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His entire face lights up. “You’re always so optimistic.”
I snuggle back into his chest, getting comfortable. “It’s not hard to be optimistic when you’re my mate.”
Because Devin is touching me, I can feel the complete and utter joy he is feeling from what I’ve told him. Even though we’ve been together a while now, he is still surprised by how deep my feelings are for him. He shouldn’t be—how I feel about him has always been fate.
“What was going on with Dawson?” Devin asks, brushing his fingers through my hair.
I shiver at the contact of his fingers. “It wouldn’t be really fair for me to tell you since it’s not my emotions.”
“But he was projecting strong emotions,” he guesses.
“Yes.” I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, wishing there was something I could do.
“Whatever it is, Dawson can handle it,” Devin says, reassuring me.
“I just think he is getting impatient. He wants to meet his mate,” I say, leaving out just how strongly he feels about it. “Maybe you should talk to him about it.”
“And say what?” Devin asks. “I met you when I had just turned eighteen. I wasn’t even expecting it that early. I don’t know what it feels like to wait on my mate.”
“Still, he’s your brother.”
Devin cups my cheek, gently stroking it with his thumb. “Tori, if my brother wants to talk about it with me, he will. We’re brothers. I can’t just go up to him and ask him to share his emotions.”
“Why not?” I look up into his green eyes. “I would talk to Nico if there was something bothering him.”
“It’s different,” Devin says. “That’s not the kind of relationship I have with my brothers. Maybe it’s a little messed up, but we’ve gotten good at hiding our feelings from one another. My parents died young and I was too scared to even cry at the funeral. None of my brothers cried.”
My chest aches at his admission.
That’s incredibly sad.
I wish I could’ve known Devin then. I wish I could’ve comforted him. To be only seven and go through all of that… I can’t even imagine how horrible it was for him.
Devin’s lips turn down. “You are really sweet to worry about me, but you were raised by a monster. Our crappy childhoods aren’t at all on the same level at all. At least my brothers loved me. They took care of me. And I had the pack.”
“I had Nico,” I counter.
He gives me a pointed look. “They’re not on the same level. Not at all. I love you for being concerned, but I promise I’m okay.”
I nod, knowing he’s not going to back down. “Okay. Fine. You’re way too stubborn for me to win this argument.”
He grins.
“I love you, Devin.”
“You’re my everything.” He pulls me closer into his chest and his lips gently graze my forehead.
Tuesday, February 2
Maybe I’ll be next.
On Tuesday morning, Devin and I head to the castle for breakfast. I don’t want Monica to feel like she’s being forced to cook breakfast for us. She’s pretty sick with her pregnancy, having a lot of morning sickness.
As we are about to head into the dining hall, I notice Headmaster Graham standing in the foyer. He’s standing by himself, close to the staircase. He glances over at me, making eye contact just as Devin and I are about to head inside. He’s usually not down here this time of day, so I wonder if he needs something. He doesn’t move toward us as Devin leads me inside. If Headmaster Graham needed to talk, he’d come over and talk to us.
“Go sit at the table with Blake and Ember. I’ll grab our food,” Devin says.
“I want—”
