ALEK

     There was something about the way Ahote was pacing about the room that made me nervous. He would walk around in circles in front of the bed, pause then stare at the wall, and maybe smile at me if he caught my eyes before repeating the odd behavior. I didn't know why he was pacing, but whatever it was certainly bothered him.

     It was around eight at night, and a good chunk of the wolves had left the packhouse for their cabins and flats across the pack grounds. I could still hear some kids playing from the open window as they ran past it. Their laughs and shouts occasionally filled the small room that had once belonged to Honon which was now mine.

     Ahote stopped in his tracks before running his fingers through his hair as he looked from the walls to the floor. He nibbled his bottom lip like he did when he was deep in thought, before turning to lock eyes with me. It was sudden, so my eyes widened in surprise. He gave me a soft smile before walking over to the bed I was sitting on.

     "I've been thinking," he started, taking the space beside me on the bed before picking at the wool of the blanket on top of it.

     "I noticed," I muttered, and he smiled again. I mirrored it, not sure if it was one of good or bad news. I just wanted Ahote to get whatever that was troubling him off his chest.

     The omega looked away from me again, but he scooted closer to me before taking hold of my arm and resting his head on my shoulder. It was a calming gesture, and it made me less worried about what he had to say to me.

     The laughter and yelling of the kids completely died down when the sound of a woman shouting over theirs made them go pin silent. It seemed like they were being shooed off to bed. The absence of their noise made the room go completely silent. Ahote hadn't said anything yet, He was putting pressure on my arm by tightening his grip and then untightening it. As I wondered about what was in his mind, I let myself rest my head on his too.

     "You're staying right?"

     I groaned, rolling my eyes at his words. "Of course," I answered, not needing any more detail about what he was talking about. For the past week, Ahote would randomly ask me if I was planning to stay in the pack. He did it everywhere. In the kitchen, in the bathroom, when we were lying down side by side — everywhere. I wondered why he kept asking me this. I've communicated my feelings about this before. He was making it seem like he was the one waiting for me to make up my mind and not the other way around.

     "That's if I'm allowed to," I added, remembering that it wasn't a guarantee. I could want to stay here, but that didn't mean the pack elders would let me. The construction up north was still going on, and it didn't look like it would end anytime soon, but what would happen if it did end at one point and I was asked to leave? I couldn't do anything about that. That wasn't within my control.

     "I know, I know," Ahote mumbled, raising his head from my shoulder before creating some space between us. His brown eyes were giving me a determined look, and it seemed like he was on the verge of finally telling me what was going on in his head. "I just wanted to be sure before I asked my question," he muttered as his eyes fell on the space between us. "I don't think it's a secret that we want to be with each other," he started, finding the will to look back at me again. "But I'm not sure why it seems so hard to ask if you'd like to get bound to me. Like tied — I'm not sure what you call it where you're from," he muttered as his tan skin caught a bit of color.

     It took a while for me to figure out what he was saying, but when it clicked my face warmed up too. "Like a marriage," I said in a low voice, and Ahote licked his lips, nodding his head slowly and making the stands of his long hair fall over his face like a thin curtain.

     "Is that taking things too far?" he asked softly, and I wasn't sure how to answer him. "We're not mates, but I don't think that matters in a decision like that, does it?" It seemed like he was asking me the question, rather than it being rhetorical. Did it matter? I wasn't sure. I knew getting tied was something mates did when they decided to start a family, though it wasn't a mate-exclusive thing. I've known people whose mates have died getting bound to new people after some time.

     "I don't think that's taking things too far," I said. "That's what I want. Someone to love. Someone to start a family with — and of course, I want that someone to be you. Do you think it's taking things too far?" I asked, reminding him that he was the one with the options here. He was the one with a mate. He was the one who would carry any sort of burden attached to this.

     The look on his face told me that he was conflicted. I reached out to brush the hair away from his face, and my heart became full from simply staring at his slim face and full lips. He was glowing slightly, and it made me wonder if he would be on heat soon.

     "Can I ask you a question?" Ahote asked in a low tone as I brushed his cheek with the base of my thumb. Even the freckles he got from heat damage when working in the garden sat well with his face. He looked amazing. He always looked amazing, and for a slight second, I forgot we were in the middle of a conversation.

     "Can I?" he repeated, making me realize that I had forgotten to answer him.

     "Sure," I muttered in a soft voice, leaning in to steal a kiss before pulling away. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself," I apologized, licking my lips. I watched Ahote's eyelids flutter, and soon his gaze was on my lips, then my chest, and then on his hands that he had nested in his lap.

     "Do you love me?"