Page 55 of Shattered Trinket
“Is this alright?” I whisper against the top of her head, and she nods, sniffling.
Holding her tightly, I can feel the tension in my arms as I try to calm the rapid beating of my heart by shutting my eyes. I know she has to hear it thundering in her ear, but she doesn’t say anything about it. As I bury my face in her hair, taking a deep breath, the unique tangy sweetness that belongs solely to her helps to quell the furious storm inside me enough that I feel I can speak.
“I wish more than anythin’ ye never had tae go through whit ye did. I can’t imagine how anyone could ever look at ye an’ want tae cause ye pain, Wee One. But I can say wi’ absolute certainty that nothin’ ye tell us would ever make us decide ye’re no’ whit we want. In fact, if ye never wanted tae tell us details, that would be fine. We dinnae need tae know them tae know ye’re exactly who we want. But if ye ever want tae tell us, we will listen without judgement.”
I hear her sniffle and see her rub her nose with her sleeve before she looks up at me beneath her lashes, her lips turning down into a frown. Her nose is red, cheeks blotchy, and her blue eyes are brighter because of the tears, but she’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Why do you all keep calling me some version of small?” she mumbles, brows pinched.
I chuckle and tweak her nose, which makes her features soften as a giggle that makes my heart flutter escapes her.
“Well, ye are tiny. Especially compared tae me. See?”
I take her delicate hand in mine and gently press our palms together, feeling the warmth of her touch. Her slender fingers barely graze the bottom of mine, her hand significantly smaller by two or three sizes, proving my point. With fascination and an adorable curiosity, she gazes down at our connected hands. I watch as she slides her hand down a little, her fingers dancing around the rough surface of my palm. When her featherlight touch traces the lines there, an involuntary shiver of pleasure courses through my body.
“I hate being so small sometimes,” she mutters with a sigh, continuing to trace patterns in the lines.
“‘Though she be but little, she is fierce’,” I murmur against her temple, reflexively placing a gentle kiss there without thinking.
The sound of her humming fills the air as I press my lips against her skin, and she responds by closing her eyes and leaning further into my arms, a blissful expression on her face. For a while, we just sit there together in silence. We’re both completely at ease, the gentle melody of nature a soothing soundtrack that amplifies the tranquility between us.
When the rumbling of her stomach breaks through the peaceful silence, we both chuckle, and she squirms in my arms to move away. I make a sound in the back of my throat, my arms instinctively tightening around her as I give in to my instincts and lean down to press my stubbled cheek against hers. A contented purr escapes me as she sighs and affectionately nuzzles her cheek against mine, unconsciously scent marking me and unknowingly deepening my bond with her.
“Will ye let me feed ye? It would make me really happy. Ye don’t have tae say yes, but I wanna care for ye. Show ye how precious ye are tae me. I’m also no’ ready tae let ye go yet,” I whisper, resting my forehead against the side of her head and just barely catching the small, nervous smile on her lips.
I don’t express to her the true significance it holds for me, fearing that she might feel pressured or coerced into accepting my offer to feed her. But I want nothing more than to show her how a true alpha and omega relationship should be. I want to worship her in every possible manner, show her that she is a queen and we are merely her humble servants, yearning for even the tiniest bit of her love if she’s willing to give it to us.
“Okay.”
The softness of her voice amplifies the significance of her consent, and it means everything to me when she agrees. For the rest of the day, we sit out by the lake, just the two of us. I feed her bits of fruit, cheese, and crackers while we get to know each other, and with each new fact she reveals and every smile or laugh she gifts me, my affection for her deepens. We avoid discussing the dark aspects of her life, choosing instead to concentrate on lighter and more joyful subjects. I tell her about my family back home in Scotland, and she tells me about growing up in her small town, though she avoids talking too much about her parents.
To be honest, it’s the best day of my life, and when we trudge back up to the house hand in hand as the sun sinks almost all the way down, I can’t help the sudden sadness I feel at having to leave her after an entire day at her side. As we approach the back door, she suddenly pulls on my hand, causing me to turn and find her wrapping her arms around my waist, catching me off guard. I’m frozen, barely breathing, as she squeezes me and rubs her face all over my shirt, making the sweetest sounds that are just barely audible. She wraps her fist in the fabric after severalheart-stopping moments and tugs on it, looking up at me with the most innocent look. She crooks her finger at me, and I bend lower until we’re face to face, her breath fanning across my lips.
“Thank you for today. It was perfect.”
Before I can say a word, she surprises me even more by leaning forward and quickly pressing her lips against mine in the most innocent, sweetest kiss. When she pulls away, her cheeks are once again flushed, but her eyes sparkle like gems as she giggles at my frozen form.
“Goodnight… Alpha,” she murmurs before scurrying inside before I can stop her.
I stand out there, rooted to the spot, until the sound of Manny and Ridge’s voices reaches me, their concerned calls piercing through the stillness. They find me frozen on the patio, my gaze fixed on the door as I try to process what just happened, my lips still tingling from the unexpected kiss. When they catch a whiff of me, my clothes and skin completely saturated in Cozette’s scent, they both scrunch up their noses and grumble about the unfairness, but I ignore them.
The entire way home, I can’t stop touching my lips and when I crawl into bed a bit later, I fall asleep with a smile and the imprint of my omega’s lips pressed against mine.
Twenty
Cozette
The moment I open my eyes, I’m overwhelmed by the powerful urge to retreat into my cozy nest, as if I need to seek refuge from the world. My body feels uncomfortably hot, but the thought of crawling out of my blankets makes me want to vomit, so I sink further into them, despite the sweat beading on my skin. Not only that, but my scent is absolutely suffocating, pouring out of me in desperate waves.
Mama discovers me in bed, well past noon, buried beneath a heap of blankets and surrounded by pillows and stuffies. Withmy disheveled hair falling over my face, I cling tightly to my stuffed bat, seeking comfort in Jeremiah’s familiar scent that still lingers. Her smile quickly fades when she pulls the covers off of me, replaced by a frown that etches lines onto her face, and she sucks in a surprised gasp that has her coughing when my scent surrounds her. When the back of her hand touches my clammy forehead, I whimper at the touch and close my eyes, squeezing them tight.
“I don’t feel good, Mama,” I rasp out, a whine lodged deep in my throat.
Everything in me screams to escape to my nest and hunker down, but there’s also something more. Something more insistent in me, and as I inhale the remnants of Jeremiah’s scent, anything Mama says fades into the background. I notice when she sighs and brings her phone up to her ear to make a call, but I hear nothing else, my senses overwhelmed by the velvety texture of the bat. When she’s done on the phone, she perches herself on the edge of the bed, gently brushing my hair away from my face to get a better look at me,tsking.
“Come on, sweetheart. I think we need to make a trip to the doctor,” she murmurs softly, a knowing look in her eye despite the frown on her lips.
“I don’t wanna,” I croak out, curling more into myself and hiding my face in the plush.