- You’re an ass
Skye’s P.O.V.
I stormed into the fire station, my mood as dark as the clouds brewing outside of Fairview. I barely noticed the other firefighters lounging around, greeting me with nods as I passed by. My focus was singular, and it was aimed directly at Blade.
The little dipshit!
I found my brother in the garage, working on a piece of equipment. Blade glanced up as I approached, his expression immediately shifting from concentration to a lazy grin.
“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Grumpy Pants. What’s got your tail in a twist?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at Blade and hoping not to punch him immediately.
“You know exactly what’s got me pissed.”
Blade wiped his hands on a rag, pretending to think deeply.
“Let me guess. It’s about the family trip?”
“You invited Lila,” I growled, my voice low but dangerous.
Blade raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the problem here.
“Yeah, so? She’s practically family now since she is your mate and all. You should be happy she’s coming along.”
“That’s not the point!” I snapped at my brother. I was barely holding it together by now. The memory of last night-the kiss we had shared, the way her lips had felt on mine-was still fresh in my mind, and it was driving me insane.
“I’m not mad that she’s coming. I’m mad because I’m not sure I can handle being around her all weekend without being able to be with her. Do you even know what happened last night at
Eluna’s house?”
Blade’s grin widened, his eyes twinkling with mischief because he could read me like a book. He always had.
“Oh, I can guess by the looks of you. You finally made a move on her?”
I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening.
“Yeah, I did. Or she did? Whatever, it doesn’t even matter now. What matters is that it was
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<24. You’re an ass
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f*****g incredible. And that’s the problem, Blade. I’m this close to losing my control around her, and then to top it all off, you go and invite her to spend the entire weekend with us inside four walls. What the hell were you thinking?”
Blade shrugged, unfazed by my outburst.
“I was thinking it’s about damn time you two sorted things out. You’ve been dancing around each other all week long. A weekend away could be exactly what you both need. Have some wine, some romantic music, a kingsize bed.”
I let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through my hair because all my brother could ever
think about was s*x.
“Or it could be a total disaster. You don’t understand, Blade. I’ve been working non-stop, taking extra shifts at the garage, just so I don’t have to be at the house all alone with her. I’m terrified I’m going to mess this up. If I lose control-”
Blade cut me off with a laugh.
“You’re overthinking this, as usual. She’s your mate, Skye. She’s not some fragile little thing that’s going to break if you show her how you feel about her. I saw the way she looks at you bro, her ex is already long forgotten!”
I shot him a look.
“It’s not that simple. You know how I am, how I get when I surrender myself to my wolf completely. What if I scare her off? What if I ruin everything before we even have a chance?”
Blade shook his head, stepping closer and putting a hand on my shoulder.
“Skye, seriously, listen to me. You’ve been hiding from your own feelings for far too long. You’re not going to screw it up by being honest with her about how you feel. She deserves to know how you feel about her, and you deserve to be happy as well. Besides, you’re stronger than you think. If anyone can handle this, it’s you.”
I huffed, not entirely convinced.
“And what if she’s not ready? What if I’m too much for her and she is in fact, still not over her
ex?”
Blade’s grin softened into a more serious expression.
“Then you take it slow. But trust me, bro, she’s totally into you. And if last night was any indication, she’s not going to be scared off by you being yourself either.”
I stared at my brother, the tension in my body slowly easing. As much as I hated to admit it,
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Blade had a point. Lila wasn’t fragile. She was strong and capable, and she hadn’t run away when things got intense last night after we kissed. If anything, she’d kissed me right back, until she had started to puke of course…
But still, the thought of spending an entire weekend in close quarters with her made my wolf restless. Cooper was already on edge, wanting to be close to our mate and do nothing else but claim and mark what was rightfully his, but I knew I needed to keep control. It wasn’t just about me-it was about Lila, too. I had to make sure I didn’t push her too hard, too fast.
“Fine,” I finally muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.
“But if this blows up in my face, I’m blaming you for the rest of my life.”
Blade chuckled, giving me a playful shove.
“Fair enough. But trust me, it won’t. Just be yourself, Skye. She’s already falling for you-don’t mess it up by being scared.”
I nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. Maybe Blade was right. Maybe this weekend would be the opportunity I needed to finally be honest with Lila, to show her how much she truly meant
to me.
But as I turned to leave, Blade couldn’t resist one last jab.
“And hey, if it gets too hot and heavy between the two of you, just remember-we are all sharing that cabin. So try not to scar anyone for life, OK?”
I shot him a glare, but I couldn’t help the small smirk tugging at his lips.
“You’re an ass, Blade, you know that?”
“Yeah, but you love me for it as well.” Blade grinned at me, waving me off.
“Now get out of here. Go pack, or do whatever it is you need to do to get your head out of your ass. You’ve got a weekend to prepare for with your misses.”
I rolled my eyes but turned to leave, feeling a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety bubbling inside me. Blade was right about one thing-this weekend was going to be interesting to say the least. I just hoped I could keep myself together long enough to see it through until the
end.
::.
