Holy fuck. It killed me to walk away from Kami. I had never done anything so hard in my life. I thought I wanted her before, but now it’s multiplied tenfold. She is my mate, and I know for a fact she knows it too; I could hear her thoughts, and I’ve been able to listen to them ever since I bit her. That is until she realized there could be a chance the link opened. The last words I heard in her mind were holy fuck I’m screwed before I got shut out.
I’ll give her the time she needs, even if it drives me in-fucking-sane in the process. I have to do it for her. I can’t force her to complete the bond with me, even though I know deep down she desires me; she just hates me too.
When I get home from the bar, I pack my bags. Zayne and I have clients to see in Seattle and Portland. We’ll be gone for three days, and already I'm not too fond of the thought of being separated from Kami. Not that she needs any protection because I know she can take care of herself, but I have the connection to see if she needs help. It’s the thought of being away from her and knowing she hates me. That’s the worst part of all. I want to be close to her, to make her see I’m not the douchebag she thinks I am. Granted, I haven’t given her a reason to think otherwise until tonight. I gave her a glimpse of the other side of me, but I know it wasn’t enough. If eight weeks of space is what she needs, I’ll give it to her. After that, it’s game on. I’m not giving her any more chances to push me away.
Once all packed, I grab my cell off the bed and walk out the back door to the patio. There’s only one person who can help me with Kami. I press Faith’s number and wait for her to pick up.
“Hello, hello,” Faith answers. “You’re calling a little late.”
“I know. I’m sorry. There’s something I need to tell you, and I’m hoping you can give me some advice.”
She laughs. “Wow. My big brother is asking for help? I thought you knew how to do everything.”
“And I do,” I joke, “but this is serious.”
“I’m all ears. What’s going on?”
I blow out a breath. “Kami’s my mate.” The line goes silent, and I know she’s probably wondering if she heard me right.
“Are you serious? How did it happen?” she asks, sounding excited.
“Don’t get all happy on me, sis. Kami wants nothing to do with me. That’s why I need your advice. I know what I have to do, but I don’t want to do it.”
“Okay, okay, first of all, I’m shocked she hasn’t called to tell me. I want to hear everything, so start from the beginning. How did you find out Kami was your mate?”
Deep down, I think I’ve known ever since I started dreaming about her a couple of months ago. I haven’t told anyone about the dreams. “I woke up this morning, and it just happened,” I say.
She snorts. “That’s it? You weren’t with Kami at all?”
“That depends on what you mean by with her.”
“Oh, my God, just tell me,” she demands. “I literally can’t contain my excitement right now.”
At least someone is excited. The second I knew Kami was my mate, I knew it wouldn’t be an easy road. She’s headstrong and independent. “It started a couple of months ago when I started having dreams of her,” I begin.
She gasps. “Dreams? What kind of dreams?”
I look up at the stars in the sky. There were several I had with Kami where we stared up at them. The first time I kissed her, we were at the beach, staring up at the same stars. “Dreams where we were just together,” I reply.
“Could she see you in them?”
Her statement gives me pause. That’s not the sort of question I thought she’d ask. “Why do you want to know that?”
“Because I need to. Could Kami see you in them?”
“No. She would always say I was a blur. She couldn’t hear me either when I talked to her.”
“Oh. My. God. I don’t know what to think right now. This is pretty crazy.”
“What is?”
She blows out a breath and laughs. “Hear me out. So, a couple of months ago, when Tate and I first found out we were mates, Kami had a dream about us. She’ll kill me if she knows I’m telling you this, but her dreams have been coming true. When she touches an unmated female wolf, she dreams about them and their mates. She’s already paired up three couples now. The biggest thing is she’s also been dreaming about her mate, only she can’t see him because he’s blurry.”
Could it be possible that we’ve shared the same dreams this whole time? It’s the only thing that makes sense since I can hear her thoughts after taking her blood. That means she was physically in the dream. What’s also important is that she was given a gift. In a way, maybe I’ve been given one too since I experienced the dreams as well. The Great Luna only bestows those privileges to those she deems worthy. I can only hope she thought it was time for me to know who my mate is.
“Did she ever tell you what she and her mate do in the dreams?” I ask.
Faith clears her throat. “Well, I think some were a little hot and heavy. Is that what you dreamt of too?”
I close my eyes, remembering every single detail of our times together. Her body fits in my arms as if she were meant to be there. “She’s beautiful. How could I not?”
“If you’ve been sharing the same dreams, that’s some serious magic. Does she know?”
“No,” I snap, opening my eyes. “I’m not ready to tell her. All I know is that in our last dream, I got carried away and bit her. The second I tasted her blood, I jolted awake. That’s when I knew she was my mate. I could feel it in my soul. And …”
A few seconds pass. “And what?” Faith asks, her voice impatient.
“And I can hear her thoughts, Faith, at least until she shut me out. She suspects I might be able to, so she’s shielding her thoughts from me. I also know she wants to get rid of her dreams. Tia’s supposed to help her with some kind of herbal tea.”
She gasps. “Wow. This is crazy. Have you seen Kami today?”
Groaning, I run a hand over my face. “Yep. I let my anger get the best of me when I saw her at the bar with her FBI buddies. And this is where it gets fucked.” I blow out a sigh. I lost my temper, and I regret it. She already thinks I’m an arrogant ass. “When she went with me outside, I laid it all out for her. I told her we were mates, and she flat out said there’s no way in hell it’s possible. She said we’re two different people.”
“I see. So, I guess Kami plans to fight it.”
I can pick up on when someone’s feeding me bullshit, and Kami’s one of them. Even if I couldn’t hear her thoughts, I would’ve known. She may be able to fool some, but not me. “She’s going to fight it hard too,” I say. “It makes me wonder how long it’ll last. The woman has the hardest head of anyone I know.”
“That she does,” Faith laughs. “She’s also one who believes in finding her mate on her own terms. I know she respects our shifter magic, but she doesn’t want to be told who her mate is. I had this conversation with her not long ago.”
That’s not what I wanted to hear. If Kami fights against our bond, there’s no telling how long she’ll last. Hell, I don’t know how long I will, especially with hearing her thoughts. I have to find a way to break her down. That is if she even lets me get close to her.
“She wants space for the next eight weeks while she’s in training,” I say. “I told her I’d give her that.”
“Wow,” she replies, sounding shocked. “Usually, you’re a take what you want no matter the consequences type of guy.”
“So, I am the dickhead she thinks I am.”
Faith sighs. “No, you’re not, Colin. You just haven’t shown her who you really are. All she’s seen is the cocky alpha side of you.”
“What if she doesn’t give me a chance to show her? If I push her too hard, she’ll push back, and it won’t end well for me.”
“No. It won’t. I think you’re doing the right thing by giving Kami space. She’s probably expecting you to show your ass and demand her time. Lay low and see what happens.”
This is where I need her help. I don’t want to lay low and give her space. My wolf wants to be close to her; he needs it. I can hide my power from other wolves with being a royal, but I want backup just in case.
“Do you still have the black carmine stone?” I ask her. Laila had given her the black carmine stone to protect her from being found when Tia and Killian hunted her. It can keep others from sensing your energy. That’s what I need. I want to be able to watch over Kami without her knowing.
Faith laughs. “I think I see where this is going. But yes, I have it. I’ll give it to you.”
“Thanks, sis. Zayne and I are heading up to Seattle tomorrow morning for work, and once we’re done, I’ll make a detour to you. Sound good?”
“I’ll see you then. And Colin?”
I look up at the stars, wondering if I’ll see Kami in my dreams tonight. She wants Tia to stop them, but I’m hoping I can get one more in. “Yeah?”
“Be patient. Things will work out.”
I fucking hope so. Unfortunately, I’m afraid it’s going to be a long, hard road before it does.