection, while my third mate had disappeared somewhere in the midst of all this.
What had my life become in the past hour?
His hand trailed up my arm and settled against my head, running his fingers through my hair, which was probably a tangled mess at this point. He began to hum, and my wolf encouraged me to snuggle further into him at the sound.
After a few minutes of him humming and stroking my hair, I asked, "What is that song about?"
A soft chuckle escaped him. "I made it up. It's about how I tamed a ferocious Kitten."
It felt so cathartic to laugh, and my sorrows eased ever so slightly, knowing that he was willing to try this mate thing out with me. I still wasn’t quite sure what to do with the tension and uncertainty of our past dynamic, but at the moment, I allowed myself to bask in the comfort he provided.
I wished I knew where Milo was though. He had been injured while fighting with Jameson, and I felt unsettled not knowing if he was okay.
As if the universe heard me, in walked my final mate. I bolted to my feet, not caring about the fact that I wore no pants. Milo had thrown on baggy, black sweatpants that hung loosely around his waist, exposing his slim hips with the 'v' cut, tempting me. I jumped at him, and he held me to him as we breathed in each other and this moment.
He was mine. My mate.
"You were right," I whispered.
He pulled his head back enough to rest our foreheads together, and he whispered back, "I knew you were mine."
I pressed my lips to his, and he tightened his arms around my back, molding me to him. This kiss was different from our last. It wasn't wanton desire. We took our time exploring each other, full of passion.
We pulled back and smiled at each other as he lowered me gently to the ground. At that point, I realized my ass was bare to the world, and my cheeks flamed, knowing that Seth had the perfect view. Turning around, I looked at him and wanted to immediately hide in embarrassment at how smug he looked. He grinned at me like he had won the lottery.
"Looking good, Kitten," He teased while climbing to his feet.
My heart fluttered at his strikingly handsome face and the ease with which he accepted my show of affection for Milo right in front of him. It emboldened me to walk up to him and, without warning, rise onto my tip toes while reaching for the back of his head. I pulled him down to meet me, and his warm lips devoured my own without hesitation.
I forgot about the world for a few moments as I lost myself in his touch. He was the one to pull back, grinning his devilish smile down at me and booping me on the nose.
Wiggling my nose around, scrunching it up, I asked incredulously, "Did you just boop me on the nose like a dog?"
"No, I booped you on the nose like a Kitten,” he corrected smugly.
Rolling my eyes at him, I noticed Milo happily munching on one of the three pulled pork sandwiches on his plate. He devoured it and moved on to the next in the blink of an eye. My eyes went to the plate Jameson had left behind, and my mood sombered once more.
Seth must have realized because he pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. "Is it okay with you if I go to his house to check on him?"
My heart melted at him asking me if it was okay, but also for wanting to check on his best friend despite the strain this situation would cause them now. He was beginning to prove himself to be a good guy at heart.
