There’s a heavy beat of silence as Cole and Ares’ faces twist with fury, glaring down at Osiris to get the telepathic blow by blow I’m sure. Despite my claims, a tiny, nagging voice in the back of my head points out that even as these dangerous men war with their rage, not a single instinct is telling me to flinch or run. I deem that voice my inner, hornier self and clearly not the angel sitting on my shoulder begging me to make smarter life choices.
After some time, they start to settle down, the two men sharing a look. “Let us prove it then,” Ares suggests, looking proud of himself and grinning. “And trust us, Rin. No one in this room thinks you belongtous, we think you belongwithus. Big difference.” I blink, half impressed with having that level of confidence, and the other half at the words themselves.
Cole gravitates closer, almost like he can’t help it, and stretches out on his stomach. He rests his head on his folded arms near my hip and Ozzy flops onto Cole’s back like he knew my legs were falling asleep and needed a break.
“We were made for each other, so it’s just a matter of time before you realize it, too.” He gazes up at me earnestly, bright blue eyes looking vulnerable as he adds, “No one is forcing you to stay, but we hope you will. At least give us a chance, Rin.”
I sigh, closing my eyes and looking towards the ceiling. By the time I open them, there aren’t magically any answers painted and waiting, just rich wood looking back at me.
Ignoring the jumbled mess of emotions, I attempt to wade through the chaos and focus solely on the facts. I can’t go home. My father will likely kill me if he finds me. There’s a good possibility I’ll be arrested for Jax’s murder if they don’t find Ozzy, because his family is far too influential to not havesomeoneheld accountable so they can call it justice. I don’t have a job and the little cash I do have will only last so long, let alone I have nowhere else to go. So two attractive men willing to let me hide out in their home and haven’t yet given me a reason not to trust them? Honestly, of all of my problems, the mate thing ranks pretty low.
“So, do shifters not date?”
Cole answers since it’s clear Ares is a bit more out of his element on this front. “Not like humans. Those that don’t find their mates tend to hook up or start living together for convenience’s sake if they get along well. But we don’t do the whole ‘marriage’ thing. We form prides and packs, and when we mate, they join it.” He shrugs, making it sound so seamless.
Ares interrupts, looking intrigued. “What sort of things count as dating?”
I smother a smile, while simultaneously realizing how absolutely shallow or stupid everything that comes to mind sounds. “Attending events together, sharing meals, or doing some activity?”
“How does that let you know if you want to mate with them?” Ares cocks his head to the side, his confusion honestly endearing.
“The more time you spend with someone, the more you get to know them. You learn what sort of person they are, because different situations bring to light different facets of their personality.”
Cole nods his head sagely despite the awkward angle. “So you can see if someone’s just bullshitting you to get laid. They might seem nice at first, but it gives you the chance to look for red flags.”
I give him a small smile, never actually giving much thought to it before. It’s just…what’s done and what’s expected. But watching Ares and Cole break everything down to get to the point, to analyze things in a way that makes sense to them, is rather endearing.
“Like if he seems nice enough, but then you see someone drowning and he doesn’t bat an eye,” I explain a bit more in depth, amused at how hung up they are on the whole thing. “Then you’d know they’re the sort of person to ignore someone in need because it doesn’t directly affect them. Or if they’re constantly checking out other women’s asses when they don’t think you’re looking.”
The last part I throw out there just to see how they’ll respond, because if they’re talking about mating like it’s a party here, I want to know what I’m getting into. Ozzy nips at Cole’s shoulder and Cole tilts his head as they carry on a conversation. His eyes widen imperceptibly before fixating on me.
“He wants me to clarify that shifters take the mate thing seriously.” He curses under his breath before continuing, frustrated. “It’s just different, not wrong. Humans are pretty monogamous, but shifters tend to be more polyamorous. Sometimes that means one woman and three men, sometimes three women and eight men! It’s just unique to each pride or pack. But still, no one steps outside of that.”
I toy with the idea, trying to imagine what something like that would look like from the inside. Ultimately, I circle back to what I’m actually concerned about, but hating how it makes me sound.
“So what happens if you come across some other woman that smells like ‘mate’ too? I’m just supposed to accept that?”
The three look between each other before Ares replies, watching his words carefully. “I doubt that would happen, honestly. We have a pretty good sense on those things, and when I look at you? I don’t feel like there’s anything missing anymore.”
I try to ignore the stab of longing that lances through me with his words. “I’m just trying to be honest about my reservations.”
“And that’s why it works!” Cole beams. “Because people talk about what isn’t working and come up with a solution together that everyone can live with. At its core, you just treat it like you would any relationship. Don’t keep things pent up and let them fester until they become bigger problems than anyone can handle. We do our best, but we’re only human...ish,” he smirks, teasing. “And we’re bound to make our fair share of mistakes. But as long as everyone’s committed to putting in the effort, you’d be surprised how well it can work.”
“You never have to be alone again, Rin,” Ares declares, and my chest constricts. “There will always be someone in your corner, standing by your side, and the rest of the pride behind you.”
I swallow, my throat feeling as constricted as my chest, and nod. “Then I suppose a few dates won’t kill me.”
Nine
Osiris
Dude. This isn’t a date, it’s chores, dumbass.
Ares turns to look at me, surprised. After a month of not being able to talk to anyone, I don’t even care that he’s spent most of these last few days yelling at me. He’s pissed, but it stems from his worry; he just isn’t good about this sort of thing. Cole or I always take point on heading into the fringe towns for business, and I don’t think Ares has ever actually set foot in one beyond the tiny shifter run area not far from here that barely even counts as a town. That’d be fine, if it wasn’t for the fact he clearly doesn’t know the first thing about human culture.
“She said an activity!”he defends and I roll my eyes.
Yeah, afunactivity, not manual labor. The girl’s clearly never held an axe before today.
