Chapter Twenty-Three:Kai
1318 Words
I had been thinking.
Again.
Apparently, thinking about Sebastian had become one of my favorite ways to lose track of time.
Ever since he had asked me about scents, I had been wondering who had been teaching him about our world.
I was glad someone was.
He needed information. He needed to understand the bond, the pack, the responsibilities that came with being my mate.
But I didn’t want him to feel like I was the one constantly pushing information at him.
I wanted him to learn naturally.
I wanted him to ask questions when he was ready.
And, selfishly, I wanted him to learn about me.
There were so many things I wanted to tell him.
So many things I wanted to do with him.
My thoughts occasionally wandered into places I had no business allowing them to go, so I usually stopped myself before my wolf became too excited.
A man had to maintain some dignity.
Especially around his mate.
Still, I had to admit something.
I had stolen Sebastian’s shirt.
And his robe.
I wasn’t proud of it.
But I wasn’t exactly ashamed either.
It had happened on one of those nights when the house felt too quiet.
Sebastian had gone to his room after dinner, as usual, and I had gone to mine.
I had been lying there staring at the ceiling when my wolf started whining.
Mate.
“I know.”
Need mate.
“He’s asleep.”
Need him.
I had tried ignoring it.
That had lasted about fifteen minutes.
Eventually, I had gotten up, walked to the laundry area, and found one of Sebastian’s robes.
I took it.
That was it.
A moment of weakness.
Sometimes, when I was alone, I would hold it close and breathe in his scent.
Strawberries and rain.
It calmed my wolf.
It calmed me.
And lately, I needed that more than I wanted to admit.
Because my Alpha runt was approaching.
I could feel it.
The restlessness.
The heightened senses.
The constant awareness of my mate.
The need to know where Sebastian was.
The need to smell him.
The need to have him close.
Alpha runts were different from an omega’s heat, but there were similarities.
An Alpha became intensely aware of his mate.
Attention became important.
Closeness became important.
Touch became important.
Even simply knowing that his mate was safe could make the difference between feeling balanced and feeling completely unsettled.
And mine was coming.
Soon.
Very soon.
I had no idea how I was going to handle it.
Especially because Sebastian and I had barely held hands.
⸻
Aiden was sitting across from me in my office, going through reports.
“The southern border needs additional patrols,” he said.
“I’ll approve it.”
“And the elders want another meeting next week.”
“Fine.”
He continued talking about pack matters, but my mind kept returning to the same problem.
Eventually, I looked at him.
“Aiden.”
“Hmm?”
“How did you get Liam to…”
I stopped.
He raised an eyebrow.
“To what?”
“To become comfortable with you.”
Aiden stared at me.
“Liam is my mate.”
“I know.”
“He wants to be around me.”
“I know.”
“So what’s the question?”
I sighed.
“How did you encourage him to become… closer?”
Aiden stared at me for several seconds.
Then he started laughing.
I frowned.
“It’s not funny.”
“It absolutely is.”
“I’m serious.”
“You are asking me how to get your mate to be affectionate with you?”
“Yes.”
Aiden laughed harder.
“Liam is not Sebastian.”
“I know that.”
“Liam is bold.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Very bold.”
“I’ve noticed that too.”
Aiden leaned back.
“Sebastian is different.”
I nodded.
“He’s shy. He’s conservative. He’s spent most of his life preparing for the priesthood. His understanding of relationships is completely different from ours.”
I immediately looked up.
“He’s not a priest.”
Aiden blinked.
“I know.”
“He’s my mate.”
Aiden raised both hands.
“Okay. My mistake.”
I relaxed.
He continued.
“I’m only saying that his background shaped him. You can’t expect him to suddenly behave like someone who grew up inside a wolf pack.”
I sighed.
“I know.”
“Then take your time.”
“I am.”
“Be patient.”
“I am.”
“Don’t pressure him.”
“I won’t.”
Aiden smiled.
“And let him come to you.”
That was the hardest part.
Because my instincts wanted the opposite.
My wolf wanted Sebastian beside me every second.
Aiden suddenly looked at me.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“You seem restless.”
“I’m fine.”
“You look like you’re about to have a runts.”
I groaned.
“Can you please not remind me?”
Aiden burst out laughing.
I threw a pen at him.
He caught it.
“You’re going to survive.”
“I hope so.”
⸻
Later that evening, Sebastian came into my office.
He had become a regular presence there.
He sat quietly on the couch with his papers, occasionally making notes.
Normally, I loved having him there.
Tonight, however, something was different.
His scent seemed stronger.
Maybe it was because my senses were heightened.
Maybe it was because my runt was approaching.
Either way, I could smell him clearly.
Strawberries.
Rain.
My wolf immediately lifted its head.
Mate.
“I know.”
Closer.
I looked at Sebastian.
He was completely unaware of the internal battle happening inside me.
He was reading something.
Peaceful.
Calm.
Beautiful.
I tried to return to my work.
I lasted approximately three minutes.
Then I closed my file.
“Seb.”
He looked up.
“Hmm?”
I stood.
He watched as I walked toward him.
I stopped in front of him.
He looked slightly confused.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
I hesitated.
Then I asked the question I had never thought I would ask.
“Can I get a hug?”
Sebastian froze.
Completely.
His eyes widened.
His cheeks slowly turned pink.
“A… a hug?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
He looked at me as though I had just spoken another language.
“Are you okay?”
I almost laughed.
“I’m fine.”
“Then why do you want a hug?”
I rubbed the back of my neck.
“I just…”
I took a breath.
“I want some of your scent.”
His blush deepened.
“Oh.”
He looked down.
Then, quietly, he said,
“Okay.”
He stood.
I waited until he was comfortable before wrapping my arms around him.
The moment I held him, my wolf relaxed.
Completely.
I lowered my head against his shoulder and breathed him in.
Strawberries.
Rain.
Home.
My eyes closed.
For a few seconds, everything felt right.
Then Sebastian started laughing.
I lifted my head.
“What?”
“That tickles.”
I smiled.
“Sorry.”
He was still laughing softly.
I reluctantly stepped away.
“Okay. That’s enough.”
His smile remained.
But I noticed something.
There was a tiny hesitation when I moved away.
And somehow, that made me feel better.
Maybe he wasn’t rejecting me.
Maybe he was simply learning.
I could live with that.
I had waited a long time for my mate.
I could wait a little longer.
My wolf disagreed.
Mate.
“I know.”
Our mate.
I smiled.
“Yes.”
I looked toward Sebastian, who had already returned to his papers.
And for the first time that evening, my wolf was quiet.
Because Sebastian was here.
And for now, that was enough.
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