Chapter 4 #2
I nodded. “Not really fair, huh? Just like birth control not really working all that well for the first fertile period after mating. I’m not sure why things are the way they are, but there are several things that just make me scratch my head in question.”
Calum chuckled. “You and me both. I think that for a while at least, there was a bit of a lag in the mates being paired, and now they seem to be working overtime to make up for it. I’m not sure though, and I might be wrong, but you never know.
Anyway, I want you to have a choice in things.
We’re supposed to be partners. But it sounds like you’re not necessarily going to have that. ”
I shrugged. “It’s just how it is. I won’t be able to control when my fertile period hits either. Nor if I get pregnant or not. It’s just how fate works. Will we be able to have some control over that next time? I think so, but I can’t be sure.”
“We discussed kids already.” Calum paused, looked like he was trying how best to continue. “Did you really want six? Not that I’m against it.”
I held up a hand and started laughing and shaking my head. “No.”
“No?”
I took a deep breath to calm myself. “Not unless you really do. I only said that to see if you would agree about having children. I know some people don’t want but one.
I’d like at least two, honestly. But I’m open to more.
But if at all possible, I don’t want them really far apart.
I want our kids to grow up together and have each other there for one another. ”
“I’d like that as well.”
We were suddenly interrupted by a beeping noise, and Calum stood to grab his phone off the table. When he sat there looking at it, I began to wonder.
“Is something wrong?”
“It is a weather alert from the museum. It’s letting us know that they are now closed because of the impending storm.”
I stood and went to the door that was not far from the couch. “I don’t see anything. I’ve read about storms, but shouldn’t we be able to see it?”
Calum was suddenly behind me, and he slid the door open. With his hands on my shoulders, he and I walked out onto the balcony. “The storm will be coming from that direction over there,” he said, pointing to the left. When I looked, it was just bright and sunny.
“What’s that river? I feel it’s important or something. There’s a lot of things here right next to it.”
“That’s the Nile. It has a vast history, and yes, it’s been incredibly important.
” Calum took my hand and led me back into the room.
Instead of going back to the couch though, he went over to the far wall and bent down.
I hadn’t really seen the small bookcase that was there, but it had several books of various sizes and thicknesses on it.
“Here it is,” he said as he stood. He held out a book, and I eagerly took it.
“It’s about the history of Egypt, and there is a section in there about the Nile as well as the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
We are not far from either, and I can take you to both before we leave. ”
I grinned up at Calum. That sounded amazing. “Do they have rocks? Can I collect some?”
Calum chuckled. “Yes and yes. We should get you into a geology program, it sounds like.”
I looked back at the book, eager to start reading it.
“Let’s do this,” Calum said as he led me back to the couch.
I sat when he indicated that I should. “You open that and start reading since I can tell you’re eager to do so.
And while you do that, I’ll finish up my work and send off a couple of emails, and then I’ll be able to completely devote all of my time to you for the next several days. ”
My mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t you say something? I can go elsewhere,” I said, starting to stand. “I didn’t even think that you could possibly have other things to do. I should have but didn’t. I apologize.”
Calum sighed. “Are you finished?”
“Umm…yes, I guess. I need to go and see about securing a room.”
Calum growled, and I froze. Did foxes growl?
I thought that was, like, bears. Maybe wolves?
“You aren’t going anywhere. I was planning on having my brunch, then finishing up my notes and replying to my emails that needed to be sent off.
Then I was going to figure out what to do once the first storm hit. ”
“First?”
“They are predicting them for up to three days in a row. The conditions are favorable for that period, and although it’s not exactly normal for this time of year, it can and does happen.”
“What do we do during the storm?” I asked, sitting back down and getting comfortable again.
Calum grinned and then winked. “We hang out in the hotel. There is a restaurant downstairs we can go to. Or we can order room service. We can watch movies on the television or play games on my laptop.” Calum pointed to the bookcase again.
“There are books to read, and I have a tablet that has e-books on it as well.”
I nodded. I noticed that not once did he mention anything about claiming each other.
I tried not to be disappointed. He was my mate, and he was the alpha, and I knew that he would have to be the one to do the claiming.
“Plenty to do, then,” I told him and faked a smile.
Calum nodded, and after he sat down, I opened the book and discovered it had a list at the beginning.
I read down it, finding the section about the river and the seas he’d mentioned, and turned to that page.
I would do my best to get completely immersed in the information about the place we currently were at.
I took a quick peek up at Calum, never moving my head, but instead of him working on his computer like he’d mentioned, I found him staring at me. I then raised my head and tilted it to the side.
“Is something wrong?”
Calum shook his head. “I’ve hurt you somehow. I’m not sure how, but your scent is telling me that you’re upset and hurt.”
I set the book down beside me before folding my hands and placing them in my lap.
“I’m not hurt. I was getting ready to read about the river.
And the seas. There’s a section about them.
I want to know more about this place that you are currently living in.
It seems as if it’s important to you, and I want to know more about it because of that. ”
“That is the truth. I can scent that. But why did I hurt you? What did I do or say that upset you? We were talking about the storms.”
“It will be interesting to experience them. I’ve not been anywhere with storms before. But I know of them from books.”
Calum stood and came over to me, kneeling down in front of me.
He took my hands and gave them a squeeze.
My breath hitched when that contact happened because where his hands were touching mine, they once again tingled, just as they had when he walked me in from outside.
Only this time, he seemed so much closer to me.
“I cannot fix what I do not know is broken. What upset you?”
“It’s nothing, seriously. We will have a grand time hanging out and finding things to do during the storm,” I told him.
I wasn’t about to whine to my newly found mate that he’d not mentioned claiming me.
I glanced over at the couch and decided that it was a good thing I was short because I knew I didn’t wish to share a bed with my mate if I had to behave.
I was a twenty-eight-year-old virgin who had never even been kissed and wanted to do things to my mate.
Well, actually, I wanted him to do them to me and show me how to please him.
How did I tell him that though? I didn’t.
I was the omega. He was the alpha. He was in control as to when those things happened. That’s just how it was.
Calum sighed. “Very well. Hopefully you will eventually feel comfortable enough to share with me what I’ve done to hurt you. I never wish to cause you pain, Asher. If I do, please let me know so I can correct whatever it is I’ve done.”
I looked up at Calum and, after a moment, nodded.
He stared down at me until he sighed again and went to sit in front of his computer.
I sat there, observing him for a moment before I picked the book back up and tried to focus enough to read.
Instead, I found myself trying not to cry.
How was it that I’d already somehow messed things up with my mate?
I’d known him for only an hour. That must be a new record.