"I know." His voice came out muffled against my finger, his amber eyes dancing with amusement and something warmer underneath, his hands twitching at his sides like he wanted to reach for me but wasn't sure if he was allowed. "I do that when I'm nervous. Or excited. Or both. Right now it's definitely both."
I leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, feeling him shiver at the contact, his scent going even brighter, a small sound escaping his throat. "Give me ten minutes to change."
"Take your time." His voice was slightly dazed, one hand coming up to touch the spot where I'd kissed him, a dopey smile spreading across his face, his amber eyes going soft and unfocused. "I'll be downstairs. Not going anywhere. Just...waiting. Very patiently. Like a patient person who is definitely not going to pace around the kitchen driving everyone crazy."
I laughed as I shut the door, and I could hear him practically skip down the hallway, his footsteps light and quick on the stairs. Kol's truck was an old Ford, faded red and well-loved, with a crack in the windshield and a passenger seat that smelled overwhelmingly like him — honey and orange blossoms soaked into the worn leather until the whole cab felt like being wrapped in his arms.
"Sorry about the mess." He swept a handful of receipts and an empty coffee cup off the passenger seat, his cheeks flushing as he tossed them into the back, his movements quick and slightly frantic, his voice apologetic. "I meant to clean it, but I got distracted planning the route, and then I was thinking about lunch options, and?—"
"Kol." I climbed in, settling into the seat that seemed to have molded itself to accommodate a passenger, breathing in his scent with a contentment that surprised me, letting it wrap around me like a blanket. "It's perfect."
He paused, his hand on the key in the ignition, something soft and vulnerable crossing his features, his amber eyes meeting mine with hesitant hope. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." I reached over and squeezed his knee, feeling the muscle tense beneath my palm, watching his throat bob as he swallowed, his scent spiking with warmth. "Let's go on an adventure."
His grin returned, bright and brilliant, and he started the engine with a roar that settled into a steady rumble. The radio crackled to life — some country station playing a song I didn't recognize — and Kol immediately started singing along.
He was terrible.
Absolutely, wonderfully, gloriously terrible. His voice cracked on the high notes, went flat on the low ones, and heseemed to know maybe half the actual words, filling in the gaps with enthusiastic humming and the occasional made-up lyric that had absolutely nothing to do with the song.
"—something something heart on fire, yeah, burning down the night—" He drummed his hands on the steering wheel, his whole body moving to the beat, his amber eyes bright with joy as he glanced over at me, completely unselfconscious about how bad he sounded. "You don't know this one? It's a classic. Well, maybe not a classic. It came out like two years ago. But it's got a good beat."
"I don't think I know any country songs." I admitted, watching him with a smile I couldn't suppress, warmth blooming in my chest at his unrestrained happiness.
"What?" He looked genuinely scandalized, his mouth falling open, one hand coming off the wheel to press against his chest in mock horror, his amber eyes wide with theatrical disbelief. "We have to fix that immediately. Country music is the best. It's all about trucks and beer and falling in love and sometimes your dog dying." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful, his brow furrowing slightly. "Okay, maybe skip the sad ones. But the happy ones! The happy ones are great."
The next song came on — something about sunshine and summer nights — and Kol immediately launched into it, even worse than before, his voice going comically high on the chorus while he bounced in his seat, his whole body moving with the music. I found myself laughing, the sound surprising me with its lightness, and Kol's singing faltered as he looked over at me, his expression going soft, his amber eyes warm.
"What?" His voice was quieter now, the song playing on without him, his gaze searching my face with something like wonder, like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
"Nothing." I shook my head, still smiling, something warm and unfamiliar unfurling in my chest. "I just... I like seeing youhappy." His cheeks flushed, his scent spiking with pleasure, and he reached over to take my hand, threading his fingers through mine like it was the most natural thing in the world, his thumb stroking across my knuckles.
"I am happy." His voice came out rough with emotion, his eyes flicking between me and the road, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. "I'm really, really happy, Aster."
We drove the rest of the way like that — his hand in mine, terrible country music on the radio, his off-key singing filling the cab with warmth. By the time we reached Cedar Falls, my cheeks hurt from smiling. Cedar Falls was bigger than Thornwood — not by much, but enough to have an actual downtown with shops lining both sides of a brick-paved main street. There was a bookstore with a hand-painted sign, an ice cream parlor with striped awnings, a little boutique with colorful scarves in the window, and a dozen other small businesses that looked like they'd been there for generations.
"Okay." Kol parked the truck and turned to me, his amber eyes bright with excitement, his whole body practically vibrating as he rubbed his hands together, his grin stretching wide. "I have a plan. A whole plan. First, we walk around and look at things. Then, bookstore. Then, lunch. Then, ice cream. Then, more walking around. Then, home." He paused, suddenly uncertain, his enthusiasm dimming slightly, his voice going hesitant. "Unless you don't want to do all that. We can do whatever you want. I just thought?—"
"Kol." I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, feeling him melt at the contact, his scent going warm and sweet, a small purr starting in his chest. "The plan sounds perfect. Lead the way."
His grin returned full force, and he scrambled out of the truck, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to my side and open my door. He offered his hand like a gentlemanfrom an old movie, his cheeks flushed with pleasure when I took it, his amber eyes sparkling.
"M'lady." His voice was mock-serious, his expression comically formal, his amber eyes dancing with amusement as he helped me down from the cab.
"Did you just call me m'lady?" I couldn't help the laugh that escaped, something light and easy that I barely recognized as my own.
"I did." He tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, his chest puffing out slightly, his grin turning playful, his voice going warm. "I'm being chivalrous. It's part of the whole courting thing. Nolan told me about it — traditional Alpha courting behavior. Opening doors, carrying things, making sure you feel cherished." His voice softened on the last word, his amber eyes meeting mine with sudden sincerity, all the playfulness fading into something deeper. "I want you to feel cherished, Aster."
Something in my chest cracked open at his words, at the earnestness in his expression, at the way he was looking at me like I was the most important thing in his world.
"I do." The words came out rougher than I intended, thick with emotion I hadn't expected to feel, my grip tightening on his arm. "I feel cherished, Kol."
His smile softened into something tender, something private, and he squeezed my hand where it rested in his arm before leading me down the sidewalk.
Window shopping with Kol was an experience.
He had opinions about everything — the ugly lamp in the antique store window"Who would buy that? It looks like a sad mushroom,"he declared, his nose wrinkling with genuine distaste, the dress in the boutique"That color would look amazing on you, just saying,"he added, his amber eyes sweeping over me appraisingly, the taxidermied squirrel holdinga tiny banjo in the curiosity shop."Okay, that's actually kind of amazing, can we go in?"he asked, already tugging me toward the door, his eyes bright with delight.
