The Light in Us

65. Fallon

65

Fallon

I haven’t been in their garden before.

Your garden now, too.

I shake my head at myself, smiling. Even my thoughts have been Teddy-fied , my pack inching their way into every piece of my heart.

I can’t stop smiling.

Carefully, I grip the coffee in my hands. Greenery sprawls out in front of me across the large space, and I follow the winding path until I reach the converted shed Wilder told me about.

Zeke’s workshop.

“Zeke?” My voice is quiet. Too quiet, so I call a little louder. “Zeke?”

I start chewing on the inside of my cheek.

He’s my alpha. My scent-matched mate.

So why do I feel so… nervous ?

At the crash that comes from inside, I step back, startled. Zeke appears at the door, out of breath. “Fallon!”

Suddenly shy, I thrust the coffee at him. “I made you this. I’ll go now.”

I’m turning when a hand gently snags my arm.

Zeke studies my face, his eyes softening. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s the matter?”

My lip starts to wobble.

Grow up, Fallon. Stop being so damn needy.

“Fallon.” Zeke looks more alarmed now. He slides his hand down to tangle in mine, tugging me through the door of the shed and setting the coffee I made him down on a sideboard before he turns to me. “Please. What is it?”

I swallow. “Are you… disappointed? In me?”

It would be unusual, but it does happen. Scent-matches are fairly rare, and all the more revered for it, but it wouldn’t be the first time an alpha rejected their mate.

And that would be fine.

I have Fox, and Wilder. Teddy and Rowan.

I burst into tears.

Zeke doesn’t pause. He sweeps me up easily, cradling me like he did that day when he ran with me before he strides over to a chair and settles us both in it. His lips are pressed together, and I duck my head.

I shouldn’t have asked.

But his large hand nudges up my face. And he looks so upset at that moment that my stomach bottoms out. “Zeke—,”

He slams his lips against mine. Hard, fast possession, his hand reaching up to grip the back of my neck as my toes curl.

And beneath me…

He pulls away. “Does that feel like I’m disappointed in you, sweetheart?”

Mute, I shake my head.

In fact, it’s a little frightening. It feels as though I’m sitting on a tree trunk.

But he’s not finished. “Fallon… I’m so sorry if I’ve given you any impression that I’m disappointed in you. I feel incredibly lucky to be your scent-match.”

I’m flushing now, because I’m an idiot. “It’s just – you’ve been leaving early a lot. And coming back late. And I thought—,”

His brows crease. And he sighs. “I knew I’d make a mess of this.”

Carefully, I slide my fingers over his cheek, feeling the scraping of his beard. “You’re not making a mess of this.”

“I am.” He turns and presses a kiss to the palm of my hand. “I… I’ve been making you something. That’s why I haven’t been around so much. I was trying to get it finished, so you could have it as soon as possible.”

My heart leaps inside my chest. “You have?”

He nods. He kisses my lips again before he shifts me on his lap. “Knees either side, so I can keep my hands free.”

It places his cock directly between my thighs as I face him. My scent trickles out, and Zeke’s ears turn an interesting shade of scarlet as he reaches for a drawer in his desk, pulling it open. “Close your eyes, baby.”

I hear what almost sounds like a whispered prayer before he places something in my hands. “You got me a book?”

“Open your eyes and see.” His words are gruff.

Slowly, I open them, and look down.

“It was the only thing you wanted to bring with you,” he says softly. “I’ve never rebound a book before, so I had to learn quickly. It took longer than I thought it would.”

The paper cuts on his hands.

The disappearances.

And—

I can barely breathe as I stroke my finger over the cover. The familiar, slightly cracked cover of The Light in Us gleams back at me. “You fixed it. For me?”

My voice is a whisper.

Zeke clears his throat. “I tried. A few pages are slightly shorter from the tearing. But they were all there, thanks to you.”

I carefully crack the cover open.

My dad’s words are still there, still on the title page in his familiar handwriting. My eyes begin to burn.

Ellis ripped it apart. And Zeke… Zeke put it back together.

A little like me. The Smith pack ripped me apart.

But this pack… the Quill pack is piecing me back together.

“I know it’s not a typical mating gift.” Zeke rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’m not… I’ve never been very good at guessing. And I thought you’d rather have this. But I’ll learn what you like, and you can have anything—,”

His words cut off as I throw my arms around his neck, making sure I keep hold of the book. My tears soak into his neck. “Thank you. Thank you .”

He runs a gentle hand over my back. “You never need to thank me. Especially not for this.”

I don’t say anything. I just hold onto him, gripping him tightly with one hand and my other clutching the book he learned how to fix, just for me.

When I’ve stopped crying, he wipes at my eyes. “I promise I haven’t been avoiding you. That’s the last thing I want you to believe.”

My laugh is choked. “I do. I’m sorry.”

He smiles as I carefully set The Light in Us on the desk behind me. “And thank you for the coffee.”

I grin back at him. “Your present beats mine by a landslide.”

Zeke brushes his finger against my lips. And his eyes are almost wondering. “Not to me.”

My heart clenches for my mate. For this huge alpha with a bigger heart. “You could ruin me, you know, Zeke Quill.”

His brows knot. “I’d never do that to you.”

I believe him. He inhales when I lean in and press my lips to his.

This time, his lips are more… uncertain. He grows bolder as I trace the line of his mouth with my tongue, his hands sliding down to grip my hips as he presses into me.

Testing, I rub myself over the behemoth between my legs, and Zeke freezes. “What are you doing, mate?”

I flick my eyes up from under my lashes, feigning innocence. “Nothing.”

When I rub again, his eyes narrow. “Really?”

“Mmhmm.” I swivel my hips, and he hisses between his teeth.

“Fallon, I… I haven’t…done this before.”

We haven’t been together like that. Smiling, I aim for the area of throat on display above his black tee, sucking on it as he shudders. “I know. This is our first time.”

I hope.

“No.” He’s blushing now, his cheeks a deep red. “I mean…I’ve never done this before. Any of it. I was waiting. For… for you.”

My movement stops. All of it.

“Oh,” I whisper. “ Zeke .”

He shakes his head. “I know it’s stupid. I’m twenty-eight. But I never… I never met anyone I could imagine wanting to do that with, when I was hoping my mate was out there somewhere.”

I drop my gaze. “I…,”

But his hands are firm. “I don’t care. Not in the slightest, Fallon.”

He runs a reverent finger down my neck, and I shiver. “I just wanted you to know. In case I mess it up.”

“Impossible,” I murmur, leaning in to kiss him again.

I mean it. Our lips dance together, the soft music playing in the background the only sound as I slide my hands beneath Zeke’s tee. He’s breathing heavily when I peel it over his head and toss it. Slowly, I raise my hands up.

His hands span my ribcage as he pushes my soft sweater up and over my head.

“I don’t like bras,” I whisper. He swallows, shaking his head.

“Perfect.”

His hand swallows my breasts, covering them entirely and half of my ribs on top. He’s completely focused on me as he massages them, and I brace myself on his knees as I lean back against the desk.

He leans forward. He doesn’t suck on my nipple. He kisses it, so fucking gently I want to cry. “You’re exquisite, Fallon.”

I feel it, as he touches me. I shift to my feet for a moment to tug off my jeans and watch him do the same. His cock—

“Fuck,” I breathe. Even the tip of Zeke’s nose turns scarlet.

He shifts uncertainly. “Maybe we should go to the floor?”

I shake my head and take my mate’s hand.

I’m going to show him exactly what he’s been missing.

He follows my lead as I press him back into his chair, but his breathing stops as I drop to my knees and wrap my hands around his cock.

Zeke’s scent pours out, woodsy and herb-like. Comforting, like an embrace as I lean down and suck his head into my mouth.

He almost roars my name, his hips bucking. “Fallon!”

And I smile around him as I take him deeper. Inch by inch, my cheeks hollowing out as I take as much of Zeke’s cock as I can manage, covering the base with my hands and pumping in time with my head.

I hear a crack, glance up to see Zeke releasing the arm of his chair.

“Come here,” he says hoarsely. “Please, baby. I want you on top of me.”

And I want my mate inside me. So much so that when I stand, Zeke’s eyes zero in on the slick coating my inner thighs. He shudders. “Let me see you. Please.”

My breathing stutters as I slowly lower my hands, and spread myself, so he can see my pussy. Cool air brushes over my clit, making me shiver, and I whimper when Zeke’s hand shoots forward to cover me.

“My mate will never be cold.” He growls the words as his palm massages against me and I grind my clit against him .

I have the feeling that once we’ve practiced a few times, Zeke will well and truly take control of our time together.

But for this time, for the first time, I drink in the uncertainty, this gift that he’s giving me as I climb over him and bear down.

Slowly.

There’s a deep v between his eyebrows, his teeth sinking into his lip and a muscle ticking in his jaw as I slowly rock into him, finding a rhythm.

Our chests are pressed together, his arms a band around me as I gently rock. “You’re so big, Zeke.”

His knot is going to be… a whole new experience.

He pushes my hair back so he can see my face better. “We don’t have to do the knot today.”

I kiss the tip of his nose. “Cute. But I’m definitely taking your knot today.”

I breathe in the noises he makes, the grunt and moans. And he does the same, avidly watching every shift, eyes flickering at every moan.

I gasp when he presses down on my hips. “Softly, baby. But my knot… it’s ready for you.”

My whine rolls out of me as I feel it. Heavy and solid, but with enough flex that I can slowly rock myself over it, feeling it push inside me until it finally seals.

My sweat-soaked forehead drops to Zeke’s chest as he groans beneath me. A low, almost quiet sound, but his heat bursts between my legs, inside my pussy, filling me until I can feel him dripping around the seal he’s created in my body. “Come for me, Fallon. I want to feel you.”

My pussy is already twitching, his words the last thing I need to drag me over the edge as I clamp down with a cry. My teeth sink into Zeke’s shoulder, marking him as his hips shift up.

I slump against him. “I think… I mean. Was that good for you?”

His laugh is almost shy. “I can’t wait to do it again. My knot… it feels so heavy inside you.”

“Because it’s holding all of you inside me.” I kiss him gently. “I could use a nap. All that tree-climbing.”

We grin at each other, both of us suddenly absurdly happy.

“How old are you?” I ask drowsily a little while later. I’m propped against his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat. “I realized I haven’t even asked.”

Zeke kisses the top of my hair. “Fox is twenty-nine. I’m a few months behind him, but twenty-eight. Wilder is the same. And Ro and Teddy have the same birthday. Twenty-six.”

I stretch lazily. “What date?”

“April fifth.”

My mouth falls open. Zeke’s eyebrows fly up. “No way.”

“Oh, Teddy is going to love this. A triple birthday celebration?”

I can’t wait.