Grace

The next morning I had nervous flutters in my belly about how Gavin would react to the whole werewolf thing. I knew I had to tell him with the way he was undressing Liam with his eyes all morning. He would not be able to keep from tapping that.

And he shouldn't have to.

But we all agreed he should know the truth as Liam would likely mark him during. I guess it takes a lot of willpower to hold back your wolf. Owen was able to, but Liam likely wouldn't.

"Gavin, honey. How about we go for a little walk and have a chat." I say with a bright smile. He pulls his gaze from Liam and looks at me curiously.

"Now what are you going to tell me? Mermaids are real?" He asks sarcastically with a scoff and I narrow my eyes at him.

"No, Gavin. Well..." I trail off and look at Owen curiously. He shakes his head and I let out a disappointed huff.

Daddy Triton isn't real after all. What a shame.

"Let's go." I say pulling him out the front door and threading my arm through his. We wander around town for awhile in a content quiet, breathing in the fresh, crisp morning air. It's my favorite time of day and I would be enjoying it more if I wasn't worried about Gavin having a dramatic breakdown in a few minutes.

"As much as I love this little Hallmark moment, what's going on, sugar?" He asks and I let out a heavy sigh.

"So, Gavin. I'm a witch. I've already proven that to you, right?" I ask.

"Yes...." He says with an annoyed look.

Patience never was his thing.

"So if I'm a witch, it's safe to assume that there might be other... creatures out there right? Supernatural beings that hide in plain sight?" I ask and he shrugs.

"I suppose. Why? What are you trying to tell me?" He asks and stops walking to turn and face me.

"What I'm trying to tell you is that every other person in this little town but me, is a werewolf." I say, cringing a little as I rip off the band aid.

Gavin's mouth drops in shock and he looks around a little before looking back at me, shaking his head.

"No way. A witch is one thing, but full on werewolves? Girl, you gotta be fucking with me." He says seriously and I can't help an anxious giggle from escaping me.

Wait until he hears about mates.

"I'm sorry, Gavin, but it's true." I say and he shakes his head.

"No way. Nu uh. Prove it." He says defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You want me to have Owen come shift for you?" I ask gently and he nods.

"Yep. You gotta be playing a prank on me." He says and I roll my eyes while mind linking Owen.

He and Liam show up a few minutes later, Liam going to stand next to Gavin but he keeps a little bit of a distance when Gavin eyes him nervously.

"You sure about this?" Owen asks Gavin and he nods firmly.

"Show me what you got." Gavin says and Owen grunts before taking off his clothes. Gavin's mouth drops and he averts his eyes.

"That's not what I meant!" Gavin squeals and I can't help but chuckle.

"He has to take off his clothes so he doesn't rip them when he shifts." I say, rubbing my hand up and down his arm trying to help him relax.

"If you wanna see me shift you better turn around." Owen says gruffly, not happy to be shifting at request as if it's some magic trick. Gavin looks back at Owen, his eyes not drifting from his face.

Soon the familiar pops and cracks of Owen's shift ring out in the otherwise still morning, but I'm not watching him.

I'm watching Gavin.

His eyes go wide as his mouth gapes at the sight. He takes a few steps back and wobbles a bit on unsteady legs. Liam grips his arm gently to steady him but Gavin doesn't register the touch, his eyes not leaving Owen as his beast shakes out his fur. Owen lets out a little howl and a few other wolves running in the forest join in with their Alpha. Owen's wolf comes up to me and nudges my cheek with his wet snout. I giggle and reach out to rub my fingers through his fur. He purrs a little and licks my face, making he huff out an annoyed breath and wipe his saliva off with my shirt sleeve.

"What in the... For the love of all things Twilight..." Gavin mutters and I look back over at him, still smiling from my interaction with Owen's wolf. His eyes are still wide, taking in Owen's large wolf.

"Is he gonna eat you?" He whispers to me and I can't help but laugh.

"Only if I ask him to." I respond with a wink that makes Owen's wolf huff out a wolfy laugh.

"Is he still Owen?" Gavin asks and I nod, taking the wolf's large head in both of my hands to pull him down, planting a kiss on his snout.

"Yes. He's still Owen. Just hairier." I say with a shrug and Gavin still looks amazed.

"He won't hurt you?" He asks and I shake my head as Owen's wolf lets out a small growl at the suggestion that he could ever hurt me. I shoosh him gently and he sits next to me. I nuzzle into his side, enjoying his warmth. It's been too long since I've enjoyed his wolf's presence.

"Of course not. He could never hurt me. I'm his mate." I say proudly with a quick glance at Liam. He shuffles nervously as Gavin's face crinkles in confusion.

"What's a mate?" He asks and I can't stop the dreamy smile from spreading on my face.

"He's my soul mate. The other half of me. We were made to complete each other." I say wistfully, eyeing Owen affectionately. He leans down to lick me again and I chuckle, running my fingers through his fur some more.

"Well, that sounds nice." Gavin says sadly and my attention lands on him again.

"What do you mean?" I ask, hoping he's thinking what I think he's thinking.

"Having a mate sounds nice. Knowing who you're meant to be with. There's no cheating right?" I ask and my stomach roils at the idea of cheating on Owen.

"No. Never. It's not possible. Mates could never cheat on each other. You can't lie to them either. They can sense your emotions." I say and Gavin looks sad again.

"That sounds amazing. No dating, no apps, no games, no liars, no worrying about cheating. That's the fucking dream, Grace." He says and Liam gives me a hopeful look and nods, giving me silent permission to tell Gavin.

"Would you like to have a mate?" I ask and Gavin's eyes brighten at my suggestion.

"Hell yeah. If I'm going to live in a world where I know about fucking werewolves the least the universe could give me is a furry body to keep me warm at night. I always was Team Jacob." He says with a chuckle, still eyeing Owen's wolf a little nervously. I take a deep breath before meeting Gavin's eyes.

"Gavin, you have a mate." I say and his eyes widen.

"How do you know?" He asks and I smile at him.

"Because he told me." I say and Gavin chuckles.

"How would he know?" He asks.

"His wolf told him." I say and Gavin crosses his arms before giving me an appraising look.

"And how would I know, then?" He asks and I shrug.

"You feel a pull, like a magnet leading you to him. Every time he touches you it's like little fireworks go off under your skin. He's the sexiest, most beautiful person you've ever seen. Ever since you met him, your mind constantly loops every interaction you've had with him." I say, telling him all of the things I experienced with Owen before he told me.

As I continue my explanation, Gavin's face looks more and more shocked, before he turns to face Liam. His eyes are wide and questioning and Liam gives me a shy smile.

"Are you...?" Gavin asks, but can't quite finish the question. Liam nods and reaches out to take Gavin's hand.

"Yeah. I'm your mate." He says quietly. Gavin looks at me and I give him a reassuring nod before he looks back at Liam. A wide smile splits across his face and Gavin pulls on Liam's hand.

"Where are we going?" Liam asks and Gavin gives him a mischevious smile.

"To fuck. Don't make me lure you with a steak, wolf boy." He says and I cackle out a laugh as Liam lifts Gavin, throwing him over his shoulder as he carries him to the packhouse.

I turn to Owen with a wide smile and he gives me a wolfy grin.

"How about we go for a run, baby?" I ask him, looking back towards the direction Liam and Gavin just ran off in. "I don't really want to be anywhere near that house right now."

Owen huffs out his agreement and leans down so I can slip onto his back before he shoots off into the forest, howling as I enjoy the wind whipping across my face.