Chapter Fifteen

I wasn't sure we should do the climb. Our mate had a rough night with whatever dreams shattered her peace, and I guess we couldn't blame her. She didn't seem to remember what it was that scared her so, but being in an unusual situation like this? With people she'd barely met so far from home could make anyone feel out of sorts.

The only good thing was that when we finally managed to wake her up, she didn't ask us to leave. Instead, she seemed glad to have us sit on either side of her on the bed and hold her hands and talk about little unimportant things until she was asleep again. It would have been amazing to just curl up and stay with her all night, but when her breaths slowed into an easy rhythm, I eased to my feet and took a step away. Edward lifted her fingers to his lips before doing the same. It was the honorable choice. As alphas, we were accustomed to being decision makers, but one of those decisions, maybe the most important one, was to let our female tell us when she was ready for more. She'd already made such a big move just coming here to meet us, and as long as she stayed, we could hope she would decide to keep us permanently. My grizzly and I had already come to that conclusion, and it only took a glance at Edward to see he felt the same. We'd known since we first spoke to her, really, but humans didn't expect a fated mating. At least, not that I'd ever heard of. They did, some of them at least, believe in something called soul mates, which sounded close but without animals. And judging from what I saw on television, a soul mate didn't mean forever like a mating.

Monroe was still asleep, and if she didn't wake up soon, maybe we should just let her oversleep and miss the reservation entirely. It was a good out for something I'd started to believe she might not be as happy about as she'd seemed at first. I finished wrapping some breakfast sandwiches and bagged them up to eat on the road. If we went.

"If she doesn't want to do it, why did she make the suggestion?" Edward mused, filling a travel mug with steaming-hot coffee.

"You're not supposed to be reading my mind," I said.

"I'm not, but what else could you be so focused on? It's where my mind is as well." He screwed the cap on. Black coffee with no additives—a sign he didn't get much sleep. I hadn't either, not after I woke up to the screams and crashing around that marked Monroe's nightmare.

"If our mate isn't into it, it doesn't really matter why," I asserted. "We need to ask her straight out and remind her that we can taste lies."

"What am I lying about now?" Monroe strolled into the room looking as fresh and cheerful as if she'd slept all night without interruption. "I just got up."

"Coffee?" I held up the thermal carafe I'd filled with drip earlier.

"Yes, but that doesn't answer my question." She smiled, revealing a tiny dimple in her left cheek I hadn't noticed before. "And I guess you don't need to. I haven't been up long enough to lie."

"We were wondering if you still want to do the climb or maybe do something less strenuous today after last night."

She frowned, brows coming together adorably. "Last night?" Could she possibly not remember? "Oh, the dream. I'm so sorry I woke you. I promise I don't have a lot of nightmares. Must be jet lag. But I did fall right back to sleep and never woke up again until about a half hour ago. I'm perfectly well and rested, but you two look like something the cat dragged in. Did you have a bad dream too?"

We assured her we had not, and after everyone had a full travel mug, we gathered our things and headed for the car. I was pretty excited about this endeavor, having watched dozens of YouTube videos put up by others who had already visited. While a few, like those who hung by an arm or a leg, put themselves in danger, a person who was properly secured should have no problem as long as they put one foot in front of the other. Three-point holds, even though you probably didn't need it like a standard climb, would be a good precaution.

Edward drove, and I sat in back for the relatively short journey to The Mountain Climb. The people who ran the venue had signs at the highway turnoff, making it nearly impossible to miss, and after bumping down the dirt road for a mile or so, we came to the low building that held the equipment and a small café. From this angle, we couldn't see the stairs, and the structure looked quite unassuming considering what it supported.

"We have fifteen minutes before we are due at the safety video," I reported. "I guess they must have it on a screen inside."

"I watched it online," Edward admitted, "and got that signed off. So if you don't mind, I'll go get a look at the steps while you two check in."

"You did?" Monroe thrust out her lower lip in a pout. "Without us? I thought we were like The Three Musketeers."

I ran my knuckles over her soft cheek, without thinking about it, but she didn't back off. Instead, she leaned in, eyes half closed. "I like that idea, The Three Musketeers," I said softly. "Ready for our first adventure?"

"I think so." She spoke softly but firmly. "As long as we do it together."