Everyone's Mate (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 28

My curse was the only thing that attracted these kind, amazing people to me. I didn't deserve a single one of them.

Suddenly the only thing that I wanted to do was to go home. I wanted to curl up in my bed and have Allie stroke my hair until I fell asleep.

I dont know how long I was standing there after he left. It felt like a while, but it probably wasn't.

I didn't even startle when I felt arms wrap around my middle. A blonde head was resting on my chest. Danika.

"How much did you hear?" I asked, unable to find strength enough to embrace her in return.

Her voice was heavy with emotion as she murmured into my shirt, "All of it."

Danika led me back to the pack house. I didn't quite know the way, and didn't care to remember.

Ignoring the stares of random passersby was easy enough. Walking past Riordan's room was another thing altogether.

When we finally reached my room, it wasn't anything big, and certainly not like coming home. The feeling of Danika's hand holding mine made it that much easier to keep breathing, maybe. And I puzzled to myself; why? Why was it so hard to breathe now? I let her hand go and found that I could still breathe, but it felt like my lungs were collapsing.

The bed was cold as I limply threw myself across it, my face buried in a pillow.

The man had kissed me. The man had kissed me and then had the nerve to tell me it was my fault.

And the scariest part was that I liked it. I liked how he tasted and how he felt pressed up against me. I didn't know if it was the mark talking or some subliminal, disgusting part of me saying, hey, the world's going to shit, and you know a good shag when you see one.

"Riordan is an asshole," I said, voice muffled by the pillows.

Danika sat beside me, flush to my waist, a hand combing through my hair. It reminded me uniquely of Allie, so I let her.

"That he is," she hummed.

A moment of silence passed. I couldn't help but to think, I took advantage of him. God, I'm a shitty person.

She was pulling at my arm, now.

"What?"

"Sit up," She said. "I have to talk to you."

"I'm right here."

"No. You're somewhere else," She sighed gently, and I realized she was right. I still felt like I was in that clearing, looking into golden eyes.

So this time I obeyed; I sat up, swinging my legs over the edge. It took more effort than it normally would, but I managed. Like a pestering mother she brushed my hair back over my ear, a worried tilt to her intelligent brow.

I thought with startling clarity, She and Allie would get along.

"Okay." She pursed her lips. "I know you're not going to believe me, but Riordan didn't mean a single thing he said in that clearing."

"You're right," I brushed her hand away. "I don't believe you. And it doesn't matter, anyway. He was completely right."

She took my chin and made me look at her. Her eyes were like honey, a soothing balm to my soul. "No. Aaron, just listen. Okay?"

"Yes, mom," I tried. "Don't put me in the cupboard under the stairs again, I'll be good, I promise."

She pinched me and I yelped, her narrowed eyes warning me there would be more to come if I didn't listen. I shut up.