"But you did." He finally met my eyes. "You lied to me, Dawson. Just like Callan lied. Just like everyone lies. And the worst part is, I was starting to trust you."
"You can trust me."
"Can I?" He gestured at the clearing, at the impossible thing he'd just witnessed. "What else haven't you told me? What other secrets are you keeping?"
This was it. The moment where I either lost him forever or fought for what we had. "The wolf that saved you during the hurricane. That was me."
He let out a deep breath. "I figured that out when I recognized your wolf."
"I saw you fall into the water. My wolf took over before I could think. I shifted and pulled you out." I took another step toward him, and this time he didn't back away. "I couldn't let you drown, Parker. You're important to me. More important than keeping my secret."
"You saved my life." His voice was barely a whisper.
"Yes."
"And then you yelled at me for being reckless."
"Because I was terrified." How did I explain that he was my everything? "I'd just revealed myself to save you, and all I could think was what if you'd died? What if I'd been too late? So I got angry instead of scared, and I took it out on you which was wrong."
Parker was quiet and when he finally spoke, his voice was steadier. "Why didn't you tell me afterward when we started dating?"
"Because I didn't know how." I ran a hand through my hair. "Shifters don't usually tell humans about ourselves. It's not safe for us or for them. If the wrong people found out..." I shook myhead. "But I was going to tell you, I just needed to figure out the right way."
"I guess there is no right way to tell someone you're a shifter." He jammed his heel into the soft dirt. "I get that it must have seemed impossible to broach the subject.
"You're right." I moved closer, and this time he let me. We were only a few feet apart now. "I'm sorry for lying about being sick and for not telling you sooner. I'm a butthead for making you think I was like your ex. I'm not, I promise. I would never cheat on you."
"You did hurt me." His voice was calmer and not accusatory. "It's not about who you really are though that's a lot to take in. That's not a dealbreaker. It's the lying. You made me think you were sick when you were coming out here and I thought I couldn't trust you."
"I'll spend however long it takes making it up to you." I reached out slowly, giving him time to pull away. When he didn't, I took his hand. "I care about you, Parker. More than I've cared about anyone in a long time. You're my?—"
I stopped, but I'd just promised no more secrets. No more lies. If I was going to do this right, I had to tell him everything.
"You're my mate," I finished. "Fated mate. It's a shifter thing. When we meet the person we're meant to be with, our wolf recognizes them and so does the human part of us. It's an unbreakable bond that's permanent and instinctive."
Now Parker's eyes grew wide and he fisted his hands. Damn was that a deal breaker? "Mate as in soulmates?"
"Something like that. It doesn't mean you have to feel the same way. It's just what me and my wolf feel." I squeezed his hand. "I'm not trying to pressure you or freak you out more than I already have. But I promised no more secrets, and that's an important one."
Parker nibbled his bottom lip and avoided my gaze. "You're a lot, did you know that?"
"Yeah. It's one of the reasons I never let people get too close."
"You've already apologized enough." He took a breath. "I'm glad you told me and didn't keep that secret tucked away" He managed a small smile. "How long have you known?"
"My wolf was trying to tell me the day before we met that early morning in the café but I refused to listen because I was scared. But it got to the point where I couldn't ignore it. And I didn't want to. You're my everything."
Maybe that was too much but he'd wanted honesty.
"You might be my everything too."
Relief flooded through me. He wasn't rejecting the bond outright. He needed time, which was understandable.
"I didn't run away."
"The day's not over yet." I was teasing him and hoping it wasn't too soon. "And I want us to work if you'll give me another chance."
Parker looked down at our joined hands, then back up at me. "I need you to promise me something."
