Chapter 5

"Maybe I should wake her up and say goodbye before I leave." Outside the closed guest room door, Rosetta taps her toes on the hardwood floor. She told me Natalie fell asleep almost immediately on the short ride from the outpost to my house. No conversation whatsoever. Natalie didn't ask for additional details. She simply got in the passenger seat of her rental car, closed her eyes, and passed out.

Unsurprising, after a long day of traveling and the revelations we dropped on her. She remained asleep after Rosetta parked in my driveway. After I opened the car door. She slept through Rosetta's gentle urgings that they'd arrived at my house. Stayed asleep while I carried her inside. That was concerning. Enough so that I called the doctor to pop by and check on her.

All vitals good, the kindly telepath assured us. A quick peek inside Natalie's mind confirmed plenty of brain activity, though the doctor wouldn't disclose what was going through Natalie's unconscious mind. Doctor-patient confidentiality applies, even though Natalie didn't know she was under medical supervision. Dr. Schaefer agreed with exhaustion and acute stress as likely causes for Natalie's current deep-sleep state, advising us to let her rest as long as necessary for her body and brain to catch up.

"The doctor said to let her wake naturally," I remind Rosetta, who has been impatiently waiting it out in my living room for the past two hours. "She said forcing Natalie awake could add additional trauma."

"Then I either go home and you call me as soon as she wakes up, or I can tell Dak to come here and wait with me, even if it's all night. You have that other guest room we can use, right?" She wiggles her ginger eyebrows.

I narrow my gaze at her. "Dak is always welcome in my home, as are you, but surely you can keep your bodies separated for one night."

"Wrong-o. Sex with your mate is like oxygen. Gotta have it."

It has been fifteen years since I engaged in any type of sexual activity. Thinking about physically joining with Natalie has my cock thickening to uncomfortable proportions, which is neither convenient nor appropriate right now. "I'll call you when Natalie is awake."

"You don't think she'll freak out when she comes to in a strange house with a Minotaur for a host, and I'm nowhere to be found?"

"I'm not a stranger, and much more than a host. I'm confident she'll be okay."

Stepping away a stride, Rosetta takes stock of me. "You still think she's your mate."

"I know she is." Sitting idly in the truck earlier was impossible because the pull toward Natalie was so strong. Waiting outside her bedroom is almost a physical struggle.

"Okay, so she's your mate. What if she doesn't feel the same way about you? Are you going to be able to stay cool?"

The fur on the back of my neck bristles. "I'm a Minotaur, not an animal. Natalie is safer with me than anywhere on earth. There's literally nothing I wouldn't do to ensure she's safe and happy. My need to protect and care for her is ingrained."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Rosetta says. "And she must trust you too, since she still agreed to stay here, even after she saw that you're not human."

That's because some part of Natalie feels our fated connection. Whether she accepts it—and chooses to stay in Fate's Falls—remains to be seen. But that's not a conversation to have with her cousin.

"Okay, but she may wake up groggy and confused." Rosetta sighs. "Maybe I should just stick around. I'll call Dak and tell him that's my plan."

"Or you could record a short video for her to watch, telling her everything is okay and you'll be back as soon as she needs you."

"Ooh, good idea." Taking her phone from her pocket, Rosetta motions down the hall, toward the living room. "I'll go do that, then head home."

"I would give you a ride, but?—"

"No, I'd hate for Nat to wake up completely alone," she says. "Dak will pick me up."

It's wrong to be happy when the front door closes after Rosetta's departure. I should do whatever is necessary to provide comfort for my mate, and having her cousin here would undoubtedly increase her comfort level. But I can't help wanting Natalie all to myself.

After a couple of quick calls to both businesses, letting them know I'll be unavailable for anything less than an extreme emergency, I pour a glass of cold water and head quietly to the guest room door. The sun has disappeared below the treetops, and I don't want Natalie to awaken in total darkness. That's the reason I give myself for opening her bedroom door and entering without consent.

Her scent fills my head the moment I step inside. Light and natural, like fresh rainfall. Whatever travel griminess she felt before falling asleep is unnoticeable and irrelevant to my senses.

I inhale deeply and hold it. Breathing her in this way isn't enough, but it will have to do for now. I tread as lightly as possible, in this moment cursing my choice to forgo carpeting in the guest rooms. Even my most careful steps cause noise; hooves against hardwood will do that.

"Constantine?" Her sleepy voice floats in the darkness.

"It's me. You're in my guest room. I didn't mean to disturb you. I was going to turn on a night-light so didn't wake up surrounded by darkness. Rosetta had to go home, but she'll come back whenever you call her."

"You're not disturbing me, and you can turn on the light. The normal light, not a night-light."

"Do you remember meeting me in the parking lot?" The silence that follows hangs heavy, broken by the sound of my tail swishing against the back of my pants. At least she can't see it. Yet.

"I remember," she says, finally. Softly. "You're a Minotaur, and I'm in a magically protected town full of creatures I'd rather not refer to as monsters, since my cousin is marrying one, and I don't think of you as one."

That's good. Very good. My hand is on the table lamp, but I still don't press the switch. "Before you got in the car with Rosetta, you thought you were dreaming."

"It was a lot of unbelievable information to take in all at once, but I'm okay. Really." Her eyes find mine the instant I turn on the light. Then she smiles, and it brightens the room more than any light source could. "Hi. See? Not freaking out even a little bit."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did, but I'm glad you're feeling more relaxed." I set the water on the bedside table. "Thought you might wake up thirsty."

"Thank you." The blanket Rosetta draped over her falls away as Natalie shifts to a seated position with her back against the headboard. Her delicate chin tips up while she takes a long drink.

Watching her, even in the simple, innocent action of quenching her thirst, stirs the urge to provide for her needs. Food, water, and shelter. Also, her intimate needs. She feels our connection—I know she does. Her scent changed when she heard my voice. Then changed again when our eyes met.

Every breath I take brings more of her sweet arousal to my nose. I would bury my face between her legs and lick her to completion right now if she consented.

Her eyes go wide at the huff that rumbles from me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I control my Minotaur traits to the best of my ability, but nature has its way at times. The bullish huffing, snorting, and tail swishing are involuntary physiological responses. Frightening as they may seem, I promise you'll never be in danger with me, with or without the protection spell over Fate's Falls."

"I'm not scared," she says, rising from the bed. "There's this part of my brain that keeps lighting up with ‘this can't be real!' warnings, but it's only a small part, surprisingly."

"I'm very happy to hear it." Standing by the bedside table already put me in close proximity, but now that she's in my personal space, looking up at me, it takes all my willpower not to touch her, especially with her scent filling my nose. Foolishly, I breathe deeper. The effect is as expected—my cock hardens further, straining painfully inside my jeans, and another animalistic huff pushes from my nostrils. "I apologize?—"

"Don't. That sound doesn't bother me. Well, it does bother me a little, but not in a negative way." Even in the low lighting, the soft-pink coloring her cheeks is visible. "I'm not turned off by the sound. At all." The rapid fluttering of her eyelashes, the way she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, then licks her lips afterward… She's turned on. If her other body language wasn't proof enough, her scent is. Her arousal is undeniable; so heady, I can almost taste it.

I haven't been sexually intimate with a human woman before, but Natalie's biological responses seem well attuned to mine. The temptation to pull her against me is almost too great to resist.

"Are you hungry?" I ask, forcing my mind to places other than the big bed just a few feet away, where I could spread my mate's legs and devour her. "My kitchen is fully stocked, and I'm a passable cook for most things. Or I can take you out instead, if you'd like to get a glimpse of the town. We can order in, pick something up, or I'm sure your cousin would love to have you over. Whatever you prefer."

If her beautiful smile is any indication, Natalie doesn't seem to mind my obvious, overachieving desire to please her. "I'll send Ro a quick message to know I'm awake and not freaking out, but I'd rather stay in this evening, if that's okay with you. I don't expect you to cater to me, though. Pretend I'm not even here."

"That would be impossible, nor is it something I want to do. Catering to you anytime would be my pleasure." Coming on too strong? There's nothing I can do about it if I am. Doesn't matter that she hasn't consented to being my mate. She is mine, and I'm committed to her. I couldn't turn it off if I wanted to.

"In that case, I'm starving. Not picky either. I'll gobble up whatever you put in front of me."

There's no preventing my nostrils from flaring. Not while I'm picturing Natalie on her knees, lapping at my cock. It's too big for her to take into her mouth, but the thought of her exploring every rigid inch, sliding the tip of her tongue over my skin, tasting the milky cum that leaks out…

"Would you mind if I grab a shower first?" Her question snaps me out of my desire-induced imaginings.

"Not at all." A bit of solitary time to pull myself together would be good. "The guest bathroom is directly across the hall, and you'll be the only one using it during your stay, so feel free to make yourself at home. There's plenty of empty space in the cabinets if you want to settle in."

"That's incredibly generous, thank you."

"My home is your home." A statement truer than she's aware, but I'll let her think it's spoken from a place of hospitality. For now. With a nod, I make my way out of her bedroom and head for the entryway, where I left her larger piece of luggage after bringing it in from the car.

While I'm reaching for the suitcase, my phone buzzes in my pocket. A quick check reveals two texts from the evening manager at The Brew. Not emergency issues, but questions I should respond to sooner rather than later, so I do.

Once work is out of the way, I collect Natalie's bag and head to her bedroom.

The shower is running behind the closed bathroom door. The guest room door is open wide, so I enter and turn to the right, toward the closet. I set her suitcase beside the dresser, then pivot to leave—exactly as Natalie zips into the room, wearing nothing but a towel.

She shrieks, literally jumping on the spot, clutching the towel tight and causing it to rise higher up her legs—and it was already at the top of them.

"Sorry." I point at the newly deposited luggage. "I heard the shower running and thought it was safe to drop off your large suitcase. I didn't bring it in earlier because I didn't want to risk waking you with any unnecessary noise."

"Oh." That's it. That's all she says while taking stock of me. Batting her eyelashes. Licking her lips.

Knowing I should keep my eyes on her face doesn't mean I do. My gaze drops to the bottom edge of the white terry cloth where it's skimming the apex of her thighs.

She hasn't showered yet and gods help me, I can't resist inhaling. I'm not even trying to hide that I'm breathing her in. The scent of her arousal hasn't waned in the minutes since I left the room. She smells delicious, like the only thing I want to taste for the rest of my life.

Pretty sure my cock has never been harder than it is right now.

"Are you—are we—" The blush on her face deepens. Spreads downward, to the base of her neck, to the swell of cleavage above the towel. "Never mind me, I'm just mentally overloaded and imagining things."

"You're not imagining things."

"How can you say that when you don't know what I was referring to?" Her voice is so soft. Not in a shy way, just beautifully soft.

I grip the back of my neck with one hand, rubbing at the tension there. If I say too much, too soon, I could ruin everything. Maybe irreparably.

"I should get in the shower before I run out all the hot water without getting a drop on me," she says, when I fail to answer her question. "I just came to grab my carry-on bag so I didn't have to put my travel clothes back on." She angles her chin down, then meets my eyes again. "Not sure how I'm going to carry it without losing my towel, though."

My gaze follows hers to the small bag beside the bed. "I'll get it for you. I'll put it outside the bathroom door. You can pull it in after I'm safely out of this part of the house."

"I'm not worried about my safety around you." A laugh bubbles out of her lips and she shakes her head. "That's ridiculous, right? We've talked on the phone a lot the past couple of days, and you're not a complete stranger, but…" Again, her gaze travels over me. "You're not human. And you're massive. You have horns on your head and you could probably crush my skull in one of your huge hands. Yet, here I am, not only staying in your home, but standing in front of you, nearly naked. And I'm not even the tiniest bit afraid. What does that say about me?"

"Do you want an honest answer, or casual reassurance?" Best way to know what direction to go is to ask.

"Honest answer."

"You might want to sit," I say, gesturing at the bed.

"I'm visiting a magically protected town filled with monsters and I'm talking to a Minotaur, who I'm interested in, and not in a general curiosity way. At this point, I doubt there's anything you can say that's going to shock me."

We're about to find out. "The ease you feel around me is because you're my mate."

"I'm sorry," she shakes her head, "what did you say?"

"In each Minotaur's lifetime, they have one true, fated mate. You are mine. And while humans aren't bound by the same forces, some do experience the mating bond with species different from their own."

"And you think that's what I'm feeling? You think we," her index finger wags back and forth between us, "two people who've literally just met, are destined to be together?"

"Yes."

"You say that as if you're dead serious."

"Very much alive, and entirely serious, yes."

"Okay, maybe I do need to sit down." One hand on her forehead and the other clutching her towel, she takes a few small steps toward the bed and sits on the edge, unaware that doing so shifts the towel even higher up her hips.

The low lighting in the room casts enough shadow to prevent me from truly seeing between her legs. Thank the gods for that.

Her hand drops from her head to her lap, where she adjusts the towel, maximizing what little shielding it provides. "I really don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything, Natalie. Not now, not at any time. I'm here for you, to give you whatever you need. As your mate, I do mean that literally, so never feel shy or awkward to tell me what I can do for you." I wait for her to look up at me. "I'll never pressure you to do or feel anything. I promise you that."

"Okay," she says in that soft voice that makes me want to wrap her in my arms and never let go.

"I'll be in the kitchen whenever you're ready to eat."

There are no defenses shuttering her expression. Her eyes swim with questions and emotions, her lips forming only the faintest smile. "I'll be there soon."

Nodding, I leave her alone in the room, fighting every instinct to do the opposite.