Lukas POV
My fingers tugged through the soft blond strands of hair that belonged to the beautiful boy in my lap.
His face was relaxed and his cheekbones were soft and not as prominent as they were when he was awake. When he was awake he’s always tense and stoic. Well, stoic with bursts of anger.
His skin was almost flawless, aside from a long scar that outlined his face. It ran from his temple down the side of his face and around his jawline, stopping right before the middle of his neck.
The scar looked old and faint but it was still noticeable if you looked at him for just a few moments.
Scars like these covered his body in all the places I’ve seen. The first night I went to his house he answered the door shirtless and the scars where everywhere. Some were faint and hardly even noticeable and some could be seen from a mile away.
Also in the car just a few hours ago, his back was a copy of his front. Scars covering as much skin as they could.
Scars like these didn’t just happen from everyday life. Even if I assumed Grayson was a rowdy kid and got hurt a lot playing around, he wouldn’t be scared this much and this severely.
Part of me wanted to take a closer look at them, memorize them. I want to know my mate’s skin like the back of my hand, trace my fingers along each and every one of the scars.
I want to know if any were intentional.
The thought swarmed my brain because there were so many what if he placed some himself? Maybe the thought is irrational and perhaps I am overthinking but I couldn’t help but worry for my boy. I’ve only known him for a few days but he has already taken over my whole mind.
I refrained from looking though because I want to gain his trust and looking under his crewneck, well my crewneck which he looked adorable in, would not leave a good impression on him. I have to take baby steps with Grayson now that I have pushed him this far out of his comfort zone. I am already making him adjust to a new pack and life I can’t push much more onto him in such a short amount of time. Now that everything drastic has happened, I need to take everything slow and let Grayson set the pace and let him get to know me and vice versa.
His breaths tickled lightly against the nape of my neck and I couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. He was warm in my arms and subconsciously gripped my shirt as he slept, an action he would never perform on his own due to his stubbornness.
He had fallen asleep only half an hour ago but Goddess knows he needs it. His body is in overdrive with everything happening to him. He won’t stay with me long enough for me to heal him so he keeps relapsing back to his illness when if he would just stay, he could’ve been long healed by now.
After this plane ride and another day or two if he sticks to me like he’s supposed to, he’ll be healed. That’s all I want for him, he looks miserable all the time constantly being sick and unwell. Not to mention his bruised and possibly dislocated back and his maybe concussion.
I want to know so badly what went down at that little party he snuck away too. The sound of his voice when he called me and the look on his face when I picked him up was heart-stopping. He sounded so panicked and scared and let down his whole tough guy act just for the moment and was vulnerable to me.
He looked like he had seen a ghost and his eyes were void and foggy, like he wasn’t even there at all. It honestly terrified me to see him like that, see him so broken looking. Perhaps in time he’ll tell me what happened within that house. If he doesn’t wish to tell me that’s his decision.
Everything happens in time.
My eyes stayed locked on the boy in my lap as I continued to admire his beauty and play with his hair. I completely disregarded the work I was doing on my phone when Grayson told me to keep stroking his hair and I did so happily. Moments like these are more important than discussing business and politics.
I prayed to the Goddess above to keep Grayson asleep for hopefully the whole plane ride and maybe even longer. As soon as we get home, my doctor is coming over to check up on Gray then no matter what, I am keeping him on bed rest and next to me.
I know he will whine and complain and argue but it is something I’m willing to put up with for his health. Plus any moment of Grayson talking to me, even if it is negatively, is better than him ignoring me.
It’s better for him to use his words to express his anger than bottling up his anger inside of his head. Though I think he could get his message across without all the vulgar words he seems to love saying.
Swearing has never been my thing. I always thought it made people seem unprofessional and careless. As for children, it just doesn’t sound right coming out of their mouths. They seem so innocent then come out swearing like a sailor, it’s off-putting.
The plane shook slightly with turbulence and I tightened my grip on Grayson. He wasn’t sitting in a safe position at all and he didn’t have a seatbelt on but I just needed him to rest comfortably and soundly even if that means I have to sit and worry about him for 3 and a half more hours.
After all, that’s part of my job being his mate. To keep him safe and protected.
“Lukas, you’ve been smiling at him for like 10 minutes you look a little crazy.” Alex’s voice broke me out of my thoughts and I rolled my eyes at him.
“How can I not? I still can’t believe I found my mate I can’t take my eyes off him.” I chuckled and glanced back down at my blond.
“Not fair. I want my mate.” He huffed. “Kid’s 15 and already gets his mate he never has to know what it’s like to be constantly waiting to meet them.” Alex complained and I laughed.
“I’m older than you and I’ve been waiting longer. You’ve only been waiting for a year, I had to wait three. You just gotta wait your turn.”
“Ugh. I hate waiting.” He whined.
“Yeah, we know. Waiting in a line with you is dreadful.” Karsyn piped in.
“You can’t talk either you already have your mate.” Alex fired back but it was immediately shot down by Karysn.
“I’m literally older than you and I was older than you when I found him. Nice try though bud.”
Alex sulked in his seat silently and picked his book back up so he could ignore us. I found it amusing but I know he’ll find them when the time is right. His day will come when he will find the person who he can share all his love and passion with.
Karsyn met her mate almost a year ago just after she turned 20. They are both chill individuals but they go nicely together. Adrian hardly ever talks in public and Karysn talks for him a majority of the time but when he does talk, it’s quiet and soft.
Karsyn swears up and down that when they’re alone he’s a chatter box but I can’t even imagine him saying more than a few sentences.
“You two look good together, Lukas. Happy for you.” Karsyn said softly and turned back to her laptop where she was writing some emails to Alphas about treaties and other matters.
I smiled and drifted my attention back to Grayson who slept silently.
Goddess he’s so cute.
*****
I gently placed the sleeping boy on my bed, careful to not wake him although I doubted I even could with how heavy he sleeps. I somehow transported him out of a car, onto a plane, off a plane, into a car, out of a car, into my house, and up to my bedroom without him even stirring too much.
I take that as an amazing thing in my books though because he needed the rest.
I go to walk away just so I can use the bathroom real quick but a series of mumbles and movement stop me and I turn back around. Grayson sleepily took my pillow into his arms and wrapped his body around it, falling back asleep.
I smile and use the bathroom quickly so I can climb back into bed with him and as soon as I lay down, Grayson is on top of me, gripping me tightly. Sleeping Grayson is a huge cuddler. It differs so much from his awake personality because he wouldn’t come near me with a 10 foot pole.
My hands slip under his shirt and glided around his back lightly, trying not to press on the bruises and hopefully soothe some of the pain.
I’m happy with how much he’s sleeping and that he slept through the whole trip. We boarded the plane around 10pm and flew through the night. We landed around 8am Maine time. It’s 9:15am now and at 10am my doctor is coming over to look over Gray meaning I need to wake him up.
No doubt he’ll be grumpy and angry. The time difference between Maine and Oregon is already going to mess with him physically and then the fact that he’s in Maine and not Oregon will mess with him mentally.
I feel sorry that I took him here without his permission but I had to do what was necessary.
I sighed and started shaking Grayson.
“Grayson, Sweetie, it’s time to wake up.” I spoke softly and he groaned.
“Come on babes, the doctor is on her way over you gotta wake up.”
“Mm wake me up when she’s actually here.” He mumbled into my neck.
“You need to get up and moving a little bit. How about you go take a shower?” I compromised, hoping he would accept.
I got no answer and I look to see that he fell back asleep even though I’m not sure he was even very conscious in the first place.
I tapped him repeatedly to annoy him enough that he’ll get up on his own and soon he picked his head up and glared at me. He glanced down at my chest which he was laying on and pushed himself off.
Now he’s awake.
“Why do I always gotta wake up cuddling you? Stop doing that.” He grumbled looking around my room, his face and ears flushed bright red.
“That’s weird since you climbed on top of me.” I smirked and he looked away, blushing madly.
“I-I didn’t do that.” He stuttered and I laughed.
“Oh but you did sweetheart.”
He ignored my words and stomped through the open bathroom, closing it harshly behind him. I heard the shower start to run and I took the time to finish up some work before the doctor arrived.
Nearly 10 minutes later the shower shut off and Grayson’s head peaked out the door. He still looked exhausted as if he was about to fall over and pass out at any moment.
“I need clothes.” He demanded and I glanced up at him from my laptop. His blond hair stuck in all directions and you can tell he just rubbed his head with a towel.
“Ask nicely.” I said looking back at my work. I’m trying to teach him that if he asks nicely he’ll get better results than when he demands.
“You kidnapped me so be a dear and go get me clothes.” He snapped at me and I ignored his words and continued typing on my laptop.
“Go get me clothes. Please.” He muttered bitterly, looking at the wooden floor. I smiled and got up to go fetch him clothes from my closet that was on the upper level of my room, up a black staircase that lined a wall with dozens of green plants hanging on or around it. Grayson was a bit smaller than me so I tried to find clothes that would somewhat fit him.
I walked back with the clothes and put them into Grayson’s hand that was reaching through the crack in the door.
The door shut again and I could hear him bustling around in the bathroom before the door opened and he walked out. The bottom of the crewneck was gripped between Grayson’s teeth as he tried to tighten the strings on the joggers more, exposing his soft abs.
Once he got the pants tight enough he dropped the crewneck and let it hang loosely on his body.
Goddess he looks hot in my clothes.
“There’s a new toothbrush and other necessities in there too for you to use.” I forced out, the boys abs pictured clearly in my mind.
Grayson turned back to the bathroom and spent a few more minutes in there before coming back out.
“All your stuff is being shipped here so it won’t be here for a few weeks. I can take you shopping or you can shop online or you can just live out of my clothes any of them work for me, especially the last option.” I smirked. I would love to see Gray in my clothes 24/7 I can’t think of anything better.
“Of course you like that, pedo.” He grumbled kicking at the floor. “Maybe if you didn’t kidnap me we wouldn’t have this problem.”
“I’m not arguing with you about this right now, Sweetie. I’ll let you rant and complain all you want later but the doctors about to get here. How about you come lie back down?” I compromised.
“I don’t want to lay with you.” He snapped at me and I shrugged.
“I didn’t say you had to lay with me. There’s two halves of the bed babes. Just lay down on the other side.”
He glared at my logic and I just went back to my work. Gray reluctantly and slowly laid down and faced away from me. Minutes passed in silence and I thought Grayson had fallen asleep again but him shuffling closer to me caught my attention.
His back was still facing me but he was nearly touching my side with how close he was.
“Rub my back. It hurts.” The blond muttered into the pillow he was gripping. I paused for a moment hoping he would finish his sentence and thankfully he did. “…Please.”
“Good boy. Anything for you, Gray.” I praised him for his respect and I could feel shiver run up and down his spine. I started to gently move my hand along his spine and back and Grayson subconsciously moved into my touch.
I continued this for about 3 minutes before a knock rang out throughout the room making Grayson slightly jolt, groaning at the movement.
Time for Grayson’s checkup.
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