"Hmmh... So... You like pizza, right?" I asked Rene as we stared at the burned remains of my casserole.
He shrugged while trying to keep himself from laughing.
"You don't know if you like pizza?" I asked him, and his smile faded a little.
"I..." he began, but his posture turned timid, like hearing his own voice had scared him, and he fell silent again.
Another trauma...? Was that why he didn't speak?
Oh, like I didn't know the answer...
To stop myself from getting angry, I gave him a soothing smile and carefully placed my arm around his back.
"It's all right, baby boy," I muttered, caressing him. "I'll order a few smaller ones so you can try different flavors, okay?"
He nodded, cheering up a little. I stopped to stare at him, his delicate features and baby blue eyes. His eyes met mine, and he let me enjoy his gaze longer than normal, but then he looked shyly away, a tiny smile appearing on his lips.
"Sorry... For staring, I mean... I uh... You're just so..."
He carefully looked back at me while I tried to find the courage to say what I really wanted. He raised his eyebrows at me, expecting me to finish my sentence. It was such a bold move from him I had to smile.
"Beautiful," I finally said.
He didn't really react to my words. He watched me, then slowly left my arms to stand in front of me. I stayed still, smiling, as his curious eyes studied me. He carefully lifted his hand and touched my cheek, tracing down on my beard.
Obviously, my alpha's first instinct was to bow my head and flex every single muscle we had on our body. Rene read the message right and didn't get intimidated by it while he continued playing with my facial hair.
"You like my beard?" I asked playfully.
He smiled a little and gave me a little nod.
"Good, because I look like a little baby pig without it," I said, grinning. "Double chin and all."
He snorted lightly at my words, then got a little shy. He slowly moved his hand up and carefully brushed his finger over my eyebrow. It tickled like crazy, but I stayed still for him. I didn't want to spook him or ruin his curiosity.
And he was curious. He took his time studying my face like he tried to memorize every little detail. I was suddenly awfully aware of all the gray hair I had... At least I wasn't going bald... He then lowered both his hands and gaze to my chest, his movements slow and gentle. My alpha couldn't flex any harder, and it tried. It tried so hard to impress this little one... I couldn't remember if it had ever wanted to impress someone this badly.
But this one was special.
"So... What is the verdict?" I asked, and he frowned at me. "Am I decent enough for an old guy?"
He squinted his eyes at me, turning his head away a little like I was suspicious, but he had a tiny, playful smile on his lips. I raised my eyebrows at him, inching a little closer while I waited. Finally, he let out a short chuckle, nodding.
I breathed out, acting relieved while I slowly brought my hands on his back, and since he didn't seem to mind, I pulled him into a hug. With one hand still resting on my chest, he put the other arm around me. He brought his nose to my neck and took in a careful breath, willing to bond with me, so I did the same to him, again trying to find his scent. Was it a little bit stronger now? Maybe. I couldn't tell apart the fine smells, but it was growing.
It didn't take long before Rene yawned. I guess Francis was right. My pheromones calmed him too much. Though he needed a lot of sleep, so it wasn't a bad thing. He tickled my skin with his nose and breath a little while longer, but then he laid his head on my shoulder, his eyes falling closed. I pressed him gently against my chest while he made himself comfortable against my neck.
"You were supposed to eat, little one," I murmured, brushing my hand through his hair.
He hummed in agreement but did nothing to stay awake. I smiled at him.
"You can take a little nap in the living room while we wait," I said, but again, he stayed still, slowly falling asleep. "Do you mind if I carry you?"
He drowsily shook his head.
"Okay. Here we go..." I muttered and leaned down to put my arm around his feet.
When I carefully picked him up, he put his arms around my shoulders, but didn't open his eyes. There was so much trust in him now... And I'd nearly destroyed it because of Hale... I was glad everyone else had stopped me from making the worst mistake of my entire life.
Because letting someone or something take him away from me would be a huge mistake, I already knew that.
I gently carried him into my living room. His body felt so small in my arms, reminding me of how incredibly thin he was. The boy was supposed to be my size, but now he barely weighed the same as my leg. I tried to be extra careful while holding him because all I could feel was bones, and I doubted my fingers digging in between them felt good.
But he didn't seem to mind. When I tried to lay him down on the couch, he held onto my shoulders, refusing to let go. I sat down next to him, supporting myself against the armrest while he clung onto me with surprising force.
"You need food, baby boy," I muttered with a chuckle. "And I need to order the said food."
He let out the tiniest little growl of disapproval, making me laugh.
"Boy, I'm wrapped tightly enough around your finger as it is," I said, pulling him to sit up so I could take a seat next to him.
He didn't give me much time to get settled before he lay back down, using my lap as his pillow.
"Is this better?" I asked, and he nodded. "All right. Now the food..."
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, but Rene kept shifting as he tried to make himself comfortable, and his little wiggles stole my attention. I smiled as I watched him. When he finally settled down, I pulled a blanket from the backrest and wrapped him in it.
"Is this good?" I asked, and he nodded. "Good."
As I ordered the food, I stared at Rene, slowly caressing his shoulder. He seemed tired, but he wasn't falling asleep. He stared into nothingness in front of him, his expression... I couldn't really tell what he was feeling, but something was bothering him. I put the phone away after placing my order, carefully touching his cheek with a few fingers.
"Hey...? What's the matter?" I asked quietly.
He shrugged and shook his head, but his expression kept dropping. I couldn't even guess what could've caused this sudden change in his mood, but I didn't want to push him to tell me.
"You're all right, baby boy," I said soothingly, not really knowing what else to do. "Everything is fine now. I'll protect you. I'll do whatever you need. I'll give you whatever you want."
He smiled a little, but it was a sad one. He didn't even look at me.
"It's all right..." I murmured, slowly moving my fingers on his skin, hoping it was the right thing to do. "Everything is all right..."
"I'm... okay," he murmured quietly, surprising me.
"Yeah?"
He nodded a little, rubbing his face against my leg. I waited for a moment, but he didn't continue.
"You're still sad," I said. "Maybe I can help?"
"I don't..." he said, curling up under the covers.
He was getting uncomfortable...
"It's all right. You don't have to talk," I said, rubbing his shoulder.
He moved a little to free his left hand from the blanket and stared at the healing wound.
"Does it hurt?" I asked.
"A little..."
"Okay. When we get up, I'll clean it and wrap it up. It'll feel better. It's too dry now," I said.
He nodded, but it was clear he still wasn't done yet. I gave him all the time he needed, waiting patiently for him to decide if he wanted to talk to me.
"I don't... remember," he finally said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
"Remember what?" I asked, happy to finally hear him speak, but worried that he was pushing himself too hard.
"How I got this," he said. "How I got here. I..."
I was so relieved to hear that... He didn't need to remember any of it.
"That's because your alpha was protecting you," I told him. "You were... You were with very bad people, who..."
"I know," he whispered. "I remember him."
I nodded slowly, the rage returning. "But I found you and brought you here. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you ever again."
"How long was I with him?" he asked.
"I don't know, baby boy. Too long..."
"Years, I think. I don't have memories, but I..." he shivered and closed his eyes in pain. "I still know what happened to me, but I can't remember."
"Your alpha has the memories," I explained quietly. "You may have been aware of what was going on, but your alpha kept you in the dark to protect you. And... it's for the best."
"Yeah," he breathed out, sniffing.
I leaned closer to him, shielding him with my body. Maybe it eased his pain, since he sniffed once, then turned on his back, looking me in the eye.
"The first memory I have... It was my alpha... it told me it's over," he said, slowly getting used to talking. "I didn't understand, but... But I think it was you. When you stopped him. That man... I think that's what my alpha tried to tell me because after that... the pain stopped."
I breathed out, forcing myself to stay calm. His pain was too much for my heart, and the alpha in me demanded blood. Blood we could never get.
"He can never hurt you again," I said, touching his cheek again. "I made sure of that."
"When I woke up... I... I was here. With you," he whispered, bringing his hand up to touch my face. "So you... brought me here?"
"That's right, baby boy. And I'll protect you. Nothing will hurt you ever again," I promised.
His expression turned soft, and the corner of his lips curled up. He played with my beard, gently twirling the longest hairs around his finger while he watched me in silence. He was getting comfortable again.
"You know..." he muttered, tilting his head. "I don't know your name."
"What?" I said, freezing to stare at him for a brief second. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. I'm Michael," I said once I recovered.
"Michael..." he repeated and smiled wider. "Everyone calls you the Boss, but I wasn't sure..."
"No, yeah, no, that's just uh... A nickname."
"Because you're a mafia leader," he said.
"Yeah..." I admitted slowly.
"I don't care," he said so softly I wanted to hug him. "You saved me. You're good to me. You're patient with me. You're... so many good things..."
"But I hurt you today. I didn't want to, but I kind of panicked. I want to give you all the best things in this world, but I don't know if I can give you the help you need," I told him. "But they could. The captain–"
He shook his head, his expression turning sad. "Please. I want to stay here. With you. Don't make me leave," he pleaded, his voice so weak it broke my heart.
"I won't, I promise. You are mine to protect now," I told him, brushing his cheek with my thumb. "You will stay here with me."
His sadness faded, and the smile returned.
"Did... Did that sound a little too possessive...?" I asked with an apologetic grin. "It did, didn't it? I meant that... You can stay with me if that is what you want."
"It is what I want," he said, his voice stronger now.
And my heart... He had a really nice voice. Soft and deep and rich. I knew I'd love waking up to it every single morning for the rest of my life...
"Then I'll never let you leave," I murmured.
His smile grew, narrowing his eyes. They were sparkling again...
"A little possessive?" he asked.
"Yes..." I said slowly, watching his face while I caressed his skin. "I'm the bad guy, so I'm allowed."
"So bad..." he said, chuckling lightly.
"You don't know the half of it," I said with a smile.
He said nothing while he continued playing with my beard. Bonding was best enjoyed in silence, so that moment didn't really need words. The alpha spirits in us needed this peace and quiet to learn more about each other through their subtle messages. I understood why my alpha was so eager to claim this boy, but I couldn't fully understand why Rene's was showing willingness to be claimed by it. By me, this old mafioso... He was so young, with a full life ahead of him. He'd easily find someone better if he only waited for longer.
But I wasn't going to judge his judgment.
For he was mine now.
We stayed there on the couch, exchanging only a few words here and there until our food arrived half an hour later.
"You ordered... Four?" Rene asked with wide eyes after I closed the door.
"So you can try different things," I said with a smirk, holding the four boxes of pizza in my hands. "Come. Let's see if we'll find your favorite."
After we entered the kitchen, I laid out the boxes in the middle of the dining table and opened all of them. Rene stayed behind to stare at all the food while I went to grab us plates and something to drink. Sodas. Rene was way too underweight for anything alcoholic.
"It smells like heaven," I said with a groan when I returned to Rene. "Smell anything good?"
He glanced at me, then leaned closer to take a sniff. "I... This...?" he then said, pointing at the pepperoni one.
"That's my favorite," I said with a smile and took a piece for him. But when I gave him the plate, he only stared at it, not saying a word. "What's the matter?" I asked quietly.
He finally took the plate from me, but again, only stared at it for a long time. Then he opened his mouth, but glanced at me and closed again.
"Hey...?" I breathed out, resting my hand on his back.
"It looks good," he said, his voice weak again.
"What's the matter, baby boy?" I asked gently.
"Last time I ate pizza..." he said, staring at his slice. "I'd dug it out of trash..."
"What...?"
"I was homeless before he..." he muttered. "Before he found me."
"Oh, baby boy..." I said quietly, hugging him gently. "I'm so sorry."
He shook his head. "It wasn't that bad. The homeless people are nice... There always was someone who could help, so... But I don't miss the moldy food."
"No more moldy food," I promised, trying to smile even though my heart was bleeding for this kid.
His family was dead... That's why he'd lived on the streets.
I watched as he picked up the slice, then took a careful bite out of it. He froze for a brief moment, then groaned, his eyes closing.
"Good, right?" I asked.
"So good..." he said, taking another bite.
"You'll need all the greasy food for now," I said, moving my hand on his side, careful whenever my fingers ran past his ribs. "So eat up. There's plenty."
"You should too," he said.
"Huh?"
"You should eat too. You don't usually eat much," he said.
I frowned, not really understanding his words, but then it hit me. "Oh, uhm... I do eat, but... When you're around, I'm too busy watching you. You know, to make sure you're eating well."
"Oh," he said, glancing at me. "Just to make sure I'm eating well?" he asked innocently.
I couldn't stop a smile forming on my face. "Well... It just so happens that you're very nice to look at," I said quietly, sounding braver than I felt.
A shy kind of smile appeared on his lips, and he bowed his head and looked away from me. My alpha read it as an invitation, but I held back in case Rene's alpha didn't understand what kind of message it was giving us, and he was inviting us to bond by accident. I feared he'd never learned our natural body language while in captivity, and I didn't want to take advantage of that. Especially since he was showing submissive behavior by looking away, leaving his neck and shoulder vulnerable.
Rene stayed still, peering at me from the corner of his eye. He then lowered his shoulder and moved his chin toward it, still watching me. Now that was a clear invite, not an accident.
With a smile, I slowly leaned in to caress his skin with my nose. He shivered while I tried to find his scent. My touch must've tickled him... but I didn't stop. I slowly moved my nose up on his neck, then back down, breathing out in loud bursts to send a message of my own: 'your scent pleases me'.
In response, he put his plate away and turned a little toward me. When I returned to the crook of his neck where his scent was the strongest, he carefully pressed his cheek against mine and nose on my shoulder. He mimicked my loud breaths as he took in my scent, and I smiled.
So... He felt the same...
I focused on his scent and rubbed that specific spot on his neck a little harder, trying to trigger his pheromones. His body probably was still too weak to produce them, but maybe if I teased him a little, I'd get a little something out of him. In the meantime, Rene didn't have to do much for my alpha to drown him in mine. A simple touch was enough, so I didn't have much time before he'd get too sleepy to stand.
"You should keep eating," I muttered against his skin. "You'll fall asleep if you breathe in my pheromones."
"But I want to learn more..." he murmured.
"Eat first, then you can continue," I said.
He let out a disapproving snort, but turned his head away and grabbed his slice.
"That's a good baby boy..." I murmured, then continued massaging his neck with my nose.
He put his arm around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder, but kept it turned away so he could keep eating. I wrapped my arms around his lower back to hold him still while I tried to tease a little bit of pheromones out of him. I was determined... I needed to learn everything about his scent. The fact that it was just about strong enough for me to know I absolutely adored it was driving me crazy because I wanted more.
I pulled back and tried with my fingers instead, but no matter how carefully I tried to feel my way around, I couldn't find the gland. I had no better luck when I tried to find it on the other side of his neck. They were completely dried out.
I let out a sigh, finally giving up. All I could do was to wait and be patient. He would grow strong soon enough.
I hugged him gently, holding him just to enjoy him in my arms a little while longer. Eventually, I had to force myself to let go of him so we could sit down to eat.
We had a fun little pizza tasting party. Rene's initial guess had been correct, and he quickly declared the pepperoni-and-cheese pizza his favorite. He was able to eat quite a lot, which soothed my mind. His appetite was growing each day, and even though he couldn't eat even half as much as I did, it was still good enough for a man his size.
We did end up with a lot of leftovers, but since I was supposed to cook the next day as well... Well... We'd end up needing those leftovers.
I also treated Rene's hand, cleaned it, and used a lot of salve to help it heal and numb the pain before wrapping it up in bandages. The stronger he became, the faster the wound would heal, though it was healing quite nicely already. Maybe in a week it would be fully healed.
Then it was time for him to get some sleep.
"One day, I will make the best damn casserole anyone has ever heard of," I declared playfully as I was taking him up in his room.
He snorted lightly in amusement. "It's always good to have goals."
I laughed at his words. "You don't believe in me?"
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye and said nothing. I shook my head in amusement.
We stopped behind his door, and I opened it for him.
"You should try to get some sleep. It's been a long day," I told him quietly, leaning against the doorway.
He glanced at his bed, then at me. Then, slowly, he reached for my hand. I let him take it. I also let him pull me into his room.
"You need company?" I guessed while he closed the door.
He gave me a little nod, then led me to his bed.
"I sleep better... With you here," he explained quietly.
"I see," I said gently. "Of course I'll stay if you want."
He took off his hoodie and pants, leaving only his T-shirt and boxers on, then climbed in the bed and hid under the covers. I sat down on the edge, watching him get comfortable next to me. Once he settled down, he gave me an expecting look.
"Is this not enough?" I asked.
"No..." he murmured, patting the spot next to him. "Stay with me."
"When you say stay...?"
"I don't want to wake up alone," he whispered.
"Okay," I said and stood back up to take off my clothes.
I could feel those baby blue eyes on my body the entire time...
Once I had only my boxers on, I climbed back in the bed. Rene lifted his covers, and I joined him under it. I had a small smile on my face while he nestled against my chest, using my arm as his pillow while I carefully rested my hand on his side, slowly pulling him closer.
He was so tiny next to me...
"Is this better?" I asked once he'd made himself comfortable.
"Uh-huh..." he said with a nod, but he wasn't closing his eyes. They were still on me.
"You're supposed to sleep now," I said.
"I know..."
I carefully moved my hand up to rest it on his cheek. I caressed his skin gently, tenderly.
"Will you now fall asleep?" I whispered.
"Maybe..."
"You need to close your eyes first," I noted.
"I know, but..." he murmured, bringing his hand to my face to play with my beard again.
"But what?"
"I don't want to just yet," he admitted.
"I see," I breathed out.
I didn't mind staring into those pretty blue eyes, especially when they were staring back, his delicate fingers studying my face, his smooth, soft skin against mine. There was a small, happy smile forming on his lips. And I guess mine as well, but I was too mesmerized by him to realize that.
He shifted even closer, his body pressing against mine. Our noses touched, and he tenderly rubbed the tip of mine with his. I loved it... I loved this closeness with him. The alpha in me was almost purring because of how comfortable he was with this smaller alpha. I was fine with the idea of staying in this bed with Rene forever...
And then, he moved his chin up... just a little... and I felt the whispering touch of his lips against mine. I couldn't tell if he got a little spooked by it, or waiting for my response since he stayed still, holding his breath. I smiled before moving my bottom lip just a little against his, encouraging him. He gave me the cutest little smile when peered at my lips. He knew what he wanted...
And he was ready to take it.
His eyes sparkled when he shyly leaned in and carefully pressed his lips on mine, giving me a soft, lingering kiss. I melted under his touch...It felt right. It felt so right I couldn't understand how I'd been able to live all these years without him...
But now I was his. Like he was mine, I was completely his.
When he pulled back, he looked adorable... He was smiling widely, but he tried to hide it by biting his lower lip. He turned his head away, blushing, so I touched his chin to get him to look at me. When he did, his expression was so tender and warm I wanted to kiss him again. Somehow, I managed to hold myself back.
"Will you now sleep?" I asked him with a smile.
"Maybe," he murmured.
I chuckled lightly and pulled him tightly against my chest.
"Try to sleep now. I'll watch over you," I muttered in his ear, slowly caressing his back.
"Okay," he whispered, his arms slowly going around me. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, baby," I said.
And I stole another kiss by brushing his cheek with my lips.
[Psst, Ream subscribers can read this chapter in Rene's point of view]