"Verenthicin." I pause. "I ran out this morning."
Cliff's hands falter for a second, then continue. "I was planning on heading to Montclare Family Pharmacy this afternoon anyway," he says. "You can come with me if you want."
Something in my chest lifts unexpectedly. It's a run-of-the-mill pharmacy trip across town, which is not exciting by any means, but I’m restless, and the last thing I want is to be stuck inside all day.
"Yeah?" I say. "Road trip?"
"It's twenty minutes across town."
"Still counts," I say. I can hear the smile in his silence. "Is Raff coming?" I ask.
"Everyone else is gone," Cliff's deep voice rumbles against my ear. "We're all alone."
I open one eye. "Totally alone?"
"Mm. They went to the shop."
I turn my head slightly. "All of them? Raff too?"
"Yup. I dragged him out of bed myself." Cliff's hands work lower, sliding down to my hips. His thumbs press into the muscle there with a firm pressure that makes my toes curl. "While I completely trust Perrin and Odette, I feel better having Raff there with Elowen.”
"That’s smart," I say, and I mean it.
After what happened in her apartment, I’m not exactly confident she should be without protection either.
"I saw Perrin and Elowen kissing this morning," I say.
Cliff's hands pause for half a second, then continue. "Yeah?"
"In the sunroom." I look down at the water running over my feet. "It was kind of sweet actually." I pause, trying to find the right words. "Perrin has always liked girls. He just never really let himself go there, you know? With everything else going on." I shrug, then look over my shoulder at Cliff. "It makes me happy that he has that now.”
Cliff is quiet for a moment, his hands settling on my hips.
"Are you warming up to her?" he asks, and his voice is careful in the way it gets when he actually wants to know the answer.
I consider lying. It would be easy to give a noncommittal grunt then change the subject, but I don’t want to be a sulking beta anymore. It’s tired and pretty pathetic.
"I don't fully know," I say honestly, which is more than I've admitted out loud yet. "I like how happy she's making you." I pause. "And Raff."
Cliff's fingers curl around my hips, turning me around to face him. He looks down at me with those dark eyes and water running down his gorgeous face.
"You make me pretty fucking happy too," he says. "In case that needed saying."
"It didn't," I say, but I smile anyway.
"But I'm still gonna say it.”
I look up at my mate for a moment, at the water catching in his lashes and the absolute certainty in his expression. I really do love this man. And Raff. And Perrin, but not the same way, obviously.
"I know," I say.
Cliff studies me for a second, then he says, "I'll behonest. I know you aren’t declaring your love for her or anything like that, but I expected this to take you longer."
"What, accepting her?"
"Betas need time," he says simply. "You especially."
I give him a flat look. "I moved in with you and Raff after knowing you for less than two months."
