Part 48
/Abel's POV/
I woke up the morning following the omega spending a night in my room, staring at the ceiling; my lids rapidly blinked over. There's a fog in my mind, slowly, gradually, feeling the cogwheels in my brain work into motion. Before Edward could catch us, I managed to sneak her out and slipped into the kitchen while humming a tune.
“Hey!” Edward waved as he peeked from his phone, and plopped awkwardly over the barstool. “Morning.”
I swallowed thickly, feeling my belly curl into a tight ball, hefty like a rock inside me. Lying to his face was not something I enjoyed, but he would freak out. That’s the last thing I wanted. The previous night was a blur of messy memories but the kind I would like to hold onto forever.
Emma opened up about Avon, her fateful night, before letting me cuddle her. It’s one of the best sleep I had in a while.
“Abel?”
“Huh? Sorry did you say something?” I blinked at him.
“What is going on with you? Are you okay?”
“Of course!” I nervously laughed, turning around to turn on the coffee machine, back stiffening. “Why would you ask me that?”
“I guess I am just worried.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” I pressed my lips in a thin line while motioning toward the mugs. “Do you want one?”
“Yes, thank you.” He placed the phone on the counter before leaning forward. “You have been happy lately, lost in your own world, and I always hear an omega in your room. Who’s the lucky girl?”
I cursed under my breath. He must have heard Emma last night. “You are reaching.”
“I heard someone giggle in your room unless that’s how you laugh nowadays….”
“Whatever.” I poured the coffee into two mugs and pushed in his direction.
“Oh, come on!” Edward made a face. “Who’s she? Do you like her?”
The question caught me off guard, a sucker punch in my gut as an image of Emma immediately flashed in my mind. Everything about her, the first accidental encounter—the way she never backed down, her cute nose scrunch, the whines that leave her lips when something doesn’t work out her way. My chest ached, a staggering realisation filling me in an instant.
All this time, I was trying to go against the mate bond, deluded myself into thinking it meant nothing, only to fall deeper into the hole. She’s it for me.
“Y-Yes. I do.”
***
After that incident outside the cafe, I made sure to pick Emma up once she was done with her shift. However, it felt different, somehow waiting for her at a safe distance.
My ears perked up as I heard the shuffle of feet against the rocky path coming closer; I positioned myself, back resting easily against the door, ankles crossed in front and arms against my chest.
Emma approached me, the hem of her tunic swaying lazily where it was untucked from her pants, hair loose and kissing the side of her face.
I self-consciously ran a hand over my hair, fixing the messy, tangled locks. Emma leaned forward and, without any care, pressed her face into my chest, sighing heavily.
“It was a long day. Thank you for coming to pick me up.” With that, she ran a timid hand through my curls. “I love your hair like this,” She said quietly, thumbing the strands. Putty in her hands, I shivered as her fingers slid down and brushed the sharp edge of my jaw.
I didn't know how to reply.
“You must have been waiting for a long time. I am sorry. Let’s go.”
I shook my head a fraction, finding myself in a state of incapability. Never in my life had I felt so useless and rendered speechless by someone's mere words. It wasn't nearly the pointless type because it mattered. Somehow, when Emma looked at me, it mattered. My mind was still struggling with how we had come to this, but the part of me that thrived under her touch refused to let anything get in the way of it.
Dumbly I sat inside the car, eyeing her from the corner as the omega struggled with her seat belt. Rolling my eyes, I leaned forward, the slight hitch in her breath audible.
“There,” I whispered once it was unlocked and tried to secure it when she took hold of the belt.
“Thank you, Alpha.”
Something flickered inside, hot and nerve-wracking.
“Emma….” I whispered, heart-thumping heavily as I felt each of her inhales against the cold skin. Her thick eyelashes fluttered as my lips hovered over her, and I slotted them together. Emma’s grip on the belt slackened, and she moved impossibly nearer, closing the minuscule distance between us.
The omegas mouth was hot, thin but soft lips wrapping around mine in slow, heated movements. The flick of my tongue nudged her mouth after only a minute, and thrills caused my skin to shiver. My entire body felt ticklish, and muscles lose, my hand unsteady against her jaw. Her hair brushed over my forehead, and our noses dug into one another's cheeks, my stomach tingling with something that resembled desire.
The whimper Emma let out then was almost relieved, as if she understood what was being said between our shared breaths. She probably did, I realised, for Emma knew me, every too-sharp edge and imperfect dent of actions and wanted me anyway.
I pulled away slowly, lids heavy and lungs gasping for breath while looking into her eyes. My hand slid out of her hair and traced down the cheeks, reverent. The pad of my thumb slid against her shiny, spit-slick bottom lip, and my mouth twitched, hopelessly endeared, as she pressed a soft kiss to the pad of my finger, like she couldn’t help it.
I placed another wet kiss on her mouth. Deep down, I knew that I liked this and that it felt amazing, but whenever my brain caught a moment of rationality, it was terrible and forbidden. My mouth traced the line of her jaw, hands moving to palm at her tunic, pulling her closer. The edge of the seat was cutting into my front as I leaned over her, but it was easily neglected in favour of the way her skin bloomed under the touch of my lips.
She fisted the edges of my hair as my teeth scraped against her pulse point. Her breath stuttered. I pressed a kiss to the same spot before sinking to the curve of her exposed shoulder, my breath warm against her skin. The right hand fell from gripping onto her waist to her inner thigh.
“Alpha…” She cried, arching her back, the sound sending sharp to my gut and my pupils were blown, but eyes altogether gentle as I regarded her wrecked and swollen mouth.
With my hand around her hip, I tugged her closer until she rested on the edge, almost ready to climb over my lap. I heard her hum in appreciation into my mouth as a hand gripped at the globes of her hips, and she squirmed, suddenly blanching completely.
The loud ringing of the phone was enough to break us apart. Cursing under my breath, my hands fell from her body. I pulled away and stared at the bright screen. Dad. Why was he calling me now? Emma blushed while trying to run a hand over her messy hair, lips swollen and cheeks flushed. Her legs were shaking as she pressed them together, tilting her head to look in the mirror.
I ignored the ringing, zoned out and focused on her when she turned to me, brow raised. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“Yes.”
Pressing on the green icon, I answered the call, “Hello?”
“Took you long enough, son.”
I rolled my eyes at the condescending tone, the grip on my phone tightening. Still, my eyes were focused on the empty road ahead, “Is there a reason you are calling now?”
“Always so pleasant.” He scoffed. “I called to invite you for dinner tomorrow.”
“Bold of you to assume I will show up two days in a week, dad.”
“This is not a time for your childish antics, Abel. You will be here as the next in line for the Pack Alpha seat, and that’s an order.”
I sobered up at that. He rarely played that card, which piqued my interest. “What’s going on?”
A sigh was heard from his side. “Do I have to tell everything now?”
“Yes, unless you don’t want me to come to the dinner.”
“Fine! After our last talk, I figured it’s time to take matters into my own hands….” He trailed, voice high pitched and cheery. “So after my excessive searching, I finally found you an omega. She will be joining us for dinner tomorrow, and you won’t believe their family is well….”
The rest of the words didn’t register in my head, vision blurring as I recalled his words. What now?
***