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“I know that wasn’t easy, but letting it go makes you so fucking strong, Shaye. Do you hear me?”
I nodded, my mouth too dry to speak with the alpha this close. His scent of oak and bourbon swirling around me. It was comforting and warm.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that your emotions make you less,” he said softly, his vivid-green eyes not leaving mine.
I found myself leaning forward, pressing my lips to his in a quick kiss, saying thank you without words for being beside me and helping me work through all the bullshit that had been piling up on my shoulders.
He blinked at me once, and I felt heat shoot through me. It was different this time, going straight to my core and awakening parts of me I thought never would react to another man again.
He dropped back to the ground, closed the door gently, and went to his side, climbing in and turning his car on. It roared to life loud enough to jar me from my thoughts.
It was a beast just like its owner.
“Do you want to include the whole pack, or a quick lunch with just me, some alone time?” He trailed off after giving me options.
“Can we just get food and go back to Micah’s place, maybe watch some TV or something? I don’t want to go on any adventures today... I just want to exist.”
Going to another location and seeing Ev’s face so soon had me worried I’d have more nightmares. I needed a break.
“We can do that,” he promised as he navigated toward town. We stopped at the Chinese place, and he didn’t even ask what I wanted, instead ordering half the menu. We sat side by side on a bench inside, waiting for them to finish, not saying a word.
Surprisingly, this time, the silence wasn’t awkward.
Now, both of our traumas were on the table and we saw each other in a different light. Even knowing our darkest moments we weren’t running away. That was a big deal to me.
There was enough of a crowd in the restaurant that nobody could hear us. I leaned in toward Riven, looking him in the eye.
“I know you told me not to say sorry, and I won’t, but honestly, fuck your parents. You didn’t deserve that. I’ve never wished ill on anybody, but I hope wherever he is, wherevertheyare, that they’re suffering.”
A smirk lit up his face, and he let out a startled laugh. It was something that I hadn’t seen on his face yet, and it changed him from broody and intense to breathtaking.
Riven had a strong jawline that cut through his features. The tattoos from neck down only accentuated it. The man was a work of art, and someday I hoped I was brave enough to find out what he looked like without all the clothes.
For now, I needed to keep that mood light. Making him laugh was helping heal something inside of me and made me feel like more of a person, being able to contribute to conversations, to joke back and forth, to not hide. It was something I hadn’t realized I’d missed.
“Maybe a plague, a rat infestation, or termites. Imagine the thought of little bugs eating away at your home while you’re inside of it.” I shuddered.
“Evil, I like it,” he nodded approvingly as he ran a hand over his stubble.
“Maybe we should release a bunch of rats in their house. Or snakes, though maybe not at the same time.”
“Spiders,” he tacked on. “Millions. No escape kind of numbers.”
“You know they have these tiny devices that make random sounds at random intervals. It could go a long time between or no time, and it’s just like little whispers or things that you think you hear but nobody else does. It’s just audible enough to drive you fucking crazy. We could pay someone to install it in their house and drive them slowly mad for the rest of their lives.”
At this point, we were both laughing, and it made the wait seem a little more bearable. By the time they called our names, we were both smiling without holding back.
“Here I thought you were some sweet, innocent little omega,” he teased as he grabbed the four bags, refusing to let me hold one. Even though he gave me a side-eye, I opened the door for him when we reached the car.
“Nowhere did I say that I was a sweet little omega,” I laughed. “Lake and I used to prank each other all the time. Did he tell you about those?”
Riven shook his head, fighting back a laugh. “No, he didn’t. But now I need to know the stories. We haven’t really got to see the playful side of him.”
My smile started to drop, but he dropped the bags and closed the door, turning and twisting us so I was pushed against the truck. He braced his hands on either side of me so all I could do was look at him.
The rest of the world faded away as I was surrounded by his hard body pushing into mine as he glared down at me. Even his anger was sexy.
“Don’t you dare lose that smile, Shaye. Lake made his own choices, he let you walk away as much as you did him, and you guys can work through that in your own time. But even if you didn’t have that history, he would still be suffering from losing his twin. Grief comes and goes in waves, and he feels it just as much as you do. I won’t just stand by anymore while I watch the light drain from your eyes, or watch you punish yourself for every laugh or second glance you give us. You are allowed to be alive, Shaye. You’re allowed to feel and experience things.”
