Chapter 56 A New Home
Seren
Dinner was fairly quiet once Lenore left the dining hall. Her parents followed her shortly after. Now we were heading up to the Alpha suite, and the food that I’d just eaten was threatening to come back up. In our world, it wasn’t unusual for fated mates to meet and immediately have sex and mark each other, but I knew I wasn’t ready for that. My entire life has changed overnight already—adding in the completion of the mate bond and losing my virginity on top of the rest just felt like too much.
We reached the top of the stairs, and Duncan turned to me. “This is the Alpha floor. My parents live in one of the suites here, and I have the other. Your parents are in a guest suite that we reserve for high-ranking guests just down the hall, and Gideon is across from them. Kayla and Julian are below us on the Beta floor, as is Louise. These floors can’t be accessed by just anyone. There are biometric locks on the stairwell doors, as you can see.” He indicated the glowing tablet screen beside the door and pressed his hand to it. The electronic locks clicked, and he pulled the door open. “If you use the elevator, the same clearance is necessary. It will not let you select the upper floors otherwise.”
I nodded in acknowledgement. This pack was significantly more advanced than Blood Moon was. Duncan took my hand and walked with me down the bright hallway. The common area here was filled with beautiful artwork along the walls. I scented roses and found a vase of them on a skinny table at the entryway that held the elevator. Overall, the space felt welcoming, like it was inviting you to come home and rest.
He moved to the door on the right and placed his hand on another tablet. “This is our suite. I need you to place your hand here so that we can get your information in the system for your access,” he said as he moved to the side so that I could do as he asked. The screen was warm as it scanned and saved my palm print. Duncan took a moment to save some settings, then smiled at me. “You’re all set. You have full access to the suite and floor, as well as access to all the other suites on this level. There shouldn’t be anywhere in the pack house you can’t enter now.”
Opening the door, I walked into a large living space. Moonlight flooded the room through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a plush, cream-colored sofa and a sleek, minimalist design. A low coffee table, crafted from dark wood, sat centered on a woven rug, and across from the sofa, a large screen television was mounted on the wall. Duncan followed me in, gesturing toward a door on the far side of the room. “The bedroom and bath are through there. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ve had the omegas stock the bathroom with products that Kayla recommended, and my mom and yours took care of getting you some clothes. You’ll be able to go shopping with them later for more, but they wanted to get you started with enough of a wardrobe that you didn’t have to stress about it first thing. Kayla had some input there, too, I think.” He ran his hand through his hair, eyes darting away. There was a slight pink on his cheeks now. “Pretty sure they took care of pajamas for you, too, but you’re welcome to one of my shirts or something if they didn’t. Or even if they did.”
It hit me then. He was flustered. He was just as nervous about tonight as I was! Somehow, that actually made me feel better, and I grinned at him. His face softened as he smiled back. “You’re nervous too, aren’t you? I am so glad it’s not just me,” I said. “Things have changed so much in the last twenty-four hours for me, and of all of that, I’ve been stressed the most about tonight. Isn’t that weird?”
“Not at all, little wolf. We’ve had a few days to adjust as you were healing, and you haven’t even been conscious for a full day yet. I want you to know, Seren, that I’ll go at your speed. I don’t want you to feel you’re obligated to do anything simply because we’re mates, or because we got you out of Blood Moon. You even have the right to reject me if you want, though I really, really hope that thought hasn’t crossed your mind. I already love you, even though we still have so much to learn about each other,” he said, holding my hands as he looked down at me with his gorgeous amber eyes.
“I definitely don’t want to reject you.” I squeezed his hands. “But I also don’t think I’m ready for marking and mating tonight, either. Kara told me I should just be honest with you about that, and I think she’s right. I just need a little bit of time to get used to how things have changed for me before I can think about that next step.”
He nodded, relief in his eyes. “Understandable, and like I said, we will go at your pace. I just ask that you stay here in the suite with me, even if it means that I’m sleeping out here on the couch while you’re in the bedroom. I don’t want you to be alone at night if I can help it.” He moved to sit on the sofa and pulled me down beside him.
“I’m fine with that. Honestly, I don’t like the thought of being alone. I feel safe with you around,” I admitted to him. His smile was brilliant.
“I’m so happy to hear that, little wolf. I vow that you’ll never have a reason not to feel safe with me around. Can I kiss you?”
I angled my face up to him, nodding. He leaned down and gently placed his lips on mine. Sparks erupted where we touched, and he wrapped his arms around me. He nipped my bottom lip, and I gasped. He took advantage of the opening and deepened the kiss, tongue swirling with mine, his hands rubbing up and down my back. I whimpered a little, and he ended the kiss, dropping one more gentle peck on my lips before he rested his forehead on mine. We were both panting.
My lips turned up at the edges, and I’m sure my face was flushed. He had a soft smile as he looked at me. “You can share the bed with me, Duncan. As long as you understand we’re just sleeping,” I teased him. “You’re entirely too tall to be comfortable on this sofa.” I giggled.
“The bed it is, then, little wolf. Come, let’s try to get some sleep. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I followed him into the bedroom, the playful tension still humming between us. The room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of the moon filtering through the blinds. He moved with a quiet grace, already turning down the covers.
“I’ll take the side closest to the door,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing. “Just in case.”
I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips again. “Of course,” I agreed, already feeling the pull of sleep. He climbed into bed, and I followed suit, settling in beside him. The mattress dipped slightly as I got comfortable, and I could feel his warmth radiating beside me. It was going to be a long night.