Page 20 of Delivered to My Shadow Unicorn Alphas

He shrugged one shoulder. “Fine. I need something to occupy my mind anyway. What do you want to do first? Do we need to make a trip into town?”

“No. I don’t think so. How about we go over to Gillian’s shop. She has some beautiful quilts on display. There might be one big enough to pass as a comforter. And the rest just needs to be cleaned. Maybe stop at Tucker’s mate’s shop and pick up some of her handmade soaps and lotions? Have some things in the bathroom? We want her to feel at home here.”

“Let’s go, then.”

We spent the day going from shop to shop, procuring things that we thought Amber might like. Soaps. Lotions. Some foot cream. Salts for the bath. Gillian had a new quilt she’d just finished. It boasted every color imaginable and would lookperfect in Amber’s room. Amber dressed in such pretty, bright colors, she would love it.

Amber’s room. The thought sobered me. We were planning and plotting for our mate, but Juven was right. There was a chance she would never come back. Call us up. Burst our bubble. End this edge of fantasy we’d been leaning on.

She could end our lives and our line and shatter our hearts with one sentence.

Then again, our fate wasn’t her responsibility. She needed to look out for herself first. Her happiness would be the only consolation if we were rejected. I could take the pain if only she went on to live a happy life.

We went into her room to prepare for our mate’s return, if that ever happened. The air was filled with her scent and even Juven’s demeanor softened around it. We washed and changed her sheets. Put the quilt on the bed, taking time to fluff the pillows and make it nice.

“You have no doubts?” Juven asked as he turned off the main light and flicked on the lamps making the room glow with a cozy warmth.

“I don’t. It feels like her decision is taking a lifetime, but that’s because she’s human and we are in a time crunch. She’s not. This is her life. Once we are mated, it’s like marriage for humans. It’s a big decision, and I’d be more worried if she wasn’t taking her time to think through it. What if she jumped into this and then realized she didn’t want us? I can’t imagine which one would be worse. She has to be sure.”

Juven nodded. “I didn’t think of it that way. Maybe her taking her time is a good thing.”

I nodded. “I really think it is. We have to trust her.”

My phone blared with a new ringtone at the same time Juven’s did. My heart flip-flopped. There was only one person who called Juven and I at the same time.

Amber.

“Hello?” we both said at the same time.

“Hi. Are you both okay?” she asked.

We answered that we were, even though my best friend most certainly was not.

“That’s good. I was wondering if it would be okay if I came up tonight. There’s something I need to talk to you both about.”

My voice froze in my throat. Juven answered for us. She had news. News that could make or break us. “Amber, you are always welcome in this home. You don’t have to ask if you can come.”

“Okay. I’m leaving in about five minutes. Can I stop and get you anything? I’m in the city and close to a market.”

Finally my throat began to work again, though my breaths were shallow. “We have everything here, mate. Bring yourself. That’s all we need. Be safe, please.”

“I will. See you soon.”

Juven and I hung up, and I collapsed into the chair near the window. “She’s coming. I can’t believe she’s coming. What if she’s on her way to reject us?”

“Listen to your unicorn,” I replied, giving and taking the advice at the same time. “What does he say?”

Juven closed his eyes, and a slow smile formed. “He says she’s ours. She loves us as much as we love her. She’s on her way to tell us that.” He opened his eyes and nodded. “Until she gets here, I don’t have it in me to argue. How about we go get some dinner ready for our mate?”

“Now we’re talking. I know exactly the meal she’d love.”

Chapter Twenty

Juven

After our bellies were full of arguably the best breakfast for dinner Shaman had ever made, we sat back and talked. The conversation flowed. The laughter filled our home. Our mate was right in front of us, and yet she felt miles away.

There was a space between us only she could push through.

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