Moon of Misfortunes

36

I rejoin Rubio in the common area, and he raises an eyebrow at me as I slip into his side. He finishes his conversation with the pack member and looks down at me with curiosity.

I'll tell you when we get home, I link softly. He nods, excusing us from the pack house.

We walk through the woods, the forest dark and serene, until we reach his house. The warm glow of the lights greets us, casting a comforting light in the night. Thunder rumbles in the distance, growing closer.

As soon as we reach the cover of the porch, the rain starts to pour, the thunderstorm manifesting quickly.

"Talk about lucky timing," I laugh, shaking off droplets of rain. Rubio chuckles, unlocking the door. 

"Yeah, no kidding."

I walk into the living room and sigh, sinking into the couch as Rubio makes his way to the kitchen. I hear the familiar sounds of him rummaging through the fridge and cabinets.

"I'm going to make some dinner since they restocked our groceries. Are you hungry?" he calls out.

I perk up, launching off the couch. "I am. Can I help with anything?"

He shakes his head. 

"No, but you can tell me what you and Garrett talked about."

I sigh, making my way to the island and sitting down on a stool. I watch as he pulls out various ingredients, arranging them in a haphazard array across the countertop. He reaches into the cabinet for a pan.

"Nikolai marked his mate while I was in surgery," I say, the words heavy.

Rubio freezes, a pan gripped tightly in his hand. His eyebrows knit together in disbelief. 

"I... What? Did I just hear you correctly?"

I nod. He sighs, placing the pan on the gas stove. 

"She apparently came back to him after Nikolai died. He wasn't interested," I continue.

"She sounds awful," he comments, his tone clipped.

"I think Garrett's lonely. He was asking about us, and if we were really second chance mates."

Rubio adds salmon to the pan, the aroma filling the kitchen as it sears. 

"Poor guy," he says. "I can't imagine how isolating that would've been."

"I know," I reply sadly.

A minute passes in comfortable silence as I watch Rubio cook. An idea pops into my head. 

"I think I'm going to help him review Academy things. It might be nice to keep him company."

Rubio looks up and smiles at me. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

He plates our meal and slides it in front of me. The salmon looks incredible, causing my mouth to water instantly. 

"This looks amazing, thank you," I smile, leaning over to kiss him as he sits down next to me.

"Anytime," he says against my lips. "Enjoy!"

I dig into my food, realizing I'm hungrier than I thought. Once I'm finished, I get up to clear my plate and start washing the dishes.

"You don't have to do that," he says.

"Of course I do. Whoever cooks shouldn't have to clean too. It's only fair," I say firmly, giving him no room to argue.

I take his plate as soon as he's done and quickly wash it. He steps behind me, looping his arms around my waist. I snuggle against him as I dry my hands.