Page 37 of His Fate

And I am ready to come apart at the fucking seams thanks to the mess of nerves I've somehow gradually become over the last two hours.

After we left the coffee shop I took Posey home to pack for our few days away. She went over her father's routine with Janet about thirty times, checked his stock of medical supplies almost as many, reviewed the list of his doctors and who to call regarding what at least half that, and fussed over her father until he pulled her into his lap and drove her out to the driveway.

Hank and I thought it was funny. My sweet mate did not.

Thankfully I didn't have to explain my intent when I spoke with Kady or Hank about spending time with Posey. Being that they are both shifters they understand what it means for me to have this time with her. Despite our differences, Kady knows that when shifters mate it is a sacred thing and requires privacy, days of privacy without interruption. And Hank, being a dragon, has an even better understanding of the ritual involved.

While Posey packed enough clothes for five or six days per my instruction even though she is under the impression we will only be away for three, I spoke with Hank a little more in depth about my plans.

I shared with him that I intend to reveal my other half to her, tell her of my true nature and hope she will not reject me or my dragon. Then I will tell Posey that we are fated mates, that this connection she so strongly feels is our shared life-bond. I will explain all of the ways we are connected and use all of the signs I've seen, the ones she doesn't understand, as proof. Then, as long as she does not reject me as her mate, I intend to make her mine forever.

If I am to have a clear head while helping the people of our new home put an end to the terror caused by someone of the Molnarva Clan, then I need to make Posey mine.

It is not for the purpose of leadership, though I'm sure some would see it that way. It is because I have been so consumed with thoughts of my mate that I can barely focus on anything else. Knowing she is mine and not claiming her is wreaking havoc on my head as well as my heart.

I worry over her safety everyday because I cannot access her mind fully or feel her emotions, pinpoint her location the way I will be able to once my venom is coursing through her bloodstream.

I am insecure at the thought of another male, human or shifter alike, trying to steal her away from me, try to claim her before I have the chance and leave me a broken beast of a man without the other half of my heart and soul.

I am not doing this for any reason other than the fact that I love Posey, am in love with her and nothing in this world matters more to me than being with her for the rest of my days.

My beloved Josephine is the center of my world and if I do not claim her then my world will fly off its axis and spin out of control for all of eternity.

Not to mention my dragon has been a real cocksucker since finding our mate and he is pissed because I still haven't claimed her.

Ornery beast.

"Oh, Kai..." Posey gasps and leans forward in the passenger seat of my truck as the cabin finally comes into view. "Oh, sugar, it's beautiful."

She is beautiful.

And I love that she has taken to calling me “sugar.” I don't fully understand it but I find it endearing and my dragon seems to enjoy the term as well. Especially when Posey gets a little creative with it.

Sugar lips.

Sugar pants or sugar britches.

Sugar tits.

That one made us both laugh, which my mate did not appreciate because she called me that in the middle of scolding me over paying to have her truck fixed.

I follow the driveway, just two worn tracks in the middle of a narrow clearing that leads from the dirt road to the log cabin, and feel my stomach lurch in anticipation. These next few days are so crucial, so vital to my heart that I fear I may explode before we even exit my vehicle.

"You really haven't been out here since they finished it?"

I shake my head as I pull into the horseshoe shaped trail directly in front of the cottage.

"So you have no idea what the inside looks like?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and try to appear calm. "I know what it looked like when I procured it and I know what my specifications were to repair it but I have yet to see the completed project."

"Well come on then, sugar butt, let's go!"

Despite my nerves, I smile as Posey throws open the door and jumps down from her seat. It's hard to remain so uneasy when she calls me “sugar butt” or smiles as she runs up the porch steps with a gleam in her eye, the excitement comparable to a hatchling taking in their families hoard for the first time.

I watch her peer through the windows, Posey moving from one to the next with unmatched curiosity and when she turns, beams a smile in my direction that I feel like a branding iron to the heart, I open my door and slowly step out.

The cabin is lovely.

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