Page 5 of My Mate

He moved closer to her and sat on the floor so their knees were touching.

“Stop,” he said.

She lifted her head, and seeing the glistening tears in her eyes was like a punch to the gut for him.

“Don’t,” he said.

She snorted and then shook her head. “It’s insane, right? Feeling this way.” She closed her eyes and watched as one of the tears fell down her cheek. He couldn’t stand to see her cry.

Reaching out, he swiped it off her cheek. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about tears.

“Tell me what to do?” he asked. He needed to fix this. To hurt whatever was making her cry.

She shrugged. “You’re so sweet, but there is nothing for you to fix. There is nothing you can do.” She sighed. “It’s … just … this.” She dropped her head.

“Talk to me,” he said.

If there was nothing he could fight, he could spend his time attempting to help her. There had to be something he could do.

“Do you really want to hear this?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t have asked.”

“All my life, ever since my parents told me what I would become and started to prepare me for my transition, I couldn’t wait. All I ever wanted was to be part of the pack. I loved that sense of having my place, of knowing what I was going to do, what I was going to be. I’ve never been more excited for anything, other than my eighteenth birthday, where I was going to be part of the pack.”

“Casey, you already are.”

“And do you know what it was like, going out into the forest, hearing all the howls, knowing the recent newbies werethere, running? I stared up at the full moon, and I waited, and nothing. That was all I could do—wait. The moon stayed high in the sky, and then I watched it slowly set, and nothing.” She stopped and there were more tears. “I didn’t want to go home. I wanted to stay in that forest until I transitioned, and I tried. The sun came up, and still I stayed. Nothing. Eventually, I got hungry and knew I would have to go to my parents. The moment they looked at me, they knew I hadn’t transitioned.”

She pressed her lips together, and she was so close to tears.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“No, it’s not. You keep telling me my place is among the pack, but it’s not. If I can’t turn, what does that make me?” she asked.

“Someone special,” he said.

“Please don’t play jokes.”

“Believe it or not, I am not playing jokes. If you can’t turn, so what? That doesn’t stop you from being part of the pack, and my dad is not going to kick you out. I know he can be an asshole and he has his rules and stuff like that, but he loves this pack.”

Casey pressed her lips together. “You don’t think he is going to get rid of me?”

“No, he’s not.”

She uncrossed her legs, and then spun so she was lying on her back, staring up at the night’s sky.

Dex joined her, getting close, and he reached for her hand, locking their fingers together, as they both stared up at the sky.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I just … I don’t know what I am going to do.”

“What we’re all doing—being part of the pack—and I don’t see a problem. While everyone is breaking their bones andsplitting their skin, you can be making that famous chili I know you love to make.”

She laughed. “I should have known you would always be thinking of your stomach.”

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