Page 53 of Little Mate
“You’re fully mated.” Not a question. The answer is sitting in front of me. “The alpha of alphas, is your mate?”
“Yes and no.” A fissure appears where her heart is, bright red, and I see it through the thin white gauzy dress she’s wearing. “He hasn’t accepted me yet.”
“Did he reject—”
“No. Not fully.”
“What does that mean?”
“That he tried, but I walked out before he could say the words.” My lips open, nasty words on the tip of my tongue, but she shakes her head. “I’ve seen this happen, have relived the hurt in my vision many times, Gabby. It always ends this way. He’s close to snapping, though, and the moment I leave his land, I’m his prized prey.”
“I’m sorry.” Closing the gap between us, I hug her tight. “You don’t deserve this.”
“We all have dark and rocky terrains to traverse. This is our path, and it will work out okay in the end, no matter the time it takes. That truth is what I’m clinging on to.”
There’s a bit of foreboding in that response, and I pull back with a raised brow. “So what’s your next move then? Where are you?”
“We are going to meet back home in a week’s time.”
“We are?”
“Yes.” Isa gets a faraway look, as if she’s remembering something. “It’s time to say goodbye to them properly and for our people, old and new, to come together. Your mate is strong and cares for you, as does mine, even if he is a bit stubborn, but together we’ll defeat what’s to come. The Fae king isn’t going to stand down easily, and Leo needs to be protected for more than one reason.”
“Is he safe with uncle?”
“For now, but I’ve already sent back word to bring him home.”
“Okay. We will be there in a week.” I’m suddenly jostled a bit, and Isa giggles. “The heck?”
“That man of yours is completely enamored with you, Gabby. He’s one of the good ones.”
“He is,” I agree, looking toward the general direction I saw him last. Theo’s no longer there, and I frown. “Even surrounded by darkness, embracing who he is born to be, there’s a tiny light that sparks from within and sings to me. I’m whole when he’s near.”
“Then don’t push him away or question the fates.”
“Will you be doing the same?”
“Already am.”
“How so?”
“Tough love on a wolf, an alpha wolf, is hard.” Isa takes in a deep breath, shoulders squared, and then lets it out slowly. “By ignoring that strong and beautiful beast, I’m showing him what life will be like without me. Because once mates meet, there’s no going back and the love between us will grow, morph into an obsession the more I remain out of his reach.”
“But—”
“Wake up, Gabriella. The demon whose heart you hold can no longer remain patient.”
My eyes snap open, and I’m back to the stunning piece of land Theo brought me to. I’m in his arms, nestled against his chest with my legs draped over his thigh. He moved me while I dream-walked, something my mother taught us to do when young in case we were ever separated, or worse, taken.
“You okay, pretty girl? You were mumbling in your sleep.”
That man of yours is completely enamored with you, Gabby. He’s one of the good ones.
“I am.” Sitting up, I turn just enough to reach his mouth and place a kiss over his soft lips. He tastes of me with a hint of spice and I blush, remembering the days he spent teaching me with his hands and mouth how perfect for him I am. “But there are a few things I’d like to get off my chest before we move on.”
“Go on.”
We’re still not close enough, and I move until I’m straddling his legs with the shirt carelessly tossed somewhere behind me. Don’t push him away or question the fates. They put us together for a reason, and I’m happy with him. The way he watches me with unguarded passion and hunger makes me feel giddy, while my magic thrives under his darkness—almost seems to feed off it.