My heart races as soon as the word slips out of my mouth.Love. Oh crap. We might be fated, but I’m not ready to say it just yet.My heart might be there, but my brain needs time to process and catch up. I whip around to face him.
Thorne must see the panic in my eyes, because he chuckles low in his throat before kissing my forehead and changing the subject. “We should call your mother on Christmas—together,” he says.
Goddess, I could kiss him for saving me like that. I know it’s silly, but, hell, I’m only human. It’s okay to take time to process things like fated mates, shifters, and love. Or so I tell myself.
“Actually.” I snap my fingers. “That might be the perfect Christmas gift for my mother.”
His eyes sparkle. “I thought so too. I know my parents will be just as thrilled.”
“Let’s do it then. Let’s spend our time together enjoying one another and celebrating, getting to know each other, and then, on Christmas Day, let’s call our families and surprise them.”
“Sounds like a wonderful plan, omega.”
Tugging him a few feet to the left, I lean up on my tiptoes to pull him into a filthy kiss. After a few minutes, we surface for air. Eyes glazed over and lips swollen, Thorne peers down at me. “Not that I’m complaining, but damn. What was that for?” he asks.
I point at the mistletoe above us. “Just following the rules, Alpha. Now, we have four more sprigs of mistletoe left to hang. Why don’t we go get creative?”
Thorne’s smile is wide. “I love the way you think, mate.”
Chapter eleven
Thorne
Two and a half weeks together might not seem long, but between fated mates who are also forming an intense magical bond, it’s enough time for my lion and me to know we are in love with Hayden.
I can’t even fight the grin when his head pops up like a Jack-in-the-box between the racks of clothing. We are shopping in the next town over again, but this time we are shopping for family. Hayden insisted on buying gifts for my alpha dad, my omega papa, and even my brother.
As if hearing my thoughts, my phone rings, indicating that Dimitri is video calling me. I hold up my phone and point at it when Hayden peers my way. I point outside, and he nods. As soon as I step outside, the snow crunching under my boots, I answer the call.
“Hey, Dimitri!”
“Wow, okay,” Dimitri grins. “I didn’t expect to see you looking so damn happy. Who’s got you smiling like that, big bro?”
My eyes wander back over to the omega that has me feeling all kinds of ways. Hayden is wrapping a pretty royal-blue scarf around his neck, and I must admit, the color looks stunning on him.
Dimitri clears his throat. “Holy shit, Thorne. There really is someone, isn’t there?”
I startle at his voice. Oh crap. I totally forgot I was on the phone. What the hell is Hayden doing to me? I grin again. “I found him, Dee.”
“Found who? Your fated? Because you’re acting like you met your fated mate.”
I bite my lip and nod. I feel like a fucking teenager, not a grown forty-one-year-old shifter. “I found my fated mate.”
“Well, hot damn! Don’t keep me in suspense. What is he like? I’m assuming that this trip to get over your one-night stand worked miracles?”
“Actually, they are one and the same. Hayden is here, and he’s my fated mate.”
Dimitri’s mouth drops open. I launch into the story of how Hayden found me in my lion form, to how I discovered we were double-booked. Skipping the part about Hayden’s heat, I tell him about the last couple of weeks and the time we’ve spent together at the lodge.
“That’s amazing, Thorne. Truly. That’s a story you’ll be able to tell your great-grandchildren.” My stomach swoops with joy. I’ve always wanted a large family. Over the last few days, I’ve wondered if Hayden might be pregnant. I’ll admit, I’ve been keeping an eye out for any signs. Mating with your fated during a heat is one of the fastest ways to get pregnant. Goddess, I hope I’d be that lucky.
“What about you?” I ask Dimitri. “Are you still dreaming of your fated? Any clues?”
Dimitri shakes his head. “No real clues. All I know is that they are some kind of shifter, like us. It’sallI know. It’s almost as if they are hiding from me. Not that it matters since I’m bi, but I don’t even know their gender or designation.”
“You’ll find them someday; I have faith now.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Dimitri laughs. “Go back to your omega, and have a wonderful Christmas, Thorne. I can’t wait to meet him.”
