Chapter Six #2
“Thank you! And I can give you money for the vet. Since I’m the one making this your problem.”
Valentin bristled, even though he’d been stressing about the expense ten seconds ago. He could handle this favor. He wanted to do things for Zeller. “I’ve got it.”
“Thank you,” Zeller said again. He lifted the cat to his face, nuzzling into its scruff.
“You know, Antoni probably would have helped you hide him in your room if you’d asked.”
“I considered it, and I do think he would have helped, but I didn’t want to put him in the position of having to choose between his loyalty to my parents and his fondness for me.”
“So you think I’m not a loyal employee?” Valentin teased.
“I think you’ve only worked here six months, and my fathers haven’t exactly made your workload a manageable delight.”
Valentin laughed. “They’d really be that mad about it? The cat?”
“Hard to say. They’ve been weird since Jem and Asher moved out. More…focused…on me. I don’t want them to worry that my being nice to this cat means I’m turning defiant.”
Valentin sensed something important behind Zeller’s words, but the omega didn’t elaborate.
Instead, he placed the cat gently down on the floor and walked over to Valentin with a determined expression. Without warning, he flung his arms around Valentin’s neck, murmuring into his collar, “I knew I could count on you.”
Gritting his teeth, Valentin forced himself to remain still. Zeller had never hugged him this way before. Tight and intentional, warm breath against his skin. He felt every curve of the omega’s chest as their torsos aligned.
Zeller’s fingertips pressed into his shoulder blades. “Mm,” he moaned softly.
Valentin realized that the other man was aware of the tension between them, his purpose unmistakable.
His heart thumped wildly even as the rational side of him remembered to hold his hips back. If Zeller pulled their waists together, he’d easily make out Valentin’s hard cock.
Zeller emitted another faint sound of contentment, and sugar maple flooded the air. Valentin tried to think of anything other than how perfect it was.
He remained paralyzed in lust-fueled agony, awkwardly patting Zeller’s back, waiting for him to pull away.
But Zeller didn’t pull away. He tucked his head under Valentin’s chin and mumbled into his shirt, “I’m so glad you came here. It changed everything for me.”
“Zeller—”
“Let it happen,” the omega whispered, nuzzling between his pecs. “Please. I want this.”
Valentin’s alpha responded to the words immediately.
Mine.
And with that soul-deep certainty taking hold of him, he could no longer summon the will to resist.
“You changed everything for me, too.”
He tugged Zeller toward him and the omega gasped when he felt Valentin’s hard length.
“Okay?” Valentin asked shakily.
“More than.”
Valentin nosed Zeller’s scent gland, rubbing his face into the sensitive place between his neck and shoulder.
Zeller responded with a husky groan. His scent strengthened, and Valentin relished that he wasn’t alone in his feelings. They were both young, newly into their blooms, but their connection was undeniable.
Pulse hammering, Valentin brushed his nose back and forth as the omega whimpered his approval.
He leaned in to lick Zeller’s skin, to kiss him, and taste him—
The cat nipped at his ankles.
Fuck!
They needed to slow down.
Half an hour ago, being this close to Zeller was a fantasy he hadn’t allowed himself to have.
Now, he didn’t know what to think. Them wanting one another did not make him any less off-limits.
Shuddering, he exhaled and leaned back, but his arms remained wrapped around Zeller. His inner alpha demanded that he hold on a little longer. It kept telling him this was his omega.
But that wasn’t right.
Not when he had nothing to offer.
“Valentin?”
Their eyes met. He saw his own yearning mirrored back at him. Along with confusion.
He dropped his arms and scraped his fingers through his hair.
If the cat hadn’t intruded, where would this have gone?
Would he have stopped at kisses and scenting?
Or would he have thrown Zeller down on the bed and had him right there?
He’d been well on his way to acting without considering the consequences.
Zeller’s parents. His job. Fuck! He needed to think.
“I’ve got to go,” he said in a rush. He couldn’t declare himself to Zeller. To the son of Keyes and Deveron Parkenson. No matter what they felt. “I’ll grab the box and come back for the cat when I’m off at five.”
He moved toward the door, but the omega reached out with a surprisingly firm grip.
“Valentin—”
“I’m sorry.” He squeezed his eyes shut.
“Sorry that you scented me? Or sorry that we finally admitted we want each other?”
Valentin stared down at where Zeller held his wrist. “Sorry it’s impossible.”
Zeller’s chin trembled. “So you’re running away? Your plan is to forget what just happened?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Valentin huffed. “Forget!? For fuck’s sake!” he said helplessly. “You must know how I feel about…I shouldn’t have…but I…couldn’t stop myself. Just now.”
Zeller raked his gaze over Valentin’s body and didn’t let go of him.
“I don’t want to forget.” He massaged his thumb across Valentin’s wrist. “I’ve sensed the alpha in you since the first day I saw you.
I can’t explain it exactly, but you woke something in me.
I know I’m young, and I haven’t had my first heat yet, but being around you, smelling that smoky sage. ”
“Zeller,” Valentin hushed out. “You know it’s impos—”
“I know there are obstacles, but pretending we’re not what we are to one another is ridiculous.”
“Your parents will never allow it.”
Zeller cupped Valentin’s cheek. “We can’t go on like this isn’t happening.
My fathers keep bringing around privileged alphaholes, each more dickish than the last, hoping I’ll be interested in one of them for my husband.
But every new person I meet makes it clearer that you’re the only one I want.
You, Valentin. Even if it feels impossible, I need to be honest.”
“Why? So we can deny ourselves in tandem? Suffer side-by-side?” Valentin experienced a stab of jealousy imagining the alphas Keyes and Deveron had introduced to Zeller. Men they approved of for their son.
“So we can fight for the thing we both want. A future. With each other.”
Valentin’s heart swelled. He pressed their foreheads together.
“Zeller," he said reverently
Maybe he’d always known they’d end up here, after months of finding every reason to be in each other’s orbit. He wished they lived in a different world. One where the Parkensons would allow their son to be with a no-name alpha simply because they wanted him to be happy.
The cat meowed loudly and jumped onto the bed.
“I’m naming him Decoy,” Zeller said. “Seeing that he provided the perfect excuse to lure you to my room so you could seduce me.”
Valentin laughed. “Is that what happened? Dang. Decoy was so good at his job, I didn’t even know that’s what I was doing.
” He outlined the mole on Zeller’s cheek with his index finger.
“And we can argue about exactly who did the seducing here.” Keeping their foreheads together, he whispered, “Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome…alpha.”