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“This is everything to you,” I said quietly.
“It is.”
Though what he’d said was a little alarming, my mind wasn’t going toward red flags, fear, or anything similar.
He was telling me the truth. A truth that would’ve been a clear signal to run on Earth, but one that was simply a part of living in Evare. The wolves had been struggling with immis for a long time before humans joined them; it wasn’t my fault, and he wasn’t begging me not to leave him so that he could stay alive.
He was just being honest.
And I appreciated that, tremendously.
“What was mating like, before?” I asked.
“When there were still female shifters?”
I nodded.
“There were so many of us, we didn’t feel as much like a family. A male’s mate run would begin, and it would often take him to a woman he had never met. He would find her and bite her, she would bite him back immediately, and they would make love then and there. Afterward, they would run until they were ready to settle into her den together. Mating wasn’t a choice; it was simply a matter of nature.”
“Damn.”
He made a noise of agreement. “It took them time to get to know each other, of course. Love was never expected in the beginning. Instead, it was developed over time. From my understanding, that’s why the other females in the pack consider fated mates to be an arranged marriage of sorts.”
“It’s not very romantic,” I said, my voice thoughtful.
“It’s not about romance. It’s about tying two souls and building a bond that will last. That’s why some mated couples never progress past friendship. Having honest conversations matters more in the long run than kissing beneath the stars.”
My lips curved upward. “I don’t know, kissing beneath the stars sounds like fun.”
“It does. Although right now, the bathroom countertop sounds like far more fun.”
I laughed, lifting my head and meeting his eyes. The small grin he wore was somewhere between mischievous and just genuinely happy.
“So, what are we?” I asked him, still smiling a little. “I have to know how I’m supposed to think about you, and us.”
“If I remember correctly, there’s a step between dating and married for humans.”
“Engaged,” I agreed.
“Consider us engaged then, until you decide you’re ready to seal the bond.” His fingers caught my chin, tilting my head up a little so he could see my eyes better. “I’m ready now, if I haven’t made that clear.”
“You have, and I think I can work with engaged.”
“Good.” He brushed his lips against mine. “You make the rules, Aurora. You set the pace, and you determine when and how we progress. Knowing your past, I will never push you.”
My throat swelled. “Thank you.”
He made a face.
Another laugh escaped me. “You’ll have to get used to me thanking you, Amarok.”
“Maybe I’ll come around to it eventually.” He released my chin, but I didn’t move my face.
My mouth was ridiculously close to his, and I kind of wanted to kiss him. “Maybe. Or maybe, I can think of a better way to thank you.”
His eyes gleamed wickedly. “I like that plan much better.”
“I’ll see what I can come up with,” I lied.
