I wanted to chuckle at that but knew from Silver’s warning, not to do that while knotted inside your mate. “That’s exactly what you did. You heard me in your head. That’s the mate bond.Fated mates that are both shifters have that ability. Are you comfortable with trying to say something to me through it?”
“Was that what it was? Really?”
“It was. I know Charlie was completely open to Silver immediately, but he struggled to be able to communicate through the bond at first. It took a day or two, but he got the hang of it. I’ve heard it’s incredibly useful when you’re around others and don’t want them to know what you’re saying.”
“Oh, I could see that. I swear, there’s been a few times I’ve seen Charlie at the zoo, and he has this look on his face. I’m certain now that he was talking to Silver.”
“Most likely.”
Duncan laid his head down on my shoulder and I felt his breath move across it when he let out a sigh.“I don’t know what to say to you. I never thought I would get a mate actually.”
I tightened my arms around Duncan’s shoulders. “Why wouldn’t you get a mate? Everyone has their perfect other half out there somewhere.”
I felt Duncan’s shoulder move and assumed he shrugged. His words though, broke my heart. “I’m not anyone special,” he whispered.
I kissed the top of his head. “You’re special to me,” I told him because he was. Even if he hadn’t ended up being my mate, he was still worthy of having one.
Chapter Ten
Duncan
Being mated to Clay was an experience. I had no idea what to expect going in, but it absolutely wasn’t having someone offer so much just hours after meeting me. it quickly became obvious that Clay was ready for a mate. He had admitted to me that wasn’t the case six months ago, but when his brother met Charlie, he and his gorilla had decided then that was what they wanted. He wasn’t lying.
After his knot had gone down and we were able to break apart, he took me into the shower to not only get cleaned up but also make good on his promise that we most certainly would utilize that bench. Somehow, he managed to avoid knotting me, and after he quickly got us cleaned up and right off, he carried me to the bed, and I passed out.
Clay’s bed was just as comfortable as the one that I had slept in the night before, but his obviously scented of him and that made my panda incredibly happy. A sense of comfort andsecurity that I had never felt before washed over me and I relaxed more than I had in a very long time.
I was a bit surprised at the time when I woke. I couldn’t say if it was because I had been so tired or the fact that I was surrounded by my mate’s scent or that he had completely worn me out sexually. No matter, Clay was there in bed with me and that is what really surprised me.
He’d been so incredibly sweet. He’d ordered what should have been enough food for six people, but we’d eaten all of it. Then he helped me move my things into his bedroom because as he’d pointed out, there was no reason to keep them in the other one since we were now mated.
He cheered me up when I read the message that my position at the tavern had been terminated. I wasn’t all that surprised, but I was a little disappointed that they would let me go simply because I’d found my mate and needed a night off. My boss at the zoo was incredibly understanding and I had been given two weeks off with base pay. That was a relief, but Clay had done his best to help me realize that it didn’t matter if I worked one job or no jobs.
I hadn’t fully understood that until just now after we’d left the bank. I was now on all of his accounts, and my shiny new cards would be arriving in the mail in the next seven to ten business days. Not card. Cards. Plural. I would have a debit card from his account that was now a joint account, and I was added as an authorized user for his credit card through his bank as well as the one he had through another.
“You’re quiet. Is everything all right?”
I looked over at Clay. We were in his truck and on our way to have lunch. “Uh…I’m a bit overwhelmed I think.”
“Too much?” he asked. “I want to get things taken care of as soon as we can,” he told me. “I also want to ask you about otherthings as well, but I thought that maybe those would be best asked in private at home.”
I looked at Clay with wide eyes. “What? It’s private here. Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong last night?” I had thought everything was amazing, but I would. I had been very much a virgin until yesterday.
Clay stopped at a red light and shook his head. “No, and I’m messing things up. It’s not bad. I promise. But I also don’t wish to discuss what I want to talk to you about in the truck. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Clay sighed.
I reached over and placed my hand on his bicep and gave it a squeeze. He looked at me and I smiled in return. “All right. We’ll talk about it at home. Can we get spicy chicken?” I pointed over to the left. “My favorite place is right there and they have the best Cajun fries.” I moaned. “And mac ’n’ cheese. It’s baked, and so good.”
Clay’s smile was huge. “Yeah, we can.”
I grinned back, and when the light changed, he drove through the intersection and then got into the middle turn lane. It could be a bit tricky to get into from this direction with as close as it was to an intersection, but something I’d already learned was that Clay wasn’t a timid driver.
He pulled into the parking lot and my stomach immediately let us know that it was time to eat. “Sorry,” Clay said. “I should have fed you before we went to the bank. I didn’t realize it was going to take that long though.”
“It’s okay,” I told him. I undid my seat belt and opened the door. I slid from the truck and met Clay at the back.
“Will you at least let me help you in? Open your door, then?”
“I didn’t mean anything by it. This is still new to me.” I reached out and touched his waist. I had found that I really liked touching Clay, and the best part was that he always welcomed it.“I’ll let you open my doors. I know you’re just doing it to show that you care and are taking care of me.”
