Page 13 of SaaS & Class

“As long as they don’t have sand on them…” I muttered as I settled against the headboard.

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I showered and changed into fresh clothes before coming.”

“You planned this?”

He climbed onto the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms. “Yeah. I could tell before we left the beach that it was going to be bad. Dylan and Flynn are worried too. We’re here for you.”

I sighed as I relaxed against him. “I feel weak. Who the fuck gets fate-sickness from one whiff of their fated mate? It’s not like we’re fighting it. I don’t even know who he is.”

“You’re not weak. That’s the downside of fated mates. The urge to mate and breed is overwhelming. Your body is primed for something that isn’t happening, and it’s causing problems. That’s all.”

I sighed. “Are you going to be mad if I say that it’s weird to be cuddling you?”

He snorted. “No. It’s weird for me, too. But I spent some time looking things up online, and I saw a lot of articles that said one of the best ways I could help as an alpha… was to offer physical closeness. I’m not your mate, but my scent can still help.”

I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. He wasn’t wrong. I’d been jittery since that moment on the beach, but my body had calmed since we’d started cuddling.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “We all do. Your friends have your back. We’ll help you find your mate, and, until you do, we’ll help you fight the fate-sickness.”

“Thank you…”

“Of course.”

Taal was warm, his scent soothing. What pho I’d been able to eat sat low in my stomach.

Maybe I’d close my eyes for just a few minutes while the intro credits rolled…

Chapter 6 - Brent

~June~

My best friend, Jeremy, took a seat across from me. His brows furrowed, and he frowned. “Dude, you feeling ok? You look like shit.”

I groaned and rubbed the back of my neck. “Not… really? I feel like shit. But it’s nothing contagious.”

“Explain.”

I swallowed… “First, if I wasn’t feeling this bad, I wouldn’t believe it myself. But it’s the only thing that makes sense…”

“Go on,” he prodded after several seconds.

“I think… I might have fate-sickness.”

“The fuck‽‽” he cried loud enough for people at nearby tables to turn and stare.

I waved my hands in an attempt to get him to settle. “I know… I know…”

He growled low. “So are you the one being an asshole? Is he? Why the fuck did you allow yourself to get fate-sickness?”

I shook my head. “It’s not… like that. I don’t even know who he is.”

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Ok, now I’m really confused. You think you have fate sickness, but you don’t know who he is? How does that happen?”

I rested my elbows on the table and scrubbed my hands down my face before meeting his gaze. “You know how I like to try to hit the beach at least one morning every weekend?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I went out on Saturday morning.”