ChapterNineteen
SUNDAY
Five weeks without Alek
Iwinced as the sound of Alek’s dresser drawer shutting filled the empty room. Kingston and Noah had been fast asleep when I’d slipped out from our bed, but I just couldn’t sleep. So many things were missing; too many people were gone.
I couldn’t do anything about Alek, not for a few more weeks, and I didn’t know how to get Caleb to change his mind.
Lifting the pilfered hoodie to my nose, I breathed in the scent of my missing mate, filling my lungs with the smell of ice and pine. I’d taken to wearing his T-shirts or jackets whenever I could, replacing them with a fresh one when the essence of Alek faded. I dreaded the day I ran out of options. Hopefully he returned before then.
“What are you doing in here, Sunshine?” Kingston’s voice was low and warm, with no trace of jealousy.
I turned, offering a weak smile as I stared at him, leaning against the doorframe, brows pinched, shirtless torso on full display.
“Couldn’t sleep. I have a lot on my mind.”
“Do you need me to fuck you to sleep, baby? I wouldn’t complain.”
The offer sent heat cascading down to pool low in my belly, but as tempting as it was, it wasn’t what I wanted.
He read the answer in my eyes.
“Missing him?”
I hid the sweatshirt behind my back. “What gave me away?”
He grinned. “It’s not just that, though, is it? You’re missing the other one too.”
My chest squeezed at the thought of Caleb. “He’s not mine. Not really. Not like you three are.”
“Fuck that. Yes, he is. There’s just as much chance that baby you’re carrying is his as it could be the rest of ours.”
“Playing ‘just the tip’ doesn’t make him mine, Kingston.”
A flash of amber glowed in his gaze before he stalked toward me. “When are you going to remember what you are, Sunshine?”
“A demon with a thing for butt stuff?” I tried and failed to make the joke, but his lips twitched anyway.
“A wolf. An Alpha. My mate, which means you’re my equal. And I also like the butt stuff.”
“I’m aware,” I murmured, heat warming my cheeks.
He winked. “Alphas take what they want, Sunshine. So do it. Make him yours. Stop waiting around for him to come to you.”
“That’s not how relationships work.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Maybe if you’re a caveman.”
One brow lifted. “I think I’ve proven the value of my caveman qualities more than once.”
“But this isn’t about you.”
“I know. It’s about you and what you need. You need the priest, and even if he won’t admit it, he needs you. We can all sense it.”
“You can?”