“You saw a demon.” Jonathan obviously didn’t believe in sugarcoating anything. “And werewolves.” He squeezed Pierce’s hand, as if digging deeper into Pierce’s thoughts. His gaze turned inward, making Pierce wonder what he saw. Jonathan gave him a sharp nod. “And at least one vampire.”
Pierce pulled away. A snort escaped him. “Vampires. Dear god. This entire thing is nuts.”
Jonathan leaned forward in his seat, holding Pierce’s stare with so much intensity that Pierce couldn’t look away. His golden eyes seemed to swirl even brighter. Jonathan’s smile grew, showing off a terrifying set of fangs. “You are not crazy.”
Instead of the fear Pierce should have felt, he felt oddly relieved. It was like he had been waiting his entire life for this one moment of confirmation.
With a sharp nod, as if satisfied by Pierce’s reaction, Jonathan sat back. “You were on a camping trip with your parents when they were killed by demons. Luckily for you, your parents were in werewolf territory. The wolves showed up with backup in time to save you. Then they kept you safe until you were found by a human. Obviously, the scene was cleared away to stop humans from descending on werewolf land to investigate. In a fucked-up sort of way, you were always destined to return to the wolves.” Kindness etched Jonathan’s features. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”
“It’s not.” Even Pierce was surprised by the strength in his voice. “I’ve always known what I saw was real, but no one else believed and I eventually stopped trying to convince people.” Pierce swallowed. The ache in his chest wouldn’t ease. “Does Red hate me now for freaking out? I feel like there’s been a hole in my chest since I left. I can’t explain it.”
Jonathan nodded. “That won’t ease until you go home. I don’t mean to your apartment. You won’t feel better until you go home to Red. In our world, fated mates are forever—literally. Celeste chooses who you’re meant to spend eternity with. You can’t fight it. The lure is stronger than love. Until you go back to Red, you’ll never feel whole again. If it makes you feel any better, he won’t be whole either.”
Pierce’s forehead furrowed. “Why would that make me feel better?”
Jonathan laughed. The sound eased the pressure in Pierce’s chest a hair. “I just meant that you’re not alone in your feelings. Red can’t leave New Orleans. He’s the closest relative to the pack’s alpha. He can’t abandon his pack to chase you.” Jonathan stood. “So, to speed things along and give you a little time to think, you can think on the drive back. All your things are in a moving truck in the parking lot. Your car is hooked to the back. All you have to do is walk away from this human existence that doesn’t understand you and go home.”
A humorless laugh escaped Pierce. He spun his chair toward the window and looked out. Sure enough, a small orange and white moving truck sat in the parking lot with his car attached to the back.
“How did you...” Pierce turned back Jonathan’s way, but he was alone. A set of car keys sat on his desk. All Pierce had to do was grab the keys and go. For a moment, he stared at the metal ring and chewed his bottom lip. You’re mine. The words caressed Pierce’s mind. He didn’t belong here. Red was right. Pierce was his. Maybe it didn’t completely make sense to him yet, but he had to get back to Red. He wouldn’t be whole until he went home.
Sweat coated Red’s skin. The Louisiana heat wore him down more today than usual. It was like living without his mate made him weary. Red tried not to think too much about Pierce. He couldn’t stop picturing Pierce’s fear. Pierce had truly been terrified when he realized Red was a wolf. Red had been born this way. He didn’t know what it was like to have to learn about this world the way Pierce had. That ignorance was why Red had chosen to leave Pierce at his hotel room. Red didn’t know how to explain this world to him. No one had prepared him for a human mate. A handbook or something would have been nice, but he didn’t have one of those. All he could do was let Pierce go and hope for the best. With two weeks come and gone, things weren’t looking hopeful.
To pass the time, Red had already changed the oil in his truck and given his Harley a tune-up. He had cleaned his house and garage to spotless and was already thinking about rearranging the furniture again. Red had never been this restless in his life. With no hope in sight of his irritation ending, Red needed to find healthy ways to expend his energy. Otherwise, he might take up heavy drinking. That served no one. All he really wanted to do was find his mate and beg him to come home, but Red couldn’t leave the pack. If Raff became incapacitated for any reason, the pack would look to Red for leadership. He had to stay here.
A whiff of something familiar filled the air. Red’s nose lifted. He inhaled deep. A small moving truck turned down the winding driveway, heading toward Red’s cabin. His heart sped. Before the truck came to a stop, Red knew. His palms itched. He wanted to touch his mate. Red had to force his feet to stay planted. His gums itched to bite and reclaim his heart. Two weeks apart had nearly undone his mind. The truck’s door opened, and Pierce stepped out. His blue gaze found Red and didn’t budge as his feet headed Red’s way. He stopped six feet away. With his hands shoved in his back pockets, Pierce rocked back on his heels. He looked adorably unsure of his welcome.
“So, you do own a shirt.”
A smile snapped to Red’s lips at Pierce’s offhand remark. His gaze dropped to the dark gray t-shirt that stretched across his wide chest. “Yes, I have a few, but I don’t recall you complaining about my lack of shirt the last time I saw you.”
A hint of a smile touched Pierce’s lips. “Maybe I’m complaining now.”
Red didn’t want to hope, but he did. “If your things are in that truck, we can talk about me not wearing one again.”
Pierce glanced over his shoulder toward the truck. “You know, I didn’t actually check. Jonathan said all my things are inside, and—honestly—I just headed this way without looking back.” Pierce visibly swallowed. “I’m sorry about... everything, I suppose.”
Red moved a step closer. When Pierce didn’t scramble away, Red kept moving until he could touch Pierce. He still half expected Pierce to run. When Pierce didn’t budge, Red rubbed Pierce’s arms. “You don’t owe me an apology. It’s more likely I owe you one. With the super blood blue moon, I didn’t have much control of my other side. You deserved to get to know me before I fell on you like a starved dog.” Even as Red said all the words he wanted to say, he fought the urge to fall on Pierce again. The lure of his mate was more powerful than anything he had ever experienced.
An adorable smile touched Pierce’s lips. “I kind of liked getting fallen on by you.”
“Just kind of?”
A blush rose high on Pierce’s cheeks, reminding Red how young his mate was. Comparatively, Pierce was a mere pup.
“You’re beautiful.” The words burst from Red with no thought from his brain.
Pierce’s blush deepened. He massaged Red’s sides, as if uncomfortable. “I don’t know how to be a mate or whatever, but I feel you missing from my life.”