“They were looking for you. They felt wrong, like everything inside me was screaming to run.” He realized he was still holding Malik’s sleeve and let go reluctantly. “Am I in danger now? Because I lied to them?”
“I won’t let this spill over to you.”
The words were fierce, protective, but they didn’t answer his question. Indy opened his mouth to push further, but Malik spoke first.
“I can take you back to your shop.”
The offer stung more than it should have. Of course Malik would want to get rid of him now that the dogs were handled. Even though they were mates, that didn’t mean Malik actually wanted him around.
“Right. Yeah. That would be...” Indy forced his voice to stay light. “That would be great.”
But when Malik moved toward the door, Indy didn’t follow. His feet had apparently decided they weren’t ready to leave. His fox was practically howling at the thought of separation.
“Unless...” Malik turned back, and something in his expression had softened. “You could stay for a bit. If you want.”
Indy’s heart did a happy little somersault. “I should probably change out of these wet clothes.”
“I can find you something.”
And that’s how Indy found himself in Malik’s bedroom, wearing a pair of his mate’s sweatpants and a T-shirt that smelled like cedar, making his fox purr. The room was simple—a bed, a dresser, a chair by the window. But it smelled so strongly of Malik’s cheetah that Indy had to grip the edge of the dresser to keep from doing something ridiculous like rolling around on the bed.
“These are freaking huge on me,” he said when Malik returned from changing his own clothes. He practically swam in the sweatpants, and the hem of the shirt reached his thighs.
Indy felt like he was playing dress-up in adult clothes. He was already short, and wearing his behemoth mate’s clothes made him feel even smaller.
Malik’s gaze tracked over him slowly, and Indy felt it like the gaze were fingers caressing him. His cock stirred, and he had to remind himself to breathe normally.
“We should talk,” Malik said finally. “About what you felt in the shop.”
Indy perched on the edge of the chair, needing distance between them, or he might climb Malik like a tree. “You mean the part where every cell in my body recognized you? Or the part where I wanted to—” He cut himself off, face flaming.
“You felt it too.” It wasn’t a question.
“Kind of hard to miss.” Indy pulled his knees up, wrapping his arms around them. “It all happened so fast. You running in, then everything else. I haven’t had time to process anything yet.”
“I’m sorry.” Malik moved closer, and Indy’s fox preened at the attention. “I had no idea my mate was on the other side of that glass door.”
Indy’s heart stopped. “If you had?”
“I still would’ve come inside. Fate must’ve lead me to you.”
“You think so?” With Malik so close, Indy was finding it hard to think.
“The pull,” his mate said, as if he had to remind Indy. He didn’t. Even now Indy felt it tugging at him, demanding he move closer to the cheetah.
Malik knelt in front of the chair, bringing them to eye level. This close, Indy could see flecks of gold in Malik’s brown eyes, could smell that earthy scent that made him want to bare his throat.
“Cheetah, right?” Indy whispered.
“Yes.”
His fox wanted to play, to tease, to see if Malik would chase. The thought made heat flood through him.
“And we’re definitely…” Indy wasn’t sure why he couldn’t say the word.
“Mates.” Malik’s hand lifted slowly, giving Indy time to pull away, before settling against his jaw. The touch sent sparks through every nerve ending. “If you want.”
Want. What a small word for the hurricane of need inside him. Indy leaned into the touch despite himself, his eyes fluttering closed.
