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He shrugged, wiping the tears away. “It’s not going to be an easy path. But you should trust him, Lib.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t say anymore?”
“I can’t, but they will let me encourage you to trust your mate. That’s the most I can do beyond what I’ve already said to you. You have to give him the chance to earn your trust.”
I sighed, “Easier said than done.”
“Nothing within a mate bond comes easy.”
Chapter Nine
Xander
The next morning when I woke, Liberty was nowhere to be found. I was fully dressed and ready to leave to meet her family for breakfast, assuming that was where she had gone, but the door opening stopped me. As soon as Liberty entered the room, I immediately noticed a subtle shift in her demeanor.
“Did I miss breakfast?” I asked. “Your mom said you meet at ten-thirty every day.” I looked over at the clock beside her bed, noticing the time as ten after ten.
“Let’s start over,” she said. The announcement startled me. My spine straightened as I looked back at her. “We can pretend thatlast night didn’t happen. We are just starting off as mates and will work to get to know one another.”
“Okay,” I agreed with a smile.
“This doesn’t mean that I trust you,” she added. “If I never give you the opportunity to earn my trust, it will be impossible for me to trust you.”
I smiled and nodded. “That’s fair. Shall we go and join your family now?”
She turned to look at the clock before nodding in agreement. I stood before her and offered my arm. She hesitated for only a moment before taking it and allowing me to guide us down to the breakfast table. Her parents and brother were already there, discussing some business with the witches.
“The Montana witches are concerned about the pack attempting to move in on their land. Is there anything we can do to help them?” Diana asked.
“It’s not our pack or our coven. I’m not sure what we can do.” Orion answered. He sat back in his chair, nodding to Liberty and me as we took our seats at the table.
“We can help to solidify their claim to their land. From what I see in the reports, the pack’s claim is they want one husband tojoin their pack. He isn’t a born shifter but cursed, so that will help them fight against any rogue claim. Cursed shifters rarely need a pack. They’re still technically humans.”
“We will back them on that then. But we can’t get any more involved.” Orion said as he looked at Diana. “I’m sorry we can’t do more for them.”
“It’s alright. They aren’t my coven, either. I just want to ensure they do not get wiped out. They are a very old and powerful coven in their own right. It would be a shame for them to disappear from this world. Especially with so much going on already.”
“There isn’t much we can do outside of our city, unfortunately,” Orion remarked. He turned to look at Liberty. “We will push off our visit to San Diego until you have had time to balance your bond and duties. We can’t put it off too long, however, so hopefully you both can find your balance quickly.”
My face portrayed a clear sense of confusion as I looked between my mate and her father, trying to decipher the situation. Neither of them explained much more to me, but Liberty nodded to her father.
“We are working on that now.”
“Good,” Orion affirmed. He took a bite of his eggs before looking back at the two of us once more. “Tomorrow night is a full moon.Why don’t you both go for a run together? It’s a great way for mates to bond. I’ve often taken your mother for runs with me and we always feel closer afterwards.”
Diana laughed as she looked at me. “I ride on his back. Obviously I can’t shift.”
“Oh,” I laughed with her. “I was wondering about that. A run tomorrow night sounds great to me.” I looked at Liberty.
“Yeah,” she said. “That sounds great.”
The rest of breakfast held idle chatter from everyone, consisting of discussions of personal schedules replaced the important pack and coven discussions. Before long, everyone was joking and laughing. After we had finished, we all went our separate ways.
Brady found his way over to Liberty and me. He helped with any awkward silence between us all the way through until dinnertime. From there, we returned to our shared room where, once again, I lay cramped on the small couch.
I smiled as I caught her watching me again. From the look in her eyes, I knew it wouldn’t be much longer before I would be welcomed back into her bed. Exactly where I belonged.
~
