Page 30 of Zoinks! Nice Pack, Bro

My arms shoot out, wrapping around his neck, as I fist his hoodie and Cameron brings me in closer to him. He is lifting me up without a single grunt and moving with me to my bed.

He sits down on the edge, letting me straddle his lap as I sob over things that had happened with other people. My fear response overriding any logic as his hand slid under my hoodie to rub at my bare skin. It is comforting and nice and I liked how at this moment I felt safe. The skin to skin contact makes me melt.

I feel him dragging his neck over my head, the way that his scent blooms over me as I realize he is scent marking me as her purrs. It’s so comforting, sweet and gentle that I let myself go.

Cam is safe.

This just prompts me to cry more as I realize I couldn’t remember the last time that I felt safe to be fully me like this. There have been pockets sized moments of peace but nothing like this.

“Let's talk about it.” He phrases it like it's a question when my sobs turned to sniffles but I shake my head shifting as his hand skims down, squeezing one of my thighs.

His touch feels so good.

So good that I want to ask him to keep doing it. Which is crazy because touch is such a complicated thing. Maybe I’m a bit touch starved and that’s why it feels so good now.

“You canceled our date. Why?” I went to pull back, shifting so that I could wobble off his lap. I didn’t want to be confronted by him right now.

Cameron is wrapping his arm around my waist, locking me in place as he holds me against him, not ready to let me run away and hide from this.

Knothead.

“Talk.”

“It wasn’t a date.” His eyebrow raised like I insulted him by saying that. “I don’t date.”

Cameron presses his thumb to his lips as he watches me try to dig myself out of whatever mess I was getting into. I could see it, the train wreck that was my rambling. It was bubbling up inside me, ready to pour out.

Oh no.

Why can’t I stop my mouth?

“I haven’t dated since college. I won’t date again. Alphas aren’t safe. I don’t like to be touched. I don’t like to talk to men. Beta or Alpha. I don’t like the idea of sleeping in unfamiliar places. I don’t like waking up with someone and having to pretend it’s not weird that they were in bed with me. I like my space. My things. My life. I don’t need that to change.” Cameron is staring at me as I talk, my heart racing as he just nods his head.

How is he calm?

Why can’t I be calm?

His thumbs run over my thighs, squeezing them before letting histhumb rub in circles over them again and my heart rate starts to come down from his touch.

This is some evil sorcery and I do not approve.

My fingers go to my mouth, shoving them inside so that I can suck on something and self soothe. Maybe fill my mouth so I don’t give him anymore of my backstory.

“I understand that. And I’m sorry someone hurt you, baby brat. Do you want me to slash their tires?” He is so serious that I blink, before bursting out with a laugh as Cameron tries to make sense of the mood shift.

He was serious about it. He would slash someone's tires for me without even thinking. When had he started being so loyal to me?

His fingers stroke my ribs, having shifted up from one of my thighs and it reminds me of Ant’s touch. Ant’s touch was safe and I liked it. Cam’s other hand is rising up too. The pad of his thumb swiping over my lips and making me freeze at the shock of it.

I would like to suck it.

Or bite it.

Maybe just have it slide between my lips and rest there.

“I would do it, you know. I don’t like the idea of you upset. I like it less knowing someone hurt you. I like your laugh. How your eyes light up and how you can see that crooked tooth.” My face burns in embarrassment as I press my lips together at the mention of my teeth. “I said I like it.” He reiterates as if I misunderstood him the first time.

He looks so innocent and confused by my reaction. Eyes pinching together as he looks at me and tries to make sense of why I am getting more upset.

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