Page 10 of Saving Nevin
“Nevin,” came his whispered reply, and when he spoke, I felt the knot in my chest ease. He was mine. Don’t ask me how I knew, but it felt soright. It felt so real, all of a sudden, knowing that the man gazing back at me was the person I’d been waiting for all my life.
Mate,my wolf practically purred.Ours.
9
NEVIN
I couldn’t breathe.My heart pinged around in my chest as I stared up into the gentle eyes of the Alpha. The man who’d taken care of me, who’d never once raised a hand or even his voice. He wasn’t anything like the Alphas back home, so headstrong and domineering.
No. There was something about Kace that seemed to calm my uncertainty, but the way he was looking at me now? I wasn’t even sure what to say. ‘Thanks for saving me? I’m forever in your debt?’
My head felt like someone had cracked it open and whisked my brain-matter into an omelet. No matter what I tried to say, nothing sounded right, so I kept my mouth shut.
Omegas should be seen and not heard.
I pinched my eyes closed and sucked in a sharp breath.You can do this.I tried desperately to pluck the threads of courage from my tangled heartstrings, but I felt so damn unsteady. What should I say? Should I say anything at all?
I choked out a soft, “S-Sorry,” but Kace didn’t seem the least bit bothered.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, his voice warm and thick. When he rubbed his thumb over my knuckles, I slowly lifted my lashes to gaze at him, and it was like seeing him for the first time all over again.
He wasn’t traditionally handsome like most Alphas I’d known. He was tall and big-boned, with a bit of chub around the middle and fur on his chest, but there was a kindness in his soul that called to me. His coffee-colored hair was ruffled from sleep and there were light pressure-marks on his cheek from where it’d been pressed up against his pillow.
He caught my eye, a smile playing at his lips. “You’re about my brother’s size. How about this? Why don’t you go take a shower while I run and see if Xan’s got some clothes you can borrow?”
His words jolted through me. I was naked? I glanced down at myself. Oh god, I wasnaked!Shit! Embarrassment seared through me in a fiery wave. I scrabbled for the covers, yanking them over my exposed body. I clenched my jaw and forced back the whimper that threatened to slip up my throat. God, could things get anymoremortifying?
Kace winked at me. “Don’t worry. I didn’t perv on you,” he said. “You can wear my robe till I come back, okay? Then I’ll find us some breakfast. Make yourself at home, Nevin.” My name fell off his tongue like a drop of honey, but for some stupid reason, my chest clenched up tight. “I’ll be back soon.”
I hid my face as he got dressed. When he closed the door behind him, I sat in the middle of his bed and tried to calm my racing heart. It wasn’t long before I heard tires crunch over the gravel drive.
He was gone. I was alone.
I released a shaky breath. “Okay, Nevin. Grab the damn robe and take a shower,” I croaked out. God, I probably stunk like wet dog, and he let me in his bed? Shame prickled across my cheeks, turning them hot.
I gingerly stood and unhooked the fluffy blue robe from where it hung on the back of his bedroom door. I slipped the soft fabric around my shoulders and tugged it closed in the front. I felt grungy. Ugh, now he’d probably have to wash it before he wore it again.
Even though I’d roamed this place on four legs, it felt weird to be alone in Kace’s home as a human. I closed myself up in the small bathroom. I’d watched him brush his teeth and get ready for bed more times than I could count, but I’d felt safe behind my fur. What little bravery I’d had before now was stripped away.
I dropped the bathrobe and turned the shower on. The hot water against my skin made me gasp. It felt so good. I dropped my head beneath the spray and let the water soak my greasy hair. I fumbled to get the lid off the shampoo bottle, since my arm was still stiff and achy, but it was worth it to lather up and feel clean.
I stood beneath the spray until the water began to grow cool, then stepped out onto the bathmat and reached for a towel. Kace’s towels were so big, I could nearly wrap it around myself twice. I scrubbed my hair with a second one, then paused in front of the toothpaste-speckled mirror.
To my utter shock, I wasn’t horribly disfigured from the attack. I shed my towel and stepped closer to get a better look. I’d healed clean somehow, but how? My wounds had been grievous. I should’ve scarred. I ran my fingertips over the small, puckered indent on my arm where bone had pierced through skin.
I pushed the thought aside and pulled Kace’s robe back on. I tied the sash around my waist and pressed my nose to the fluffy fabric. Unsurprisingly, it smelled of him. Of freshly-chopped wood and cedar chips with an undercurrent of smoke. I closed my eyes and breathed him in. He smelled so good.
I wasn’t one to trust Alphas, but somehow, in the last couple of weeks, Kace had weaseled his way inside and made room for himself in my heart-space, and suddenly, I wished I could stay.
My shoulders sagged. Kace had assured me I was welcome, but how long until that welcome wore out? I couldn’t stay here forever. An Alpha like Kace would one day settle down with a real Omega, and then I’d be on my own again. The thought punched me square in the gut.
I stood in the kitchen and found myself in a staring match with the front door. Maybe it was a bad idea to stay. A part of me wanted to shift and flee before Kace ever came back, if only to avoid these feelings of inadequacy burrowing into my heart, but the thought of being alone made me feel sick.
I swallowed hard and averted my gaze, then stiffly walked over and sat down at the kitchen table. I folded my hands in front of me, my arms still tucked deep inside Kace’s robe. It wasn’t long before I saw Kace’s pickup truck bouncing up the drive, and my hopes simultaneously both rose and fell.
Kace came through the front door with bags hanging from his arms, but when he saw me, he stopped dead. I was astutely aware of the way his gaze lingered a little too long. I swallowed and looked away first, and he dropped a couple of those reusable fabric grocery bags in front of me. They were filled to the brim with clothing.
When I glanced up again, he caught my eye with a lopsided smile. “Here you go, Nevin. Hopefully they fit. Xan said you could keep them, by the way. That boy’s got more clothes than he knows what to do with. Oh, and I brought breakfast.” He held up the brown paper Bob Evans’ bag and my stomach chose that moment to let out the most pathetic-sounding gurgle.
