“He’s a berserker. He can’t be trusted.”
I shoved Caleb out of the way. “Yes, he can. Alek would never hurt me. He’s my mate.”
Alek stiffened, his back going straight as an arrow.
“I don’t know, Sunshine. His scent has something new in it. Less snow, more storm. And... ozone?”
Alek’s brows rose as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “There’s a simple explanation for all of this.”
“Enlighten us,” Noah said, his voice a dangerous snarl as he joined the others.
“I’ve been away. It’s only natural the time spent in my homeland has left a mark. Things will go back to normal soon. You didn’t know me when I first arrived. Novasgard clings to you for a while. The same goes for this plane. You should have seen the looks my father got when he’d come back from a trip to Manna-Heim.”
“Manna-Heim?” Kingston asked.
“Earth, the home of man. Also called Midgard.” Caleb’s tone held the weight of a put-upon professor.
“Oh, like from the Marvel movies.”
Alek groaned. “Leave those out of this.”
The suspicious glances my mates cast Alek’s way abated, but only just. There was a definite hardness lingering in Caleb’s dark eyes. And Kingston seemed like he was about to fight it out first and ask questions later. Noah was tense too, his body tight and ready to pounce at the first sign of trouble.
I needed to put a stop to this.
“I’m not in the mood for another dick swinging contest.”
“Come on, dove. Let’s get you home. It’s the middle of the night, and you’re fucking exhausted. I can sense it,” Noah said, shifting into his caretaker role.
“You guys go ahead. Alek hasn’t seen the new place yet. I’ll give him the tour. It will give us some time to catch up.”
I silently pleaded with them all to understand. It had beenmonths. My body craved him. My soul was starved for him. I needed a little time where it was just the two of us.
“I don’t know if that’s—”
The stare I gave Kingston could have turned him into ashes on the spot if I had it my way. “We will be fine. Alek isn’t a threat.”
“I would never hurt a woman.” Alek’s gaze traveled down my body. It wasn’t a possessive look, but it was appreciative.
Warmth unfurled low in my belly as I took Alek’s large hand in mine. “Come on, there’s a big bed with your name on it back at the house. We brought all your things from the dorm there.”
“My things?”
“Is that a problem? Would you rather go back to a dorm with a single bed you barely fit on?”
He gave me another one of those sweeping glances, his lips curling up with familiar mischief. “I think I’d rather stay with you.”
“That can be arranged.”
He let me lead him back toward the house, his palm somehow not fitting quite right with mine. We’d get through this little bump in the road. Back to the Sunday and Alek we’d been. We had to... I still had my little secret to share, but not until we were comfortable with each other again.
It would just take a little time, and now that he was back, we had some. At least... a few weeks until there would be no more hiding my condition even if I wanted to.
The house came into view, and I gave Alek a big smile, drawing him toward the door. “Welcome home,elskan mín. We—I—missed you.”
His shoulders stiffened as he stepped over the threshold. Then he took a deep breath and looked around. “Ah, it’s good to be home.”