Page 57 of Unravel Me

I stiffen a little when I realize that a whole new group is about to join us for breakfast. Their names sound familiar, though. I think Davos mentioned them.

Veyron follows Renato, while Emilio disappears somewhere else. Mauro comes in last, and the moment his dark hazel eyes meet mine, warmth rushes straight into my cheeks. Oh, Fate… there's something in his gaze, something fierce, almost feral.

"Thank you so much for offering to let us stay—" I begin, but Renato waves me off.

"Oh, don't mention it. Really, I'm delighted to finally have guests in the house. It's been far too quiet around here. Do you need help getting up?"

Renato starts toward me, but Mauro is faster. He slips past him in one smooth motion and offers me his hand. I take it automatically, even though I'm actually feeling a little better now that I've had a chance to rest. The truth is… I simply want him to touch me.

One of his hands settles around my waist while the other holds my right hand. The closeness feels so… intimate. The warmth of his body, his fresh scent surrounding me, I suddenly want to run my hands across his chest, over his neck.

I raise my head. We're standing so close now, and Mauro is looking straight into my eyes.

Damn, they're beautiful. A perfect blend of grassy green, golden leaves, tree-bark brown, and deep malachite, like hidden forest lakes. I lose myself in them for a moment, realizing they're almost like the green fae's eyes… except those had glowed with something magical, pulsing with living light.

For an instant I feel that strange conflict twisting inside me. Part of me wants to see that mysterious being again, even if he really was some forest folk, keeping his distance from the human race. But still, something connected us during my heat.

So what's wrong with me? How can I already be interested in another man?

Then I become aware of the warmth of Mauro's hand against my back. Almost absentmindedly, he's stroking me in slow, gentle circles, and it's so soothing that I don't want to move. I just want to stand here while he keeps touching me like this. His other hand still holds mine, his fingers giving mine the faintest squeeze. It feels almost as if he's trying to tell me something without words, to reassure me that everything will be okay. His hand is warm and dry, wrapped securely around my fingers.

My gaze drops to his mouth. Full lips, beautifully shaped, inviting… they look so soft. What if I stood on my tiptoes and kissed them? I can't stop staring. I want him to kiss me so desperately it almost hurts, and somehow he seems to sense exactly what I'm thinking because he slowly begins leaning toward me.

Just as he's barely an inch from my lips, a loud throat-clearing cuts through the silence.

Mauro straightens immediately, pulling his face away from mine.

"You two coming?" Renato asks, sounding faintly amused.

"Yeah," I mumble, only then noticing that Veyron is watching us with raised eyebrows, almost as if he's having some ‘aha’ moment.

So Mauro and I follow Renato, Mauro leads me by my hand, yeah.

My cheeks are burning. What the hell is wrong with me? I almost kissed a man I've known for twenty minutes.

We enter the adjoining room, which flows naturally from the living room and is just as spacious. It's a dining area clearly designed for a large family.

Of course, I end up sitting beside Mauro. Renato takes the seat across from me, while Veyron sits to the right of Renato.

That's when I notice two more people descending from the stairs at the opposite side of the room, the first one is an elderly omega. His hair is snow white, his face deeply lined with wrinkles. He carries an air of dignity tempered by warmth. Just behind him walks another omega, much younger, probably between thirty-five and forty.

Renato introduces the older man as his dad, Silvio.

I immediately remember Davos mentioning him, wondering aloud whether Silvio was even still alive. Apparently, he very much is.

His eyes are bright and alert, and after studying me for a moment with his head tilted slightly to one side, he sits directly across from Mauro and says,

"It's nice to finally meet you, child. I've been waiting for you."

My eyes go wide. What was that supposed to mean?

"And this is my brother-in-law, Gianni," Renato introduces the second man, the younger omega, who shyly perches on a chair at the far end of the table.

He's an extraordinarily… inconspicuous man. His face is pale and small, with features so unremarkable they're almost impossible to remember. Thick, farsighted glasses sit on his nose, making his eyes look enormous, and his short brown hair barely reaches his ears, sticking out in every direction as though he either hasn't brushed it yet or that's simply his style. He seems a little overweight, though that impression might just come from the loose, drab clothes hanging off him. He peeks at me through those bottle-bottom lenses that make his eyes look oversized, almost pug-like and slightly bulging.

I'm just opening my mouth to ask the older omega why they were waiting for me when I've never been here before, but unfortunately, more people enter the room, which makes me feel even more overwhelmed, and the words catch in my throat.

An unfamiliar beta walks in, limping quite a bit. He pushes a cart in front of him, the kind hotels use to deliver room service to guests, with the omega I met at the doorstep, Emilio, following close behind. Together they begin setting breakfast on the table.