Page 12 of Tempting Fate

“Patch.”

“He’s not my mate.”

That brings Dax up short. Drew misses a step ahead of us, glances back once, then makes his way forward when he realises we’re stopping to talk. Sure enough, a shadow detaches itself from the trees once he’s a fair distance away and Adam plasters himself to Drew’s side.

“Does that matter?” Dax asks.

I get it. It’s not like it has before. Dax was always the one looking for his mate, always searching for a romance that would end happily. He found it. I’m happy that he has.

Honestly, I don’t even know why I’ve become so obsessed with the idea over the past few months. Maybe it’s just that there are so many wolves finding their mates now. Maybe it’s seeing my best friend find his person and moving on…

“I think so,” I say slowly. “I thought… I thought it might be him, but that feeling comes and goes so quickly. It’s not him. I’d know if it were.”

Dax nods. He knew after the first night he and Vince met. We’re both in tune with our wolves, our instincts. I’d know. I would.

“So why don’t you want to see him?”

“He wanted—He asked… I think I was cruel, but I didn’t want to be.”

“What happened?”

“I didn’t want to say it was about us not being mates. And I am worried about him. I don’t think he’s been out with anyone since Tim attacked him.” I shake my head. “It wasn’t about me, anyway. He just wanted someone safe.”

“He said that, did he?”

“Not as such, but—” Dax shoves me hard, almost knocking me over. I scowl at him, my wolf making an irritated, questioning sound.

“Don’t make assumptions,” he bites out. I flush. I get it. He and Vince made so many assumptions, and it almost broke them apart.

Well, that and Vince’s commitment issues and Dax not bothering to tell him they were mates. A whole heap of things, really.

“I’ll apologise next time I see him,” I say with a sigh, “but it doesn’t matter. I’m still not getting involved with him. I think my mate is close, Dax. I’m sure. I can feel it.”

Dax stares at me for a moment, uncharacteristically serious before his familiar smile overtakes his face.

“Good,” he says, and this time he nudges me gently. Affectionately. “We’ll finally be able to go on an actual double date.”

I snicker. We catch up to Drew and Adam, who are waiting for us by the park gates.

“Did someone say a double date?” Adam asks eagerly.

“When Patch finds his mate,” Dax says.

Adam grins up at Drew. “Seven of us on a date. That’ll be fun, right?”

I don’t know what expression crosses my face, but Dax laughs outright. “Wait until the rest of them hear,” he says. “It’ll be the whole pack before you know it.”