Chapter Three

Tatum

Ipace the length of my motel room, trying to get my nerves under control. Oh my gods. Holy shit. I can't believe I've met my true mate. Today doesn't even feel real.

Picking up my phone, I dial my mom, wanting to keep them updated with what's going on. It only rings a few times before she's picking up.

"Mom! Hey! I have something to tell you."

"Hi, baby. What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Actually, is Mama around? Can you put me on speakerphone?"

I hear some mumbling on the other side of the phone before my mom is back. "Okay, we're both here. I have to admit, you're making me nervous, Tatum."

"It's nothing bad, I promise," I say right away, not wanting my moms to worry. Well, worry more than they already are. "I've made it to a little town in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh," Mama says, butting in. "Have you found them already? Your siblings?"

"No. Nothing like that. Maybe something better. Or as equally exciting." I run my fingers through my hair, trying to get my racing heart to slow down. "Okay, maybe I should start from the beginning."

I go through what happened, explaining to them the way my car started making weird noises and how I was lucky to be in a town when my wheel popped off. Of course Mom chastised me for not getting my car checked out before my road trip but Mama was on my side, saying that it was destiny that I end up here.

"So this morning I went into the local diner and I met someone."

There's a long pause as I wait silently for their reaction. Finally, my mom asked, "okay? And? Baby, we need more details then that."

I blow out a long breath. "I met my true mate."

There is once again a long pause, this time for them to process what I've just told them. A moment later, they're screaming with excitement. I find myself grinning from ear to ear, my stomach fluttering in a pleasant way.

"Tell us everything. What are they like? What do they look like? Are they nice?"

I chuckle warmly. "His name is Vinnie and he works at the diner here. He has this, I don't know, this presence about him. He knew everyone at that place by name and they all treated him like he was theirs, if that makes sense? He's also beautiful," I say with a wistful sigh. I can't wait until he gets here so I can look at him some more.

"What does he look like?"

"He has this gorgeous auburn hair that looks red when the light hits it just right. It's long and he kept it up in a bun while working. He's got the longest lashes I've ever seen and the prettiest gray eyes. We only talked for a little bit before he had to get back to work."

"You sound completely smitten already," Mama says with a giggle. "I wish I was there to see the lovesick look you're wearing."

"I don't have a look," I say with a fake grumble. "I wish you were here too."

"No, you don't," Mom says and I can practically hear her shaking her head. "I know what happens when you meet your true mate and you do not want your mothers there for that."

"Oh my gods," I say with a groan, covering my face with my hands despite the fact that no one is here to see my blush. "Whatever. I don't even know if that's gonna happen. We've only just met."

"Do you have any questions about that aspect of what's going on?"

"Nope. I'm good. I think you've already given me enough sex ed talks," I say quickly before getting the high pitch out of my voice. I clear my throat. "But thank you."

"If you need anything, you promise to let us know?"

"Of course."

"I'll transfer some extra funds to your account. Getting a wheel put back onto your car can't be cheap, Tatum."

I walk over to the window, pulling the curtain to the side to look outside. I can see Vinnie walking towards the motel and my heart skips a beat. "It's not," I say right away, not even fighting Mom on this. "Thank you, Mom. I really appreciate it. I would stay and chat but Vinnie is almost here."

My moms both coo in excitement for me, getting just a little bit more teasing in before I hang up the phone. I toss my phone onto the bed and do my best to steady myself. I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans before going to the door.

The moment Vinnie knocks on the door, I pull it open, not caring that he knows I was literally standing here and waiting for him. He's my true mate, I'm pretty sure he's just as excited to see me again as I am him. At least, I hope he is!

"Hey," I say with a wide grin, opening the door wide and stepping back, giving him room to step inside. Somehow in the little time we were separated, I seem to have forgotten just how beautiful Vinnie is. Seeing him again makes my heart skip a beat and my chest warm with delight.

"Hi again," he says back, lifting the bag in his hand. "I brought a treat."

I close the door behind him, turning around to see Vinnie getting comfortable on my bed. My heart speeds up, now for a reason that has nothing to with my nerves. The sight of him there steals my breath.

Okay, gotta keep my head out of the gutter. I am not about to scare off my mate now that he's here!

"I love that you work at a diner. This is awesome," I say, walking over to the other side of the bed and carefully sitting down, curling my legs up into a pretzel. "What did you bring?"

"I hope you like cheesecake."

"Fuck, I love cheesecake," I tell him, not even trying to hold my excitement back. He pulls out two little takeout containers, handing one over to me and placing the other in front of himself. Then he pulls out two plastic forks for us.

Popping the top open, I moan in delight. "Turtle cheesecake? Oh my gods, you're amazing." I take a giant bite, savoring the sweet flavor on my tongue. Gods, this is so fucking good.

Vinnie's cheeks flush a pretty pink color as he smiles over at me. "I'm glad this is all it took to win you over."

I quickly chew and swallow my mouthful. I set down my fork in order to reach across the bed and touch Vinnie's wrist. "There's nothing to win over," I say softly. My stomach swoops with feelings I've never experienced before. I'm putting myself out there for someone I've only just met but I don't care. He's my true mate, if I'm going to toss caution to the wind and allow myself to be vulnerable to someone I've just met, who better than my mate? "I'm already yours."

My mate gives me a soft smile, shaking his head in disbelief. "We've known each other a matter of hours."

My other hand goes to the center of my chest. "I already know it to be true. I can feel it, right here," I confess softly. "Being with you feels right. I am yours, Vinnie." Then my stomach sinks as I realize, maybe this isn't what he wants. I pull my hand away from his wrist, putting a bit of distance between us. "Unless, this is all too much for you. Jesus, I didn't even ask. I'm sorry."

"No, don't do that," he says right away. My stomach flutters as he's the one to reach over and grab my hand. His thumb runs over my wrist causing sparks to dance across my skin, warming me all over. "Don't put words into my mouth. Just because we've only known each other a few hours doesn't mean I don't feel what you feel, Tatum."

I swallow around the lump that's lodged in my throat. "Really?"

"Really. I feel this just as much as you do. I can feel that we belong together. I just don't want you to throw yourself head first into something you might not be sure about. Just because we're true mates doesn't mean you have to be with me. You have free will."

My eyes search his, finding nothing but honesty. He truly wants me to choose him for him, not because some cosmic being has destined us together. Everything inside of me is drawing me towards Vinnie, but if I truly wanted to leave this place and never come back, I know without a doubt that he'd let me. It would hurt like hell, but he'd let me go if I wanted.

Thankfully, that's the last thing I want.

"Okay," I say, breathing out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Really good. I know we just met but I already like you."

The smile I get in return steals my breath. He's so pretty that I can barely stand to keep this little bit of distance between us. I want to reach over and touch him. I want to push him down onto the bed and straddle his lap. I want to kiss those pretty lips.

Instead of doing any of that, I simply pick up my fork and take another bite of cheesecake. "I like you, too."

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Anything?" Vinnie asks, raising a brow at me. There's something about the look in his eye that makes my stomach warm with excitement. Gods, he makes me warm all over and I just barely keep myself from squirming on the bed.

"Anything," I say again, giving him a smirk in challenge.

"I'll keep that in mind," he says softly, taking a bite of his own dessert. "We'll start with something simple. Tell me about yourself. You were raised by your moms? Are they around here?"

I blow out a long breath, wondering where to even start telling Vinnie about myself. There's so much to unpack. "Okay, so as you know, I'm Tatum. I was raised by a couple of bird shifters. My mom's name is Carrie and my mama's name is Becca. They're about a twelve hour drive from here."

"I might be reading into this but the way you said they were bird shifters makes me think that's not the same for you?"

I shake my head, my stomach leaping into my throat. "What do you know about dragons?"

A look that I don't quite understand crosses Vinnie's face. He looks down at his cheesecake for a long moment, the silence stretching between us until it's nearly unbearable. I'm about to blurt something, anything out to take that confused look away from him but finally, he looks up at me.

"If anyone asked me about dragons I'd say they're thought to be as extinct as phoenixes."

Now it's my turn for my eyes to widen in surprise. We stare at each other for a long moment before I finally nod. A phoenix. My true mate is a phoenix."What an incredibly specific example."

Vinnie's lips finally break into a little smile. "To answer your question, I've heard that they're either completely gone or if there are any dragons out there, they're in hiding. The last known couple has been gone for a couple decades now." Vinnie takes a bite of cheesecake, slowly chewing before swallowing. "Though there are legends about dragon kind coming back with a vengeance once the chosen three are born." Then he quickly adds, "or something like that."

"Something like that," I agree, liking that we can talk around each other like this. We both know what we're saying without outright saying it. My stomach warms at the ease we're getting to know each other. "Or maybe their eggs were separated at birth and now they're just like everyone else, trying to find their place in the world."

"That sounds lonely."

"I had my moms," I say right away. "They gave me an amazing childhood and I never felt out of place with them. Plus, they share a lot of the same instincts as me, like making nests and stuff like that. What about you? Do your parents live around here?"

Vinnie shakes his head, keeping his eyes on his food. "Too many of my kind can't stay in one place together for very long. It's amazing they found each other, if I'm being honest."

I hum, my chest aching for my mate. "Why is that?"

"For one, we're mythical and very rare. Some people would try to collect us or hunt us for our feathers. For another, when we stay in one place for too long together, things start to pop up. People's lifespans start extending past what they should. The land gets healthier. There are signs that we're around, leaking into everything and makes us an easier target for hunters."

"Fuck," I breathe out, running my fingers through my short hair. This is why my mothers made sure to keep my shifter side a secret. I'm just as mythical as Vinnie, I'm just in danger of hunters as he is. "I'm so sorry, Vinnie."

"It's okay," he says straight away. "I'm used to it. I miss them but it's better this way. I've been here for a while and as much as I'd like to stay forever, I know eventually it'll be time for me to move on and find a new place for myself."

Reaching across the bed, I place my hand on his wrist. He moves, lacing our fingers together and giving me a gentle squeeze. My skin is a livewire of sensation, a shiver running through me. Heat pools in the pit of my belly from the simple touch. "Well," I say softly, doing my best to give him a soft smile. "You won't have to do that alone. Not anymore."

"Thank you," he says gently, just barely audible. Finishing our cheesecake, Vinnie stands up and tosses our containers into the trash before getting back onto the bed. He pushes me until I'm laying down before laying down beside me with his head on my chest.

He must be able to hear the way my heart is racing but thankfully, he doesn't call me out. I'm stiff at first, unsure of what he wants me to do. He puts his hand beside his head on my chest, tapping me and smiling.

"Is this okay? Or am I making you uncomfortable?"

"This is good," I say, cursing the way my voice breaks. I clear my throat. "It's really good."

I put my arms around him, sinking into the mattress as my body relaxes. I lean my face down so I can breathe him in, the rest of my nerves melting away as his scent hits my nose.

We don't talk for a long time, just enjoying the feeling of being close to each other. At one point, Vinnie pulls his hair tie free, his pretty hair falling free in messy waves. He might literally be the most beautiful man I've ever seen and no, I'm not biased because he's my mate. I feel like such a lucky man.

The stuff I've learned about him spins around inside my head. He understands what it means to be a mythical shifter. He knows the crushing weight that this type of secret puts onto one's shoulders. As much as I hate that he's had to go through that, there's something comforting about knowing I'm not alone.

I have a true mate. I think I have siblings out there waiting for me to find them. Could life get any better than this?

Feeling brave, I lean down and place a kiss to the crown of Vinnie's head. He hums happily, the noise rumbling through my chest, spreading warmth through me until I feel like I may burst.

"Do you wanna sleep here tonight?"

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Then stay."

"You're so comfortable," Vinnie murmurs, his voice thick with sleepiness. It's adorable. "If you're not careful, I might just stay right here forever."

My stomach swoops so violently it makes me suck in a sharp gasp. I tighten my arms around Vinnie, grinning from ear to ear. "Would that be so bad?"

"No. I think it might be the best actually."

It's earlier than I would usually go to bed but with Vinnie next to me, snuggling me and warming me, it's easy to let the pull of sleep take me. I feel so safe with my arms wrapped around him. Is this normal? Is this how true mates always feel? Like somehow I've known Vinnie my entire life, just waiting for our reunion?

I don't have all the answers, only that my instincts tell me this is where I'm supposed to be, with the person I belong with. Everything feels good in a way I can't even begin to describe with words.

Not only am I warmed on the inside, but my body feels hotter than I'm used to. It's probably just sleeping with someone in the same bed for the first time. At least, that's what I tell myself as I drift off to sleep.