Chapter 20 Kit #2
Something dark and territorial roared to life at the image of Wren’s hands in Felix’s hair—the same silky soft hair I’d just run my fingers through endlessly. Of Wren touching him, kissing up the column of his throat, tasting him.
The growl that rumbled up from my chest was completely involuntary.
“Kit?” Felix’s voice cut through the red haze. “Are you okay?”
I forced myself to inhale deeply, to push down the violent surge of possessiveness that had my hands clenching into fists. This was exactly the kind of behaviour that had terrified Felix in the first place.
“I promise I’m completely normal,” I tried to joke. “Even if my wolf is a freak.”
A hint of a smile played at the corner of Felix’s lips. “Look, the kiss was super awkward, and lasted approximately seven seconds max. I just told you I’m not attracted to him.”
I quickly raised two palms. “No need to explain. I promise that was just a momentary lapse in sanity.”
“I don’t believe your promises anymore,” Felix said, but something playful was in his voice. “Not after that sneak attack.”
“Sneak attack?”
“You as your wolf. The licking.” His cheeks went pink again. “You said he was getting out of control, but that felt very much like a calculated move.”
I couldn’t deny it. My wolf had been plotting that particular manoeuvre from the moment Felix had started laughing at his antics. The bastard had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to taste Felix’s skin.
“Okay, maybe a bit,” I admitted.
Felix’s smile was shy but genuine now, and it hit me square in the heart. God, he was so beautiful when he smiled like that. No walls, no anxiety, just Felix. My lovely Felix.
I reached for his hand, threading our fingers together. His skin was warm, oh-so perfectly soft, and the simple touch sent sparks racing up my arm.
“So what did you mean just now, ‘It rarely does for me?’” I asked.
Felix shifted beside me, his grip tightening on my hand like he was steadying himself.
“It’s really rare for me to be interested in other people.
For me to feel attracted to them,” he said.
“Takes ages, if it happens at all.” He glanced at me sideways.
“Most people seem to feel it right away, but I need to really know someone first. Trust them.”
“Oh,” I said. “Like… demisexual?”
Felix nodded, once. “I guess so, yeah.”
I tried to keep my voice casual, but my heart was hammering. “And… me?”
Felix let out a tiny groan, burying his face in his other hand. “Yes,” he mumbled into his palm. “Obviously, yes.”
The relief and joy that flooded through me was so intense I thought I might actually float off the ground.
“Listen, I have another promise for you,” I said, squeezing his fingers gently.
“A genuine one. If you would do me the honour of spending more time with me… I promise to be a complete gentleman and take you on a million proper dates before I even think about trying to lure you into my bed.” I paused, studying his face.
“If that’s even what you might want at some point in the distant future. ”
Felix’s breath caught. For a moment, he just stared at our joined hands, my thumb tracing small circles over his knuckles. When he looked up, there was something new in his eyes. Something bold and reckless.
“I might want you to break that promise,” he whispered.
For a moment, I forgot to breathe, the seismic shift of those words rearranging my entire world.
My wolf went absolutely feral, clawing at my chest, demanding I pin Felix to the forest floor and show him exactly what breaking that promise would look like.
But I forced myself to grin instead, keeping my voice light even as molten heat shot straight back to my cock.
“Well, no promises there.”
Felix laughed—a full-blown belly laugh—and the sound rang like music. Then his expression grew more serious, and he glanced around the empty woodland like he was suddenly remembering where we were.
“We should probably keep this—whatever this is—quiet,” he said. “From the others, I mean. At least for now.”
Relief flooded through me. I’d been wondering how to bring up that exact topic without seeming like I wanted to keep him a dirty secret.
God, I wanted to shout from the rooftops that Felix had kissed me, that my mate might actually want me back.
But I also knew how fragile this thing between us was, how easily it could be shattered.
“Agreed,” I said. “Rory alone would be—”
“Insufferable,” Felix finished, and we both shuddered at the thought.
I could already picture it: Rory’s endless commentary, his complete inability to read a room or respect boundaries. He’d be cracking jokes about our wedding within an hour. Sly sexual innuendos that only he found funny. Plus, I’d hear endless rants about how annoyed he was I didn’t tell him.
“And Priya will prance around shouting about how she’d seen it in the tea leaves all along,” Felix added with a grimace.
“And Seb would probably have the audacity to give me a lecture about workplace relationships and professional boundaries.”
“While Flynn stands next to him, elbowing him in the ribs.”
We sniggered, then fell into comfortable silence, still holding hands.
The late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy above us, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across Felix’s face.
I wanted to bottle this moment—the weight of his hand in mine, the way his hair fell across his forehead, the lingering taste of him on my lips.
But then Felix shifted closer, his shoulder bumping against mine as he settled his weight against my side. And when he let his head drop to rest on my shoulder, I thought my heart might actually stop beating.
His hair tickled against my neck, soft and lovely. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to wrap my arms around him, to hold him close and never let go, but I forced myself to stay still. This was Felix’s move, Felix’s choice, and I wasn’t going to do anything to spook him.
“This is nice,” he murmured against my shoulder, his voice muffled by fabric.
“It is,” I agreed, fighting to keep my voice steady despite the fact that my wolf was purring.
My mate, pressed against my side, warm and willing.
“But don’t get too comfortable,” I said, reluctantly pulling myself back to reality.
“We’re actually going to train properly in a moment. No more distractions.”
Felix lifted his head to look at me, eyebrows raised.
“That’s right. There will be no distracting me this time,” I repeated, though the effect was somewhat ruined by the way my gaze immediately dropped to his lips.
A slow smile spread across Felix’s face—the kind of smile that was pure mischief and made my stomach do somersaults.
“That sounds awfully like another promise you can’t keep.”