Chapter 31 #2
“Now before we go for tonight, I want to know why your heat may be life threatening.” She switches up so quickly and puts on a stern face. I really don’t have the energy for this but I quickly give her the rundown of what’s going on with that. By the end she’s looking more concerned than earlier.
“Liam is researching to find a way to help and he thinks if I go through it with some of my scent matches it’ll help.”
“That’s good,” she sighs, “you really know how to make us worry.” She says it half seriously; it just adds to the guilt I always feel anyways.
Giving her a watery smile, we say goodbye with promises to talk soon.
When the screen goes black, the last of my energy is zapped.
Deciding before I go find Parker, I’m going to curl up on his oversized chair for a little bit.
It’s so plush, and sinking into it makes me long for a nest. What Sophie said is replaying in my head and I thought I was done crying but somehow there’s more.
I’m just going to let it out for a few minutes… then I’ll find the guys.
Pine is surrounding me, where is that coming from?
I look up from where my head is buried in the arm of the loveseat to see Liam standing next to it, looking kind of freaked out.
I probably look like a mess from all this crying.
Wiping at my face, I open my mouth to apologize, but he holds up a hand before I can say anything.
Then he’s moving the ottoman right up against the chair, turning it almost into a bed in size.
Climbing in, he has me move over a bit and positions himself so I’m sitting in between his spread legs.
I could turn so my back is to his front but his scent is pulling me in. Hope.
Swinging my legs so I’m sideways, I lean into him and take a shuddering breath.
He softly pats my head before moving his hand lower and slowly massaging my neck.
Gods that feels amazing. Suddenly, it starts faintly then grows—he’s purring for me.
I wouldn’t have thought this ornery doctor was capable of it.
I sink into him further as he wraps his arms around me, trailing them up and down my back in a soothing motion.
The pounding of my heart has calmed. This moment, his purring, it’s all making me almost too relaxed.
My eyes are growing heavier with every second.
I feel so drained from my call with Sophie.
I don’t fall fully asleep but my eyes are closed and I feel like I’m in this safe floaty space as long as I have Liam’s scent and purring surrounding me. Distantly, I hear someone ask softly, “What happened to her?”
“I don’t know, but she’s calm now,” Liam replied. I can feel the vibration of his voice as he speaks since I’m basically lying on him at this point.
There’s a dip in the cushion. Oak. Protection.
That feeling always made me feel physically protected, but in this moment when I feel so emotionally raw, even more so than on the anniversary, it feels like emotional protection.
Am I high? Maybe that’s what their scents do.
No, Connor didn’t make me feel like that.
Well maybe a few times. And just like that the floaty space is gone and my metaphorical feet are back on the ground.
Raising my head from Liam’s chest, I look up at him. He’s so hard to read. Must be a doctor thing. His black hair is styled perfectly, as usual, while his green eyes look brighter under these LED lights. “Better?” he asks.
“Yeah, thank you for that.” Very eloquent, Thea.
A sly smirk spreads across his face; he gives my neck one last squeeze before we separate. I look to my right, finding Keelan sitting there, observing us silently.
“Hi?”
Shaking his head, he reaches up to wipe under my eyes.
I see black smudges come away on his fingers.
Oh my Gods, my mascara ran. I probably look like a hot mess.
I’m quickly shuffling over the giant ottoman to get out of this plushiness and go clean up.
Liam then chuckles. I turn to shoot him a mock glare.
How can he be so caring one minute then poking fun the next? He’s so frustrating.
I don’t really remember where the bathroom was when I was last here, this place is so big. The one I used wasn’t near Parker’s office, but they have to have one close by, right?
I try the closest door and immediately regret it. Micah is sitting at a desk opposite the door clearly in the middle of working. He looks up scowling at me before barking out, “What do you want?”
I flinch at his tone. I don’t know why he hates me so much but I don’t deserve it. If I wasn’t so drained from today I’d confront him but I just don’t have it in me. “I was looking for the bathroom.”
“Does this look like a bathroom?” He looks at me like I’m an idiot.
Based on the scent, Liam comes up behind me. “I’ll show you.”
I look back and see him and Keelan there.
Keelan is full-on glaring at Micah. Sheesh, I would not want that aimed at me.
After a quick trip to the bathroom to clean up from my meltdown, I feel a little better.
Liam is waiting for me, probably to make sure I don’t get lost. I do know where the main areas of the house are, it’s just these side hallways and rooms I don’t know.
Maybe they’ll give me a tour at some point of their beautiful home.
There’s natural wood throughout the house, giving it a warm cabin feel even with how big it is, but without it being overwhelming.
When we get to the kitchen Eli is at the stove cooking. His face bursts into a big smile. “Sunshine! Finally, you’re here to save me.”
I swear his smile is so infectious I can’t help but return it with my own. “What am I saving you from?”
“Dinner. Whoever thought it was a good idea for me to be on dinner duty tonight is an idiot because I am arguably the worst cook in the house,” he says confidently in his lack of skills, making me laugh.
“Then why are you on the list for it to begin with?”
“Exactly what I’ve been saying for years! But everyone helps out.”
“I thought Micah doesn’t cook anymore, that’s what Ben sai—”
“He did, did he?” Micah cuts me off as he enters the kitchen.
Eli is suddenly quiet. Liam must’ve left while we were talking. “What else did Ben say?”
“Nothing,” I say.
“What did I say?” Ben says as he walks into the kitchen.
He comes up to me and gives me a hug, but I’m a little stiff given the awkwardness right now.
When he pulls away, he looks slightly concerned at my reaction.
I just look from him to Micah, hoping he’ll get the hint.
He looks between us and asks, “What’s going on? ”
“You tell us, seems you’re telling pack stories,” Micah sneers, anger evident as he stares at Ben, arms crossed. What is he so afraid of me knowing?
“That’s not what I said.” I quickly bring Ben up to speed on my conversation with Eli and it’s like a lightbulb goes off.
“Micah, I just told her you aren’t on the rotation for cooking. We got on the topic because I was literally cooking her a meal,” Ben explains. Micah seems to accept that with a slight nod and storms out of the room.
I look back to Ben for some kind of explanation of what that was all about but he doesn’t say anything.
I face Eli next, who busies himself with whatever he’s trying to cook.
Well now I’m annoyed. With a huff, I leave the kitchen and wander the main floor until I come upon a little nook.
There’s some shelves filled with vinyl as well as books.
A window seat is in between the shelves that run along the wall on either side.
Jake is sitting there with headphones in, which is hooked up to a record player.
He looks so different, lighter, especially after our talk last week.
I wonder what he’s listening to that makes him look like that.
I only see his profile, his dark hair a little ruffled almost like that ‘I didn’t try but it still looks good’ style.
His short beard lining his cheeks and jaw looks so soft, and my fingers twitch with the urge to feel it.
Realizing I’m just staring at him as I stand here, I go to leave, but he must’ve looked my way since he says, “Thea?”
Turning around awkwardly, I give a small wave. “Hi, sorry I didn’t mean to disturb you I was leaving.”
Pulling the headphones down so they rest along his neck, he beams at me.
“You’re not, would you like to join me?” I look at him, then take in the window seat.
It fits him comfortably I don’t know that the two of us would though.
He must guess at my dilemma and says, “here,” patting the space in between his legs as he spreads them so his right foot is now on the floor.
I open my mouth to say he doesn’t have to but he adds, “Please.”
What’s with these men and saying please?
I sit down in between his legs, feeling the cushion’s softness.
I’m able to extend my legs out along the seat completely.
Guess being short is good for some things.
With my back now to his front, his arms wrap around me slightly as he rests his hands on his thighs, bracketing mine.
Looking down at them, I swear I see his fingers twitching in my direction.
Part of me wants him to hold me but being in this position feels so intimate.
I don’t get it, especially when I was in a similar position with Liam earlier.
“Do you want to listen with me?”
Angling my head back so I can see him and looking at his headphones, I don’t see how we can both listen. They aren’t earbuds, they are over the ear headphones. “How?”
Smirking, he turns one of them to the side. I’m surprised they don’t break. “They’re made to be able to do this, don’t worry.”
“Okay then yeah that’d be nice.”
Turning my head forward, he adjusts a little in his spot then leans forward and basically rests his head on my shoulder, pressing the left side of the headphones against my ear.
His beard teases against my cheek, making me suck in a breath.
The music filters in, it’s nothing I’m familiar with, it has an almost indie folk quality to it.
Not what I thought he would be listening to at all.
It’s so mellow though, I get why he looked so light earlier.
We stay like that listening to the album for a while.
As it goes on, his hands gradually move to rest on my stomach as his arms wrap around me, holding me fully.
His thumbs move in soothing motions. After feeling so drained earlier you’d think this would put me to sleep with how relaxing it is, but somehow it’s the opposite.
I feel energized and relaxed. Is that an oxymoron?
“There you are.” Eli’s exclamation makes me jump.
I glance over to him. He looks more disheveled than he did in the kitchen.
“I’ve been looking all over the house for you, then we thought you left because of Micah but your car was still here.
” He sounds exasperated. I didn’t know they’d worry like that.
Before I can apologize for just that, he just says, “Dinner is ready,” and then leaves.
Jake lets out a sigh as he sits up fully from our relaxed position, his arms falling away from me.
Standing, I ask, “Is he mad?”
“No, he was just worried.”
“But he rushed off.”
He chuckles lowly. “He was respecting us spending time together.” I don’t know what to say to that.
I guess I never thought of the intricacies of courting a pack.
Sophie makes it look easy but then again, they’ve been together for over thirty years.
I can’t even picture being with anyone that long now that Connor’s gone.
My eyes naturally shift to Jake, making me reconsider if that’s still true.
I can’t handle any more introspection today.
I push it down for now, wanting to just enjoy dinner.