“Shit, that’s awesome.”
I flick my attention upward and find him staring at the dip of his elbow where I’d just bitten him. There’s blood sliding down his forearm, but he’s wiped it away and realized he’s healed. No punctures to be seen.
“We need to sleep now, Declan,” I remind him.
He looks like he wants to protest, but he purses his lips together and gives me a rough nod before rolling onto his side. I curl up behind him and pull him against me. We’re a mess. Between the sweat from before he turned and the bodily fluids. I need a bath, but I can’t keep my eyes open for one second longer.
So I don’t.
I think I accidentally found a good mate
“My brother is outside,” I mumble into Declan’s hair. I don’t think either of us moved all day, and my body says it wants to sleep longer, but I know we’re not going to get much peace.
“Which one?”
“Henry.” I sniff. “And Diah. They’re both there.”
“How can you tell?” Declan stretches and his ass drags over my erection. We both groan and he turns in place, kissing my chest just over the spot where my heart used to beat.
“Well, I know them, but their smells. Take a deep breath.”
He does and his eyes widen a little.
“What do you smell?” I ask him.
He sniffs a few more times before answering, “Licorice?”
“That’s Diah.”
“And…dinner? I smell a fucking dinner.” Declan licks his lips.
“That’s Henry.” I laugh. “He’s always smelled like bacon and potatoes to me. I don’t know why.”
“You smell better.” He buries his face into my neck and I wrap my arms around him.
“What do I smell like?”
“Books.”
I smile and hide it in his mess of black hair.
“What about me?” he asks.
“Christmas,” I quickly answer. “You smell like cinnamon and clove…coffee, and a little bit of salt.”
“That’s because I’m covered in cum.”
“No. It’s always been there. Even before.”
“Right.” Declan sits up and the bedsheet pools around his lap. It’s clear there’s something on his mind, on the tip of his tongue, and I’m scared it’s not good. I don’t think I want to be naked for it, so I tumble out of bed and pull on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I sit back with him on the bed and take his hands.
“Okay. Now finish that thought.”
“You keep saying we’re mates. But I don’t even know you. Are we stuck together forever?”
“No. We’re not stuck, but that thought reading thing, that’s there for keeps. At least as long as we’re bonded. I’m sure there’s more, but I don’t know all about it. We can ask my parents when we get up. I mean, if you want. If we talk to them and you want to bail after, you can. I don’t want you to be here if you don’t want to be.”
I haven’t thought too much about Declan not wanting to be with me, but I didn’t think much about turning him without his consent either, and here we are. I don’t think I’d very much like him not being with me, but still being able to read his thoughts. I wonder if it’s a proximity thing or a mate thing.
