Bloodlines: Fated Mates (Book 6 Of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 34

Aria glanced at Ian. He looked a bit worn, which wasn't surprising. They'd been working non-stop the entire day, getting both his and hers stuff moved in, then they'd gone shopping for some basics, which had ended up taking hours. She herself was worn out.

She hadn't minded though. She had gotten to know Ian quite well today, finding out what he liked and disliked, his favorite colors, among other things. She knew he loved blue and hated orange. Their room would be done in shades of teal and gray, which they both liked.

Tomorrow, they were going to change him, which she knew he was both looking forward to and dreading. Not that he was dreading becoming a werewolf; he was just dreading the process. It was the reason why she'd asked her father to do it tomorrow, so that Ian wouldn't have a lot of time to think about it.

She knew he wanted to become one. She'd even asked her grandfather what he thought and he'd said straight out he agreed that Ian was determined to become a werewolf. Daniel and Caleb both had spent a good deal of time talking to Ian today while they'd helped with the move, getting to know him. She knew Ian was much more comfortable around them both now, which made her happy.

She walked back into the bedroom to see him standing there staring at the bed, seemingly lost in thought. She let her eyes wander over him. He was quite beautiful to look at. She'd been checking him out all day, her eyes automatically drawn to him whenever she entered a room. She wasn't in love with him; not yet, but she was certainly more attracted to him than she ever had been to any other man.

She was glad she'd never given up her virginity to any of those other men she'd dated. Or Matt for that matter. Ian would be the first one to mate her. And the last. She had no idea if he was a virgin or not, hadn't asked, and wasn't sure she wanted to know.

So far, the only thing they'd done was kiss. He hadn't pushed her boundaries at all, but then, they'd been so busy today, they hadn't had time for anything romantic. She knew once he became a werewolf, his attraction to her would intensify. Not that he wasn't already attracted to her; it was obvious he was. She'd felt his gaze on her quite frequently throughout the day.

She walked up to him now, and placed her hand on his bicep, secretly admiring it. "Thinking about going to bed?"

He turned to her and smiled. "Among other things."

"We did a lot today," she said.

"Yeah we did. But we made a lot of progress," Ian said, wrapping an arm around her.

She leaned her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

He tipped her chin up and kissed her gently. "I think I need a shower."

"I know I do. You want to go first?" She asked him.

"No, you go first. I don't mind waiting," Ian said.

She turned away from and walked into the closet. Ian had helped her move all of her clothes down earlier. They were both pretty well moved in. They just needed mostly furniture.

She walked into the bathroom and flipped on the water, letting it warm before she got in. The water was soothing and she sighed. She could stay under the water forever, but she knew Ian was waiting for her to get out so he could take a shower of his own.

She was concerned about him being able to sleep that night, worried that his nerves might make it difficult for him.

She stepped out and grabbed a towel, drying herself off before she got dressed, then headed back into the bedroom.

Ian was sitting on the floor, his head back against the wall, his eyes closed. She stilled, and caught his even breathing. She smiled, but knew she needed to wake him. Hopefully if he was that tired, he'd sleep good tonight.

She knelt down next to him, gently shaking him. "Ian?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her, then smiled. "I think I fell asleep."

She laughed. "You did. Take a shower so we can go to bed."

He sat for a moment longer, then stood and offered her a hand up. Then he disappeared into the bathroom.

She moved over to the bed and pulled the blankets down, then crawled in to wait for him.

Ian reappeared a few moments later, clean now and looking relaxed. He crawled into the bed on the other side of her and made himself comfortable. "I hope I can sleep tonight."

"Well, even if you don't, you'll sleep plenty tomorrow after you shift."

"You know the only part of this that makes me nervous is if I can get down the blood." He shuddered.

"I know. That would be the part that would make me nervous too though my father would probably Command me. But he can't do that to you." It would be nice if he could, but he couldn't Command humans.

"He will be able to soon." Ian said, pulling her to him.

"Yeah but the only time he'll do it is if it's for your safety or something like that," She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"For what?"

"For giving me this amazing gift." He kissed her forehead.

"Thank me after," she laughed.

He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tightly. "Tomorrow everything changes."

"Not everything. I will still be your mate."

"Yes. You'll be the one constant in my life," he murmured.

She wasn't too surprised that he fell back asleep quickly. She knew he had been exhausted. She lay there herself, letting her mind wander.

She was happy she realized. Happy for the first time in four years. She'd been looking for happiness for a while. It was why she'd dated so many guys. It was stupid of her to do but everyone had thought she was in a relationship with Matt and she'd wanted it too.

But now Matt had Abigail and she had Ian, and she wouldn't want it any other way. She finally dozed off, falling into a deep sleep.

***

Her wolf was white with a bit of black markings through the long coat. She walked through the forest, aware of the sun shining through the trees, warming her skin through her fur.

She finally came out to a field and saw a black and brown wolf standing off in the distance. He stood, waiting for her to approach. She walked slowly over to him, stopping a few feet away. Mate!

Aria.

Ian?

He stood there looking at her, his blue gaze taking her in. He approached her slowly, his nose touching her own. He walked around her, rubbing against her, mixing his scent with hers as he circled her. He licked her snout, then stepped past her and kept walking.

She started to follow, but then he suddenly disappeared into thin air. Ian?

Goodbye my Love.

***

Aria came to with a start. She was still laying on Ian's chest, though his hand was no longer around her. It was still dark in the bedroom, and her gaze darted over to the clock. It was two in the morning.

She breathed out slowly, thinking over the strange dream she'd just had.

'Something is wrong,' Bianca said in her mind.

'Did you wake me?' Aria asked her. Usually if she woke up in the middle of the night, Bianca was still asleep.

'Yes. Something is wrong,' Bianca said again.

Aria laid there for a moment, holding her breath and listening. It was quiet, too quiet. And that's when it hit her. Ian wasn't breathing.