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He considered it. “When I was nineteen, I hated seeing the two of you together. When did you start fucking again?”
“We were sixteen the first time,” Odin answered unabashedly.
“Right.” Hunter hadn’t been a part of the Brumal then, mostly only around when his father needed him to stop by for something. Odin had only just turned seventeen when his father had gotten Hunter to join.
Seventeen, and already a god among men. Already so full of experience. Even though he was older, Hunter had been awed by him. By how put-together and confident he’d been.
“Who was the one who didn’t want to think about the past again?” Odin teased.
“I suppose it’s difficult not to when that’s where most of our memories together are. Everything since…” They hadn’t exactly been filled with sunshine and rainbows.
“You were very quiet,” Odin said, “back then. Soft-spoken. You’d only really look at me when you thought no one was paying attention. I used to go out of my way to pass you in the halls. I was already sleeping with Isa but you’d caught my attention.”
He sighed, knowing where he was going with this now. “If you keep pressing this issue, I might end up thinking it’s because you want to screw other people. Already.” It’d only been a month since their mating, if he was already bored with Hunter…
How did he feel about that possibility?
Angry. He scowled. “If you break your promise, I’ll break mine.”
“Is that a threat, Little Whisper?” Odin rose from his seat, stretching to his full height, but he didn’t yet round the table. “You weren’t quiet during this meeting. You seemed very much like you belonged. I missed that mind of yours. The one that assessed every situation before stepping foot into a room. If only it didn’t cause you to overthink so much, it’d be my favorite thing about you.”
“What is your favorite thing?” Hunter asked and he may or may not be holding his breath.
“I was young and rebellious. My father valued tradition and finery. Sleeping with Isa started as a means to flick the proverbial finger at our parents. We were attracted to one another, of course, but it was purely physical. Purely a matter of convenience and circumstance. I dropped my other lovers because it was annoying having to deal with Isa’s jealousy. None of them mattered enough for me to argue with him over keeping them.”
“Why are you—”
“My favorite thing about you?” The corner of his mouth ticked up in a smirk, but there was a darkness to it, almost as though he was mocking himself with his next sentence. “You had feelings. Compassion. Curiosity. Love. I was only a teen and yet jaded already. It’d been a long time since I’d felt anything but bored and horny. I’m drawn to you now for the same reasons I was then. You set your mind to something and that’s it. You’re passionate and determined and capable of things like love. You still think this is all about sex, about how badly I want to crawl under your skin and consume you.”
“Ew,” his tone was flat, and he’d spoken mostly because it felt awkward to say nothing in regard to that.
“It’s not just your body I want, Hunter,” Odin assured him. “And it’s not just my body you want either.”
“Really?” He managed to come off sounding droll there, but it didn’t matter. Odin could see through him. He was getting good at that.
“Do you know what I really want?” Odin waited but when he didn’t reply continued on his own. “I want your love, Huntsman. I want you to care about me and only me. I want to be your family.”
Hunter sucked in a sharp breath, but Snow wasn’t finished.
“I like when you show concern for my wellbeing and when you participate in meetings like this, Brumal affairs, as if they’re your own. I like seeing you walk around the club, and sleeping in our bed, or reading by the fireplace. I like seeing you toss Loni over your shoulder on the training mats and how you’ve come to care for her like a friend.”
He’d seen that too, had he?
“You’ve been watching me a little too closely, Snow,” Hunter drawled.
“Don’t pretend this is a surprise. You knew I was. I’m always paying attention to you, Huntsman. You’re always on my mind. I wonder if you’ve eaten or if you’re getting enough rest. If the twins are being nice to you or if some other asshole has tried to lay hands on you in one of the bars. If you think about me too…”
Hunter exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “I must be insane.”
“Why?”
“Because even after all of these years, all it takes is a few prettily strung-together words from you and my heart is skipping a beat like I’m nineteen and inexperienced all over again. I hate it.”
“Why?” Odin repeated.
“It makes me feel weak.” He closed his eyes. “Pathetic.”
“Falling for your captor is probably confusing.”
