Kissing Danger ✔️

44

Word Count: 1662

~Aven

Yawning, my eyes flutter open, wincing as a stream of sunlight strikes my eyes through a gap in the curtain.

Irritable, I roll back over, only to glimpse my shirtless mate sitting up in bed, reading. Noticing my movement, his attention shifts to me, and a soft, dreamy smile touches his lips, which only last night was against my neck.

Groaning, I stuff my head into the pillow, graphic images of last night staining my mind. How did I let that happen? Not that I necessarily regret it though, he made me feel amazing, and he is my mate...

"What time is it?" I ask, peeking out from the pillow, trying not to pay too much attention to Stace's knowing smile.

How can he appear so blaise and unaffected?

"Mid morning," he informs, raking a hand back through his bed-mussed hair. "Continue resting if you need to."

"I can't keep sleeping knowing what we have to do today," I mutter, resting my palms over my eyes. Even though it's my decision to go visit my father today, I'm still dreading it. I'm more anxious knowing I'm going to be disappointed by him, that he isn't going to feel like my real father. But it needs to be done, so I can put the issue to bed, and try to remedy what has happened since he was in power.

"We don't have to do anything, Aven," Stace reminds me, turning on his side to look at me. I let him brush my hair over my shoulder, his touch effortlessly gentle. "In fact, I would advise against seeing him."

I shake my head. "We are seeing him."

Stace leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I'm glad that no matter how he feels about this, he is still willing to let me go and see my father.

"Okay, it's up to you," he murmurs.

I rest into the pillow, contemplating whether or not I should bring up what is swirling around in the forefront of my mind. "About last night..."

"We don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to," Stace breathes, a growing creasing between his brows. I know he means it to, that he won't push it if I don't want him to, that we can resume our usual way of interacting with each other, without this having to be between us.

"It's not like I should be ashamed, I did accept the mate bond," I say with a shrug.

I'm running from this because of who Stace is, and what my obligation may be when I do truly settle with him. But I know I can handle it. I'm Stace's mate, and whether I feel like I can rule an entire Territory now, I have to face it, and stop running from it eventually.

"Would you like to have a ceremony?" He asks softly.

I blink. "Ceremony?"

"It's tradition here, to have a ceremony to celebrate the bond," he explains warily, sensing my apprehension. I sit up, looking down at him, shocked.

"Woah...Give me a moment to figure everything out." I close my eyes, flashes coming to my mind of exactly what a ceremony would look like between him and I. Strangely, it sends a thrill through me, the thought of knowing that we would be making this forever, that we would truly be each other's and nothing could come between us.

"Of course, take as much time as you need," he says, pulling himself out of bed. I follow, reaching for my clothing.

"We should go see my father now," I mutter, motioning for him to turn around so I can dress. He dramatically rolls his eyes, the silent insinuation that last night his hands were between my legs and my nightdress was up around my waist buzzes through the room. I know he's seen everything he's needed to see for me to feasibly be able to dress in front of him with no issue, but in the daylight like this, I can't bring myself to.