“My boyfriend is a fox shifter. Wait, are you my… I don’t know what to call you. Boyfriend doesn’t cut it.”
He ran his knuckles over my jawline. “Another explanation. We shifters believe in fated mates. Soul mates, I think humans call it. You were made for me and I was made for you. I have been waiting for you most of my life, Rain. That’s why I bit you. To complete the claim and mark you as my mate.”
“Mate.” Okay, I had read some shifter books. I had some knowledge of this stuff. Not a ton. “Like a husband for shifters.”
Lux shrugged and kissed my temple. I noticed when he did that, he inhaled deeply. “Kind of. But mate is a lot more. Humanmarriages fall apart. They divorce and find someone new. They cheat on each other and betray one another. Mates don’t do that. You’re the one for me. Period. There is no one else. I will love you for the rest of my life.”
“You would never cheat,” I repeated.
“Never ever. Why would I when I have the best man on the planet as my mate?”
I sat with the things he’d told me. He didn’t say anything else. The puzzle pieces clicked together. The instant attraction. The way I slept with him before even dating. The way I longed for his presence after only one night. All of it.
I bit him. “Is that why I was compelled to bite you?” I asked.
“Yes. The mate pull doesn’t care if you’re human or shifter. I knew from the first moment I saw you in that diner that you were my mate. That was why I stuttered and made a fool of myself.” He shook his head, laughing. “What an idiot.”
“I thought you were just nervous. No wonder you weren’t freaked out when I bit you.”
Lux sobered. My mate sobered. This was a lot to take in. “I was honored that you chose to bite me that night. Truly.”
“And what happens if I choose not to be your mate?”
That question ended him. I saw it in the way his facial features fell. The way his eyes turned downcast. “If you chose not to be mated to me, nothing changes for me, Rain. You will always be the love and mate of my life, and I will honor what we had by taking care of you and the baby anytime you need me.”
I hated what I was about to say, but my human brain needed time to process. “Lux?” I said. Those deep-brown eyes broke my heart. “This is all important and I’m glad you told me the truth but I’m gonna need some time to process all of this.”
“How much time?” The desperation in his tone killed me.
“I don’t know. But this is a lot. I’m pregnant, and you’re my mate, and I’m marked and you turn into a fox and…” I held my fingers up to my temple.
“I understand, sweet omega. I’ll leave if that’s what you wish.” He stood, and I could tell every moment sucked for him. It was how I felt that first night together when he had to go. “Can you do me a favor and take care of yourself? Get enough food and sleep? You’ve got my family in your care.”
That nearly made me burst into tears. “I will. I promise.”
He made his way to the door, slow as I’d ever seen him move. I felt awful for doing this to him, but my head was about to explode. Slowly.
“Hey,” I said before he shut the door. “I still don’t have your number. What if I need a delivery or something?”
He chuckled and took the phone I offered and plugged in his information. “You can text me anytime, mate. Day or night. For a delivery or for no reason whatsoever. I swear I will answer. Take the time you need, okay?”
I nodded and went to shut the door but as Lux walked away, I swore I saw him swipe at his eyes more than once. I hoped after all my thinking and sorting things out that he would accept me again. I didn’t know much about mates and what that entailed, but I was pretty sure I’d broken my fox’s heart.
Chapter Fourteen
Lux
My mate and I were not moving forward quickly—even by human standards. His shock at my being a shifter had him keeping me at arm’s length. That and finding out he was pregnant were probably too much for him to take in, but it didn’t make things any easier for my nerves. Fortunately, while he would not see me in person, Rain was willing to talk on the phone with me. And I’d take anything I could get from him.
I called my dad to chat and without intending to, ended up telling him the whole story, even the part where his own early life had stuck with me. “Dad, I know he’s human, and this is hard for him, but I don’t think I could stand it if he walks away.”
“It sounds pretty different from my story, Son,” he said. “For one thing, your mate is pregnant. I never laid a hand on mine. You’ve made love and that’s an intimacy with a mate that’s not likely to be forgotten. You need to be patient and I bet he’ll come around.”
“Where do you think we’d be if your fated had not said no?” I’d never asked this question, but under my current circumstances, it was on my mind.
“I don’t know for sure, but I can’t regret anything now. Not only do I have you, the best son ever”—he did have others, but he said the same thing to them when they were talking—“but a partner who makes every day special for me. Sure, Fate picks out the very best one she can for each of us, but sometimes things work out for the best. Your mate will see the light. Unless he hates foxes?”
“No no,” I hurried to assure him. “He doesn’t hate foxes. He even gave me a little one on a key chain. Looks a lot like Father.”
