Page 45 of Rescued

“Shifter magic, maybe,” Mika says with a soft chuckle. “It’s something that happens when a mate bond deepens. The closer we are, the more in tune we become with each other. It starts small—impressions, emotions, fleeting thoughts. But eventually, it becomes like a direct line between us.”

I blink, letting that sink in. “So it’s not just you whispering sweet nothings in my head whenever you want?”

“No,” he says with mock seriousness, his eyes dancing. “It’s mutual. You’ve probably been sending me feelings or thoughts without realizing it.”

That gives me pause. And a bit of embarrassment, given the thoughts I’ve been having about him since he landed in my life. “I have?”

Mika leans closer, his knee brushing against mine. “Yeah. Like earlier today, when you were worried about Iko. I felt it, the way your stomach twisted, the way your heart sped up. And I knew, without you saying a word, that you were thinking about how much you’d blame yourself if anything happened to him.”

We’d finally agreed on the name Iko—a compromise between Mika’s love of short, strong names and my preference for something a little quirky.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “That’s…weird.”

Mika shrugs. “It’s how mates work. We’re meant to understand each other, even when words don’t cut it.”

I glance away, my mind spinning. “So, this ‘gift’—it just…grows over time?”

He nods. “As we trust each other more, we let each other in. It’s a bond that strengthens with love, Gabriel. The stronger the bond, the clearer the connection. By the time we’re fully mated—”

“Whoa, whoa, wait.” I hold up a hand, though it’s more for myself than him. “Fully mated?”

Mika’s gaze holds mine, steady and unflinching. “It means when we’ve both accepted the bond completely. When we’re fully committed, body and soul. It’ll be seamless, like second nature.”

“Jesus,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “No pressure or anything.”

Mika laughs, the sound deep and rich, and I can’t help but smile. “Relax, mate. It’s not something we have to force. It’ll happen when it’s meant to.”

“Yeah, well,” I say, leaning back against the log behind me, “you might want to give me a little warning next time you plan on broadcasting your thoughts. Hearing you growl ‘mine’ in my head was not something I was prepared for.”

Hisgrin turns feral. “Then maybe you should be prepared, Gabriel. Because that’s just the beginning. Wait ‘til I get started on the dirty talk.”

A shiver runs through me, equal parts anticipation and nerves. But as I look at him, all sharp lines and confidence, I feel something else, too—something warm and unshakable. Trust.

“Okay,” I say softly, more to myself than him. “Let’s see where this bond takes us then.”

Mika reaches out, his fingers brushing mine. The warmth of his touch is almost enough to drown out the whispered words that slip into my mind like a caress.“Together, Gabriel.”

I look up from the list of adoption applicants I printed out from Small Town Dog Rescue just in time to catch Mika on the floor with Iko. They’re playing with one of the stuffed toys Adam dropped off earlier this week, the puppy wagging his tail like it’s a full-body workout. The pup’s doing great, all things considered. Adam’s supposed to swing by soon to check on him, and I asked Todd to come, too.

Maybe a little nudge would work things out for those two, one way or another.

Mika picks Iko up, cradling him like the overgrown baby he is, and heads outside to the fenced backyard. I hear him murmuring softly to the pup, and it tugs at something deep in my chest. He’s really good with Iko. Better than good, honestly. Mika has this way of making everyone feel safe, like they belong, and seeing it in action only makes me fall harder for him.

When he comes back in, he leans down and nips the back of my neck, making me jump and curse as I rub the spot.

“Did you find homes for Max, Moe, and Annie?” Mika asks, all innocent curiosity like he didn’t just try to bite me.

“Yeah, I did,” I answer, glaring at him. It doesn’t stick, not when he’s grinning at me like that. “We have to take M and M to Lubbock. Annie is going to El Paso. Normally, it’s about a nine-hour drive to El Paso, if everything runs smoothly. But, we’ll be tacking on some extra miles on the drive there since we have to detour through Lubbock.”

Mika nods, already tracking the logistics, but I’m not done. “While we’re that close to New Mexico, I figured we could drive up to Gila and get your stuff. It’s only another four or five hours.”

Mika’s expression flickers for a second—surprise, maybe amusement—but then his lips quirk into something knowing. “You want me to get my stuff, or do you want to bitch out Zane?”

Caught.Damn it.I shrug, trying for innocent, but Mika’s laughter ruins me. He grabs my arm and pulls me in for a kiss, soft at first but quickly turning into something deeper, something consuming. We stumble to the couch, still tangled together, his weight pressing me down as his hips grind into mine.

My hands slide down to grab his ass, pulling him closer, and I’m about to lose myself in him when—

“Ah… We can come back later, guys.”

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