Page 83 of Begrudgingly Yours
“Yes, baby?”
“I love you.” The words come out so quietly, I wouldn’t think he heard them if it weren’t for the way his body responds. He pulls me tighter against him, his heart beating faster in his chest.
“Say it again,” he requests, a vulnerability in his voice that wasn’t there before.
I turn to look at him. There’s a happy gleam in his eyes that accompanies the softness in his expression. His forehead rests on mine, likely nervous over the intimate exchange, but it just makes my heart feel full.
“I love you,” I repeat. “I love you so much. It’s always been you.”
Everett gives a relieved laugh, like he’s been waiting so long to hear those words. It pierces me unexpectantly, knowing how long these men have been waiting for me to catch up. Waiting for me to realize how much we were meant for each other when they always knew.
“What about those two?” he asks, seriously. “Do you love them, too?”
I grin, loving how he cares about the other alphas as much as he cares about himself.
“I wanted to tell you first,” I say the confession in a hushed tone. “You’re the prime.”
He gives me a shy smile, one completely different from the brazen alpha that was just bossing us around. “You’re perfect for me. Everything I’ve ever wanted. I love you so much.”
Dax and Jett come back to the room, the former smiling with an obliterating smugness. Jett has hisarms crossed, obviously the loser of the mini-adventure. They sit down and start to bicker light-heartedly, Dax complaining about Jett not getting the stuffed-crust. Everett and I catch eyes.
We share a secret smile and it feels right. We’re a team, the centers of our pack, and the foundation of it finally feels settled.
THIRTY-NINE
Playing: Finally // beautiful stranger by Halsey
Jett interlacesour fingers as we enter the building, giving me some warmth against the bitter chill of Connecticut’s arena. It feels like second-nature now, the way we always wrap our limbs together no matter where we are. And I’ll never get tired of the way his scent blossoms whenever our skin is touching, how the decadent husky aroma covers me completely until I can’t see or smell anything else but him.
I’m finally letting myself have this. This complete take-over of my senses and my emotions, it’s not nearly as difficult as my traumatized mind made it out to seem. If anything, our connection helps calm those thoughts. It helps me realize that Stacia was right. Therearealphas who can be trusted, alphas that have no intention to use their designation for ownership and authority.
There are some that are sweet and loving, who wantnothing more than to give their person everything. And I feel like that’s what I have after finally letting them in.
Stacia, Ciro, and Opal walk in front of us as we try to find our seats. It’s nice to finally get to stretch our legs after sitting in the car for the past two hours. With our group of five, there was a lot of show tune harmonizing and laughter that makes your throat dry. And for once, Ciro isn’t carrying his flask because he’s been entrusted to drive Uriah’s car for the evening.
It doesn’t take us long to find seats because the section for Bensen is very empty. Jett never lets go of my hand as we get comfy.
Opal takes out a thermos of all things, with little watermelons painted all over it. It’s the cutest thing ever. “Opal, did you sneak in alcohol?” I whisper to her with a scandalous undertone.
She looks up at me and laughs. “No. It’s hot chocolate!”
“And it’s still hot?” Stacia blurts out.
“To be honest, it’s finally the right temperature. This thermos might work a little too well,” Opal replies before taking a giant gulp.
I look down on the ice and see both teams warming up. I’ve been to a lot of hockey games with Stacia, but I’m still not prepared to see Everett going full throttle with his goalie stretches.
His massive thighs work overtime as he works on his range. The memory of him above me springs up immediately. I wonder if this is what he looked like when he was thrusting into me.
I get a whiff of cranberries and laugh under my breath. I’m sweating in a hockey arena.
Ciro’s words pull me out of my daydream. “Sam! Holy shit, what are you doing here?”
Opal spits her hot chocolate all over the empty seats in front of us.
I turn and lo and behold, Sam and Kit are there, standing over us at the end of the aisle. I hold in the snort that wants to escape. Ciro is always unintentionally playing matchmaker at these hockey games.
“Two birds with one stone. Thatcher and Kit are both history buffs so we’re staying in a hotel tonight and then going to Mark Twain’s house tomorrow for a tour.”
