The Reluctant Mate

37 Porter

It felt like life couldn't get any better, although I tried damn hard not to get ahead of myself. I was sitting beside my mate in the unfinished pack dining hall and she was actually smiling. She was dressed in a combo of the skirt she had worn to have supper with me the night before and my hoodie, which was amazing, because it made her smell even more like me than she already did.

She did question what people would say about it, and I assured her clothing changes and mismatched outfits weren't uncommon amongst shifters. Then she pointed out she wasn't a shifter and it would look like we just had sex, and I responded that anyone who got too close would be able to surmise anyway in spite of our shower, and then to my utter shock my human mate shrugged and declared she didn't really care if they figured it out.

There were a few pack members at tables around us, but it didn't seem to bother her and that was all that mattered to me.

Because she was smiling while eating with me. And not those tentative wary smiles I'd been getting while we dated, smiles that reached her eyes, even if they were uncertain.

My wolf was absolutely thrilled with this turn of events. Nothing could faze him when he was with her as long as she was happy, healthy, and safe. Of course I wanted to invite her to stay with me, but I didn't want to risk scaring her off again. I'd have to approach that topic carefully. Marking her would also be amazing, but she was way too skittish for that and I hadn't forgot my lesson about rushing Amanda into anything.

Through a lot miserable trial and even more error, I knew the best way to handle my mate was just to let the bond work its magic until she came around on her own.

A couple of pack members at the nearest table were talking about the new training schedule Randy had posted.

"So what's with all the training, anyway?" she asked between bites. "Those guys are talking about it, you have too, and Kain told me he'd been training for half his life one time, so he would have started when he was what? Five? That's crazy."

"More like seven. Most kids start doing some around the age of ten to fifteen, depending on the pack. But Kain's dad started him early since he was something like fourth in line for the alpha title in our old pack. We kept it up after we escaped since he likes it and it helps."

"But why so much?"

"It's better for our wolves. And it's a dangerous world."

Amanda cocked her head at me. "I know. But how is it that we humans don't realize just how dangerous?"

I tried to think of how to explain. "There were some accords reached between the supernatural species and hunters a couple hundred years ago, and one of the major points was not to expose our world to humans."

"I still don't know what you think we'd do to you. We're obviously weaker."

"Well, yes, but you reproduce like rabbits and outnumber all of us combined, even counting the hunters."

"That's a huge exaggeration. I'm an only child, at least on my mother's side. But I guess I see your point. If a big enough mob of humans came after you with torches and pitchforks, they could beat you."

I grinned. "Well, they'd have to catch me first. And there are way more dangerous weapons they could use against us if they all knew."

She smiled back at me and my wolf practically jumped around in my mind. "Well your secret is safe with me," she said.

"I know."

"Hey, can we interrupt?" Carrie's voice was soft in my head.

Truly I wanted to say no and keep Amanda's attention all to my greedy self, but I wanted her to feel comfortable with my pack, too. It was too soon to see if she would be willing to join, but exposure to it wouldn't hurt. Amanda was an inherently social person, so I imagined she would come to love pack life. "Yeah okay."