15. Kace
15
KACE
We spent a passionate week between the sheets, exploring each other’s bodies until we were both totally spent. My body ached all over, but it was a good feeling. No, scratch that—it was a great feeling. To finally connect with my mate like that? Nevin was definitely worth the wait.
I half-expected him to shy away again when his heat passed. I even mentally prepared myself for it, because I knew the hormones had taken the driver’s seat these last few days. Not that I was complaining, but I was ready for Nevin to backpedal and apologize for being a burden, or some other insecurity that had been beaten into him.
The thought made me angry. I wanted to kick the asses of every single Alpha who had ever laid a hand on my Omega, or otherwise made him feel unworthy and unwanted.
As I watched Nevin sleep, his face lax and peaceful, I swallowed back my growl. No. It was in the past. I couldn’t change it, but I could—and would—do everything within my power to make sure he realized that he was wanted and loved, from now until the end of our lives.
This was it for me. Nevin was my happily-ever-after and I wanted to make him the happiest Omega. If Nevin wanted babies, we would adopt unwanted shifter children for him to cuddle and love. I was willing to give him everything he wanted, and then some.
His pale lashes fluttered, and when he gazed back at me, his blue eyes were clear and bright. The lusty haze that had clouded them was all but gone, telling me that his heat had relinquished its hold on him. I bit my lip and grazed my fingers along his cheek.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
And god, the smile that stretched across his face was so damn gorgeous that my chest literally hurt. He giggled, but leaned his face into my hand, like a cat leaning into the touch of its master. I took that as a good sign, and pulled him in for a kiss.
When we broke apart, Nevin made a face. “I feel sticky and kind of disgusting…and I’m pretty sure there is cum crusted in my pubes.”
That made me laugh. “I think we could both use a shower after the last few days of fucking like bunnies.” I paused, biting my lip to try and hide a smile. “We could shower together and save water?”
His cheeks flushed pink, but he tossed the sheets back and rolled out of bed. I was on my feet in an instant, and it wasn’t long before we were standing together under the heavenly spray of hot water, making out like our lives depended on it.
“Kace,” he panted, pulling back when he realized my cock was pressing into his hip. He wrapped his fingers around my shaft, then lifted his gaze to mine. “How do you still have the energy to keep going? You’re like a horny teenager.”
I laughed softly. “Guess I’m making up for lost time.”
His lips curved into an almost-smirk. “I think I can take care of this.” He squeezed the tip of my dick and I groaned, one hand splayed over the damp shower wall to keep my balance. As much as I wanted him, something made me pause.
“You don’t have to,” I said softly.
“What?” He paused mid-stroke, his blue eyes surprised.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. You know that, right? I can take care of myself if you’re not feeling it. I don’t want you to ever think I expect sex from you.”
His expression softened. “Oh, Kace… Don’t worry. You’re nothing like them. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to. Besides.” He raised a brow, then sank down onto his knees at the bottom of the tub, stroking me with one hand. “You blew me, but I haven’t gotten to taste you yet.”
A garbled moan escaped me as his lips curled around the tip of my cock, enveloping me in slick, wet heat. “Fuck.” He wasted no time, either. One minute he was sucking gently at my cockhead and the next, I was halfway down his throat and suddenly, I realized why my friends were so damn sex-driven. This felt amazing.
It was over all too soon. I came with a shout, the sound echoing off wet tile. Nevin continued to suck, swallowing down every last drop before popping off with a wet smacking sound. I gazed down at him, overcome with sensations and feelings and emotions that I couldn’t begin to put a name to.
He rose up to his full height, then kissed me, and I could taste the traces of my seed on his tongue. Why was that so hot? I chased the kiss and he giggled, but gently pushed at my shoulders. I pouted at him, which made his smile widen.
“You’re adorable, but I’d really like to get clean before the water runs cold.”
I made a face, but he had a point. “Fair. How about after, we go out to lunch? My treat.”
His expression brightened. “I definitely worked up an appetite.”
“Same.”
We took turns under the spray of water, washing our bodies as well as shampooing and conditioning our hair. By the time we stepped out onto the bath mat, we were both fresh and clean. I wrapped a towel around my body while Nevin dripped all over the floor, scrubbing his blond hair dry.
I studied him, my chest squeezing with emotion. He was so damn beautiful to me, and he had no idea. In time, I would show him. Maybe it was the lingering effects of lust talking, or perhaps I was just a hopeless romantic, but I could see myself falling so in love with this man.
“You’re making me self-conscious,” Nevin mumbled softly, wrapping the towel around his slim frame, as if me staring at his nude body was too much.
I quickly looked towards the mirror, where I met the eyes of his reflection. “Sorry. You’re just so beautiful, Nev. You’re like…the brightest star in my sky. God, that’s corny. I’ll shut up now.”
He smiled. “I mean, the brightest star is the dog-star, so you’re not too far off. I’m gonna go get dressed.” He slipped out of the bathroom, leaving me to dry off alone. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning all goofy at the mirror, and I could’ve sworn I had hearts in my eyes.
Yup. I was sunk. So sunk.
After Nevin was done in the bedroom, I dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt with one of my favorite red flannels over the top of it. I found him standing in front of the coffee maker as the dark liquid began to drip into the carafe, wearing a pair of tight black pants and a hoodie with a big splashy rainbow on the front that said, “Gay AF.”
“I have to admit, I’m not hating on Xan’s fashion sense as much as I used to,” I teased him. “His clothes suit you.”
Nevin shrugged. “Some of them are cute, but um… There are several outfits that are way too revealing for me. Your brother must have balls of steel to wear that kind of stuff in public.”
I laughed, because he was right. “Xan is Xan. He doesn’t let other peoples’ opinion of him define himself, that’s for sure. Sometimes, I’m kind of jealous of his bravery. I think you two will get along great, though. He’s been harassing me about when he gets to meet you. He even called me selfish for hogging you to myself.”
“He sounds great,” Nevin said earnestly. “I’d like to meet him, I’m just…” He fiddled with the drawstrings on the sweatshirt, tugging them between his thumb and forefinger. “What if your family hates me? Like…”
I shook my head. “They won’t, I promise. I know my family. You have nothing to worry about. If anything else, they might try and steal you from me.” I was joking, but the relief that crossed Nevin’s face was exactly what I was hoping for. “So. Coffee and then lunch?”
He nodded. “Sounds wonderful.”
As fate would have it, when Nevin and I walked inside the little cafe-bistro on Greymercy Square, I heard Quinn call my name. I looked up to see both of my sisters sitting together in one of the booths, surrounded by empty plates, like they were just finishing up.
“Speak of the devil,” I joked, taking Nevin’s hand in mine. His eyes went round as saucers, but I tugged him along after me. We stopped in front of their table, and the look Tasha shot me was all-too-knowing.
“Hey there, brother-mine. About time you come out of your little hidey-hole,” Quinn joked, but her attention was on Nevin. She studied him like she might study a blood sample under a microscope lens, but her smile was bright and bold. She offered a hand. “Hi, you must be Nevin. I’m Quinn, and this is Tasha.”
“I know we met as wolves during the pack run, but that was so informal,” Tasha added, then smiled. “Keeping my little brother busy, I hope?” Nevin froze, his face turning bright red. Both of my sisters laughed.
“Be nice,” I warned them good-naturedly.
Tasha just waved me off. “We’re always nice.”
“I-I’m going to use the restroom real quick,” Nevin said, side-glancing me before hurrying off towards the back.
I flopped down in the seat next to Quinn. “Nice job, scaring him off. After I just got done telling him how nice my family is.” I huffed at my sisters, who grinned back at me like cats that just ate an entire cage full of canaries.
“I, for one, can’t believe you bagged such a hottie,” Quinn said, matter-of-fact. “And on death’s doorstep, too? What are the chances?”
Tasha looked at me, her smile kind. “Finally going to settle down, huh? I’m happy for you, Kace. He’s the one, isn’t he? The one you’ve been waiting for?” There was no judgment in her tone, simply curiosity.
I nodded. “He is. I knew it the moment I saw him.”
“Well, he definitely looks no worse for the wear, so I’d say you’re doing something right—and I know exactly what you’ve been doing right.” Tasha deadpanned. “Please tell me you used protection.”
It was my turn to blush. Heat flooded my face, because protection in the midst of a shifter heat was the last thing either of us had thought about. Hell, I didn’t even own a box of condoms. “U-Um… About that…”
“Kace!” Quinn groaned. “Are you dumb?”
“Nevin’s barren!” I added quickly. “That’s why he was chased out of his last pack. He can’t get pregnant.”
Quinn and Tasha exchanged a look.
“What?” I demanded, but they waved me off.
“Nothing,” Tasha said. “We’re just making sure you’re safe.”
Nevin chose that time, thank god, to come back from the bathroom. My sisters stopped to look at him again, then looked at each other, like they were trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle I wasn’t even aware there was.
Quinn smiled brightly. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Nevin, but we’ve gotta jet. We still have to hit the mall.” She stood and grabbed her purse, while Tasha took the bill. “Love you, bro.” They both gave me a quick-but-warm hug before heading up to the front register to pay for their meal.
Nevin looked at me, a strange expression on his face.
“What?”
He smiled a little sheepishly. “N-Nothing. They seem…nice?”
“Nosy, you mean,” I said around a sigh. “Sorry. I honestly didn’t know they’d be here, but hey, look on the bright side? Now you’ve met everyone but Xan?”
“It’s okay.” He reached out and took my hand, giving my fingers a timid squeeze. “This is all new to me, but they really did seem nice. Just…also a little intimidating. I’ll get used to them.”
“I hope so.” I lifted our joined hands to my mouth and placed a kiss on Nevin’s knuckles. “You’ll have to get used to them eventually if you intend to be my mate.”
Nevin’s jaw went slack. “You really mean that?”
“What? You doubt me?”
He shrugged. “I… I just assumed, with my heat and everything…” His voice trailed off, sounding almost dejected.
I was quick to respond, catching both his hands in mine and drawing them to my chest. “The heat hormones just fast-forwarded our relationship a little bit, that’s all. I mean it. I want you—all of you. I want you to be a part of my family, Nev. I want to share my life with you. I know things are moving kind of fast, but I really do feel like this is meant to be. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“Aww, Kace.” Nevin threw his arms around me in a full-body hug. I squeezed him back, right there in the middle of the cafe-bistro, in front of everyone. Taking a page out of Xan’s book and not giving a single fuck who watched us.
When he pulled back, he was teary-eyed but smiling. “Can we eat now?”
I laughed. “Your wish is my command.”