♥
Later in the afternoon I head home after watching a movie with Milo at his house. It was nice to be able to relax and feel comfortable in his company. The last place I want to go is home but I know I need to face my father at some point.
No doubt he's going to be furious with me for walking out.
As I say goodbye to Milo, a gentle hug as we part. Each time we embrace or touch skin, it becomes amplified with the progress of the bond between us. Never have I known something so magical to exist, until it happens to you, you won't appreciate it.
For the first time Milo opened up to me.
He has a sex addiction. A sex addiction.
The look on his face when he thought I was going to reject him for struggling. Especially after he told me how he didn't cope very well when he learnt of his mothers death, everyone around him finding their mates. Yet he felt having sex would somehow help him feel something, instead he became addicted.
If he told me this when we first met, he's right, I might not have understood. But now that I've got to know him a bit better, it makes more sense to me. Going out to sex parties, sleeping with multiple wolves, not caring what anyone thought.
Some people might look at that as a dream lifestyle but really, Milo was suffering in silence and letting his numbness eat at him.
I'm glad he trusted me enough to say something because he was so worried about how I'd react and that shatters me into tiny pieces. This whole time he's been hurting and I had no idea.
But I'm more than pleased to hear he's getting the help that he needs. Both of us going to therapy... who would have thought?
And when I asked him if he'd ever cheat on me, the bond told me the answer in big red capital letters. NO. So I believe him. If the bond says it's true then I know I have nothing to worry about because he's been putting all of his time and effort into me.
I'd be able to tell if he had been on another wolf because his scent would change. But now I've heard it from his own mouth, I know he will stick to his word. Even if he struggles, I know the guilt inside him from his wolf would be so unbearable he wouldn't be able to go through with it for his needs.
The idea of eventually having sex with Milo somewhat scares me because I am a virgin and being with him makes me feel nervous. I would have no idea what to do and most likely make an absolute fool out of myself trying.
Considering his news, I'm a lot more calm about it than I thought.
Probably because I understand what it's like to have a constant battle inside your head, mine being my low self-esteem and insecurities. We could relate to each other by feeling like there is always something to prove.
When I get home I head inside and aim towards the stairs, not long before my father emerges from the study down the hall. His dark eyes find mine and I groan internally, the only person I wanted to avoid for the sake of this disastrous conversation.
"Nathaniel!" He barks and I stop on the second step.
I take a deep breath and prepare myself. "Yeah?"
His jaw clenches as he walks towards me, settling by the bannister. "Get down here now."
My feet take two steps until I'm on the same level as he is. Those eyes look murderous but I'm giving him a lazy glare back because I can't be bothered for this. Not after the day I've had with Milo, nothing can ruin my high.
"How dare you show me up in front of Leon and Coby!" He yells under a harsh whisper, not wanting others to overhear the Beta telling off his adult son. "You do not get to just walk away when we call you to a meeting."
I fold my arms over my chest and my dads eyes flare at the action. "I am allowed to do what I want, dad. This is a free country and if I didn't want to be in the conversation, then I am allowed to walk away when I want."
"Don't you dare use that tone with me, boy," he almost growls, stepping up to me but I don't back down.
I've never brawled with my dad but recently it's seeming more and more likely with the stunts he pulls and thinks he can get away with.
"You brought this upon me," I say, keeping my head high. "You dropped me into this without even giving me a flicker of thought. I have every right to react the way I did, you're pushing this on me–"
"Pushing this on you?!"
I narrow my eyes at my father who looks like he could behead me any given second.
"Anyone in this pack would be damn grateful for becoming the Alpha? I don't know what's wrong with you, so incredibly immature and unappreciative for what I've given up for you!" His voice bellows down the hall.
My eyes blink rapidly. "What exactly have you given up for me, dad?"
I watch his nostrils flare in my direction. "Everything to make sure our bloodline carries on in the pack's hierarchy. I didn't work this hard for you to just drop it at my feel like it's nothing."
"Well maybe if you weren't so damn pushy with me about it, I might have come around by myself but no... you always have to make things about you and what you want, make things harder for me than they already are. By pushing this on me, it only makes me want to run in the opposite direction, as far away from you and this pack as possible." I speak loudly.
I don't realise how harsh and nasty my words sound until I say them but they needed to come out. They've been sitting on my chest for years, since mum died. If I didn't get them out then, I would have broken down on myself.
My dad looks dumbfounded, probably because I've never said anything before. Now it's time to take a stand.
"It will be my decision if I become Alpha or Beta and no one else's," I step back and watch his eyes fill with betrayal and annoyance. "I will need time to think about what I want, what's best for me and my own mental health. I'm not going to make myself do something to make you happy. We don't have to live the same life, dad. You need to understand that."
When he says nothing and his fists clench at his sides, I nod back at him and walk up the stairs. I don't hear him come after me or call out, I've most likely shocked him to his core but it's about time.
No more will I be his puppet. I am my own person who can make my own decisions.
As I push my way into my bedroom, I glance down to realise that I'm still in Milo's clothes. No doubt I stink of him but my father didn't even bother to mention it, that's how much he doesn't care about what goes on in my life. Typical.
I throw myself down onto my bed and raise the hoodie over my nose, inhaling shamelessly. My eyes flutter shut at Milo's scent hitting me in the chest, making me fall even deeper into the duvet with utter content.
♥
A few days later I invite Milo over to the pack house when I know my dad and Leon are out for the day. Milo said he wants to meet some pack friends and my sister, yet I haven't told him that he already knows two of them.
"So should I like shoot him down with daggers?" Viola asks.
"No, Vi," I chuckle. "Don't act mean, he's fine. He doesn't need grilling from you."
Zade snorts. "Light humiliation?"
I turn to Elin. "Sort him out please."
Elin grins back at me. "Chill, Nate. We're not going to make this hard for him, he said he wanted to come meet us... not that he realises he has already met me and Zane but still, he made that decision himself. He must be serious."
"He is serious." I nod.
"We'll see about that," Viola folds her arms across her chest.
My eyes roll at her but she's not looking at me. "Oh please," I walk around the kitchen table. "You're not going to say shit to him, Viola. You hate confrontation."
She chews on her lip and then drops her arms. "True."
Milo mindlinks me that he's outside by our gates and I let him in. He looks a bit sheepish but he's still smiling and looking as gorgeous as ever. I've always registered that he has blue eyes but I've never really focused on how much they look like the colour of the deepest ocean.
"So who am I meeting today?" He says as we walk towards the front door.
I hum. "Viola, my twin. And... Elin and Zade."
"Wait," he stops before we walk in the house. His gaze finds mine and he looks concerned. "Elin and Zade?"
"Yeah," I nod. "I know you already know them, Elin told me he's seen you at parties before."
Milo's throat clenches. "I never slept with either of them," he rushes as if I've got the wrong idea this whole time. "I promise, I haven't–"
"Hey," I grip his arm that is covered by his hoodie. "It's fine. I know."
He sucks down a breath and nods. "Good."
"Let's go."
We step inside the pack house and towards the kitchen where they are talking amongst themselves, Milo's scent must alarm them because they spot us when we're still a fair bit away.
I glance at Milo and he flicks his eyes between the three of them. "Guys, this is Milo," I say warmly as I stop before them. "Milo, this is my sister, Viola. And you already know Elin and Zade."
"Sup man," Elin claps a hand on Milo's shoulder. "Been a while since I've seen you."
He smiles up at him and nods. "I know, my priorities have changed. You won't catch me at parties anymore."
Elin nods, pleased with his answer. Then Milo says hello to Zade before turning to my sister. She's sitting in her chair with a knee crossing the other and a gaze that says she's silently judging–or analysing.
Play nice. I shoot down her mindlink. She doesn't even look at me.
"Milo," she starts.
His lips curl gently as he approaches her. "It's nice to meet you, Viola."
Her sandy hair brushes behind her shoulder as she tilts her head towards him. "So you're the one who has been lucky enough to be mated with my brother?"
"Lucky is right," he hums.
My heart slams into my chest like a hammer, Viola's eyebrows raise subtly at the sincerity of Milo's words. "I have to admit you're cuter than I thought you'd be." Viola comments, narrowing her eyes again.
This amuses Milo but I know what's coming and I'm going to kill her later.
"Really?" Milo says smoothly.
Viola hums and leans an elbow on the table. "You see Nate likes to exaggerate things, so I thought when he told me how cute and handsome you were, I thought he was bluffing." She says and Elin laughs under his breath because he knows how much I'm already hating this. "I mean he really swooned ov–"
"Alright, Viola. That's enough," I say, rubbing the back of my neck.
My face feels like a fucking bonfire right now. Milo glances at me, a small grin on those pretty lips. "Well I'm flattered," he says before turning to my sister. "But you can tell your brother that I think he's cute and handsome and I swooned over him too."
God, this room just got a thousand degrees hotter.
Viola's face lights up at my mates words and Elin waves a hand beside him. "Alright, should we leave or something?" He throws his thumb over his shoulder. "Because I realise how this would usually end with words of praise like that."
I punch Elin in the arm gently. "Shut up."
Milo glances at me, eyes dancing with glitter and allsorts. His confidence radiates through the whole room, in a way that makes my body feel lighter and my head clearer.
"We made some food," Zade changes the subject thankfully. "Just some buffet style stuff."
He hums in approval. "I purposely didn't eat. Nate said you were supplying food."
"Only the best," Elin winks before he lifts up the covers from the food. "Help yourself, Milo."
And he does, he makes himself at home and sandwiches himself between Viola and Elin. "Ooooh, try these," Viola says. "They're my favourite."
Milo nods and takes the small cutlet with meat inside. His eyes widen as he bites gently. "Wow," he exhales with his mouthful and then covers it with his hand, laughing gently. "That tastes amazing."
"Right?" Viola grins at him.
I take a plate and sit down beside Zade, opposite the three of them.
No doubt Milo is going to be the new best friend with his bubbly personality.
"What have you been up to then, Milo?" Zade asks casually.
Milo shakes his head. "Not much, focusing on Nate and trying to get back on track with helping my brother with the pack. It's about time I started pulling my weight again, now I'm going to sleep at reasonable times."
"Your brother, Everett, right?" Elin comments.
"Yeah, that's him," he nods back.
Elin smiles. "Nice guy, I remember meeting him once when I had to drop you home after one too many drinks."
"Sure is," Milo says. "Yeah, that's the old me."
"He single?" Viola asks innocently and I resist the urge to laugh.
"Unfortunately not, he's mated to Reign."
I lean onto my forearms, Viola catching my eyes. "She's great," I comment.
"Way to rub it in," she huffs out a breath.
My hand slides across the table and I grip her forearm. "All in good time, Vi. I promise."
"Maybe we should gather all the single straight males in the district and do a 'Take Me Out' style meet up," Elin teases her. "Eliminate all the gross ones first."
Zade laughs loudly. "Oh my God, that would be incredible."
Viola narrows her eyes between the pair. "Absolutely not, that's like my idea of torture."
"You might find your mate?" Zade shrugs simply.
"In my dreams," she leans back in the chair and crosses her arms over her chest. "Time is slipping away."
Milo clears his throat beside her. "You're twenty five, right?"
"Right," she nods.
"Well my brother found Reign when he was twenty eight, almost twenty nine. Time doesn't necessarily mean anything, it just means that you'll appreciate everything a little bit more when you do finally meet them. You'll make up for lost time and love harder than you have ever before."
I focus my eyes on Milo as he speaks to my sister, her eyes light up and she smiles back at him. "I guess that's true," her shoulders relax. "It's hard when everyone around you starts meeting their mates."
"I felt the same," Milo admits. "But hold on, it'll be totally worth it when they finally walk into your life. Times might get tough but we're all destined for happiness, the Moon Goddess won't give up."
Viola's lips curl into such a sincere smile that it tears my heart apart. "Thanks, Milo."
We continue to eat as Elin and Zade bring up a party function that we're forced to go to soon but I can't seem to take my eyes off my mate, the way he fits in like he's been here for years.
I can't help but smile as he catches my eyes, noticing me staring.
What? He says down the mindlink.
My head shakes. Nothing. You're just a great person.
So are you. Thanks for letting me come today.
Pretty sure you're the new favourite.
I don't care whose favourite I am, unless I'm yours.
God, I'm fucking blushing. But thank goodness the attention isn't on me.
Milo notes the tint on my cheeks and his smile increases before his eyes flick back down to his plate of food. I don't know how I'm going to survive when he makes little comments that send my blood thumping through my body.
All I know is... he's certainly making his way up my list as we speak.
♥ ♥ ♥
Read the full completed book and bonus chapters over on Patreon!
www.patreon.com/dreammcatcher
Link is also in bio!
Author's Note
Nate standing up to his father? HELL YES
Nate bringing Milo over to meet his sister? HELL YES
Milo flirting with Nate in front of everyone? HELL YES
This chapter makes me so happy on so many levels!🥰
What did you guys think?👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼
The 'I don't care whose favourite I am unless I'm yours' really took me out and the fact Nate says it's like Milo has meant to be there all along. Ugh makes my heart so full!
Don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoyed!✨
Love Savanna x
Insta: savannaroseauthor
Patreon: dreammcatcher
Tik Tok: SavannaWritess