Grace

Story time? What am I a fucking 5-year-old?

“No, you’re not a 5-year-old, but there’s some things I need to explain to you.”

Shit. Did I say that out loud?

“Here.” He started wrapping me up in a blanket. “Put this on. I can’t focus on anything while you’re wearing that.”

Ha! I knew I was irresistible.

He pulled me into his lap and took a deep breath. “How much do you know about werewolves?” I thought about it a second and realized, I really don’t know that much.

“All I was ever told was to stay away from them because they would tear me apart the first chance they got.”

He gave me a sad smile. “Well, now you know that’s not true. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

“Yeah, except not sleep with me.” I crossed my arms and gave him a little pout and he winced.

“Grace, have you ever heard about werewolves and mates?” I looked at him confused.

“No, what does that mean?”

“It means every werewolf has a mate. One person made specifically for them. Their soul mate in a way.”

“Do you have a mate?” I asked quietly.

“Yes…” Shock and fury ran through my body like a bolt of lightning and I scrambled off his lap.

“IS THAT WHY YOU CAN’T SLEEP WITH ME, OWEN? BECAUSE YOU HAVE A MATE BACK HOME? A PERFECT WOMAN WAITING FOR YOU?!” I screamed at him.

“NO! No, no, no Grace that’s not it at all! Please, just listen to me!” His face contorted into a mixture of shock and fear that made me put a lid on my righteous indignation for a hot second to let him explain.

“Ok, then what is it?” I narrowed my eyes.

“It’s you Grace. You’re my mate.” My eyes widened and I inhaled sharply.

“What?”

“You’re my mate.”

“Yes, Owen I heard you the first time.”

“Then why did you say ‘what?’”

“Because it doesn’t make any sense! I’m not a werewolf.”

“Yes, werewolves are normally mated to other werewolves, but not all the time. You must be extra special.” He gave me a sweet smile and my heart melted a little.

“So, if I’m your mate, the person made just for you, why can’t you sleep with me?”

“Excellent question, love.” I hate how much I love that praise.

“It’s because if we sleep together, that will seal our mate bond and….” I put my hand up to stop him.

“Wait, wait, wait the mate bond?”

“Yes, the bond between mates. It’s a physical thing inside of us. You’ve felt it, you just didn’t know it.”

“What’s it feel like?” He got a little smile on his face and scooched towards me.

“The sparks. You feel them when I touch you don’t you?” I felt my brow furrow as I thought about it.

“I thought they were weird electric shocks.” He chuckled a little.

“That makes sense, but no that’s our bond. We can use it as a way to help regulate each other’s emotions. If you’re scared, I can use the mate bond to help calm you.” He reached for my hand and entwined our fingers. Now that I know what the sparks are, I pay more attention to them and feel the sense of calm that washes over me.

“Are you doing that?” I met his gaze. God, I love his eyes.

“Yes, love. Because there’s more I need to tell you.” I take a deep breath and steady myself.

“Hit me with it.”

“If we sleep together and seal our mate bond and you decide this isn’t what you want, I’m not what you want it will be much more difficult for me to accept your rejection. It could have serious consequences for me, including shortening my life significantly.” I inhaled sharply and felt a rock hit the bottom of my stomach.

“So, in a way, I could kill you if I break up with you.”

“Yes. Exactly.” I could feel tears brimming my eyes.

“Owen, I could never hurt you.”

“I know, baby. You would never do it on purpose, but there’s more to this than just us being mates. I don’t live here. I have a pack that I need to go home to. I can’t ask you to uproot your life, give up everything for me just because the universe decided we belong together. I haven’t told you about this up until now because I wanted you to develop feelings on your own, to have some freedom in this choice. Do I want you to choose me? Hell yes. Will I understand if you decide to reject me and break our mate bond? Yes.” The tears were falling steadily now, and I climbed into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. He held me tight as I cried onto his chest, the very idea of him no longer existing in this world was too much for me to bear.

“Thank you, Owen. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to get to know you without this extra pressure. I care about you and I want to try, but I’m not sure what to do next.” I sniffled and looked at him through red rimmed eyes.

“Well…” He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me a little. “I was thinking maybe you could take a couple of weeks off from work and go home with me when I’m done here. Visit my pack and see what you think. It’s only a couple of hours out of the city.” I sat and thought for a moment. What do I have to lose? Lord knows I have more PTO than I could use. I looked into Owen’s eyes. Do I want to give this man a shot? Of course.

“Do you think your pack will accept me? Since I’m a witch.”

“Yes, since you’re my mate. I will ask them to give you a chance. And I know they will.” I smiled at him.

“Ok then. Let’s do it.”