Imri
Unabletosleep,Itossed and turned throughout the night, catching an hour of rest here and there. Eventually, I got up, feeling all muggy-headed.
The ache in my chest, which had vanished when I saw Sully, returned with a vengeance. I rubbed at it unthinkingly at the breakfast nook, drinking my third coffee before six am.
Rowan took the seat next to me. “Can’t sleep?” He laid his head on my shoulder, his presence reassuring.
“I fucked up.”
We sat in the quiet a moment. “You saw him yesterday, didn’t you?”
“How did you know?”
He sat thoughtfully for a long moment. “We could all tell you’d been crying. Your eyes were red.”
Apparently I hadn’t done such a good job of hiding it. “How did you know it was Sully?”
“Who else could make you feel so guilty? Your lines are sour with it.”
“Lines?” I ran my fingers through his hair, enjoying this quiet moment to bond with him. Rowan had been responsible for the others for too long. I wanted to be a safe space for him to be a kid again, even if he was technically a young adult.
“Sometimes my magic can see a person’s aura. I’ve never had much of a chance to play with that ability. I used to try it out on Uncle Malik. It’s how we’d know if Mom had to try another treatment with him.”
“In case I’ve never said it, you’re remarkable, Rowan.” I laughed. “Remarkable Rowan sounds like a superhero name. Your powers are your epic magic.”
Rowan’s laugh was sweet. “I’m supposed to be making you feel better, not the other way around.”
“We can do both, right? Having the three of you makes all this mess with Sully worth it. Once we get the documents and some photos, I can decide.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“Your mom kept you from that town for a reason. Every time I’ve been there, it’s shown me there’s a darker side to it. Sully is the kid of the people who own the best hotel in the town. There’s no way they’d want him with a dingo shifter.”
“Is that a good enough reason to stay away from your fated mate?”
That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it?
Hours later, the kids forced me out of the house. They were done with my pacing, my short temper, though it was never directed at them, and my general grumpy behavior. They threatened to have my moms call me to talk some sense into my head if I didn’t just go see Sully.
Finding my mate wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. His scooter was at his house, but after knocking for five minutes, I knew he wasn’t.
I drove to the main street and parked, determined to stretch my legs while I waited forhim to come home. What I was going to do if his parents were there, I didn’t know.
Sully wasn’t in any of the shops, but more than once I thought I heard his name when I stopped by the busy café, Rosie’s. Thinking it must have been my overactive imagination, I brushed it off. Besides, they kept talking about this other guy with him. Sully hadn’t told me he was mated. He didn’t wear a bite.
Acting irrationally and asking someone was out of the question. I couldn’t damage his reputation when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.
More and more, I just wanted to give in to this incredible pull I felt to him. He was sweet, but not a pushover, he was gorgeous and kind. He was handling my bullshit with grace far older guys wouldn’t have been capable of.
I was in awe of his maturity.
After a couple coffees and an incredible BLT sandwich, I decided to head by the hotel and circle back towards Sully’s home.
It was tempting to go into the hotel and ask if he was working. I didn’t, because that would bring unwanted scrutiny onus both.
While I was heading back towards his house, I spotted him. I pulled over to the side and rolled the window down.
“Hey, want a ride home?”
