Chapter 11

Rhett

I read the text message again. And again, and a fourth time just to be sure it really said what I thought it said.

Can we meet up for coffee?

Even though he hadn't signed the text message, I knew it was from Levi since I'd been the one who'd set up the new phone for him. Of course, I'd saved his number to my phone, hoping to hell he'd call or text.

However, I hadn't expected him to text me today. After all, I'd only delivered the phone yesterday. I'd been certain it'd take him more time. At least a couple of days, if not a week.

"What's got you smiling that wide this early in the day?" Gray asked, his voice gruff, demeanour all pissed off as he sat across from me, placing a huge, steaming coffee mug on the table in front of him.

"Levi messaged me," I said, turning my phone to let him see. "He wants to meet me."

The corners of Gray's mouth twitched for a second—which, for him, was an exuberant expression of joy this early in the morning. "Great. I knew he'd come around. So, when are you going to see him?"

Now, my wolf said, pawing at my chest, trying to take over. He wanted us to change right this moment. To him, sitting here, talking, even to our Alpha, was a waste of time.

"I need to ask him," I said, turning my phone back towards me. I started typing out a reply, but hesitated before sending it. "And I also need to consider the barrier-problem."

Gray scoffed. "Your mate comes first."

"You're the Alpha. Shouldn't you say the pack comes first?"

Rolling his eyes, Gray fixated on me with a serious glare. "No. I don't expect and don't want people to put the pack first no matter what. Because guess what? That's how you get dissatisfied pack members. And unhappy pack members make for a dysfunctional pack. You know that."

Of course I did.

In theory.

My mind just wasn't working right now; all my strength and attention was needed to keep my wolf at bay.

We'll see him soon , I tried reassuring him, but he didn't want to listen. He was urging me, begging me to let us finally see our mate.

"I know. Sorry, Gray," I mumbled.

"No problem. Send that text." He nudged my foot.

Sure. I can come over whenever. Just tell me when and where.

Was it too much? Too overeager? Too overbearing? I could have probably worded it better, but then again, I'd been waiting for a message for almost two weeks. For fated mates, that was like going without your mate for an eternity.

"Also," Gray said, bringing his coffee mug to his lips. "I'm not too worried about the barrier."

Furrowing my brows, I gave him a confused look. "You're not?"

Because I definitely was.

"Nope," he said. "If the barrier was suddenly getting weaker, it'd be a whole different story, but the barrier getting stronger on its own? In my book, that's a good thing."

"But it's not supposed to happen. It's supposed to be impossible."

Gray nodded grimly. "According to legends , yes."

"According to our ancestors."

Another slow nod. "Our ancestors weren't perfect. A lot of information was lost over the centuries. It's entirely possible the barrier can, in fact, recharge on its own, without our ancestors knowing about it."

Pondering over this, I closed my eyes. "But they were there. Solomon was alive the last time the barrier was recharged. He'd talked to the witch."

Sipping his coffee, Gray took his time to answer. "Yeah. And the witch coven said only they could recharge the barrier."

"Yes. Just like the covens you talked to two years ago."

Recharging or the upkeep of a magical barrier almost appeared to be a lost art form. Gray had contacted more than two dozen covens and only three answered with quotes of how much it'd cost to take care of it.

"Yeah…" Gray sighed. "Listen, it's all speculation, and I'm not saying I don't trust witches because they're witches, but… do you remember how much money they wanted for recharging the barrier? They're making a lot off of that service. So, let's just think about this for a moment. If they had a perfect and easy way to make a lot of money by making shifters believe the only way to keep their packs safe was by having covens regularly recharge the barriers surrounding the packlands… wouldn't they use that to their advantage?"

My first instinct was to tell him he was way off base with his speculations, but I couldn't deny it sounded logical in a twisted, unethical way.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and any thoughts about barriers and witches overcharging us for their services went right out the window.

Did you have breakfast yet? Mave is making pancakes; if you want to come over, I can order an extra batch for you.

One second, I was sitting on one of the dining hall chairs, the next second, the chair cluttered loudly as it fell to the wooden floorboards, and I was standing upright, already one step away from the table.

Fuck.

Stop it, I chastised my wolf, though I wasn't entirely sure it'd actually been him who'd taken control. I might've just lost my senses for a moment.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and my frantically beating heart, before turning back around to Gray. I gave him an apologetic smile and bent down to pick up the chair.

"Sorry."

He chuckled. "Just go. We can talk later."

I didn't need to be told twice.

Stopping in front of the Balwood Inn, my tongue lolling out of my snout, my breath coming in short pants, I remembered I'd never gotten around to answering my mate. After Gray had excused me, I'd just taken off, grabbed my backpack, stripped bare, shifted, and started running straight to the Inn, my wolf's and my own excitement spurring me on.

I hadn't been willing to wait a single second longer to see my mate's face again, but in my haste, I'd never confirmed I was coming.

Howling low in my throat, I longingly stared at the big wooden building. I was still hidden between the trees since I couldn't very well just trot over the lawn right up to the front door. There were humans staying in the Inn. Unsuspecting humans.

Movement made me focus back on the Inn. The back door had opened, and… my mate's scent wafted over to me. Petrichor and apples.

My wolf yipped in excitement, my ears perking up as he stepped out of the door. Warmth filled me upon seeing him wearing the boots and coat I'd bought him. He was wearing what we'd provided for him. My chest puffed out, a wave of pride rushing through my body. He looked good in his new clothes. They fit him. We'd chosen good.

For a moment, Levi's gaze wandered along the tree line, searching for something. Me? Did he know I was here? He was human, so he couldn't know, right? It wasn't as if he could scent me like I was scenting him.

But then his eyes focused on the tree I was hiding behind, focused right on me, and he started walking over with so much conviction in his steps, I didn't doubt for even a second he knew I was here.

My tail wagged excitedly, heart beating faster the closer he came, the more intense his tantalizing scent got. It surrounded me like a blanket, and while my nerves and excitement spiked, I felt calmer than I had in a week.

He was coming right up to me. He wanted to talk to me.

"Hi, Wolfie," his melodic voice greeted me, a bit of amusement lacing his words as he stepped between the trees and looked right at me. "Thank you for coming."

His smile punched the air out of my lungs. So radiant, so happy, so… all-encompassing.

I let go of the backpack in my mouth, crossed the distance between us and nudged him, burying my nose at the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. It was kind of embarrassing to admit, even to myself, but I desperately wanted to lick him.

Do it , my wolf said, mark him .

Everyone should know he was ours. No, everyone needed to know he was ours. Every single person who'd messaged me yesterday to rave about my mate needed to know he was taken. It didn't matter that they definitely did know and them knowing was the sole reason they'd been messaging me in the first place.

Levi laughed, his hands finding their way around my neck and then he hugged me, just like he'd done back in the woods. My head was resting on his shoulder, while he was hanging on to my neck, his fingers scratching me, making shivers run down my spine.

I didn't know how long we were standing just like this, and I didn't care. I was drinking up every second, letting this tiny gesture chip away at the anxiety and doubts that had been filling my mind.

No matter what everyone else had said, I'd been so fucking afraid he'd just up and leave. I'd been so worried he'd decide that having a fated mate wasn't for him. That he didn't want to have anything to do with the paranormal world. That he didn't want a mate, didn't want to be part of a pack, didn't want… well, me.

But the way he was clinging to me, the way his heart rate calmed down, his shoulders relaxed, the way his breathing turned slow and even, it gave me hope.

"Sorry," he finally mumbled as he took a step back. Rubbing a hand over his face, he shook his head. As he lowered his hand, confusion was written all over his face, uncertainty clouding his eyes. "I don't know what came over me." He let out a laugh that sounded a bit desperate.

I flattened my ears. Damn, I really hated seeing even the barest hint of negative emotions on his face.

"That's a common theme for me at the moment. And… I guess it's one of the reasons I wanted to talk to you. Actually, I have a whole list, but I guess you need to change to be able to answer, huh? I should've probably just waited for you to come inside, but once Mave told me you were getting close, it was just like… I don't know. I couldn't wait any longer."

I wanted to ask him how he'd known where I was, but realized I needed to change first.

Picking up the backpack, I nodded towards a couple of trees and huffed, hoping he'd understand. I would have no problem with changing right in front of him, but Levi was a human and new to the shifter world. Yes, he was my mate and yes, he'd also seen me naked after a shift before, but this was different.

Ridiculous , my wolf said, but I ignored him.

This was no life-or-death situation where every single second counted. This was just my wolf being impatient… or wanting to show off in front of my mate. I wasn't entirely sure.

"Oh, yes, please go change." Levi's cheeks turned an adorable shade of red. "I'll uh… I'll wait here."

Hastily, I jumped behind the next big tree and shifted. It took merely a few seconds to rearrange my body, then I found myself crouching on the moist forest floor, urgency crashing into me, making me scramble for the backpack and my clothes.

I should've just gone with the usual sweatpants and shirt, but no, I'd wanted to be presentable, so I'd even packed underwear, jeans, a shirt, a flannel, socks, and shoes. Of course, Mave would probably have my head if one of the human guests saw me stalking out of the woods in a t-shirt and barefooted, so putting on weather-appropriate clothing was definitely the smart choice. I just didn't necessarily like having to make smart decisions. They took entirely too long.

On the other hand… seeing Levi's eyes widen, his cheeks blushing an even deeper red, and him unconsciously biting his lip was worth the extra minute or two it took me to get dressed.

"You… uhm, wow, you look hot," he said, then cringed, averting his eyes. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. I think you're very handsome, too." Testing the waters a little, I openly let my gaze rake over his body, pride once again filling my chest upon seeing him in the clothes I'd chosen.

However, I didn't like the slight hollowness of his cheeks or the way he barely filled the jeans or his coat.

Oh, Mave had told me he'd lost weight, but knowing it and seeing it first hand were two entirely different pairs of shoes.

"Thank you." Levi grinned at me. "So… Do you want to come in? Mave is making the pancakes as we speak. When you didn't answer, I wasn't sure if maybe something had come up, but she guaranteed me you were already on your way." He laughed, the sound bright and happy. "Apparently, she was right."

"Yeah." I scratched the back of my neck while my own cheeks heated. "I was kinda in a hurry to get to you and forgot."

Levi's smile turned wider as he looked up at me, furrowing his brows. "Is it weird that I kind of like that?"

I shrugged. "It's probably just a mates-thing. So, I guess it may be weird for you."

Levi nodded slowly. "I didn't expect to feel this whole fated mates thing. The… bond, is it? Like, I'm just a human, so I shouldn't be able to feel it, should I? Not before we haven't, you know, mated. But there's definitely a connection there."

My heart skipped a beat, and I wanted to shout with happiness or jump in the air or let out a happy yip, but I controlled myself, trying to rein in my reaction so as not to overwhelm him. However, I couldn't have stopped the beaming smile—that almost hurt, it was so wide—if I'd tried.

"During the past week, I've talked to a few of our human-shifter pairs. I have to admit, I never did much research on how humans react to having a fated mate, but everyone told me they definitely felt a connection fast. How did you manage to spot me between the trees?"

This was something none of the humans had told me about. Just that they'd felt an instant attraction and fell for their partner's hard and fast.

Levi shrugged. "No idea. I just… knew. I didn't see you or anything, but when I was looking in your direction, it was almost as if I could feel you."

Weird.

Not that I'd tell him that. I didn't want to disconcert him just because the bond between us appeared to be pretty strong already.

"It was impressive," I said instead, smiling down at him before nodding towards the white building. "Do you want to head inside? You said you wanted to talk."

There were so many things we needed to talk about, and I just wanted to get it over with. A part of me dreaded these conversations, still fearing Levi would tell me he didn't want to be with me, no matter if there was a connection between us or not, but a different part, mostly the wolf inside of me, was certain we wouldn't be rejected. He just wanted to get the talking out of the way so our mate could accept us and our bond.

Impatient wolf.

Together, we emerged from the trees, crossed the lawn, and entered the Inn through the backdoor. Immediately, the smell of pancakes and maple syrup hit my nose. It was so intense and powerful I didn't need to be a shifter to smell it. I was pretty sure everyone in the entire house—human or shifter—could scent what Mave was preparing for breakfast.

My stomach grumbled loudly, an empty feeling spreading through my belly, like I had a black hole where my stomach was supposed to be.

Damn, I hadn't had anything to eat at the pack house. I'd gone to the dining hall with the intention of grabbing a bowl of oatmeal or cereal, but I'd gotten lost in thought on the way, and then there'd been Levi's message and the rest was history.

Mave welcomed us with a serving cart laden with our breakfast. There was a huge platter of pancakes—enough to feed two hungry shifters instead of one and a human—butter, maple syrup, a pitcher of orange juice and a pot of coffee.

"I thought you two probably want a bit of privacy for your talk," she said, smiling at us warmly. "Also, the professor is in the dining room, sooo…" She pointedly raised her eyebrows, and while I had no clue what she was talking about, Levi nodded understandingly.

"Thanks, Mave," he said, giving her a bright smile. His own stomach grumbled loud enough for me to hear, and I made a mental note to let him load his plate first. Having him eat his fill was more important than me eating.

Yes , my wolf agreed. Mate first .

Up in his room, my heart jolted in my chest when I spotted all our gifts. He even had the stuffed wolf in his bed!

I couldn't help but grin, even though it probably made me look like a lunatic.

Since the room was kind of small and not really intended to eat in, I grabbed the chair from the small desk while Levi sat on his bed.

Damn, I wanted to join him, wanted to sit close enough for our thighs to touch, wanted our shoulders to brush against each other, but… patience.

Talking first.

My wolf huffed, and a part of me agreed with him.

"So…" I started while Levi was filling his plate with pancakes. However, I didn't know how to finish that sentence. Did I just ask him about what he wanted headfirst? Should I do a bit of small talk first?

"You want to know what I decided on, right? If I accept you as my mate," Levi said, looking up at me with a serious expression. "That's what Mave told me I'd have to do in the end. Either reject or accept you."

My heart stumbled, my fingers losing all feeling as ice washed through my body.

"Yes," I choked out.

Please, please, don't let him reject us.

Levi nodded.

"I've tried thinking about this, you know? This whole mates thing. And then I desperately tried not to think about it because it made my head hurt. If I'm completely honest, it still does. It's confusing. And it's just so much to consider, I'm afraid I'm forgetting something." He sighed, looking at me with big, pleading eyes, as if he wanted me to take the weight off his shoulders.

And I'd happily have done so, if I just knew how. I hated the lost look on his face, hated the way his shoulder sagged, and the corners of his mouth drooped. Scenting the sour hint of his desperation physically hurt like a dagger to the heart.

"Do you want… a hug?" I asked, not sure if it was the right thing to do. But doing nothing would definitely be the wrong thing and everything I could say felt like it wouldn't be enough, an empty phrase, no matter how sincere the words might be.

Levi laughed, but nodded.

"Actually… yeah." He sounded surprised by his own words, but pushed the cart with our breakfast away from the bed to make room for me.

I definitely didn't need to be told twice. Within a second, I'd crossed the room, obviously startling my mate by using my shifter speed without meaning to. Sitting down on the bed next to him, I was still about half a head taller than him, and probably twice as wide.

Carefully and extra slowly, I wrapped my arms around him, waited until I felt him relax against me, then oh-so-gently pulled him against my side. My heart was beating frantically in my chest, my wolf jumping up and down, running around in circles from sheer excitement while my mate let out a soft, barely audible sigh, and all the tension drained from his body.

Having him in my arms was magic. Pure and utter bliss. His scent filled my nose, clouding my thoughts, and I only came back to my senses after I'd already buried my face in his hair and kissed the top of his head.

"I think I want to try?" Levi whispered as if he were afraid to voice his thoughts out loud. "Everything is all up in the air, and it's probably not the smart thing to do, but… I really like you. You and Wolfie."

My wolf howled in triumph, chest swelling in pride.

"Thank you," I whispered against his hair, tightening my arms around him as I drew in a shaky breath. The stress of the past two weeks left my body with one whoosh , leaving me utterly drained and emotional. My eyes started burning, and to my horror, I felt hot tears welling up and spilling over, wetting my mate's hair. "You… you don't know what that means to me."

Levi's smaller arms snagged around me, barely managing to wrap around my chest. "I don't. Not truly, but hopefully, one day I will."