Page 55 of Entering a New World

The answer was no. No, I wasn’t sure. My brain told me I’d just suggested something I couldn’t even begin to understand. But my heart? It was singing, rightness filling my chest, a joy I’d never felt before spreading through me.

“I’m not,” I told Rhett, leaning back a little to meet his gaze. “But it feels like the right thing to do.”

I just hoped I hadn’t bitten off more than I could chew.

Chapter 15

Rhett

He was coming home with us!

Our mate was finally coming home.

My wolf preened inside my chest, happiness emanating off him. To him, everything was fine now. He obviously didn’t get the concept of visiting someone. At least not one’s mate. Nope. He was under the firm impression that once our mate entered our home, he’d stay.

Not in a prisoner kind of way, mind you, but definitely in a moving-in kind of way.

I knew better; of course I did, and yet I didn’t tell my wolf. Maybe because a small, foolish part of me hoped my wolf would be right after all. Hell, Levi felt so much more of our connection than he was supposed to he might just… what?

Throw his life away to move into a small, two-bedroom cabin on the outskirts of town without even discussing it?

Yes! my wolf shouted. Mate. Ours.

I ignored my wolf and focused on the road ahead of us instead. We were almost there; it would take maybe another minute or two until my house would come into view. As it was, we were driving past Gray’s home, past Teagan’s, and Carl and Anna’s homes, which meant there was only Jonny’s house left and then…

“Here we are,” I said, turning into the short driveway to my house. There was a fluttering sensation in my chest and I started sweating profusely, even though I wasn’t hot.

What would Levi think about my home? Would he find it lacking? I didn’t know much about his life in the city. Just that he was from Vancouver and some kind of influencer who had a manager.

Did that mean he was a millionaire? That he was used to a life of luxury?

We should probably talk about that—soon.

Doesn’t matter, my wolf supplied. He’s ours.

I wanted to agree, but the fact was that it might matter. And that thought sat like lead in my stomach.

“Wow,” Levi said, pressing a hand against the window. I couldn’t see his face, but his voice was filled with child-like wonder that made my stomach unclench.

“You… like it?” I asked.

“I love it.” He turned his head to me and gave me a huge grin. “It’s so cute, and I bet it’s even more beautiful in spring when everything starts to grow.”

The fluttering sensation inside of me changed tunes, the nervous vibrations turning into a swirl of happiness.

“It really does. And I have quite a big garden; I grow my own fruit and vegetables. Oh… and there’s a flower garden for the bees in the back.”

“And there’s a greenhouse!” Levi exclaimed, jumping in his seat. “I know it probably sounds ridiculous to you, but… I’ve never been in a greenhouse, you know? I—to be honest, I haven’t left the city much. I’ve basically spent my whole life in Vancouver. My parents didn’t have much money and all my relatives lived in the city, so we never went on vacation to visit someone.”

I furrowed my brows. “But… aren’t you some kind of rich social media star?”

A snort-giggle escaped Levi, and he slapped his hands on his mouth, scrunching up his nose at the sound. “Who told you that?”

“I assumed…”

Laughing, Levi shook his head and turned towards me. He placed a hand on my thigh and leaned into me, as if he craved the touch, just like I did.

“Rhett, I’m a barista. The whole influencer thing, that’s… I call it a side hustle even though that always sounds like some kind of pyramid scheme. I’m a small fish. A couple of my reels went viral, and I got a decent following out of it. In my videos, I basically talk about my work as a barista and share funny or weird stories. Occasionally, I post recipes for drinks I came up with, but that’s it.”

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