Word Count: 1566
¬Abella
I wander from my bedroom at around mid-morning.
Last night's dream still lingers in my mind, clinging to my skin as if it can be seen by anyone I walk past. The maids who tended to my room, servants who pass by wordlessly...it's as if they know that what I experienced last night was sinful. I know it's impossible for them to know the decision I have to face, with Noah and Cian, yet it still feelings like walking through here has me stripped bare to my soul.
Following the instructions of a note left on my bedside table this morning, I make my way into a dining area set up right at the balcony at the front of the manor. Stace is sitting there, lounging back in his chair, letting the warm glow of the sun bathe him in colours of white-good and butter.
"Good morning, sleep well?" He asks gently, as I come to sit opposite him at the small table. Under the glistening sunlight, he looks otherworldly, with his tattoos which I swear are always moving, ebony hair shading his forehead as dark eyes stare me down. His handsomeness is always striking, always taking me by surprise.
"Better than ever," I reply, hoping it's not obvious that I had a dream last night that has shaken me to my core. Stace seems none the wiser, swirling amber liquid around his tea cup idly.
"I want you to feel comfortable here. Like this could be your home," he explains, motioning around us. The scent of the sea lingers on the breeze, a pleasant addition to an incredible breakfast spread. Stace is really doing all he can to convince me of how wonderful this place is. He doesn't have to, though. I've felt more than comfortable the moment I arrived here.
I tilt my head back, catching the breeze in my hair, feeling it tousle it gently. "This place feels normal, like it's meant to be. Now I'm not even sure I want to go back."
"Don't feel like you have to. There is a space for you here as long as you please," he offers, his smile warm.
"It's a lot to think about."
"I'm hoping to make that choice easier for you," he says softly, tone lowering deeply. "I hope you don't hate me for inviting Noah here for the day."
I sit up, looking around for a sight of the Alpha, finding nothing. Placing my hand over my chest, I marvel at how quickly the thought of Noah accelerated my heart rate dramatically. It's because of the dream last night, I tell myself. I don't think I'll be able to see his lips again without thinking about kissing him that dream.
"Did you?"
"He's outside. I told him I wanted to ensure you were okay with this before I went through with it," Stace tells me. I blink, unsure of whether I'm excited or mortified with the idea of him being here.
Stace seems to read my mind, motioning to his right, where a door likely leads to more balconies that can't be seen from here. Getting up, I warily wander into another room, seeing the glass door to the balcony left wide open, curtains billowing gently in the breeze.
Sure enough, leaning against the railing of the balcony, is Noah, his back facing me. His skin practically glows golden under the warm sun, a soft shimmer coming off his ebony hair, which he brushes back casually.
"Noah...You're here," I breathe.
He turns around, emerald eyed finding, the verdant shade making me shiver as it reminds me of what I saw in my sleep just last night. He seems, that soft, gentle smile that I know he only gives me, and no one else. Because I'm his mate, and the way he feels about me is completely unique.
"I'm home. This is where we are both from," he says. Behind him, the ocean is tumultuous, tousled by the wind. With him in front of it, it looks truly right, and not out of place.
"It's beautiful here," I admit, unsure of what to do with my hands, not sure where to look. Cian has seen me naked, and Noah has said things to me before that would make anyone flush, yet this one dream seems to have more weight than all of that.
"Let me take you on a date, to somewhere special. Somewhere I've been many times before, when I've come to visit with Stace," Noah offers, revealing at the same time that he has visited here on many occasions.
I nod numbly, unsure of what else to do. "Okay, I like the sound of that."
***
Maybe it's wrong having agreed to this when Cian is back in the mortal realm, blissfully unaware.
But as Noah stands before me on the beach, sinfully diaphanous white shirt showing his golden skin beneath, I can't think of anywhere else I would like to be. Gently, he lays a blanket down upon the sand, having found a beach not far from Stace's estate. Beyond us, a liquid blanket of silver and turquoise washes up gently against the sand, nowhere close to where we sit.
"I'm glad we finally get to spend some real time alone together. It feels like someone was always getting in our way," he smiles, leaning back on his elbows next to me, while I remain sitting up, hugging my legs.
I know what he means by that. He's worried I haven't felt the bond between us because I've spent so much time doing other things rather than concentrating on us.
Little does he know...
"Yeah, I agree."
"Everything okay?" he asks gently.
"I've just so much to think about. This is like living a whole new life, being brought here, told I'm a whole other person," I sigh, my voice nearly being carried away with the gentle lapping of the waves. "Not to mention this decision I have to make, between you and Cian. Oh, and I have magical abilities I'm yet to discover, and never know when I will."
"Hey," Noah soothes, sensing my growing frustration with every word. He places a hand on my knee, as I outstretch my legs. Just one touch makes me flinch, feeling blooming within me that I hadn't realised were there.
I mean, I've never been able to ignore how devastatingly beautiful and alluring Noah is. The moment I met him I felt unnaturally drawn to him, to the idea of being with him in a variety of different ways.
Now I know he is my mate, all of these are possible.
"What would you do if I didn't choose you?" I ask, the words burning my lisp as if they shouldn't be said. Neither Cian or Noah deserve to be let down, but neither deserve to have to fight over me for the rest of their lives. I want this to end as quickly as possible, in the nicest way I can.
Noah's eyes flicker, darkening. "It would be hard, but no matter what, I respect you, above all else. Whatever you decide, I will trust will be what is right for you."
"And if I picked?" I try.
"Then I would love you with everything I could, and give you the best life possible," he admits warmly, making a foregin feeling blossom from within me, even as he continues. "If you chose me, I would no longer have to desire you in secret."
My blood warms, just as my cheeks do.
I shouldn't be surprised that he desires me. He's my mate, and I desire him to. "You shouldn't say that."
"I know it doesn't surprise you that I feel more than just emotional desire for you," he breathes. Suddenly he's leaning toward me, the heat and the scent of his body washing over me, making the surface of my skin tingle. "The moment I saw you...you have no idea what thoughts came into my head at the sight of you."
With my heart unable to calm down, my limbs quivering, I don't move as I realise Noah is leaning in, emerald gaze cast down to my lips.
He's going to kiss me. And I want him to.
Reaching up, his hand holds the side of my face, as he brings his lips to mine. The softness of his lips, the taste and scent of him, it all feels so right. Gently cradling the back of my head, he leans me downward as his lips move against mine, resting my head against the blanket.
This doesn't feel like anything I've had before. The heat between us increases, as the pace of the kiss builds-up, my hands delving into his silken strands. My future choice in mates seems worlds away, as I'm lost in the feeling of his hands, which pull my hips up against his, letting me feel every contour of him against me.
"Let me take you home," he murmurs against my lips, sounding utterly breathless.
I'm not exactly sure where home is, but regardless I nod, smiling against him.
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Want to read ahead? Noah is now officially completed over on RADISH. Go check it out!! (:
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Cian now has his own story up in Radish! Feel free to check it out, but not before completing Alpha Noah (:
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~Midika 💜🐼