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  “I’m the one that should be asking for forgiveness.”

  “It was all a misunderstanding, by a lot of people and no one is to blame. I have complete faith that you and Lexi will move past this quickly once you talk.” Jesse gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

  “Thank you, Alpha mate.”

  “Bailey, your family now. Please call us Micah and Jesse.”

  Bailey gave Jesse a big smile and nodded. “Okay. Thank you…Jesse.”

  “Good, that’s better. So, why don’t you go ahead and watch over your man, and I’ll bring you up something to eat. You never got to have dinner.”

  “No, you don’t have to―” Bailey started to protest but Jesse cut him off.

  “I insist. You must be at least a little hungry. And don’t worry about your job at the café. I already spoke to Gypsey and he said to take all the time you need, your job will be waiting for you when you get back,” Jesse informed him.

  Bailey nodded and tried to keep the tears from escaping. He was so touched by the Alpha couple and everything they had said to him and were doing for him. “Thank you,” he managed to whisper.

  Jesse gave him a big smile and then hugged him. He pulled back and took the Alpha’s hand and the pair walked away. Bailey turned and went back to his mate’s bedside.

  * * * *

  Lexi sighed as he felt his head clearing. He was slowly becoming more conscious of his body and his surroundings. What the hell happened? His eyes began to flutter and light started to burn his eyes. His head pounded and his body felt like it weighed a ton. If he didn’t know any better he would say he had one hell of a granddaddy hangover. Damn, even his balls hurt like he had been kicked in the jewels. He opened his eyes slowly and it took a moment for him to recognize he was in his own room, in his own bed. How the hell did I get here? The last thing he remembered was being in the game room playing pool with Taylor. Then Taylor left to get ready for dinner. He grabbed himself a beer and went to the window. That’s all he remembered.

  He tried to stretch his sore muscles, but his body felt weighted. He lifted his head slightly and looked around. His eyes stopped and his breath froze, when he spotted his mate sitting in a chair next to the bed and he was sleeping. “Now I know I’m dreaming,” he whispered.

  His mate’s lids fluttered and his eyes opened. Those beautiful amber pools just stared at him for a moment. Suddenly realization shone in his eyes and Bailey sat up straighter. “You’re awake,” his cute mate said softly.

  Lexi swallowed and his throat felt like he had swallowed glass. He tried to lick his lips but couldn’t get enough moisture. He watched as Bailey sat forward and grabbed a cup from the nightstand. He brought the straw to Lexi’s lips and he opened for it. The icy cold water slid down his throat, soothing the pain. He took another sip and dropped his head back to the pillow.

  “What―” His voice was whispered and raspy. He cleared his throat and tried again. “What happened?” It came out a little better, but his voice still sounded like sandpaper.

  “The Alpha found you unconscious in the game room,” Bailey said softly and looked down at his lap. His fingers played with the cup. “Aaron said you overstressed your body. You needed time to fully heal and you didn’t do that, so your body took over and did it for you.”

  “Well shit. I guess that’s why I feel like I was run over by a room full of Kardashians headed for the lipo surgeon.”

  Bailey chuckled softly and looked at him.

  “Mmmm, now there’s a nice sound,” Lexi groaned.

  “What?” Bailey asked.

  “You laughing. Such a great sound, I like it,” Lexi said with the faintest of smiles. Bailey blushed and looked down again.

  “Damn, pretty baby, you’re killing me here,” Lexi growled.

  Bailey’s eyes snapped to his in surprise. “What? What did I do?” he asked in concern.

  “That adorable blushing you do makes me hard as a rock,” Lexi said with a smile. Bailey turned redder and looked away.

  “I see you’re feeling better.” Taylor snickered as he walked into the room carrying a tray.

  “Hey, Tay. Thanks for the tray,” Lexi said.

  “Get a load of him,” Taylor said and placed the tray on the bed. “He’s a poet and he didn’t even know it.” Taylor laughed. Lexi and Bailey both chuckled. “As much as I would love to take credit for bringing you some nourishment, alas, I cannot. I had no idea you were awake. This is for Bailey,” Taylor said and looked to Bailey with a bright smile. “Good morning, sunshine. Don’t tell me you slept all night in that chair again?”

  “Again? What do you mean again?” Lexi asked in concern.

  “You,” Taylor said, giving him the evil eye, “did not take care of yourself and ended up passed out on your back for four days. And your adorable mate here”―Taylor turned his head and gave Bailey a warm smile―“hasn’t left your side.”

  “What?” Lexi looked at Bailey with shock and adoration. “You stayed with me?” he asked in a whisper. Bailey gave him a shy look and nodded. “Why?” Lexi asked in general confusion.

  “You’re my mate. Isn’t this where I’m supposed to be?” Bailey asked.

  Lexi’s smile dropped and his eyes filled with sadness as he looked down. “Oh.”

  “Oh no. Not gonna happen,” Taylor said. “Bailey did not mean what you think he meant, so stop it right now before people start getting hurt feelings.”

  Bailey looked at Taylor wide-eyed. “I’m confused.”

  “Lexi took what you said wrong,” Taylor explained. “He thinks you only stayed here with him because you feel a moral obligation to stay, not because you wanted to.”

  Bailey’s eyes went wide and he shook his head. “No, Lexi. That’s not what I meant. It’s not just because you’re my mate and so I have to be here. It’s because you’re my mate I wanted to be by your side, not I had to,” Bailey explained in a rush of words. Lexi gave him a big smile.

  “Okay, kids,” Taylor said and stood up. “I’m gonna go get you a tray of your own. I’ll be back shortly.” He moved to the door. “While I’m gone, why don’t you two have a chat?” He raised a brow at Lexi and then left.

  Lexi shifted his gaze to his mate. “Thank you for staying. It couldn’t have been comfortable sleeping in that thing. Are you okay?” Lexi asked with concern.

  “It’s not too bad. I’ve slept in worse places,” Bailey whispered and shrugged a shoulder.

  “That just makes me sad,” Lexi said with pain in his voice.

  “What?” Bailey asked.

  “That you’ve slept in worse places than that chair. It makes me sad to think of you not safe in a warm bed.”

  “Life isn’t always perfect.” Bailey shrugged again. He stood up and went to the tray Taylor left. He lifted the lid and placed it on the foot of the bed, then sat on the edge closer to Lexi. “You must be starving. Here, take my breakfast.”

  “No,” Lexi said softly.

  “But you need it to help you heal. I’ll eat the next tray.”

  “No, Bailey. You eat. I can wait,” Lexi said as he struggled to sit up.

  Bailey placed the tray on the bed and stood. He wrapped an arm around Lexi’s back and Lexi froze, their faces only inches from each other. They stared into each other’s eyes and Lexi could see the heat in his mate’s eyes. Well that’s a good sign, he thought. Bailey shook his head slightly and cleared his throat. He adjusted his arm around Lexi and the two of them managed to get Lexi into a sitting position with his back against the headboard.

  Bailey released his hold on Lexi and grabbed the tray, placing it over Lexi’s lap. “You need to eat. Please…mate,” he pleaded and looked at Lexi with worried eyes.

  “How about we share and when Taylor comes back, we can share the next one, too?” Lexi offered. As if on cue, Bailey’s stomach grumbled. Lexi chuckled and Bailey blushed as he looked down. “Come on, have a seat and help me eat this,” Lexi said and patted the bed next to him.

  Bailey h
esitantly sat on the edge of the bed, facing Lexi. He looked up and gave Lexi a shy smile. “Okay.”

  They began to eat in silence, both stealing glances at each other and giving each other smiles. Lexi chewed on a mouthful of pancakes as he stared at Bailey. “So tell me about you, Bailey,” Lexi said. He could see Bailey’s body and jaw tense up as he looked down. Lexi reached out and placed a hand on Bailey’s. “It’s okay, mate. There’s nothing, and I mean nothing, you can tell me that will make me not want you. I won’t judge you, I promise. I’m sure your past isn’t a good one and that’s why you’re with Evan. I don’t have the best of pasts either. But if you’re not ready to share it with me, it’s okay. I won’t force you. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.” Lexi gave his hand a squeeze and then released it. He could see Bailey’s body relax and he began eating again.

  “So what happened to you exactly?” Bailey asked. “They said you held up a mountain. How is that possible?”

  “Well.” Lexi swallowed and cleared his throat. “We went to go rescue Viktor’s mate, Adam, and to try to stop Malachi again and this crazy-ass witch named Alison. They were hiding out in a cave. Well, Malachi is a pretty powerful demigod. A battle of powers began and the cave started to shake and collapse on us. My gift is the power to control earth. I mean not the whole earth, but I can move the dirt. So as the others were busy with fighting Malachi and Alison, I used my powers to hold the cave back from collapsing in on us. Raith used his power to control water to help, by drawing the moisture up and out, causing an upward suction, and Christian used his power of telekinesis to catch the rocks and shit that were falling and stop it from raining down on us. But that mountain was fucking heavy, I can tell you that. I was starting to weaken when thankfully Ryland’s fae warriors showed up and lent a hand. But when it was all over, I just had no energy left. I had trouble even moving my arms. So when we got back here, I shifted and tried to heal. I slept for a whole day, but I guess it wasn’t enough.”

  Bailey stared at him in shock. “I…I don’t even know what to say. Wow,” he said in awe.

  “Yeah,” Lexi agreed and nodded. “I’m still pretty new to my powers so I still need to learn how to use them.”

  “If you already have your powers, that means you’re three hundred?” Bailey asked in shock.

  “Not exactly, I’m two hundred and eighty. It’s a long story, but we all got our powers recently, regardless of our ages.” Lexi continued to talk, explaining to Bailey how they came about their powers and about Malachi and Brighton. He told Bailey everything about the pack since Jesse and Taylor came into their lives. The food was long finished, including the second tray that Taylor brought up. The more Lexi spoke, the more Bailey relaxed and got comfortable. He no longer sat on the edge of the bed, but was now sitting cross-legged, facing Lexi as he listened to everything Lexi said. He laughed a few times as well as cried, and Lexi found himself falling in love with his mate as the day went on. His genuine interest and concern, as well as his compassion for people he didn’t even really know, made Lexi feel proud to have Bailey as his mate.

  “Wow, and I thought we had an exciting year,” Bailey said with a laugh.

  “So, I told you about me and my clan of misfits, tell me about yours,” Lexi said and shifted so that he, too, was sitting cross-legged, facing Bailey. Their knees were just barely touching.

  “Well, Evan started this home a few years before Josh and I got there. There were two boys there when we arrived, but they are long gone now. Josh is my best friend. He and I have been together for about six years now. We’ve been living with Evan for three years. Josh is great. He’s like my big brother, even though I’m a year and two months older than him. He watches out for me, protects me. He doesn’t let anyone hurt me. He’s really nice, sweet. He’s the least selfish person I know. He always does things to help everyone. He loves tattoos and he just got a job apprenticing over at the tattoo place in town.” Bailey continued to talk and tell Lexi stories of all the other kids at Evan’s home for boys. By the time they were done sharing stories about the people in their lives and bringing each other up to speed on current events, the sun had set and dinnertime had rolled around.

  Jesse and Aaron had come in to see them and check on how Lexi was doing. He told Lexi he could get up and start moving around again, but to be on the safe side, he wanted him to take it easy for another day. Jesse insisted Bailey stay for dinner and then they would set him up in a guest room for the night. Now that Lexi was all healed, there was no reason he needed to sleep on the chair again. Bailey accepted Jesse’s invitation.

  * * * *

  They all sat around the table enjoying dinner and having light, easy conversation. Bailey sat between Lexi and Taylor as he ate and just listened. They went from the everyday mundane, to the problem with the demigod Malachi. Bailey sat fascinated, listening to them all. He watched as the mated couples took care of each other, flirted, and outright enjoyed each other’s company. The way they interacted was so smooth and easy. Bailey envied them and wished that one day he and Lexi would also have that comfortableness.

  “So, squirt, when do you turn eighteen so Lexi can claim you and make an honest man out of you?” He heard the voice come from across the table. He looked up and met the eyes of the guy he thought they called Crew. He sat there staring at Bailey with a smirk.

  “I am eighteen. I’ll be nineteen in a few weeks,” Bailey answered nervously. Until now, no one had asked Bailey anything that made him nervous, but this guy was making him feel as if he were being put under a microscope and studied. He felt like if he said the wrong thing, he would be failing, like it was a test. It made his stomach twist.

  The guy let out a long whistle. “If your mate is already eighteen then why haven’t you jumped his bones already, you sex fiend? I’m surprised your balls haven’t fallen off yet, Lex,” he said with a laugh. “Have you ever gone this long without sex before?”

  Lexi shot him a deadly look and his lip curled up. “Don’t start making waves in the tub, Crew, you won’t like the end result.”

  “Damn, lose your sense of humor too now that you found your mate?” Crew asked.

  “No, but if you’re trying to cause trouble, then I will stop you,” Lexi said in a deadly voice.

  Crew’s eyes widened briefly before he looked down at his plate. “Jeez, find a mate and get instantly cock-whipped around here,” Crew mumbled under his breath.

  “I know what your problem is, Crew,” Taylor said and Crew looked at him. “You’re built upside down.”

  Crew gave him a look of confusion. “How so?”

  “You talk out of your ass, and the only thing that comes out of your mouth is shit,” Taylor said with a smirk. Crew turned bright red and narrowed his eyes at Taylor as everyone around the table laughed.

  “Yeah, well, I swear you have multiple personalities, Taylor,” Crew said back with a smirk.

  Taylor stared at him for a minute as if he was waiting for Crew to say more, but he never did. “Yes, I do, Crew, and none of them like you,” Taylor said with a big smile.

  “Oh shit,” said one of the big guys, Bailey thought they called him Xander, as he laughed.

  Crew looked down at his plate and began playing with his food. The table got quiet after that and it seemed like a tension began to fill the space. Dinner was cleared, dessert was handed out, and everyone ate in silence.

  “I like firm wet balls in my mouth,” a cute, cheery voice said from down the table. Everyone froze and all eyes turned in the direction of the voice. Bailey’s eyes followed as he bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing, and his gaze landed on the adorable blue-haired fae named Noah.

  “Yeah, me too,” Taylor said in a deadpan voice. “Especially salty ones,” he said with a smirk. People started to snicker and laugh under their breath.

  “Mmmm, they good,” Noah said as he spooned another helping of his dessert in his mouth. “I don’t like fuzzy ones,” he said with a straight face. The laughter began to bre
ak free, but Bailey could see everyone trying to hold on to it.

  “Yeah, the fuzzy ones can be a real pain,” Taylor said and tried to maintain his aloof demeanor, but Bailey could see it was beginning to slip. Taylor swallowed hard and took deep breaths as he tried to control himself.

  “I know, right?” Noah said happily, with a big smile. “Hate when the fuzzies get stuck in teeth,” he said with a smirk and looked directly at Taylor.

  The group around the table was having a really hard time holding in their laughter. Some were turning red from holding it in, and others were choking and coughing. Bailey pressed his lips together so tight he thought they would bleed, and tears began to form in his eyes from holding the laughter in.

  “C-cutie.” Noah’s mate Bastian tried to speak, but was having trouble as he, too, was trying desperately to hold in his laughter. He took a deep breath and tried again. “Noah, um…those are….um”―he snickered―“called plums.”

  Noah looked at him with a big evil smile. “I know.”

  Everyone lost it at that moment. The table erupted in a cacophony of laughs, snorts, and table smacking. Taylor laughed so hard he had tears rolling down his face and he leaned his body against his mate. The Alpha’s laugh was so deep you could feel it in your bones.

  “Oh my gods, Taylor, what have you done to my quiet brother?” Jesse said between peals of laughter.

  “Me?” Taylor asked in shock as the laughter shook his body. “Why am I to blame?”

  “You not like balls in your mouth, Jesse?” Noah laughed uncontrollably as he asked. Which caused everyone to laugh harder.

  “You’re a bad influence on my mate, Taylor,” Storm said as he tried to control himself.

  “That not what you say last night, Stormy,” Noah said to his mate with a mischievous smile. “You remember? When I stick my―” Noah was cut off when Storm covered his mouth with his hand. The room erupted into another roar of laughter.