“I might not be here when she gets in, so make sure she feels at home,” Thane says, ignoring Kole’s previous comment.
“Of course,” Kole agrees, tossing an arm around Thane. “You know I’ve always liked her more than you anyway.”
“Likewise,” Thane says, throwing an elbow into Kole’s side.
The two of them share a laugh, and it makes me wonder if Thane is finally allowing his Alpha mask to slip a little.Between seeing him smile with Kole, his apology for ever hurting me, and the tenderness in the way he bit me today, I can’t help but think maybe he’s more than the overbearing, controlling Alpha asshole I’ve been made to believe. Not that I’m foolish enough to believe it’s all an act, but maybe there’s a softer side to him I have yet to meet. One that isn’t cold and heartless. Of course, maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
I suppose only time will tell, and now that I’ve signed the contract, I guess I’ve got plenty of it.
Thane
Sophia coming here better help curb this unyielding hunger I have for Grey, because I can’t afford to lose control again. What if next time she’s too close to me when I shift? Or what if the beast in me can’t be tamed in time, and I end up hurting her? Seeing the pain on her face when she recalled the time I had burned her made me sick. It’s hard to believe I had ever done that with the way I feel now.
Sure, she may get under my skin, and my temper may flare, but now the idea of hurting her makes me want to toss myself off a cliff. Somehow, this bond between us has begun to tame the Alpha in me, all while bringing to life a new beast. One who needs to protect her and claim her all at the same time.
Every second I’m with her and every second I’m not is pure torture. It’s like the universe is punishing me, and maybe that’s what I deserve. To live in this in between of craving something I can never fully have. I’ve certainly done enough bad things in my life to deserve such cruelty. Maybe the heavens have finally decided to seek their vengeance, because that is what she feels like. A poison meant to draw me in and kill me slowly. Infecting every inch of my body and mind until I’ve gone completely mad just from the mere thought of her.
Chapter 29
“Merry Christmas Eve!” I hear Sienna’s voice and sprint downstairs to find her holding a bunch of giant bags.
“What’s all this?” I ask, taking a few of them from her arms.
“Just some stuff to get us into the holiday spirit since we’re getting a late start.”
Kole comes waltzing over and grabs the other bags, leading us into the living room. Once we drop off the bags, Sienna turns to Kole and tells him to help her with something. The two of them go off, and I’m half tempted to look in the bags, but Sienna made me promise to wait for her.
“Go that way! No, the other way!” I hear Sienna barking orders and can’t help but laugh when Kole starts yelling back at her that she’s making no sense.
“Holy shit, Sienna!” I jump up from the couch as they round the corner, carrying a giant tree.
“What’s Christmas without a Christmas tree?” she shouts, holding up the trunk while Kole is left, having his face assaulted by pine needles.
“How about here?” Kole grunts, guiding her over to the corner of the room.
“Yeah, this works!” Sienna and Kole wrestle the enormous tree, positioning it as close to the wall as possible.
Thane walks into the living room, holding a glass of whiskey. “Seriously?” he deadpans.
“Oh, Alpha. Don’t be such a scrooge.”
“Yeah. Don’t be a scrooge,” I taunt, biting back a smile.
Thane groans irritably and stalks back out of the room.
“Such a grouch,” Sienna mutters, looking through one of the bags.
“What do you got in there?” I ask, standing over her.
“Decorations!” She begins pulling out strings of lights and sets of ornaments, creating a pile next to her.
“How are we going to reach the top?” I ask, craning my neck to look up at the nine-foot tree.
“I’ll do the top. You guys just worry about the bottom and middle.” Kole grabs a string of lights and quickly untangles them.
“You’re going to help us?” I assumed he’d want no part in this.
“Does that surprise you?” he asks, handing me a bundle of lights to untangle.
