Mate Mysteries

Chapter 28

When Pip didn't show for breakfast, Francis went to the room he stayed in on the second floor. The door was open, the bed was messy, but Pip wasn't there. Francis panicked until she told herself that she could still smell him in the building.

The day Pip left to find Krey, and she told him she didn't notice he had gone, Pip had looked so hurt and did his best to hide it. Francis knew he received that level of care when he lived with his aunt and uncle. They didn't even bother to check on him before they left for weeks at a time.

Francis was determined for Pip to feel safe and at ease in the Packhouse, so she climbed the stairs to the third floor and that's where Pip's sweet scent hit her the strongest. Pip wasn't in the library. His smell wafted from Krey's room.

She was smiling to herself when Makena left her room, looking a little more refreshed than she did a few days ago. "I know," Makena said, pulling on a black knitted jumper with a wolf's head embroidered at the ends of the sleeves. "I smell him too."

"Do you think they've made up?"

"I think Pip needed him through the night. He came at around two in the morning."

"I see." Pip often told Francis about his troubling dreams, and she was thankful she didn't dream at all. "I'll leave them to it."

"Francis," Makena said before she disappeared through the heavy stairwell door. "I'll walk with you."

Francis held the door open for her. It had taken a while for Makena to warm up to Francis. At first. she didn't believe that Francis was fit for the Beta position because she was more Omega than Beta, and Makena was born a full Beta. But Francis had proven herself by putting up with Krey when all he did was push her away. And she was very organised, and a very loveable person. Pip liked her, Krey liked her, therefore Makena liked her too.

As they left to get on with their day, the boys slept into the late afternoon. Krey was first to wake, feeling fulfilled, not hollow like the previous morning.

He stretched lightly, feeling Pippor in his arms. That was a normal feeling, but then Krey remembered what had happened the past week, and his eyes opened wide at the realisation that Pip was back with him, sleeping close, and sleeping in their room.

Krey stared into his brown wavy hair, listening to Pip's soft breathing. Krey was suddenly wide awake and feeling great, thanks to the human in his arms.

He still thought of the day he snapped at Pip, and spoke to him like he was never anything other than an inconvenient human. Krey cringed and wished he could take that back. He couldn't, so the next best thing was to hold Pip tightly and show him every day for the rest of their lives that he loved him more than life itself.

Pip woke not long after Krey, just as content. He was warm, refreshed, and instantly at ease. He stretched and stared into soft brown eyes.

"Good..." Krey looked over to the clock on the bedside table. "Afternoon." The last time he slept in so late was years ago.

"Afternoon?" Pip questioned, stretching some more.

"It's almost four."

Pip turned to see for himself. He barely slept in past 9 in the morning. "I guess we needed it," he mumbled, sitting up and yawning.

"You don't have to get up. I can bring food up and you can rest. You felt like you were getting ill yesterday."

"You did too." Pip looked at him again, and Krey's eyes were less sunken and emotional. A faint smile touched his lips, and colour painted his cheeks.

"I can leave you to watch a film in here or something if you still want to be alone?" Krey suggested, sitting up too.

"It's okay, I'm ready to be around you again." The awkwardness patterned the silence. Pip wondered when things would get back to normal. When I can kiss him and not feel like I'm kissing a stranger.