The shower is small, barely big enough for two people, especially when one of them is my size. But we make it work, trading lazy kisses under the spray as we wash each other. It's domestic in a way I've never experienced, intimate without being sexual.
At least, that's what I have to tell my cock to keep him in line.
I could get used to mornings like this.
The thought brings me up short. I'm getting ahead of myself, projecting a future onto something that's barely begun. But there's something about Lexie that feels right in a way nothing has since my presentation. Maybe even before that.
By the time we make it to the kitchen, me wrapped in a borrowed robe—her largest one still fits me like a damn dog costume, barely even covering the essentials—I'm ravenous. Breakfast is simple scrambled eggs and toast, but it's perfect.
"So," she says, settling across from me at the small kitchen table that isn't covered in inventory. "What happens now?"
The question hangs between us, loaded with all the thoughts that have been rattling around in the back of my mind. What does happen now? I've spent weeks fighting against my new biology, against the changes in my pack dynamic, against the way the world suddenly sees me. And now there's Lexie, this unexpected connection that feels both terrifying and right.
Terrifying because in the week she went MIA, all I could do was think about her. What I was missing out on.
"I don't know," I admit, because honesty seems like the only option. "I didn't exactly plan for any of this."
She nods, pushing eggs around her plate. "Me neither. I was all set to swear off dating completely after the insurance salesman incident."
"Wait, you never told me that story," I say, raising an eyebrow. "Please tell me it wasn't the same date you had to escape by climbing a window."
"One and the same," she says in a dry tone. "He brought brochures."
I groan. "You've gotta be kidding."
"And followed me out of the restaurant still trying to sell me a policy," she adds with a laugh. "I'm pretty sure he's still confused about what went wrong."
I snort. "And here I was worried I wasn't smooth."
"Oh, you're plenty smooth," she says, a glimmer in her eyes that makes my heart stutter.
We share a smile, but the underlying question remains. What happens now?
"I want to keep seeing you," I say finally, setting down my fork to meet her eyes directly. "I know it's complicated with the pack and... everything else. But I like you, Lexie. A lot."
The vulnerability in my voice surprises even me. I'm not used to laying my cards on the table like this. Hockey has taught me to play things close to the chest, to never show weakness. Butsomething about Lexie makes me want to be honest, even if it means risking rejection.
Her expression softens, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I like you too. More than I probably should after such a short time."
Relief floods through me, followed quickly by caution. There's a 'but' coming. I can hear it in her tone.
"But," she continues, confirming my suspicion, "I'm worried about getting hurt again. About getting in the middle of your pack dynamics when they're already strained because of your presentation."
I start to protest, but she holds up a hand, stopping me.
"I've been here before, Darren. Not exactly here, maybe. This situation is unique in about a dozen ways, but close enough. I've been the beta who wasn't quite enough, who was always second choice. And I can't do that again."
The pain in her voice is raw, genuine. It makes my chest tighten protectively.
"You're not second choice," I say firmly. "Sure as hell not to me."
"Maybe not intentionally," she acknowledges. "But your pack is important to you. They're your family, your support system. And they made it pretty clear at dinner that they're not comfortable with me being in the picture. I just don't see how it could work between us long term if they're not in support. Your bonds with them are a factor."
My phone buzzes from the counter where I left it, interrupting the moment. Then again. And again. A series of texts in quick succession that can only be from the pack.
Perfect fucking timing, assholes.
Lexie glances at it, then back to me. "Speaking of your pack..."
