Twenty-Two

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I snuggled closer to Caden and heard him chuckle.

"Good morning."

"Good morning." I replied before opening my eyes to see Caden staring down at me with a weird expression. "What? Did I do something?"

"No. I was just thinking."

"Seemed like pretty deep thought for this early in the morning."

"It seems to take up a lot of my time, not just now."

I nodded before curling back up into him. "You're so warm."

He laughed, "Well I'm not human."

"Neither am I, but you're always so much warmer than me."

"Are you cold?"

"A bit. I don't know why, I'm never this cold. Last night I was cold too."

"It's the mating. It's a survival thing."

"I don't like it."

"Well, I can be your heat source," he said and I playfully smacked his arm before he grabbed my hand and kissed the palm of it. "You are colder than normal. Are you feeling okay otherwise?"

It shocked me how concerned he was about something this small, "Yes. Just a bit chilly."

"Are you sure? No other symptoms? You're feeling okay? You should eat something. What did you have for dinner last night?"

"Caden, calm down. I feel fine. I'm not even hungry."

"What did you have for dinner?"

"Nothing, I woke up and sat out back before we came to bed."

"See, I'm still not showing hospitality," he said.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, honestly."

"You have to eat Bee."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to, I'm just not starving is all."

"Do you want to go have breakfast?"

"No, I want to stay here."

"Well I can't argue with that." He said with a smirk before rolling me over and staring down at me. Half his body weight was on me and his elbow was beside my head as his eyes roamed my face. "Have I ever told you how just beautiful you are?" I nodded my head, shocked at the change in topic, and hoping there was another one. I'm terrible at taking his compliments because he's so serious and I just blush. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. You actually stole my breath away in your old alphas office."

"Caden I am definitely not-"

"Yes you are. You're breathtakingly beautiful. You're absolutely stunning. I thought he was playing a cruel joke on me when he introduced you as his daughter."

"What?"

"I didn't think people like him could be related to someone so absolutely gorgeous."

"What's with all the compliments?"

"Not a thank you?" He joked, "I realized last night that I said you close yourself off to me, but I do that to you."

"So now you're telling me I look okay?"

"Beautiful, and yes. I'm going to try to be completely openly honest with you. I'm not guaranteeing it will be easy and I always will be, but I'm going to try."

"Then I'll do the same." His eyes lit up and his smile just about emerged before he got serious.

"I'm sorry for saying that yesterday."

'One of the things I love about you...' "What?" I asked wondering which thing.

"Saying you were closed off. I had just said that I stole you away from your family, acted like a jerk and yet you still forgave me. I'm still amazed. But then after that I tell you you're closed off. I'm sorry Bee, I really am."

"Caden I told you, I was being closed off. And I shouldn't. I forgive you, but wasn't upset about it in the first place."

"What were you upset about then?"

"When?" 'One of the things I love about you...' I couldn't ask him that could I? I would sound like a moron, 'Are you in love with me, or aspects of me?' Yeah, I definitely couldn't ask that.

"Yesterday. Ever since we ate." I looked down at his chest to break eye contact and he rolled over taking me with him. "Was it because of me?"

Be honestly open, I thought. "Yes."

"And it wasn't me being a jerk?"

"Caden I wasn't upset. It just shocked me. I didn't know what you meant by it and I guess my brain went on overdrive. I just freaked out I guess. It's nothing." Why can't he drop topics? I've never met a guy who wanted to talk about everything so in depth.

He looked over my whole face before a slight nervousness came over his. "When I said love." It wasn't a question.

I nodded, kind of scared of what he was going to say. If he was nervous did that mean he doesn't love me? And why does that make me sad? He's known me for such a short time and I was distant to him for most of it. Does he think that I think he loves me?!

"Bee, calm down. You're freaking out again." He laughed nervously.

"Sorry."

"What's going through your head, you're worrying me." It fell silent when I didn't reply but he didn't let me look away and I sighed. "Bee?"

I hesitated agin. Open. Be open. I reminded myself. "What did you mean by it?"

He smiled at me but there was hesitation and more nerves than before, "I meant what I said. I love that about you. I love a lot about you, but mostly," he paused and held my face gently so I couldn't look away, "I love you." I didn't say anything and he held me against him, "I told you I would be open, and I'm trying. I love you Blake. And I don't expect you to say it back, or feel it. I hope one day you do, but after how I acted and what you've seen of me, I can only hope that one day you feel the same."

He pulled me closer to him and I closed my eyes. "Thank you. For being patient with me." I said quietly into his chest.

"I could say the same thing." I laughed lightly and curled up closer to him. He loves me? Do I love him? "How about breakfast?" He asked and I sighed. "Well, we could just stay here all day babe."

"Babe?" I questioned.

"Yep."

I laughed and moved off him as he climbed out of bed. I sat up and he grabbed my hands. He wrapped them around his neck from behind before holding his hands beside his waist, "Climb on."

I laughed and he grabbed my thigh, "Caden, I can walk!"

"Nope. Get on or I will put you on." I complied and he jogged down the stairs with me on his back as if I was as light as a feather. He put me on the counter and took the carton of eggs out.

"How can I help?"

"I'm cooking you breakfast, so you can't."

"Caden-"

"Blake. Just sit there and be your naturally beautiful self."

I groaned, "Back to that again?"

He stopped and looked me over, "You do know how beautiful you are right?"

I looked down hoping to avoid the question but he ran a thumb over my lip as he tilted my chin up, "You, my mate, are more gorgeous than anyone else I've ever seen. You're beautiful inside and out." He stared into my eyes and I felt like he was looking into my soul, "I love your eyes. They're so bright and stunning. With that hint of emerald."

"It's just green."

"No, it's so much more."

"You're so cheesy."

He laughed and flipped the eggs over as he put bacon in the pan.

"What are you doing today?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe swim or run. You?"

"I was going to do the same thing," he paused while he flipped the bacon before looking back up to me, "But I was hoping you would join me." I nodded and he smiled before reluctantly returning his attention to the stove.

I heard whistling down the hall and Caden rolled his eyes as Daniel walked in. "Hey bro," Daniel looked around and his face lit up, "Cupcake! It's been a while."

"Yeah it has. Someone's been taking up all my time." I looked over to Caden who was smiling to himself as he cooked.

"We should hang out again sometime Cupcake."

"Definitely. What have you been up to?"

"Mostly swimming, cooking, and we went to the beach yesterday."

"We?"

"Yeah."

"Spill." I said and his smile slowly grew across his face. "Okay, this is serious. Daniel, you better tell me- oh! No way! Sam?"

"How did you even get that?" Daniel asked shocked.

"She mentioned the beach in passing, but that's not important. When did this happen? Wait, I know. This happened the day before yesterday. That's why you two invited me to dinner last night."

"Wow Cupcake, you're quick. You're right. I don't know what it is about her, she's just... Her. You know? I get sick of spending time with most people, but time goes so quickly with her that I could never leave her side."

"Oh my, my worst fear come true. My brother is a softie." Caden said and we all laughed a bit.

"Okay, do you really want me to repeat some of the things you say about my Cupcake?"

"She's not your anything, and what are you even talking about?" Caden said.

"Maybe her smile, or laugh. Or maybe her looks or personality. The list goes on forever."

"I open up to you one time! One time Dan!" He said joking, "This is why I don't talk to people." He clicked his tongue in mock disapproval and I laughed and they both looked to me. "Except you Bee."

"Well I would hope so, she's your mate," Daniel said and I grabbed two plates from the cupboard. "How's that going by the way? You're in the same breathing space so I guess that's good." It was weird to think that last time we had been with Daniel it was super awkward and now it was like we actually chose to mate. Time flies I guess.

"We worked some things out, not that it's your business," I said and Caden looked over at me, "So it's going pretty good. We're good." Caden smiled and Daniel coughed when Caden and I didn't look away.

"Anyways, lovebirds, I'm going to go see-"

"Yeah, and we're the lovebirds," I said and Daniel laughed before waving to us as he left.

Caden came up to me and stood between my knees with his finger drawing patterns on my thigh, "We are good."

"We are."

"And we're only going to get better, stronger- greater."

"We are." I said not breaking eye contact.

"And our breakfast is getting cold."

"It is." I said glancing at the pan.

"So I should let you off the counter."

"You should." I said looking back to find him with amsuement in his eyes. Somehow I knew he wasn't going to.

"What if I don't?"

"You will." He planted his hands on each side of me and looked over my whole face and raised one eyebrow.

I got an idea and held in my ah-ha. "You told me I look okay this morning. But I never told you what I think of you."

"Not okay, beautiful."

"Anyways." I ran my hands up his chest slowly, leaving tingles where my fingertips made contact. "I like your eyes too, and your voice. And I like how I can make you smile and laugh. And I like that I affect you how you affect me." I pushed his chest slightly and he grabbed my wrists so I couldn't tease him anymore. "And how you stop me because if we start we might not quit and you would never do anything I wasn't ready for." I kissed his hand and he sucked in a deep breath, "I like that too, the power I have over you." I slid off the counter and ended up right against him. "I love that you're willing to open up to me and that you already have. I like your personality and the way you want me to help you with the pack."

"Blake," he whispered shakily as I ran my finger down over his eyes to close them.

"None of this was a lie Caden, I really do like all of it and more about you." I paused as I slipped my hands from his and gave myself room, "But I don't want a cold breakfast."

He opened his eyes as I slipped out from in front of him and snatched my plate before heading outside.

I looked back to see him scowling at me with a grin on his lips. I laughed and stuck my tongue out and he grabbed his plate before following me.

We had eaten with little conversation but it was comfortable. It was actually really nice and relaxing.

Calming.

"So what did you want to do first? Swimming or running?"

"Hopefully we'll end up running before swimming, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, sounds good."

"You trust me right?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"I have a surprise, sort of." He was nervous again. I was wondering if he would ever not be nervous around me.

"Sort of?"

"Well, it's a surprise, but it's not like I planned it. I decided this morning that it would be a good start for us."

"What would be?"

"The surprise."

I nodded my head slowly but he put our plates aside and pulled me off the back deck with his hand. "Caden!" I said shocked as I laughed.

He just smiled at me and led me up the stairs to his room. Wait, his room? This was not how I pictured it going. Maybe I do love him, I don't know, but mating?

"Get changed, quick. I want all day to just the two of us," he stopped and looked at me worriedly, "Unless you don't want to. I get it if you do. We don't have to spend today together. It's your choice-"

"Caden, I don't have a problem spending today with you."

"Wow, that's a relief."

"You were that worried I wouldn't want to?"

"I know we've been getting along but-"

"What am I wearing?"

"Bathing suit and comfortable clothes."

I nodded and headed to the closet.