“This was a great bonding experience,” I said. “But now that we’ve done the whole ‘existential chat’ thing, I know you’re only here because you don’t trust me. I’m not going to fixate or get snappy when someone has to interrupt me.”
Mercury’s disbelief was clear. I sighed. He might be right. Kiara couldn’t make my brain work differently, and I did tend toward intense focus.
But wanting to be a good alpha for her could definitely change how I handled myself.
“And if I do snap, I’ll take responsibility for myself,” I clarified. “And apologize, or whatever. If I need your help with the apologizing bit, I’ll ask. Fuck knows you’ve crafted a hundred apologies on my behalf already.”
He pushed back from the table. I could sense his hesitance. Mercury letting me do things by myself was like a dad letting their kid bike without training wheels for the first time—a lesson in trust and letting them fall if they need to.
“I’m not going to create a set of presentation slides to explain my horse riding skills to Kiara, but I suppose I’ll find something else to do,” he said.
“Well, damn. I was looking forward to the presentation, too,” I said teasingly.
Mercury rolled his eyes, looking once more at the sewing supplies.
I was going to be fine here alone.
I may not be a fully-functioning adult—the amount of times a week I forgot a meal wasn’t healthy—but I could handle sitting at a table by myself for a few hours. Mercury came to the same conclusion, loosening the leash he kept me on.
Just a bit.
With the amount of shit I’d put him through, I was going to count any progress I got.
Turning on his heel, he stalked into the living room, closing the French doors behind him.
I beamed, turning back to my phone and my pink fabric.
Even Mercury was silently admitting that I could do it. Caring for Kiara the way she deserved was within my grasp, and I wasn’t going to fail. Not when I was so desperate to please her.
FORTY-ONE
AMBROSE
The little omega had been asleep for hours, after already having slept through the night. It seemed like her body was preparing her for the extra physical stress of being in heat—which meant she was close. Days away, most likely. A week, if we were lucky.
Kiara’s honey brown hair was flaring out around her head, tousled from the way her limbs moved in obvious discomfort.
I reached out a hand to stroke a strand back from her face, but paused before I could make the move to wake her up.
I’d thought she was having a nightmare—with her history, it wouldn’t be unheard of. The things Tobias had probably done to her… it was him I wish I’d strangled, not her.
This wasn’t a nightmare, though.
Her pale skin was flushed, sweat beading on her forehead. She’d tossed the blankets off, her bare thighs clenched together. Those plush lips I’d almost kissed last night were parted on a sigh—except it wasn’t a sigh.
It was a moan.
Upon closer inspection her thighs were wet with slick where they clenched, and her scent was growing harder to resist by the second.
My cock throbbed, my knot begging to slide inside her and make itself at home.
That wasn’t my right. We weren’t her alphas, yet. We wouldn’t be until this mess was fixed and both of them were safe from the consequences of us being together. Only Leighton could help her by giving her the pleasure she deserved.
I breathed through my mouth as I moved back, ready to steal Leighton away from the calls she was making.
After last night and how I’d teased her, I should have known Kiara wouldn’t let me make it to the door.
“Ambrose?”
