Yeah, maybe it was weird.Maybe I was weird.Nothing had even happened with my mate, but hearing he wanted me... it feltdamngood.
Maybe you should let him know you feel the same way.
Maybe I would.
Once I got to my desk, I powered through the paperwork I’d been putting off—numbers, inventory projections, new employee onboarding schedules. I even tackled the budget recalculations for the upcoming season, which I usually despised. Today, though, I had a rhythm going, and even the most annoying, most tedious tasks didn’t seem to faze me.
I didn’t notice my brother come in until he was already leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, giving me an amused look.
“You’re humming,” West said. The sound of his voice had me looking up to find him wearing a smile that said he was about to annoy me.
I blinked.Shit,he was right. I’d been humming.Who was I?
“Just in a good mood, I guess,” I said, shrugging it off, though I could feel the grin still tugging at the corners of my mouth.
West stepped fully into the office, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Okay, spill. What’s got you so happy? Did you win the lottery or something? Or better yet,your mate?”
“Nope,” I said, turning my attention back to my laptop, pretending to be busy. Of course, I knew he wouldn’t let it go.
“Uh-huh.”
I sighed, knowing it could never be that easy with West.
“You know I could just go ask everyone else until I get the answer, right?” he said, his voice laced with that teasing persistence only siblings could get away with. “Maybe I’ll start with Mylo.”
I groaned, leaning back in my chair and meeting his gaze. “Fine. If you must know, I had a... conversation with him last night.”
“Him who? Mylo? You mean you had a conversation with Mylo,your mate?”
“Why couldn’t I have been born an only child?” I muttered.
“Oh, please, you’d miss us,” West said. “Who else would help you get that stick out of your ass?”
“I guess you don’t want to hear what happened.” I shrugged and went back to looking at my laptop.
I could hear the smile in his voice. “So you were saying something about a conversation, huh? And here I thought you were avoiding the poor guy like the plague.”
I ignored him, scrolling through my laptop, pretending to be busy even though I wasn’t doing anything.
“You know I won’t leave until you tell me everything,” West said. “Or…” He drew out the word, and I had to look at him. “I could go ask Mylo what happened. I bet he’s a much better storyteller than you are.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “And I was,” I admitted, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “Avoiding him… and I still am... maybe. But he’s... different.”
“Duh,” West said, rolling his eyes. “Of course he’s different.He’s your mate.But different how?”
He finally walked further into the office, pulled up a chair, and sat across from me, clearly settling in for the details.
I hesitated, trying to find the right words. And maybe I did need to talk this out. “He’s... kind. Genuine. And he’s got this way about him that makes me want to protect him, you know? But also, he’s strong in his own way. And last night, he said some things... things that made me think maybe there’s a chance for us.”
West nodded slowly, his eyes softening. “Sounds like you’re into him. Like, really into him.”
“Duh,he’s my mate,” I said, repeating his words back to him.
West snorted. “Fair enough.”
I huffed out a breath, a smile tugging at my lips. “Yeah, I like him. I don’t know everything, but from the little I do, I like him a lot.”
“So, what’s the plan then?” West asked, leaning forward, his expression turning serious. “Are you gonna tell him? About... you know, the shifter thing?”
