CHAPTER 9
“Put your loving hand out baby”
Everett
I should probably be embarrassed that the scent of my slick is rapidly filling the cab of Henry's truck, but I'm too distracted by our surroundings.
Which I suppose is a good thing, otherwise I'm not sure I would be able to keep my dick in my pants or my fingers out of my ass. Especially with the way he’s practically torturing me, sitting there all sexy, talking about being loud and messy in that gravely tone that promises debauchery.
Henry’s been driving with a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel for the past ten minutes as he heads out of the city toward the Hera district.
I don’t think I've been out this far before, I’ve visited the mall a few times but never as far as the forest surrounding us, which is a real shame. It’s absolutely stunning.
Gone are the brick and metal buildings, fumes from cars, and noise from the thousands of people who work and live in Valleywood.
Replaced by rows and rows of thick, tall tree trunks shaded by lush green leaves.
I can’t resist rolling down the window to fill my lungs with the fresh scent of forest and rain.
“Where are we? It’s beautiful here Henry.
Is this your land?” I ask my voice high pitched with a mix of wonder and excitement.
If this is where my mate lives, does that mean I get to live here too?
Wake up each morning to the songs of the birds, have a safe, open space for Syril to leap from tree to tree and an endless supply of walnuts.
Henry’s soft chuckle brings me back to reality but I’m so overwhelmed with the prospect that not only did the fates grant me a six-foot four bear shifter as a mate, who just happens to be the sweetest man I’ve ever met, but finding out he lives in the forest, with walnut trees as far as the eyes can see.
A small part of me, deep down in the depth of my stomach, wonders when the other shoe will drop.
Could I really have manifested this much perfection?
“Yes sweetheart, this is my land. I can tell you like it here.” He winks.
“That makes me and my bear very happy. I had hoped for a mate I could share it with.” He tells me with a playful glint to his eyes.
Probably because I'm wriggling so much in my seat. Henry is the sweetest, sexiest man on the planet. It’s too soon to tell him I love him right?
Yeah, that would be weird. I should at least wait until he gets a taste of my honey buns.
“Are we going to your house?” I couldn’t hide my excitement if I tried. I have zero chill.
He growls, whether at the scent of my arousal spiking or the way my gaze drops to the significant bulge in his pants is anybody's guess. Either way, my dick leaks at the sound.
“As much as I would like nothing more than to devour you the moment I stop this truck,” he looks at me with a hunger I’ve never seen in another person, “it would be a shame to waste the incredible goodies you have made for us.”
I pout because a virgin omega can dream, right? He chuckles and I pout even harder.
“Fine, but I want a tour—” I stop mid-sentence while taking in the rustic two-story cabin, stained natural wood, a matching wrap-around porch decorated with dozens of colorful flowers in window boxes and clay pots. “That’s your house?”
His lips parted as if to speak, then closed again, his brow furrowing in uncertainty. “Umm, yes. I built my cabin here for the land. If there is anything you want to change I can do that.” He offers with a cute, shy blush to his cheeks.
“I know it’s too soon but… do you have a spare room I can rent?
” I ask hoping it would calm his nerves.
“I mean, I can sleep anywhere to be honest. Syril doesn’t mind sleeping on the curtain rail or an unused windowsill, if it means we can live in a house like this!
” Henry pulls the truck to the side of the road a little faster than I think he meant to before turning in his seat to face me.
He looks…not angry, but on the verge of it, like he's teetering on the edge of disbelief and frustration.
“No mate of mine will sleep in a spare room nor on any piece of furniture even if it was made from pure gold. My bed is the only place you will lay that beautiful head of curls.” He hisses not aggressively, but in a passionate, possessive way that makes my already hard cock feel a bite of pain from pressing against the zipper on my shorts.
I smirk, my hand resting on the door handle, more than ready to get out and explore the land around us. I already wish I had a sack to collect more nuts in.
“If it was up to my bear, Everett, you would move in right this fucking second, but I can be patient, for a little while, at least. This is a big change for us both.”
“Good to know your animal and I are on the same page. I’ve been waiting for my mate, I’m ready Henry.
” His gaze stays locked on my face, as if he is searching for a lie or a flash of uncertainty.
He won’t find that here, I mean it with everything I am, but it’s okay, he doesn’t know me, yet.
Which, I suppose, is the reason he is insisting we date.
Leaning toward him, I rest my chin on his broad shoulder, my mouth millimeters away from his ear.
“I can’t wait for you to taste my honey buns.
” I whisper seductively, brushing my lips against the lobe of his ear to ensure he knows the double ent?ndre is fully intended.
He swallows hard, eyes widening. I follow the movement of his throat muscles and the way his tongue swipes across his bottom lip, like he can already taste my bun.
I don’t miss the way his cock kicks up in his worn denim jeans as another rumbling growl escapes his lips.
He smells incredible, especially this close to his scent gland.
Chocolate hazelnut mingles with the spicy notes of his aftershave.
All man, and all mine. It’s enough to make a squirrel light-headed.
Forcing myself to return to my seat, I quickly close my mouth to swallow the drool forming.
If only there was a way to stop my asshole from drooling so much slick.
“I can already tell you’re going to be a handful, my omega. Guess I’m going to have to find a way to keep you in line huh?”
“There are a few ways I can think of. I could tell you now, but they will all keep us in the truck longer and I really, really want to see where my alpha calls home.”
Picnic basket in hand, Henry guides us through the trees with the ease of a person who has traversed this land a hundred times before.
Which is a good thing, because I am not paying any attention to which direction we are walking.
I’m also thankful he laces our fingers together, keeping me grounded to him, otherwise I would likely trip over the gnarled roots sprouting up through the carpet of fallen leaves that crunch under our feet, the sound muffled by the softer soil below lending to the rain we had last week.
I can still smell it in the air. Rich and musty.
I take deep lungfuls, wanting to inhale as much of this place as possible.
It only takes a few minutes for us to be far enough from the road that I can no longer see the truck behind us.
The towering oak trees with their thick moss-covered trunks give off an ominous feel, though I’m not afraid.
Not with Henry right next to me. I watch the shadows dance before me until the trees thin out, allowing more light through the canopy, revealing a small clearing next to a narrow creek that snakes through the forest, its clear water babbling over smooth stones.
How I missed the sound of fish splashing and frogs croaking as we approached, I have no idea.
It’s almost like we stepped into another dimension.
How is there a place this serene in Valleywood and nobody is talking about it?
I fear I may never want to leave this spot.
I could just shift and live among the wild squirrels.
“Wow,” is about all I can utter as I take in the lush green reeds interspersed with wildflowers blooming around the bank of the creek.
The full trees provide a natural shaded area perfect for us to sit and enjoy not only the food, but the relaxing sound of the meandering water with all the creatures that call it home.
“Come join me Everett, show me what you prepared for us,” Henry purrs from his spot under a tree.
I didn't even notice him laying out the blanket, too enthralled by the animals scurrying along the forest floor, going about their day without a care in the world. Even with a predator close by, they are unfazed. I love that and I can’t wait to shift and join them in exploring every inch of the forest.
Moving toward my alpha, I lower myself onto the soft fruit-covered blanket.
Henry looks so relaxed laying on his side, elbow propped up under his head to face me.
His dark green flannel shirt hangs open, revealing a loose fitting white t-shirt underneath.
Dark chest hair visible though the material, along with a slight roundness to his belly, that I am immediately in love with.
Stood upright, my alpha looks like he would be sculpted from marble under his clothes, but relaxed like this I can see a softness to him, rolls that I plan to explore.
I wouldn’t complain if my alpha was all hard lines and muscles, but I am a baker, feeding people is my love language, and seeing the evidence of how much they enjoy my gifts is how I fill my cup.
It takes every drop of willpower I possess not to reach out and rub on his rolls, or stroke the little tuft of chest hair poking out over the V-cut in his t-shirt.
I already know if I do, it’s going to lead down a path we are both trying our darndest to avoid.
At least for the time being. I know nothing more than my mate’s name and a guess that he's older than I am.
I should probably learn more before I spread my cheeks for an alpha.
So, to keep my virtue for a little longer, I flip open the picnic basket and unload each tupperware container carefully.
Honey breads, followed by cut-up cheese cubes.
cured meats, and finally, the fresh fruit and a few squares of chocolate chip brownies for dessert.
Popping the lids, I allow the smells of freshly baked goodies to fill the air around us.
I study my offerings, that niggle of doubt tickling my brain, trying to convince me we haven't done enough. That stupid feeling makes it a physical effort to look up at Henry and see his reaction. There is no way I’m not blushing from my cheeks to my toes right now with embarrassment or shame, I'm not sure. Why my traitorous brain is putting so much stock into this simple picnic is beyond me. I’m more nervous about Henry’s reaction to my food than I am about my naked body or the way my slick was soaking my boxers on the drive over here.