Chapter 19
My head hurts.
A bedroom arrangement shouldn't be that difficult. You all should want to spend time together.
I know, dick. You don’t need to always remind me of how fucked everything is between us all.
Zayden pinched the bridge of his nose, but it was starting to lose its effect.
He had even pulled his hair down from its messy bun to ease the pressure, but it didn’t matter.
No matter what he did, these migraines were getting worse.
Maybe it was a side effect of his inability to be an alpha.
His insecurities and uncertainty had become cancerous, so what did that say about the hope of the rest of the pack staying together if their lead alpha was dying in his role?
What did that say about the hope of giving Sonnet a home?
At least Jude and Kai seemed like they were finally figuring things out. Well, with their fists.
Zayden told them to go for a swim to let off their pent-up energy.
He was getting exhausted from their back and forth.
Now, what started as them purposefully ignoring each other as they swam, quickly turned into them plummeting into each other.
If Zayden didn’t know deep down how much they loved each other, he’d think they were trying to kill one another.
That would take care of Zayden’s migraines. Maybe Felix should be the pack’s lead alpha.
You’re the lead alpha for a reason.
I can’t even remember what the reason is anymore.
He couldn’t think about it any longer. The long day of travel was already difficult, and his chest still ached from the anxiety of it all.
He shook his head and looked back down at his terrible handwriting, a messy collection of everything they could do while they were here. Many ideas centered on things he thought Sonnet would enjoy, but some were for the boys as well.
The sliding glass door opened behind him, and he inhaled the soft scent of strawberry shortcake.
“Can I keep you company?” She asked, walking into Zayden’s view, and it was like a piano fell on top of him.
She was beautiful.
Her hair was wet from her bath; the pink strands pressed against her face and neck. She wore a white sweater with blue striped and pink-heart pajama shorts. Her eyes looked tired and content, and when she sat down next to him, tucking her knees into her chest, she hummed happily.
Zayden wasn’t going to tell anyone, but the truth was, Maddox had found another Airbnb for them to stay in. But he had overheard Sonnet talking to Felix and wasn’t about to start their first day by taking away something she loved.
This house had a lot of colors. More than theirs. They should let Sonnet redecorate.
Sonnet laughed as she combed through her hair. “How long have they been like that?”
Zayden looked down at his watch. “Going on seven minutes now.”
“Do you think they’ll be okay?”
Zayden narrowed in on the tight smirks on both boys' faces, daring not to show, but as time went on, it was clear their anger against each other was turning into peace.
“They might have some cuts and bruises, but I think this is good for them.”
Sonnet hummed and crossed her arms around her legs. “Do you think you and Kai are ready to fight each other in the ocean?”
“What?” Zayden dropped his pen against his notebook and shifted around uncomfortably.
When she turned her head to look at him, her cheek pressed onto her knees, and a knowing smile on her lips, Zayden thought for sure another thousand pianos were bound to fall on him.
“It’s kind of hard not to notice how you interact with each other.
You sure slugging him in the face wouldn’t heal whatever is going on? ”
It definitely would make me feel better, but I’m not too sure about him.
She was observant. Not that Kai had been hiding his hatred for Zayden, and Zayden wasn’t acting lovey-dovey either. He just didn’t expect Sonnet to say anything. Maybe it was a good thing that she did. She was getting comfortable with them being hers.
Wait, was that a good thing? What if—
STOP THINKING!
Zayden lurched forward, awkwardly dropping his notebook and pen. He cleared his throat and picked up his things. “I don’t know if that would be a good idea.”
“Oh. Well, maybe I can slug him for you.”
“You?” Zayden laughed. “I’m sorry, Hun, but I don’t think so.”
Sonnet jutted out her lips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just don’t get the impression that you would ever hit someone. Besides, I know Kai irritates you, but I also know you bounce back because you like him.”
“Like him?” Sonnet scoffed, kicking her legs down and raising her arms up.
She was cute like this. “How could I? He’s rude, greedy, selfish, and…
he is a part of this pack and one of my mates.
” She settled down, looking out at the water as Kai and Jude pulled each other out of it and collapsed onto the sandy beach.
“I guess you and I are in the same boat, huh? Cause I know for a fact I hold the same affection for him as you do.”
She is observant.
Good.
Zayden held his breath and tried not to overthink as he wrapped his arm around Sonnet and pulled her close.
He never touched her before, not affectionately.
He was too scared. Navigating romance had never been his strong suit, especially after everything that happened with Juliana.
But Sonnet didn’t seem to notice. She melted into his side like a missing puzzle piece.
“You’re a very empathetic, magnetic person, Sonnet.” He looked down at her, at her flushed cheeks, and smiled. He wanted to say more, give more compliments, but his awkwardness crept into his throat and held all his words hostage.
“Thank you for being my destiny,” she whispered in return.
His heart stopped. Even his alpha was choking on her words. Her beautiful, addictive confession.
“What were you writing before I sat down?” she asked.
He handed her his notebook and pen. “I like having a rough plan or schedule to follow, so I was figuring out some ideas we could do while we’re here.”
“Go to the aquarium, surf, play volleyball on the beach, go whale watching… These are all good.” She picked up the pen and began to scribble even more ideas.
Zayden was surprised by how many she had, some as small as a sunset picnic and others as long as a full-day hike to as many lighthouses as possible.
“The beach is my favorite place on Earth.”
“When was the last time you went?”
“My high school graduation. My parents took me as a present to Disney World, and then to Florida’s coast. We stayed at a hotel. It was really nice, but nothing compared to this Airbnb. Or this view!”
“It is a beautiful view,” Zayden whispered. “Well, minus Thing 1 and Thing 2 and their… What is that?”
“I think they’re trying to build a sandcastle,” Sonnet laughed.
Well, at least they were doing something together again.
They used to be so close. The entire pack was, but Kai and Jude had an extra-special bond.
Where one walked, the other followed, and now they were on two separate paths, and it was like neither of them knew how to function.
But this was a start. Sure, their sandcastle was shit, and they were arguing more than they were working together, but they were still together.
It had been one day, and this vacation was already healing. Zayden should have more trust and hope that everything will be okay.
That’s what I’ve been telling you!
Zayden rolled his eyes. He held Sonnet closer, both watching and judging Kai and Jude. After a while, Jude noticed them cuddling on the patio sofa and raced over, sticking his tongue out at Zayden before picking Sonnet up bridal style and carrying her to the beach.
Zayden deserved it, since he did keep Sonnet away from Jude for most of the day. Now, they were chasing each other along the edge where the sand met the water, and what surprised Zayden the most was the fact that Kai was watching them without saying anything rude or turning away.
Inside the house, he heard someone rustling around. Zayden popped his head around the corner and saw that Felix had returned from one of the local grocery stores, ready and excited to make dinner.
Zayden took the opportunity to head into the living room and collapsed onto the couch. The moment his head hit the pillow, he was already drifting away.