AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You are inviting me into your pack?”
And then I'm nervous. What if he doesn’t want that? Being with me, touching me, and getting inducted formally into my pack are different things. Had August thought that far ahead? How serious was he about me? Was I merely a diversion? Or his end goal?
With a deliberate look at the alphas, and three solid nods as they put their fist over their heart in a magnanimous gesture of honesty, tears spring to my eyes as August sinks into one knee in front of me.
“Is this what you want? Or am I dreaming too big?”
Forgetthinkingabout the damn ‘K’ word. It would have been easier to prevent a train from coming than it would have been to stop this kiss.
My hands fly to August's cheeks so I can attach myself to him, my lips taking his in answer. His facial hair is rough under my palms, and he tastes like the rich vanilla bean ice cream we all ate earlier. But he also tastes and feels like mine.
He gives a sudden intake of breath as if I caught him off guard, but then he kisses me back with a ferocity that speaks of weeks of built-up pressure. I'm ready to just glue myself to his front, permanently attach myself to his chest somehow so I can keep doing that, but a throat clearing over the phone that's still sitting nearby pulls me out of my stupor.
When I start to pull away, August presses his forehead against mine, using his hands to keep me where he wants me. “Is that a yes, or…” Kit trails off.
“This is what I want,” I say and sign, belatedly answering August’s question. “If it would make you happy as well, I would have you with me always. I need someone to whine to when the alphas become too alpha and need to be knocked down a peg or two. Someone to round out our pack and bring balance. Someone to hold me and see me without getting sucked into an alpha haze.”
“Then you have me,”He signs. The guys must recognize enough of his words to understand the decision, because they're all smiling and look…relieved.
“We want you to move in with us, when you're ready. If you're overly attached to your job you could probably commute, though we're kind of rich so the additional money isn't at all necessary. Packs take care of each other. If you want, we can loop you into our business and you can help out as needed. Really though, we just want our omega to be happy and if that means you're walking around naked in a frilly blue apron all day, then we're okay with that.”
I translate and August laughs, a lightness in his eyes that shows his contentment right now. He flips his eyes to me. “Blue isn't really my color. I could go for black though. Unless we're talking like a light, baby blue. But only if it has lace around the edges. Every man needs lace in his wardrobe.”
The guys bust out laughing after I translate, and this feeling settles into my chest as they work out details for tomorrow. I think it’s happiness, but without the bitter tang of something missing.
Deciding to just get everything out in the open, I cross some social boundaries and flat out ask, “Are you guys learning sign for August?”
“We need you,”Colter says through sign alone. “We want you happy.”
Forgiveness is looking pretty damn shiny right now, and I do love collecting treasure.
I look to August, who seems torn between wanting to believe this is real, and that he might actually have found somewhere to belong, and unsure if it's all an act being used to trick him into thinking he's safe so they can get to me.
“I want to believe your words are true,”I translatefrom August for the guys, “but experience…experience has shown me that such words are not always to be trusted. Parker’s alphas made an effort towards me when they courted him, and I fell for it. As soon as Parker was theirs, they dropped the act.
“I didn't really want to be in his pack, so that likely played a role in how things turned out, but because I'm…different, people tend to see me as disposable. Unfeeling.”
My heart burns thinking about that, about how apart from Parker, and hopefully our parents, he's never had anyone that wanted him for him.
And then I remember that woman in the woods and I go still. With everything that's been going on, I somehow completely forgot that he…had a girlfriend. I feel as if my body turns to ice, and I'm scared to know the answer.
“Calai?”
I give August an awkward smile and say goodnight to the alphas, making plans for James to pick me up from the waiting area when August needs to leave for work so he can walk me over. If they're surprised by my sudden hang-up, they don't tell me.
I want to be comfortable for this discussion, especially because I'm also nervous for other reasons.
My pack gave me the green light to be with August, and though he's not officially into the pack yet, it seems like we're hopefully heading that way. If the alphas can prove their offer was sincere, anyway.
I pull August across the apartment, into the bedroom, feeling a little odd and wanting to be in a smaller space.
This place obviously wasn't built with an omega in mind so there's no nest, but there is a small walk-in closet that I can drag the bedding into.
Wiping an errant bead of sweat off my forehead, I fluff the pillows August helped me drag over and pull at the blankets obsessively until everything feelsjust right.
“You're so fucking cute, you know that?”
I pull at the borrowed t-shirt I’m wearing, feeling a bit exposed. I'm still sort of learning to lean into these instincts that catch me off guard sometimes, but I'm always less off- balance when I do. “Just trying to get comfortable,”I explain from my perfectly acceptable pseudo-nest.
