Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Thanksgiving passes in a blur of too much food, family visits, and lengthy video chats with those who couldn’t make it out.
I adore my pack and our families, but I’m glad it’s over. Being ‘on’ for hours at a time is exhausting. My cheeks hurt from the smile I forced myself to wear, and my head dully throbs. The pressure makes me rub my eyes to ease the ache, though it does little to help.
Coffee warms my hands as I lift the mug to my lips. Caffeine will help. It is the cure for most of my stress-related ailments.
Letting my shoulders drop, I peer out the large window at the end of the kitchen. A soft puff of air slips through my lips. Small flakes of snow drift from the sky, coating the glass. Growing up in Los Angeles, snow wasn’t a regular occurrence.
Setting my cup aside, I slip up the stairs and into Skye’s bedroom. She’s curled between Emmett and Bellamy—the latter must have snuck in late last night, as I hadn’t seen him go to bed with them—her arms thrown across their bodies.
Dancing my fingertips up her calf, I whisper to her, “Wake up, Darling.” Her groan makes me chuckle, and I barely avoid getting kicked when she rolls to her side. “It’s snowing.”
I lean back quickly, smothering a smirk when she jolts upright and turns to her window. Heavy blinds block the view, something that makes her pout. Offering her my hand, I help her climb over her sleeping Beta mates.
Emmett pops one eye open, but doesn’t get up. I’m grateful he is giving us this time to ourselves. Missing one-on-one time with her is something I never thought I would feel, but as soon as the thought arises, I realize how true it is.
Skye skips toward the door, but I catch her around the waist and guide her into the closet. “You will freeze if we go outside in just a sleep shirt.” She huffs at my chastisement but lets me pull thick sweatpants up her legs.
When I drop one of my thick sweaters over her head, she sniffs the hem and lets out a happy sigh. My heart aches knowing she adores the way I smell. That I mean as much to her as her normal Alphas.
“Much better,” I tell her as she slips on a pair of lined boots and a thick hat.
Eyeing me, she drags me to my room so that I can grab my coat. I don’t fare as well in the colder temperatures as she does.
As a precaution, I grab a scarf to wrap around my neck and drop a wool beanie over my hair.
“Ready?”
We go through my office and the conservatory instead of backtracking through the main house. Chilly air cuts through my sleep pants when we step outside. A decent layer of snow already covers the driveway and yard.
I run my hand along the windowsill, pushing what’s accumulated there to the ground. It’s thin and soft, nowhere near the right consistency to do anything but walk through.
“Let’s go out back.” Joy fills my Omega’s voice as she pivots and darts down the path to the backyard.
Tucking my frigid hands into my coat pockets, I follow her, ready to indulge in whatever adventure she seeks.
Her breath catches as we exit the outdoor kitchen and find the wonderland awaiting us. Wrapping my arms around her, we lean against the porch railing and watch the snow fall.
It’s magical, like we’ve stepped into another world. A thin layer of glittering white coats the trees, the ground, and the overgrown flowerbeds that line the winding paths through the garden.
Skye reaches out one gloveless hand to catch the flakes that continue to fall around us. Her giggles warm my heart, and I clench her tighter to my chest.
We stand like that for a while until her teeth chatter and her nose is bright pink from the cold. She sniffles when I tell her it’s time to go back inside, but relents when I twine our fingers together and tug her toward the door.
The air inside the house prickles my cold skin, so I rush to get our shoes off and guide Skye to her bathroom. She’s shivering by the time the tub is full, and I curse myself for letting her stay out so long.
Telling her no is difficult when she’s enjoying herself so thoroughly.
“Join me?” she asks, sliding to the side and resting her arms against the edge. Her hair is pulled into a messy bun that flops when she lays her cheek against her palm.
She’s beautiful.
A stunning vision of an Omega in her element.
Jerking my head in agreement, I strip my clothes off and step into the steaming hot water beside her. We float, enjoying the heat and the soft sounds of the house as everyone else wakes up.
One of her hands trails down the inside of my forearm, tracing aimless patterns. The tiniest ember sparks to life low in my groin. A whisper of maybe that I won’t mention until I know if it will grow into something.
“Are you happy here, Quentin?”
Her unexpected question startles me. My gut instinct is to assume I’ve done something to make her believe I am not, but I force myself to think before I reply.
“I am, because you are happy here. And I will always be happiest wherever your heart is most content.”
I’m drawn closer to her when she purses her lips, her eyes closed and her head lolling against the cushion at the edge of the tub.
“Out of all my mates, this move is more jarring for you. California was your home. It’s where your family is. I can’t help but feel as though I didn’t consider your feelings when I asked to move here permanently.”
Gripping her cheek in my palm, I brush my thumb across her jaw, reveling in her smooth skin.
“You are my home. Our pack is my family. No guilt should rest on your shoulders when there is nowhere I would rather be than at your side. Genuinely. I would follow you into the depths of oblivion if that’s where you wished to go.”
Huffing, her eyes pop open, annoyance pinching her brow. She’s adorable when she’s angry, and I feel the urge to kiss her, so I do. Our lips meet, hers stilling before they move hungrily with mine.
She doesn’t push, doesn’t let her hands wander like she would with her other mates, and I fall impossibly more in love with her.
Teasing my tongue against hers, that small ember ignites into a spark. One I want to nurture into a roaring fire.
I start slow. My hands gripping her face tighter, my lips pressing insistently to hers. My cock swells. A natural reaction to the burst of her scent as she shifts beside me, her thighs pressing together.
One hand drags down her throat, enjoying the way her pulse races beneath my thumb. Leaning back, I study her face as I flex my fingers, squeezing her neck lightly.
“Can I make you come?”
Her tongue slides across her bottom lip, cheeks flushing as she shifts into my arms. “Yes, please.”
She’s soft against my chest, pliant as I guide her legs to straddle my thighs. Heat presses to my semi-hard length as she settles against me.
So beautiful and sweet.
So utterly mine.
Gripping her hips, I keep our pace slow and steady, helping her rock against me. Water sloshes in the tub, shallow waves spurred by our movements. Her eyes never leave mine. The emotion in them lays me bare, flaying my soul open and offering every jagged piece for her choosing.
A raspy cry parts her lips. Slick gushes from her opening, mixing with the water to smooth her grind against my cock.
Her arms hang loosely around my shoulders, fingers digging into the cushion as her pleasure rises. I can feel it in our bond, the way she burns from the inside out, the ragged need that rages within her.
She’s a goddess bewitching me to worship at her feet.
My knot swells, bumping against her entrance, as release races toward me. Dropping one hand from her hip, I toy with her clit, guiding her to the edge. One hard pinch and she shatters, body shaking and a scream tearing from her throat.
I feel her pussy clench down, her body stiff and her keen muffled against my collarbone. Lifting my hips, I push her higher, prolonging her orgasm while chasing my own.
The ember blazes into an inferno as I come, shaking and clinging to my mate.
We catch our breaths, her head on my shoulder, until anxiety crawls up my spine. Holding her in my arms is no hardship. I love being close to her, feeling her chest rise with each breath, but I cannot handle sitting in slick and cum filled water.
Soft lips pepper my jaw before my Omega lets me pull away, a dopey smile on her sweet face.
“Thank you, Alpha. That felt amazing.”
Blushing deeply, I lift her from the water and wrap her in a fluffy towel. The tub drains as I grab a soft robe for her. She prefers to lounge naked, but there is a chill in the air that requires at least an outer layer to keep her warm.
“Can we cuddle in the nest?”
Giving her an indulgent smirk, I twist my fingers in the air to urge her to spin around. Goosebumps dot her arms as I slide the fluffy robe over her shoulders and tie it around her waist.
“Go get settled. I’ll follow.”
The shutters are open when I walk in, giving my mate a stunning view of the snow that still flutters through the air.
She pats the floor beside her, lifting the thick blanket she’s wrapped in so that I can slip beneath it.
One arm winds around her waist, the other tucks beneath her head, and I pull her closer.
We lie there for hours, talking softly and dozing off and on, only breaking our bubble when her stomach rumbles loudly and the scent of whatever incredible concoction Sterling has made for dinner wafts through the partly closed door.