My Shy Alpha (MxM)

Ch 9

It seemed that Hamish had latched onto me.

He clung to me like a shadow, just one step behind.

My parents had found out that we'd made our agreement official, probably from Julia and insisted we all come around for breakfast.

By my parents I mean my mother, but I'm sure my father wanted the same having not met Hamish yet, the boy who was in charge of taking care of his son during this mating season.

That wasn't lost on Hamish either.

I was going ahead so I could get changed but Hamish clung to me, and not just physically. The thought of meeting my father worried him greatly.

He cowered in the entryway, still in his pyjamas, and I swore I saw him trembling a little at the prospect of the joint family meal. His fingers were coiled around the hem of my shirt and I could tell that he had no intention of letting me go. If I never went then the joint family breakfast wouldn't happen, he wouldn't meet my father.

I gently pried my shirt from his fingers and took his hands in mine, squeezing them and trying to meet his eyes through his curtain of hair. "There's no need to be so worried Hamish."

He just shook his head and clutched at my fingers.

My father was just a beta, and a sweetheart, as odd as it sounds. He was protective of me, sure, but he knew what Hamish had gone through, was still going through. My parents had already spoken about us being season partners, my dad had already accepted it.

"My father is okay with us, we spoke last night about it. He might want to speak with you a bit, give you some advice and he'll probably express his concern for me, and make you promise to look after me, but wouldn't any other father do the same?"

His head dropped further and a shuddered exhale left him. "I'm not... he'll see what a poor excuse for an alpha I am... he'll... he'll change his mind." he whispered.

I let go of his hands and hugged his middle. "Don't be silly, he'll love you, because you're not like other alphas.

Why do you think he let me go through the season alone for three years despite the risk to my health and wellbeing? He knew how dire my options were and made the decision to intervene himself rather than put my care into an alphas hands.

He doesn't trust any of the unmated alphas or even the betas with me, but he's willing to trust you and he hasn't even met you yet."

He stilled, the words circulating through his brain. He knew I was right, but whether he accepted it was a different matter.

"Hamish, look at me." I brushed his hair back and tucked it behind his ears, exposing his blue-grey eyes. I locked our gazes, my palms pressed to his cheeks so he couldn't turn away. He stared down at me, cheeks warming under my hands at my continued stare. "My father only wants what's best for me, he would rather let me scream in agony due to my unsated heat than trust an unmated alpha or beta with me. He forced water and food down my throat when I was too delirious to do it myself and carried me to the infirmary afterwards so my self-inflicted wounds could be treated. He saw what his decision did to me and yet was willing to let me go through another season alone, he chose that over trusting someone else to care for me.

The fact that I agreed to be your season partner when I'd refused all others says a lot about you, especially to my father. If I trust you then he will do the same, and I do. I'm willing to give myself you, bare a vulnerable side of myself that I've never let anyone see before. I want you to be my first season partner Hamish, and if all goes well then..."

I sucked in a deep breath and felt my own face warming, making such a confession wasn't easy but I knew Hamish needed to hear it, and I needed to say it.