The Alpha's Mate

Chapter 18

Charlie's POV

Sleep didn't come easy that night at all. I had gotten used to sleeping next to the oaf that was my mate, I had spent more than enough of the night crying, and it felt like my batteries were on low. I so badly wanted to call out for him and solve the problem as soon as possible, but I also didn't feel like this was something I needed to fix.

When I heard the beeping sound of the keypad to our apartment door, I half expected Presley to step through the door. But, much to my disappointment, it was my friend who had caused the problem in the first place that walked into the living space instead.

I frowned in disappointment. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, I thought you would want some coffee." He waved the to-go cup in his hand, raising a brow. "I assumed you probably slept like shit last night if you even managed to catch a few z's." He sat down in my recliner, making himself comfortable. "Wanna talk about it?" He held the cup out for me to grab.

"What do you mean?" I grabbed the cup, sniffing the coffee inside.

"Exactly what I said," He said in a sarcastic tone. "Do you wanna talk about how last night you booted me out of your apartment after whisper yelling with Presley?" He crossed his legs.

"Well, I think I fell asleep and might have just laid my head on your chest or something, and he was mad about that." Mateo furrowed his brows. "Then he told me about eating dinner with Adam and Mary, so I got upset because I had fallen asleep, and he didn't bother even to come and get me to eat dinner with him. I don't know, Mateo. I feel like I'm not a priority or even in the stratosphere of being in his orbit." I frown, taking a sip of my coffee.

"I mean, I get your frustration when Erin was still here. I wished I had given him more of my time. Now that he's gone, I look back and realize how fucking stupid I was." He hummed.

Erin was Mateo's mate. But unfortunately, he was killed by a rogue wolf before Presley had found Mateo and accepted him into the pack. He told me the first year in the pack he had spent grieving the death of his mate. At time's Mateo reminded me of my older brother. So when he told me the story of his mate's death, I related to him, seeing it firsthand with my older brother.

Mateo, at times, would scratch at the reminiscent mark that had scabbed over, blending in with his skin. I liked it when he talked about his mate Erin, and it made me feel like I knew a piece of his previous life before this pack.

"I'm sure you gave him the love and adoration he deserved. But, I think you sell yourself short, my friend." I hummed, giving him a small smile. He returned the facial expression, holding his coffee up in the air, toasting to me.

"Thank you for the reassurance." I giggled.

"Always."

—

Mateo had left hours ago, leaving me to myself and my thoughts. It gave me time to think of what I wanted to say to Presley when he got home. What I wanted him to do to make me feel like something to him, anything to him.

I had begun to write down the main points that I wanted to get across to him.

I wanted him to set him aside for just us, no matter what, just an hour of his time.

I wanted, no craved, his intimacy. Typically for werewolves, you couldn't get a crowbar in between newly mated wolves to pry them apart. But, Presley, it seemed like he hated the idea of having to even deal with me, although that may have just been my negative thoughts coming into play. I wanted more than kisses, and I wanted him to embrace me as he did during my heat.