Sweet Redemption: The Morningstar Series Book 3
Sweet Redemption Chapter 18

After Tia was gone, I felt Bou walk up behind me. He wrapped his arms around me, and bent his head to kiss my cheek. Fluttering started in my stomach.

Shaking my head, I turned around, and shoved on his chest, but he barely moved.

"Who was that?" He asked gestering towards the directiong that Azai walked off to.

"My younger brother Azai. This is his last year of school." I told him.

Bou furrowed his brow. He puckered out his full lips making him look irresistible. Man, I am in trouble.

"What's going on with him?" He asked.

I hesitated on answering. Not because I didn't want to spread my brothers business, because honestly Azai would have told anyone who asked. What made me pause was the genuine concern that laced Bou's words. Why does this guy care so much?

Because he is our mate. Selma told me.

I looked Bou up and down.

I'm not ready to trust him yet. I told her.

Selma sent calming energy to me.

You don't have to. But let's take baby steps. She offered.

"Azai met his mates last summer at Mate Week." I told Bou.

"Mates?" He asked with his eyebrow raised.

I nodded, and wondered for a moment if he was envious. Incubi aren't really made for one person. Of course being mated to someone like me would be different. I could keep up with his feeding needs, and if he ever drained me I would come right back.

"A boy and a girl. It was their first time coming here ever. I don't know much about them other than they grew up together, and their parents are super smart. Azai was over the moon about finding them. He spent the whole night with them but.." I trailed off. "They didn't seem to be as thrilled to find him."

Guilt poured through me as I remembered how heart broken Azai was. I was pretty much doing the same thing to my mate now. Even if I had my reasons, that didn't mean I wasn't hurting Bou.

"That's sad." Bou commented waiting for me to continue.

"Yeah." I said nodding. "Eventually they promised to enroll here. The two of them, and their parents didn't want the three of them spending too much time together before they were at least 18. But they all agreed to spend their last school year here. Only... they didn't show up when the first day rolled around. Azai was so excited the first day of school. But they never arrived. He's been... tempermental ever since." I finished.

Bou's face morphed into one of pure sadness. He is so caring. It felt like my heart stopped. How unfair that he can do these things to me.

"That's so sad. I don't blame him at all for being pissy." Bou said as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"You don't?" I asked confused.

Honestly, I was really confused. I've been nothing but hot and cold with Bou since he got here. I didn't even thank him for helping bring me home after I died in front of him. Yet, Bou never seemed angry. If anything, my rejections amused him. Bou shook his head.

"If you disappeared on me, at any given moment, I would spiral too." He told me seriously before his face softened. "And you don't even like me." He added with a kiss to my nose.

I crossed my arms, and gave him a stern look that only made him laugh. Honestly, I wasn't really sure how to feel about his words. I know how mate bonds work. Maybe if Bou was my first mate we would already be marked by now. But that wasn't the case. Already Bou has shown me that he is so much different than my first mate though. It really seemed like he wanted to be with me. I've been fooled before, and I didn't think I could take that again. I can't let him into my heart.

"I don't even understand why you keep trying. You're bad at taking hints." I said sticking my nose high in the air.

Bou chuckled, I could feel his chest rumble under me.

"Is that why you bit me? Because I wasn't taking the hint that you wanted to tongue f**k my mouth?" He asked laughing.

I shook my head, and gave him an incredulous look.

"Ugh, don't say it like that." I said disgusted, which only made Bou laugh harder. "Maybe I was just hungry." I said.

Bou pulled me closer so that he could press a soft kiss to my neck. Which I desperately tried to not react to. This man makes my knees weak, something I do not remember feeling with my frist mate.

While I might have been infatuated with my first mate, he didn't make me feel half the things that Bou makes me feel already. A fact I am trying to repress.

"Well, if you're still hungry I'm right here." He offered.

My gums tingled at the thought of sinking my fangs in his skin. Bou is smirking down at me, waiting for me to respond. I shook my head, and cleared my throat.

"Nope. I'm good." I said casually.

Bou gave me a fake pout.

"So, are you going to go talk to your brother then?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"I don't have anything to say to make it better for him." I told Bou.

"Tia seemed to think you could help." He pushed.

I sighed.

"That's because I talked with her when she was going through it because of your brother." I said, and then narrowed my eyes at him. "If you act with me like Max did with Tia, even in the slightest, I will f**k you up. Got it?" I said poking a finger into his hard chest. Bou chuckled.

"Got it." He reached a hand up to rest on the side of my face. "I yelled at him for being an a*s." He told me, and I scoffed. "No, it's true." He said with a laugh.

I eyed him warily. He did?

"But either way, I would never dream of treating you like anything other than the Queen you are." He smiled brightly at me.

"Why?" I couldn't help the small question that left my lips.

Bou gave me a confused look.

"Because you're my mate of course." He said.

Of course that's what he would think. He doesn't understand why I'm so apprehensive with him, or what my question really meant. Mate bonds can be complicated. My first one sure was simple. I was used, and it left me scared, no matter how much I refused to admit it.

Clearing my throat I stepped out of Bou's arms. He dropped his arms to his sides as he watched me. I turned around and walked to the staircase.

Taking the first few steps I turned around to find Bou still in the same spot watching me. I raised a brow at him.

"I thought we were hanging out. Are you coming or what?"

Without waiting for him to respond I continued up the stairs.

I could feel Bou following behind me now. Once we got to my bedroom door he reached around me to twist the knob, and push it open. I turned my head to eye him up but he only smiled at me. Sticking my nose in the air like the brat I am, I walked into my room. "I have no idea what to do if I'm going to be honest. If Ahkari didn't take your sister to my favorite spot maybe I would consider taking you there. Tia told us to remain on standby. The town is just as boring as the school. So." I put my hands on my hips. "Wanna watch some movies?" I asked.

"That depends." He sauntered up to me.

"On what?" I gulped as he reached me.

Bou's eyes slowly trailed down my body then back up to meet my eyes. I've never seen eyes so bright blue. They stand out even more against his tanned skin. I swear I could get lost in them. They're clearer than the ocean. More like gems or something.

"On if you can keep your hands to yourself or not." He teased.

I shoved his chest, and rolled my eyes.

"You're the one always touching me." I grumbled.

"And then look what you do. You bite me." He joked.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Shut up, or I actually will bite you, and I promise you, you won't like it." I threatened.

Bou chuckled lowly.

"I doubt that I wouldn't like it." He said quietly.

Ignoring him, I made my bed quickly before grabbing my laptop. I plopped down on top of my dusty-pink comforter and opened my laptop. Pulling up a streaming app I looked up at Bou who was still rooted in the same spot. He's looking around and looking a bit uncomfortable. Guess he isn't as cool and calm as he thinks.

I smirked at the thought.

"What kind of movies to you like?" I asked him.

Bou's eyes snapped to mine. He shoved his hands in his front pockets making him look boyish.

"Uhm, I really like comedies. Scary. Anything, but cheesy romance." He said.

I bit my bottom lip to hid my amusment.

"Kay." I said, then turned my attention back to my laptop.

I looked through movies for a few minutes before finally settling on one. Setting the laptop to the side I looked up to see Bou still in the same spot. I couldn't help but giggle at him. At least my giggle seemed to make him relax some. "What are you doing over there? Are you secretly scared that I'll take a bite out of you for real?" I teased.

Bou smiled.

"More like I'm scared you won't." He mumbled before walking over to my bed.

I scooched over to the other side to give him room. Bou sat down, and kicked his boots off. He leaned back against my soft headboard, and stretched his legs up on my bed.

Once I thought he was settled I tucked my legs under me, and started the movie. Snapping my fingers my curtains closed, and my lights turned off. I went to lean back when a large warm arm snaked around the back of my shoulders. Turning my head to Bou I glared, but he was staring at my laptop.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Bou looked at me, a look of pure innocence on his face. I had to bit my bottom lip to not laugh.

"Watching a movie with my mate." He answered.

I opened my mouth to tease him further, and tell him to move his arm, but then he yanked me to him. Bou tucked me under his arm, his hand coming around to rest in front of me. I glared at him, but he only smiled in return. "I just want you to be comfortable." He told me.

Rolling my eyes I decided to let it go. If I was going to be honest I was extremely comfortable anyways. I just was not going to tell Bou that. He knew what he was doing to me, that much I was sure of, but he wasn't really calling me out over any of it. For that I was thankful. I was still trying to figure out what his deal is though.

I would say that it was clear that Bou just wanted to be with his mate, but I thought that before. After everything with my first mate I wasn't sure if I could trust my own judgment again. The mate bond messes with your head, made you believe in your mate. Sometimes the bond is wrong, or your mate just doesn't want you. Bou seems to want me, but was I just seeing what I wanted? Maybe I should just f**k him right now, and see what happens after.

I was still stuck in my own head when Bou cleared his throat.

"So, I'm curious about something." He said.

I turned my head to him, and furrowed my brow.

"Okay." I said.

"You said that you talked to Tia when she was going through things with Max." He said, and I nodded. "But that it's different with Azai. Why is it is different?" He asked genuinely curious.

"Because I told Tia that she would be fine if Max rejected her. Azai doesn't want to even consider being rejected. I don't have anything to say to make him feel better. With Tia it was different, she really thought Max was going to reject her. I could relate to her feelings." I told him. Bou gave me a confused look.

"You could relate to her feelings?" He asked.

I nodded.

"How's that?" He asked.

I looked him deep in his bright blue eyes. Sighing I figured he would find out eventually. Selma was in complete agreement with telling him as well.

"Because I've been rejected before." I breathed out, and watched Bou's face slowly turn to one of shock. "You aren't my first mate."