Daryl snorted.Complicated matterswas putting it mildly.
Jason shot him a warning look but carried on. “I’m pretty sure I would’ve brought this up before we went home if things had stayed as they were.” He changed position so he could face Daryl properly. “I don’t want this to end when we get back to London.”
“Jase, we already—”
“I’m not talking about the fucking bond!” His voice rang loud in the quiet of the room, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. “Sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair, frustration rolling off him. “Fuck. I didn’t want to do this while you’re still recovering, but I didn’t think you’d give me the chance otherwise. I don’t care about the bond.”
Daryl couldn’t help but huff at that. “Bollocks.”
“Fine,” Jason conceded. “I don’tonlycare about the bond. Yes, I’d love it if you wanted to complete it, but you don’t. I’ve accepted that. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be together without it.”
“But . . .” Daryl frowned, struggling to understand. “We’d have to go through the pain of letting it fade.”
Jason nodded. “We would.”
“It’s going to suck.”
“I know that.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand why you’d want anything to do with me after I’d willingly put you through that?”
“Because you have your reasons for not wanting a bond. With anyone. And I respect that. But I liked you before all that, and I’m pretty sure you felt the same.” He reached for Daryl’s hand again.
“Tell me I’m wrong?”
Daryl opened his mouth, then faltered. Everything had changed once the potential bond kicked in.
Could he even remember how he felt before that?
You know you can.
“I liked you,” he admitted.
“If we let the bond fade, then we can try again. But this time we’ll know it’s not the bond affecting us. We’ll know it’s real.”
There was something Daryl was missing, something at the back of his mind that he couldn’t put his finger on, his mind still fuzzy from the accident. “I don’t know, Jason. What if we do that and then realise it was the bond making us feel that way?”
“Then we say we tried and go back to being friends.”
Daryl frowned. “You make it sound so simple and straightforward.”
“It is.” Jason shrugged, but Daryl didn’t buy his nonchalance. “I want you in my life, Daryl. With or without a mating bond.” He glanced down at where their fingers were still joined. When Daryl yawned, he gave them a quick squeeze and stood up. “You don’t have to give me an answer now, you’re still recovering. I get that you can’t think too clearly. But think about it later? Please?”
Daryl found himself nodding. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” Jason gave him a soft smile, one that Daryl felt settle behind his ribs. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
ALPHA CORNELL was waiting for him the next morning, accompanied by Alpha Jones.
“You’re looking a lot better than when I last saw you.” Alpha Jones approached him with a smile. “How’s the chest?”
“Not too bad.” Daryl gently patted the clean dressing he’d put on that morning to stop it rubbing against his clothes. “Almost healed.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Thank you.” Daryl offered him his hand and Alpha Jones shook it, smile growing. “Jason says I’m only in one piece because of you.”
“You’re very welcome.” He stepped back, and Alpha Cornell took his place.
