Page 5 of The Fated Mate Bandit

“Talk to Lucas,” she says. “Communication is important, especially if you want to put your paws on someone.”

“Thanks, Mom. Sorry for calling so early.”

“It sounds like you had a good reason. Bring Lucas over if you can, okay? I miss that boy.”

“I’ll try.”

We say our goodbyes, and I end the call, still confused about what I should do next. Normally, Mom’s advice is a lot more useful. Maybe I should have called Link after all.

Because I’m a dick, I text him, knowing full well what time it is.

Are you up?

To my surprise, I get a response.

I am now, asshole.

I grin and call him. He answers on the first ring.

“What the fuck, man? You better be on fire or something.”

I laugh. “Sure. Because calling you is the logical thing to do if I’m burning to death.”

“Ugh. If you get me up at three in the fucking morning, you don’t get to make fun of whatever comes out of my mouth. What is so urgent that you couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

I wince. He’s probably not going to like this. “Well, there’s this omega?—”

“Seriously? You called me at three in the morning about a guy?”

“Fine. Then I won’t tell you who I want to put my paws on,” I say.

He lets out an agonized groan. “I hate you.”

“But you want to know badly enough that you’re going to listen to me, right?”

There’s a long pause. “Maybe.”

That’s as good as I’m going to get from him at this admittedly unreasonable hour. If he hadn’t woken me up in the middle of the night so many times during our college years for a ride home from yet another drunken frat party, I’d feel guilty.

“So, this omega shows up on my porch in the middle of the night. I haven’t seen him in years,” I start, then Link interrupts me.

“It’s Lucas.”

“What? How did you know?”

“A guy you haven’t seen in years shows up on your doorstep and you want to put your paws on him? Of course it’s Lucas. I watched you mope over him for three whole years in college.”

“Three years? I did not?—”

“Yes, you fucking did. It was so bad that an omega snuck into your bed our junior year wearing nothing but lacey underwear, and you sent him home without so much as a glance at his very nice ass. It was awkward for everyone. Especially me, because he tried to hit on me before he left, and the moment had serious incest vibes. Gave me the biggest ick of my life.”

I laugh. I’d forgotten about that.

“You laugh now, but at the time, you were the biggest mopey McMoperson,” he says.

“That can’t be a word.”

“Like I said before, if you wake me up at three in the morning, I get to say whatever words I want. How is Lucas doing, by the way? Is his creepy fated mate still hanging around? He always gave me serial killer vibes.”

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