☽Ⓛ❈Ⓒ☾

Simultaneously, we both look to our right. We must both feel his gaze and sense his presence at the same time. Standing a few feet away is Altus. Mare is obliviously talking to someone as she stands next to him, but his eyes are on us. It is clear that he has just witnessed our hot kiss because his hands are clenched into fists at his sides and his nostrils are flared.

I am pleased that he is here. My body is always happy to see him, it seems, but I have a feeling that the way to getting him to come round is to show him what he is missing. Temptation will draw him out.

I slip my hand into Asper's and lean in to whisper in his ear, "Dance with me again, I want him to see."

Asper smirks at me and gets to his feet. He leads me over to the dance floor, ensuring that we are still in Altus' line of sight due to the open side doors. He pulls me close and then falls into perfect time with the current song.

As he turns and twists me, leading like an expert partner, I catch glimpses of Altus watching us from the street. He hasn't moved at all; he just remains glaring at the both of us.

At some point, I become lost in the song and forget about him being there. When it comes to an end, Asper spins me back towards his body, catches me and lifts my thigh up around his waist. When we applaud the band once more, I notice, with disappointment, that Altus has gone.

"Shall I take you home?" Asper asks me and I nod.

"What's your place like?" I ask him when we walk back towards his car.

"Do you want to see it? I've had time to clean it now, it's ready for guests again."

I hesitate, wondering whether going back to his place alone, this late in the evening, is a good idea.

"Sure."

I throw caution to the wind and get into his car. Asper drives us across the town to a street called Lupus Close. He parks outside a cute semi-detached house.

He gets out the key and unlocks the front door to let us inside.

"Please forgive how...plain everything is. I hadn't been living here long before I went away for five years. A lot of it still needs decorating."

He shows me around the house, taking me to each of the rooms. Like he mentioned, a lot of it needs redoing. The walls are a simple cream and one or two of the rooms don't even have any furniture in them. The guest bedroom is empty save for a railing with extra clothes hanging on it.

"I always thought I'd meet my mate on my travels and we'd decorate it together," he explains when we get back to the lounge.

I look out on the illuminated garden. It's very basic, with only a couple of flower beds and some fencing that backs onto the forest.

"Do you want a drink? I don't want to take you home yet."

"I'm not sure what I fancy," I admit to him.

Well, I know I fancy him.

"To drink," I clarify, and he grins at me.

"I have decaf coffee; do you want a cup?"

"That sounds great, actually. Thank you."

I carry on nosying around the room, looking at pictures that he has hanging on the walls, whilst he boils the kettle for our drinks.

"You haven't mentioned your family, do you see your parents much?" I ask him casually.

He pours our drinks and brings the mugs over to the sofa where we sit down.

"My parents died when I was a child. I was raised by my grandmother, but she passed away when I was twenty-one. I've got an aunt who lives in the pack, but we're not much closer than I am with the other pack members. We're all family in bond in Arcis, anyway."

"I'm sorry, it must awful to lose so much family. I've only lost my mum and well, now my auntie, too."

"Are you close with your dad?" Asper asks and takes a sip of his drink.

I nurse the warm mug on my lap. "Yeah. We don't talk every day, but we text a lot and call most weekends. He lives in Dubai, so he doesn't visit much, but it's always special when he does come over."

We talk back and forth as we drink our coffee. When I'm done with my cup, I put the empty mug down on the side table and curl my legs up to my chest. Asper puts down his mug and pulls me into his side. I cuddle into him and rest my head on his chest.

I really want to fall asleep here. I don't want to go back to my bed and sleep alone. I want to stay in his arms.

"I had a really good time tonight, thank you," I tell him sleepily.

"So did I. I'm sorry about Altus."

"I'm glad he saw us. I'm hoping we can make him burn with jealousy so intensely that he gives up and joins us."

I don't even know how 'us' would work, but I want to find out. I'm willing to try being in a three-way relationship, especially if it will fill the hole in my heart.

"I was thinking about your conversation with him earlier. He cited Mare as his reason for not being with us. I think, if we can sort out her situation, we can get him to accept us."

"How are we supposed to do that? Do we find her mate?"

"That's impossible, only she can find her mate. But, we can definitely speak to Alpha Satura and see if she can talk some sense into Mare. She's probably already tried, but maybe she can give Mare the chance to meet him or something."

"Good idea."

I lean back to look at him. His dark eyes scan over my face as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His fingertips graze over my cheek, along my jawline and up to my lips. He runs his index finger along my bottom lip, and I purse my lips to kiss the pad.

He smiles and replaces his finger with his mouth, kissing me softly at first. I put my arms around his neck and pull him closer. We press against each other on the sofa, and he lifts me up and onto his lap. His tongue strokes along the seam of my lips, silently asking me to open up.

He tastes of coffee and Asper. It's an addictive combination and my tongue explores his mouth eagerly, wanting more of the taste. He pulls me higher on his lap so that our crotches are directly in line. Through the fabric of our clothing, I can feel his erection pressing against me. I grind against it instinctively, sending a rush of pleasure through my clit.

His hands drop to my hips, and he encourages me to gyrate them, grinding me against his hard-on. I tangle my fingers in his straight black hair, feeling the smooth strands slide through them.

We both pull back at the same time. It's as though we have both had the same mutual thought that this is heading into dangerous territory; a territory we would both find it difficult to control ourselves in.

Both of us are reluctant to take things further without Altus. It's like we need to know 100% that he is not going to be joining us before we will go any further than kissing. Doing this without him feels like cheating almost. It's wrong in some way. He should be here.

"I'm sorry," I whisper and slide from his lap.

He quickly rearranges himself in his trousers. "Don't apologise. I'm sorry, too. That got a little...intense."

"I liked it, though," I confess shyly.

He smiles, leans over, and pecks me on the lips. "So did I. A little too much, it seems." We both chuckle as he gestures to his crotch. "Come on, I'll take you home."

I feel deflated on the car ride home. We had such a good evening and I just want to stay with him. Asper seems to be feeling the same way. I lean across the console to kiss him goodnight and he waits until I have gone inside to drive away.

I sag against the door and silently pray that Altus comes to his senses. There is only so long I can keep feeling like this; so elated one minute and so empty the next. He doesn't understand how much he is affecting both Asper and I with his decisions. He's being selfish under the guise of being selfless.

Tomorrow, we need to talk to Satura. If anyone can do something about this; the Alpha can.

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