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As he right then pulled into his driveway, Isaiah cast a brief look at the male riding shotgun. “I appreciate you giving up your Saturday morning to—”
“Don’t thank me, Isaiah,” said Tate. “There’s no need. You’re not just one of my cats, or even just one of my enforcers. You’re a friend. You need me, I’m there. Simple.”
Isaiah inclined his head in appreciation.
“I like her. Quinley. I can see why the site suggested her as a possible choice for you. You’re both compatible for sure.”
Isaiah gave a slow nod. “She’s calm. I need that. Havana, Aspen, and Bailey are a blast. But in a mate, I need someone a lot more low-key.”
“Black-foots typically are calm.” Tate’s mouth quirked. “Until they’re not. Try not to get on her bad side.”
“That’s the plan.”
“You two being compatible doesn’t guarantee an imprint bond, I know, but it gives the mating a better chance at working.” Tate paused. “Kudos to you for what you’re doing—and I’m not taking about entering an arranged mating.”
Isaiah felt his brow pinch. “Then what?”
“It’s not easy for us to dare reach for happiness when our state of mind is all fucked. You weren’t in a good place for a while, but you climbed out of that dark pit and you haven’t given up on the idea of still having something good. Not all shifters who’ve lost the chance of having their fated mate can say that.”
They’d get no judgement from Isaiah—it had been a struggle to patch up his wounds when healing felt much like saying, “Hey, it’s all good.” Nothing had felt “all good” back then. And maybe nothing ever would, but he wouldn’t know unless he dared reach for more. “Let’s hope it pays off.”
“My own hopes are high.”
Isaiah grabbed his phone from the cupholder. “You should get home to Havana. I need to get inside before my mother comes out here to drag me in. There’s no way my parents haven’t let themselves into the house to wait for me—she’ll want to hear exactly how the meet went.”
Tate opened the passenger door. “Then you’d better go tell her.” After exiting the car, the Alpha jogged to his own house.
Isaiah gave a nod to one of his other neighbors, who was jamming plastic candy canes along the border of his path, and then strode up to his house. He’d no sooner opened the front door than his mother materialized in front of him.
In terms of height, build, and facial features, he took after his father. But Isaiah had inherited his dark hair and gray eyes from his mother.
Her hands clasped tight, Andaya lifted her brows. “Well, how did it go?”
“Good,” said Isaiah, stepping inside. “A celebration will take place on Monday to make the mating official.” He closed the door behind him.
“Just like that?” she asked.
“Just like that.” He slipped off his jacket and then hung it on the coat rack. “Why wait? Seems senseless.”
She tilted her head. “I don’t know whether to interpret this as you just don’t care who you mate as long as it’s done quickly… or if you’re so at ease with moving fast because you’ve decided she might just fit you.”
“The latter.” Following the sounds of a football game, he walked into the living room to find his father sat on the sofa watching TV.
Koen looked up at him, an apology in his deep brown eyes. “I did tell your mom we should wait at home for you to call. She agreed, all smiles. Then she disappeared, and I had a pretty good idea of where she’d be, so I hightailed it here.”
Slipping past Isaiah, she sniffed. “I was worried, that’s all.”
“You couldn’t worry at home?” teased Koen, the glimmer of humor in his gaze.
Andaya cast him a haughty look. “Are you not even going to ask our son how the meet went?”
“I already know; heard him tell you.” Koen refocused on Isaiah. “I’m glad it went well. I wasn’t so sure if using the website was the best way to go, despite its success.”
Isaiah took the armchair. “I had a few doubts as well initially.” He’d signed up regardless because there had seemed no harm in giving it a try.
“But not now?” prodded Koen.
“No. She and I are definitely compatible.”
