When his eyes snapped open to rays of sunshine pouring through the nearby window, he groaned in regret. His mind had already begun the process of berating him for his plans with Aidan. He hadn’t even had a chance to grumble at the sun in his face before he found himself wanting to curl under his blanket and hide. Kyle didn’t know if trying to somehow find a way to work things out with Aidan was the best choice, but the nagging voice in the back of his head certainly didn’t think so.

“Oh shut up,” he growled at the voice as he flung his legs over the edge of the bed.

For as long as he could remember, he’d always had to deal with some part of his mind second-guessing everything he did. It wasn’t something he broadcast, preferring people to simply believe that he did things without a doubt in his mind. Sometimes, the thoughts were quiet or even nonexistent, but they were usually there, waiting in the back of his mind to strike when he was vulnerable. The thoughts in his head certainly hadn’t wasted any time leaping on him, now that he was having to face a day with Aidan: the nightmare of his childhood returning as his bonded mate. If there was even the most remotely possible dire scenario that could be thought of regarding his decision to try to make this work, that part of his mind would be sure to find it and harp on about it.

Kyle’s eyes were drawn to the fully-stocked liquor cabinet. Grunting in annoyance, he turned away and rummaged for his supply of ground coffee instead. The alcohol did wonders for quieting the voice, or at least making it seem less important. However, he didn’t want Aidan to show up and find him smelling of booze. He might not have any faith in his plans for reconciliation, but he wasn’t going to sabotage them by getting drunk either.

Once he’d dug out the strainer and got the coffee grounds in the water, he made an attempt to make himself look presentable. His golden hair always seemed to have a mind of its own, and it usually refused to cooperate with any attempts to tame it once it got to a certain length. By the time he’d managed to get it to stop sticking up in every direction, the smell of coffee had begun filling the cabin.

As he poured the coffee into an insulated pitcher through a strainer, he frowned at the sound of a few sharp knocks on his door. “Come in?”

When Aidan came through the door smirking, the voice in his mind began harping on at him for having phrased his greeting as a question. He hadn’t been expecting Aidan for at least another hour, and he was nowhere near prepared. He was barely what could be considered properly dressed, having only thrown on a pair of loose shorts and a t-shirt while he tried to savor his morning coffee. At least he’d managed to tame his hair before the alpha had shown up, so he didn’t look completely disheveled.

“You’re, uh, quick with your morning routine,” Kyle said in greeting.

Aidan’s brow rose. “I’ve been up for a couple of hours now.”

Kyle grimaced. “Early riser? Gross.”

“Not all of us like to sleep the day away,” Aidan commented as he gazed around the small cabin.

“Waking up after the sun comes up doesn’t count as wasting the day away,” Kyle protested.

“I prefer to wake up just before it rises. No one else in my pack wakes that early, and it gives me a few moments of peace and quiet. By the time everyone else is awake and preparing for the day, I’ve eaten, exercised, and I’m ready for the rest of the day,” Aidan said, now watching Kyle.

Kyle looked down at the pitcher of coffee. “Uh, does the healthy alpha drink coffee?”

Aidan chuckled. “He does, but does the lazy omega share his coffee?”

Kyle frowned at him as he poured out two mugs of coffee and slid one to Aidan. “I don’t think I’m awake enough to deal with what you think is witty.”

Aidan wrapped his thick fingers through the handle of the mug. “It’s called a sense of humor Kyle, or do you not have one anymore?”

Kyle said nothing, choosing to drink and let the bitter taste wash away any acidic comments. He was always at his worst in the morning, and even more so when the ceaseless harping inner voice was continuing to wear away at him. At its worst, it had a tendency to make him crankier and more testy than he normally was. Having Aidan in his home, teasing him while he had dozens of dark thoughts running through the corridors of his mind, was doing nothing to improve his mood.

Aidan looked at him, almost carefully. “You seem quiet. Did you really just wake up?”

“Not all that long ago,” Kyle told him shortly.

“We can’t very well have a real go at your proposal if you’re going to be snippy and distant with me Kyle,” Aidan said.

Kyle glared at him once more. “If I want to be cranky when I first wake up in my own house, I will. You can’t sit there and say I don’t have a good reason to be…tense.”

“You’re tense?” Aidan asked.

“Do I look relaxed to you?” Kyle snorted.

Aidan leaned closer to him across the counter between them. For a moment, Kyle wondered what he was doing until Aidan’s scent overpowered the smell of the coffee. His body reacted immediately, tensing up then relaxing. He couldn’t help inhaling deep, taking the aroma into his lungs. Aidan’s eyes searched his, seeming to brighten as they took in the sight of Kyle enjoying the natural scent coming from the alpha.

Kyle took hold of himself, grunting in annoyance. “What did I say yesterday about that shit?”

Aidan looked unimpressed. “Did I do anything but get a bit closer? No, I didn’t, and that’s the most relaxed you’ve looked since the moment I came through the door. Is it breaking your rules to take advantage of the attributes of the bond to give you a moment of relaxation and relative peace?”

He didn’t know what was more annoying: that Aidan had already found a loophole in their agreement or that the alpha was right. Aidan had simply leaned forward, without attempting to make any sort of physical contact. The scent of the man alone had been enough to assuage a great deal of the mental tumult in Kyle’s mind. He wanted to curse the bond that he’d never wanted in the first place, for giving Aidan another means to easily manipulate him.

Kyle sighed, unable to hold onto the anger. “Dunno if I’m not mad because you smell so damn good, or if I’m actually grateful.”

Aidan sipped his coffee with a smile. “I didn’t think you would admit you were tempted to be grateful in the first place. You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t say thank you,” Kyle growled at him.

Aidan gestured casually with the mug in his hand, and backed away from the counter. “Then I’ll leave you to your own personal space.”

He didn’t know if it was his inner wolf or his human side that felt the immediate pang of regret for his reaction. In truth, there wasn’t that much of a difference most of the time. Like most werewolves his age, he had long ago come to terms with his animal half. He’d made more peace with that part of himself than he had with the inner, critical dialogue that seemed to enjoy antagonizing him. It didn’t mean there weren’t moments when he felt as if his two halves were at war with one another. When it came to Aidan, his wolf and human sides couldn’t quite come to an agreement.

Kyle stood there, warring with himself internally as he tried to keep calm. Half of him wanted to throw every part of his agreement with Aidan away and tackle the alpha to the ground. The other half, however, wanted to throw some more rules on top to protect himself better. Aidan was a definite threat to his mental wellbeing, since the werewolf could manipulate him with just his presence.

“You’re overthinking things.” Aidan’s words were a statement rather than a question.

Kyle frowned, but didn’t argue. He probably was overthinking things, he lived in his own head more than he liked to admit. The truth was, he should have expected there would be complications to his agreement with Aidan that he hadn’t anticipated. Aidan hadn’t done much more than lean closer, and despite having seen what must have been an obvious and immediate reaction from Kyle, he had continued drinking his coffee. If he was going to give the alpha a chance, he would have to stop analyzing every little interaction they had, or the effects of them sharing space. So long as Aidan kept to their agreement, Kyle would have to keep his own worrying thoughts to himself and stop letting them determine how he dealt with Aidan.

Kyle shrugged. “There’s a lot to think about.”

“Is there? And here I believed that what’s happening between us, and our agreement, were fairly straightforward and easy to understand,” Aidan said.

Kyle scrunched up his nose. “I think it’s a bit more complicated than that.”

Aidan snorted softly into his cup. “Have you ever considered you’re simply overcomplicating matters?”

“You ever thought you’re just oversimplifying them?” Kyle countered.

Aidan looked like he gave that some serious thought before nodding. “It’s very possible. Despite my previous comments about subtlety often winning a battle, it’s still a battle. I’ve spent several years moving from one to the next. Making a battle too complicated is a sure way to get you and your pack killed. It’s very possible that the habit of seeing things through the eyes of a warrior and war leader would color the way in which I perceive all other aspects of my life. Just as your relatively safe and comfortable life would grant you the luxury of evaluating matters more extensively.”

Kyle turned to rinse the pitcher out. “Is that how you see things here on the island: just the lap of luxury where nothing is difficult?”

Aidan grunted, sounding annoyed. “There, you see? You’re thinking far too hard about the words I use and looking for something to be offended by. Take my words at face value and stop trying to turn them around to see what might be hidden. I say what I mean, and mean what I say. There is no ulterior motive.”

Kyle glanced over his shoulder. “And what happened to you simply waiting me out until I see things your way? Isn’t that your big plan?”

Aidan smirked. “I do believe I was open and honest about that being my plan. There has been no duplicity between us, not even as kids. Whatever your opinion of me, I know you cannot reasonably call me a liar or a cheat. I have never lied to you, nor hidden any relevant information from you. I see no reason to start now.”

Kyle looked away, again not wanting to admit Aidan was right. “It’s funny, the way you talk that is. I’ve spent more time here in the village, learning a lot, but you sound a lot more intelligent than I do. You were like that when we were younger, too.”

“You know the lineage I come from. There were expectations with regards to not only what we did, but the way we appeared to others. Our speech was expected to be as regal and eloquent as our bearing. If we were to continue being respected, we must not only be masters of the battlefield, but skilled speakers. If anything, the formality of my speech has lessened in my time away,” Aidan explained.

Kyle smiled as he turned to face Aidan again. “Really? Because you still sound like you’re getting ready to start teaching a lesson to a group of pups.”

Aidan shook his head. “Now you sound like half my pack. Which, considering they act as if they were pups fresh out of the den the majority of the time, I suppose they deserve to think that.”

He hesitated for a moment before walking over to lean on the counter. “How many other alphas are in your pack?”

Aidan’s nostrils flared as he quietly breathed in deep. “There are a total of twelve werewolves in my pack, including myself. There are four other alphas, all competing with one another for position as second in the pack, since none have yet come close to being able to challenge me for absolute leadership. The seven omegas spend their time either vying for the attention of the alphas, or for the bragging rights that come from proving yourself in battle.”

Kyle almost smiled when he realized Aidan couldn’t help trying to breathe in Kyle’s scent. “Really? Don’t most alphas try to keep omegas from getting too cocky?”

Aidan nodded. “My omegas know what they’re doing, and they know their place. But I refuse to diminish the accomplishments of any one of my pack simply because they aren’t an alpha. If an omega outperforms an alpha in battle or anything else, they deserve to know. If anything, it provides motivation for my alphas to better themselves. Competition breeds strength.”

Kyle’s own body warmed as the woodsy smell of Aidan hit him. “Kinda sounds like you guys do as much fighting with each other as you do against other packs.”

Aidan shook his head. “Competition, not battle. My pack is my family, each and every one of them. There might be arguments, and sometimes fighting, but my pack does not war within itself. My pack might have more freedom in some ways than other packs usually do, but I am still in charge. If a situation grows out of control, I have no problem with stepping in to show them exactly who is in charge, and why.”

It was said with an air of easy confidence that Kyle shivered a little from the sound of it. It was a knee-jerk response for him to hate the fact that he enjoyed it, but he found that with Aidan’s scent filling his senses, it was hard to hold onto the hate. Thinking about it, he realized he appreciated the way Aidan described his method of leadership. It still maintained the status quo of omegas being subservient to alphas, but without compromising the omega’s value.

A question bubbled up in his mind. “Okay, that sounds all well and good, but I’ve got a question for you. If you’re big on letting omegas have their moments of pride, and let them have more freedom than others might, what’s with you thinking I should sit and heel at your command?”

Aidan’s eyes narrowed. “I may afford them more freedom, but that does not mean they aren’t aware of their place.”

“And that’s my place in your mind? At your feet?” Kyle asked with a scoff.

Aidan grinned. “On your knees works, or simply beneath me in a very literal sense.”

Kyle pointed at him. “Hey, don’t start that.”

Aidan gave him an innocent face. “What? You said I couldn’t try anything, but you never said I couldn’t make comments. I still remain as straightforward as ever, and I won’t hide the fact that the idea of being inside you, hearing you gasp as I push in, has been running through my mind since the moment I entered your home.”

Even if he hadn’t been bonded to Aidan, the alpha’s words would have still stirred his groin. Aidan’s words combined with the effect the man’s scent was having on him had him already straining against his shorts. They weren’t bothering to pretend there wasn’t a physical element to this bond of theirs, but he was still glad the front of his shorts were pressed against the counter. Aidan took too much pleasure in whatever reaction he could get out of Kyle, and the omega didn’t want to give him any more ammunition.

Kyle reached out to take Aidan’s now empty mug. “I guess it’s a good thing you have two hands that still work then, isn’t it? They should be useful in trying to curb some of those fantasies of yours.”

“The same hands that had you moaning with release in seconds,” Aidan taunted, eyes never leaving Kyle’s face.

Well, there was no way he was going to be able to step away from the counter now. “You do know that no matter how much you try to turn me on, it’s not going to get me to do what you want, right?”

Aidan chuckled softly. “Are you admitting that you’re aroused, then?”

Kyle snorted. “You know I am.”

Aidan cocked his head. “I’ve never quite felt anything like this.”

“Isn’t the Joining and everything that comes after it supposed to be something really special? That’s basically the whole point,” Kyle said as he spun away from the counter with Aidan’s cup in hand.

“It’s one thing to speak of something, and another matter entirely to experience it firsthand. It isn’t as if I’ve come into this without experience under my belt. You are not the first one I’ve touched or kissed,” Aidan said quietly.

Kyle snorted, trying to ignore the uncomfortable twist in his gut. “And you’re not the first one I’ve been with. We’re both adults. What’s your point?”

“That this is nothing like any time when I’ve been with anyone else before. I’ve known pleasure, and I’ve certainly enjoyed myself with other people. Yet no one else has ever elicited quite the reaction from me that you have. Your attitude should infuriate me and drive me to do whatever it takes to remind you of your place. I should, based on previous experiences, enjoy what sexual contact we’ve shared already, but to actually crave it as I do with you? Now that is a brand-new experience for me. I’ve never sought to consistently return to a partner before, as I do with you,” Aidan mused.

With one, brief speech, Aidan had managed to send conflicting emotions washing through Kyle. He found himself agreeing completely with what Aidan said, while also hating the truth of it. Kyle had never known true jealousy, not with a lover anyway, but Aidan’s words had the ugly emotion settling into his chest. His wolf half growled it’s annoyance at hearing that anyone else had ever touched its mate, and his human half found itself agreeing with the sentiment. Yet, both were stilled within the space of a few breaths when Aidan spoke of how unique and special Kyle was in comparison. The mercurial emotional reactions had him almost dizzy as he rinsed the cup out, saying nothing as he tried to make sense of his own feelings.

When he turned to face Aidan, he knew he couldn’t admit that he felt the same. Yes, they were trying to make things work between the both of them, in the best way they could think of. Even with Aidan opening up, however, Kyle only heard Aidan’s true plan echoing in his mind. He couldn’t bring himself to let go of his stubbornness and begin to trust Aidan when he knew the alpha was just waiting for a sign of weakness. It was only the first day, and he wasn’t going to open himself up simply because Aidan appeared to be playing nice.

He forced a smile on his face. “Let’s get going before Mags shows up at my door.”