Night Alpha

29 - Calloused Coax

Important message at the end !

Thank you for your patience ! Work has been taking a lot of energy, too much for me to sit write unfortunately. I won't stop writing anyway so please have faith in me haha.

Hope you like the chapter, it wasn't easy to write :)

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I'm as curious as cautious at his words. Milo's demeanor and silent warning keep my feet rooted. Milo should be happy that I can talk with another human mate, so why isn't he ? His chin digs slightly into the soft of my shoulder, while his hand comes between our bodies to rub at the small of my back. I feel like he does it to soothe himself more than me.

Even so, if they don't like him, why use another human to try to push me to Milo? But this is new, unprecedented and an opportunity for me learn about being a mate, about being with a wolf. It's the possibility of insights he would never give me. So I follow the man and Milo's hand accompanies my back until I'm out of reach.

I follow Grant that walks like he could do it blind, without a care when I'm about to be apart from Milo for the first -second time, in months. Even with the heater on, for Grant I presume, I feel the cold immediately, I feel sweat pooling at my hairline. Grants pushes a wooden door open and when I pass through, taking one last look at Milo, his face is blank.

Grant closes the door behind me and gestures to the room. It's big yet cozy, full of historical furniture that collects no dust, old wooden bookshelves that reach the ceiling. It's a simple winter reading room, two couches in the center with cream fabric and gold intricacies. I feel the soft carpet bellow my dirty shoes. I'm glad when my steps don't leave a stain behind.

The mate of the queen settles on a couch with a deep sigh, he even slouches, legs spread apart. I mimic him, minus the sigh, somehow too stressed to even lean back. I rub my neck to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling but only feel sweat there. My shirt scratches my collarbone with a newfound itch, I pull at my fingers to keep them from stretching the cotton collar.

« It's hard isn't it ? » Grant scratches his throat with a low grunt, with a wince. « I remember the first times I was apart from my mate, I'm pretty sure I puked enough for a lifetime. » He tries to finish with a gentle smile but I can't help but to frown at his words.

« Is it always going to feel like this? » this time I rub my chest because it feels like something has crawled underneath the skin, gnawing at my bones. Grant lets out a huff and a small laugh before he leans in over the expense between us, raises a hand to pull at his cardigan and shirt underneath.

« It gets better after. » He smiles gently, eyes closing at a fond memory. But all I see are white punctures scars. White enough to be as old as I am, deep enough for me to see them even against his light skin. It's gruesome, expends from bellow his ear unto most of his trapezius.

Another wave of cold sweat breaks in and I take off my jacket. I wipe at my hot forehead the beads rolling down and sliding down my jaw and chin. He pulls back to lean against the rest and the hair on my arm raise. It looks painful and obsessive, like multiple bites. I wonder if he has others in other parts of his body.

« Do they get less... you know ? » I trip over my words when I rub my eyelids, suddenly heavy and rough. Grant moves to a small pedestal table, comes back with a full glass of water. « Thank you. » I reach for it despite feeling like my throat might not be able to open enough, but I down the glass in an instant. I sigh in relief when the ill feeling settles a little.

« Oh yeah, once we mated Gloria eventually let me out of sight. But it took a while, close to a full month if I remember right. » He laughs whole heartedly, even slaps his knees in process. I lean back with a small breathy giggle.