Page 26 of Unknowingly Being his Brat

“No, I figured you had?”He sounded truly surprised that I hadn’t told Jeremy. But why would I?

“I would never do that, Milo. Whatever reason you had for wanting to hurt him is between the two of you. I still have no idea why you were so mad at him that day.”

Finally getting to know Milo better meant I was even more surprised by his ire, he just didn’t seem like the type to want to cause others pain.

His nose buried into my neck, calming my instinct to scent-mark him. He was putting his scent on me, marking me as his.

“It’s hard to explain,”hewhispered.

“Try me.”

Let me help you with your troubles, forever and always.

“I guess I was just tired of never being good enough, you know? Jeremy has always had it easy, and I struggle. Him being chosen as alpha was just the last straw before I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“I didn’t know you felt that way. Makes me feel rather shitty that I didn’t befriend you, too.”

“You’re Jeremy’s best friend. Why would you bother getting to befriend his younger brother? Maybe if we were closer in age, but the seven-year age gap felt much bigger back then.”

“I guess. But I doubt Jeremy knows about your feelings about him. He seems truly confused as to why you’ve been causing them trouble.”

“I’m ashamed for doing it… for trying to cause them issues. I was just so damn tired of never being good enough. But that’s no excuse for me being a dick.”He let out a whimpered sigh.“I should’ve just left the pack as soon as he was chosen as alpha.”

I tensed, not liking where this conversation was going.

“You contemplated leaving the pack?”

“More than once,”he admitted. “Why stay somewhere I don’t feel wanted?”

“That’s truly how you feel? That you aren’t wanted here?”I was proud of how steady my voice sounded. I was anything but steady at the moment.

“Well, yeah. I know you want me now, but, Darius, you’re the only one, and I have to be honest, I’m still waiting for you to see what the others see and push me aside like they did.”

“You’re more treasured here than you realize, Milo. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m ready to claim you as mine as soon as you’re deemed recovered enough for it by Nic.”

I meant every word. Milo was loved by most of the parents in the pack simply because he enjoyed playing with the pups. Not many had time for it, but he genuinely seemed to enjoy himself whenever they played around together.

He let out a huff against my neck, dampening my fur and making me shiver. His closeness was affecting me. Making me want us like this but in our human forms.

“I mean it, Milo. Whenever you’re ready, I’m claiming you.”

Chapter Thirteen

Milo

Darius might’ve thought he wanted me, but I doubted he would feel the same for all eternity. I’d done a lot of self-reflecting ever since we shared our first kiss, and I simply wasn’t good enough for someone as perfect as Darius. That didn’t mean I was about to bolt and be the bigger person. No, I wanted to stay with Darius and take what he was willing to offer me. When the day came and he was done with me, I would take the pain and heartache and deal with it then. Now, I just wanted to feel happy.

“I know you won’t like this, but you need a bath,” Darius declared, walking back into the living room with a bottle of dog shampoo in his right hand.

He had got to be kidding me?!

He’d shifted back to his human form to make us breakfast and apparently seemed fully intent on cleaning me up.

I glared, angry that I couldn’t tell him no with words. The bastard just smiled back, knowing how much us wolves hated getting washed. We much preferred a swim in the lake, or a rainy-day sprint across the forest. But soap? No thank you.

“Come on, Milo,” he cajoled. “Nic will be here later today to check on your stitches. Don’t you want them cleaned up better?What if there’s too much blood for him to see clearly and you have to wait another day or two as a wolf?”

Damn him and his logic. I really wasn’t ready to face Darius in my human form after our talk this morning. I felt so vulnerable. So frayed open. But I needed to get back to my human form. I missed it.