"Always. Can I kiss you now? That's what I want to do now. Actually, I want to taste you but we shouldn't do that here.”
Vesper lets out a strangled sound as he twists around to look at the both of us, my smile morphing into a gasp as Milo drags his tongue up the side of my neck.
“That's not a kiss, Milo,” I push out, even as I lean into his touch.
“You got distracted.” He pinches my chin and angles my head toward him before pressing his lips to mine. It's different from the heated, desperate kisses we shared earlier, more tender and intimate. I melt into him, my hand coming up to cup his cheek as I kiss him back.
When we pull apart, I lay my head on his shoulder, content to let him hold me there, Vesper looking on in approval. Even Duske's interest lingers in the air, his dark eyes meeting mine through the rearview mirror.
But there's a nagging thought in the back of my mind, a question I can't quite shake. Are all of these changes just because of my scent? Is that what's making them so open with me, so affectionate? Or is it something more?
Chapter 8
Milo
I'm so happy that she's back.The words keep running through my mind on repeat as I watch Esme walk beside Duske, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm like it belongs there. She's currently pointing at something in one of the store windows, her animated features making everything brighter as Duske listens with that intense focus he gives to everything. It's beautiful, really, watching the way he looks at her like she's the only thing in the world that matters.
Vesper tugs on my arm, pulling me away from them, and I resist for a moment, my feet dragging against the pavement. I don't want to leave her. I've barely had any time with her since she came back, and every second away from her feels like a waste.
"Hey, breathe," Vesper purrs as he pulls me to the side of the walkway.
I blink at him, a frown etched onto my face. "I am breathing. Why did you take me away from her?"
Vesper's hazel eyes search my face, and there's something soft in his expression, something knowing. "Because I know what happens when you get obsessed with something. Like pumpkin." I open my mouth to argue, but he leans in and kisses my nose, the gesture so sweet and unexpected that the words die in my throat. "And I know you've been obsessed with Esme since maybe the day we met her."
My chest tightens, and I look down at our joined hands. He's not wrong. From the moment I saw her, with that wild orange hair and those bright blue eyes, I was done for. She was different from anyone I'd ever met, human or otherwise. She didn't have a scent, didn't fit into the neat little boxes the world tried to shove Omegas into, and she was so unapologetically herself. I wanted her then, and I want her now, maybe even more than before.
"She's perfect," I say quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "She's always been perfect, and then she let me kiss her and taste her and hold her hand." My eyes light up at the memory, the way her lips felt against mine, the way she tasted like vanilla and honey and something uniquely Esme. "I can't believe it's real."
Vesper's hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing across my skin. "I know, babe. It's surreal and amazing, and I love having her back, but I also don't want to terrify her. I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen, but I do know that she wants us."
I swallow hard, my throat tight with emotion. "I just don't understand why it never happened when she was alive. You and her happened. You got to have her, to be with her in ways I never did. Are you sure she wants me?"
The doubt swirls in my mind, making me wonder if I’m not enough. Vesper and Esme had their thing, their friends-with-benefits arrangement that turned into something more even if they never labeled it. But me? I was always on the outside looking in, catching glimpses of what could be but never quitegetting there. We had our nights when Vesper pulled me in or Esme specifically asked for me but it never became athing.And now that she's back, I can't help but wonder if she really wants me or if I'm just... there.
Vesper smiles, his expression softening. "Yes, she's mentioned you more than a few times after the three of us were together. But she's always believed something was wrong with her, and then there's Liora."
I grimace at the mention of Esme's sister, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. "I still don't like her."
"None of us do," Vesper muses, pressing his lips to the side of my head as he wraps an arm around my waist. "But she's a very persistent thorn in our sides. And now we have to figure out why she killed her sister."
I look up at him, my green eyes narrowing. "Can't we just kill her, bring Esme back, and call it done?"
Vesper lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Sure, if you want Lucifer to fucking throw us into some hellfire. We'd never be able to be with Esme. She'd be confused and alone, and knowing Lucifer, he'd wipe her memories."
The thought makes my stomach churn, and I let out a low growl. "I've always wanted her, but in her room, it's like I needed her. Like I can't breathe without her. No one is throwing me into hellfire, Vez."
Vesper's hand slides up to thread through my curls, his fingers gentle as he plays with the strands. I lean into the grounding touch, loving that it’s exactly what I need. "Because she's going into heat, and biologically, we're hers. I'm not even sure how that works when we're from different planes."
I tilt my head, my brows furrowing as something clicks. "But we aren't."
Vesper pauses, his hand stilling in my hair. "Huh?"
I meet his gaze, my voice steady despite the uncertainty swirling in my chest. "She died. She's technically no longer human. Neither are we. Which means she's our mate now."
Vesper stares at me for a long moment, his hazel eyes widening when he catches onto the connection I just did. "That's some twisted shit if that's true." He pauses again, his expression shifting to something thoughtful. "Fuck, maybe that's why her scent never came in."
I nod, the pieces continuing to click into place in my mind. It makes sense, in a weird, fucked-up way. Esme was always meant to be ours, but she couldn't fully become ours until she crossed over into our world. And now that she has, even if it's just in this transition state, everything is different. She has a scent, she's going into heat, and she's ours.
