Chapter 13 - Thane
“Have you two mated yet?” Elias asks bluntly, to which I frown incredulously.
“Are you serious, bro?”
“I'm not asking as your friend, Thane. I'm asking as a fellow alpha, who's worried about this pack,” Elias sighs heavily as he turns toward the bar, lifting his full glass to his lips as he stares ahead, his eyes bearing the weight of all the worry he carries. “I'm worried about Aurora…Emile…”
He takes a neat chug of his whiskey, emptying the glass with an “ah” sound when he sets the glass back down.
I turn my face toward the bar in his study, nodding thoughtfully as I mull over his question. I know he's worried about his mate and his son because of the prophecy—the visions Aurora and Yvonne had that foretold a future in which Emile would be the key in taking down the demons for good, aided by our four witches.
Since returning from the hut this morning, I'd called up a meeting to inform everyone about the demons we faced out there last night, and Willow's subsequent use of her powers that turned them to ashes.
After the meeting, Elias asked me to stay back to share a drink, and now I know why.
He's worried about the fate of his family.
“I know you're worried about them, but Willow's powers have been unlocked already,” I assure him, pouring another round of drinks.
Elias takes a deep, thoughtful breath. “You don't understand, Thane. Her powers are useless if they're notcontrolled, and mating with her is the only way that allows her to get control over her powers. Trust me, I know,” he scoffs as he picks up his glass again. “Remember what happened to my house?”
“Yeah, I remember,” I chuckle. “But Aurora was all alone back then. It's different with Willow. She has the others to help her. She can train.”
“Training's not enough, Thane,” Elias groans with a hint of impatience in the sound. “She needs to be ready. Completely ready. And the only way to do that is if you mate with her.”
I blink in disbelief, but it's not because I don't believe that this is a serious matter. But Elias wouldn't be trying to force this.
Not since Aurora came into his life and Emile was born.
My disbelief is also because I have no idea how I'm supposed to navigate this part of the fated mate bond with Willow.
I promised I wouldn't sleep with her until she was ready, and discovering she's still a virgin last night cemented that promise.
“You know that it's not something I can force, Eli,” I remind him with a heavy-hearted sigh. “Especially since Willow and I have history.”
Elias turns his head slowly toward me. “You too, huh?”
Chuckling dryly, I nod. “What's the saying? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Our fates are all linked—you, me, Dawson, Brooks. History is only repeating itself.”
“Yeah, but you have an advantage,” Elias chuckles as he pats my back. “You have all our fuck-ups to look out for.”
“So…word of advice?”
Elias purses his lips apologetically. “Forget all the pressure I've been putting on you, and just be there for her. She's gonna be incredibly frightened by her own powers, but all you can do is be there for her. Show up for her. The mating part will happen naturally.”
I nod thoughtfully, a faint smile tracing my lips. “That sounds more like the Elias I've known this past year.”
Elias smirks, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “A little over a year,” he chuckles. “Sometimes I forget that Aurora burned my house down when her powers were out of control. You'd better get Willow into training before she burns your place down.”
“That won't happen,” I chuckle as I stand up from the barstool, setting my empty glass on the counter. “Speaking of which, I should head back home and check up on her. Maybe convince her to begin training.”
Elias nods, and I leave his house to return to mine, where I'd left Willow this evening.
Though we haven’t gotten around to speaking about what happened last night in the woods, both of us knew that the bigger issue with the demons was something that needed to be reported. Now that it's out of the way, I can speak to Willow about what we did last night.
She hasn't been showing signs that she's afraid of me any longer, but she still has her walls up, as can be expected.
I'm hoping I can speak to her tonight and let her know that I care for her more than I could recognize before. Finding out she was a virgin last night was an added surprise, and she has to know that I don't plan on taking her virginity unless she wants me to.
