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That was… different.
“I know some married humans keep separate accounts, but it’s not done among supernaturals. Mates function as one in every way, including financially. Like I explained, no one takes a mate lightly.”
I blinked again.
He was serious.
Not just about the money—though he seemed serious about that too.
He was serious that he considered our mate bond real, despite the way it had come to be.
I would need time to process the money bit, so I steered the conversation back to the housing situation. “I like your apartment, and the drive is only fifteen minutes. I think we should just live here until we have a real reason or desire to move.”
His shoulders relaxed a bit. “That would be simplest.”
I nodded. “We need to go back to my place tonight, though. I need my stuff.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Okay, now the eating bit. Just give it to me straight, Rafe. How often do you need to feed to recover?”
“Once a day will be fine,” he said.
His grimace told me he wasn’t giving me the honesty I’d requested, so I narrowed my eyes at him.
His grimace deepened. “Twice a day would be better for the next few days. I’ll recover much faster, and then we could get down to two or three a week until I’m completely healthy again.”
“That’s the fastest way to stop the dreams?” I checked.
“The fastest way would be two to three feedings a day until my hunger abates, then once a day until I’m balanced again.”
“We’ll go with that. You need to feed before we go to my old apartment, right?”
“If your friends will be there, that would be better.”
I rose to my feet, ignoring the way my heartbeat picked up and smoke tendrils began radiating from me again. “Let’s get to it, then.”
He caught my hand before I could walk away, and when our gazes met, his gaze was… hot. “There’s one more thing to discuss, Tater-tot.”
“There are probably a thousand more things to discuss,” I countered. “We’ll get to them when they come up.”
“This one is too important to discuss later.”
I had no idea what he was going to say, so I just waited.
His thumb brushed the backs of my knuckles. “As you know, I mated with you to stay out of prison. However, you seem to believe that’s all I intend our bond to be.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You see our mating as fake,” he said, his eyes locked with mine. “Obviously, I haven’t made myself clear enough.”
My frown deepened, my forehead wrinkling.
“This is the beginning of our forever. I will win your heart, and give you mine as well.”
It took a moment, but I processed what he was saying.
He didn’t think love was unimportant. He thought it would grow between us over time. In his mind, he hadn’t stolen my future; he was just getting started at giving me one.
