Chapter 23 Romancing
Romancing
Kol
Iget an email from Mads around midnight giving me his thoughts on the project. He shared some articles about similar projects that didn’t do so well. He gave some feedback on if we did it anyway, how we could improve, and then presented his own ideas. God, reading through his email is like porn.
Well, not like porn, porn. But it was sexy as hell.
Locke is still out looking for our omega. I miss him. I don’t like it when the pack is separated.
Mads is a long shot. I could tell he was trying really hard to be around us. Apparently, eating half the restaurant is what is needed to tolerate me.
In the morning, I take my Wrangler out to his place.
I text him that I’m here before walking up to his apartment. It’s pretty early, and I don’t want to scare him.
I’m kind of nervous.
Oscar asked me if I felt like I needed the muzzle today. I told him that if I went nuts and bit the beta, it might save us a step. He didn’t think it was funny.
I bit Locke. With a permanent, sealing bonding mark.
I knew he was ours. And I was not in the right headspace. The alpha took over. Back then my blood wasn't pumping a hardened cocktail of suppressants 24/7.
Oscar wanted him too, which is what made it especially hard to resist. I was the one who bridged the gap and made it happen.
And, may I add, he was not dark bonded, so that means the little shit wanted it. I just made it happen a little faster than everyone was comfortable with.
I gently knock on the door and I hear him make his way to it. Slowly. Everything with the beta teaches me patience. Something I’m not well equipped for. The moment I make up my mind, I want to act. It’s unnerving to wait for the rest of the world to catch up.
He opens up the door and he’s not dressed.
Granted, the sky is still pink with the sunrise. The birds are singing their morning songs. The air is wet and cool.
He’s in black underwear and a thin white undershirt.
And I see his leg. Fuck. It is absolutely fucked.
Shiny, healed skin. Oddly shaped. Coloring is all off.
I don’t worry about offending him with my assessment of him.
I need to know everything about him. But when my eyes finally meet his, I see how unhappy he is about my actions.
“Kol,” he says tightly.
And then I notice his hair. He’s got white hair. Oh my god it’s amazing. It makes his whole face stand out, no longer washed out. Did I know he had honey brown eyes? They are so intense they look like amber stone. What the fuck am I looking at?
He doesn’t look amused.
I snap my jaw closed.
“Good morning, Mads. Can I come in?”
His eyebrow quirks up, but then he lets the door go and turns around, letting me into the apartment.
And it’s a terrible little place.
But he won’t be here for long.
“I have a few ideas for us for today,” I say as I follow him to the kitchen table. It’s a little thing. Oak. Probably his mom’s. There’s a pile of seashells as decoration in the middle.
He sits down with a hiss.
“You live with your mom?” I ask.
“Yeah, she’s not here though. Yesterday was her day off and she spent the night with a friend. She’ll probably stop by here soon to get ready for work.”
“What does she do?”
“She sells shoes. She works at two different shoe stores since she needs more hours. The one that doesn’t give her a lot of hours gives her health insurance. The other one gives her hours. Plus I think she likes the discount from both stores.”
I want to jump the gun and tell him to give us her banking info so we can start her monthly transfers. It’s part of his demands for being pack. But he looks tired and not in the mood for that conversation.
He also smells.
“Want to take a shower and we can get out of here?”
He sighs and leans back in his chair.
“Alphas,” he mutters under his breath. And then to me he asks, “Where are you taking me?”
“I have a few ideas. We can work. I can rent out an office for the day and we can go through my portfolio, my fiscal year goals, and take care of some projects I’m behind on. But you’d need to agree to be employed by me by this point. You’ve already worked too many hours for free.”
He makes no indication that he wants to do that today. His usually scalloped mouth is all straight.
“If you let me really be myself with you, I’d like to take you to buy a car. Locke told me about your walk around this city which sounded like hell.”
“Did Locke also tell you I know he’s being threatened? And you two as well?”
I purse my lips. “Yes.”
“What happens if I agree to this and that gangster comes around and kills you all?”
“You can keep the car, and then move on with your life, I guess,” I answer truthfully.
He thinks I’m joking. At least I got a little laugh out of him.
“If you are pack, you’ll inherit everything we have. Honestly, it’s a win.”
He shakes his head, again, like I’m being silly. But it’s true. If Legs comes around and takes us out, everything will go to him.
“What does your portfolio look like?”
“Eight million dollars in assets. I have one million short-term. And so much in cash right now. I had to sell everything in Salt Port. I’m flushed. Which is why I was trying to hire you. I need help getting it out of cash and into something. Everyday I’m losing value.”
“A car is a terrible investment,” he says.
And now I smile. It’s true. They lose all their value until it’s worth nothing. Which is why we aren’t big car people. We each have a vehicle and that’s it. The Soto Pack doesn’t care for the idea of wealth. Only actual wealth.
I’m also not talking about the money my pack has. Only my business.
“What did you mean,” he starts and then stops. I tip my head to the side, confused and wanting him to continue. He clicks his tongue and says, “What did you mean, ‘if I was myself with you.’ Locke said the same thing last night. If he was allowed to be himself he’d take care of me.”
I can’t help but chuckle at imagining how difficult it was for Locke to not get to fuss over someone.
“Well, we are trying not to scare you with our alpha tendencies.”
“Your alpha tendencies want to buy me a car?”
I stare him straight in the eyes. “Yes.”
He sighs like he’s lived a thousand lives and then stands up. “I’m going to shower. And then maybe I’ll let you buy me a cup of coffee.”
The alpha in me preens. I would love to buy him a coffee. It’s a total win. While he’s in the shower, I rummage around the place. It looks like most things are his mother’s. Older furniture. Cute decorations, mostly “goose” themed.
The fridge is full of containers. Looks like they save a lot of leftovers.
Before he comes back out I’ve make him a butter sandwich.
Yes, I did ask for all the details from Locke. So did Oscar.
He stares at it for a while before he moves over to the counter and pulls out his medication, counting out his pills. He takes it with water. Then eats the sandwich.
“Ok, let’s go. There’s a coffeehouse on the water I like. We can drive to it.”
He sighs, acquiescing to my plans. And then follows me out, locking up behind himself. I walk in front of him, ensuring the path is clear and no one is around to bother him. No one pays him any attention, which is good. I’m not sure I could keep my protective instincts subdued.
Courting is serious business for an alpha. It affects every part of him.
The object of my desire is in its most precarious position—not yet mine.
I have to show Mads that I am strong enough to protect him.
Clever enough to lead him. Discernible and stalwart.
I want to show him my fucking muscles. Make him aware how tall I am.
Taller than others around us. I want to gift him his true heart’s desire.
I have so much nervous energy building inside of me I’m afraid I may burst.
So after he gets into the car, I take a few deep breaths and try to fucking relax.
If I give into this instinct, I’ll end up scenting him, neck to neck. Licking his face. Rubbing my body on his. So every alpha will know he’s mine.
But I don’t think Mads would appreciate that.
I slide into the driver’s seat and smile at him. I wish he’d smile back, but he just kind of scowls at me.
“Your hair,” I start to give him a compliment, but he stops me right away with, “Can we just get going?”
I shut my mouth and turn over the engine.
Fair enough.