Page 38 of Christopher

“I’m sure a lot of people hate me.” It certainly felt like it most days.

“Most people don’t even think about you, Drake. I know that what you’ve been through with your exes hasn’t been great, but the fact that they were idiots and couldn’t see what was in front of them isn’t your problem. I’ll tell you that I like you as you are as many times as you need to hear it, but you’re going to have to believe it eventually.”

“What if I never do?” Drake whispered.

“Then I’ll keep repeating it until you do. I don’t care if half the pride hates you. I don’t, and I want you in my life. We can learn to navigate the pride together, all right?”

There was no way Drake could say no to that. Not being a part of the pride had been fine when he was on his own. Now that he had Chris, though, he couldn’t imagine being on the outside looking in. Chris was a pride member, and it made sense that Drake was one, too.

“And don’t go trying to change yourself for these people,” Chris continued. “I understand that you want them to have a good impression and to like you, but that’s not going to work if you show them someone who isn’t you. If they’re going to like you, they should like the real you, just like I do.”

Drake pressed closer and kissed Chris. The middle of the hallway probably wasn’t the best place to do that, but he didn’t care. He wanted Chris to know how important this was to him, and he couldn’t find the words, so hopefully, a kiss would work just as well.

Chris made a pleased sound deep in his throat and wrapped his arms around Drake. He turned, making Drake squeak when his back hit the wall.

“Get a room,” someone yelled from the other side of the hallway.

Drake’s entire body flushed, and he tried to push Chris away, but Chris didn’t let go. He flipped off whoever had spoken, then dragged Drake down the hallway, not once letting go of him. It was as if he needed Drake as close as possible, which wasn’t a hardship because Drake wanted the same.

He could hardly believe he would have this for the rest of his life, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. No matter how complicated things were or felt, no matter how little he believed in himself, Chris would always be there. He believed in Drake much more than Drake ever had, and maybe that was what Drake needed. Maybe eventually, he’d be able to believe in himself the way Chris did.

In the meantime, Chris would do it for him.

Drake had visited the pride house a few times, but he was so focused on the feeling of Chris walking beside him that he barely paid attention to where they were in the house. He wasn’t surprised when Chris unlocked a door, though.

He pulled Drake inside, slammed the door shut, and pressed Drake against it. He was clearly intent on finishing what they’d started in the hallway, and Drake was all for it. He wanted to climb his mate like a tree, and now that they were alone, he could.

Drake pressed a kiss against Chris’s jaw, then his cheek, and finally, his lips. Drake grinned at him, wide and happy, and bent to kiss Drake’s neck. “What would you think about moving here?”

It took Drake’s brain a second to make sense of the words. “Here as in the pride house, or here as in this bedroom which is clearly yours?”

“Technically, both. If you move into my room, you’ll be moving into the pride house.”

“As happy as I am to be a pride member, I don’t really care about the pride house beyond the fact that you live here.”

Chris closed his teeth around the sensitive skin of Drake’s neck. Drake yelped and clung harder to him. “Don’t be a smartass,” Chris said before licking the spot he’d just bitten.

It wasn’t a mating bite, which was a relief. Drake wanted to bond with Chris—in fact, there was little he wanted more—but not right now. He felt that he needed to believe in their relationship and in himself more before they could take that step. That was all right, though. They were together, and Chris had asked him to move in with him. A mating bite on their necks wasn’t going to change how they felt about each other.

Drake wouldn’t call it love yet, but it would be soon. He couldn’t wait, but at the same time, he wanted to explore this first phase of their relationship. He wanted to find out more about Chris, to know what Chris looked like first thing in the morning, what he liked and disliked, and how to make him smile.

“Maybe in a few weeks?” he offered.

He half expected Chris not to be happy about it, but Chris smiled again, and Drake thought everything would be okay. Chris wouldn’t always like him. Sometimes, he would be annoyed at him, maybe even angry, but that was all right. They’d find a way to make things work.

Drake was sure of it.

“We can talk about it again in a few weeks,” Chris promised. “And if you’re not ready then, we’ll talk about it a few more weeks after that. I don’t want us to rush into anything, Drake. We don’t have to. We have plenty of time to get to know each other and fall in love.”

They wouldn’t need plenty of time, because when Chris said things like that, Drake fell in love with him just a bit more. All these occasions would add up until the day Drake realized that he was head over heels in love with him and couldn’t imagine his life without him.

To be fair, he already couldn’t, but that was a big thing to say after they’d just agreed to take things slow.

He hoped Chris would understand his answer when he kissed him. He was at a loss for words, but he didn’t think it mattered because they understood each other. When Chris reached down and grabbed Drake’s ass, he didn’t have to say anything for Drake to hop up and wrap his legs around his waist.

Drake enjoyed the feeling of his mate pinning him against the door. He wanted to be as close as humanly possible to his mate while still being dressed.

Chris used the fact that his body was keeping Drake upright to allow his hands to roam over his body. They were still clothed, but they didn’t have to be naked for Drake to feel how hard Chris was for him. Knowing that his mate was reacting to him gave him a thrill, and he squeezed his legs around Chris’s waist, enjoying the startled sound Chris made. It was quickly followed by a growl, and Chris kissed Drake harder, dominating his mouth as if he wanted to leave his imprint inside of it.

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