The Eve of Darkness

Chapter 8

To say the pack house was large would be a severe understatement. Its immense size was comparable to Winchester House: built with numerous rooms, halls, entries and exits, and gathering spaces. While it wasn't as confusing as the old haunted gunmaker's mansion, Aria couldn't help but wonder how many weeks it would take for her to not get lost in the expansive building.

As they walked towards the stairs after touring the second floor, Aria looked down towards the strong hand that was holding her own. Camden's grip sent delightful sparks through her palm and up her arm that refused to let her relax. Throughout the entire tour, Aria could barely pay attention—barely learn about the place she was supposed to eventually know like the back of her hand—due to the tight hold her mate had on her. Every time she began to get used to the feeling of her mate's skin, he would give her hand a squeeze, brush her shoulder with his, or offer her a soft, endearing smile that would cause heat to flow through her veins and pool in her gut.

It was a cursed blessing.

The Alpha was over six feet of muscle and strength and yet he had the personality of an endearing golden retriever that wanted love and affection. It was all fine and dandy for Aria—she would never turn away a chance to get closer to her mate—except for the fact that all the little smiles, brushes, and squeezes had her inner wolf begging to pin the alpha to the wall and lick him from head to toe. Had she had it her way, and had Jude been a less faithful tour guide, Aria doubted she could have made it a whole hour before pouncing on her unknowing mate.

The man was sex on legs and she was stuck acting like they were two high-school teenagers that had never even held hands before.

Aria's frustration built with every sweet caress from the Alpha.

"So," Jude said and clapped his hands when they reached the main room of the building that had many couches, a very large tv, an incredibly high ceiling, and a sliding door that exited to the back yard. "That was the pack house! Any questions?"

Camden's shoulder brushed against Aria's once more as he turned his head in her general direction with a warm smile. He gave her hand a squeeze and she wondered how bothered he would be if she had tugged him closer to kiss him.

Probably not a good move right in front of another person, she thought regretfully, forcing the many thoughts on the attractiveness of her mate to go away.

"Uh, not really—I got the gist of it. I think it might take me a little bit to get used to everything and to remember the layout of the house, but so far I'm okay," she responded, flashing a confident smile to the beta.

Jude offered a lopsided grin in response. "Sweet. I have to go do some more paperwork regarding the packs budget for next month, so I will see you both later." With a friendly wave, Jude walked towards the main office down the hallway, patting the Alpha on the shoulder as he walked by.

Camden's pale cheeks flushed at this, and Aria just knew that there had been some sort of message passed through the two men telepathically.

Maybe if Camden and I had mated at this point, I would have been able to mind-link with him as well, Aria grudgingly thought, the frustration of the lack of intimacy between her and her mate rising the longer she entertained the thought.

"So," Camden said, turning his body towards Aria and offering another one of his bright, gentle smiles. "Jude agreed that I could take today and tomorrow to spend with you before getting back to pack management on Monday. Is there anything else you would like to do?"

She pursed her lips at this and tilted her head in thought.

"Weren't we supposed to talk about revisiting the place you found me in?" She asked in response, wondering when all of that was supposed to happen. The idea had not been brought forth after it was initially brought to my attention in the car on the way from the clinic.

"Oh, that," Camden acknowledged, the distaste he had for the place evident in how his eyebrows furrowed and eyes squinted. Aria momentarily wondered if the Alpha realized how expressive he could be. "Jude and I were thinking we would talk about it on Monday once I have officially returned to my duties. Until then, I figured we could spend more time getting to know each other."

The expectant and excited smile on the Alpha's lips was too tantalizing - to tempting - to ignore. With little hesitation, Aria tugged her mate towards her, Camden's face showing slight surprise, and pressed her lips to his in a brief, affectionate kiss.

While it may have lasted a few seconds, the sensations it brought held their effect for much longer. A sudden warmth and delightful wave rushed through Aria's chest and blossomed in her gut at the feeling of her lips on Camden's. He froze in the spot, his hand tightening exponentially around hers as she brought her free hand to hold onto the Alpha's cheek. Just as she felt him begin to lean into the kiss, she pulled away with a small quirk to the side of her lip.

For a moment or two, the only sound passed between the two mates was heavy breaths and unspoken desire. Camden audibly gulped as Aria brushed her knuckles across his cheek and down his throat, stopping to rest her palm on his well-built chest.

"Uh," Camden stammered, opening and closing his mouth in speechlessness. "That... uh... I mean... huh?"

Aria smiled as she fought back the urge to both laugh and kiss her mate again.

"Sorry," she started, not sounding apologetic in the slightest as she moved her hand again, running it from the Alpha's toned chest, down his side, and resting hit on the hem of his jeans. "You just looked incredibly kissable."

At her comment, Camden's neck, cheeks, and ears, flushed a bright pink. Aria's eyebrows raised at this, delightfully surprised at the endearing reaction.

"Uh, thanks," he responded, scratching the back of his neck and looking away as he seemed to attempt to hide the bashful smile gracing his lips.

"Trust me, there's more where that came from," Aria responded smoothly, her lips easily pulling into a smile as she watched the way Camden's entire body tensed at the statement. Wondering just how far she could go, Aria continued. "I would love to get to know you more though."

Camden perked up.

"Really?" He asked, his face lighting up in excitement as he leaned toward Aria, her hand still gently resting on his waist.

"Yes, in more ways than one, if you catch my drift."

"That—oh. Oh."

"Indeed."

A painfully silent pause passed between the two. The poor Alpha was at a loss for words as Aria grinned mischievously. The amusement that rushed through her system every time she made her mate blush like a bashful maiden was addicting. A devilish part of her mind wanted to seduce her mate, flirting with him and touching him until he was a mess beneath her fingertips. She wanted to drag him closer by his belt loops, run her canines down his throat, and brush her hands over his abdomen in an attempt to commit every dip and crevice of his delectable body to sacred memory.

However, despite the provocative thoughts running through her mind like an erotic play, Aria wanted to respect the wishes of her mate. He wanted to get to know her more before they mated, so she would do her best to follow along with his desires. After all, what mattered in any relationship was equal respect for one's partner.

"Uh...," Camden gave her hand a squeeze before moving ahead and pulling her towards the kitchen. "Do you want to eat some food? I make a mean pasta."

Correction: Aria would physically respect him, but she planned to watch her mate cook and appreciate the shape and form of his ass as disrespectfully as possible.

It just looked so plump.

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Wooooo I updated on time!

Not going to lie, I almost forget to update today, and then I realized it was, in fact, Friday. I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

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I will see you all in the next update!

- Kai <3