My heart rate slowed at the sound of her laughter. It was like my body was already perfectly in tune with hers, even without a bond mark. I wondered, not for the first time, if we were mates. Westin was convinced we couldn’t be because of her lack of scent, but I didn’t need her scent to know she was always meant to be mine.
The sounds of the fair faded away and the two of us were in our own world, high above the ground. I ran my fingers through her hair, marveling at how bright her silvery strands were against the night sky.
“How’re you feeling after today’s appointment?” I asked.
Westin bit her lip, taking a few moments to answer. “Nervous.”
“About anything specific?”
“I guess just about going through all of this and ending up with no answers. Or to get an answer, but it’s a bad one.”
“We’ll know much more after the tests.” My response felt trite and insufficient, but I didn’t know what else to say. It was hard for me to let go and trust these doctors, and I was nervous about it all, too.
Fucking terrified was more like it.
I hated being out of control like this. I couldn’t protect her from what was happening in her own body.
“I’m glad you’re all here with me.” She snuggled closer to my side. “Thank you for coming. I know it must have been hard with your job.”
Being away from work wasn’t a hardship. In fact, the time off had shown me how pathetically small my life had become. I wanted more than living at the hospital, walking the same fluorescent-lit halls day in and day out. The only challenge was my non-existent savings. My mom and sisters had been asking for more money, and I had none to give them. Not for the first time, resentment rose in me at how much they asked of me. I’d given up my childhood to take care of them, and they still demanded more.
“I don’t mind, sweetheart. I was thinking, when we return to Luna, I might cut back on my shifts so I have more time with you.”
“I would love that,” she said quietly.
We hadn’t talked about what life would be like after this road trip, but I knew the rest of the guys and I were on the same page. We wanted to bond Westin, to make her officially ours. I’d dreamed of having a pack for years, and the reality of it was more wonderful and complicated than I imagined.
“Thanks for coming to the fair, even though you didn’t want to. It means a lot,” Westin said.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry I’m a grumpy bastard sometimes.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s a good thing I like grumpy bastards since I have you and Gray.”
Gray. Fuck, he got on my nerves. My alpha wanted to be in control of the pack, thought it was our right since I was the largest. But I was also exhausted of fighting Gray all the time. He loved Westin, and she loved him. He was a part of this pack, so I needed to find a way to accept it.
He was just so fucking annoying sometimes.
Westin poked my side as the ride started up again. “You two have a lot in common. You would know that if you stopped growling at each other constantly.”
I sighed. “I know, kitten. We’ll figure it out.”
“I’m still not sure about that nickname,” she said, settling her head back against my chest.
I chuckled. “You keep saying that, but I know you love it.”
We grew quiet, the distant sounds of the fair reaching us as the Ferris wheel continued its rotation. Westin ran her hand down my chest, all slow and innocent, until she brushed it against my cock. I tightened my hold on her with a growl.
“What are you doing, kitten?”
“Hmm?” She met my gaze, eyes wide. “Nothing.” Her hand closed around my erection, and I inhaled sharply.
“We can’t—” My protest was cut off when my omega unzipped my pants and curled her tiny fist around my cock.
“No one will see,” she murmured. We were stopped at the top of the Ferris wheel, the sky stretched above us. I cursed as Westin’s hand started moving. Pleasure shot through me and I groaned, pressing my face to the top of her head.
“Are you going to come for me, alpha?” Westin asked, her voice pure seduction.
“Fuck, look at what you do to me,” I growled. I was going to come embarrassingly quick.
