My mouth drops in shock as I look at Eli, not fully comprehending what he just said. He squeezes my hand gently and I shake my head a little to clear the confusion.

"Eli, you know who else you live with. Right?" I ask gently and he chuckles a little and nods his head.

"Yes, sunshine. I remember living with my brother." He says, amusement clear in his tone.

"And you think that would go over well?" I ask and he shrugs.

"I don't really care how he feels about it. But you're my mate and you agreed to be my mate and mates live together." He says, his eyes darting to me before going back to the road.

"I understand that. I just don't know how that would work." I say and he sighs a little.

"Would you want Jude to move out?" He asks and I shake my head firmly.

"No. That wouldn't be fair. It's his home." I say and he nods in understanding.

"Well, you could just avoid him. If you want." He says with a shrug.

"Would I um... have my own room?" I ask, a blush spreading across my face. Eli gets a broad a smile on his face when he sees it.

"Yes. If you want. Until you feel comfortable enough with me to sleep in my room." He says and I sigh heavily, sitting back in the seat to think this over.

"All I know is, now that you're here I want you with me." He says quietly, gently and it's so sweet my wolf is melting at his words, as am I. I take a deep breath and nod, squeezing his hand.

"Okay. You're right. We're mates and mates live together." I say and he lets out a joyful howl that has me giggling.

We pull up in front of my house and Eli jumps out of the car, rounding it to open my door for me. He follows me inside and I wander into the kitchen where my parents are.

"Mom, Dad, I forgot to tell you something." I say shyly and they both look at Eli and I.

"What's up, baby girl?" My dad asks and I give them a wide smile.

"I'm done with school. I finished early so I don't have to go back." I say and they both gasp, my mother jumping off her chair to pull me into a tight hug.

"My little genius." My dad says affectionately, tucking me into his chest. I laugh a little and look at Eli who's watching us with warm affection.

"There's more." Eli says, urging me on. I roll my eyes at him and turn back to my parents.

"Since I'm staying, Eli asked me to move in with him." I say and my parents sober at my words. My mom looks over at my dad with a worried expression and he sighs heavily.

"And Jude?" He asks and I nod.

"But I plan on pretending he doesn't exist." I say and my dad chuckles a little.

"That's easier said than done, baby." My mom says. "You still have a bond with him. It will be hard to ignore." She says, but I just shrug.

"I have a bond with Eli, too. I'll just focus on that one." I say firmly, trying to sound sure of myself. My parents look at each other again before they nod.

"You are old enough to make your own decisions. If this is what you want, we'll support you." My mom says and I hug her again, so grateful for the parents I have.

"Let's get your stuff." Eli says excitedly making my parents laugh as he pulls me up to my room.

"I just unpacked." I say bitterly, grabbing a suitcase and shoving some clothes in it. Eli chuckles, putting some things in a box for me.

"Just bring what you need for now. We can get the rest later." He says and I nod, grabbing my things from my bathroom. I'm folding my favorite blanket when I feel Eli's strong arms wrap around my waist. I smile at the feeling, looking up at him. He tucks his face in my neck and breathes me in, placing gentle kisses up to my jaw.

"You have no idea how hard it's been not to touch you like this for years." He says quietly, tightening his arms around me. I spin in his hold, wrapping my arms around his waist and tucking my face into his chest.

"We can make up for it now." I say quietly, closing my eyes and focusing on the sparks flashing through my body. His wolf purrs quietly in content, before he sighs and pulls away.

"Come on, sunshine. Let's get you home." He says with a wide smile that makes my heart patter.

He carries my things to the car while I hug my parents goodbye. My dad kisses my head firmly before looking me in the eyes.

"You need anything, you link me. You want to come home? No problem. We will always be here for you." He says and I feel tears prick my eyes.

"Thanks, Dad. I love you both." I say as they pull me into another hug.

"We'll drop your car off for you tomorrow." Mom says and I nod, as Eli walks up to us.

"Stop by anytime." He says warmly, tucking me into his side and both my parents smile at us, waving goodbye as Eli hurries me to the car like he's worried I'll change my mind.

Eli starts driving to the house and I get more nervous the closer we get. He must sense it because he reaches out to hold my hand.

"Everything will be fine." He says.

"Will he be mad?" I ask and Eli shrugs.

"I don't really give a shit if he is, to be honest." He says and I can't help an anxious laugh from slipping through.

We pull up in front of the house and Eli grabs my things, shoving in through the door and shutting it behind him. I hear footsteps upstairs and my body begins to shake as Jude descends the stairs. Eli pulls me into his side, rubbing his hand along my arm to soothe me. When Jude rounds the corner, he stops when he sees me, his eyes training on my things.

"What's going on?" He asks, looking at Eli.

"Nat's moving in." He says firmly and Jude's eyes widen in shock.

"Until she goes back to school?" He asks and Eli shakes his head.

"She's done. She finished early. She's not leaving again." He says and Jude goes stock still, staring at me.

I squirm under his intense scrutiny, wondering what he's thinking. I can feel anger off of him, our bond isn't as strong as the one I share with Eli, but I can tell he's pissed. I start to reconsider this idea when his hands clench into fists until he speaks.

"You mean to tell me if I had waited just one more fucking month this whole mess could have been avoided?" He seethes, his eyes flickering into his wolf. Eli steps in front of me, narrowing his eyes at Jude.

"What are you talking about?" He asks and Jude scoffs.

"Nothing." He says, turning to walk away when Eli curses under his breath.

"Now what?" Jude asks and Eli sighs.

"Dad needs me. Can you help her settle in? Show her the spare rooms, let her pick one." Eli says and I grip his shirt, silently begging him to stay. He turns to me and cups my face with his large hands, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I won't be gone long. I'm sorry, Dad said it's urgent." He says and I nod.

"It's fine." I tell him. He gives me one last longing glance before kissing my head again and turning to Jude.

"Don't be an ass." He says firmly and Jude rolls his eyes.

"Come on. I'll show you the rooms." He says and I nod, following after him as the door shuts behind Eli.

I follow him up the stairs, him carrying my things. They moved in here just before I left for school, so I never really explored. I only helped them move into their rooms so I had never even seen the hallway Jude showed me down.

"Here's one." He says, pushing a door open. It looks like a nice enough room, creams and blues with a large bed. "It doesn't have it's own bathroom though." He adds as he goes further down the hall.

"This one does, but the sun shines right in the window in the morning. I know how you like to sleep in." He adds, his voice taking on a sad tilt.

"What's that one?" I ask, pointing to a room with double doors.

"Go look." He says and I walk towards it, pushing open the doors and peering inside. He turns on the light and I gasp at the sight.

A huge bed in the center, three dressers, a large tv. I walk further into the room and see a closet with three sections, a bathroom with a tub the size of a jacuzzi and a shower with three heads. I look over at Jude, standing by the door with his arms crossed.

"Is this...?" I ask, unable to finish the question around the ball of emotion in my throat.

"This was going to be our room."