Page 24 of Alpha's Touch
“I called you my mate. Fate thought we would make the perfect pair, so he weaved our destinies together.”
“So… you’re saying that fate, if you believe in such a thing… is a matchmaker?” Preston frowned. “Now I think we both fried our brains in the sun today.”
“Not really a matchmaker. More like it thought you would need me as much as I would need you,” Zeppelin replied. The sound of his voice was like a low rumble of thunder, stealing Preston’s breath and making his heart race.
“But I don’t even know you.” Preston was grasping at anything that would help him make sense of this. Fate? Weaved destinies? That sounded more plausible than some deity setting up blind dates you were stuck with for the rest of your life. Oh, wait. That was exactly what it was doing.
Preston glanced at the deliciousness taking up two-thirds of his bed, a dark indulgence who’d just given him the best day of his life. Not the blowjob, which had been absolutely phenomenal, but a sense of normalcy. A few hours at the market where, every time Zeppelin’s gaze had met his, it had felt like gravity shifting, pulling him toward something worth keeping forever.
“Then get to know me like I want to get to know you, sunshine.” He slid his hand across the bed and gently tapped Preston’s with one finger. “That’s how destinies begin, right?”
Swallowing roughly, Preston hooked his finger around Zeppelin’s, needing an anchor as he tried to figure this out.
“And if one day you turn out to be a lunatic? If our destinies are woven together, I’m screwed.”
Preston couldn’t believe he was even having this conversation, but logic had flown out the window the moment those canines appeared.
Still, it didn’t sound like he would have any kind of safety net if Zeppelin started acting like Antonio. The thought terrified him.
“You tell my pack I’m acting like an asshole, and I’d be lucky to survive the beatdown they would give me.”
Preston’s brows shot up. “Pack?”
It should’ve dawned on him since Zeppelin was their leader. Holy crap. All those bikers were wolf shifters? That explained the high testosterone level Preston had felt last night at the bar.
“Yes, pack.” Zeppelin brushed the pad of his index finger back and forth, as if he had to touch Preston, to stay physically connected to him in some way.
And honestly, it was soothing to him as well.
“It’s…” Preston nibbled on his lower lip. “It’s a lot to digest, Zeppelin.”
His brows shot up when Zeppelin gave a low, throaty growl.
“Say my name again, beautiful.”
Licking his lips, Preston smirked. “Bro.”
Zeppelin threw his head back and laughed. Yep. Preston was a goner. That rich, deep sound was like whisky over velvet and Preston’s new addiction.
But a thought sobered him. “What if you get bored with me and decide to pick some fruit elsewhere?”
A reason his parents were no longer together. Despite being upset about his mom dismissing Antonio’s toxic behavior, she really was an amazing woman.
How could his dad ever think about cheating on her? Men confused the shit out of him sometimes.
“Why would I want someone else’s fruit when I have the most delicious peach sitting next to me?”
Zeppelin actually sounded baffled. His thick brows were furrowed, looking at Preston like he was the crazy one.
“You’re my mate, Preston. My wolf doesn’t want anyone else. You’re the only one for me.”
Preston ran his hands down his thighs, blowing out a series of short bursts, feeling like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs.
“Preston?” Zeppelin sat a up and moved closer, but Preston shot off the bed.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, sunshine.” Zeppelin held his hands close to Preston’s upper arms but didn’t touch him.
“That’s what he said to m-me a-all the time.” But Antonio never said it in adoration. It was ownership. A loosely veiled threat disguised as love.
