Nothing But Trouble (Wild Hearts Book 2)

by Noah Harris

  Adrian eyed his mate with a glower he didn’t truly feel. “I just want you to know, none of it counted.”

  Michael chuckled, cocking his head. “I see you’re a sore loser.”

  Adrian rolled onto his back to peer directly up at Michael. “You cheated.”

  “I did not,” Michael said with a grin.

  “You turned it into a competition without warning,” Adrian accused.

  Michael eased himself down so he could rest on his elbows rather than his hands “Aren’t you supposed to be prepared for anything at any time? You were the one who couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

  Adrian laughed, swatting Michael’s shoulder. “You cheated, just admit it. You know damn well I’m not made for long distance running.”

  Michael lay his head on Adrian’s chest, still smiling. “It’s not cheating, it’s using alternative tactics.”

  Adrian burst into a true laugh, the sound filling the boughs of the trees above and spreading into the wind. Michael’s smile was warm as he listened appreciatively. It wasn’t the sort of laugh Michael had heard from Adrian before. From the onset, despite Adrian’s easy smiles and jokes, Michael could never recall any time where he had heard Adrian let loose and laugh freely. It was a reminder of just how much he had yet to discover, locked away behind the multiple layers and illusions Adrian threw at the world. Michael had seen glimpses of them, flickers of light among the glitz and glitter Adrian hid behind, and he had been intrigued. The laugh was one flash, a true diamond hiding beneath the layer of glass gems.

  Adrian seemed to sense something had shifted, his instincts as sharp as ever. “What?”

  Michael knew he’d been caught and grinned. “Just thinking how nice it is to hear you laugh.”

  The look of surprise on Adrian’s face pleased Michael. If there was one thing he had learned, it was how easily disarmed Adrian was with earnest praise and affection. Michael loved how quick-witted and capable Adrian was, using humor to evade and avoid anything and everything the omega wished to. Michael had appreciated how adept Adrian was from the beginning, knowing it was a defense against being discovered for who he was beneath his façade, but respecting the mechanism as both effective and inoffensive. Michael had been, and still was, utterly delighted to discover that Adrian had nothing in his mental defenses to counter genuine warmth and caring. It was a weakness Michael found utterly charming.

  “You’re doing the cheating thing again,” Adrian accused with a squinted gaze.

  Michael continued to smile, loving the pink flushing Adrian’s cheeks. “We talked about this just a moment ago, they’re alternative tactics.”

  Adrian poked his forehead. “You can’t use the same joke twice.”

  “Yet here I am, doing it anyway. What are you going to do about it?” Michael challenged.

  Adrian reached up, his arms circling around Michael’s neck, pulling him down into a warm kiss. Michael had found something demanding in Adrian’s kiss from the very first, a sort of expectation that lay behind many of Adrian’s actions. It was as if Adrian should have been born an alpha, but somewhere along the line, the wrong switch had been flicked and out came an omega instead. Yet, just as Michael had learned how vulnerable Adrian was to warmth, he had also discovered the trick to draining the omega’s forceful personality.

  As if to demonstrate, Michael wrapped his fingers in Adrian’s hair, pulling firmly and pressing down into the kiss with more force then Adrian had used. The effect was immediate, and the air of demand around Adrian disappeared. Adrian’s body went pliant beneath him, a soft whimper slipping out between their lips as Adrian’s forceful grip turned needy.

  Michael broke the kiss, lingering near Adrian’s face long enough to peck the end of his nose. In the bright light of the full moon, Michael could see the pink tint still painted on Adrian’s cheeks. Adrian slipped his hands down to cup Michael’s face, his thumbs running small circles over a rough patch of stubble on his jaw.

  “Thank you for coming out here to run with me,” Adrian said softly.

  “I would have done it sooner but—” Michael began, slapping his once injured leg.

  Adrian nodded, a shadow crossing his face. “I’m glad it’s behind us now.”

  Michael couldn’t agree more, relieved to have another dark chapter in his life closed and resting in the past. By the time he reached out to Eli to enlist Adrian’s help, Michael had been near despair as he had watched everything he worked for falling apart around him, not knowing what to do. When Adrian had finally been brought in, Michael hardly dared to hope there might be a chance it could all be resolved. He had never lost faith with Adrian, and was glad to have been proven wrong in his doubts and worries.

  What had blossomed between them hadn’t exactly been according to any plan Michael drew up, but as he looked back over everything, how could he have not seen it coming? He’d had an immediate respect for Adrian and his skills, despite his sometimes-irreverent attitude, and had enjoyed the touch of humor Adrian brought with him. As the layers of Adrian’s defenses had slowly peeled away, revealing more of the man Adrian really was, Michael had been drawn in, until his devotion was complete.

  Adrian had called Michael his mate in a fit of passion and intimacy. The memory still stirred a mixture of protectiveness and joy in Michael’s heart, and it warmed him as he smiled down at Adrian. He didn’t have to ask—he knew everything between them had caught Adrian off guard as well. Yet, in spite of the omega’s reticence and fear, he had continued forward, showing no signs of backing off. Michael didn’t know what he had done to earn the Adrian’s trust and loyalty, but he was going to do everything he could to make sure he was worthy of it for the rest of their lives.

  Joy and hope swelled in Michael’s chest in equal measure. “All of it is behind us. Now we get to look forward to what’s before us.”

  Michael didn’t need Adrian to say anything, seeing his mate’s agreement in the warm glow in his eyes. Michael was eager to find out what came next, knowing no matter what was thrown in his path, he would walk with Adrian right at his side.

  Invitation

  Newsletter

  First off, allow me to say how incredible you are for supporting this new genre! Open-minded readers like you are special. You may be gay, bi, or straight, but you have good taste in books, and I love knowing you’re out there.

  I’d love to stay in touch, and if you would like to read more books like this, please make sure to sign up for my newsletter: click here. As a thank you for staying in contact with me, I'll send you a gift of four short stories for free immediately. And if email isn’t your cup of tea, you can connect with me on Facebook Messenger. I look forward to hearing from you!