Page 161 of Mate
“No,” Serena tells him. “No. I’m not. This is everything I’ve ever . . . It’s just, you’re an Alpha. Maybe you like adventure?”
To him, it feels like an adventure. This.Them.Waking up every morning wondering if he’ll survive the intensity of his feelings for her. Seems unlikely, and yet. He always makes it to the night. “I’m good,” he simply says.
“Okay. As long as you don’t mind.” Another swipe of the brush. “The whole boring, married routine.” Her teeth bite fussily into her lower lip. She is so enchantingly beautiful, sometimes Koen loses track of time and space. Sometimes he finds himself wanting to snarl at other people for looking at her. He’s going to have to work on that. “As long as you don’t change your mind,” she adds.
Koen doesn’t immediately follow, too taken by the soft curve of her neck as she folds her hair behind the delicate shell of an ear. He considers askingChange my mind on what?When it finally occurs to him what she’s talking about, he takes the brush from her hand and pulls her into his lap.
To kiss her in the leastboredway he’s capable of.
HE HAS WANTED IT FROM THE MOMENT HE FIRST SAW HER INLowe’s living room, on her knees to receive Ana’s hug, her hair pinned up and her expression sad. That is to say: he has wanted it for a long time, but now he aches for it. He itches.
He might evenneedit.
“She might not know that it’s a thing,” Saul says after Koen almost snaps his spine in two during play-fight.
“She does know,” Koen mumbles.
“How can you be so— ”
“I told her.”
“Did you tell herwhata mating bite is?” Amanda asks, as obnoxiously shrewd as always. “Or did you tell her thatyouspecifically want to bite her to finally seal the mating ritual, and that restraining yourself is driving you banana pants?”
Koen glares. “She was fucking Human until three hours ago. The decent thing to do is let her get used to being a Were before I mangle her with my meat-mincing jaws and leave a scar, for my own personal pleasure.”
“The former, huh?” Amanda smirks knowingly. “Did you explain to her the immense peace of mind the bite would give you?”
“How would thatnotbe pressuring her?”
“The thing is,” Saul points out, “I understand wanting to give her space, but until you bite her you’ll be sullen and ill-tempered and crusty. I bet Serena’s not enjoying it very much, either.”
“Oh, come on, Saul. Be for fucking real,” Amanda scoffs. “Koen’s crusty with us, not withher.”
That’s correct. Because when he’s with Serena, he’s in a great fucking mood. When he’s with her, she’shis. And it doesn’t matter that he hasn’t bitten her yet, because her soft throat is just inches away, because she smells like she needs nothing else but him, because she has the unspeakable ability to turn him into a creature of patience and bliss and repose.
The problem . . . well, the problems mostly occur when she’snotaround. Six weeks after all that shit with the Favored went down, for instance. When he’s in Human territory for a three-day work trip. The purpose is, ostensibly, to help the Humans figure out what to do with the bunch of not-yet-deprogrammed cult members the Northwest just turned in to the authorities. Koen is a hairbreadth away from asking Lowe and Maddie why the fuck he had to come all the way here only to get roped intobusiness that no longer has anything to do with his goddamn pack.
Until his patience runs out, and he growls, “Why the fuck did I have to come all the way here only to get roped into business that no longer has anything to do with my goddamn pack? I don’t give a shit about Humans. Give them therapy, or send them to rot at the bottom of a ditch, or put them on an all-inclusive cruise ship— just don’t involve me.”
Maddie’s eyebrow arches. “I would have thought you’d want to see with your own eyes the people who tried to invade your territory brought to justice.”
Lowe snorts, and Koen shoots him aDon’t you fucking dareglare.
Lowe, unfortunately, dares. “He’smatednow.”
“I’ve heard.” Maddie smiles. “I hope you and Serena are very happy.”
“At the moment I’m pretty fucking unhappy.” Because he’s here, and Serena iselsewhere. The months he spent away from herbeforewere abominable, but Koen foolishly believed they’d taught him how to bear her absence. He’s starting to realize that might not be the case. He counts the hours and the minutes. He smells shadows of her scent in places she’s never set foot. He’s not a restless man. Why the hell can he not stop bouncing his leg, then?
It doesn’t help, that he doesn’t hear from her more often while he’s gone. He refuses to become the kind of person who sends little heart emoji texts every ten minutes, but by God, can’tSerenashoulder the burden of being the needy one? Can’tsheblow up his fucking phone?
“How does Koen’s recent mating relate to his lack of interest in Were-Human relations?” Maddie asks Lowe, as if Koen weren’t in the same room.
“Indirectly. He misses Serena. Can’t be bothered with stuff that’s not her for long.”
“Has this been a long trip for him, then?”
“Nope. Two days.”
