Page 12 of Shattered Trinket
He’s done terrible things in his lifetime, made mistakes and poor decisions time and time again in order to survive, and I don’t think anybody will understand why I want him. Need him. But I see the man beneath what he shows the rest of the world. I’ve seen his heart, despite the filth that covers it, and underneath the ash, I know it’s made of gold. I don’t know how I know that, but I just do.
Jeremiah might be terrifying to everyone else, but to me, he’s just a man—an alpha—that’s been surviving, but not really living. Until now. Until we found each other. I believe him when he says he’ll find all of my broken pieces and put them back where they belong.
As I stare up into his blue eyes after his declaration, I bring my hand up to his face and trace the jagged scar that runs along his right cheek and up into his hairline, gently tugging on a stray piece of his dark hair that’s grown out since I last saw him. His breath puffs out against my lips, and I can’t stop myself fromlooking at his, wondering what they’d feel like pressed against mine.
I’ve only ever kissed one person before in my life willingly, and it was nothing to write home about. Hardly memorable.
Would it be different kissing Jeremiah?
I need to know.
My hand trembles as I cup his cheek, and before I can talk myself out of it, I lean forward and press my lips against his, softly at first. My lips tingle with just that bare touch, and I can’t stop myself from seeking more of it as I kiss him harder, a whimper crawling up my throat when he kisses me back. He gently picks me up and puts me in his lap, cradling the back of my head as he kisses me like this is the last time and not the first.
His tongue snakes out, running across the seam of my lips, and I tentatively open for him, gasping when it touches mine. My belly feels like there’s a herd of elephants stomping around in there, and my heart flutters in my chest as I’m kissed by an alpha the way I imagine most omegas are kissed or dream of being kissed by their alphas. It’s both exactly what I’d imagined it would be like before everything with Victor and not.
When he pulls back, my eyes are closed and I try to follow his lips, searching for more. He chuckles, making my eyes pop open. With my lips parted, I stare up at him, dazed and slightly confused about why he stopped. His blue eyes soften as he leans forward and rubs his nose against mine, and I melt in his hold.
“How could anyone ever look at you and want to hurt you, Dove?” he asks, his voice soft and blue eyes full of pain as they roam over my features, taking them all in.
“How could anyone look at you and not see the gentle giant beneath the hard exterior you portray, my Ghost?” I retort just as softly, knowing neither of us can answer the questions we ask.
He stays with me longer than he probably should, well through the night until dawn. I can barely hold my eyes open when thesun kisses the horizon, but I fight the exhaustion, wanting to stay out here in his arms and watch the sunrise with him.
When I feel him kiss the crown of my head, breathing me in, I know he’s about to leave. Tears fill my eyes when he stands up and puts me on my feet, tucking my hair behind my ear before rubbing his thumb against my cheek, stealing the tears that fall before they can get too far.
I don’t want him to go. Not yet.
“I want nothing more than to steal away with you right now. To be the selfish man I’ve been for so long, but I can’t be selfish with you, Cozette. I saw you up there before you caught me, which was never my intention. You’re happy here, aren’t you? Safe?”
I roll my lips between my teeth because I almost tell him to be selfish. To take me with him. But then I think of Mama Valley and the dads. I think of Ripley and her pack, and I know it would break them if I just disappeared without a trace. And it would hurt me, too, because they’re my family now.
But so is Jeremiah.
I finally nod my head, looking down at my feet as I twist my fingers together. He places his finger under my chin and tilts my face until he’s looking into my eyes again, a sad smile on his lips that were pressed against mine only an hour ago.
“I’m not leaving you forever, Dove. I promise. But I’m assuming these people you’re staying with… they’re related to the omega Victor wanted me to steal for him, yeah?”
I bite my lip, but nod again in the affirmative.
Nobody but Ripley and River knows what Jeremiah actually looks like, and I have a feeling neither would be too thrilled to find out he’d been here. Ripley might understand, but there’s a part of me that wants to keep it to myself. Just like I did when he’d sneak in to see me when Victor was away.
“Her parents,” I whisper hoarsely.
He grimaces before sighing and straightening his shoulders.
“Well… then, I definitely can’t steal you away, now can I?” he asks with a smirk, steely determination blazing back at me in those blue eyes. “Guess I’m just going to have to do things the right way this time and hope they can all forgive me for what I almost did.”
But what if they don’t? What if they refuse to understand? What if they try to keep us apart?
Petulantly, I think about how unlike him it was to let the two omegas see him when he’s so well known fornotbeing seen, and I can’t help the childish grumble that falls from my lips unbidden.
“They wouldn’t even know what you look like if you hadn’t let Ripley and River see you,” I mutter under my breath, feeling guilty about voicing that thought almost immediately.
Jeremiah laughs under his breath and shakes his head as I pout, tapping me on the tip of my nose.
“It wasn’t my intention, Dove. Just means I’ll have to work a little harder to win them over, but if it means I get to be with you in the end, then I don’t mind going the extra mile. You’re worth every bit of the trouble I’ve found myself in the last several months.”
He cups my cheek and I lean into his hold, nuzzling against his palm and closing my eyes with a content sigh.