Page 36 of Pleasure and Mane
How did I get so lucky?
"Ready for some fun?" he asked, setting the picnic basket in the truck bed along with the blanket.
"I'm more than ready for any adventure with you," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Caius felt a surge of happiness so powerful it nearly knocked him off his feet. Here was his mate—brilliant, beautiful, and willing to follow him anywhere. After all these years of solitude, of putting everyone else's needs before his own, he finally had someone who was entirely his.
He opened her door like the gentleman Henry had raised him to be, then jogged around to the driver's side. The truck's engine rumbled to life, and as they pulled away from the mansion, Caius couldn't help but reflect on how close he'd come to ruining this. His doubts and fears had nearly cost him the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Never again,he vowed silently, reaching over to take Quinn's hand as they headed toward the mountain road.I'm never letting doubt or duty steal my happiness again.
The winding mountain road carved through dense forest, and Caius felt his shoulders relax for the first time in weeks as he turned the leather steering wheel of his truck. Quinn sat peacefully beside him on the leather truck bench, and everytime he glanced her way, his chest tightened with an emotion so powerful it nearly overwhelmed him.
Three days,he thought, stealing another look at her profile as she gazed out at the towering pines.Only three days, and she's become everything.
"Where exactly are we headed?" Quinn asked, her fingers trailing along the open window as warm mountain air rushed through the cab.
"Mt. Mane," Caius replied, downshifting as they approached a familiar turnoff. "It's been my sanctuary since I was a teenager. When the weight of leading gets too heavy, and when I need to remember who I am beneath all the responsibilities—this is where I come."
He pulled into his usual spot, a small clearing hidden from the main road by thick undergrowth. The silence that followed felt sacred somehow, broken only by the distant call of hawks circling overhead.
I've never brought anyone here before.The realization hit him like a powerful blow. Not Bertram, not Henry, not even Lavinia. This place had been his alone for twenty years, the one corner of the world where Alpha duties couldn't touch him.
And now he was sharing it with Quinn.
"It's beautiful," she breathed, stepping out of the truck to survey the towering peaks that surrounded them.
Caius grabbed the picnic basket and wool blanket from the truck bed, his lion practically purring with satisfaction at her obvious appreciation. "The real magic is at the top. Hope you're ready for a bit of a hike."
"Lead the way, Alpha."
The trail wound through ancient pines and granite outcroppings, steep enough to make conversation difficult but not impossible. Caius found himself explaining things he'd never put into words before—how the mate bond transcended logic,and how three days with her felt more real than thirty-two years without her.
"Time doesn't matter when it comes to fated mates," he said, offering his hand as they navigated a particularly rocky section. "It's not about how long you've known someone. It's about recognition—soul recognizing soul."
Quinn's fingers intertwined with his, warm and sure. "I think I felt it from the moment we shook hands in your office. Like coming home to a place I'd never been but somehow knew."
Exactly.His lion roared with triumph at her understanding.
The final ascent opened onto a granite ledge that offered a breathtaking view of the entire valley. Leon spread out below them like a hidden jewel, the town's neat streets and gardens looking impossibly small from this height. Beyond that, endless peaks rolled toward the horizon in waves of blue and green.
"My God," Quinn whispered, moving to the edge of the lookout. "It's beyond incredible."
Caius spread the blanket on a flat section of rock, his hands surprisingly steady despite the emotion churning through him.This is where I came after my parents died. Where I've made every major decision about the pride. Where I've wrestled with doubt and responsibility and the crushing weight of being Alpha.
And now Quinn was here, her presence transforming his sanctuary into something entirely new.
"I sit right there," he said, pointing to a boulder at the ledge's edge, "and imagine my parents are still with me. Sometimes I swear I can feel them in the wind."
Quinn turned from the view, her eyes soft with understanding. "How did they die?"
"They were on vacation and had a mountain climbing accident." He began unpacking the picnic basket, grateful for the distraction. "My uncle Henry, my father's brother, steppedin after that, and became our father and mother both, as well as acting Alpha until I was old enough to handle the role." Caius opened the bottle of wine and poured two glasses. "But now, there are times when leading feels impossible, when I wonder if I'm making the right choices for the pride."
"And this place helps?"
"It reminds me that I'm more than just an Alpha. That beneath all the responsibility, I'm still just Caius." He met her gaze across the blanket. "But enough about me, what about your parents? What are they like?"
Quinn settled beside him on the blanket, accepting the glass of wine he offered. "Well, my parents met in high school," she said softly. "Dad still opens car doors for Mom and brings her coffee in bed every morning. They have this way of looking at each other like they're the only two people in the world."
