Chapter Sixteen

Nicolas didn't say anything even after I finally looked up, he just removed his hand from the back of my head and I was grateful for the quiet. Although I had caught him looking at me every now and then whenever he thought I wasn't looking.

"I'm not gonna cry, if that's what you're worried about." I assured him when I caught him looking again.

This time when our eyes met, he didn't look away. His hazel eyes bore into mine until I had to look away first. My heart pounded in my chest and I tried to think of something to break the silence in case he could hear it.

"Let's-" I started in a high and trembling voice. I had to clear my throat quietly before starting again. "Let's play twenty questions."

It seemed to have gotten his attention and he continued to stare at me as if waiting for me to explain further.

Looking away, I explained. "It's kinda the quickest way to get to know someone's likes and dislikes. I'll ask you twenty questions - mainly about your likes and dislikes while sharing mine as well." I took in a breath and waited for him to refuse to play in case he didn't want to.

When he neither agreed nor disagreed, I had to ask him myself. "So, can we?"

"Yeah." He agreed and I tried to hide the excitement bubbling in my heart.

"So, um, what's your favourite colour?" I asked the first question that came to my mind.

He hummed before answering. "Green. Yours?"

I sighed in disappointment. Of course it wasn't gray - the colour of my eyes. It was green instead, the colour of nature he was so much in love with. I tried not to show my disappointment, sucked it up and answered truthfully. "White."

Definitely not hazel, I thought to myself.

"Your favourite tree?" He asked, sounding unsure after I didn't continue asking questions. I definitely wasn't sulking.

His question made me want to laugh. Even though I had no idea where that came from, the way he had asked it was truly endearing.

"Tree..." I hummed, mimicking him while I thought. I looked around, trying to figure out what to say. "Mango tree." I smiled looking at a tree in the corner. I wouldn't have figured out what kind of tree it was if it weren't for the tiny green mangoes hanging on its branches.

I looked over at him when I didn't hear his reply. He shook his head and stared at the mango tree.

"And yours?" I asked, grabbing his attention back again.

He didn't speak for a while. Instead he kept looking at the mango tree and soon his expression turned gloomy. "Father and I used to climb it to get the mangoes."

His eyes shone under the sunlight and I shuffled closer to him without thinking. My hand reached the top of his head and I caressed his hair just like he did.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

His gaze turned to the ground and stayed there. "I shouldn't have... Sorry. Forget it."

My other hand rested on his shoulder and I squeezed his arm slightly. "No, it's okay. You can talk about it if you want."

I saw him fiddle with his hands in his lap while he stayed quiet. "I have never talked about him since... I don't know how to."

I closed the gap between us until our thighs touched and slipped my hand from his head to his other shoulder. It might have looked like an awkward side hug but it didn't feel like one. If anything it felt almost as natural as breathing.

"I can talk first if you want." I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

I felt him slightly move his shoulder closer to me and it made me smile. He nodded when I looked over at him and I took that as my cue to start.

"Well, there isn't much to say. My dad cheated on my mom with his colleague, a guy. Grandma kicked him out as soon as she found out. Mom couldn't take it and left." I had to clear my throat to continue.

"A week later, police called to let us know that she was involved in a road accident and died. I was seven and all I understood was that one day I lost both of my parents."

Both of us settled in a quiet after that, just looking at the trees ahead and listening to the birds chirping occasionally. Somehow my hand found its way in between his hands in his lap. His warmth cocooned my cold hand and it brought me comfort like nothing else had ever before.

The longer the quiet prolonged, the more conscious I was starting to get of our position. Out of embarrassment, I wanted to look around to make sure no one was looking. But just as I was about to say something, Nicolas started talking again.

"Marco's mother used to take all the kids to the town once a month. It was my first time going along with them. I didn't even want to go. Father forced me to." His grip on my hand loosened slightly.

"When we came back, no one was around," his voice cracked and my heart ached. "Hunters attacked us when we were out. All of them fought to their last breaths. Only those who were hidden away survived."

I rotated my hand in his hold until I had the grip on his upper hand. He looked down to his lap and stared at our entwined hands.

"I shouldn't have left." He whispered, almost inaudibly. "I could've helped. I should have..."

I pulled my head off his shoulder and looked at him. "You've done an amazing job with your pack, Nicolas. They all seem to be proud of you and I bet your parents would've been too."

When he still didn't look at me, I used my free hand to move his head to face me. "I'm sorry about what happened but your pack and I, we are glad you're here."

He kept his gaze down for another few seconds before finally looking up. "Thank you."

I fought against the tears trying to escape and nodded.

"I've never told anyone about this, never felt the need to." His eyes wandered all over my face. "I'm sorry if it was too much too soon." He visibly swallowed and pulled his head back from my hold.

"It wasn't." I assured him right away and pulled my now free hand back slowly. "I understand how much courage it takes to share these things with someone else." Placing my hand back at my side, I rubbed it against my knee.

Nicolas opened his mouth to say something but stopped right away and looked to his side. I followed his gaze and soon saw Tobias running in our direction with Marco following closely behind.

"I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen." Marco explained, catching Tobias and lifting him off the ground before he could've reached us.

"Nico!" Tobias struggled in his hold and called for Nicolas in his high pitched voice.

Nicolas jerked his head to the side, gesturing Marco to let Tobias go. Marco placed him back on the ground and he came running to us. He jumped in Nicolas's lap and Nicolas barely had the time to pull our hands away from his lap.

Once seated, Tobias gave me a bright smile and I tried to smile back at him. Nicolas placed our still clutched hands on my knee instead and started rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand.

Marco sat down in front of us and started smirking as soon as he saw us holding hands. "Aww." He cooed, teasingly.

My face heated up and I looked away from him. Beside me, I saw Tobias talking animatedly with Nicolas. He'd also whisper something in his ear every now and then and that made me chuckle. Both of them looked over to me and Tobias pulled me closer to his level.

"Marco said you're Nico's mate." He whispered in my ear before pulling back and smiling wide.

"I wasn't lying. He is." Marco replied before I could have even thought of what to say.

"You'll be living with us now?" Tobias asked excitedly. "We can play together every day." He clapped his hands together and beamed brightly.

Nicolas' thumb on the back of my hand stopped instantly and I felt his hold stiffen. My smile from before disappeared and it dawned on me that we still needed to talk about it.

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You're beautiful. Thanks for reading!

P. S. Idk why but I am not happy with this chapter :(