It had been a few days since Brent’s tattoo was finished, and I foolishly got it done in only two sessions. I could have drawn it out to three. Should have. Then again, that would’ve prolonged my mate’s pain.
My dragon thrashed around inside me, pissed off at not being near his mate but even more, at me directly. He sent me commands. Not suggestions, commands, about what I should be doing with my time.
Court our mate.
Bring him treasures.
Mostly it was about how, at night, our mate wasn’t in my arms and…other things. He was a beast.
After that first text good night, I was surprised that Brent texted me back the next morning. We messaged throughout the day and that evening, I’d received my first selfie from my mate. Nothing special. Just him eating dinner.
It meant the world to me.
Everything he did was magic.
We’d decided to go to the new pizza place in town and after that, I planned something simple. Drive outside the city and watch the stars and the full moon. Give us a chance to get to know each other better and talk.
I didn’t think Brent was the wine-and-dine type. Maybe all of this was wrong and I was about to make a huge mistake.
Then there was the other problem hovering in the back of my mind.
My mate was human, though his scent was faintly shifter. I chalked it up to him having some shifter genes in his ancestry or maybe someone at his work carried that scent.
I had to tell him I was a shifter. Also, that the dragon now branded on his back with ink was an exact replica of the one who lived inside me down to the golden eyes and emerald scales.
I pushed the thoughts aside, trying not to focus on the negative, and got dressed in no time. I’d already picked up the flowers and a book I thought he might like and before long, knocked on his apartment door.
“Hi,” he said. “You’re a bit early.”
“Early is on time.” Something my parents taught us all.
“That’s true. Are those for me?”
I nodded, handing over the flowers and the book. “I bought a copy for myself as well. I thought we could read it at the same time? I don’t know. Maybe that was silly.”
Brent smelled the flowers and bit down on his bottom lip while reading over the book. “This is really unexpected, Theo, and actually perfect. Thank you. Come in while I put these away.”
A half hour later, we sat at the pizza place. A huge buffalo chicken pizza was placed in between us, and Brent’s face lit up. “You think we can finish it?” he asked, eyes shimmering.
“I do. Let’s give it a shot.”
We talked around bites, but the pizza place was busy. Friday night and all. My dragon was pleased as punch to be near our mate. We polished off the pizza and made our way next door where we bought a pint of ice cream for each of us and then got into the truck.
“If you want, I thought we could drive out of the city a bit and star watch. It would be a chance to talk, and there’s a full moon tonight.”
Brent laughed. “You believe in all that woo-woo stuff?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged and put the car into drive. “I thought it would be romantic. And the moon is beautiful tonight.”
He leaned forward and peered out the windshield. “Huh. It really is. You’re not taking me somewhere remote to murder me, are you?”
I snorted. What in the heck? “Didn’t cross my mind. Just an alpha trying to get a make-out session with the most gorgeous omega he’s ever seen.”
His scent changed the farther we drove. While he didn’t respond to my make-out comment, his sweet vanilla and coconut scent told me everything I needed to know. Making out might be on the table. I would take whatever Brent was willing to give me tonight.
I brought a blanket and spread it out, and we sat next to each other under the stars and the glowing full moon. When Brent snuggled next to me, I knew I’d made the right choice.
“Tell me something,” I said. I’d gotten mint chocolate chip ice cream and Brent got pistachio and dark chocolate swirl.
