“As you are in mine.”Staring down at him, she smiled. “We are true mates, Remy.Destiny may have united us, but our love will bond us together…now and forever.”
Chapter Seven
“So, this iskind of awkward.”
Remy had to agree, but there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Hanging out in one of the private dining rooms at Carvers with his friends wasn’t exactly unusual, but clinging to his mate like he was some sort of baby koala certainly wasn’t normal behavior for him.
He and Starla had spent the last several days closed off from the rest of the world in their fairy bower bedroom. Besides taking brief breaks to eat, shower, and rest, they had spent the majority of their time wrapped around one another. Their relationship was new, but being together felt as natural as breathing.
That was the true beauty of being mates.
While their bond was strong, real intimacy took time. At least, that was the theory. Sharing their minds took more effort than sharing their hearts and bodies. Remy couldn’t deny that he had fallen for Starla the moment he met her. That wasn’t just fate. It was also natural instinct and basic biology. But each conversation they had, each story they shared about their lives, and every discussion they had about the future just made him fall even deeper in love with her.
In truth, he never thought he could feel this way about someone. Of course, he had always dreamed about finding his mate someday, but the reality of Starla exceeded every expectation he’d ever had. The only problem was that being with her had caused some unexpected issues to arise.
Mainly, he had become a needy, clingy, possessive mess.
If he had his way, they would still be locked away together. Unfortunately, their friends were adamantly against that idea. During the time they had been sequestered, their friends hadcome to check on them several times, but he had refused to open the door for any of them. He had resented anyone who had tried to intrude on their time together and had even refused to allow Damien into the apartment.
After their first night together, Starla had made sure to contact her roommate and new friends to let them know she had met her mate. They had been happy for her, but after days passed, their concern for her had continued to grow. Remy’s friends were far less worried about him, though they were eager to meet his mate.
His football coaches had been furious when he had missed practice, but they had quickly excused him once Anton and Kyler had explained the situation. They had spread the word that he had gotten injured during practice to give him the privacy and time he needed. Although he was one of their star players, the team was fine without him. There were plenty of talented people on the team who were eager to play, and this was the perfect time to give someone else a chance to shine.
The coaches weren’t just giving him a break for altruistic reasons, though. A newly bonded shifter could be dangerous if separated from their mate too soon, and they couldn’t risk him freaking out or losing control on the field. Remy hadn’t realized just how true that was until they left the apartment to have dinner with their friends.
Since classes would officially begin in a few days, it made sense that Remy and Starla finally had to break out of their private cocoon. He had suggested gathering everyone together for dinner at Carvers so they could get the introductions done all at once. Starla liked the idea since she wanted her friends to get to know his. Her friends were new at the school and could use some guidance around campus and for their upcoming classes.
Even though it was expensive as hell, Carvers was a favorite restaurant amongst the human crowd as well as supernaturals.Specialty dishes from the other realms were offered in the private dining rooms, including larger portions for the shifters and other big eaters.
They were seated around a large rectangular table in a private room on the second floor that was the essence of understated luxury, exuding warmth, sophistication, and old-world charm. Rich mahogany paneling covered the walls and coffered ceiling, accented by soft, golden sconces that cast a warm, inviting glow over the space. One wall had built-in shelving and cabinetry that resembled what could be found in a private study, while the opposing wall had a long buffet table placed under a panel of windows covered with thick, dark drapes.
The table was set with crisp white linens and gleaming silverware, centered beneath an elegant chandelier dripping with teardrop crystals that cast a golden glow across the room. Dark upholstered chairs with decorative cutout backs surrounded the table, and underneath the furniture was a vibrant red, brown, and gold area rug that added color and texture to the otherwise austere space.
Although the restaurant was located on a busy street near campus, no noise from outside could be heard inside the room. Part of that was by design, but the rest of it was due to the strong magical wards that protected the entire property. That made it a perfect place for intimate gatherings and private conversations.
There was a dress code at the restaurant, but that mainly applied to the main dining room. Still, everyone had dressed appropriately for the dinner. Since Starla had chosen to wear a high-neck velvet dress the color of ripe plums and black knee-high boots, Remy had made an effort to look presentable in a button-down shirt that matched the color of her dress and a pair of black pants. Since she thought coordinating outfits were cute, he tried to wear things that matched her as often as he could.
The table was laden with drinks and a few platters of appetizers that were meant to tide them over until the rest of their group arrived. Unfortunately, those platters hadn’t lasted long and were now empty.
Jessica, Lana, and Claudia had already been waiting inside the private dining room when they arrived. Besides Anton and Kyler, two more of their teammates from the football team had also joined them for dinner. Liam Byrne was a hawk shifter who was the team’s star quarterback, and Koa Murase was a siren-mage hybrid who was built like a mountain yet was as graceful as a ballet dancer.
Remy’s sister had also been invited, but she was late as usual. As a sculptor, she often lost track of time whenever she was working on a project. Although that didn’t excuse her behavior, he was used to her absentmindedness. It drove him crazy since he was extremely punctual. It was usually his duty to remind her of their plans and drag her away from whatever she was working on, but he was too damn distracted by his mate to care about anything else.
It was a relief that everyone was getting along, but what he hadn’t expected was to have an extreme reaction to having other people so close to his mate.
Having so many males around his mate sparked an almost feral possessive instinct within him that he couldn’t shake. Starla was his. There was no denying that. Still, he couldn’t help seeing every male, and hell, even the females, as potential threats.
He felt compelled to mark her again, wanting everyone to know that Starla belonged to him. He knew it didn’t make sense. It was as if their newly awakened bond had intensified every emotion, leaving him helpless to his fixation. He was hyper-aware of everyone around him, his inner wolf snarling at any perceived challenge. Deep down, he understood that thisoverwhelming urge would eventually settle, but for now, it was impossible to ignore.
Even the casual laughter and friendly banter around the table couldn’t ease the surge of jealousy that burned within him. He hated that they were even sharing the same air as her. The only thing that helped was Starla’s easy acceptance of his over-the-top possessive vibe. She didn’t tell him to behave or to get his shit together. She didn’t even protest when he plucked her out of her chair and pulled her onto his lap so he could press his face against the side of her neck.
“Don’t worry, mate. This feeling will pass,”she assured him through their bond.“Focus on me, not them.”
“I am, babe. That’s the problem. I’m so fucking focused on you that I can’t stand anyone taking your attention away from me, even for a millisecond,”he groaned, burying his face against her neck. Inhaling deep, he breathed her sweet scent into his lungs until he felt a little less murderous.
“Perhaps we should leave,”she suggested.“I don’t like you suffering like this.”
“We can’t. We’re having dinner with your friend Roxy and her family this weekend, so I need to get a handle on whatever is wrong with me before that. I can’t have them thinking you are mated to a weirdo. And classes are starting next week. I can’t exactly follow you around campus like some psycho stalker either.”
