Page 15 of The Naga

Touya shook his head, then patted my other shoulder much more gently than his troll mate. "Not at all. Not unless your mate says so, at least."

I nodded. Dustin had sounded pretty excited, hadn't he? Or had I imagined it?

"Are you going to tell him?" Headmaster Morrigan asked, and I nodded.

"I don't want to hide my real self from him any longer than I have to. It'll probably freak him out, but I think he'll accept it."Accept me.

"I'm sure he will. Fate wouldn't have picked him for you otherwise," Silas said, and I nodded.

"So, what do you need from us?" Touya asked, and I smiled, grateful I had a family like these guys. It was almost worth all the shit I had to deal with as a kid.

"Calm the fuck down before you give yourself a heart attack," Silas said, smacking my back.

"Do supes even get heart attacks?" Touya asked, glancing up at his mate, who shook his head.

"Just a figure of speech."

It was almost time for us to head out, and this time I'd decided to take Silas with me, mostly because he was still miffed I'd told Keoni about Dustin first. I figured this would make it up for it a little.

"Come on, Sy. We gotta go," I said after checking my phone once more.

"I'll be right back," Silas said, then kissed Touya like he was going off to fight in a war or something.

I shook my head as I pushed the Sanctuary door open—we had a permanent door that opened near the coffee shop we were meeting at, so we didn't need to ask the headmaster for a portal—and wheeled through, leaving Silas to follow after me.

"Wow, you're in a hurry, huh?" Silas commented as he fell in step beside me, and I shot him a look.

"Like you wouldn't be."

"Touché."

We arrived at the coffee shop with a few minutes to spare, and this time I decided to wait at one of the outdoor tables instead, mostly so I could see Dustin sooner. It was strange how quickly my feelings for him were developing, and it almost scared me. Knowing we were mates helped a little, but I still couldn't stop worrying that I might be rushing us too much.

After all, Dustin didn't know we were mates yet. What if he thought we were going too fast, and it scared him off? What if he didn't show up today?

Just when I'd managed to push myself down a spiral of anxiety, I caught sight of someone bright and vibrant in ourseemingly colorless surroundings. I straightened up in my chair as Dustin came closer, raising a hand in a wave.

A smile spread across his lips, and he quickened his steps, his off-shoulder loose white top fluttering in the breeze. His shorts ended just below his mid-thigh, offering me a stunning view of his leanly muscular legs.

"Khush, hey," he greeted as he stopped before me, and I smiled up at him. I found it easy to smile when he was around.

"Hey, Dustin," I murmured, and we gazed at each other for a moment, just smiling.

Then Silas cleared his throat like the rude asshole he was, and I shot him a glare before turning back to Dustin.

"Dustin, this is my friend, Silas. Silas, this is Dustin," I introduced. Silas was in his human form, his mask firmly in place over his mouth to hide his tusks. He'd started keeping it off more and more often at the Sanctuary, but he still had to wear it outside to keep the secret intact.

"Nice to meet you," Dustin said as he shook Silas's hand, and Silas looked almost impressed at his grip.

"You too."

"Would you like to get some coffee?" I asked, and Dustin pursed his lips.

"Maybe later? I'm too excited right now. I think the coffee will push me over the edge," he said with wide eyes, and I chuckled.

"As you say. Come on then, it's this way," I said, then took a deep breath as I turned my chair around.Fate, please make sure nothing goes wrong.

Dustin

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