27. Felix #2
The information hits me like a physical blow, not because I care about Adam Chen, but because I can smell the hurt underneath Belle's carefully neutral tone.
"Belle..." I start, but she holds up a hand.
"It's fine. Really. I mean, it's not fine that he left without even talking to me about it, but I'm starting to understand that maybe our friendship wasn't as important to him as I thought it was."
"That doesn't make it hurt less."
"No, it doesn't," she admits. "Twenty years of friendship, and he couldn't even be bothered to say goodbye properly. Just a text message saying he'd left his keys with the other librarian and that he hoped I'd understand."
Her scent carries notes of sadness and betrayal, and my protective instincts flare so strongly I have to clench my fists to keep from reaching for her.
"I'm sorry," I say. "You deserved better than that."
"You know what the worst part is?" Belle continues, her voice getting slightly stronger. "I'm not even surprised. Adam has always been someone who gets completely absorbed in whatever's new and exciting. I just never thought I'd be something he could abandon so easily."
"His loss," I say firmly. "Belle, Adam Chen is an idiot if he can't see what an incredible friend he's throwing away."
"Maybe. Or maybe this is just how it goes when people find their perfect match. Everything else becomes secondary."
The interruption gives me a moment to collect myself, and I can see Belle using the time to process what I've told her.
When Claire hands us our boxes and we've thanked her for the lesson, Belle and I find ourselves standing on the sidewalk outside the shop, both of us holding chocolate we made together and trying to figure out what comes next.
"Felix," Belle says finally, "I like you. More than I expected to, more than might be smart given how little time we've known each other. But I need honesty if this is going anywhere."
"I want to be honest with you," I tell her. "More than anything, I want you to know exactly who I am and what I'm offering. But some things are better experienced than explained."
"When?" she asks. "When will you show me whatever it is you think I need to see?"
"How about now?" I suggest, the decision forming as I speak. "Come home with me, Belle. Come and see how all three of us live. Let me show you what I mean when I say I'm part of something bigger."
Her scent spikes with nervousness, but also with curiosity and something that might be excitement.
"Your home," she says. "With the people who matter most to you."
"Yes. Belle, I promise you'll be safe. I promise that everything I've told you about my feelings is true. And I promise that what I'm going to show you is something wonderful, not something scary."
She looks down at the box of truffles in her hands, and I can practically see her weighing her options. Trust me and potentially discover something amazing, or play it safe and always wonder what might have been.
"Okay," she says finally, looking up to meet my eyes. "Show me."
The relief that floods through me is so intense it's almost overwhelming. "Really?"
"If this turns out to be some elaborate scheme to get me into bed, I will make your life very unpleasant."
"Noted," I say, grinning despite my nerves. "Though I have to ask, how exactly would you make my life unpleasant?"
"I'm a librarian, Felix. I know where all the information is buried, and I have very strong opinions about people who waste my time."
The threat should probably concern me, but instead it just makes me want to kiss her more than I already did.
"Belle Hartwell," I say, stepping closer, "you are the most magnificent woman I've ever met."
"Flattery won't save you if this goes badly," she warns, but she's smiling as she says it.
"Good thing I'm planning for it to go very, very well."
The drive to our house only takes about fifteen minutes, and I spend the entire time trying to figure out how to prepare Belle for what she's about to see.
When I pull into our driveway, I can see Marcus's truck and Theo's SUV already there, which means they're both home from work.
The house looks the same as always, large but not ostentatious, modern but warm, designed to be a home rather than a showplace.
But seeing it through Belle's eyes, I suddenly wonder if it looks like the kind of place where three alphas might live together.
The drive to our house only takes about fifteen minutes, and I spend the entire time trying to figure out how to tell Belle that the three men she's been dating aren't competing for her attention—they're working together.
How do you explain that you and your pack mates have been coordinating a courtship?
How do you reveal that what she thought were three separate relationships have actually been part of one bigger plan?
"You're nervous," Belle observes from the passenger seat of my car.
"Terrified," I admit. "Belle, what I'm about to tell you is going to change everything between us. Between all of us. Either for the better, or... well, hopefully for the better."
"Felix, just tell me one thing honestly. This thing you need to tell me—it's not going to hurt me, is it?"
"Not if I can help it. Belle, I would never intentionally do anything to cause you pain."
"Then whatever this is about, we'll figure it out."
Her simple faith in me, in us, makes my chest tight with emotion. Belle is brave in ways she doesn't even realize, willing to trust that we won't hurt her even when she can sense something big is coming.
When I pull into our driveway, I can see Marcus's truck and Theo's SUV already there, which means they're both home from work. Belle looks up at the house, and I can see genuine surprise cross her features.
"This is beautiful," Belle says, staring up at the house in amazement. "It's so... elegant. Modern. I wasn't expecting..."
"What were you thinking our home would be like?” I ask, genuinely curious about what image she'd formed of the notorious "Beasty Pack's" living situation.
Belle has the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Honestly? Something more like a rustic cabin. Maybe a bit run-down, definitely more... rough around the edges."
I can't help but laugh. "What did you think we were, Belle? Wild animals living in a cave?"
"Pretty much," she admits with a sheepish smile. "The way people talk about you all in town, I imagined something very different from this architectural masterpiece."
"I designed it," I tell her. "For myself and my pack."
When I pull into our driveway, I can see Marcus's truck and Theo's SUV already there, which means they're both home from work. Belle looks up at the house, and I can see genuine surprise cross her features.
"This is beautiful," Belle says, staring up at the house in amazement. "It's so... elegant. Modern. I wasn't expecting..."
"What were you expecting?" I ask, genuinely curious about what kind of home she expected us to live in.
Belle has the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "Honestly? Something more like a rustic cabin. Maybe a bit run-down, definitely more... rough around the edges."
I can't help but laugh. "What did you think we were, Belle? Wild animals living in a cave?"
"Pretty much," she admits with a sheepish smile. "The way people talk about you alphas in town, I imagined something very different from this architectural masterpiece."
"I designed it," I tell her with obvious pride. "For myself and my pack."
Belle nods, still looking impressed as she takes in the clean lines and warm materials. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of the evening settling between us.
"Felix," she says finally, "I don't think I'm ready to go inside tonight."
I feel a flicker of disappointment, but I understand. "Too much too soon?"
"Not too much," she says quickly. "Tonight was perfect. The chocolate making, getting to know you better, seeing this side of you. But tonight was about us - you and me. I'm not ready to complicate that yet."
"I understand," I say, and I do. "Can I take you home?"
"I'd like that."
The drive back to her apartment building is quiet but not uncomfortable. Belle seems lost in thought, processing everything from our chocolate-making adventure to seeing where I live.
When I pull up to her building, she turns to face me with a soft smile.
"Thank you for tonight, Felix. For sharing something you love with me, for being patient with all my questions."
"Thank you for being brave enough to try something new," I reply. "And for giving me a chance."
She leans across the center console, and I meet her halfway.
What starts as a gentle brush of lips quickly becomes something deeper, hungrier.
Her hand slides to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as I pull her closer despite the awkward angle.
She tastes like chocolate and desire, sweet with hints of vanilla that make my head spin.
When her tongue traces my lower lip, I can't suppress a low growl.
"Are you sure about this?" I murmur against her mouth, even as my thumb traces the curve of her jaw.
"Very sure," she breathes, and the certainty in her voice undoes me completely.
I capture her lips again, deeper this time, drinking in the soft sounds she makes against my mouth.
Her skin is impossibly soft under my fingertips, warm and inviting, and when she shifts closer, her scent of vanilla and honey intensifies with something purely Belle that makes every nerve ending come alive.
The center console digs into my ribs, but I don't care because she's kissing me like she's been thinking about this all evening, like she wants to memorize the taste of me.
When we finally break apart, we're both breathing hard, her lips swollen and her scent thick with arousal that makes my alpha instincts sing with satisfaction.
"Goodnight, Felix," she says, her hand on the door handle.
"Belle, wait," I say as she starts to get out. "Can I walk you up?"
She shakes her head with a gentle smile. "Not tonight. Tonight ends right here, with chocolate on our hands and no complications."
I watch her walk to her building, admiring her strength in knowing what she needs and asking for it. She turns to wave before disappearing inside, and I sit in my car for a long moment, replaying every perfect moment of our evening together.
Belle Hartwell is worth waiting for. And if she needs time to process this at her own pace, then that's exactly what I'll give her.