No Substitutions [Welcome To Wolf's Peak] (manxman)

Chapter Two - The First Attempt

Austin's POV

I couldn't sleep. 

Images of Casper and Olivia played in my head swirling together in a jumbled mess like my thoughts. I kept hearing the words Bram had said to me earlier when I told him about my break up. "You've done the right thing. If you left it too long and found your mate while you were still with her, then it would hurt her even more to have to see you happy with someone else while she was still mourning the loss of your relationship." 

But I had found my mate while I was still with Olivia and now I was left with another mess. How could I be with Casper? It would hurt her to see us together and I couldn't do that to her but I also couldn't deny my mate. He was mine and I wanted him.

I tossed and turned as I tried to figure out how I could make everything work out but it seemed to be a catch 22 situation. The only way to make things right was to come clean with Casper, after all this did affect him too. Maybe I was making something out of nothing, maybe Olivia didn't care about me as much as I thought but it was better to be safe than sorry.

By five the next morning I finally gave in to the fact that I was not going to get any sleep and I got out of bed to go to the toilet and shower. After brushing my teeth I dressed and left the house without breakfast.

I drove into town and parked outside the bakery. I could see Casper through the glass front moving around the store before disappearing into the back it was only a brief glimpse of him but it set my heart racing. Leaving the car, I jogged down the lane at the left side of the bakery and knocked on the delivery door. I had no idea what I was going to say to him. 

The door opened and Casper stood before me surprise written on his handsome face and a clipboard in his hand. "You're not my delivery," he said then seemed to realize he'd said that aloud and blushed.

"No," I told him with a friendly smile. "Can we talk? I know I left yesterday before we got the chance but I can explain why." I held my breath while waiting for his answer. 

Casper looked back over his shoulder seeming to be trying to decide if he should let me in. There was wariness in his eyes when he looked back at me but he moved back and waved for me to come inside. "I'm expecting a delivery soon so if there's a knock at the door I'll need to get it." He placed his clipboard on a hanger by the door and moved behind a large work surface in the centre of the room to continue rolling out dough. I found myself oddly enthralled by his hands working two small balls of dough in separate directions before rolling them slightly forward and then repeating the circular motion again. "What did you want to talk about?" He placed the dough on a tray and continued to work.

"About us being mates." I watched the color of his face darken and he briefly looked up at me from beneath his lashes.

"Sorry I'm late." The side door banged open and a young man tugged off his coat hanging it in a closet that I hadn't noticed. "What do you need me to do?" He turned around and his grey eyes widened in surprise when he saw me. "Oh, hi."

"Hello." The boy smelled human so I needed to be careful with what I said to Casper about mating.

"Dominic can you slice those cinnamon rolls and put them in the oven for me please?" Casper picked up a bowl that smelled like eggs and dipped a brush into the yellow liquid before spreading it over the surface of the rolls he'd made. "You can put these in too and then get started on the soda bread please." 

"You seem to be busy should I go?" I watched them both moving around the kitchen picking up ingredients and placing them into large mixers. I could see items baking in the large walk-in ovens through the glass panel in the door. I'd never thought much about how a bakery operated I'd never had much reason to until now.