Kai juggled the bags of clothing as he trudged after Ian into the penthouse. "It wasn't necessary to buy me all these expensive clothes, Ian. Going to Walmart was fine. They have really great clothing there."
Ian made a face at Kai. "I'm sure they do, my darling Kai, but it's not necessary to shop there any longer. You're in a pack that has the money to support buying only top-quality items. Life is too short to wear faux flannel. Surely even you can attest to that, having lived in the mountains."
It was funny how Ian could be so growly and Alpha-y when store employees got too pushy and then be such a snob. It was cute.
He didn't agree with everything Ian said but could agree that buying cheap sometimes was not the best use of money if the stuff was cheaply made.
Ian gestured for Kai to enter a bedroom on the opposite side of the apartment from where the master bedroom was located.
"Get comfortable," he said, pulling his ringing phone. He checked the caller ID and frowned. "I'll see if I can scrounge up a menu to order takeout."
Kai stepped into his room and stopped to stare at the size. Immediately, he was overwhelmed on many fronts. One, on the sheer size of the room. Going from a bunkhouse style setting on the mountain where he shared the room, and some nights, a bed, with the others to having his own bedroom that was huge. He'd never fill up the space. It was as if he felt he would be swallowed up and lost.
The second thing that hit him was that he seemed to be so far away from Ian. Sure, the Alpha was still, technically in the same apartment. He was really, only just across the expansive living room.
Already, though, he felt as if he had been set adrift by himself in a sea of impersonal furniture and decorations.
So lost in his overwhelm, he didn't hear Ian come up behind him. The Alpha's voice close to his ear startled him so much that he yelped and jumped away from him in automatic response. The bags flew everywhere and Kai stumbled to keep his footing. "I-I'm sorry, Alpha, what did you say?"
Ian's surprised look was quickly smoothed over into more neutral expression. "I asked if you were okay with Italian takeout. I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's fine." Kai rested a hand over his rapidly beating heart. He took several breaths before gathering up his bags again. "I was just looking at how big the room was."
"I'm sure you aren't used to it. Ezra told me how your fellow omegas insisted in sleeping in the same room. Would you prefer to go back to be with them?"
A part of Kai wanted to say yes. But that would take him from Ian and he didn't want to be separated from the Alpha. To think about being separated hurt his heart.
He had heard talk of what it meant to find your fated mate. Barry used to go on about it all the time and how they were fated.
Kai never felt that way. It all felt so wrong to him.
Being with Ian, knowing that on a deep level they were connected, Kai had to reexamine everything he believed about fated mates. Because there was something there that drew him to Ian.
"Do you want me to go back?" Kai's heart sunk at the very thought of it. By the same token, he didn't want to be an inconvenience. And what if Kai believed they were meant to be together but Ian didn't think so?
His head was starting to hurt with all the flipping around emotionally.
"Of course not," Ian said. But the hesitancy in his voice confused Kai further.
"Okay." It seemed like it was too late to go back now. Kai decided he'd stay at least one night and then he'd ask to leave in the morning.
Silph was sitting at his feet, her tail wagging. With a small bark, she trotted into Kai's bedroom and leapt up on the bed.
"Hey, get down from there, beast." Ian sighed and went in to pick her up.
"She's fine," Kai said. Unfrozen from the spot, he trotted over to the bed to dump the bags on it. "She can stay in here if she likes. It'll be less lonely."
Ian looked like he was going to say something, but then thought better of it. He set Silph on the bed and pulled the bags over.
"We should hang these up so they don't wrinkle."
"I can just iron them if they do," Kai said. He dumped the clothing on the bed and then went to what he thought was the closet to find it was a bathroom.
Not quite as large as Ian's, but still bigger than anything Kai was used to.
"The mirrored doors," Ian pointed out.
Kai hunted for the handle to slide the door to the side. Gathering up several of the hangers, he went back to the bed to help.
"You never did answer my question," Ian said after a moment of silence. When Kai looked up in confusion, "About Italian for dinner."
"Sure. I don't know what all it involves. The only Italian I know of is spaghetti and pizza."
"Do you trust my judgment?"
"Of course, Ian. I trust you."
Ian paused, giving Kai another look. Did he say something wrong again? Reading this Alpha was so difficult. With the Alphas of his old pack, everything was so straightforward and simple.
Either they were mad, or grumpy or both. They were stern and made all the decisions.
Now he was with an Alpha who allowed him to make decisions. It felt very awkward to him.
"Alright," Ian said after some thought. "I'll leave you to get settled. Come on, beast."
Silph didn't even bother to look at him. She circled on one of Kai's pillows before getting comfortable in the middle of it.
Ian looked apologetic. Kai waved a hand. "It's really okay. She's no bother."
With a nod, Ian glared one more time at Silph. "Traitor," and then he left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
Kai sat down on the bed and gently combed his fingers through Silph's hair as it fanned out over the pillow. "He's so confusing."
Silph lifted her head to look at Kai as if to agree before she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Comments (0)
See all