15. CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15
Was it wrong to love that his mate glared at Nessim’s family as if they were the enemy he’d always felt they were?
Probably. Likely. Okay, maybe he had been too judgmental. Was he? Nessim was uncertain, especially when those same family members stared at him as if he should fix it.
Then again, he had to admit it was nice not to have to answer those judgmental comments thrown his way. His aunt was the only one who’d never made him feel like he was worthy of being one of the original ‘Loch Ness Monsters.’ The rest always had their way of demeaning him.
Artemon was the one who seemed to take the most pleasure in demeaning him. Who was he kidding? If they were similar in age, he had zero doubt Artemon would have shoved Nessim to the dirt just for laughs.
But even Artemon stood there with his mouth opened in astonishment at Aban. What Nessim wasn’t certain of was whether that was because he was shocked someone would claim Nessim as a mate or he was afraid of the Alpha that Aban was.
Even though they had already claimed each other, Nessim wasn’t certain how many times it would take before he trusted that he belonged to Aban. Yeah, they had scented each other and made love, but did that really mean they belonged to each other? That wasn’t something Nessim had wanted to contemplate, but at that moment, he also knew he couldn’t continue to hide his head in the sand.
Oddly enough, it was the only reason he’d held up his hand to stop his cousin from saying anything else. Yet, before Nessim could say anything, his amazing mate not only lifted him up into his arms but said to his relatives, “Sorry, we’ll have to get to know each other later.”
Before Nessim knew what his mate had in mind, he was picked up into those very muscular arms and carried to the room he’d been assigned to. It changed most times he’d come there, but each of those times he’d recognized it probably shouldn’t have been surprising. But that was before he’d met Aban. Not that it should have truly changed anything in the short time since they’d met, but somehow…it had.
The odd thing to Nessim had been that he hadn’t once actually objected, even when he’d heard the door to his room slam shut with Aban’s booted foot seconds before he was bounced onto their bed. “Mine,” Aban declared, which, when his mate had declared it the night before, sent the same shiver through Nessim as it did now.
“As much as I love you carrying me, it isn’t necessary.” Not that he was truly complaining, but he also didn’t want his mate to think he expected Aban to continue treating him as if he were precious.
Those firm lips he already found fascinating lifted at the corners. “Good to know, my sweet one, but there will never be a time when I won’t want to show my love for you or how much you mean to me.”
Had he just said…?
Fuck.
There was no way…Right?
“Did…?” his ability to speak was lost as he gazed into those perfect eyes that somehow saw deep into his very soul.
“Yes, my sweet one, I love you.”
Tears pricked Nessim’s eyes upon hearing that, even though it was said in the heat of the moment last night. “Really?” Was that lame? Probably, but he didn’t care. All Nessim knew at that moment was the need to hear his mate once again claim he loved him.
Firm lips pressed against him for several long, tempting minutes. “Definitely,” Aban told him.
It might have only been one word, but it held forever in its depths. “Please claim me as yours again,” he begged.
As Aban’s bigger body pressed him to the mattress, he knew he was about to get exactly what he wished for. When their mouths combined in a heated kiss, there was no doubt in his mind that they were meant to be together.
Not that it really mattered. Aban claimed him once more, as he had the first time they’d been together the previous night. If Nessim had any doubt, it was erased as Aban made love to him again.
What made it even better was the way his mate had cared for all of his needs. Not that he hadn’t the night before, but he’d been caught up in having found his mate. He hadn’t noticed each and every nuance at that time. Mostly. There had been some things he had cherished. Like, not only had Aban cleaned him up with a warm washcloth, but he’d also dried every inch of Nessim before cuddling behind him with his arms wrapped around him.
Not once in Nessim’s life had anyone ever held him through the night. What he wasn’t certain was whether it was a one-off or should he expect more. Was that even a possibility?
His parents had barely tolerated each other and their kids. Still, was that any way to live?
He honestly hadn’t given it much thought before, but now??? He wasn’t certain. Nor was he sure he was supposed to know at that point. Except…at that point, all he could do was be honest.
“I love you too,” he told his mate even as he laid Nessim on the bed like a fragile gift. No. Not fragile…cherished.
Tears pricked his eyes at that knowledge.
“Hey,” Aban murmured softly as he wiped that first tear that fell away. “What’s this about, sweet one?”
Damn, but he loved that endearment. Doing his best to blink away the rest of the tears, he smiled up at his mate. “I promise they are mostly happy tears.”
“Mostly?” Aban asked even as he kissed away another tear that had escaped.
He hadn’t really planned any part of their interaction. Nor had Nessim considered the ramifications of what he’d already said. The last thing he wanted was to appear needy, yet he was certain that was exactly how he sounded.
Which left him where?
No matter what he said or didn’t wouldn’t have been right. Not when it came to burdening his mate with Nessim’s past issues. More importantly, it would prove to Aban why Nessim wasn’t fit to be a mate.
Yeah, technically, as a therapist, he knew how his parents had treated him wasn’t on him. But knowing and accepting were two different things. It might have been completely on his parents as people, but …
How was he supposed to not think it had something to do with him that no one, not even his own damn family, had ever liked him? Not once had he truly felt accepted or loved.
If Nessim were one of his patients, he would have challenged that thought, but that was easy to do when it was someone else. That it was him? Not so much.
“Hey,” Aban whispered with his much bigger body pressing him to the mattress as he stared right into Nessim’s eyes. “You are amazing. All of you. None of us are without issues of the past, but none of that changes who we are now.”
If only it were that simple.
The thing was, he’d said those words to patient after patient. The question was… Why couldn’t he believe them now?
“I love you,” he said again, this time with more confidence than the first time. “I know I’m not perfect, but I…”
Lips pressed against his hard, as if Aban was trying to force Nessim to believe he actually was perfect.
“I love every single part of you,” Aban told him when they came up for air.
Oddly, Nessim believed his words more than those who had told him in the past that he wasn’t worthy of love.