“Of course.” Ella nods, all business all of a sudden.
I kiss Dave, telling him not to wait for me with dinner tonight, as it will probably get late, before joining Dante. The both of us hurry to the pack house, making it just in time for the meeting. I can see a few of the warriors there, all of them elites. Some of them I recognize as lycans, the others are werewolves. Aryanna is there too and, to my surprise, Stella.
The warriors look at me with caution. Their gaze holds no malice, but I can see they aren’t sure about me being there. Before anyone gets the chance to say something, Liam interrupts them. “Raphael successfully shifted today and regained control over his wolf. He was in line for beta, and his family was targeted by Troi.”
He lets his aura shine through. His tone doesn’t brook any arguments, and the warriors bow their heads to him.
There was no need to do that, to tell them why I’m allowed to come. He could have just told them to suck it up and accept it, but he explained it to them… and then made sure they sucked it up.
My respect for him is growing every day.
Chapter fifty-seven
Binding our Fates
*RAFFY*
Itwasalongmeeting, making it a short night. I stumble home to my mate, tired to my bones. To my surprise, I find a plate with a self-made spicy chicken sandwich and a protein shake waiting for me. I’m glad Dave didn’t stay up and wait for me, but I’m also happy he made sure I’d have something to eat. I eat everything he prepared before sneaking into the bathroom and taking a swift shower, then I crawl into our bed.
As if noticing my presence, Dave stirs in his sleep, turning around to snuggle against me. My heart swells with the knowledge that his body seeks out mine so naturally. The Moon Goddess truly made him for me. I’m more than ever convinced that Matthew was just a detour in his journey and that Dave was there to teach him something, but that he was always truly meant for me.
I place a kiss on the tip of his nose before closing my eyes and trying to get some sleep. I notice too late that I left the door to the bedroom open and that Sugar has come trotting inside. With a loud huff, he jumps onto our bed, grunting as he snuggles against our feet.
This is not happening!?
I have to share the bed with the drool monster! With the tentacle demon pet that ate two werewolves?!
This is a fucking nightmare.
I’m about to get up and make sure the tentacle furbaby leaves the room when Dave uses this moment to drape his arm around me and nestles against my chest. He looks so peaceful and relaxed that I don’t want to wake him up. I contemplate for a moment if it’s worse to wake up Dave or to have the drool monster chew on my toes.
When Dave sighs slightly, his fingers grazing my chest in his sleep, I decide it’s worth the risk. If Sugar eats me while I’m asleep, at least I will die a happy man. I pull Dave closer to me, allowing myself to drift into a much-needed sleep.
It’s a dreamless sleep, and once I wake up, I’m greeted with my mate’s deep brown eyes, almost black… and…
Wait a moment… Dave doesn’t have black eyes!
I rip my eyes open, staring right into Sugar’s face. His tongue is hanging out of his mouth, and his tail wags when he notices I’m awake. There is slobber on my chest and Dave’s arm, and I can see Dave stirring slightly.
“Raffy,” he mutters, opening his eyes slightly. “Tell me this isn’t happening for real.”
“You’re still dreaming,” I tell him.
“No, I’m not. Sugar is on the bed with us and drooling all over everything.”
I make a shooing gesture towards Sugar, who tilts his head in confusion. I try pointing at the door for him to get out, but he only stares at me. For a minute we power glare until Dave shifts into a sitting position. “Just get him out of the room while I wash the slobber off my body,” he grumbles.
I chuckle at his grumpy expression and watch him climb out of the bed. “I love you,” I call after him.
Dave just grunts his response, making my amusement grow. I decide to indulge him, though, and get up to change the bedsheets swiftly so that he won’t feel the need to do it, and I make sure to let Sugar out into the garden. When Dave returns from the bathroom, I grab the dirty sheets and throw them into the hamper.
“Okay,” Dave says. “I love you too.”
“Good to know,” I retort while jumping into the shower.
“When do you have to leave?” Dave wants to know. “We have time for breakfast, right?”
“Yes, we’ll get going at 9 a.m., then we’ll arrive right when they are in their meeting.”