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That night,after dinner, I stepped out onto the back porch to talk to Cole.
"Dinner was nice," I said. Aiden and Rose seemed to be accepted around the table. The house felt warm and cozy.
Cole nodded. "You should come have dinner at my cabin some night."
"It feels strange you don't live here."
Cole's gaze felt weighted. "You know I'm not one of them."
"Do I?"
He leaned on the back porch railing, gazing out at the forest. The movement stretched his t-shirt sleeves across his biceps, and the sleeve rode up, exposing his ink. I touched it tentatively, wondering what it would be like for Cole to mark me.
"You know what I mean. I'm not a King."
"I don't care."
"Oh?" He straightened, and if I had forgotten how much bigger he was than me, the slight flare of anger in his eyes, the tightness of his lips, reminded me as much as the way he towered above me. "Then kiss me."
"I want to." I shook my head. “I don’t wanna be your dirty secret, Cole."
He pulled back as if the accusation stung. “You’re not.”
“I told Stone that I was going to do what I wanted and love who I wanted. I’m not going to be controlled ever again. But I want to be honest with him. About you and me and what we are to each other."
The way Cole had pulled away from me lately in public even though he stole kisses when he could bothered me. As much as I wanted those kisses.
Cole looked frustrated. “Amelia, don’t think less of me. It’s complicated.”
“Not that complicated! He’s your best friend.”
"He's my alpha."
"He's both."
"Tell him that."
I stared at him, feeling frustrated. Then I said, "Maybe I will."
Cole opened his mouth to say something, but I was already heading back into the house.
Stone was trying to teach Dylan how to play checkers at the dining room table. Shaw was coaching Dylan, but he was teaching him to cheat outrageously. The scene made me smile; Shaw was mischievous, Stone was slightly frustrated by both his brother and his rapidly disappearing checkers, and Dylan was delighted by the attention.
"Stone," I said, "when you're done being dominated by the kindergartner, could I have a moment?"
"Sure." Stone groaned as he looked at the board. "No mercy, hm, Dylan?"
Dylan let out a delighted giggle.
"Make sure you remember the rules for your next round with Uncle Shaw." Stone pushed the pile of his lost checkers toward Shaw, then rose and headed toward me.
The air felt tense when Stone stepped onto the porch and he and Cole locked eyes.
Tension hummed between them, the unspoken words hanging in the air like a thick fog.
"Let's walk down to my cabin," Cole said. "Amelia's never even seen it."
Stone hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure, let's go."
