Cain
Rise and fall.
Rise and fall.
Rise and..
I couldn't stop staring at him. He looked so peaceful. How could his breathes send me into a frenzy like that? After a few hours of pretending, he'd finally fallen asleep.
But how could I expect him to sleep easily. My fathers words came back to me.
"The circumstances."
What had transpired these last couple days weren't circumstances. It was as if my worst fears had come to life. Failing my father, or worse my pack. I looked to the beautiful boy asleep against me. "My mate."
I thought back to the first time I'd saw him. As a kid you hear so much about the moment the mate bond is realized. For some, they met their mates as children, others well into adulthood. But it didn't matter because when you saw them everything changed. My father told me that seeing my mother at fifteen was like he could finally breathe. As if he'd spent his entire life with half a breathe and being away from her was suffocating.
Seeing David for the first time was, shattering. Humans never feel the intensity of the mate bond as profoundly as wolves but the moment we made eye contact at that party threatened to rip me from reality. Fortunately, Leon kept me preoccupied otherwise I'd have carted my mate off and been done. Everyday since had been hell. I didn't want to tell my parents, interacting with humans unnecessarily was forbidden. My parents would have pushed for me to turn him as soon as possible.
I shuddered a little at the thought. Subjecting my mate to that, against his will. And for some humans, the mate bond doesn't heal the treachery. No, I vowed I'd be careful. It was my caution that sent me into that damn fever. And I nearly went rogue. "Shit."
I would do right by him. Hell, I'd already put him through so much. I eased him off of me, onto a pillow. He stirred gently but remained asleep. I smiled and curled up next to him, rightfully sliding my hand across his waist.
"My mate."