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“It’s so nice here,” she said. Her head rested on his chest over his heart, and he held her close, inhaling her sweet scent.
“I’m glad you like it. I always thought it would be wonderful to have a mate and family in my childhood home. I just wasn’t sure it would ever happen.”
She lifted her head and smiled. “Sorry it took me so long to dream of you.”
He kissed her. “We’re together now and that’s what matters.”
True. So fucking true.
The moment he’d followed her through the portal, he knew he’d go anywhere with Kismet, do anything to keep her safe, and keep her with him. She was firmly entrenched in his heart, taking up residence where no other female had ever been. Sure, he’d had lovers over the years, but no one permanent. He was the wolf equivalent of a player, always looking for a quick fuck on the full moon, more of a quantity over quality sort of male. None of the females in the pack were his truemate, or he would have already been mated. He wasn’t one of the lucky few who grew up knowing his female, that awareness ofshe’s the onein the back of his mind all his youth. He’d even begun to wonder if it wasn’t just better to pick a female in the pack and mate her, but he’d never acted on that. It had seemed like a disservice to whoever his truemate was. He wasn’t sure what would happen to truemates if one of them mated another. Did the other just get released, able to go on their merry way and find a mate somewhere else? Or was there always a sense of longing? He hadn’t been willing to chance it. Not after seeing how happy the wolves in the pack who had found their truemates were. Those males had the kind of joy that made them practically glow.
Not that he was waxing poetic or anything.
A low chuckle escaped his throat and Kismet lifted her head with a curious smile.
He tucked a lock of her silky hair behind her ear and said, “I was just thinking how lucky I am to have found my truemate.”
Her brows rose. “Doesn’t every wolf get one?”
“Less and less of our people find their truemates as the years go by. Many will take a mate that isn’t their truemate, so they can have a family. I’m not sure it’s true anymore that everyone gets to find the other half of their soul.”
“That’s depressing.”
He hummed in agreement. “You were worth waiting for.”
“Well, Iamwonderful,” she said, her eyes brightening as she smiled. “But you were worth waiting for, too.”
He pressed his lips to hers, unable to resist the sweet bow of her mouth another second. Each time they kissed, his body roared to life as if she was a source of electricity that was the exact wattage needed to charge him up. He’d never felt so alive and so connected to someone before, and he was sure in that moment, having a truemate was worth a wait of any length of time.
There was nothing better, he was certain.
“I think we need to talk about living arrangements,” she said as she eased from the kiss.
He nodded and gave her a light squeeze before releasing her. On the patio were two rickety folding chairs, the kind that had the woven plastic seats and backs. He hardly ever sat outside, so he’d never bothered to do anything nice with the exterior of the house. He suddenly wished he had, though. That instead of wrestling the creaking, partially rusted chairs into position, Kismet could be sitting on one of those nice outdoor couches, with a gas firepit and a string of lights shaped like leaves or wolves or something girly.
“Sorry it’s not nicer,” he said.
She sat gingerly, as if she wasn’t sure the old chair would hold her, and he found himself relaxing when she stayed upright. Not that his curvy sweetheart was too much for the aluminum and plastic chair. He would just freak out if she got hurt from something like a crappy old piece of furniture on his watch.
Bad mate.
He sat next to her, taking her hand and linking their fingers. They both settled into the chairs as much as possible.
“What’s the norm with you guys?” she asked after several quiet moments.
He blanked for a second. “Oh, you mean about where a new couple lives?”
She nodded, her hand squeezing his for just a heartbeat.
“There isn’t a set way of doing things when a couple becomes mated. Where they live depends on a lot of factors and it’s all personal. Before I became second, the previous male who held the position left Wilde Creek to live with his mate’s pack, so she could take care of her father. In our pack, an omega female left to live with her mate’s bear sleuth because he wasn’t allowed to hold rank in the pack. Whether the couple chooses to stay here or go elsewhere just depends on their feelings. You and I have a choice, either your realm or mine, and where we go is wherever we’re both comfortable and happy.”
“You’re a pack guy, though.” There wasn’t accusation in her tone, just sweet words and a smile.
“Yeah. But you’re my pack now, which sounds crazy-cheesy in my head, but there it is. If you’d rather be in your realm, I’ll pack a bag right now.”
She put up her hand with a chuckle. “Slow down, sexy. I’m not saying that. I have my dad in the fae realm, but my mom and brother are here. Plus, you’re my new family now, too. What if we stay here for a while and then stay in the fae realm for a while, and see which we like?”
He hummed as he thought about it. “Are there shifters in your realm?”
