“Especially without sex complicating things.” Leyden cupped Connor’s face again. “We’re building something real. Something based on actual connection rather than just physical attraction. And honestly? I think that makes us stronger than most mated pairs.”
Connor searched Leyden’s face, clearly looking for any shred of doubt that Leyden didn’t feel, so he didn’t shirk away.
“You do mean it,” Connor whispered, wonder in his voice.
“I thought I’d told you that before. But yes, I mean it. Every word.” Leyden brushed his thumb along Connor’s lower lip. “You’re my mate. My choice. My everything. And nothing my father says, or what anyone else thinks, will change that.”
“I love you, too,” Connor breathed as he rested his head on Leyden’s shoulder. “I didn’t realize it until just now, but I do. You make me feel safe and valued and…” His voice caught. “And wanted. Not for sex, but for me.”
Warmth flooded Leyden’s chest, so intensely it nearly hurt. “Always.”
For that moment it was enough – standing together, breathing in sync. Leyden felt his mate settle through their bond and allowed himself a smidgeon of relief.
“I’m sorry I pulled away,” Connor said quietly.
“I understand why you did.” Leyden pressed a soft kiss to Connor’s lips. “Just don’t do it again. When you’re scared or hurting, come to me. Talk to me. We face things together.”
Connor nodded against him. “Agreed. Together.”
Chapter Nineteen
The following week, Connor sat in his office, enjoying a moment of peace while reviewing security reports when a soft knock on the door interrupted him.
“Come in.”
The door cracked open, revealing one of the younger pack members, Sam Porter. He was barely seventeen, gangly as hell, with shaggy brown hair and in that moment, terrified blue eyes. The kid clutched a backpack strap with white knuckles.
“Alpha Mate?” Sam’s voice cracked on the title. “Can I…do you have a minute? I mean, I can come back later if you’re busy…”
Connor set aside his paperwork immediately. Something in Sam’s scent, in the tremor of his voice, raised every protective instinct Connor possessed.
“I’m not too busy. Come in, shut the door, and have a seat.”
Sam closed the door carefully, then perched on the edge of the visitor’s chair like he might bolt any second. His heart hammered loud enough for Connor to hear.
“What’s going on?” Connor kept his tone gentle, non-threatening.
Sam stared at his hands. “I wanted to ask you something. About…” He swallowed hard. “About being different.”
Connor’s chest tightened. “Different how?”
“Everyone talks about how you and Alpha Leyden waited before mating. How you needed time and stuff.” Sam’s knuckles whitened further on the backpack strap. “And I heard some of the older wolves saying you don’t, um, you don’t want sex like normal shifters.”
Connor’s wolf stirred protectively. He recognized the fear in Sam’s scent, the desperate hope beneath it.
“That’s true,” Connor said quietly. “I’m what’s called demisexual. For me that means I need a deep emotional connection before I feel sexual attraction.”
Sam’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “That’s a real thing? Like, an actual thing with a name?”
“Yep.” Connor leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Why are you asking, Sam?”
The teenager’s eyes filled with tears. “Because I feel like I might be broken.”
Those words punched Connor straight in the gut. He remembered saying the exact same thing to himself, over and over, for years.
“You’re not broken,” Connor said firmly.
“You can’t say that. Everyone else my age is already having sex.” Sam’s voice cracked again, tears spilling over. “They talk about it constantly. Who they want, who they’re with, how good it felt. And I just…I don’t care. I don’t want any of it. My friends all shifted around the same time, and they immediately started pairing off, and I thought maybe I just needed to shift too. But I shifted six months ago, and nothing changed.”
