As for me, I didn’t expect to find my mate so soon. I…I thought someone like me would for sure have to search longer. I’m nothing special, after all. Just a dude with some muscles and not much in his brain…
“Steve…” Amaryllis shifts around in front of me, biting on her lip innocently. Her sweet scent fills my nostrils, and I wish I could grab her and pull her onto my lap. Her scent is slowly getting stronger, a sign that the wolfsbane is gradually leaving her system.
“Here, you can have some of these.” Anthony throws me a bag of dried fruits, and I wonder where he got them from.
“Let’s go, everyone. I need to walk around a bit,” Henry exclaims. “I’m depressed.”
“Yeah,” Elise chuckles. “Me too.”
Before I can stand up to follow them, Marcel links me.Not you. Stay with your mate, bro.He smiles at me.She seems to want your company now.
I look at him dumbfounded before my gaze shifts back to Ryllis. I slide to the side a bit so she can sit down next to me. She doesn’t seem ready for me to touch her, so I try to avoid it unless she initiates the contact.
“Did you h-have fun?” I stutter, mentally slapping myself for sounding like a helpless fourteen-year-old.
“Yes.” She blushes and looks away shyly. “Sorry, Freya and I were a bit weird. I know.”
“No, not at all,” I hurried to reassure her. “You were really cute. You in particular.”
“Really?” She looks at me through her big eyes. Goddess, she has eyes I can get lost in. These deep brown doe eyes.
“They didn’t allow you to do much in your pack, did they?” I ask nervously.
She nods sadly.
“That’s going to change now,” I say with conviction. “I’ll make sure you’ll have lots of fun and do everything you always wanted to do.”
She looks at me again. Her eyes are glistening with tears, but she is smiling too. I’m a bit confused. Is that good or bad? Did I say something wrong?
When Amaryllis reaches out her hand to rest it on top of mine, I feel my heart jump. It’s good. I did something right!
You go, man!Lynx encourages me.Offer her some of the fruits. That spoiled twin gave it to you for a reason!
Right, the food!
“Are you hungry?” I ask.
When she nods, I beam in relief and open the bag of dried fruits Anthony threw at me. It’s a mixture of dried raspberries, strawberries, and peaches. A sudden idea strikes me. I offer Ryllis the bag, but I pull it away before she can grab it, laughing a bit when she glares at me. So cute. My arm is far longer than hers, so I easily keep the food away from her. She furrows her brows at me, suddenly crawling on my lap and reaching for the bag.
I’m stunned, literally. She just initiated this contact, and did it naturally. Ryllis pauses, too, suddenly noticing her position. She flushes a bit. “Sorry,” she blurts out. “That was uncalled for, wasn’t it?”
“Hey, apple pie,” I say with a smile before she can talk herself into a panic attack. Then I swiftly peck her cheek. Amaryllis giggles a bit, and my heart both aches and leaps for joy, for I have never heard her make that sound before.
She slips off my lap but stays closer to me this time, grabbing my arm and leaning her head against it.
“I know I’m not smart,” I say quietly. “I…you know, I always had issues in school, and graduating was not easy for me. My schoolmates made fun of me sometimes for being so slow.” She looks at me curiously, so I continue. “Contrary to me, my sisters are super smart, but I…it doesn’t matter.” I take her hand, looking at her insistently. “I promise I’ll be there for you. And if you explain things to me, I am sure I will understand. Please tell me if I ever make you feel uncomfortable, and I will never do it again. If you think I don’t treat you right, tell me. Or when you—”
She looks at me in surprise. “You’re a great guy, Steve,” she says quietly. She looks almost a bit angry, much to my surprise. “And you’re not stupid. Whoever said that is the true idiot.” She pauses. “And Steve?”
I look at her curiously. “Yes, love?”
She takes a deep breath. “I, Amaryllis, accept you, Steve Preston, as my mate.”
Her words almost knock me over in surprise. I didn’t expect her to accept me so soon or at all. I can feel our bond snapping in place and getting stronger.
She looks at me shyly. “I felt the tingles getting stronger,” she admits. “My instinct told me to accept you.”
That must have been her wolf pushing her to accept the bond.Lynx beams.They might not be able to talk to each other yet, but I feel her a bit more now.