“Dreaming about me isn’t better than being here with me, right?” I ask, watching the way Kai swallows hard, nodding his head once. “Then I don’t want you to leave me here alone again to be with your dreams,” I whisper. I don’t know how else to say it—how else to tell him that he can’t give up.
I can’t demand this of him, but I need to know he’ll try. That he won’t just slip away into his mind and never return. I won’t watch him turn into a shell like my father did. Maybe I don’t owe him anything, but for the little boy who helped save me, I can do this much.
For the girl who loved him with her whole heart, I can give him this second chance.
“Okay, Plum.”
“Pack a bag, beta,”Nick grunts. “Your bed isn’t big enough for the four of us.”
Kai nods, and I let Nick lead me out of the bedroom and into the living room. I’m very distracted by the bed size comment, so when Nick pulls me into him, I’m too surprised to resist.
“Come here,” Nick growls, pressing his lips to mine in an aggressive, consuming kiss. I kiss him back, forgetting where we are and why we’re here, until the scents of the two other men reach me through the fog of lust Nick wrapped me in.
When I break away from the kiss to glance toward the bedroom door, Benson and Kai are both frozen, watching us.
“Shouldn’t you be packing?” Nick asks, lifting a brow at Kai, who jerks back and disappears into his room. Benson, however, just smirks. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?” Nick’s words don’t fully sink in because they’re such an abrupt topic switch.
“Oh?” I ask, blinking up at him.
“Not as long as I’ve been waiting,” Benson argues, stepping up behind me, and I spin around to face him.
“I don’t know; I have been flirting with him for a while now,” I say as Benson pulls me against him, wrapping me in his comforting arms.
“Years,” Nick grunts. Benson blushes adorably, clearing his throat.
“In the spirit of honesty, you should know something. I’ve had a crush on you since I was about twelve,” Benson admits. His sudden blush makes more sense now. I feel my own cheeks heating.
“That’s a really long time,” I murmur, and he shrugs one shoulder.
“I’m aware. So, as long as my big brother has liked you, he’s got nothing on a ten-year crush,” Benson says, glancing over at the other alpha.
“Ten years? Yeah, Benson wins this one.”
“Whendidyou start liking me?” I ask, wondering if he remembers the first Thanksgiving I spent with his family. “The first time I hit on you, you were firmly uninterested.”
“You were nineteen and drunk on Thanksgiving. Of course, I wasn’t interested,” Nick says defensively, and I smirk. So he definitely remembers.
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“Wait, that's when this started?” Benson asks. He releases me from his hug but pulls me onto his lap as he takes a seat on the couch, and I wrap my hands around the back of his neck.
“For me,” I say, watching the older alpha. “I wasn’t drunk, just slightly tipsy. You were so grumpy. Glaring at everyone and everything. I wanted to see if you could smile.” I shrug. “I’d always just seen you as my friend’s older brother. Until I didn’t.”
“You didn’t so much as look my way the whole night.” Benson snorts. “Despite my best efforts to get your attention.”
I pout, cuddling into him and feeling slightly guilty.
“I noticed you. It was hard not to, but you were off limits. You weren’t being subtle, and you made me nervous. Shy. Kind of scared,” I admit, nuzzling his neck. “So I focused on making him crack, so I wouldn’t flirt with the slightly younger alpha that kept flexing his muscles whenever I walked into the room,” I admit, teasing him as I nibble at his neck, before looking over at Nick. “So, what was it? What finally made you snap at me?” I ask, and Nick sighs.
“Listen, in my defense, you were coming in very aggressively. Your scent fucked with my instincts, and in my opinion, nineteen was too young for me,” Nick says. “I was trying not to be a dick, but then you scent-marked me.”
“I did not!” I gasp, eyes wide as I stare at him with my mouth open.
“Yeah, you fucking did! Trust me, Plum, that’s not something I would forget.” Nick pushes off the wall, taking a seat beside us on the couch. “You cuddled into my side while I washed dishes and rubbed your cheek all over my bicep.” Nick chuckles. “I was so fucking shocked, I didn’t know what to do or say for so long that you seemed to take that as an invitation.”
“Oh my god, I didn’t even realize… You smelled so good. Shit, maybe I was more than just tipsy.” I wince, embarrassed by my past behavior around this man.
“Well, by the time I got my shit together, you were wrapping yourself around me. Do you remember me grabbing your shoulders and holding you back?” he asks, and I nod. “I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I know it was something like,‘Quit rubbing on me like that. You’re too young, and I am not going to fuck you.’
