Page 68 of Met Your Mate

He hoots out his agreement, jostling me around a bit on the squishy cushions. "We could make a date out of it. Oh! Cape Charles is also known for its seafood!"

My nose immediately scrunches, and saliva fills my jaw at the thought of eating seafood.

"Oooor not," Casey drawls with humor, studying my face. "That was quite the reaction."

"Sorry," I grumble, embarrassed that I shut him down so fast.

"None of that," he scolds. "What's with the aversion to seafood, baby?"

My heart patters a happy jig at the pet name. It's so odd to be sitting here with one of my mates after all these years pining after them and hating them for not realizing who I was to them.

The saving grace for my pesky omega emotions is that none of them have shown signs of only enjoying my company for what my omega body can give them. They all seem genuinely to enjoy being near me and talking to me.

The other day when Ronan growled my omega to the surface freaked me out a bit, but he didn't act on the obvious arousal flooding my system. Instead, he focused on my other needs: food.

I sigh. "My aunt and uncle used to have our chefs prepare seafood all the time. I always hated the slimy texture and fishy taste, but I had to eat it."

"Why did you have to eat it?"

"Because I was ungrateful and rude if I didn't," I explain, plucking the edges of my purple blanket.

Casey grumbles, but shocks the shit out of me when he nuzzles my cheek, scent marking me. "No seafood for you then," he declares.

Before I can pick my jaw up off my lap, the doorbell rings.

Casey looks toward the hallway leading to the front door. "I'll get it. You stay here."

Then his lips are on mine and gone in a flash.

Not even the voice of my brother or my best friend can keep me from melting into my seat. Scent marked and kissed all within the same moment.

Scent marking is FORBIDDEN.

Not here it isn't. And I really, really fucking love it.

--

Sitting across from someone I don't know, yet my omega instinctually gravitates toward shouldn't feel like a new experience. But with Beckett, it does.

He's not my mate. Not someone I should have met at the age of twenty. I should have grown up with this man, and yet, I don't know the first thing about him.

All I have to go off of is how he makes me feel. Safe and completely fucking seen. My mates see me, but Beckett feels like... well, me.

A bit jaded, a little angry at the world, disconnected from his designation. I can feel the rift between him and his alpha, like it's my own. Yet, the longer we stay near each other, my soul expands with each thump of my heart. Each breath I take is like breathing in my omega, keeping her close. Her reactions, feelings, instincts, and thoughts are becoming my own with every passing moment I'm with my physical other half.

I wonder if Ronan knows anything about a twin bond?

"Freya..."

I jolt, realizing I've zoned out on my brother’s face. "Sorry," I mutter.

"That's okay," Beckett says with a nervous smile while wiping his hands on his pants. "How have you been doing?"

I think about it for a moment, the idea of lying to him making my tummy twist uncomfortably.

Outside the patio door, Casey and Kate are weeding the garden in guise of giving us space to talk. My alphas greeted Beckett, maybe a touch stern, but they went off in their own directions again doing who knows what.

Blowing out a breath, I look my brother in the eyes. "I don't know. It's only been five days of experiencing what a normal life is supposed to be like."

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