Page 39 of Let It Snow
I give him a sheepish look, and he chuckles.
We walk inside.
As we wander down the aisles lined with racks of clothes, Lake turns toward me with an appraising glance.
"You’re short and lean, but you’ve got a good shape here." He pats his own hips and ass, a clear hint at what he means.
"I wish I had curves like that. I’ve always been more on the sporty side, with a boyish figure."
I don’t comment. Talking about body types with him feels ridiculous.
He looks faintly amused. "Come on, let’s find you some jeans that show off… your assets." He gives me a playful wink.
We stop at a section filled with pants, some displayed on mannequins. Many are skin-tight, the kind that would cling obscenely to my ass, and the sight alone makes me feel weirdly flustered. I point instead at some wider, looser harem-style pants with a floral pattern.
"Oh, you like that style?" Lake raises a brow.
I nod.
"Fine, whatever suits you, but at least grab two pairs of these… tighter jeans. For me. You’d look amazing in them. Just to try?"
I feel awkward refusing while holding my ground, so I give in. Lake picks things out for me, interestingly, mostly in shades of violet, pink, lilac, and sapphire.
I accept his choices quietly, feeling no need to fuss over details, and since he has decent taste, I let it be.
Next we move to the shoe section. Lake once again pairs me up with a few great sets of shoes to match the jeans and jackets.
The hardest part comes when we end up in the underwear section. Lake’s gaze shifts, cautious, almost tentative. I know why his energy has changed.
He probably worries about touching on a subject tied to my dark past. The truth is, I have no idea how to react. That part of me is buried in the thickest fog, nothing concrete rising when I try to focus on it.
"Here, it’s best if you just pick whatever catches your eye," he says softly.
I grab a few pairs of black boxer briefs, some white sleep shirts, T-shirts, and tanks almost at random.
He stays quiet, watching without comment, as we drift into the aisle with the more frivolous lingerie. There are some great jockstraps on display, one in violet that is actually kind of nice. I pause at it, embarrassed, reaching out to touch it. Lake turns his eyes away, as if to give me space, and I appreciate how discreet he is.
On a sudden impulse, I toss the jockstrap into the basket with the rest. Lake doesn’t react, doesn’t say a word about my choice, and I’m deeply grateful for that.
Our last stop is the cosmetics section, which we get through fairly quickly. I pick up violet and lilac body washes and shampoos, some nail polishes, brushes, a hair dryer, and a whole bag of small toiletries. I’m not sure if I’ve ever used much of this before, but I figure I might need it.
Lake suggests a few other things that could come in handy.
I feel deeply thankful for his help and the time he’s given me. It crosses my mind that maybe I should smile at him, because I truly appreciate how subtle and supportive he’s been. So I offer him a small, tentative smile, and his face immediately lights up with warmth. That’s when I realize how pleasant his scent is. If Iwere an alpha, the sweetness in his Allure fragrance would signal that he might be my… High Mate!
Of course, it isn’t common for omegas, or for alphas either, to read too deeply into scents when it comes to their own subgenders. Still, I know that same-sex couples can interpret scents the way alphas and omegas do, as indicators of a good genetic match.
It fascinates me that he carries such an attractive scent…
When I’m standing by the cart handle and Lake comes up beside me, I suddenly force myself to blurt out the most awkward line.
"You’re my High Mate."
His brows rise, surprised that I’ve said anything at all, then his face breaks into a bright smile, and he gives me a small nod.
"Yes, I know. But it’s not strange. Your brother is my son’s fated."
He’s right; his son, Sun, is my brother Ragnar’s True Mate. That means our families must share a high level of compatibility across the spectrum. I probably have some level of compatibility with all of Lake’s sons.
