"Are you going to beat me up if I'm not?"
"I know you're joking so I'll let that slide," Xander said, arching a brow in mild amusement. "But if you hurt Red, let me warn you now that there's four alphas in this pack who wouldn't hesitate to defend him."
Five, actually, I thought to myself. Sometimes, anyway.
But Red's identity was a conversation for different time, and not one that I could have for him. That was his own responsibility whenever he chose to bring it up, if at all.
"Actually, come to think of it, the omegas would probably kick your ass even harder than the alphas would," Xander mumbled.
"As they should." I smiled. "I'm glad Red has so many people who care for him."
That seemed to satisfy Xander's doubts about my intentions. He nodded. "What did you want to talk about?"
I glanced back to where Red and Sage were laughing together as Starry used their legs as weave poles. Above them spanned a beautiful blue sky, and they were surrounded by lush fields of grass. It was a perfect scene. If this could be our life forever, I would be more than okay with that.
I lowered my voice. "Red said that we might be fated mates."
Xander's single brow raised slightly, but I got the feeling that he wasn't all that surprised. Was it that common around here?
"Do you feel the same way?" Xander asked. His expression was wary and guarded, like he might hook me if I disagreed. It almost made me laugh. These people were willing to do anything for Red. There was no way they would abandon him for opening up. But I also knew the hurt he'd experienced by reaching out to loved ones before. All I could do was be there for him, whatever choice he made.
"I think I do," I said quietly, then raised a hand. "But before you knock my teeth out, let me explain. I'm in love with Red. There's no doubt about that."
"But the term fated mates throws you off," Xander finished.
I was shocked. "How did you know?"
“Back then, the idea was impossible for me. I thought Sage was out of his mind." He grinned, revealing a sharp cat’s fang even in human form. "I still think he is, a lot of the time. But he wasn't wrong about that." Xander gazed out into the field as if reliving a memory.
"You can't imagine your life without him now, can you?"
"No," I said immediately. I didn't even need to think about it.
"When you lay beside him, you want to be as close as possible. The thought of being apart from him is almost painful."
That should've bothered me, considering my past with Ryker, but it didn't. It wasn't the same. Red wasn't anything like him. With Ryker, I wanted to get away. Being in his presence was like breathing in poisonous air. It was suffocating. With Red, everything was clean and pure. The world seemed more full of colour when he was with me.
"Yes," I said.
"And when you're with him, everything is aligned perfectly. Everything feels right."
"Yes."
Xander nodded. "That's how you know."
"And… it's that simple?" I asked. It felt too good to be true. Things were easy with Red. My relationship with him didn't feel like a painful chore. Was this how things were supposed to be? Judging by how happy everyone in the pack seemed, maybe it was.
"Take it from me," Xander said. "Don't think about it too hard. Just feel. If it feels right, then it is."
I soaked in his words. Maybe love really could be as simple as that.
"Thanks," I said.
He looked more relaxed now. "I take it you're sticking around then?"
"That's the plan."
Xander gave me a single friendly clap on the shoulder. "It'll be interesting to have a bird around. Just don't get too close to my daughter while you're flying around or she might try to grab you out of the air."
