Page 13 of Take Two (Valleywood: Season Three)
Chapter 13
Phobos
After going three rounds with Declan, exploring each other’s bodies until early morning, I should’ve been exhausted. Every muscle ached in a way I’d never experienced before, and Declan sure wasn’t having any trouble sleeping. I was a little jealous of the way he slipped easily into a deep coma-like sleep. He was draped over me, his leg hooked over mine, arm across my stomach, his breath ghosting over my chest as he breathed slow and even.
Me? I was stuck in an uncomfortable limbo, caught somewhere between awake and asleep.
It wasn’t the muscle ache that was bothering me. In fact, I kind of liked that part of this human experience, but my body didn’t feel entirely like my own. There was a pounding deep in my skull, throbbing with my pulse, and my skin felt like it was stretched too tight. With every blink, my lids scraped over my eyes like sandpaper. When I did manage to get some sleep, I was plagued by these vivid dreams filled with fire and menacing shadows.
I jolted awake to the sound of echoing screams. It took me a few seconds to realize it was all in my head, fading as my brain cleared and reality sharpened around me. My chest was heaving as I struggled to catch my breath.
Just a dream , I assured myself, my hands shaking. It was just a dream. I refused to believe that the lingering burn I felt inside my chest was anything but a lasting hallucination.
Declan sighed in his sleep, rolling away from me. Though my body felt overheated, my skin damp with sweat, I missed the contact immediately. I had a feeling the honeymoon stage of this budding relationship was going to last for a while. I couldn’t get enough of touching him.
There was a faint light coming from around the curtains. I was an early riser by nature, and quite frankly, I’d had enough of trying to sleep. Besides, I had something I wanted to do today before Declan had to open the bar later this afternoon.
I hopped out of bed and grabbed my briefs off the floor, tugging them up before I ran to the bathroom for a little freshening up. I didn’t think Declan would want to share his toothbrush with me, no matter where else our mouths had been last night, so I squeezed some toothpaste on my finger instead. Then I headed back out to make some breakfast. Except…
“There’s no kitchen,” I muttered, looking around the small space. Why hadn’t I noticed that last night? Probably because I’d been a little distracted.
I heard the bedsprings creak loudly as Declan rolled over. “Sure there is,” he murmured sleepily. “It’s right there.” He pointed toward the dresser in the corner, his eyes still closed.
I scowled at the appliance in question. “That’s a toaster, not a kitchen.”
He shrugged, yawning widely as he blinked his eyes open, giving me the first glimpse of his gray eyes, like storm clouds in the morning light. “Good enough for some toaster pastries.”
My groan came out as half growl. Was his wolf already rubbing off on me? “Please don’t tell me that’s what you usually have for breakfast. Don’t you know it’s the most important meal of the day? What about protein?”
He propped himself up on one elbow, his hair in total disarray, and offered me this adorable sleepy smile. “So, you’re a slob, but you can cook?”
“I love to cook, but… not so much the cleaning afterward.” My cheeks heated with a blush, but he didn’t seem to be poking fun at me. Just curious to learn more about me.
“I’ll make you a deal. Anytime you want to cook for me, I’ll do the dishes.”
I found my smile widening. “That sounds suspiciously like an invitation for another date.”
His gravelly chuckle did naughty things to me. “Maybe even more than one,” he said, tossing the blanket off his hips.
And just like that, my eyes zeroed in on his morning wood and my mouth went dry. The sound I made was inhuman.
He smirked, knowing exactly what he was doing to me as he sauntered toward the bathroom, bypassing underwear entirely. “Hold that thought,” he said.
As the bathroom door clicked shut, another wave of heat passed through me, hot enough to sear my skin, but when I looked down at my hands, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Was this what humans felt when they were attracted to someone? When they were… falling in love?
I shivered at the possibility. I didn’t want to compare Declan to Cameron, but it was impossible not to when I’d thought Cameron was the love of my life. The way I was falling for Declan, though, cleared that notion straight out of my head. This was far more intense than anything I’d ever felt before. They were nothing alike, of course, not physically, nor their personalities. I hadn’t done more than kiss Cameron once, but he’d felt almost… passive. I had a feeling he wouldn’t have fought me for dominance in bed like Declan had. It had been thrilling, the push and pull between us.
I knew now that Cameron hadn’t been Mr. Right. He’d been Mr. Good Enough, and if we’d continued dating, it would’ve been settling—for the both of us. I couldn’t blame Cam or my brother for their relationship if this was anything like what they felt for each other.
But there was a part of Declan I still hadn’t explored, and I was dying to know every inch of him—even the parts I couldn’t see.
I made a conscious effort to clean up our mess from last night, even making the bed. I had every intention of showing him that my slovenly ways were a thing of the past.
“Hey, Declan?” I called through the closed door as I started gathering our clothes off the floor. His still reeked like his arousal, and my cock thickened, knowing I’d caused that, but I knew he wouldn’t want to wear them a second day just to appease my alpha need to claim ownership of him. Instead, I dropped them into the laundry hamper then tugged on my jeans and shirt.
The bathroom door opened, and he sauntered out, engorged dick bobbing, looking entirely too edible. “You called?” he purred, leaning against the doorframe in an alluring pose.
I groaned, slapping a hand over my eyes so he wouldn’t sway me with his omega wiles. “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work.”
“What am I doing, exactly?” he asked with fake innocence I didn’t buy for a second. “And why are you dressed?” Even without looking, I could hear his pout.
“You’re trying to seduce me, but I have something else in mind.”
He paused directly in front of me. “I’m listening,” he said, and I risked peeking through my fingers to see him standing too close, but he looked curious at least.
“First, I want to take you out for breakfast, because we burned far too many calories last night, and toaster pastries don’t count as food.”
He smirked but nodded. “Fair enough. What’s next?”
“I thought we could drive out to the woods and I could meet your wolf?” I hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question, but I wasn’t sure how his beast felt about me. Maybe he hated me. I needed to know where I stood with him, because I couldn’t have a relationship with only half of Declan.
Declan’s smirk softened into a gentle smile. “That sounds perfect.”
“Yeah?” I relaxed, though my stomach was still churning with nerves.
“Absolutely. Let me just get dressed.” Even though he was doing exactly what I’d asked, I was still sorry to see his delectable ass disappear beneath a fresh pair of underwear.
I went to grab my jacket, and Declan paused, looking at the made bed. He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Thank you, Phobos.”
Blushing, I shrugged. Such a tiny act as tidying up had made me feel more accomplished than stopping a bank robbery ever had. If that was all it took to make my boyfriend smile at me like that, I would very gladly spend the rest of my life making the bed, just so we could dive in and unmake it all over again.
We ended up getting breakfast to go so we could beat the rush of tourists who liked to hike up near the Valleywood sign. When we got out of the car, the air was still crisp enough to hold our breath in clouds of misty vapor. The sun was still behind the ridge, but the sky was clear, promising a beautiful day.
We didn’t wander far into the trees, just enough that no one in the parking lot could catch a glimpse of what we were up to. Then Declan stopped and turned to face me. “Hold my coat?” he asked, peeling it off. His hands were shaking. Was he nervous too?
I took his coat, then his shirt, pants, and finally underwear. He left his socks tucked into his boots until he stood before me, his skin raised with goosebumps. “I-I’ve never shown my wolf to a non-shifter before,” he admitted.
Wasn’t there a rule about who they could show their beasts to? I was about to assure him that I felt honored to be the first, but before I could say anything, he’d allowed the shift to take him. Fur sprouted, his joints popped into place as he dropped down to all fours, now paws instead of fingers and toes. His face lengthened to a snout, ears stretching. And then, after mere seconds, a wolf stood where my lover had been.
Reminding myself not to drop his clothes into the melting snow, I dropped to my knees instead. “You’re… beautiful,” I whispered in awe, reaching out with my free hand.
I didn’t know if it was safe to touch him, had never bothered to learn shifter etiquette. I remained there, hand outstretched, until his wolf closed the distance. He settled his head beneath my palm and closed his eyes, as if savoring the contact. His fur was softer than I’d expected as I laced my fingers through it.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said when I came up short on what to say. I was fairly sure he understood what I was saying.
Declan’s wolf let out a low whine then stepped straight up to me and licked my face, from chin to forehead. It was better than a handshake. He was happy to meet me too.