Chapter 32
Simon
When I come back after having dropped Ira off at school, Boris is waiting for me at my doorstep. A blush is threatening to take over my face, so I focus on my shoes. I can't believe I allowed him to jerk me off in the kitchen with Ira sleeping in the next room over.
I can't believe how good it was.
I'd forgotten how good it could feel to have someone else touch me.
"Morning, love." Boris sounds amused, the bastard. I glare at him, which only earns me a chuckle. The next second, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me right there where all our neighbors can see. He tastes of mint and coffee.
"Did everything go well with dropping off Ira?"
I nod, then remember I have a voice. "Yeah, no problem."
"Can I borrow him this afternoon?"
"Cookies?" I unlock the door and gesture for him to walk in.
He pushes up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing the tattoos. "No, we have a secret mission."
I narrow my eyes at him. "Doing what?"
"What part of secret don't you understand?"
I sigh, but when I turn to walk into the kitchen, he grabs me from behind and pulls me against his chest, much like he did in the kitchen yesterday. I shiver at the memory, and he hums against my neck.
"Did you sleep well?" His whisper has me melting against him, and I nod.
"Good. I think you should let me...tuck you in every night."
I shake my head at the suggestive tone, but I can't help but smile.
"Simon." His voice is pleading.
"What?"
"Fuck." He hugs me tighter, and there is no mistaking the hard cock poking my ass.
"You said you'd go home and deal with that last night." I rub against him, and he groans.
"I did. Over and over again, but here you are, smelling so fucking delicious I want to eat you."
I huff and try to untangle myself from his hold. We aren't teenagers. We can have a conversation without groping each other.
He whines, a real whine, not a human sound. I turn and stare at him.
"What?"
"Why did you sound like that?"
"My mate is trying to leave me."
I roll my eyes and escape into the kitchen. "Where are you taking Ira?"
"It's a secret mission, Simon. We can't tell you."
I narrow my eyes. "You're stealing my son from me?"
"Yes."
"Will you take him somewhere dangerous?"
"You're hurting my feelings." He splays a hand over his heart in a dramatic gesture. "I'm the fiercest protector, and you're doubting my ability to keep Ira safe."
I didn't, but..."Where are you taking him?"
There is a gleam in his eyes I don't trust. "You'll never find out."
"Have you ever met a seven-year-old? I don't need torture to get answers."
He grins. "You wouldn't. You'd hurt Ira's feelings."
Fuck. The smug expression on his face tells me he knows he's won. "Now." He walks closer. "Where were we?" He grabs my hand and pulls me closer.
"I don't know. Where were we? The hallway, right? Do you want to go back there?"
He purrs. "I don't care where we are as long as I can have you."
Have me. Have me how? "Eh..."
"You're thinking too much, my darling."
True, but..."What are we doing, Boris?"
He looks into my eyes, the playfulness gone, and I almost regret asking. "We're doing whatever you want us to do."
I grimace. It's not fair to him. "You can't..." I wave a hand, and he sighs.
He reaches for the back of one of the kitchen chairs, drags it out, and sits. Then he pulls me down on his lap. I'm too startled to resist. I don't think I've ever been on a man's lap before. Not in many, many years at least.
He slips a hand under the fabric of my shirt and caresses my back, but it's in a comforting way, not meant to arouse.
"Here's the thing." He places his other hand on my thigh. "You're my mate. Shifters have one mate, one. You're mine."
I nod despite it sounding insane.
"I know you don't feel what I feel right now, and it's fine."
"It's not."
"Yes, it is, because we're different. I'm not gonna lie, these last couple of weeks have been hell.
I've been going out of my mind knowing you and Ira are here and don't want me around.
But it doesn't matter. Whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever you want, it doesn't matter.
You can reject me your entire life, and I'll still want you. You'll still be my everything."
I wish he'd stop talking. I don't know how to deal with this.
He smiles. "It's not a bad thing, Simon."
"Yes, it is. It sounds awful. You can't be fine with...wanting me and never having me?"
A sad expression steals over his face, and I shake my head. "I only meant, it's not fair that you..." What?
He takes a deep breath. "What I'm gonna say next is not to pressure you in any way, okay?"
Oh, fuck. I nod, not sure I want him to continue.
"If we fulfill the mating, you'll feel the same way."
"Fulfill?" Feel what?
"When we mate, we bite."
I jump on his lap. "Bite? What do you mean by bite?"
He grins a wicked grin that threatens to have my bones melt. "I mean, I'll bite you here." He runs a feather-light finger over the crook of my neck. "And a magic bond will snap into place, tying us together for the rest of our lives."
Bite me. As in...bite me? "Will it hurt?"
He shrugs. "I don't know. I've never mated anyone. We'll make love, and when we're about to come, I'll bite you."
Crap. "What if I'm not what you expect?"
Boris' eyebrows climb his forehead. "Oh, honey. You're everything I want. You're strong, you've done such an excellent job raising Ira, you're fiercely loyal, honoring your sister's wishes, fighting so hard to give Ira the best possible life."
I stare at him, and he hugs me to him.
"You're handsome, you smell so fucking good, and the sounds you make when you come--"
I slap his arm.
"Boris, I'm trying to have a serious conversation here."
He grins. "As am I. You are mine, and you can relax now.
I've found you. From here on out, you'll never have to face a problem on your own.
I'll be by your side till the end of time.
I'll lay my life down for you and Ira, as will the rest of the pack.
" He shrugs. "There will always be problems. I can't make them magically disappear, but we'll always have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
If there is a problem, and we can't solve it between the two of us, the pack will step in. "
He looks into my eyes, and I swallow hard. How many times haven't I wished for someone, anyone to help me, to carry some of the weight, but it sounds too good to be true, and when things sound too good, they usually are.
"And what will it cost me?"
"At least a few kisses a day."
I glare at him, and his expression softens.
"Nothing. If you want us to live like we did last week, then we can."
Last week, when I didn't see him but came home to prepared food ready to heat up for me and Ira. I shake my head. It would kill Ira to go back to how we were, and if I were being honest, it would kill me too. I want him. I shouldn't, but I do. I shake my head. "No."
"So back to a few kisses a day, then?" He wiggles his eyebrows.
"I think there will be an outcry if the pack doesn't get to see Ira regularly too, so be prepared for that.
Oswald, Mom, and Zahrah will appear on the doorstep if it goes too far between visits, and you should know Mom hates coming to the city. "
I stare at him. I want to wave it off, but he looks serious, and deep down, I believe he is. I saw how Oswald had Ira on his lap and listened to his every word about how stupid basketball is. "Oswald doesn't have children of his own?"
Boris shakes his head. "Nah, he'd have loved a bunch, but I think all of us dream about one day finding our mate, and he never built a life with someone else.
Some do. They deem the chance so small they might as well have a family with someone who isn't their mate.
Like humans do. You can love someone who isn't your mate, but those who do start to fear running into their true mate.
Imagine being the one who has to break it off with a person you love because you catch the scent of someone and suddenly love them more than the person you've forged a life with, had children with.
So many lives ruined simply because you smelled someone. "
I scrunch my nose. I have a hard time seeing anything good with this fated mate shit. Who'd want to risk it? Who'd want to be a slave to their senses?
Boris squeezes my hip. "Hey, what's that look for?"
What if Boris and I had dated, and he'd found his mate? What would it have done to Ira? To me?
"Simon?"
I shake my head. "It sounds terrible."
Boris' smile is soft. "It's our reality."
I nod since I don't know what else to do.
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