Chapter Two

Moore was planning another raid. Davey had been avoiding him, even though he knew he needed to try to convince him to allow him to go, but he was sure about the raid. He’d known Moore for a while, and whenever he decided it was time for a new raid, he started talking to people. He and Rikar had been having meetings over the past few days, which meant it wouldn’t be long before Moore took the mutants and headed out.

Davey needed to be on that raid. He needed to ensure that Evan wasn’t in one of those cages, and the only way to do that was to be present when the mutants entered the lab. Davey could ask someone to check for him, but he didn’t dare.

No one knew about Evan, and for now, he wasn’t planning to change that. Evan was his best friend, the man he’d had to leave behind, and he should be the one to rescue him.

That was going to be complicated if Moore didn’t allow him to come along. He’d told Davey that he was being too impulsive lately, and he wasn’t wrong, but Davey had to convince him that he was.

It felt like it would be easier to teach a dog to speak.

That wouldn’t stop Davey from trying. Evan was out there, and Davey would find him.

He watched Moore through the diner’s window from the other side of the street. He and Rikar were sitting at a table, both of them sipping on their drinks. Davey had spent enough time at the village to know that while Moore liked his coffee black and strong enough to melt metal, Rikar preferred herbal teas. He didn’t have to ask to know what they were drinking.

He also didn’t have to ask to know what they were talking about. Moore had his phone on the table, and he kept typing things, probably in his notes app. He and Rikar were having a serious conversation. It had to be about the raid, and Davey wished he could go in there and listen to what they were saying. The problem was that Moore would see him right away and stop talking, which wouldn’t be useful.

Davey rubbed a hand over his face. He hated that he’d reduced himself to spying on Moore from the other side of the street. It was ridiculous, but at the same time, it felt like the only thing he could do. He didn’t know how Moore would react if Davey told him about Evan. Davey wanted to think that Moore would understand and allow him to come, but there was no guarantee. Moore might think that Davey should have stayed behind and helped Evan out of the lab, that he’d been selfish when he’d run on his own, and he wouldn’t be wrong. That was how Davey had felt every single day since it had happened and how he would feel until Evan was back with him.

He ignored the little voice in the back of his head that always said that Evan might not be alive anymore. He had to be. Davey wouldn’t consider any other option.

He spent the rest of the meeting between Moore and Rikar trying to avoid thinking about Evan and what might have happened to him. He kept his focus on the two men, jumping as soon as they got up from their seats. They might leave together, which wasn’t what Davey wanted. He needed to talk to Moore alone.

Thankfully, they separated once they stepped out of the diner. Rikar went to the right while Moore headed to the left. Davey followed him. As soon as they were far enough from the diner that Rikar wouldn’t hear them, he called out for Moore.

Moore blinked at him, visibly confused. “Hey. You’re talking to me again?”

Dammit. Davey had known that avoiding Moore was childish, but he’d been angry, and he still was. He didn’t feel it was fair for Moore to forbid him from going on raids, especially when he was perfectly fine. “I’m sorry,” Davey apologized. “I know that what I did was wrong.”

Moore shook his head. “Not wrong. Foolish and dangerous. There’s a reason I ask that all of you stay in pairs when we raid labs. That way, you have someone to support you when you need it. You could have died if that bullet had hit you on the other side of your chest or even if Leon hadn’t been there as quickly as he was. I know you’re aware of that, Davey.” Moore hesitated. “But it’s like you don’t care about your safety.”

To be fair, Davey didn’t, really. He needed to stay healthy and strong to continue raiding labs until he found Evan, but beyond that, he didn’t have plans.

He never had. The only reason he’d managed to get free of the lab he’d been in was that one of the nurses had forgotten to lock his cage. He’d tried to unlock Evan’s, too, but he hadn’t been able to. Evan had told him to leave and that he could come back for him later, and Davey had promised he would, but by the time he did, Evan was gone. His cage was empty, and Davey had never seen him again.

He’d been looking for him ever since. Things had gotten easier after he joined Moore and the other mutants because he didn’t have to worry so much about sneaking into labs on his own, but he still hadn’t found Evan. He didn’t care about anything but that.

But Moore couldn’t understand because he didn’t know about Evan. Davey had made sure of that. He hadn’t told anyone about his best friend, and he wasn’t planning on starting now.

“I do care about my safety, of course,” Davey said. “And I’m sorry for what I did. You don’t have to remind me that I was an idiot. I just thought I could help the people in those cages.”

“You could, and you did, but I won’t allow you to do so by sacrificing yourself.”

“I promise not to do anything that stupid again.”

“That’s good, but you’re still not coming on the next raid.”

“Why not? I swear to be careful.”

“I already told you that you needed to take some time off, and I won’t change my mind. Try not to think about the labs and relax, all right? I’m sure you can return to work in a few weeks.”

Davey gritted his teeth. A few weeks? Was he supposed to sit on his ass and possibly allow Evan to be hurt or killed just because Moore wouldn’t let him come on raids for a few weeks? “You can’t do this to me.”

“The last time I checked, I was our leader. Everyone agreed to that, including you.”

“Maybe I should have thought better of it.”

Moore’s expression was serious, but Davey thought he could see a hint of hurt in his eyes. It was quickly gone, though. “Maybe you should have,” Moore agreed. “But it’s too late. I’m the leader of the mutants, including you, and I gave you an order. You’re not coming, and if you continue pushing me without actually thinking about what you did and trying to fix it, I’ll forbid you from working until you get your head out of your ass.”

“This isn’t fair,” Davey snapped.

“I don’t know if it’s fair or not, but I won’t allow you to put yourself and others in danger. I don’t know what you’re looking for, Davey, but you won’t find it by being reckless and getting yourself killed.”

Davey knew he wouldn’t be able to convince Moore, so he turned and stomped away without saying anything else. He should have said goodbye, at the very least, but he was angry.

Who did Moore think he was, making this decision for Davey? If Davey wanted, he could go out there and raid as many labs as he wanted on his own. That was what he’d been doing before meeting Moore and the other mutants, and he was still alive to tell the tale.

The smell of smoke distracted him from his thoughts. He frowned and looked around, hoping it wasn’t a fire. He couldn’t see anything, but he noticed smoke coming from an open door in an alley. There was a lot of it, and he didn’t want to risk it spreading, so he ran toward it.

Moore might think that Davey wasn’t good enough to go on raids and help, but he’d helped countless people since he’d escaped from the lab, and he wasn’t done. If anyone needed a fire to be put out, he’d be their man.

* * * *

This was a mess. Usually, Orion was decent in the kitchen, but everything had been going wrong since this morning, and it wasn’t getting any better. If anything, it was getting worse.

He dropped the towel he’d set on fire into the sink. He’d set it down too close to the stove while he’d been melting some chocolate, and when the beep of the oven distracted him, the thing had caught on fire. He’d freaked out and had stared at the damn thing for way too long before finally snatching it up.

Shit. The oven.

Orion left the towel in the sink and rushed to get his cookies out. He’d been about to do that when he realized the towel was on fire, and now, thick smoke billowed out of the oven as soon as he opened it. His eyes burned, but he squinted and leaned closer to check the cookies.

Of course they were burned. They weren’t quite charcoal yet, but if he’d left them in the oven a few more minutes, they would have reached that stage.

“What the fuck is happening?” a voice asked from the back door.

Orion had left it open because he’d been hot while baking, but he hadn’t expected a handsome man to come running in and save the day.

The man strode in, looked around, and noticed the towel in the sink. Orion expected him to turn on the water, but instead, the fire suddenly vanished. If Orion hadn’t seen it himself, he wouldn’t have believed it.

The man turned to Orion. “Are you all right?”

Orion blinked and slid the cookies out of the oven. He dropped the baking sheet on top of the stove and glared at them. “I am, but they’re not.”

The man stared, and almost as if by magic, the cookies stopped smoking. When Orion poked at one, it felt wet.

He wrinkled his nose, because the texture wasn’t his favorite, then turned to the man. “You’re one of the mutants.”

The man scowled. “So what if I am?”

“Nothing. I was just wondering how you did that.”

The man hesitated. It was clear he expected Orion to make fun of him or maybe even do something worse just because he was a mutant. It was ridiculous, but these people didn’t know Orion. They couldn’t know that even though he’d been a hunter, he’d done his best never to hurt anyone.

“Water manipulation,” the man eventually said. “I can manipulate the water in the air or anywhere, really. I could take all the water out of your body right now.”

Orion beamed. “Would that mummify me?”

The man blinked. “People aren’t usually that excited at the thought of becoming a mummy.”

“It’s neat. What else can you do?”

The man looked confused.

Orion didn’t blame him. He’d always liked learning things, which hadn’t been easy while he lived with his father. His father had always said that Orion didn’t need to learn anything that didn’t relate in some way to being a hunter. He thought Orion was stupid and a bit weird for wanting to know about volcanoes and space and insects as an adult.

But Orion didn’t care what his father thought anymore, and he could ask as many questions as he wanted as long as this man didn’t have anything against it.

Orion really hoped he didn’t. He liked the way the guy looked. He might not feel attracted to him—but then, Orion had never felt attracted to anyone in his life—but the man was hot. His hair was long enough to curl, and the man had styled it so that the curls were pushed forward, covering his forehead. Some of the curls were so springy that Orion wanted to reach out and pull on them, but since this man could mummify him with barely a thought, he decided he didn’t want to risk it. There was no anger in the man’s green eyes, but that didn’t mean he wanted Orion to invade his personal space.

“Nothing,” the man said. “Is water manipulation not enough for you?”

“Oh, it’s great. It’s just that I know that some of the mutants are human while others are shifters, and I was wondering which one you were.”

The man shrugged. “I’m just your normal wolf shifter.”

“That’s cool.”

“Is it?”

“When you’re human, it is. Sorry you had to run in and save me.”

The man looked around. “What were you doing?”

“I was baking cookies. I should’ve waited until they were out of the oven to start melting the chocolate to put on them, but I was too impatient. I put the towel too close to the stove when the oven beeped, and it caught on fire.”

“You almost set yourself on fire for cookies?”

“They’re good cookies.” Orion looked down at the baking sheet. “Or rather, they were supposed to be.” He poked at the closest cookie again, grimacing because the texture was still weird. “You saved the day,” he said, looking up at the man. “I’m Orion.”

The man stared at him for a moment before nodding. “I’m Davey.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Davey. Can I bake you a cake to thank you for saving my life?”

“I don’t think I actually saved your life. I just extinguished a small fire, but you already had it under control since the towel was in the sink.”

Orion rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, but I forgot to turn the water on.”

“It could happen to anyone.”

“Could it?”

Orion wasn’t particularly clumsy, but he’d felt overwhelmed since he’d arrived at the village and even more so since he and his brother had been allowed out of their cells. He desperately wanted to find a place in the village, and he’d been working hard in the bakery. The sooner it opened, the sooner people would see that he didn’t want to hurt anyone and that he wished to build a life here with them.

It looked like maybe he’d have to wait for a little while longer. He’d clearly been working too hard, and he was so tired that he was starting to make mistakes.

He leaned against the counter and squeezed his eyes shut. “Anyway, I’m sorry. I’d really like to do something nice for you to thank you, but you don’t have to say yes if you don’t want me to. I’ll understand if you don’t want me anywhere near an oven ever again.”

Davey snickered. Orion felt a gentle touch on his shoulder and opened his eyes to find that Davey had gotten close enough for Orion to see brown specs in his eyes. They were green at a distance, but this close, they appeared almost hazel.

“You don’t have to bake me anything, but you can if you want to,” Davey said.

Orion pushed away from the counter, which put him firmly in Davey’s personal space. Davey’s nose wrinkled, and for a moment, Orion wondered if he stank. He’d been working most of the morning, and the oven had been on the entire time. He was sweaty, even more so because of the fear that he’d set his bakery on fire.

Davey’s eyes widened.

Orion got that a lot, unfortunately. When they didn’t stare at him because he was a hunter, they stared because he was a big man who looked like he could hurt them. He really hoped Davey didn’t think he’d do that.

“Are you all right?” he asked when Davey continued staring. “Is it smoke inhalation? Do I need to take you to the hospital?” Where was the closest hospital?

Davey shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. You’re staring.”

Davey took a step back, swallowing heavily. Orion followed the bob of his Adam’s apple with his gaze. “I am fine. This has nothing to do with the smoke.”

“What is it, then? If I can help you, I will. I need to find a way to thank you for what you did today.”

Davey shook his head. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“What if I want to?”

Davey groaned and rubbed his face. “There’s nothing of the kind in a relationship between mates. You don’t have to thank me. I’ll always help you if you need me to.”

Orion blinked. “Between mates?”

“Yes.”

Orion thought he understood, but it sounded too good to be true, and he wanted to be sure. “Are you saying I’m your mate?”

Davey looked torn between wanting to be close to Orion and wanting to run out the back door. Thankfully, he stayed where he was as he nodded once. “Yes. You’re my mate.”

* * * *

Davey had never thought he’d meet his mate by saving him from a kitchen fire. He’d also never thought that his mate would be a hunter—a reformed hunter, but a hunter anyway.

He knew who Orion was. Orion’s brother Perseus was Teddy’s mate, which meant Davey had seen quite a bit of him, since the two brothers had barged into their lives. He still wasn’t sure what to think of Perseus, but he knew him well enough to be sure that he was nothing like his brother.

Perseus was prickly and pushed people away. Davey had only needed to spend a few hours with him to know of that. If Perseus could keep Teddy and Orion with him and ignore everyone else in the world, he’d probably do it. He was the kind of person who felt like he didn’t need people in his life beyond the few he loved.

Orion was clearly the opposite. He was relaxed and happy, even though he’d almost set himself on fire. He was staring at Davey as if trying to make sense of his words, which Davey could understand since he was doing the same.

“Are you sure?” Orion asked.

Davey almost rolled his eyes, but he told himself that Orion was human. No matter how much humans knew about mates and bonds, they couldn’t feel them like a shifter could. “I’m sure.”

“What do you think about that?”

That wasn’t the question Davey had expected, but he was already starting to see that not a lot would be like he’d expected when it came to Orion. “I’m supposed to be happy.”

“I didn’t ask what you were supposed to think. I asked what you do think about it. In your place, half of the village would already have run out the back door, and they definitely wouldn’t have told me I’m their mate. You didn’t hesitate, though.”

It was more like he’d blurted it out without thinking. He shouldn’t have, but the cat was out of the bag, and he needed to deal with what it had left behind. “I didn’t mean to say that the way I did,” he admitted.

Orion wrinkled his nose. On such a big man, it shouldn’t be adorable, but there was something about Orion that gave off that vibe. Davey was sure that if he wanted to, Orion could do a lot of damage, but he felt like Orion wouldn’t hurt a fly unless he was forced to.

Orion was tall, but if Davey had to guess, he was only a few inches taller than him. His shoulders and arms were massive, though, and for a moment, Davey couldn’t look away from the muscles that bunched under Orion’s t-shirt.

Orion was the definition of a gentle giant, even though he wasn’t a giant. He felt like the kind of man who would pick up stray cats and fill his house with them. He’d offered to bake Davey a cake, for fuck’s sake.

Davey was tempted to say yes.

“I don’t see why I should hide that you’re my mate from you,” Davey said cautiously.

Thankfully, Orion didn’t seem offended. “Plenty of people would have. You know who I am, right?”

“I do. I’m friends with Teddy, and everyone in the village has heard about you and your brother. I like your name, by the way.” Davey resisted the urge to slap himself. What the fuck was he doing? If this was flirting, it was pretty bad.

But for some reason, it made Orion smile. He beamed at Davey. “Thank you. I like your name, too.”

Davey snorted. “It’s nothing special.”

“It’s special because it’s your name. So you know I’m a hunter.”

“I know you were a hunter. You’re not anymore, and you and your brother are settling in. You’re not going anywhere, no matter how many people don’t like that.”

Orion frowned. “Are there people who don’t like me being here?”

Davey hated that he’d made Orion think about that. He wanted Orion to smile again, so he gently touched his mate’s shoulder.

Just like he’d expected, Orion beamed at him. Davey quickly took his hand back, but it was to reach for the counter because of how shaky his legs were. If he could, he’d continue touching his mate.

“Something’s wrong with you,” Orion said as he caught Davey’s waist and gently guided him toward a stool by the counter.

His hands on Davey’s hips felt like a brand on Davey’s skin. They weren’t even really touching. Davey’s t-shirt was in the way, so Orion wasn’t touching his skin, but it felt like he was.

Davey wanted more. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like if Orion were to bend him over the counter and fuck him right here.

It didn’t sound sanitary.

Orion let go once Davey was sure he wasn’t going to faint or do something equally as ridiculous. Davey opened his mouth to thank him, but Orion was already gone. He flitted around the kitchen, putting things together, and Davey could only watch him.

It was a sight to behold.

Orion was big, his body rippling with muscles, and he looked like he belonged on a battlefield rather than in a bakery. He moved with ease, though, clearly knowing where everything was. As Davey watched, he put together some tea and opened a box. He fished out a few cookies and placed them on a small plate.

He was taking care of Davey.

Davey couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken care of him. It had to have been Evan. They’d been taking care of each other as best as they could when they were locked in those cages. After Davey had escaped, he hadn’t even gone to a healer. He’d rested just long enough to be sure he could get into the lab and to Evan, then had gone right back in.

But Evan wasn’t there anymore.

Davey hadn’t allowed anyone else close to him since then, and he still didn’t really want to, but Orion wasn’t just a guy. He was Davey’s mate, and every inch of Davey’s being, including his wolf, felt like their mate needed to be close.

Orion set down the cup of tea and the plate of cookies on the counter in front of Davey. “You’ll probably feel better if you eat something. I guess that meeting your mate and finding out he’s a hunter was a shock.”

Orion was clearly hung up on the hunter thing, which was understandable. Most mutants and tribe members wouldn’t have been happy to find out their mate was a hunter, but Davey was more like Teddy. Hunters were bad, but sometimes, they didn’t have the choice to step away.

“I know your story,” he explained as he picked up one of the cookies—thankfully not one that had been on that baking sheet. Davey was pretty sure those were ruined.

“I think everyone knows my story by now, but most people still give me a wide berth.”

“Most people aren’t your mate.”

Orion grinned. He was gorgeous even when he wasn’t smiling, but like this, with a wide grin stretching his lips, he was everything. It was almost like a child discovering something for the first time, which gave Davey pause.

Orion looked like an adult, and since he was human, it meant he probably was, but Davey wanted to check. “How old are you?” he asked before taking a bite of the first cookie.

“Twenty-three.”

Davey wanted to ask more questions, but he was too busy eating the cookie. It was chocolate chip with pecan nuts, and it was delicious.

Nothing like the burned cookies on the counter.

“That’s good,” Davey said, even though his mouth was full.

“Why?”

“Because it means I’m not robbing the cradle.”

“I know that shifters are usually much older than they look. Does that mean you’re actually young?”

“Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by young. I’m thirty-nine.”

Orion slowly nodded. “If we were both human, I’d wonder if it was a too big age difference.”

Sixteen years was quite a lot, but Davey wasn’t worried about that.

He wasn’t worried about much right now beyond getting to know Orion and finding out every single detail about his mate.

* * * *

Davey didn’t look thirty-nine, but then, he was a shifter. There was also the fact that Orion had never been good at guessing people’s ages.

Davey’s age didn’t matter, anyway. Orion was his mate, and that was all Orion was concerned about. He knew Perseus would be slightly wary, though. He wanted the best for Orion, and even though he knew that Orion’s mate would be the best for him, it would take him some time to wrap his mind around. Sometimes he still saw Orion as his baby brother, even though Orion was twenty-three. Perseus had been taking care of Orion for most of their lives, and it wouldn’t be easy for him to let go of that.

But Orion was ready to take care of himself. He didn’t want Perseus to vanish from his life, but now that they were both safe and had a future, Orion felt it was time for him to find out what that future would be.

Apparently, it would involve a bakery and a mate.

“So we’ve already clarified that I don’t care that you were a hunter,” Davey said as he munched on another cookie. “But I don’t know what you think about being my mate.”

Orion blinked. “I thought it was obvious.”

“Not really. Some humans don’t want to be bonded to shifters, and there’s the added complication that I can manipulate water. I wouldn’t be surprised or offended if all of that freaked you out.”

Orion was already shaking his head. “I’m not freaked out. I was actually hoping to find a mate in the village. Perseus met Teddy, and I wanted the same.” Orion hesitated, but he felt he needed to be honest. “I’m confused as to why you don’t have a problem with me being a hunter. I know you said that you’re aware of my history, so you know I was forced into it by my father, but sometimes, I wonder if I could have done more to step away from that life.”

Orion was pleased when Davey took his time answering. He wasn’t throwing out the first words he thought about just because he wanted Orion to be with him. Orion understood that it was different for Davey. He felt the bond much more strongly, and it made sense that he’d want Orion to say yes to being with him.

“I suppose you could have,” Davey said. “But being a hunter is all you’ve ever known, right?”

“Yeah. My father was a hunter when my brother and I were born. He was absent for most of our childhood, but once we became teenagers, it was clear we wouldn’t have a choice. He trained us since we were around twelve.”

“And, of course, there’s your brother to consider. I imagine your father wouldn’t have hesitated to threaten him if you didn’t do what he wanted. I don’t know him, but I’ve heard enough about him to know he’s not a nice man.”

“He’s really not, and I hope you’ll never have to meet him. He used me to force my brother to stick around. I’ve always been the weaker between the two of us.”

Davey frowned and shook his head. “You’re not weak.”

“Maybe not, but it’s what my father always said, and I know I shouldn’t trust anything that came out of his mouth, but for years, he made me feel like I was. I wasn’t strong enough to hurt people. I wasn’t strong enough to kill them. I needed to do more, to be ruthless, and that just wasn’t me. It still isn’t.”

“I’m glad you’re out of that life, and I don’t hold it against you. Teddy mentioned that you were hurt because you tried saving someone. That’s how your brother ended up kidnapping Leon, right?”

“Yeah. Perseus and I always tried to help people if we could, but we were discovered that time. I thought I was going to die.”

Davey reached for Orion’s hand. Orion held his breath as Davey linked their fingers together and pressed their hands on top of the counter. Davey’s hand was warm and gentle, but it still made Orion’s heart race.

He might not be able to feel the bond the way Davey did, but he could still feel something . He felt drawn to this man, and there was nothing he wanted more than to step into his arms and allow Davey to keep the world away.

“You didn’t die,” Davey said softly. “You’re strong, and you survived, and now, you’re a member of this tribe, and you have a home. You have a job, your brother, and me.”

Orion’s eyes burned, but he didn’t want to cry. He had nothing to cry about. His life was as perfect as he could have dreamed it. “It’s going to take me some time to get used to all of that.”

“You can have all the time in the world. I know we’re mates, but I don’t expect you to want to bond right away or for you to throw me over the counter and have your way with me.”

Orion sucked in a breath. There was one more thing he needed to tell Davey. Normally, he would wait until they knew each other better, but Davey wasn’t just a guy. He was Orion’s mate, and Orion didn’t want to feel like he was lying to him. “There’s something else.”

Davey squeezed Orion’s hand. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can work it out.”

“I’ve always had problems with romantic relationships. I didn’t have the opportunity to have many of them. And I refused to be with a hunter, so that made it even more complicated. But I had a few guys, and this wasn’t really a problem for most of them, but I’m your mate, which means we’re supposed to spend the rest of our lives together, and I don’t know if that’s something you’ll want once I tell you.”

“You make it sound like you’re a serial killer or something. I’m sure it can’t be that serious, Orion.”

“I guess it’s not. It’s just that I don’t have sex. Like, ever.” Orion was afraid to look at Davey, but he forced himself to. Whatever was about to happen, he needed to know.

Davey was frowning, and for a moment, Orion thought he wouldn’t be okay with this. He’d hoped he would be because Davey was supposed to be perfect for him, but he supposed there was a limit for everyone.

“You’re telling me you’re asexual, right?” Davey asked.

He wasn’t running away screaming, and he was still holding Orion’s hand, so Orion hoped this wasn’t going as badly as he thought. “Yeah. I’m not sex-repulsed or anything, but I’d rather not have sex. I know it’s an important part of the relationship between mates, though, and I don’t want to ask you never to have sex again, but I’m not sure I can do it, not even with you.” Orion sucked in a breath. “So if you need to take a step back, I’ll understand. I don’t want to force you into a relationship that’s not what you want or need.”

Davey squeezed Orion’s hand again, and Orion could only look up at him. He was slightly relieved when Davey didn’t look angry, but he still didn’t know what was about to happen.

“I don’t care about that,” Davey said.

“How can you not? Sex is an important part of most relationships.”

“And in other relationships, it doesn’t matter at all. Honestly, sex is the least important part of a mate bond.”

“But shifters bond while having sex.” Orion was sure of that. He’d heard enough people talking about it.

“Not always. Sure, it’s something that most couples do, but we’re not most couples. We’re us, and we’ll find a way to make it work.”

“I guess you could have other people.”

Davey’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “There’s no way I can be with anyone else, and I don’t want to consider that option. Now that I’ve met you, you’re it for me. You’re the only person I’ll ever want for the rest of my life.”

“But I can’t give you what you want.”

“Can’t you? What I want is love, respect, and support. I want us to be there for each other, for us to build a life together, and to make you happy. I told you, sex is the last thing I think of when I think about our relationship.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t like sex, though.” Orion knew that most people did. He didn’t feel weird or wrong because he didn’t, but he understood it might be something a lot of people had trouble understanding.

“Yeah, I do like sex. It’s nice, and it can be intimate, but it’s not the only thing that is.” Davey hesitated. “You know I spent some time in a lab, right?”

Orion didn’t understand where Davey was going, but he nodded.

Davey nodded back, then continued, “I managed to escape. It was several years ago, and I’ve been so focused on getting revenge that I haven’t had time for relationships or for sex. It’s just not that important to me. I’ve been without sex for a few years, and I can continue being without it for the rest of my life.”

“But what if you need it sometimes?”

Davey raised his free hand and wiggled his fingers at Orion. “I have two hands that I can use. I’m not saying our relationship will be perfect, but I don’t want you to worry about this because there’s no reason for you to. I don’t need sex. I need my mate, and that’s you.”

It sounded too good to be true, but for once, Orion allowed himself to hope that he could really have this—the bakery, his brother, and a mate.