Connor swallowed hard. “The transfer.”
“The formal transfer of pack allegiance, yes.” Davis pulled a folded document from his pocket. “I’ve already signed the release papers. Once you and Leyden complete the ceremony, you’ll be officially recognized as a member of Leyden’s pack, no longer bound to mine.”
The words shouldn’t hurt. Connor had chosen this, had accepted Leyden’s claiming bite, had spent the past five days learninghis mate’s rhythms and building something new. But hearing it stated so plainly -no longer bound to mine -felt like a fist around his lungs.
“I’d like to talk to Connor alone first,” Davis said to Leyden. “If you don’t mind.”
Leyden straightened. “Of course. I’ll be downstairs with Matthew.”
He left without argument, closing the office door behind him. Connor felt his absence immediately, the bond between them stretching as Leyden moved farther away. Not painful, but noticeable. A reminder that Connor was already tied to someone new now.
Davis waited until Leyden’s footsteps faded before speaking. “You’re scared.”
Not a question. Davis knew him too well for Connor to bother denying it.
“A bit, yeah,” Connor admitted.
“Want to tell me why?”
Connor stared at the floor, the polished hardwood that belonged to Leyden’s pack house, in Leyden’s territory, where Connor now lived. “This is it, isn’t it? Once we do the ceremony, I’m not part of your pack anymore. I’m not your beta. I’m just...gone.”
“You’re not gone.” Davis leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “You’re my best friend. That doesn’t change because you mated into a different pack.”
“But everything else changes.” Connor forced himself to look up, meeting Davis’s steady gaze. “I’ve been in your pack my whole life. My parents were part of your pack before they moved. I shifted for the first time in your territory. I fought beside you, protected our people, served as your second. And now I’m walking away from all of that.”
“You’re not walking away. You’re moving forward.” Davis’s expression softened. “Connor, I’m proud of you. Do you understand that? I never thought you’d find someone who understood you, who’d be willing to build a relationship at your pace. And then you met Leyden, and fuck, man - he’s perfect for you.”
Connor’s chest tightened. “What if I’m not perfect for him?”
“What do you mean?”
The question Connor had been avoiding, the fear that gnawed at him in quiet moments, spilled out. “What if I never want sex? I thought I would’ve done by now, but it’s not happened even with the claiming bites. What if weeks go by, months go by, and I still don’t feel desire for him? What if Leyden gets tired of waiting?”
Davis didn’t answer immediately. He sat back, studying Connor with the same careful attention he’d give any serious pack matter. “You think Leyden will abandon you.”
“I think he deserves someone who wants him the way he wants me.” Connor’s hands clenched into fists. “He’s been patient, understanding, better than I ever expected. But Davis, I can feel how much he wants me. Through the bond, I feel his arousal, his desire, and I can’t… I don’t…”
“You don’t feel it back.”
“Not the same way. Not yet.” Maybe not ever, though Connor couldn’t bring himself to say that out loud. “What if I’m fucked up in a way even a fated mate can’t fix?”
“Connor.” Davis’s voice carried absolute certainty. “You’re not fucked up. You’re the least fucked up wolf I know. You just experience attraction differently than most wolves, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Tell that to Leyden when he’s still waiting years from now.”
“Have you seen the way that man looks at you?” Davis shook his head. “I heard about how he introduced you to his pack. Leyden is devoted to you, Connor. Completely and utterly devoted. And it’s not about sex - it’s about finding his mate, his other half.”
“He says that.” Connor’s throat felt tight. “But wanting and doing are different things. What if his wolf can’t handle it? What if biology wins and he needs more than I can give?”
Davis stood, moving to the window that overlooked Leyden’s territory. “Did you want me to promise it’ll work out? That Leyden will wait forever without complaint, or that you’ll eventually feel sexual desire, that everything will be perfect?”
Connor said nothing.
“I can’t promise that,” Davis continued. “No one can. Relationships are messy, complicated, and they require work even when both people are perfectly matched. But I can tell you this. Before you, Leyden challenged his old alpha for this pack, giving that old wolf honor and dignity in his submission. He built something strong enough that when half his enforcers turned on him, the rest of the pack stayed loyal. That man knows how to fight for what matters to him.”
Davis turned from the window, meeting Connor’s gaze. “And you matter to him. More than casual sex, more than what other people think, more than his own comfort. So yeah, maybe it’ll be hard sometimes. Maybe there will be moments when he struggles with wanting something you’re not ready to give. But he chose you, Connor. Knowing everything about you, he still chose you.”
Connor’s eyes burned. “I’m worried sick I’m going to disappoint him.”
