7. Sebastian

Imessed up and knew it. I could see the hurt on Drew’s face, and when he literally leapt away from me, I got the shock of the evening when a gorgeous and sleek spotted cat was suddenly in the air where Drew had just been. I’d seen shifters shift before. My omega father was a feline shifter. My next older brother was also a feline shifter. But they seemed so bulky compared to Drew’s cheetah.

I could only stand there and stare as his spotted form disappeared into the trees. I looked to where he’d been standing and saw some torn clothing. Most seemed to be completely fine though. I used magic to collect it all and then cheated. I knew it was unfair that I was a warlock and had magical powers, but the need to fix things between us was more important than being fair at the moment. I popped myself back to Drew’s house and waited. I didn’t know how long it would take him in his cheetah form to come home, but I was going to wait until he did. I needed to talk to him, and I was honestly willing to whisk him away again in order to do so if needed.

I glanced around the house, noticing it more now than I had earlier. When I arrived earlier, I’d been preoccupied with seeing Drew again. Now, I knew he wasn’t here. Sure, I could probably locate him here on the mountain, but he would be coming home soon enough. I was going to use that time to figure out what to do. I’d messed up, and I needed to fix things.

Drew had mentioned he lived with Roman, Tyler, and Abel. I knew of Roman, and I’d read that Tyler and Abel had been rescued at the same time as he had. Drew had just been talking about how he was trying to protect them when West and Ramsey had rescued them. Since they lived together, did that mean they had gotten close? Would any of them be able to give me some insight?

The door opened, and despite me not being too close to it, I earned myself a glare from the alpha that was suddenly standing in the doorway.

“You must be Roman.”

“And you are?”

“Sebastian,” I told him. I wasn’t going to dance around introductions. He would know who I was soon enough. At the mention of my name, Roman quickly looked confused.

“I thought you would be with Drew?” he asked.

I nodded. “I was. We had a small misunderstanding, and he shifted and took off. I figured I would collect his clothing for him and wait here for his return.” I held out the clothing, and it was then that Roman stepped out of the door and closed it behind him. He sighed as he closed the distance between us.

“What happened?”

Would Roman be the one who could provide information about my One for me? The alpha had been living with and looking after my little feline shifter, after all.

“I wish I could specifically say. We were talking about taking things slow. He mentioned how he had talked to Oscar and Chase. I can’t say that I know who they are, as I wasn’t with the council when they were rescued. That’s the extent that I know, other than they’re mated.” I shrugged. “They were talking to Drew about mating, claiming, sex, things of that nature, and he told me he was all right with it, but we might discover some bumps along the way. He didn’t know for certain.”

Roman sighed again. “I’m not sure they were helpful or not. Oscar is mated to Monroe, who took over at the store for me.” Roman looked around. “Did you want to come inside and wait?”

I thought about it, but I really wanted to get to Drew before he was inside. I wanted to clear everything up between us before he had a chance to hide away. Because I had a feeling that things would fester if I didn’t get a chance to talk to him soon.

“I think it best to wait for Drew, honestly. He seemed pretty upset, and I want to clear things up between us.”

“Fair enough. Drew hasn’t had the best life,” Roman told me.

I nodded. “He mentioned that. I want to take care of him,” I said. Not that I needed to justify my intent with Roman. He wasn’t Drew’s guardian or anything of that nature. He had been watching over my One though, and I wanted him to know I didn’t plan on mistreating Drew in any way.

“That’s a good thing,” Roman said. “Drew…” He paused. “He’s tough. But he also struggles with relating to others still. I assumed it was because of his upbringing. He’s not had a whole lot of time in his life where he’s been around other shifters. It’s still new to him, and he doesn’t always understand how things work.”

I tilted my head, wondering if Roman was trying to tell me something. Instead of pondering, I simply asked, “Are you trying to warn me about something? Or give me some sort of insight?”

Roman nodded. “I would venture to say that most of Drew’s trauma stems from even before he was held. I know he was abused in the worst ways then as well, but when you have a thirteen-year-old boy who is suddenly living on the streets because he has a cat side that he doesn’t understand and can’t control yet, things happen that he can’t process.”

Drew had said he ran away, but I’d been wrapped up in the fact that he was so openly talking to me that I hadn’t picked up on what he wasn’t saying.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “Thanks.” I went quiet for a moment, thinking about what Roman had just shared. “Does he know about mating? He said he talked to Oscar and Chase. He knows how it works, right?”

Roman nodded. “Pretty sure he does. I’ve personally never given him that talk, but Oscar recently mated with Monroe. They have a little one, and Drew was around them on and off at the store. It’s no secret how mating works here on the mountain. The finding of mates seems to be fairly common around here.”

That was true. I tried to think about how many of my fellow enforcers had found their own fated mates in recent times. Too many to count, really.

Whatever Roman was going to ask next was interrupted by Drew’s arrival. He came dashing around the corner, and when he saw me standing there with Roman, he skidded to a halt and froze.

“And there he is,” Roman said. “I’ll leave the two of you to discuss whatever it is that you end up talking about.” Roman was gone within seconds, leaving me with Drew, who was still staring me down. It wasn’t that I felt as if I was in danger—I didn’t.

“I would like to further discuss things with you. Over dinner,” I said. I didn’t know if that would work in keeping him from running away again or not. “Perhaps you could join me at my place for something to eat?” I didn’t yet know what his favorite foods were, but I was more than capable of providing whatever that turned out to be.

Drew’s cheetah finally moved, and when it did, it was to simply sit down and stare at me. He was adorable in human form, and his cheetah was stunning.

“You’re not running, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign. Does that mean you will have dinner with me?”

Drew tilted his head to the side. I knew he understood me. I’d grown up with a shifter papa and brother. He could understand me. But because we weren’t yet mated, he couldn’t talk to me.

“I’m going to go this way,” I told him, pointing toward the direction of enforcer housing. “My place is back there, behind the council building. “Would you like to have dinner? I want to talk more about what upset you. And of course, us claiming one another,” I said. That got him to sit up, and as I approached, he stared up at me. I wanted to run my fingers along his coat, but I’d wait to do that later, in private. “I have your clothing.” I held out the bundle, but unless Drew shifted here, he wouldn’t be able to take them from me. “Did you want me to leave them here for you? Or are you willing to talk things out?”

Drew took a few steps away from his home, and I took that to mean he was willing to talk things out. I smiled as I started walking that way. It only took a few minutes to reach the council building, and once there, I rounded it with Drew at my side the entire time. We passed a few others along the way, but nobody even gave a second glance to the fact that I was walking with a cheetah at my side. I chuckled because it was such a normal thing here on Treasure Ridge for the shifters associated with the council to shift and walk around. It was perfectly safe for everyone to be in either form on the mountain, and many took advantage of that.

A few minutes later, we were standing in front of my place. I glanced down at Drew before opening the front door and standing back to allow him to enter. “This is it,” I told him. “Please come in and make yourself at home.”

I knew we would have to move once we’d claimed one another. It wasn’t going to be an issue for us to be here for now, but mated enforcers were put in mated enforcer housing simply because there were no shared walls. I lived in a quadplex, and I actually had shared walls on either side of my place. That wasn’t really an issue when you were single, even when you didn’t spend nights alone. But when you were mated and had a family, that was when things changed.

Drew entered the house, me following behind him and closing the door. I had a small bathroom down here, but there were two full bathrooms, as well as all of the bedrooms upstairs, so I opted for that route for Drew to shift and change. He followed without hesitation, and when I walked into the spare room that Ledger had occupied for a night not too long ago, I placed Drew’s clothing on the end of the bed. I shook my head at how drastically different things were between then and now.

“I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready. We can figure out supper and then talk some more.”

I left because Drew couldn’t communicate with me as he was, so there was no point in waiting. I gently pulled the door shut and then made my way down the stairs. I had absolutely no way of knowing how this evening would go, but I was thinking I needed to channel some of my charm that had always worked well before when trying to not spend the evening alone. Then again, Drew wasn’t an evening fling. He was my One. But that didn’t mean he didn’t deserve a charming mate, did it? I thought I’d done quite well when I’d first met him; perhaps I needed to try and recreate that moment.

Not knowing what my One liked to eat, I took a chance and went with pizza. I’d not ever met a shifter yet that didn’t like it, and with Drew being a feline shifter, I took a chance and went with a pie that was loaded with various types of meat. Besides, if he didn’t like it, I could change it in a blink.

I had just finished setting the table when I heard noise behind me. I turned, and there was Drew, looking amazing but hesitant.

“I went with pizza. I didn’t know what you liked and figured pizza was a safe assumption. If not, I can change it to whatever you want. Please just tell me what you like to eat, and that’s what we’ll have for dinner.”

Drew smiled and leaned to the side, and the smile grew. “Pizza is good. I’m more of a garbage pizza guy though.”

Garbage pizza. I wasn’t sure what he meant by that and shook my head. “What’s that?”

“Oh, you don’t know?”

I shook my head again. “What is considered pizza here is nothing like the pizza I grew up eating.”

Drew sighed. “I forgot. You’re all fancy and from Spain.” Drew glanced up at me, and his shoulders slumped. “Sorry. I was trying to go for a joke to hopefully lighten the mood because it seems like you’re really nervous now, and I’m the one who ran off. You’re just trying to be nice.”

Drew ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stand up and out in places. When it remained there, I wondered if it was because he had product in it or because his hair tended to be unruly.

“Garbage pizza?” I asked.

“Oh. Yeah, that’s just pizza with everything on it. You know, pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, olives, things like that.”

“Good to know.”

“Do you not venture out?” Drew asked.

I shook my head. “No, which is why I have been here with the council as long as I have and I’ve not yet met you. I’m kicking myself for not going to the council store sooner. Today was actually my first time ever to set foot inside.”

“Seriously?”

I nodded and held out my hand. On the palm was a single rose, this one red, unlike the bouquet of white flowers I’d brought to him earlier. “Yes. I will always regret not meeting you sooner, but perhaps you weren’t ready to meet me, and that is why I’d not ever gone into the store until today.”

Drew took the rose and immediately brought it to his nose. He smiled, and when our eyes locked, I felt reassured that our growing connection wasn’t lost.

“So now what?” Drew asked.

“Now, we have dinner and talk. We make plans for the future going forward and see how things work out.”

Drew nodded. “I actually packed a bag. Oscar and Chase said to pack an overnight bag, but maybe one for a few days might be better. I ended up packing about half of my things. I don’t have a whole lot beyond clothes and some bathroom stuff.”

I grinned. “Making plans?”

Drew shrugged. “I had thought that maybe we would end up together-together. You know, in that way. If not, I understand though.”

That confused me a bit. “Why wouldn’t we end up together? We’re fated. Did you think that for some reason, I have decided to not claim my fated one or that I found you lacking or unacceptable?” I was trying to understand his thinking. When Drew wouldn’t quite meet my gaze any longer, I became concerned. “Drew?” I reached out and placed my hand under his chin and gently lifted. When his eyes met mine, I saw pain in them. “Tell me what you’re thinking right this moment.”

“That you don’t want me.”

I was confused even more. “Why? What have I done to give you that belief?” I let go of Drew’s chin and held my hands out to the side. “You are in my house, are you not?” I didn’t give him a chance to answer. “This, after I collected your clothing and went to your house to wait for you after you shifted and fled from me. Tell me why you would think I do not want you.”

Drew sighed. “You aren’t overly…you know.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “No, I don’t. Please tell me.”

“You haven’t touched me much or made any sort of moves toward me.”

I was flabbergasted. “Drew, do you think I’m uncouth? Or a heathen? Why would I treat anyone in such a way, let alone the person who has been chosen for me by the fates? You deserve the utmost respect and should be cherished. Not thrown to the ground and being used in that way.”

Drew’s eyes widened, and I realized what I’d just said.

“Drew, even if you had never been mistreated, I am not the type of person that would ever treat someone like that. Yes, I’ve had one-night stands. They’ve always known about that going in and were in agreement with that type of situation. But just because I haven’t been all over you doesn’t mean I don’t want or desire you.”

Drew nodded. “I know.” He sighed and turned around before facing me again. “I’ve only ever wanted one thing my entire life, Sebastian. And that’s to have a family of my own. Someone to love and who would love me. I thought that maybe I would have that with you one day since we’re fated.”

I moved a step closer. When I opened my arms, Drew walked to me and allowed me to embrace him. “I want a family with you too. And by family, I’m assuming we’re referring to children?” I asked as I leaned back enough to look down at Drew.

“Yes, kids, but a family together. Us.”

Yes, we could certainly be a family together. And he couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was going to be like once he met my fathers and brothers. I hoped he was ready for them to relocate because I had no doubt that my parents at a minimum were going to do so just as soon as they got word that Drew was with child. He would have those parents he’d never experienced. The real question was, would he want them once he had them?

“You’re smiling.”

I focused on Drew, and after leaning down and kissing his forehead again, I grinned bigger. “Just thinking about my parents. You said you wanted a family, right?”

Drew looked skeptical but nodded.

“Good. Let’s eat, and we’ll discuss my parents and try to brainstorm where they’re going to live.” I started to walk toward the table, but Drew stood frozen in place.

“I thought you said they lived in Spain?”

I nodded. “Yes, but once they hear that I’m mated, and then we announce you’re pregnant, you don’t really think they’ll stay in Spain, do you?”

Drew’s eyes widened so much I had to bite my lower lip to keep from laughing. “They’ll move here?”

“Well, I can’t say for certain, but their baby”—I pointed to myself—“is about to be mated.” I winked at Drew. “And with mating comes babies. You said you wanted children.” I placed my hand on Drew’s shoulder, being serious now. When he nodded, I continued. “Good. Well, granted, Father is a warlock and can just pop in and out. Papa can’t. And what Papa wants, Papa has always gotten. There is no way Papa isn’t going to want to be a very active grandfather to any and all of our children.”

I was wrong. Drew’s eyes could get bigger, and I didn’t even try to hide my laughter. Instead, I led my one to the table and helped him sit down. We had a whole lot to discuss, and I hoped that he still wanted things between us once we were finished. I had a feeling he would; he just didn’t really know what to expect. Thankfully, I had amazing parents and wonderful brothers.