“That’s why you told Eli shifters believe in fate?” I drew the words out as I turned the idea over in my head. Even thoughEmily had mentioned it earlier, I hadn’t had a chance, or reason, to consider it further with everything that had happened.
“Yes.” He blew out a breath, his gaze trained on the bedspread. “It’s a big deal when a shifter finds their mate. It’s usually another shifter, though to look at my brothers you would never guess. Everyone but Mason has found their mate, and they’re all humans.”
A twinge of disappointment flashed through my gut. “So, you’ve found yours?”
His eyes lifted from the bed to meet mine. “Yes.”
“You’ll have to introduce me. I’m sure she’s lovely.” I spoke quickly, covering the jealousy that coursed through me when I pictured another woman with Luke. It was crazy. I barely knew the man. Sure, I had a little crush on him, but attraction was natural. Now I knew for sure that I needed to ignore it. “She wasn’t at the farmhouse yesterday.”
“Yes, she was.” He jammed his fingers in his hair. “I’m not doing a good job of this. I’ve never had to do it before.”
“Do what?” I ran through everyone I’d met when I took Eli to the farmhouse. Emily was with Austin. Ethan was with Hannah if the kiss he gave her was any indication, and Mae, an elderly woman who was clearly in charge of everyone, was too old to be Luke’s. Chloe was?—
“You’re my mate.”
My brain stuttered and blanked. My mouth was slightly open, but I couldn’t seem to send the signal needed to close it. When my neurons began firing again, I replayed his words, analyzing them to determine if he meant what I thought he did.
“Katie?”
“Um, can you repeat that? I think I misheard you.”
“You’re my mate.” He covered my hand with his, stroking his thumb across my skin.
“Are you sure? This isn’t some joke?” I stared into his eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity.
“I would never joke about this.” He lifted my hand, lacing our fingers together. There was a feeling of rightness to it I didn’t understand. As if my hand was just waiting for his to complete it. “The minute I caught your scent, I knew. You smell like lilac and honeysuckle, and it called to me like nothing else ever has.”
I frowned, considering the implications of what he was saying. He’d known from the start I was his mate. But he’d said nothing. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
He cleared his throat. “I wish I could say it was because you were human, and I wanted to give you time to get to know me first. But honestly, I wasn’t sure I was ever going to tell you.”
Hurt punched me in the gut. I tugged at my hand, trying to remove it from his, but he held tight. “Why not? Was there something wrong with me?”
Luke cursed. “I’m messing this up.” He slid closer to me on the bed, lifting his free hand to cup my cheek. His calloused palm against my smooth skin sent shivers radiating out. “You’re perfect. The problem is me. I’m not… I don’t deserve you.”
“Why would you say that?”
He scrubbed his face with his hands before leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “I’m not like my brothers. They were adopted at a much younger age. I grew up differently.”
I drew my leg up, folding it on the bed between us. His eyes were hidden from me, but his profile was stark, as if he were laying himself bare. “You know what I do for a living. I’m not bothered by a difficult past. It doesn’t define who you are forever.”
He gave his head a small shake. “You don’t understand. My birth father was a con man who raised me to help with his cons. I share responsibility for so many people losing their life savings, and it’s something I can never make right.”
“You were a child.” I rubbed his back, my mind whirring with what he’d told me. “You only knew what you were taught. And now that you know better, you no longer con people.”
“I was Eli’s age when he dumped me on a pack. He couldn’t move as easily through the human world with a teenager learning to shift. It’s a volatile time for a shifter, and I would only get in his way.” He clasped his hands together. “I caused nothing but problems for that pack. I didn’t know how to interact with people without lying and manipulating.”
“You’ve obviously learned since then.” I wanted to banish the haunted expression he wore. Soothe him. “When did things change?”
His eyes remained locked on the floor, but he appeared to gaze through it, as if seeing a memory. A small smile played with his lips. “My mom.” He switched his gaze to me. “My adoptive mom, I mean.”
There was a warmth in his dark eyes that lit up his entire face. It transformed him, and my breath caught. I remembered him telling me I reminded him of her, and I wondered if I would ever put that same look on his face.
I shook off the desire, unsure about this mate thing. If I understood it correctly, he would move fast, and I didn’t want to give him false hope. Until I decided what I wanted, I needed to maintain a level head and not allow the romance of fated mates to sweep me away.
FIVE
Luke
