Page 146 of Volik

I turn the key and open the door. “I am. I promise.” We step inside, and I turn on the lights. “It might sound crazy to anyone else, but I’m glad for the changes.”

He gives me a skeptical look that makes me smile.

“When I was in Jenny’s office yesterday, I was talking to her about moving in with you. For the record, she told me to do it.”

“I like her.”

I snort. “Me too. But most people aren’t like her. And I felt… crazy for just accepting this.”

“Accepting what?”

We stop beside my desk, and I turn to face him. “I’ve lived a human life. At no point in time did I think I would find a mate. And even though I can feel our connection”—I place my hand over my chest—“we basically moved in together after knowing each other for all of forty-eight hours.”

Volik shakes his head and steps closer. “No, Mea Unica.” He grips my wrist and lifts my hand, moving it from my chest to his. “We have known each other our whole lives. We just do not remember.”

My throat tightens.

This giant man.

My nose starts to sting.

He palms my cheek with the hand not holding my wrist. “Do not cry.”

“I’m not.” I sniff.

His nose scrunches. “I can smell them forming.”

“Well.” I sniff again. “Mind your own business.”

His lips twitch.

“Also.” I poke him in his rock-hard side with my free hand. “Your tears smell bad too.”

He gives me a solemn nod. “No more crying for either of us. Ever.”

“Anyway.” I make sure my eyes are wide as I roll them, positive he can read my expressions, like I can for his. “My point is, I’m glad for my eyes. And my fangs and nails. Because they’re proof of our connection. Not just to me, but to the world.” I flatten my hand on his side, feeling the ridges of muscles. “And I know it shouldn’t matter what other people think, but I also know it will add validity to our statement.”

“I understand.” He glides his hand down the side of my neck until it rests on my shoulder. “It will not be easy. I know what being mated to me means for you, and I am sorry for the stress that is to come. But I will never let anyone hurt you. And if you do not like our house, we can find a new one.”

It takes me a second to process everything he packed into such few sentences. “Volik.” I shift my hand and poke him again. “Do not apologize for being my mate. That’s… Just don’t.” I poke him again and watch the edge of his mouth lift. “And our house is stunning.”

His mouth shifts into a full smile. “Good.” Volik releases his hold on me and pulls my bag off his shoulder. “We can move the rest of your things in this weekend.”

I start to pull my computer out of my bag. “Should be easy since I never finished unpacking.”

My hands still as I think back to Monday night.

“What?”

I shake my head. “It was the weirdest thing. I tried to unpack, or, well, I tried to open one of my boxes so I could unpack, but my hand just… wouldn’t cooperate.”

Volik tilts his head. “Explain.”

“I know it sounds⁠—”

“Nyet. Just explain.”

“I was in my apartment and decided I should start to unpack. But when I tried to reach out to open the top box, my arm wouldn’t move. Like my brain told it to lift, but it just hung there. It was the weirdest sensation because when I tried to do something else, like stick my arm out to the side, it worked. But when I had the intention of opening the box, my arm… did nothing. I even used my other hand to set my hand on the box, but it just lay there. My fingers wouldn’t work.” I shimmy my shoulder in a shiver. “It was… bizarre.”