Chapter 3: Storm (2) - (Makai's POV)

I paused when I smelled candy and raspberry.

"Speak of the devil-or, in this case, angel," Kitai said gleefully, and I could feel him pacing around happily. Kitai loved Storm. He always begs to meet Storm properly, but I have never agreed because I was a little afraid of the things he would say to Storm if he got the chance and I did not want to risk it.

I smoothed a hand over my hair nervously and tried to calm my racing heart. I hated how he made me feel giddy and nervous, especially because I knew that even though he was everything to me, it would never be the same from his side, and I didn't even want it to be. People like me had no right to feel that way about someone as precious as Storm.

"Would you calm down with the pity party and go meet him?" Kitai snapped impatiently.

"Wait, wait, wait! Do something about your hair first. You appear brutish," he continued frantically, making me frown.

I struggled between the desire to look nice for Storm and my wish to avoid anything that would encourage this... friendship that he had started years before and would not let go of.

Even after he'd been away from the pack for years to study magic, he'd always come over to see me whenever he was home.

I hadn't seen him in a month, and my body was practically vibrating with excitement to see him, but I force myself to sit on the bed and pretend to be reading the book on dragons I had started the night before.

"I'm not going anywhere", I bit out at Kitai, who was cussing me out in disbelief.

Ignoring his loud complaints, I tuned my ears to listen to Storm as he speaks to my mother.

"He's in his room. I think he missed you quite a bit, even if he won't admit it or show you," my mom was telling him, and I groan in embarrassment.

I hear him laugh softly. "Don't worry, Dera. His boorish attitude doesn't faze me."

I catch myself before the smile spreads across my face and listen as my mom says goodbye to him and leaves the house. Soon, I hear soft footsteps approaching, and with it the scent of honey and raspberry, filling my nostrils before I hear the knock on my door.

I ignore it as I try to calm myself and maintain a neutral expression, a well-honed skill that only seemed to fail when it came to Storm.

"Makai. Do we have to do this every time?" he says in exasperation, his voice laced with a hint of hurt that had my heart squeezing a little painfully. He had no idea the preparation I have to do to ensure that I keep my hands and emotions to myself when I see him.

I know you're aware I'm here. Don't you ever miss-"

"Come in", I interrupt quickly before he can thread into dangerous waters, and he walks into my room with a bright smile and grins at me. If possible, he brightens more as his eyes move quickly over me, and he moves forward as if to hug me but I move back swiftly to avoid the touch.

Frowning in displeasure, he falters for a moment and pouts at me. I didn't feel special because he wanted to hug me so badly. Storm was a notorious hugger and very touchy-feely.

He tries not to take my aversion to his hugs and friendly touches personally because he knows I absolutely hate being touched. The only time anyone apart from my mom touched me was when I was in the pit fighting for the pack. Because then I could freely let the beast out to play.

My aversion to touch wasn't why I don't touch Storm or allow him to touch me though. I am afraid of feeling more than I already did if he touched me, and I also didn't want him to sully himself with me. Storm was... too clean to touch me, and I didn't feel worthy enough to touch him either.

I take him in and try hard to keep my expression blank. Every time Storm is away I think I've prepared myself enough to see him the next time, and every time I'm shocked by his beauty and presence all over again. It was getting harder each time, and I was afraid that soon I would not be able to completely hide everything I feel when I see him.

I snap my eyes to him when I hear his breath quicken, and what I see made me realize that I hadn't been able to shut off my emotions quickly enough, and a little of it had seeped through.

Trying to bring us both quickly back to earth, I ask him gruffly, "Why are you here?" and he rolls his eyes at me.

"I came to count the pots and pans in your house- of course, I came to see you!", he replies sarcastically, and I can't help my lips turning up a bit at how cute he looks. Storm was sweet, but he had a very sarcastic streak he seemed to reserve just for me.

"Fine," I allow. "How was your trip?"

It was awesome!" he exclaims with obvious excitement, moving to sit on the bed with me. I shift back slightly and am relieved when he doesn't seem to notice. He should be used to it by now, but it seems to hurt his feelings sometimes when I pull away from any possibility of physical touch. For the life of me, I can't even imagine why he would want to touch me in any way.

"I met all these really powerful people with Quinn and we made a lot of allegiances. He said I did so well that when he becomes alpha he will make me a Surai so that I will be meeting with other Packs for partnership and allegiances on the Pack's behalf. Isn't it exciting? I get to meet new people all the time!"

I couldn't imagine anything I would hate more, but his excitement was so infectious that I couldn't help smiling. Storm enjoyed meeting people. He was the epitome of the word sociable - the total opposite of me.

Quinn was smart to make Storm a Surai, everyone loved Storm, and it was a great quality for a Surai to have. The Surai are representatives of a pack who represent the pack's interests in negotiations and networking events that don't require the Alpha's presence.

I lay down with my head turned towards him and listen as he tells me about some witches and elves he had befriended, and I allow myself to bask in the company of the ray of sunshine that was Storm Hakhan.

I had no idea what I had done to deserve his friendship, but I'm grateful for it, and I allow myself to enjoy it for now because I know it wasn't likely to last.

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