Presley's POV

When I had gotten home to see Charlie sleeping peacefully with his head resting on Mateo's chest, jealousy took over. I didn't know what to say calmly, so I took the best option—leaving until I was cooled down. Although I wanted to beat Mateo to smithereens right then and there, I knew that it would only do more harm than good anyway.

I trusted Mateo. At least I thought I did, and it made me begin to rethink the trust I had in him. He was one of my better translators of the pack, but I knew I could do without him. I knew I was thinking in frustration, and it seemed like it was ever building and never went away. I knew kicking Mateo out of my pack would hurt Charlie in many ways because Mateo had practically become his best friend since joining the pack. It would make our relationship that already was strained even more so, and I wanted to avoid that.

I let out a growl, slamming my fist into the punching bag for the umpteenth time. I didn't even know how to talk with my mate. Funny. I could lure anyone into my bed with me not even four months ago, but I struggled to have a conversation with Charlie.

I repeatedly slammed my fist into the sack until it broke off the chain. I was angry. At myself, at Mateo. He should know his boundaries with my mate. I sat down on the ground, trying to catch my breath.

I was just trying to keep the pack safe. In turn, I knew I wasn't making any attempt to make time for my mate, practically leading him in the arms of one of my trusted translators.

We should just kill him, better to ask for forgiveness later on. Ezekiel huffed.

You know that's a stupid idea, and I know that's a stupid idea. I inwardly rolled my eyes.

He was holding our mate, and he was breaking the pack law. He argued.

It's not pack law, Ezekiel... It's pack law if he forces Charlie into breaking our bond. Or if they both sleep together while one bears the mark of another. I got up to my feet, wiping the sweat off of my forehead.

They were sleeping together, though!

Not like that, you absolute moron. I picked up the sack, placing it in the corner of the gym.

It might as well have been that way. He harrumphed.

Sorry to break the news to you, but slumbering and fucking are completely different. If you weren't trying to fucking shift and take over right then, we probably would have been able to talk to Charlie, but no, you have to be the savage you've always been.

Do you expect less of me? Honestly, I didn't, he was angry, as was I, but there wasn't anything I could do about it anyway.

—

When I made it to my parent's house, my dad was the one who answered the door. It was now around 3 in the morning, and I knew I would never hear the end of it if my mom had answered the door. So I thanked the goddess when the old man opened the door.

"Fuck you doing here?" He glared, sleep present in his appearance. "Where's Charlie? Is everything okay?"

"I just need to stay the night. Then, we can talk about it tomorrow morning?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't ask too much further.

But to my shit luck, he wouldn't let that happen. "Or, we could talk about it now because you and I both know you're going to leave before the house wakes to do your perimeter run." I thought my mom was supposed to be this annoying, not my dad.

"I'm tired, I need sleep, I have to be up in like fourish hours." I grimaced, rubbing my temples, not wanting to do this right now.

"I've had less sleep before." He crossed his arms and lifted a brow. "How about you tell me, or you're just going to have to sleep on the porch swing tonight." He closed the door, so his head was now poking out of the door.

"Dad, just, please–" I ground my teeth together in frustration.

"Admission ticket to this humble abode is needed. All I need to know is why you smell like you haven't showered in probably two days and why you're here at three am needing to sleep here? What'd you do to Charlie?" He looked enthused.

"I didn't do anything, and I needed to leave before I did do anything." I shook my head, the image of Charlie's head laying on Mateo's chest crossing my mind again.

"Elaborate."

"I came home, and Charlie was sleeping. He was sleeping on the couch laying his head on Mateo's chest." I sighed, "I wasn't happy about it because I had been trying to link him all night long because of Adam telling me about Maria's (A/N: Idk if I mentioned her name sooooo She's Maria for now.) pregnancy. They wanted me to meet them for dinner, and I did. I tried getting Charlie to join us, but he wasn't answering. Like I could sense he was still near me, and there weren't any stirred emotions, so I just assumed he was busy or something because I know he likes to spend some evenings in the pack's nursery." I kept rambling, the words falling out of my mouth quickly.

"Slow down there," My dad opened the door for me to come into the house. "It's too late for this; let's get water." He shut the front door, shuffling behind me to the kitchen. I flicked the lights on, the bright fluorescent lights burning my eyes.

My dad grabbed two glasses out of the cabinet, filling them both with water. He handed a glass to me, then took a sip of his water.

"You can continue your word vomit now." He sighed, sitting down at the bar.

"Well, anyway, so when I got home, he was sleeping on Mateo's chest. So, of course, I got angry, and I knew if I stayed longer, I would kill Mateo because Ezekiel is still suggesting it, by the way. I mean, I know I could have done things a little bit better tonight. I admit that. Charlie did let me know what I could have done, and yes, I could have done all of those things."

"Which was?" My dad raised a brow at me, setting his glass down on the table.

"Well, he said I could have gone up to our apartment and brought him down for dinner, which I admit I could have done that."

"Yeah, he was right about that. You were eating in the packhouse cafeteria." My dad nodded.

"I could have, but I didn't. I think I just overreacted when I saw that. It's like if you came home and mom was resting his head on a single dominant wolf's chest. I'm sure you wouldn't have been too happy about it either."

"You see, that's where you and I are different. I didn't give him the time to be away from me for so long. So I think maybe you need to re-evaluate yourself, son. Your mom and I were a team. He was with me on perimeter checks, helping me with finances for the pack. He planned full moon ceremonies." He smiled gently, reminiscing. "Maybe you need to remember you're no longer single and that you're mated. So when you do something, just think to ask him. When you're going somewhere, like last week, ask him. You shoulda seen him sulking around with your mom while you were away. Honestly, if your mom catches wind of this, I'm one-hundred and ten percent sure your mom will be on Charlie's side."

"Recently, I think mom loves Charlie more than he does me."

"Honestly, I think I love Charlie more than you. He's got something about him." He leaned back, tapping his finger on the counter.

Funny how two months ago, you were hell-bent on me denying him. I thought to myself.

"So, can I just stay the night?" I asked.

"I mean, you still have a room here for a reason. You're allowed. Just try to fix your shit with your mate." He scooted himself from the counter, getting to his feet. "I'm going back to bed." He strolled out of the kitchen.

When I lay in bed after showering, my mind wouldn't shut off to let me sleep. I had restless nights every time I was away from Charlie. This was no exception; if anything, it was worse than usual. Charlie knew how to speak English well enough to no longer need Mateo to translate for him. Maybe I should ask Charlie if he would like to go on my border runs together? No, I didn't want to put him in unnecessary danger. Just because my mom did it doesn't mean Charlie has to, unless he wanted to.

My dad was right, though. I was so used to being single, and I used to fuck around in my spare time, the little time I did have. I needed to learn to give Persephone and Adam more responsibilities to alleviate all of the burdens I had put onto myself. I needed to figure out a way to give more of my time to Charlie. I needed to make sure he felt my love for him and give him more than quick kisses, good morning, and good night. To compliment him on the exquisite dinners he would make for me, maybe eat dinner with him versus coming home super late and after he had cooked it hours prior.

I noticed the little things he'd do for me, like washing my clothes, and making sure our apartment was clean and tidy. He made it feel like home versus the empty canvas before he occupied the space with me.

I'm glad I decided to cool off before talking with him, though. I knew I could say things I didn't mean to say to him with my temper, and it would only make Charlie more upset with me.

It felt as if I had just closed my eyes before my natural clock woke me up to do the morning border run. I felt awful as if I were running on empty, mostly because I was. I hadn't slept right in the past few weeks, worrying about things I probably should have left for the next day.

Today, I would just focus on assigning tasks to my beta and delta of the pack and possibly getting another person to help me proofread documents, which took up a lot of my time.

I needed to do this for him.

I no longer wanted to feel like a stranger, a mere acquaintance to my mate. I wanted to be one with him, just as we were meant to be. I wanted to do the things I promised him, and I knew I should keep those with him, which reminded me to schedule a flight to Italy within the next month or so for him to visit his family.

I had a lot of apologizing to do with him and probably a long, very much-needed conversation with him as well.

When I talked with him tonight, I hoped that he would express his concerns and wants and make his opinion noted. I wished to have a relationship with him just like my dad had with my mom. He deserved that much, if not more.

I desperately wanted to make things better and strengthen our tattered bond, and only I was to blame for it getting this way. I didn't allow him to talk to me because I didn't make the time for him, and he didn't deserve to be ignored like that. Charlie only deserved the best.

I no longer wanted to feel like a stranger to Charlie, and I wanted to learn everything about what he desired in our relationship.

I would try my best to make up for the display of jealousy and show him that I was better than that.

I was hell-bent on giving him the best. 

A/N: Got a wild hair up my ass and got random inspiration. Don't forget you can get up to chapter 21 on patreon with early access. This goes for my other stories, Mafioso, Yes, Your Highness-- Give it a gander, you can get ahold of the link on my profile. (on tapas, you should be able to tap on the banner and it'll take you to my profile.)